Local Filmmakers Create Atmospheric “Devil’s Night”

by Thomas Leturgey

On Friday night, October 30 at the American Legion Post 496 in Sheraden, two emerging movie makers hosted their biggest premier yet. Louis Zygmuncik IV and Sean Delach, Jr., both dressed in a mix of red and black suits, welcomed about 90 family, friends and fans to unveil “Devil’s Night,” a 94-minute locally produced horror film.

Zygmuncik and Delach are cousins and lifelong friends with a shared affinity for spooky stories that are about so much more than spattered blood and grotesque imagery. Zygmuncik, who is working on his filmmaking master’s at Point Park College, and Delach, who works at a local beer distributor, co-wrote, directed, edited and did just about everything else for the film together over the past two years.

Both men are renaissance men of sorts, with detailed knowledge of movies, television, sports and music. Delach touts Zygmuncik’s talents and accomplishments and vice versa. They chuckle when asked if they are sort of like the Elton John and Bernie Taupin of independent horror filmmaking in Pittsburgh. “Or maybe Keith Richards and Mick Jaggaer” jokes Zygmuncik.

“Devil’s Night” focuses on “controversial former child star and author” Damien Sinclair, who at the beginning of the movie sits down with renowned book podcaster Richie Michaels to discuss his upcoming novel and controversies. Damien walks Michaels through eight tales of the macabre that make up “Devil’s Night.” The plot becomes a “movie within a movie” where the stories range from a “monster in a backyard hole” to silent serial killer(s) and more.

Sinclair is portrayed by Bob Orkwis, a Pittsburgh local sports broadcaster and writer, sometimes actor, and they boys’ true-life uncle. He narrates the titles of the vignettes with aplomb. The cast, which clocks in at 40 Pittsburghers, is made up of relatives, friends and neighbors.

One resource the lads from Lawrenceville utilize to full effect is their 20-plus year network with the former Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA), Pittsburgh’s official professional wrestling organization for a quarter of a century. The duo employ a range of actors from children to grandparents. The cast’s familiarity with each other makes for a cohesive unit over the feature film’s runtime. Both men explain that the stories told in professional wrestling influenced their own writing. Delach is the son of long-time wrestler “King” Del Douglas, while Zygmuncik’s father is “The Face of Pittsburgh” Lou Martin.

The film successfully utilizes family living rooms and coal cellars, a detached garage for the movie’s goriest scene, and in a fun twist, the elevators inside Pittsburgh’s Municipal Courts.

Another thing that sets “Devil’s Night” apart from most of these types of independent films is the music, here composed by Rich Anthony. The score was atmospheric and hit every cord. “Rich gave his heart and soul to the score of this film,” said Delach. “And honestly, I would say he gave a little too much. He gave every single bit of his soul to the film.”

The eight individual segments, courtesy of Sinclair’s gruesome imagination, are pure and old-school horror story telling. There is a distinct influence from the likes of M. Knight Shamalan, Alfred Hitchcock, and more than a small nod to Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

In a societal time in which words are “banned,” and movie victims can’t be controversial or thought provoking in a traditional way, Zygmuncik and Delach allow for some ad-libbing and at times extreme potty mouths. But no gratuitous nude scenes.

There’s blood in some scenes, while other kills are simply implied, and that makes for a creative change of pace.

Besides the killings taking place the day before Halloween in a town that’s never identified, yet there are tiny strings that tie the mythos together. In the eight action scenes, there are psychological thrillers, senseless slashing and a monster who chases kids. One character is in a wheelchair. This movie touches all the bases of the various sub genres.

For a cast of cinematic unknowns, they really pull it all together. From Joseph Moneck’s driven “business bro” stuck in an elevator to young Anthony Trozzo’s stop in the middle of the street because he notices something off in the distance, the acting conveys what Zygmuncik and Delach want.

Artist Casey Marzell wears striped pajamas in his back yard, perhaps emoting the “allegory of a suburban prison” while investigating a mysterious pit city workers don’t want to touch.

Wrestler Joshua Kavod convincingly plays a single dad trying to balance a house full of children, some of whom may have disappeared. His “son” Quint is portrayed by Tommy Moreno, who simply wants to spend time with his girlfriend while his father looks for his siblings before things go inexplicably sideways for all involved.

Quint’s girlfriend in a way hands off their scene to the next, where three girls try to summon the mystical “Bloody Mary” when they can’t find a Ouija board.

Manny Basnet plays “Casper” a policeman who follows up on a call where shots are fired. It turns out that some intrusive pranksters picked on the wrong veteran (played by Zygmunick’s grandfather Lou Jr.)

Casper goes home and his situation quickly unravels. While the physical acting between Casper and his handicapped son “Freddy” (played by Gianmarco Febres) wasn’t superior, there is some great dialogue between the men.

The best scene in the movie is near the end where Zygmuncik plays a disheveled ride share driver who kidnaps a pop singer. The parallels to M. Knight Shamalan’s “Trap” led to a family dinner table right out of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Zygmuncik delightfully and uproariously chews the scenery as “Sawyer Granger,” the vulgar, intense and downright daffy patriarch of a family that includes Madison Orkwis (Bob’s daughter) as the skipping, shouting and smiling (and sinister) Eden. A plate of fried chicken becomes a character all its own. And the child chasing monster from earlier returns as “Clancy” a chained-up creature or a raging gimp in a costume. Thankfully, that’s never flushed out. No animals were harmed in the making of the movie, but a keen eye can see a rabbit as an unpaid extra.

“Devil’s Night” will not make supplant Saw and the biggest names of the genre; however, they are moving in the right direction. Zygmuncik and Delach invited Rich Dalzotto, one of the founders of the Horror Realm Convention to the film. He has supported the duo with their other movies, including 2021’s Unwelcome Guests, 2022’s Elevator Music and The Spicening from 2023. They will officially debut the movie there and they plan to have DVD’s available for sale.

There’s also the Horror movie festival route. Neither man knows what they’ll do next. Zygmuncik has college to finish, and he hopes to work in film locally. Until then, they will enjoy the life of young filmmakers, with family and friends.