I recently got on a Grady Hendrix kick, thanks to meeting Joshua Grannell aka Peaches Christ. Going through their podcast “Midnight Mass,” I heard a recommendation for Hendrix’s The Final Girl Support Group, and then a discussion with Hendrix about his earlier work. In a trip to my local brick and mortar bookstore, I picked up My Best Friends Exorcism, which I’d heard was in development at Amazon. (To be honest, I picked up almost everything by Hendrix.)
More than in development, apparently — it was an old podcast episode. Because here it is coming at the end of September, starring Elsie Fisher, one of the brightest young actors on the scene, supported by one of my favorites of the past few years, Christopher Lowell. The cast also includes rising stars Amiah Miller, Cathy Ang, and Rachel Ogechi Kanu. This isn’t hyperbole on my part; Grady Hendrix’s writing has legitimately become some of my current favorite. Forgive the technical misspelling of the title on my part — that’s completely an SEO issue.
Prime Video’s description of My Best Friends Exorcism goes as follows:
Surviving the teenage years isn’t easy, especially when you’re possessed by a demon. It’s 1988, and best friends Abby (Elsie Fisher) and Gretchen (Amiah Miller) are navigating boys, pop culture, and a paranormal force clinging to Gretchen like a pair of neon legwarmers. With assistance from overly confident mall exorcist Christian Lemon (Christopher Lowell), Abby is determined to compel the demon back to the pits of hell—if it doesn’t kill Gretchen first. At turns horrifying and hilarious, My Best Friend’s Exorcism pays homage to 1980s pop culture with a totally timeless tale of terror and true friendship. Based on Grady Hendrix’s best-selling novel.
My Best Friend’s Exorcism is directed by Damon Thomas (Killing Eve, Penny Dreadful) and written by Jenna Lamia (Good Girls, Awkward.) from the book by Grady Hendrix (Satanic Panic). The film stars Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade, Despicable Me), Amiah Miller (The Water Man, War for the Planet of the Apes), Cathy Ang (And Just Like That…, Over the Moon), Rachel Ogechi Kanu (Cheer for Your Life), and Christopher Lowell (GLOW, Promising Young Woman).
In addition to running Fanboy Planet, Derek has contributed stories to Arcana Comics (The Greatest American Hero) and Monsterverse Comics (Bela Lugosi's Tales from the Grave). He has performed with ComedySportz, City Lights Theater Company and Silicon Valley Shakespeare, though relocated to Hollywood to... work in an office? If you ever played Eric's Ultimate Solitaire on the Macintosh, it was Derek's voice as The Weasel that urged you to play longer. You can buy his book "I Was Flesh Gordon" on the Amazon link at the right. Email him at [email protected].
