Doomed

is a feature film written and directed by Allen Riley.

Synopsis: the lead singer of a grunge band gets lost in the enchanted forest of a trickster spirit while his bandmates struggle with their incomplete music in a remote cabin.

I filmed “Doomed” with a group of friends in the hills and swamps surrounding Stroudsburg, PA from September 2009 to September 2011.

With a backpack full of point-and-shoot cameras, a digital audio recorder, and a thrift store tripod with missing feet, we filmed a lush, lo-fi parable about the creative process told through 90’s alternative rock tropes.

The centerpiece of “Doomed” is a fantastical tree creature named Glofin. Built with burlap, latex, alpaca wool, and glass taxidermy eyes, Glofin serves as a material link to the imaginary realm. Production was halted when Glofin was destroyed by wild animals.

I returned to the project several years later and discovered a complete narrative within the footage. The resulting film is charged with the spontaneous energy of its immersive location-based production.