Frank Palangi’s “At Death’s Door” (Premiere)

By Joshua Scarselli on October 21, 2025

On Thursday, October 16, Frank Palangi showed his latest release titled “At Death’s Door” at the Strand Theatre in Hudson Falls. I first met Frank when he premiered “Killer Music” this past summer. I loved that so much, I jumped at the chance of being part of the premiere of “At Death’s Door.” I definitely was not disappointed.

“At Death’s Door” is an anthology movie based on the book “Toe in the Water” by Christopher Pelton. These tales explore how making everyday decisions can lead to experiences with death. With such a suspenseful premise, would “At Death’s Door” keep me on the edge of my seat? I was about to find out.

“At Death’s Door” is full of suspense. Each scene makes you wonder what’s going to happen next. Would this action be this character’s final? In classic Palangi fashion, you can easily picture yourself in the situations the characters are in. The relatability to the situations is what really gives this thriller some teeth.

The cinematography of “At Death’s Door” is most excellent. Frank uses a balance of close-ups and deep angles to keep you invested in the story. The sharp colors truly add to the emotion of the scenes. You can tell the editing is done with deliberate care.

After the premiere, I got to catch up with one of the actors and talk to them about the experience of working on a Palangi Studios production.

RRX: Thanks for talking with me. Can you introduce yourself to our readers?

JC: Hi, I’m Jared Curtis. I played Rusty Bucket, and everybody has one. It was a great experience. I basically played a serial killer who is living a psychopathic life and has a strange relationship with his family. I don’t want to divulge too much, but he’s a product of what I would say is a very dark and demented family lifestyle, and it has carried on into his adulthood.

RRX: How did you get involved in the film?

JC: I’ve known Frank for quite a while. I played guitar in his band for a few years, and we’ve maintained a friendship since that time. He basically called me up one day and said, “Hey, I got a part and I think that you might be right for it. Would you want to give it a shot?” I said, “Well, I’ve never really done any acting before, but I’d be glad to give it a try.”

RRX: Have you ever been in any of his other films, or any plans to be in any future films?

JC: We did talk about doing something in the future. I did do one short scene in his movie “Killer Tales,” but it was a very, very limited part. So this time around, I was a little bit more involved in the scenes and things like that. I had a great time. It was definitely a good experience. I think Frank’s a great director.

RRX: What was your favorite part of being in the film?

JC: I think getting to see it for the first time. I know that’s not really part of the filming experience, but that was pretty surreal to see it on the screen. As far as the filming and the process, I think it was just fun to work with somebody that I’m comfortable around, someone who’s a friend, and someone who has a vision and can basically just direct you in whatever path he wants you to go.

RRX: Where can people keep up with your work?

JC: You can find me basically on Facebook. It’s just a personal page, but you can check out my music under the name Jared Curtis. It’s on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, all that stuff. There are two albums out right now. One is called “Welcome,” and the other is called “Collide.”

“At Death’s Door” is now streaming on Tubi just in time for the Halloween season. You want to add this to your must-see movie list.