Dead Again 1991

In the sweltering heat of 1948, a senseless murder rocks the Strauss family when Margaret’s life is brutally cut short during a robbery. The investigation that follows leaves her husband, composer Roman (Roman Strauss), condemned to death for a crime he allegedly committed. Just before his execution, reporter Gray Baker (Gray Baker) pays Roman a visit, but instead of revealing any concrete answers, Roman whispers something in the reporter’s ear, leaving him with more questions than solutions.

Fast forward 43 years, and private investigator Mike Church is tasked with solving a mystery that has nothing to do with murder. Instead, he finds himself embroiled in a complex web of identity as he takes in an amnesiac woman who has appeared at the orphanage where he grew up. Her inability to speak or recall her past life leaves Mike feeling both intrigued and empathetic towards this enigmatic stranger.

As Mike delves deeper into the mystery, he turns to his friend Pete Dugan for help in publicizing her identity, hoping that someone might come forward with information about her true self. It is here that he crosses paths with Franklyn Madson, an antiques dealer and hypnotist who proposes using hypnosis to unlock the secrets of this woman’s past.

Despite initial skepticism, Mike agrees to let Madson attempt to awaken his client from her amnesiac trance. The results are nothing short of astonishing as she begins to recount the lives of Margaret and Roman Strauss in vivid detail - from their whirlwind romance to their wedding day. As the hypnotic session comes to a close, the woman regains the ability to speak, but her memories remain shrouded in mystery.

It is here that Mike nicknames his mysterious companion “Grace” and finds himself inexplicably drawn to her. But just as he begins to open up to her, a man claiming to be Doug, Katherine’s fiancé, appears on the scene, sparking a series of events that will force Mike to confront the darkest secrets of the Strauss family.

As Mike digs deeper into the mystery, he becomes increasingly entwined with Grace, and together they begin to unravel the tangled threads of Roman’s life. Through hypnotic regression, they uncover the deeply rooted insecurities that drove Roman to commit the crime for which he was condemned to death - a revelation that will leave both Mike and Grace forever changed.

As Pete Dugan shares his findings with Mike, it becomes clear that Amanda Sharp, aka Grace, is an artist whose life was forever altered when she lost her memory following a brutal mugging. Despite the uncertainty surrounding her past, Amanda’s artistic focus on scissors serves as a poignant reminder of the traumatic event. With Madson’s guidance, she reluctantly accompanies them to her apartment, where the tension between her and Mike remains palpable. Meanwhile, Mike pays a visit to Gray Baker in a nursing home, seeking insight into Roman’s mysterious secret. However, Baker’s cryptic response only adds to the intrigue, as he leans in and plants a kiss on Mike before revealing that Roman never spoke of his wife’s death. Convinced that Inga might hold the key to unraveling the truth, Baker sends Mike on a quest to find her.

As Mike delves deeper into the mystery, he discovers that Inga and Frankie have been running an antiques shop together. The revelation sparks a realization within Mike: Franklyn Madson is actually Frankie in disguise. With this newfound understanding, Mike decides to infiltrate Madson’s shop, where he confronts Inga about her role in Margaret’s demise. Her confession paints a disturbing picture of Frankie’s actions, as she reveals that his mother’s unhappiness drove him to murder Margaret and steal her anklet.

As the truth begins to surface, Mike learns that Frankie used hypnotherapy and past-life regression to convince himself that Margaret’s spirit would exact revenge upon his return to Los Angeles. The presence of Amanda, whose photo appeared in the newspaper, served as the catalyst for his sinister plan. With Doug, an actor, serving as his accomplice, Frankie set out to separate Mike and Amanda while he waited patiently for the perfect moment to strike.

Inga’s apology for her role in Margaret’s death serves only to further underscore the tragedy of the situation. As Mike departs to locate Amanda, Inga’s untimely demise at Frankie’s hands adds yet another layer of complexity to the story. The stage is set for a thrilling confrontation as Mike attempts to reveal the truth to Amanda.

Terrified by what she believes to be Mike’s impending doom, Amanda shoots him in desperation. However, her attempt to turn on Frankie/Madson is foiled when his sudden arrival reveals that he has been manipulating events from behind the scenes. Amanda’s efforts to shoot him are thwarted when her gun jams, and Madson takes advantage of the opportunity to knock her out.

Seizing control of the situation, Madson positions Mike’s hand around the scissors used in Margaret’s murder, attempting to create a false narrative that would implicate Amanda in his own demise. However, Mike quickly regains consciousness and seizes the initiative by grabbing the gun from Madson’s grasp. Dugan arrives on the scene, misinterpreting the chaos that has unfolded and tackling Mike with misguided enthusiasm.

As Frankie/Madson reaches for the dropped pistol, Amanda sees her chance to exact revenge and stabs him in the back with the very scissors he had used to commit murder. Enraged by his own mortality, Madson pulls the scissors free and charges at Mike, but the latter cleverly utilizes Amanda’s scissor sculpture to turn the tables and impale Frankie/Madson in a fittingly gruesome conclusion.

As the curtain closes on this poignant tale of love and longing, a visually striking montage unfolds, weaving together tender moments of Mike (actor’s name) and Amanda’s rekindled passion with fond memories of Margaret and Roman’s golden era. Against a backdrop of warm, golden hues, the superimposed images of the two couples’ blissful interactions create a poignant juxtaposition, highlighting the bittersweet nature of nostalgia.