The idea for Obstacle Corpse , Hope Madden’s directorial debut, came almost fully formed - and much of it had to do with death waivers. “A few years ago, I was set to run one of those Tough Mudder-style obstacle course races with my husband, George,” the Tiffin, Ohio, native explains. When foot surgery kept Madden from competing, she went along to support her husband. “The race handed out T-shirts that read ‘Remember, you signed a death waiver.’ Because you do, in fact, sign a death waiver,” Madden says, “and I saw how easy it would be to kill someone on these obstacles. “By the time we were home, I had the plot just about figured out.” That plot? A young woman, trying to prove herself to her father, accepts an invitation to run in an exclusive obstacle course race. To buoy her confidence, she enlists her best friend to run alongside her. Little do either know that one of the obstacles the race’s elite athletes must complete is the murder of a fellow racer. While steeped in horror, the...
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