Federal Bureau of Investigation agents Frank Black ( Lance Henriksen ) and Emma Hollis ( Klea Scott ) travel to Travelers Rest , South Carolina to investigate the deaths of film director Lew Carroll ( Paul Stanley ) and Marta Danbury , the leading actress in his newest film . As the local sheriff guides Black and Hollis through the murder scene , Black realizes that the film is based on a real murder case he investigated thirteen years previously ; he is shocked to learn that the true story is being sensationalized for the screen .