THE SHADE
Filmmaker Tyler Chipman brings us the tale of a young man reeling in the aftermath of unresolved childhood trauma. THE SHADE is a slow spiral into darkness.
Ryan is the middle child and the man of the house since his father’s death. He is someone who tries and fails to hide all the pain. Upon the unscheduled return of his older brother into the house, Ryan must confront the demons lurking just beneath the surface or else.
It’s so nice to see Brendan Sexton III again. He is such a force of nature and a fantastic addition. Germain Arroyo is Ryan’s best friend, Nicholas. His energy is a much-needed break from the sullen overtone. He is a star.
Laura Benanti plays the family matriarch, Renee. She adds authentic warmth to every role. Even if her scenes are few and far between, she steals every single one. Dylan McTee plays the eldest brother, Jason. He exudes hurt with an overly aggressive demeanor that perfectly suits the role.
Chris Galust gives Ryan a wounded exhaustion that pours off him. Suffering from unspeakable childhood trauma all while trying to keep his chaotic family together, Galust delivers an emotional rollercoaster, panic attacks and all.
There are a few particularly memorable shots by cinematographer Tom Fitzgerald. Heather Benson and the makeup department give us startling work. They deserve all the applause.
The film is a slow burn with a tense low vibration under each beat. It is 45 minutes until the menace manifests outside the immense toxicity between the two eldest brothers. Ten minutes later, a chill goes down your spine.
What gets the pulse-pounding is undeniably well done. Chipman and cowriter David Purdy use dreams as a gateway to terror. Perry Blackshear‘s WHEN I CONSUME YOU would be a great companion watch for THE SHADE. Similar themes weave throughout both films. Come to think of it, add Jennifer Kent’s THE BABADOOK to that list.
Mental health, anguish, and horror combined to create a unique narrative approach. My advice to audiences is to be patient. Focus on the performances and the underlying metaphor. It is a powerful payoff.
The Shade Trailer:
THE SHADE
AVAILABLE ON DEMAND
11.22.24
127 MIN | THRILLER | HORROR | DRAMA | PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER | NR TV-14
MULTIPLE FESTIVAL AWARD WINNER!
WINNER Best Special Effects – Days of the Dead Film Festival
WINNER Best Directing – Days of the Dead Film Festival
WINNER Best First Time Filmmaker – Days of the Dead Film Festival
WINNER Jury Award Best Feature Film – Snowdance Independent Film Festival
WINNER Silver Audience Award – Brooklyn Horror Film Festival
WINNER Jury Prize Best Feature Film Director – FogFest
WINNER Jury Prize Best Actor in a Feature Film Chris Galust – FogFest
WINNER Jury Prize Best Feature Film – FogFest
NOMINATED Best Feature Film, Best Villain, Best in Show, Best Actor Chris Galust,
Best Stunts, Best Cinematography, Best Ensemble Cast, Best Production Design – Days of the Dead Film Festival
NOMINATED Best Writing – FogFest
Directed by
Tyler Chipman
Written by
Tyler Chipman and David Purdy
Produced by
David Purdy
Director of Photography
Acton Fitzgerald
Starring
Chris Galust, Laura Benanti, Dylan McTee, Mariel Molino, Germain Arroyo, Brendan Sexton III, Sam Duncan, Michael Boatman
SYNOPSIS
Ryan Beckman, a 20-year-old college student from a declining town in the northeast, struggles with a debilitating anxiety disorder following his father’s death. His older brother, Jason, returns home unexpectedly while battling his own demons. Together with his younger brother James, Ryan struggles to break the destructive cycle threatening their family as an ancient darkness closes in on them.
RATING: NR TV-PG
RUN-TIME: 127 minutes
THEATRICAL RELEASE: September 20th
DIGITAL RELEASE: November 22nd
STUDIO/DISTRIBUTOR: Level 33 Entertainment
GENRE: Drama, Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Horror
CELLAR DOOR
The set is marvelous. Wood-paneled rooms mixed with modern updates, a sprawling terrace, and an exterior straight out of Great Expectations, the audience falls in love with the house at first glance.
Danielle Octavien plays Tara’s best friend, Helen. She is incredibly natural, and I enjoyed every minute of her screen time. Georgie is the most intriguing character. Andrew Diego‘s commitment to the character’s PTSD and/or neurodivergence is applause-worthy, even if writer Patricia V. Davis writes him as a borderline offensive stereotype.
Johnny is toxic as hell. Joshua Malekos gives audiences an extremely unlikable and manipulative character. He is a gaslighting master, and I wanted nothing more than for him to find a tragic end, regardless of his backstory. Tara Nichol Caldwell is perfectly passable as Tara. Unfortunately, the script does nothing for her, leaving a mediocre and likely forgettable turn.
The script never hides Johnny’s shady leanings. Having masks appear everywhere ends up coming off as hokey. The costumes also make little sense in specific scenes. Honestly, the fact that Tara sticks around is utterly preposterous. The amount of tropes all smashed together makes for a messy finished product. LYVIA’S HOUSE ends up being an overly long, frustrating watch.
HAYRIDE TO HELL
The cast delivers solid Hallmark energy, and that is a total compliment. The dialogue is laugh-out-loud hilarious the entire run. The script solidly shifts into the horror realm halfway through, and you easily root for our band of heroes turned vengeful villains.
Bill Moseley gives Sam an equal parts sweet and sarcastic edge. The more agitated he becomes, the funnier he gets. Moseley is a legend, and he must be protected at all costs. 
HAYRIDE TO HELL is homegrown horror at its finest. Featuring some of the genre’s greats doing what they do best, fans cannot help but be enchanted by the Halloween fun and clever kills. It’s a beautiful marriage of everything that makes the season fun. HAYRIDE TO HELL is the perfect film to watch on a chilly Autumn afternoon with some homemade cider and popcorn in hand.
Omari Douglas, Arthur Darvill, and Harriet Walter are perfectly cast. Each delivers a memorable performance. Colin Hanks gives Nathan an effortless sweetness so desperately needed in the circumstances. Susan Wokoma plays Gemma’s best friend, Ruth. She is a glorious balance of sense and sass. Billie Lourd is Nathan’s sister, Audrey. She’s flighty, fearless, and passionate. 
Aisling Bea is endlessly hysterical playing the straight woman to Lourd’s outlandishness. Her accessible nature makes you want to be her best friend. You are buying what she is selling. Lourd and Bea share a chemistry that is magic. I’d love to see a film of Wokoma, Lourd, and Bea doing anything together. 
Screenwriter Melissa Bubnic utilizes flashbacks to solidify the emotional stronghold between Gemma and Nathan. The editing is essential here. Reisinger gives audiences a unique examination of grief, love, and family. AND MRS is a romcom that is one-of-a-kind, built upon a surprising complexity. “Love waits for no one.” 
Ps-stick around for the credits. You won’t regret it.
In filmmaker Mary Dauterman‘s Popcorn Frights film, BOOGER, Anna spirals following the sudden death of her roommate. Holding tight to Izzy’s phone and their adopted stray cat. When Booger bites her and escapes out the window, Anna’s grief journey is derailed by unusual symptoms from her injury. 
Ladi Emeruwa is a star. He exudes effortless charm, diving headfirst into Eddie’s unresolved trauma and the ensuing panic attacks. Emeruwa’s ability to grab the audience is a filmmaker’s dream. He has that ” It” factor in spades. 
The score is proper neo-noir, but the volume is often distracting. Filmmakers Bertie Speirs and Samantha Speirs deliver a well-crafted thriller. Eddie has dreams with flashes of memories or fantasies. We aren’t exactly sure. His lost time ups the ante. They skillfully tease a mysterious backstory so the audience constantly questions Eddie’s possible culpability. MIDNIGHT TAXI takes you along for a complex psychological ride.
Shane Dax Taylor‘s WWII drama imagines the never-before-told story of a secret mission. While all the elements of greatness are there, MURDER COMPANY delivers a rather average film. I never found myself emotionally invested in the characters, which is unfortunate because performances from the entire ensemble deliver solid work. I found myself drifting. The battle scenes felt noticeably repetitive as if a few days had been spent in the same wooded location and shot from only a few different angles. The dialogue suffered the same fate. I couldn’t repeat a single line after watching. The FX were similarly subpar. Bullet holes were glaringly CG, and it was frankly distracting. War films are immense undertakings. Tackling an untold story adds extra scrutiny. Filmmakers should have taken more advantage of Kelsey Grammer‘s abilities. Ultimately, Murder Company waves the white flag.
It stars William Moseley (The Chronicles of Narnia trilogy, “The Royals”), Pooch Hall (“Ray Donovan,” “The Game”), Gilles Marini (Sex and the City, “Switched at Birth”), Joe Anderson (Across the Universe, The Crazies), and Kelsey Grammer (“Cheers,” “Frasier”).
Lani Call gives Elizabeth a dour and macabre personality. Bravo for her commitment to the role. The screenplay from director Richard R. Williams, Costanza Bongiorni, and Tom Jolliffe does not give her a moment of ease. HOUSE OF SCREAMING GLASS is a one-woman show that gets weirder and grosser by the minute. 
Nowadays, if you can find an operating mall, you might still come across an AS SEEN ON TV store. A small display remains at Bed, Bath, and Beyond locations. Back in the 1950s, Atlantic City was the hub of Pitchmen. Future American celebrities like Ed McMahon, of Star Search fame, began on the boardwalk. 
Between local television spots and fairgrounds, pitching products was (and still is) a lucrative career. Only the best survive and put bundles of cash in their pockets. In a world of MLMs, this intimate energy exchange is the oldest truck in the book, and it works. The modern version comes in the form of TikTok influencers, but those 10-30-second uploads have nothing on the original masters.
Corrine Britti gives Psychic Claire a great quirkiness. Schrack and co-writer Jordan Friedber‘s screenplay allows her to play a dual role. Her commitment is applause-worthy. Andrew Roth does a fantastic job at filling the screen with his presence. His optimism and generally ridiculous “always be selling” persona keep the film in the horror comedy subgenre. Once again, Friedberg and Schrack mix it up in the final act so Roth can show off his acting chops. 
The soundtrack is fun. A handful of sharp jump scares had my heart racing. I wish Schrack and Friedberg had leaned into Mason’s unresolved trauma earlier in the film. That emotional pull hits another level, heightening the dark threats, but I respect them for introducing a redemption arc. While the pacing is uneven, the visuals and sound editing are phenomenal. Essentially, what is good is extremely good. FOR SALE ends with one final genuine gafaw.
THE LAST STOP IN YUMA COUNTY
Jim Cummings proves once again that his high-strung straight guy routine is gold. His eye for unique projects as an executive producer remains top-notch. His entire look, down to his Archie comic red hair, is perfection for The Knife Salesman. (Yes, that is his actual character’s title).
Jocelin Donahue brings authenticity to small-town waitress Charlotte. She is so watchable. Sierra McCormick (We Need To Do Something) is a delight as aspiring bank robber Sybil. She’s another bright spot in this wild ensemble cast. 
Faizon 
Richard Brake
The film takes place in a single location where The Interviewer records her podcast. The secluded and expansive modern mid-century estate allows her to wander, but most of the action happens at a desk or in front of the wall of windows that contain her discoveries. Our journalist creates an episode of her first phone calls. Editing the calls at her will, the audience questions her culpability. This small moment puts your morality compasses in a tailspin. It is a slick move from writer Lucy Campbell. Podcasts are my nightly ritual, cleaning motivation, and my travel companion. Since SERIAL, the industry has exploded. In MONOLITH, the story goes viral. People begin contacting her directly with their stories, always warning her to stop.
At some point, the danger reaches the front door of our journalist’s secluded location when she receives a package related to the mysterious story. The darkness attached to the object feels slightly Faustian and not of this planet. No one remembers how they received their object, but each reaches a point in questioning where they feel compelled to hang up out of fear.
Is this a case of mass hysteria? In many ways, the plot mirrors today’s conspiracy groups like QAnon. Our leading lady goes down the rabbit hole, and the audience follows. MONOLITH boasts a jaw-dropping final ten minutes. This is one hell of a sci-fi thriller. It is a must-see.
Mark-Paul Gosselar plays Brookes, the groundskeeper. His dominant physical presence and the fact that he bears a resemblance to Alex make him an intriguing addition to the narrative. Virginia Madsen plays cousin Mags, a woman who knows more about the family history than Sofia wants to hear. She delivers a precise amount of eerie mystery. Ryan Kwanten is Alex, Sofia’s husband. Kwanten gives the role a frightening aura while simultaneously settling into the physical trauma left behind by the accident. These dual traits allow his acting chops to shine bright, especially considering the little dialogue Alex has. Natalia Cordova-Buckley gives Sofia a perfect balance of determination, frustration, and emotional trauma to keep you perched on the edge of your seat. Her raw vulnerability takes you on a journey that most women will find surprisingly relatable.
DON’T SUCK follows a washed-up headliner and the newbie he agrees to mentor, who just so happens to be a vampire.
Jamie Kennedy
Lila Schmitz brings audiences the magic of West Ireland through the melodies of the locals and the emotional pull of a tune. THE JOB OF SONGS is a toe-tapping, viscerally joyous film. 
Bradley Whitford is a veteran “participant” craving interaction. Each man gains knowledge from the other’s vastly different strategies for survival. Gregg discovers rewards flow when he either embarrasses or hurts himself. As one coaches the other, a mutually beneficial relationship develops. Alice Braga enters the scene as a woman on a mission, determined to find a way out. Her fiery passion counters Whitford’s stubbornness and Gregg’s growing popularity. When best intentions backfire, and another very influential participant butt heads with her, the consequences prove unthinkable. 
The performances are magnificent. Whitford’s energy is manic. It is like hypnotic live theatre. Alice Braga brings her usual fierceness, rattling the day-to-day flow of events. Melvin Gregg is a one-man show that gets better and better by the minute. His flawed vulnerability pulls you into this mesmerizing plot. He is magnificent. 
The first feature film to be shot entirely from one fixed camera angle, 
The performances swing widely. The score, while fine on its own, doesn’t match the over-the-top portrayals of everyone beyond Penny and Albie. Even Timothy Haug and Christine Griffin give us lackluster chemistry.
The plot is glaringly apparent to everyone but Albie and Penny. Once revealed an hour and ten minutes into the runtime, the fact that our invaders have to explain and then begin to bicker while the score ramps up its intensity, things get increasingly eye-roll-inducing. I think there is supposed to be some overarching social commentary, but the film lost me, somehow flipping from thriller to comedy, and I wasn’t sure if that was the film’s intent.
The families are eclectic. All shapes, sizes, races, ages, and socioeconomic backgrounds face the challenges of reuniting parents and children. Allegations range from neglect to sexual abuse. Each case is unique, and the system does not exist to react to those nuances. 
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