Shadow Hours (UK)
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Just when you thought you`d seen it all, you realise you haven`t seen a thing
Certificate: 18
Running Time: 87 mins
Retail Price: £15.99
Release Date:
Content Type: Movie
Synopsis:
Michael Holloway has a dual personality. On the verge of embarking on a new life with his pregnant wife, he hopes to shut the door on his drub and alcohol-soaked past. Michael makes an honest living as a gas-station night clerk where he unwillingly comes into contact with the drunks and drug pushers who emerge after dark. Because he witnesses first hand the darker side of LA he is approached by a stranger looking for help researching his upcoming novel.
What starts as an innocent journey rapidly becomes a swift descent into debauchery and decay. Although he tries to resist the seductiveness of drugs, he is powerless to stop his fall back into the life he used to lead. As he begins to question what he has become, the battle begins to free himself from the dark forces of the world he has discovered.
Special Features:
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Theatrical Trailer
Video Tracks:
Widescreen Anamorphic 1.85:1
Audio Tracks:
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 English
Directed By:
Isaac H. Eaton
Written By:
Isaac H. Eaton
Starring:
Cheryl Dent
Tane McClure
Christopher Doyle
Julie Brown
Richard Moll
Clayton Landey
Arroyn Lloyd
Johnny Whitworth
Corin Nemec
Michael Dorn
Brad Dourif
Frederic Forrest
Peter Greene
Rebecca Gayheart
Peter Weller
Balthazar Getty
Casting By:
Dori Zuckerman
Cathy Henderson
Soundtrack By:
Brian Tyler
Director of Photography:
Frank Byers
Editor:
Bill Yahraus
Annamaria Szanto
Clayton Halsey
Costume Designer:
Luke Reichle
Production Designer:
Laura Roberts
Francis J. Pezza
Distributor:
Metrodome
Your Opinions and Comments
It`s an independent film and has a first-time director, so I imagined it would be edgy and interesting (if nothing else). Fact is though, I was very disappointed. Although it`s very flashy/modern, it`s also totally unoriginal and the blatant nods to Fight-Club and one or two other movies are really appalling. It`s not a bad film in any way shape or form, but the number of times that "I`ve seen this all before" crosses your mind is way above average. To be fair, the script is occasionally very insightful and provocative, but because the ideas are so recycled, the words fall on deaf ears.
On the plus side, Peter Weller (the original Robocop) is superb as the rich guy that`s leading Michael astray. It`s a well-written character and quite a memorable one too (largely due to his extravagant lifestyle and philosophy-spouting ways). It`s unfortunate that the premise here isn`t a little fresher because his convincing performance is completely wasted in this movie. I quite liked the booming soundtrack and the slick visuals too, but style over content isn`t something I`ve ever approved of.
The disc isn`t very exciting either and the only extras are a trailer and an ill-conceived photo-gallery (set to music?!). The A/V quality is exemplary though and the 1.85:1 anamorphic image is certainly very impressive. The soundtrack is a good 5.1 mix, which features some well rendered music aswell as some effective ambience. I think the dialogue has been compressed somewhere along the line though and voices sounded a bit "on-the-phone" in places. Overall, it`s a passable disc but where are the interviews and featurettes?.
Basically then, this is a by-numbers production that could have been so much more. I don`t hate it as such, but why bother making a low-budget film that`s just a copy/paste of big-budget ones?.