Intro:
We all talk to ourselves, no matter if you’re willing to admit it or not, we all do it. Whether it’s trying to solve a problem, or just making what you just said made sense. However there is a point where talking to yourself can cross a line. When you start talking to someone, or something, else besides yourself and you swear its there. Like the Mother and Uncle duo in the 2007 release of a Bloody Moon Films feature, “Shudder”, Directed by Ben Dixon.
Dialogue:
Written by Ben Dixon and C.H. Brocker, the dialogue present in the feature all well written. I was impressed by the seemly accurate portrayal of the types of dialogue used in the present day scenes, and the flashback scenes to the 1800’s. There wasn’t any lagging or boring conversations in the film, which helped carry it through without me having to check and see how much longer I had left in the film, which is a plus when I’m watching a Indy flick, Kidding.
Acting:
The acting was a pleasant surprise for me in this one. With genre veterans such as Gunnar Hansen, Ed Neal, and Tiffany Shepis, I knew that the acting would be hands down great. However there were a few instances where I felt that some of the actors named above, just weren’t putting enough of a natural emotion into some of there scenes. I’m not a regular to watch daytime soaps, so I knew nothing about Tricia Cast, The Young and the Restless, and how good of an actor she was. Another surprise for me was Sydnee Riley who played Karen Mae (the daughter of the main character). Ms. Riley impressed me, and I do believe she has a good chance at having an extended and successful career as an actress.
Plot:
The plot of the feature seems very interesting. Mother and Uncle can hear voices of those who have been harmed on the same land, where their previous ancestors have lived. For me this was good, I was fully able to understand the flashbacks to the trail of tear times, and was understanding the connections to the past and present. That’s when the curve ball was thrown. There seemed to be flashback sequences WAY to often and I got confused depicting which was present, Trail of Tears times, or a few years back. Also, to me, there seemed to be two different storylines in the film, one dealing with the mother, and one dealing with the Uncle (Ed Neal) and her father (Gunnar Hansen). I couldn’t figure out how they were suppose to be connected, whether they are hearing the same voices or what the hell was going on.
Overall:
Overall this was a entertaining film, but one you WILL have to watch numerous times to fully understand every aspect behind it. Its was great to see such genre veterans in an indy flick, they have it a feel that I do not think newbie actors could have provided for these roles. This was a great flick by the guys at Bloody Moon Films, and I recommend everyone to check it out at least once, or maybe twice!!
3.5/5 Reels
Squid Rating
Worth watching!
Trailer:
Purchase:
