Shallow Ground

SHALLOW GROUND

A film from 2004 that layers one question atop another over and over until the viewer wonders how all the threads can ultimately tie together into a cohesive plot, Shallow Ground tells the tale of a police officer named Jack in an isolated rural community whose day gets seriously weird after an uncommunicative naked boy coated in blood wanders out of the woods.  With the help of two other cops (Stuart and Laura), Jack attempts to figure out who the boy is.  That something supernatural is happening becomes apparent when writing in blood appears on a door while the mysterious teen is handcuffed on the other side of the room.  As day becomes night, the viewer gradually learns the nature of the boy and how he relates to past disappearances and murders in the area.  I can’t say more about the plot without spoiling the many narrative mysteries for anyone out there who wants to seek out this project on DVD.

Written and directed by Sheldon Wilson, Shallow Ground has a unique story but not an especially well-told one.  Once I learned who the boy was and what he wanted, I wondered why he didn’t just go directly to the individuals he really had business with.  Some characters who touch the blood have flashbacks and visions that seem confusing for a very long time (though ultimately every image is explained).  The main character ends up at the home of a townie who is central to the plot almost by chance (he needs to borrow a car) rather than through detective work that reveals this person’s connection to everything that’s been going on.  Reputedly shot on a budget of about $72,000, Shallow Ground deserves accolades for its singular plot.  I just wish the story unfolded in a more satisfying way. 

A Horrible Way to Die

A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE

A non-linear film with a glacial pace and snooze-inducing dialogue, A Horrible Way to Die tells the tale of Sarah (a recovering alcoholic who works in a dentist’s office) as she fumbles through the early stages of a relationship with her new boyfriend.  Her ex (Garrick) turned out to be a serial killer, so she’s understandably gun-shy about rushing headlong into intimacy.  Garrick escapes from captivity and makes his way across the country (leaving freshly-killed victims in his wake).  Garrick and Sarah cross paths in the final scenes, though not in the way one might expect. 

A Horrible Way to Die left me scratching my head primarily because Sarah seemed oblivious to the fact that Garrick was on the loose despite massive media coverage about the manhunt to locate him.  Surely the authorities would contact Sarah as soon as Garrick escaped and fill her in.  The project features lots of shaky hand-held camera work that kept jolting me out of the story.  The tale runs about 83 minutes before the end credits roll, but the whole plot could probably have unfolded in an hour with proper editing (lots of shots linger and overstay their welcome).  A Horrible Way to Die feels cold and soulless.  I didn’t enjoy any aspect of it. 

Fear of the Dark

FEAR OF THE DARK

A spooky PG-13 film from 2003, Fear of the Dark might appeal more to young teens than to grown-ups (though some of the imagery it contains will evoke chills in any age group).  The plot follows a 12-year-old boy named Ryan who suffers from a debilitating clinical fear of the dark.  One night while he and his older brother are home alone, the power goes out during a thunderstorm.  The bulk of the movie follows the siblings as they wander about the house with flashlights investigating strange noises as Dale (the older brother) tries to assure Ryan that “there’s nothing there in the dark that’s not there in the light” while Ryan attempts to convince Dale that there are in fact unpleasant creatures lurking in the shadows.

Fear of the Dark is not a bad film, but I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I could have seen it when I was like 14 years old.  I’m not really in the right demographic for this project.  The monsters that Ryan glimpses resemble the “gentlemen” from Hush (a fourth-season episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer).  If you know a young adult in search of a creepy little tale, you could do worse than to recommend Fear of the Dark.  Anyone older than 15 might find it tame.  Fear of the Dark taps into the universal anxiety that there might be something nasty lurking under your bed waiting to grab an ankle that slips out from under the covers.  It’s a fine scary diversion for kids, but I would not recommend it if you’re looking for more mature fare.

Wind Chill

WIND CHILL

A 2007 film with lead characters known only as Girl and Guy, Wind Chill is a unique ghost story that takes place almost entirely in and around a car that has crashed into a snowdrift off of an isolated road.  Two college students en route to Delaware for winter break survive their initial car accident only to gradually discover that spirits haunt this stretch of road where decades earlier a rogue cop killed assorted motorists.  The girl and guy strive to survive until morning in the hope that someone will happen upon them before the cold (or worse) kills them.

The filmmakers behind Wind Chill (screenwriters Joe Gangemi & Steven Katz and director Gregory Jacobs) have crafted a tale that kept me glued to the screen eager to find out exactly what was going on and what would happen next.  This project is an excellent study in how to maintain the interest of one’s audience even with long stretches of scenes with just two characters in a confined location.  The final five minutes are a wee bit confusing, but the journey to the end is quite interesting and full of spooky moments.  If you’re in search of a high-quality singular ghost story, check out Wind Chill.

The Dark

THE DARK

Very loosely based on a book called Sheep by novelist Simon Maginn, The Dark (a 2005 film that was directed by John Fawcett of Ginger Snaps fame) boasts a haunting and stellar third act that is preceded by two acts full of clumsily-delivered exposition.  The plot follows a mother named Adelle who (with her daughter Sarah) visits her kid’s father (James) in Wales.  Shortly after Sarah drowns, Adelle encounters a young girl named Ebril near the home of James.  The viewer gradually learns that Ebril died several decades earlier and was brought back from “Annwn” (the land of the dead in Welsh mythology) by her shepherd father only to die again.  Somehow the death of Sarah has enabled Ebril to come back again (the phrase “one of the living for one of the dead” pops up in the course of the story).  Adelle decides she can bring Sarah back to life if she trades Ebril, so Adelle grabs Ebril and leaps off a cliff into the ocean at the end of act two.  Adelle finds herself in Annwn, and from this point to the finale the tale becomes utterly engrossing and terrifying.  I won’t spoil how the plot unfolds in act three.

If you seek out this film, be patient and know that the final twenty-three minutes or so are incredible.  The scenes leading up to the climax are sometimes boring, but the movie never veers so far off course that one wants to shut it off and watch something else instead.  There’s a lot to like in acts one and two: the gorgeous Wales locations and the music alone are worth experiencing.  The actors turn in solid performances even if the script sometimes has their characters making odd choices (when her daughter goes missing and is presumed dead, Adelle decides to go explore a building where sheep were once slaughtered).  I’m glad I checked out The Dark on DVD and recommend it heartily with the warning that the plot does not kick into high gear until the last quarter.