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Movie Review: ‘Out of the Shadows’

Published

6 years ago

August 12, 2018

A pregnant mother confronts a nightmare in Out of the Shadows, the new supernatural horror film from Australian director/co-writer Dee McLachlan.

Eric and Katrina Hughes (Blake Northfield, Kendal Rae) have found their dream home in an old, abandoned midwifery until Katrina begins to suspect both she and her baby are being targeted by something evil from the building’s past.

Eric, of course, is unconvinced and begins to suspect her sanity is slipping as her behavior becomes more erratic, but after a while even he can’t deny the activity in the home and they soon find themselves in a battle for all their lives to protect their unborn child.

If you’re thinking you’ve seen this movie before, you’re partially right. Out of the Shadows follows a pretty standard pattern, but that certainly doesn’t mean it isn’t worth watching. The film is a taut horror/thriller with plenty of tension to keep its audience on the edge of its seat.

Blake Northfield and Kendal Rae as Eric and Katrina in Out of the Shadows (Photo by Michaela Johnson-Carroll-Blue Fox Enter)

Much of its success falls upon the shoulders of her substantially talented cast.

Rae plays Katrina with raw emotional depth; you can palpably feel each emotional shift as the film progresses while Northfield’s Eric is equally convincing and it was interesting to watch him slowly shift from disbelief to confusion to belief to fear.

The film’s real standout, by far, is Lisa Chappell as Linda Dee, a motorcycle-riding, leather wearing, badass demonologist enlisted by the Hughes to help them when they are turned away by the church.

It isn’t often that we see a woman in this type of role and it was not only refreshing, but highly entertaining as she prepared for spiritual battle with the forces inside the old widwifery. Chappell’s performance heightens what we’ve come to expect in this type of role, and it was a much needed breath of fresh air.

And then there’s Goran Kleut…I can’t say much about Kleut’s character, Mr. Augusta, without spoilers so I’ll just say that he is both menacing and terrifying onscreen, and deserving of the attention that he will no doubt receive from this role.

The action of the film is perfectly complemented in its score by Christopher Gordon, who previous work can be on heard on film such as Daybreakers and the 2004 mini-series adaptation of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot. Gordon’s work here is starkly beautiful and haunting with a classic style that creates an audio landscape as enigmatic and breathtaking as the film’s setting.

As I said before, Out of the Shadows has not re-invented the wheel, here. Many of the tropes we’ve come to expect from this type of film are present and accounted for throughout this story of menacing spirits/demons, but they have certainly created an entertaining and scary film with a few tweaks to the norm here and there.

My one complaint comes at the end. It was rather like seeing a gymnast performing a complicated, successful routine beautifully and then failing to stick the landing.

The last ten minutes or so of the film are a bit of a mess as the plot unravels in a sudden and intense rush of over-the-top special effects, and while they managed to quickly knit some of it back together for the final scene, I’m afraid it wasn’t enough to save them completely from the damage that had been done.

Still, if you’re a fan of things that go bump in the night, of restless spirits and disembodied voices, and of stories of families who stand together and fight the unseen evils menacing their homes, then Out of the Shadows is a journey that is totally worth taking.

You can see Out of the Shadows on Amazon Streaming and other VOD services right now with a physical release set on September 11, 2018. Check out the trailer below and let us know what you think in the comments!

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

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Movies

Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

Published

12 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.

Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.

The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.

Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”

Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

News

Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

Published

14 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

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Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Movies

’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power

Published

15 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.

**Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes**

Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.

Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.

There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.