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Charlie David’s ‘Shadowlands’ is a Lyrical Queer Paranormal Anthology

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Charlie David’s Shadowlands is a film that is, much like the filmmaker, difficult to pin down.

Author, screenwriter, producer, musician, actor, television host…David has worn many hats in his career, and his passion for LGTBQ storytelling has shone through at every step.

Which brings us back to Shadowlands.

Originally released as a three part mini-series in Canada, Shadowlands delves into the depth of folklore, mythology, and urban legend to tell three specific stories in a world where the paranormal overlaps with our daily existence. Each erotically charged story builds upon the last to create a film-scape with the emotional intensity of bel canto opera.

It all begins in the 1920s where a surgeon (Sean C. Dwyer) hosts a decadent, fetish-laden party at his home. He has become a mutated version of Narcissus, no longer content to stare at his own reflection. He is obsessed with perfection, and only the most beautiful are welcome to join him in his revelries.

When that perfection cannot be found, however, his most monstrous qualities emerge, and what begins with murder soon turns inward as he makes one final all-too-gory decision.

In the next segment, a gay couple in 1951, one of whom is a sailor in the Navy, take a camping trip and while out in the woods, discuss whether or not they’d like to open up their relationship, sexually, because they have to spend so much time apart. When a stranger wanders into their camp, their resolve is tested and in a twist worthy of a classic urban legend, the following morning, they wonder if the he had ever been there at all.

And finally, an artist (Charlie David) whose lover has died becomes obsessed with creating a life-like painting of him in a heart-wrenching version of the tale of Pygmalion and Galatea. His love pours onto the painting and so does his life force, seemingly, bringing the film to a tragic close.

It is interesting to watch and dissect the ways in which the films connect. A character who crosses over here, a magical painting that exists when it should not, all of these things work together to connect Shadowlands in an anthology film without a framing story.

Shadowlands is a beautiful film overall. From the sets to the costuming to the lighting, everything is visually stunning with beautiful textures. Likewise, the soundtrack of the film is almost infectious with songs by Michael Daniel Murphy.

The film is not without its foibles, however.

At times the dramatic settings and dialogue almost overshadow the story. That dramatic flair works for the hyper-emotional storytelling of the film, but at moments I almost felt removed from the scene trying to take in the words rather than the story as a whole.

Still, the cast is beautiful, the stories compelling, and by the end of the film I felt as though I’d taken a real journey with David and his cast.

Shadowlands is available for streaming on Amazon Prime. It’s also available in a novelization also on Amazon. Check out the trailer below and give it a watch today!

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Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

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Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

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Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

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The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
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Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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