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The Theatre of Terror
USA 2019
produced by Todd Staruch, Tom Ryan, Diane Hackett, Russell Hackett for Theatre of Terror
directed by Tom Ryan
starring wraparound segment: Tom Ryan, Lauren Rehahan; segment The Gift: Heather Brittain O'Scanlon, Adam Ginsberg, John Zion, Danielle Nicolette Najarian, Edward X. Young, Sanj Surati, Carianna Ryan, Marc Shuley, K.J. Hopkins, Milan Davidek, Keith Armonaitis; segment The Bookworm: Scott Gorbach, Sarah Schoofs, Cienna Rizza, Jennifer Jiles, Amy Cole, Patrick Devaney; segment Abducted: Russell Hackett, Patrick Boyer, Bob Cleary, Keith Martire; segment Endangered: Alan Rowe Kelly, Lauren Renahan, Randy Memoli, Marc Abbott, Christopher J. Murphy, Paugh Shadow, Tim O'Hearn, Tommie McGuckin, Heather Drew, Joseph Competello, Patrick Boyer
written by Tom Ryan, segment The Bookworm based on a short story by Russell Hackett, music by Robert Frankenberg, Alfredo Morales, special effects by Michael Anthony Scardillo, Beatrice Sniper
review by Mike Haberfelner
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All Amber (Lauren Renahan) wanted to do was help save a local
movietheatre that was about to shut down - but when she tries to
volunteer, she learns she's already too late. But the owner, Colin (Tom
Ryan), still insists to give her a tour of the place - and show her a
quartet of macabre films all somehow linked to the theatre in the process:
- The Gift: Donna (Heather
Brittain O'Scanlon) has truly fallen from grace, having gone from
successful businesswoman to streetwalking prostitute in a mere couple
of years. But it's only when she tries to get her old life back via
black magic that she actually learns how much she has lost ...
- The Bookworm: Mark (Scott
Gorbach) loves books just a little bit too much - so when he manages
to buy a library just for his own private use, he doesn't realize the
(physical) effect the books can have on him ...
- Abducted: Backwoods weirdo
Ned (Russell Hackett) witnesses an UFO landing and abducting people,
and now he prepares, should the UFO ever return - but his plans might
not be what anybody would expect ...
- Endangered: When a pipeline is to be built near a small town
in the middle of nowhere, which would open hunting season on the
population of the endangered grey wolf, a trio of animal activists
(Lauren Renahan, Randy Memoli, Marc Abbott), seeing that nothing else
had made authorities change their mind, come up with a plan to make
the hunters become the hunted - a plan that horribly backfires. But
they are saved by a woman (Alan Rowe Kelly) who really cares about
these wolves - though maybe a little too much so ...
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The Theatre of Terror is basically a very charming throwback to
anthology movies of old as well as TV series like the original Twilight
Zone and Outer
Limits, films and shows that put storytelling above spectacle
and always came up with twists and turns to lead their genre stories to
surprise endings while carelessly hopping from sci-fi to fantasy to horror
and back again and without spending too much time to explain everything
away unnecessarily. And like all these, The Theatre of Terror seems
to basically just enjoy a bunch of macabre stories, without falling into
the bad habit of post-modern genre reinterpretation, over-Easter egging or
self irony where it's not due. Instead, it relies on solid storytelling,
carried by a swift directorial effort, special effects that work without
drawing too much attention to them and distract from the story, and an
ensemble cast truly up to the task. Fun watching for sure!
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review © by Mike Haberfelner
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Thanks for watching !!!
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Robots and rats,
demons and potholes, cuddly toys and shopping mall Santas,
love and death and everything in between,
Tales to Chill Your Bones to is all of that.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to -
a collection of short stories and mini-plays ranging from the horrific to the darkly humourous,
from the post-apocalyptic to the weirdly romantic,
tales that will give you a chill and maybe a chuckle,
all thought up by the twisted mind of screenwriter and film reviewer Michael Haberfelner.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to
the new anthology by Michael Haberfelner
Out now from Amazon!!! |
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