Review: Shadowzone (1990)

Directed by: J.S. Cardone
Starring: Louise Fletcher, David Beecroft, James Hong
Written by: J.S. Cardone
Music by: Richard Band
IMDb

After Empire Pictures collapsed, Shadowzone was the second film released under Charles Band’s new Full Moon Productions company (which would soon change to Full Moon Entertainment before eventually settling on Full Moon Features). The first was, of course, Puppet Master (1989). This movie was far less successful with audiences than Puppet Master, and has certainly resonated less over time, but I think it’s the better film. It concerns a NASA officer investigating the death of a test subject who was part of “Project Shadowzone,” in which scientists working in an underground bunker are using deep sleep as a route to communicate with a parallel dimension. Of course, it’s not long before a dangerous creature from this dimension gets loose and goes on a killing spree. At its core, Shadowzone covers a lot of the same ground as movies like From Beyond (1986), and it won’t get any acclaim for originality. However, it is filled with imaginative and gross special effects and engaging performances from its central cast — in particular, Louise Fletcher. The bunker setting provides built-in claustrophobia, and the movie is bathed in a rust-hued color scheme that amps the atmospherics. A Richard Band score is always welcome with me, but his work here, while performative, isn’t his best stuff. Generally, there are few surprises to be found here, but I’m an absolute sucker for movies about hubristic scientists accidentally tapping into horrifying dimensions outside our own, so this really scratched an itch for me with its remarkable creature effects, enjoyable cast, and relatively plentiful suspense. This early Full Moon film has been overshadowed (overshadowzoned?) by other groundbreaking early releases by the company, but it’s near the top of the heap in entertainment value.

Rating: 8 out of 10