Written and Directed by Charles Bryan.

I am never more surprised by how cost reductions and improvements have democratised the filmmaking industry, than when I am watching a no-budget film which seeks to push the boundaries of the possible with enough technical know-how and gadgetry. It seems like anyone can go out and shoot a film these days as most people know someone with a camcorder and a PC capable of taking and processing the footage in post production. Not everyone can make a quality film worthy of parting you from your hard earned money however, as films like INTERCESSOR: ANOTHER ROCK ‘N ROLL NIGHTMARE and NOELIE prove, but SHADOW BEINGS is thankfully well worth a couple of hours of your time. It is an ambitious blend of wonky CG trickery and equally ambitious but very capable storytelling that easily surpasses its meagre no-budget roots.

Have you ever wondered what caused that movement you perceived, glimpsed out of the corner of your eye, when you were alone? Have you ever woken from a dream, felt paralysed, believing shadowy beings were holding you down? If so, this is the film for you!

SHADOW BEINGS tells the story of a group of naïve friends who hold a séance to investigate the possibility of other life forms existing in dimensions that touch our own. They get more than they bargained for when they unwittingly open a portal through the veil, the barrier between the worlds, letting one of the 'Evil Ones' through to take possession of one of their group. It is up to Brien (Even Johnson) to follow a being to a parallel universe to learn the secrets, of the nature of the universe, which will enable him to close the portal and stop the Evil Ones from bringing down the veil. Without the veil order would revert to chaos. Now we can’t let that happen can we!

The film begins, with an overly long credit sequence (6 minutes long!), as Brien buys a book on “Night Paralysis.” While in the store he believes he has witnessed a shadowy movement out of the corner of his eye. When he turns to look there is nothing there, but the feeling still persists even when he meets his friend in a local park. Their discussion posits on the existence of mythical creatures such as Faeries, Goblins and other dimensions beings. Later when they meet up with their friends, they conduct a séance to prove such things exist. When a green muppet pops up out of the candle flame, about the time it feels like I can’t handle the shonky green-screening anymore, they break the circle in fear and unwittingly set about a chain of events which threaten to bring down the veil between worlds. Funny how supposedly experienced people could forget to close a little paranormal doorway isn’t it?

Later at home, Brien is plagued by the feeling that something is playing with him, moving his coffee, hiding his house keys and generally messing with him. He takes a little trip into dodgy CG territory, meets his mentor and learns the rules of this alien concept and finds out his mission. But he is slow to catch on and it is only when his friends start killing each other and chanting to make the portal bigger that he realises he hasn’t taken any dodgy substances and isn’t losing his tiny mind and sets out on a mission to stop the Evil Ones gaining entry to our world. Soon it will be chanting battles at dawn and CG-a-plenty.

SHADOW BEINGS is a strange creature. The film was self-financed on a very thrifty budget and filmed with rented equipment, using local amateur talent. This is not an unusual scenario for any viewers familiar with the product of no-budget filmmaking. But it is rare for filmmakers with such limited means to attempt to tell a tale on a scale comparable with a major TV or feature production. Let alone for your debut feature – with no prior short filmmaking experience! That is exactly what Charles Bryan of Mind's Clay Pictures has attempted to do. He has also chosen to do most of it himself – Writing, Directing, Producing, Editing, FX, Sound etc. Many filmmakers do not have a choice, forced to do it all themselves because they are the only ones to truly champion their own vision and see it through to the end, no matter how many hurdles you have to overcome in the process. My one feeling about this is that no one can truly do everything that well, not without taking years to polish ever element to the best of your ability. Filmmaking is a collaborative process and good things can come out of this collective pooling of experience, talent and innovation – look at the STAR WARS films, they were far better before Lucas got a bit too big for his boots and stopped listening to others. When I look at the problems with this film – which thankfully do not spoil the film so much that it is found wanting – I cannot ignore the niggling doubt that it might have been all the better for involving others and relying on their talents. Even when subjected to the frustration of relying on free assistance from people who often promise more than they can deliver.

A case in point is the CG work. Some of it is frankly awful. I have never seen such a bad Green-screen shot as the séance scene, where people are rendered as two-dimensional beings in a 3D space, and they lose parts of their facial features and look downright squished when they turn their heads. Each time this effect is used it reminds you that you are not watching something ‘real’ and it drags you out of a suspended disbelief - hence why many amateur filmmakers do not even attempt it, apart from having a little fun. Camera movement is a problem on a cheap tripod you really notice the jarring on certain tracking/panning shots and day for night will never fool anyone. Some of the sounds has mismatching reverb on edits and could definitely be better as it does alert you to the fact that an edit has taken place. For me the main problem beyond the green-screening was the pacing of the film. I have watched the film a few times now and each time the film does suffer from a bit of bloating. Certain scenes just go on far too long. I am not talking from an MTV friendly short-attention span aesthetic. I am saying that when a scene has done its job with economy, through some thorough trimming, this film would fly and would be a much more pleasing experience. One scene which just went on far too long for my liking was the nature walk towards the end of the film. No matter how you dress it, with dialogue and staging, it is still three people walking through some trees and there is a limit to one’s patience. Don’t get me started on the 7 minute exposition scene in the middle of the film…. An experience Editor would have been able to offer an objective opinion to a Director to encourage various options to trim the film down. Hard to do when you are both people and the Writer too – more fond of the hard work that went into crafting your dialogue than anyone else, including the viewers. All these technical elements will put off people who do not like no-budget horror as it is far beyond the slicker films that are produced by under-funded crews with access to better equipment and Government grants or investors checking accounts. Fans of no-budget cinema will be perfectly at home.

But for all its weaknesses, this is intelligent genre cinema and I have no doubt we shall be seeing bigger and better things from Mind's Clay Pictures. This is not dumb TnA horror full of gore and cheap laughs. The shots of the Evil Ones are atmospheric, spooky and very memorable and very deftly handled. The outlandishness of the CG scenes when representing the veil itself really works and is far less off-putting than the ‘reality’ based scenes. The thematic setup is fairly believable and the second half of the film is lively enough to keep your interest. The cinematography is limited by the equipment on offer, but Bryan has achieved some stunning compositions with his textural photography and shadow play montages. The framing is interesting and apart from problems with editing continuity in certain action scenes (crossing the line) the talking heads scenes are much better than some other debut films I have witnessed. The acting is sometimes questionable, stilted in places, overly theatric in others, but Evan Johnson, Katie Reynolds and Tracie Minkoff do come across very well on camera. I could have done with less Paul Martinez – he’s not the Jim Carrey he thinks he is and I would have been hard pressed not to break his arms to stop him making Bunny Ears for emphasis when he is talking. But on the whole considering their lack of experience everyone did very well.

This is good strong drama; it just needs a little more polish. If this is what Charles Bryan can do with such meagre means on his debut film, I can’t wait to see the next one! You should definitely check this film out if it plays at a festival near you or stop by the website and see if you want to invest in a copy for yourself.

Special Features

Behind-the-scenes footage – (First day of shooting, Séance rehearsal/setup)
Gag reel – (18 shots, 10 mins, mostly of Martinez goofing off or Evan Johnson doing his surprisingly good Connery impression)
Director's commentary – (Could have done with more coffee to wake Mr Bryan up a bit and a bit of cast and crew involvement to liven this up a bit, but if you like the film and are interested it is quite interesting)
Cast and crew bio's - (text)
"The Mechanics" – (scientific essay text)
“The Legend” – (essay text)
Music video – (Rocking ending title music by Guthrie Lowe)

NTSC Feature, 84 Mins.

Many thanks to Charles for this DVD Screener

Official website: http://www.shadowbeings-movie.com

Mind's Clay Productions: http://www.mindsclay.com

Reviewed by Lee Bailes