PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Anthology film are very much my jam. I love seeing all the different stories and how things connect. I was given the opportunity recently to check out of Realm of Shadows, an anthology film featuring the wonderful Tony Todd.
Read on for my thoughts.
Synopsis
Enter a world of mystery, possession and shadows in an anthology of short horror themed tales woven into a full length feature presentation. Even the most shocking stories are based on true events. Starring horror legend Tony Todd.
Realm of Shadows was directed by Jimmy Drain (Leviathan) from a script by Drain, Robert Bieber (Broken Cross) and Lewis Leslie (Killer Ink). The film stars Tony Todd (Candyman), Vernon Wells (The Road Warrior), Jimmy Drain, Vida Ghaffari (Space Sharks), Richard Tyson (Kindergarten Cop), Harley Wallen (Beneath Us All), Lauren Mayhew (Among The Shadows), Mel Novak (Game of Death), and Kasha Fauscett (Beware The Lake).
I really enjoyed Realm of Shadows. The film takes similarly themed short films and connects them through the anthology film format. Realm of Shadows tries some interesting techniques, such as having sequences that are like silent films, other than a voiceover narration. There isn’t much gore here but the stories manage to still be at point, unsettling, sad and disturbing. The film explores themes such as love and loss, good versus evil, human sacrifice, and broken dreams.
Special mention should go to Jimmy Drain who directed, cowrote and starred in the major of the segments. His characters are fun to watch and go through a lot of really crazy situations. I really enjoyed his acting and feel like it really grounded the film. The ending feels like it sets up a potential sequel following the wraparound story. This is something I would love to see as I found the wraparound segment involving Witchcraft extremely interesting. I want to know more about these characters. What are there motivations and goals.
Final Thoughts
Realm of Shadows is an interesting and unique anthology film that tries some really cool ideas. While light on gore the film is a turns disturbing, unsettling and a little sad. Recommended.
