Monster Squad, Ernest Scared Stupid, and more recently, Psycho Goreman, are films that have lightened the dark hearts of horror fans. These legendary movies not only capture the entertainment that the genre provides, but also can be enjoyed by fans of all ages. Premiering this fall, is Sung-Ho Kang’s (Fast and the Furious franchise) monster mash, Shaky Shivers. With an experienced cast featuring Hershel Sparber (King Kong Lives,) and Erin Daniels (House of 1000 Corpses,) expectations are high that this new feature will be another consistently viewed film that can be enjoyed every spooky season.
It’s the 1990’s and Lucy (Brooke Markham) and Karen (VyVy Nguyen) are attempting to map out their lives while working at a local ice cream parlor. They are visited by an odd recluse woman who is in search of a late-night snack. When Lucy ends up being the snack, the two friends embark on a dark journey. Their terror trek takes them to an abandoned campsite where they must quickly come to terms with the reality that monsters do exist. Lucy and Karen, with the help of a Monsters-For-Dummies guide, the young women attempt to survive the night against a Werewolf, Zombie, Cult, and yes, Bigfoot.
Director Ho Kang presents a heart warming terror tale that mixes horror, comedy, and inspiration. Shaky Shivers delivers laughs, dramatic subtext, and a few very good jump scares. Markham and Nguyen carry the film with quick wit dialogue while delivering a diatribe on the tough period in life where we all attempt to carve out our futures, often being stuck in a wasteland of mediocrity. Scribes, Andrew McCallister and Aaron Stongoni, give the audience a fast-paced thrill ride that switches tone with ease, along with giving the performers meaty dialogue to sink their fangs into. For hard core genre fans, FX master Gariel Bartalos (Underworld) throws out some fantastic creature designs. Shaky Shivers is a film that audiences of all ages and lovers of both comedy and horror will gush over. It is the kind of warm, yet dark, story that new and old fans of the genre will enjoy.
Scream Score: 7.8/10