Shadowland

What Wyatt Weed (try saying that three times fast…) has done with "Shadowland" is nothing short of remarkable, in my eyes. The vampire sub-genre is seemingly very difficult to tackle well, and as a result there are very few effective films that fit this categorization. Most filmmakers approach the material in a very similar fashion, and the genre's most significant hindrance is its lack of originality. Weed approaches the material from a different and wholly unique standpoint, crafting a breathtakingly original vampire film. One that is rife with beautifully polished visuals and a depth of character seldom seen in this type of film. "Shadowland" unfolds from a different perspective than what we're accustomed to seeing in traditional vampire films. The thought of "vampires are evil, humans are good", is disregarded in favour of a more character driven plot, suggesting a level of internal conflict seldom explored within this type of movie.

The film opens with a sequence set in 1897, in which the film's central character of Laura, a vampire, is staked and buried. She is unintentionally unearthed in the present day with no memory and no voice. This is all I will mention about the plot behind "Shadowland", and yes I know that synopsis is as bare bones as it can get. Revealing any more would be a disservice to you, the potential viewer, as "Shadowland" is structured in a way that benefits from knowing as little about the film as possible.

After these events are established, the film is told in a manner that uses flashbacks to establish the characters, their motives and the events that have led to the present day occurrences. In the hands of a less capable director, this method of storytelling could be distancing and confusing for the audience, yet Weed uses it as a method to further the story in the most effective way possible, using the technique to reveal to the audience past events that led to Laura's ultimate burial. These events are revealed as they are triggered within Laura's memory, and as such, we are as much a part of the film as Laura, watching from her perspective, as she regains her memory.

Giving even more credence to the character of Laura is actress Caitlin McIntosh. She conveys so much emotion through her expressions, it astounds me. She has so few speaking lines throughout the film, yet manages to give an unbelievable amount of insight into the character of Laura. McIntosh carries the weight of the film on her shoulders from beginning to end, and "Shadowland" is a better film because of it.

Unfortunately, actor Jason Contini doesn't seem to have the same natural charisma or screen presence as McIntosh, and as a result his dialogue occasionally seems stilted and unnatural. He doesn't seem to have a natural chemistry with many of his co-stars, which makes a few of his sequences seem slightly out of place. One sequence however, has Contini and Carlos Antonio Leon (the character of 'Lazarus') having an entertaining exchange of dialogue in a back alley. Leon has an amazing screen presence, and his sequences are enjoyable simply because of the way he presents himself. Jason Contini works off of Leon's presence and the two elevate the scene to a level above any other sequence Contini appears in. This dialogue then leads to a very impressive close-quarters fight, which is much more polished than it should have any right to be.

"Shadowland" was made for a very modest budget I'm sure, yet feels as though it were a multi-million dollar production. Everyone behind the scenes seems to be very capable, as the film is amazingly sound, technically. In front of the camera nearly everyone does a fantastic job, from the leads, to the smaller supporting cast. It is because the film is so well executed in nearly every regard, that the odd time in which something seems less than perfect, it just seems to stand out a little bit more. There is nothing in the film that detracts from its quality any more than a minuscule amount, however.

It's obvious what Wyatt Weed was attempting to accomplish with "Shadowland", and he's done an incredible job. "Shadowland" relies on character and storytelling, more than violence and scares. In fact, there's not a scare to be had in the entire film, and no graphic violence. It's this approach that separates Weed's film from the disposable vampire films of recent memory. It is beautiful and engaging, and should be viewed as an incredible achievement for everyone involved. "Shadowland" is a great movie to be sure, but above and beyond that, it should be viewed as an important work in establishing the potential of the vampire as an emotionally conflicted character with dimensionality.

Jason Pitt - Critical-Film.com

This film is somewhat enjoyable in that it avoids using too many clichés and tries to be different. It's quite successful at that. The film makes use of flashbacks at appropriate moments to unfold the past life of a female vampire. This helps the viewers understand that there's a human there somewhere underneath.

The film was quite successful at making me sympathize with her present life, although it was hard to sympathize with her past life, which is what we see in the flashbacks. One might think, well, she was an unruly daughter to her father and she just got what she deserved and was doomed to carry the pain of living the rest of her life as a vampire.

When I was watching this film, I didn't really feel like I was watching a vampire film. This was different. It was like following the story of a beggar trying to get herself some food and clothes and escaping from the police except that she had uncanny powers.

This film IS entertaining, but at times I felt it was too boring to watch specially because there aren't many main characters involved in the film other than a vampire girl wandering in the streets, an uninteresting guy trying to catch her and stupid police officers who don't even know how to use guns.

If you are interested in watching how a beggar desperately tries to survive on the streets, this is a perfect movie to see, otherwise keep your distance.

Sometimes an actor is cast and maybe their voice is not entirely ... maybe it doesn't fit or maybe it is better to leave them without anything to say. Not sure if it is a gimmick here or if the lead actress was not considered good enough an actress to have a talking part .. whatever the case, she is looking good .. not just for a Vampire.

Having said that, the movie and its pace are really something you have to get used to. B-movie if you are being nice and if you are into that. The ending is weird too ... not sure if I would consider it in a good sense.

This off-beat vampire film is a superior presentation. In 1897, our blonde, ill-fated damsel is put to death as a vampire. A century and more later she is accidentally resurrected by a workman, part of a crew who are doing some work for the local church. She crawls out of her grave not only covered in mud and bloodied from her execution but struck dumb (initially) and with no memory of her misfortune, nor it appears of her previous life, and of course no idea how long she has been interred.

Although a vampire, she walks in the sunlight, and is, as you would be if you hadn't eaten for 111 years, ravenously hungry. As slowly she adapts to traffic, aircraft, and not least, biros, things aren't looking at all bad for her. She scavenges some clothes aided by an ability to move only slightly less quickly than the Flash, and seeks out her former residence. She might have adapted to the 21st Century perhaps even without reverting to type, but unfortunately there is a vampire hunter in close pursuit who wants to save her soul in classical fashion.

That is as much as you need to know apart from the film having a decent soundtrack; suffice it to say that even allowing for the development of the film-makers' craft, Bela Lugosi comes a poor second to the feisty Caitlin McIntosh.

I just watched this movie the other day and I thought I should write a comment about it. It's sad that some people have decided to trash it for the sake of it instead of making a smart assessment of the movie and, most of all, praise the work of the independent filmmakers. You can thank the internet for it. A new breed of bullies has developed behind the computer's screen. It's like the new way to be a thug. A cyber-thug. In my opinion, the movie is very clever in presenting the Vampire genre from a different perspective: the female one. Tons of vampire movies are about the always dark-mysterious seductive male vampire. Not this one. Although there is a dark, seductive and sexy male vampire in Shadowland, it's the female lead who carries the torch. Many elements are similar to other vampire movies but hey! it's the same genre, right? so there should be similarities. However, shadowland gives an alternative to the otherwise always-gore-slashy vampire films. This one focuses on the humane part of the vampire. The acting was good for the most part, particularly the leads. Some of the supporting actors, in my opinion, were more theatrical and that's probably what people refer to when criticizing the acting. It's different to act on stage where actors tend to exaggerate movements, voices, gestures, etc than to act on film, and the viewers can pick on that. I once saw Meryl Streep on an interview where she said that acting on film should be like "not acting at all" because the camera multiplies all you do in front of it. The special effects were very good taking into consideration that the movie is independent and XF are very expensive. Kudos on that. The color of the film gives it a very Gothic feeling. I love that! I think the movie has great locations that blend perfectly with vampirism and gives a Gothic sense to the movie. The flashbacks are great also. Good way to explain what happened in the past. The end almost need a "to be continued..." because it's very clear that they are leaving the door open for a continuation. In summary, I liked it very much and I would recommend it to all those individuals who, like me, love the vampire world.