Shadow Creature (1995) User Reviews

Shadow Creature: Boing goes the monster

[Platypuschow · 3/10 · 6 December 2017]

This low budget affair was advertised as a horror, let me be the first to say it sure as hell isn't.

Within moments the goofiness set my spidey sense off and the first comical sound effect confirmed it.

The trouble is though there is a monster this neither scary nor intense enough to constitute as a horror. Flipside, it's not funny enough to be a comedy either.

So with a highly mediocre cast, questionable sfx, distinct lack of story and those moronic out of place sound effects this didn't exactly leave a good impression.

The Good:

Monster wasn't entirely awful

The Bad:

Far too comedic to be considered a horror

Editor needed firing

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Zebra mussels spawn mutant flesh eating monsters, who knew?

Schlock ! lives again

[Phroggy · 5/10 · 1 September 1999]

This movie reminded me very highly of John Landis' "Schlock !" parody of "Monster on Campus"-style movies, though slicker, but not as good. All the actors are absolutely over the top and their enthusiastic, if sometimes inadequate, performance is worth seeing. Despite the whole deal's, er, schlockiness, somebody took good care of keeping the plot moving briskly (though, as Joe Bob Briggs would say, it sometimes gets in the way of the action) and the cinematography is excellent (better than the material deserves, some would say.) The moment when the hero gives the heroin a clichéd love sermon that seems out of Erich Segal's drunken nightmares is a guaranteed rib-tickler.

All in all, this is fun stuff, though not to everyone's taste. It was lately released in Paris as part of a weird mini-festival, along with "Slumber Paris - oops, Party - Massacre", "Freeway Maniac", "Humanoids from the deep", "Watchers 3" and "Watchers reborn" and "The Unborn 2". Why we lucky Froggy we are

Patchy monster mayhem.

[lost-in-limbo · 4/10 · 8 July 2020]

Watching someone's incompetence can be entertaining. Now the question falls down to intentional or unintentional? The low-budget indie comedy-horror "SHADOW CREATURE" obviously wants be a parody on shoddy filmmaking. What starts off amusing enough eventually grows tiresome in its witless try hard attempts of wanting to make you laugh than naturally letting it fall into place. In the end it becomes what it's mocking and in doing so it gives this tackiness an unwanted polish. It's no Ed Wood production, because it simply lacked the sincere charm and naivety amongst the ineptness. If you want a comparison think more along the lines of John Landis' "SCHLOCK!", but for me less enjoyable.

In "SHADOW CREATURE" the acting is stilted; script is exaggeratedly awful, direction virtually non-existent and editing is just as messy as the daftly patchwork plot. I just found the execution very drab, therefore the supposed thrills is diluted due to the overplayed broadness of the wink attitude making it miss more so than it hit. At times it could be a drag if it wasn't focusing on its titular reptilian monster. Sometimes the delirious plot had too many unwanted distractions (corrupt mayor) getting in the way of the fun, when I just wanted some monster-on-the-loose carnage. Those moments are clumsily staged, but they look better thanks to nice gore FX involving icky, bubbling makeup effects. Usually that's not case with these types of films. Even the monster design (namely the impressive mask) comes off to a certain degree. Despite seeing it dressed in jeans and a long sleeve business shirt as it moves around like an ape swiping at its victims.

A hearty Shane Minor did have his moments as the reckless meathead of a detective who finds himself investigating a very unusual serial killer(?) case that sees a hair serum the cause of a genetic mutation that goes on a brutal rampage. His character sure did have a weak stomach, compared to everyone around him and the stifled way he delivered his lines added to the stupidity. Interesting to see Buffalo, New York masquerading as Cleveland, Ohio.

It can entertain in parts, just I expected a little bit more in the way of bad monster fun.

We made this movie this way intentionally

[MagSchaus · 3 December 2001]

I was the Assistant Director of Shadow Creature and played the Mayor's goon, and did all the water stunts. The cast came from Toronto, Ontario and Buffalo, New York. The movie was originally cast in Toronto. There are fine performances by some of Buffalo's finest stage actors whose names appear in the film credits. I wrote the scene where I knock the guy-in-the-wheel chairs hat off his head. It was originally supposed to be a blind man whose dog I bite for barking at my character. The dog, Daisy Potter became terrified of me when I was in character during filming. She bolted in terror and consequently her scene went to the cutting room floor and the blindman became a man in the wheelchair. No animal or handicapped person was injured during filming of this sceen. The man in the wheel chair was a founding member of the band, Ten Thousand Maniacs. The scene as I originally had written it had the goon bitting the dog and then grabbing a vase of water from a flower deliveryman and then drinking the water. I wanted the Earl of Bud to play that part. Then another man walks down the street and my character tears his shirt off and uses the shirt as a napkin. I wanted Buffalo Mayor Masiello to play that part. The Mayor didn't want to do the part. All of that scene descibed unfortunately got cut. The scene progresses to the goon walking into the pizza parlour. The newspaper delivery person who kicks the goon near the end of the scene is my neice Lyndsey Kron. The music in the film was done by the band, Them Jazzbeards. The music was absolutely wonderful in this film. That is one of the things that few people comment on. But they should. The music added perfect effect to the scenes throughout the film. Them Jazzbeards created a terrific score for our film. The music is presently being used on WKBW Television for the show, "Offbeat Cinema." Shadow Creature should be shown on that show. All the water stunts were performed by me. When you see the creature swimming in the Erie Canal or going off the dock into the water that's me with my wetsuit on. The water was in the upper thirties the day we shot it.

For more work by Magilla Schaus see the film, "Tainted." I also have a large body of my surf photography in the book, "Surfing The Great Lakes."

shadow creature is a gory ham-fest, waiting for cult recognition

[kbarnes-3 · 5/10 · 8 December 2000]

I recently spoke with director Jim Gribbons. He mentioned that the script was in constant re-writing, and that the original director had to bail due to well, let's just say he had some problems! promoting him from DP. It was shot mainly in Buffalo NY with some stock footage from Cleveland. Buffalo State and various down town locations were used. It was released theatrically in France and has done well in Japan. I rented it at Block Buster, so maybe yours carries it too. Although there is no nudity in the film, rumor is that it does exist, maybe it'll turn up on a hidden dvd track sometime.

Crazy Low Budget Horror

[WNYer · 6/10 · 5 October 2012]

A detective discovers that a series of local murders is somehow linked to a hair tonic formula with some unusual properties. When some of the tonic is accidentally spilled into a tank of Zebra Mussels – the fun really starts.

A low budget, monster-on-the-loose flick with elements of horror and comedy blended together in equal measure. Some fine location photography and an exceptionally good soundtrack help offset the films general lack of suspense, a weak script and some wooden acting. The film could easily trim fifteen minutes off and it would be a nice, lean addition to the horror-comedy genre. As it stands, it starts off slow but gets into a nice rhythm in the second half and actually delivers some genuinely funny moments. The creature is acceptably gross and there's plenty of gore on hand for those into that type of thing.

Alas...

[bpierce · 28 December 2007]

I auditioned for the film, I got the callback...and, alas, it was on a day where I simply couldn't make it to the filming site.

My ambition of appearing in a b-movie will have to wait. Still, fond memories of the audition, and I made some friends, including Rick Pawliewski, who handled the prosthetic makeup--he does excellent work.

Nowadays, the film's a treat to watch for Buffalo locations that aren't there anymore, including the old George and Company store on Main Street.

This is a film that should be watched in the proper spirit. It's good, cheesy, silly fun, and meant to be taken that way. Zebra mussels in Lake Erie?

I do wish they'd stuck with "Flesh Eating Cannibal Creatures from Cleveland," though.

A fun and gory movie with a few twists

[death280 · 4 October 2000]

This movie was ok.I mean its a typical low budget horror movie.The acting is terrible the plot is bad and so are the special effects.Despite that its just a fun movie to watch.its like "Bad Taste" or "Killer Klowns From Outer Space" or even "Ticks" It doesnt matter how cheesy the movie is its just cool.I recommend it to anyone who just wants to sit back and watch the movie for what it is(a low budget horror movie parody).Just dont take it seriously and you'll be fine.Also you might have a bit of a hard time finding this one.It is extremely rare.I am hopefully going to win my ebay auction for it so i can enjoy it again.Look for the really nasty gore scenes their so exaggerated its hilarious.(Rated R for strong violence and gore)