#shannon wells

[fearsmagazine]

A CREATURE WAS STIRRING - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Well Go USA Entertainment

SYNOPSIS: After a checkered past, Faith has caught a couple of breaks that allows her to keep her troubled teenage daughter, Charm, in a home where she has her on a tightly controlled regimen of experimental drugs, their only means of fending off a mysterious, terrifying affliction. When two burglars, brother and sister, Kory and Liz, break into Faith’s home on Christmas, their presence disturbs a long-kept family secret with gruesome repercussions.

REVIEW: A CREATURE WAS STIRRING possesses a 90’s independent horror film style that greatly benefits from today’s technology and looks like a million bucks. While set during the Christmas season, at its core it is a tale that could be told simply in a winter setting without all the Christmas set dressings.

Shannon Wells’ screenplay is nicely plotted and features some solid dialogue. The story’s main focus is on Faith and her relationship with Charm. The intruders serve as a catalyst to set events in motion that spiral out of Faith’s control. Liz is present as possibly a born again or evangelical christian as she engages Faith in a debate about her lack of beliefs and believes Charm’s issues could be demonic. Wells presents a different type of creature and an interesting origin story, which does not lend itself to Christmas. A few times in the third act there is some sketchy dialogue, but it makes a quick recovery. Set one week later, there is an alternative take on the events that transpired with a shocking revelation. I appreciated how the unfolding events did not attempt to present clues as to what might actually be happening. There were several moments in the montage that didn't seem logical and brought into question the rest of the film’s internal logic. For example, there is a scene between Kory and Charm’s father that doesn't make sense in terms of the film’s climax..By the final scene I was okay with the shift, change in terms of tone as it went from something that felt like “Creepshow” to more of a “Tales from the Darkside” story.

I was keen on the production and creature designs. It has this nightmare feel that, to me, was reminiscent of the original “Creepshow.” The creature design was unusual. Charm has a classic transformation sequence that would have impressed the artists at KNB EFX Group. There is a lot of dialogue in the film and Leveck employs a variety of angles, interesting framing of his shots and quick edits to sustain the film’s energy. There are some interesting lighting effects that make more sense when considered in terms of the film’s final act, but I did feel at times that it was a bit dark. The filmmakers go to great lengths to create this massive snow storm and I found it problematic that in the epilogue - one week later - there is not a trace of snow when Faith goes outside. Also, it left me scratching my head as to why no one saw the final shot sooner. Was there a big melt off due to global warming? I’m just saying. Matthew O'Malley’s score nicely ties it all together with some classic cinematic movements to add shock and awe to the film as well as build suspense. It also helped me to quickly forget some of my issues with the film’s logic.

A CREATURE WAS STIRRING features an excellent cast. They’re all very likable and engaging. All of these actors have serious film and television credits. Chrissy Metz is probably most recognized for her work on the series “This is Us;” Annalise Basso appeared on the “Snowpiercer” series and in the film “Slender Man;” Scout Taylor-Compton was in Rob Zombie’s “Halloween” and “Halloween II;” and Connor Paolo appeared in “Stake Land” and “Friend Request.” I especially enjoyed Chrissy Metz’s performance. She presents a genuine motherly element that is enhanced with this sense of her religious convictions and is contrasted by a need to flee this nightmare.

A CREATURE WAS STIRRING is a throwback to the classic independent horror of the 1990’s. It's set up with great care and attention to detail, the acting is top-notch, and the special effects are surprisingly good. The filmmakers work their budget to create excellent production designs, a horrifying transformation scene, and a distinctively unusual creature. A CREATURE WAS STIRRING will keep you engaged from start to finish with an entertaining and haunting holiday horror film.

CAST: Chrissy Metz, Annalise Basso, Scout Taylor-Compton and Connor Paolo CREW: Director/Producer/Editor - Damien Leveck; Screenplay - Shannon Wells; Producers - Natalie Leveck. Aaron B. Koontz & Vladislav Severtsev; Cinematographer - Alexander Chinnici; Score - Matthew O'Malley; Production Designer - Jeffrey McLeid; Costume Designer - Jessica Erin Cary; Special Creature Effects - Ill Willed Productions; Creature Designer - Tate Steinsiek; SFX Makeup Artist - Allie Swift; Visual Effects - Aleksey Vasin. OFFICIAL: N.A. FACEBOOK: N.A. TWITTER: N.A. TRAILER: https://youtu.be/NAHu63zGbWc?si=2PrBQEUtWRLDRPOY RELEASE DATE: In theaters December 8th & available on VOD December 12th, 2023

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

[getoutofthisplace]

Dear Gus & Magnus,

The Video Team and I spent the day making a promotional video for an event we have in our Ridgeland office. The event is called the Garver Rib & Roll, but I wrote a script in which an employee thinks it's called the Garver Ribbon Roll, and of course, shenanigans ensue. It's going to be a good video, but filming took way longer than I had hoped it would, and we accidently broke a $1,400 video monitor, which made the process a little more difficult. We got back to little rock after midnight, making for a really long day.

Dad.

Ridgeland, Mississippi. 2.10.2023 - 5.28pm.

[floorman3]

A Creature Was Stirring Review- A Holiday Creature Feature That Doesn't Quite Work

The holiday season is usually one of joy and family bonding. There is a genre of films that focuses on the holidays. Including some classics like Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story and It’s a Wonderful Life. There are also horror movies that focus on Christmas and the holiday season as well. One that comes to mind is Black Christmas from 1974. It’s a slasher film for the holiday and Christmas…

[salemsvlog]

Alright but Edmundo Diaz cheating on his girlfriend with the doppelgänger of his late wife is so tenelovela.

Abuela but eat this up.

[cinematicnomad]

9-1-1 ▸ and i'm split in half, but that'll have to do

[fruitydiaz]

at first i was like why didn’t they make the sex flashback with shannon clearly a flashback like the others in the episode and then i realized that it wasn’t a flashback eddie’s just actively rewriting his relationship with shannon while eating lunch with his girlfriend and plotting to cheat on her with the random woman he met at a boutique that slightly resembles his dead wife who did in fact ask him for a divorce before she died but eddie’s not gonna remember that detail rn is he

[alexisrosemullens]

Just dancin' with my eyes closed

[peachducy]

Umitober Day 4 - Letter

"Um... Is... that all of them?"

[ghostlyarchaeologist]

Leverage Redemption S02E06 The Fractured Job.

Bonus using Parker as a springboard:

[babyslutbuck]

i'm sorry. i have more to say about abby. she's so fucking funny. all she wanted was to fuck a hot 26 year old. bc her mom was dying and she didn't feel like a person outside of that. and he reshaped himself in the image of something she could love. and then she didn't love him. and then she left. "i could fix him" "i could make him worse" well abby could fix him and make him worse in one fell swoop.

[iloveacronix]

Uhhhh some COFFEEBOT cuz I watched some bits of Wu's Teas again.

and some Coffeetime(?) Bc I remembered they existed </3

[getoutofthisplace]

Dear Gus & Magnus,

I left this morning for Ridgeland so I could go to the event we made the video invitation for last month -- the guy pointing is the clown from that video. Our employees smoked ribs and baked cinnamon rolls and clients came to judge. I ate a decent helping and felt like crap. When Magnus goes to daycare next week, I'm going to make a plan to eat better and get in shape.

Dad.

Ridgeland, Mississippi. 3.9.2023 - 5.45pm.

[bucksboobs]

Met-in-the-military EddieTommy that got married as soon as they retired that meet a retired Navy Seal named Evan Buckley (squadmates called him Buck) at a military themed gay bar in WeHo and Buck is completely unaware it’s a gay bar and thought he was just chatting up some fellow soldiers. Eddie and Tommy exchange a look like “we have to have him right?”

[chronicowboy]

so. trapped dads of course. you know me. eddie gets knocked out. he wakes up at home, maybe on the beach and shannon's there to tease him about falling alseep in the sun/whilst watching a movie like an old man. and he's so happy to see her. so fucking happy. so he just kind of stares at her for a moment. and she's like im not going to disappear eddie. im right here next to you. and eddie draws the logical conclusion from this and has a bit of a panic like am i dead? are we dead? chris- is buck okay? and shannon's like. im dead, you're still breathing but you have to make a choice, you've gotta go back. and eddie's like i will i will i just. can i have a few more minutes with you? and shannon smiles sadly like. eddie i love you, you know that. so much. and i love that you still love me but you can't spend the rest of your life loving only me. please. you don't deserve to stay married to a ghost. let yourself fall in love please. and eddie goes. im trying im trying it just. she's not you. and shannon looks at him. really fucking looks at him. that's because she's not the answer. the answer's been right under your nose the whole time you just have to wake up and see it. so WAKE UP! and then eddie wakes up and shannon's wake up morphs into buck's and buck is hovering over him all big blue terrified eyes and eddie SEES him and murmurs: buck it's you. and buck's all yeah yeah eddie it's me thought id lost you for a minute there. and eddie on the edge of consciousness, in pain, facing up to that revelation has just enough in him to vow never.

[hirakiyois]

christopher is going to have the weirdest perception of romantic love when he grows up because his parents were broken up or fighting or in and out of the picture when his mom was alive, and then when his dad finally started dating again he kept his girlfriend an arm's length away at all times and had panic attacks whenever someone accurately perceived that relationship as romantic. but this strange guy that his dad made his best friend on his first day on the job in la now helps chris with his math homework and with baking cookies for his class and takes care of him when his dad is hospitalised and organizes holiday get-togethers so chris can spend them with his dad and is literally always a call away for both of them and keeps the doors of his house eternally open for them and takes him to the zoo all the time. and you'll never believe which of these people eddie apparently actively tried to kiss.

[lezabeththetheodoraimposter]

such an awful reality this is that writing a series with a female lead means there will always be people who think they’re annoying or poorly written no matter who they are

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