Finding a way to transform a horror story involving an age
old legend is nearly impossible. Nearly but not completely. Stephen King was
able to take the story of the vampire and turn it on its head with ‘SALEMS LOT.
Reinventions of the classic DRACULA have moved him from sophisticated blood
sucker to ruler of a kingdom. Now director Frank Sabatella along with co-writer
Jason Rice offer us a new look at the vampire with THE SHED.
Opening with famer and hunter Bane (Frank Whaley) running
through the woods tracked by the famous creature he is bitten just as the sun
rises killing the vampire but not Bane. Running through the woods he sees a
nearby farm and a tarp which he dons giving him enough cover to make it to the
shed out back where he hides.
The farm is owned by Ellis (Timothy Bottoms) where he is
raising his grandson Stan (Jay Jay Warren). It’s not an idyllic life by any
means for Stan who was orphaned and sent to live here. With a record of trouble
in his past he’s just doing what he can to get by and avoid problems. Not an
easy task when his girl Roxy (Sofia Happonen) has left him for the high school
bully Marble (Chris Petrovski) who focuses his violent ways on Stan’s best
friend Dommer (Cody Kostro).
It isn’t long before Stan discovers that there is something
dangerous living in the shed. When the vampire kills his grandfather, Stan
boards up the doors to the shed and places a chain on it preventing the
creature from leaving. With his past record and the fact that the local law
doesn’t look kindly on Stand, he decides the best thing is to not inform
anyone.
But he has trouble dealing with what to do and eventually
tells his friend Dommer about the trapped creature. Rather than help him figure
out what to do, Dommer sees this as an opportunity and encourages Stan to help
him lure Marble to the shed as revenge to the beatings he’s inflicted on
others. Of course Stan tells him this is ridiculous and won’t allow it.
More issues rise and the chance of more people discovering
what is going on at Ellis house rise as the story moves forward. More people
are attacked and killed and Stan is left feeling guilty throughout. But what
does one do when you have a vampire locked up out back and know that no one
will believe anything you say?
The plot here is incredibly simple and yet its simplicity is
what makes it work on many levels. It’s easy to start thinking well get the
police out here but at the same time knowing that Stan has the police issues in
his past and that the odds of them believing something this outlandish aren’t
likely and you can relate to his conundrum.
But it’s more than just a monster movie or vampire tale. The
whole social structure of high school angst and bullying is focused on here.
Add to that the search for vengeance upon those who would resort to beating up
the weak to show social dominance at that age and you have the makings for one
heck of a story.
The film is low budget and doesn’t offer tons of views of
the titular creature but that works in its favor. Were we to see the scaly gray
skin or the lengthy fangs as opposed to the dark corners of the shed where it
hides it might not be as frightening the few times we do get a glimpse. This
helps increase the tension of the film.
It’s always nice to see a fresh angle on an old story like
this and THE SHED does that in superb fashion. I have no doubt that there will
be many naysayers about this film, those who feel we should have spent more
time seeing the creature or who feel like the story is too implausible. My
suggestion is go back and watch the movie again. For me I think this is one
I’ll hold on to and add to my collection. I have little doubt that I’ll enjoy
it more than once.
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