Writer/Director/Producer Max Finnernan uses a sexy and comically smarmy male lead, “The Director/Producer Manny” (Erik Heger) to spin an interesting and engaging science fiction yarn involving government-sponsored mind control experiments and a “mad scientist”- Dr. Marzena (Carolyn Mc Cormick).  Manny has been seduced into making a horror movie based on “real-life” events by some insider information into the nefarious government experiments. Terry (Lee Wilkof) is the source of this information and the caretaker of the now-abandoned government facility that serves as the location of the film.  Add to the mix a troubled young woman Alex (Britt Lower) who uses medication to silence her vivid and troubling dreams involving her newly famous actress sister Lizzy (Sara Chase) and a mysterious menacing Bagman (Gary Sundown). Round out the ensemble with a comically creepy supporting cast: Manny’s  Assistant Danny (Nick Fondulis) and crew members Michelle (Nadia Gan), Al (Michael Pemberton), Chuck (Andrew Ridings) and Old Sleepwalker (Christopher Randolph) and you have all the elements for a mystery/horror/comic sci-fi flick.

From this reviewers perspective, once Manny and Terry are removed from the equation and the film is given a fairy tale ending, viewers are left with the same wonderment as the characters involved in multiple potentially hot sexual encounters between members of the ensemble cast that are never consummated. All that being said, groups of friends who enjoy post-theater discussions of quirky offbeat movies will definitely want to go see this film.  In fact, I would love to be a fly on the wall to see and hear their comments. A sequel just might be EPIC!

 The Shells 

Director: Max Finneran