The Night Shift (2010, Thomas Smith)

Based on their well received short film from 2009, The Night Shift marks the first feature film from independent film making group Fighting Owl Films.  A new entry in the Zom-Com genre (or I guess Rom-Zom-Com), The Night Shift was directed by newcomer Thomas Smith and features a talented cast of actors, many of whom also did work behind the camera as well.  The film has been getting some good reviews and has started screening at festivals (go HERE for upcoming showings).  I was lucky enough to receive a screener for the film, allowing me to avoid the contact of other humans.  Yay!

The Night Shift follows the cleverly named, undead cemetery guard Rue Morgan (Khristian Fulmer) whose job is to not only keep people out of the graveyard at night, but keep the residents in!  He has a major crush on Claire Rennfield (producer Erin Lilley), who is his boss during the day and is unfortunately still alive.  Rue's friend, a limbless skeleton named Herb (voiced by Soren Odom), helps to keep him entertained when things are slow.  Too bad the pesky zombie Roderick (Jonathan Pruitt) is planning some supernatural hi jinx in order to win over Rue's job and take advantage of a portal to another world that happens to be in the cemetery.  Did you catch all that?

The Night Shift was a funny, action packed little film with a lot of potential to be a cult classic.  The story was unique and the acting was all very professional.  I'd have to say my favorite part of the film was definitely Herb.  There is just something about talking skeletons that makes me laugh until it hurts.  My only minor gripe about the film was that at 2 hours long it could have been a little shorter.  Don't get me wrong, the story definitely had enough substance to fill out the running time and there weren't really any slow points but I just have trouble sitting still for 2 hours.  Overall, I really enjoyed the film and hope that it finds an audience that feels the same way I do.  With all the crappy DTV horror garbage being put out today, it's nice to see something as original and entertaining as The Night Shift.

RATING:  8/10