The Shed
Film poster
Directed byFrank Sabatella
Screenplay byFrank Sabatella
Story byJason Rice
Produced by
  • Peter Block
  • Cory Neal
Starring
CinematographyMatthias Schubert
Edited byMike Mendez
Music bySam Ewing
Production
companies
  • A Bigger Boat
  • Sideshow Pictures
Distributed byRLJE Films
Release dates
  • October 5, 2019 (2019-10-05) (Sitges Film Festival)
  • November 15, 2019 (2019-11-15) (United States)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Shed is a 2019 American vampire horror film directed by Frank Sabatella. Sabatella wrote the screenplay, based on a story by Jason Rice. The films stars Jay Jay Warren, Cody Kostro, Sofia Happonen, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, with Timothy Bottoms and Frank Whaley. The Shed would debut at the Sitges Film Festival in October 2019 before releasing theatrically the following month by RLJE Films.

Plot

Two best friends, Stan and Dommer, have dealt with bullies their whole lives. When Stan discovers a murderous vampire taking shelter in his shed, he knows he has to find a way to destroy it. But Dommer has a more sinister plan for the vampire.

Cast[1]

  • Jay Jay Warren as Stan
  • Cody Kostro as Dommer
  • Sofia Happonen as Roxy
  • Siobhan Fallon Hogan as Sheriff Dorney
  • Timothy Bottoms as Ellis
  • Frank Whaley as Bane
  • Chris Petrovski as Marble
  • Francisco Burgos as Pitt
  • Uly Schlesinger as Ozzy
  • Mu-Shaka Benson as Deputy Haiser
  • Drew Moore as Mr. Deere
  • Caroline Duncan as Kathleen
  • Sal Pendino as Robert
  • Nina Carlsen as Christy
  • Brooklyn Collier as Donna
  • Patrick Klein as Officer Lane
  • Damian Norfleet as Ancient Vampire

Production

Development

In 2002, aspiring filmmaker Frank Sabatella was impressed with a short story involving a vampire in a shed written by Jason Rice. After making his directorial debut in Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet, Sabatella circled back to the idea and asked Rice for permission to use the concept.[2][3] While writing the film, Sabatella was influenced by Fright Night, The Lost Boys and River's Edge, the latter of which he cited as "important" for crafting the film's characters.[4] The first draft of the script was written in six months during 2014. By 2016, Peter Block - along with his production company A Bigger Boat - and Hatchet producer Cory Neal signed on to produce the film, with the script entering its fifth draft.[5]

Pre-production

By September 2018, the film was officially announced with Frank Whaley, Timothy Bottoms, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Sofia Happonen, Cody Kostro, and Jay Jay Warren filling out the cast.[6] When casting the film's leads, Sabatella opted to cast actors that were the same age as their characters to add believability to the roles.[7] The director was a fan of actor Frank Whaley and had the producers reach out and "orchestrate" his casting. The film also marked the on-screen debut for actress Sofia Happonen.[8]

Filming

Production began in Syracuse, New York and lasted 17 days throughout August 2018.[9][10]

Release

The Shed premiered at the Sitges Film Festival on October 5, 2019.[11][12] It debuted in North America in two sold-out screenings at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival in late October 2019.[13] The film was released on November 15, 2019, by RLJE Films.[14]

Home media

The film was released on Blu-ray and DVD on January 7, 2020.[15]

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, The Shed holds an approval rating of 62% based on 21 reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10.[16]

Leslie Felperin of The Guardian said the film was "an efficient enough machine for generating scares."[17] For Slashfilm, Rafael Motamayor called the film "a dark and poignant look at bullying and how easy it is to fall into a dark path of revenge, while also being a traditional horror movie."[18] Noel Murray, writing for The LA Times, wrote "a good young cast and a strong sense of purpose compensate for most of the shortcomings."[19]

Writing for Observer, Rex Reed said "There's nothing to make your hair stand on end in The Shed because it's not convincing."[20] Of Flickering Myth, Matt Donato wrote "Sabatella serves the subgenre fine, but draws out the same overused actions".[21]

References

  1. ↑ Sabatella, Frank (2019-11-15), The Shed (Drama, Horror), Jay Jay Warren, Cody Kostro, Sofia Happonen, A Bigger Boat, Sideshow Pictures, retrieved 2023-09-22
  2. ↑ Lewis, Ken (November 11, 2019). "Interview with the Frank Sabatella, Director of a Great Homage Horror movie Titled The Shed". Ain't It Cool. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  3. ↑ Clark, Adrienne (November 12, 2019). "Interview: Writer/Director Frank Sabatella for The Shed". Nightmarish Conjurings. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  4. ↑ Gingold, Michael (November 13, 2019). "Exclusive Interview: Writer/Director Frank Sabatella on What You'll Find Inside The Shed". Rue Morge. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  5. ↑ Anderson, Derek (November 12, 2019). "Q&A: The Shed Writer/Director Frank Sabatella Discusses the Importance of Creating a Relatable Vampire Story That Explores Real-Life Issues". DailyDead. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  6. ↑ Miska, Brad (September 3, 2018). "Frozen and Hatchet Producers Align On The Shed". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  7. ↑ Gingold, Michael (November 13, 2019). "Exclusive Interview: Writer/Director Frank Sabatella on What You'll Find Inside The Shed". Rue Morge. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  8. ↑ Tafoya, Daniel (November 19, 2019). "The Shed Interview: Director Frank Sabatella On His New High School-Set Vampire Flick". LRM Online. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  9. ↑ Anderson, Derek (November 12, 2019). "Q&A: The Shed Writer/Director Frank Sabatella Discusses the Importance of Creating a Relatable Vampire Story That Explores Real-Life Issues". DailyDead. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  10. ↑ Spiegel, Janel (December 6, 2019). "Interview: Frank Sabatella (The Shed)". HorrorNews. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  11. ↑ Billington, Alex (September 23, 2019). "First Official Trailer for Monster Horror 'The Shed' Premiering in Sitges". FirstShowing. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  12. ↑ Miska, Brad (September 23, 2019). "'The Shed' Harbors Something Monstrous for Revenge [Trailer]". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  13. ↑ Whittemore, Liz (2019-10-20). "BHFF 2019 review: 'The Shed' wows at first sold out screening". Reel News Daily. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
  14. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (September 25, 2019). "RLJE Films Strikes Deal To Open The Shed; Vampire Pic Gets November Release Date". Deadline. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  15. ↑ Millican, Josh (December 19, 2019). "Beware the Evil Within The Shed on DVD & Blu-ray January 7th". Dread Central. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  16. ↑ "The Shed (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  17. ↑ Felperin, Leslie (May 6, 2020). "The Shed Review – Goofy, Gory Vampire Horror". The Guardian. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  18. ↑ Motamayor, Rafael (October 12, 2019). "The Shed Review: A Violent Tale of Bullying and Vampires [Sitges 2019]". Slash Film. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  19. ↑ Murray, Noel (November 14, 2019). "Review: A Christmas Feast, Aaron Eckhart and Thomas Jane as Troubled Cops, Plus More". LA Times. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  20. ↑ Reed, Rex (November 15, 2019). "Mild and Silly, The Shed Is Full of Laughably Contrived Scenarios". Observer. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  21. ↑ Donato, Matt (November 15, 2019). "Movie Review – The Shed (2019)". FlickeringMyth. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
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