It’s October 30th, also known as Devil’s Night. For some parts of the U.S., it’s Mischief Night. Whatever you choose to call it, the night before Halloween is an informal holiday dedicated to pranks, mischief, and chaos. Our penultimate 31 Days of Halloween entry fits the Devil’s Night bill in more ways than one.
Last Shift, co-written by Scott Poiley and director Anthony DiBlasi, sees a closing precinct inundated by very mischievous entities on its final night of operation. If you’ve been following along with our Halloween festivities or simply have seen the movie before, then you’re aware that these entities have ties to hell. In other words, it could be a poster child horror movie for Devil’s Night.
Devil’s Night marks our final live-tweet Wednesday in October, and we’re going out with a bang. Watch Last Shift with us through Shudder at 7pm CST/8pm EST. Interact and chat with us using #BloodyHalloween. Even though it’s a night for tricks, we’ve got a few treats to disperse throughout the movie; a handful of copies of Last Shift, signed by director Anthony DiBlasi himself! You’ll have to participate for a chance to snag one.
Synopsis: Rookie Officer Jessica Loren has been assigned to watch over a closing precinct on its final night of operation…alone. With nearly everything already moved over to the new station, including rerouted 911 calls, it should be a pretty quiet night as she waits for a Hazmat team to arrive to remove biohazardous waste. Instead, it becomes a waking nightmare as she’s forced to deal with unsettling visitors.
Key Players: Juliana Harkavy plays Jessica Loren in this mostly one woman show. Hank Stone is her abrasive superior officer, Sgt. Cohen. J. LaRose plays Patrick Black, an obstacle to Loren’s quiet shift. Joshua Mikel plays the creepy John Michael Paymon.
Why It’s on the List: DiBlasi knows how to craft a good scare. Or twenty. Last Shift had a quiet VOD release, but word of mouth on its effective atmosphere and well executed scares meant it caught on among horror fans. It’s one of the biggest surprises of the decade in horror. There’s also good mystery unfolding throughout; what is happening or haunting the precinct? It gets a little complex and unnerving as the station slowly becomes a hellscape for Loren.
Holding Cell Nightmare: When a crazed homeless man won’t stay away, Officer Loren knocks him out and drags him into a holding cell. Things get crazy…
Where You Can Watch: Last Shift is currently available on Shudder, so join us tonight for the live-tweet at 7pm CST/8pm EST! Just hit play, follow us on Twitter and be sure to use #BloodyHalloween. Reminder: We’ll have signed copies of the film to giveaway, but you’ll have to participate in our live-tweet for a chance to win one!