Rock star Zampaglione turns director with his latest effort, Shadow. The film centres on a young soldier, Davd (Muxworthy), who embarks on a mountain biking holiday to an ominous mountain range in Europe called The Shadow. After David rescues local girl Angelina (Testa) from a couple of backwoods hicks in a local bar, he teams up with her and the pair together explore the quiet tranquility of the Shadow.

But the peace and quiet doesn’t last long. Hicks being hicks, they object to David’s intervention in their “adventures” and a nightmarish chase ensues. But the hicks are not the only enemy lurking on The Shadow. Awakening to find himself captured and strapped to an operating table alongside his persuers, David must join forces with them to escape the clutches of the evil Mortis.

Shadow has been hailed as the return of italian horror and it’s easy to see why – the film clearly wears its influences on its sleeve. There are echoes of Argento, Bava and Deodato throughout the film, which actually bears more resemblance to the current crop of Hollywood ìtorture pornî flicks rather than the italian classics of yesteryear – although director Zampaglione does reel in the violence, opting to show the aftermath of events rather than pour on the gore. Character development is sorely lacking, but this looks like a conscious decision on a part of Zampaglione, for him it seems Shadow is all about the visuals and the pulse pounding atmosphere – shades of Argento’s work right there.

Zampaglione clearly has an eye for striking imagery, the helicopter shots of the woods early in the film look amazing and really capture the beauty and grandeur of the film’s setting. It’s obvious that he has a love and respect for the genre and it’s history and his use of light and Shadow throughout the second half of the film recall the classic horrors of the 20’s and 30’s – in fact, the introduction of Mortis looks like it was lifted straight out of the original Nosferatu.

Where Zampaglione’s rock star roots shine through is in Shadow‘s score. Teaming up with his brother Francesco, the soundtrack is a blazing rock score that recalls the ear-bending soundtracks of 70’s and 80’s italian cinema – think Suspiria and you’ll be somewhere close. Like all good horror films, Shadow isn’t merely there for the gore. Zampaglione successfully underpins the events of the film with a topical twist offering the theory that reality can be sicker than nightmares.

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