I once had to work the graveyard shift. I was a junior in college and was engaged at the time, so my schedule was pretty hectic. I worked for Ralphs Grocery Store from midnight to 8 o’clock in the morning. However, most of the time I ended up working until 10 to 11 in the morning, and no one seemed to have any sort of compassion for me. I would then take a bus to my apartment or to school depending on what I had to do, then sleep for 2 to 3 hours, before my mom (delivering mail of all things) would wake me up or I would have to go meet my obligations for dinner etc. I hated that time because I had a fiancée that would get mad when I quit jobs. It was a sign, I didn’t follow. For the record, I’ll quit whatever damn job I please, sorry, I’ll digress. The premise of this movie has nothing to do with my grocery store days, or anything like that, but the title made me think about those times when I was working insane hours, going to school, and beyond for a measly minimum wage. With that lead in, let’s look at a 1990s horror film that was base don the work of Stephen King, it’s called Graveyard Shift.
This movie follows a simple plot. A group of mill workers have to come to grips with a horror that is occurring in the mill’s basement. During the graveyard shift people are dying and they are all connected to the infestation of rats in the mill. As the movie progresses we meet with not only rats, but head honcho rat that will take out anyone that moves.
The 90-minute romp is not exactly the scariest of things that has come out of Stephen King’s mind, but it’s got some points of interest. The scary parts are really not shown on film, as much as they are part of the mind of the viewer. If you’ve ever worked the night shift of any job, you most likely will hallucinate. Whether you like it or not, the body just doesn’t want to be awake at that time, and even if you keep yourself busy, your mind wanders whenever it takes a break. The daydreams you have won’t be insane, although they could be, but they will definitely change your perspective on sleep and being awake. The horror I find in the film is having to work the job and rats being there, as I’m not a fan of the creatures. Imagine your workplace full of rats, then having to discover that there’s underground tunnels that lead to death and despair, now we’re talking.
The execution of the film feels a lot like a made for television movie, and doesn’t really flow with modern movies. There are some memorable characters, but they aren’t in the film enough for me to care. You’ll most likely fly through this film and then be relieved that it’s over, but not before discovering what lurks beneath the mill and through the tunnels!
Graveyard Shift is going to be for diehard Stephen King fans. The movie isn’t great, but it’s adequate for an adaptation of a short story. I recommend it for those that want to see it all, and don’t care about the quality. It’s not terrible, but it’s not the greatest ever. Check it out on dvd and let me know what you think.
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hey, i read your comment on the HBA, just thought i would stop over and say hello... we have a great hub of horror on the hba, many sites might have stopped, yet so much great info... they have left behind.
ReplyDeleteSir Jorge, heres another classic example, i watched Graveyard Shift on TV back in the mid-90`s and although i thought it was indeed a "mediocre" movie, i also laughed, because i knew that, try as they might, the British film industry would never EVER produce anything that was even 100th as "MEDIOCRE" ! ! !. Actually, when i think about it, the British film industry has never even produced a film that could at least be politely refered to as "rubbish", ALL British films are even below that lowly and laughable level ! ! !.
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