Last Updated on August 5, 2021
“JACK SHOLDER”
Jack Sholder is another name from the A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET series alumni having directed the 2nd film. He went on to direct a number of films, and a pretty solid amount of television as well. While he might not have reached the heights that some of the other directors did, he certainly gave us some memorable films and overall was a really decent director. His career is so widely spread with genres and subject matters; he really stretched himself and always mixed it up. I am a fan of his work, so let’s take a look shall we?
BEST WORK
For me there is only one film that can claim this spot from his filmography, it is a classic sci-fi/horror/action piece from the 80’s, and that is THE HIDDEN. First and foremost this film is a damn good time, it is so much fun and it holds up so well with re-watches. Yes it has dated somewhat considering it is almost as old as I am but that really does not take away from it.
The story here is a basic one, an alien is on the loose and it in habits the body of anyone it chooses (including a gorgeous Claudia Christian) and kills whatever it feels like. Another alien who has in habited the body of an FBI agent (Kyle MacLachlan) is on the pursuit along with Det. Tom Beck (Michael Nouri). Simple yet affective, this story is carefully crafted and developed as well as the characters. As a viewer this sucked me in immediately and I cared what happened right off the bat. The bad alien is kind of awesome and it is so easy to be on its side, but it is with the clever characterisation of the FBI agent that you end up on his side and want that alien destroyed.
The action and adventure here is so much fun, and the horror elements are extremely well handled. You could see that Sholder had taken on a lot of what he learnt with FREDDY’S REVENGE and applied it here. The sci-fi aspect is fantastic and another piece that falls right into place. At the end of the day this is an awesome piece of 80’s cinema. You have top notch performances from the leads Michael Nouri (it was rumoured Sholder found him difficult to work with, you would never have guessed) and Kyle MacLachlan. Both men have always been solid actors, back then and now. It is a great piece to really embrace their earlier works, and the two had the perfect kind of ‘buddy’ chemistry.
Jack Sholder directed this piece to perfection, he has never been better. This is his masterpiece; he got just about everything right. Certain sequences were done so well and handled with such care they actually really stick with you. To say this was a job well done would be an understatement.
WORST WORK
I only recently had the chance to see this film and it immediately went to the bottom of the pile. What happened to such a talented person? Sholder’s clear low point is the disaster that is ARACHNID from 2001 under producer Brian Yuzna. This film feels like a SyFy original before that actually became a thing, but in a way it is almost worse than those. While there is a somewhat apparent feel to SyFy originals that they know they are bad, this film didn’t think it was. It took itself way too seriously for a creature feature and this was a big part of its failure. This was a film I struggled to get through; I had zero interest in the story or the poorly written characters that these 90 minutes started to feel like torture.
The story places a bunch of people (IE not actors) into an island where a huge alien spider thing is. I guess that is all you need to know; it is poorly executed, acted, written, CGI is a mess – you know the works. When you look back at some of Sholder’s earlier works this does not seem like a film that he would have anything to do with. It doesn’t have that same feel; it’s like he just gave up all hope. Maybe he needed a pay cheque, but surely he didn’t need to embarrass himself like this? The film has no real build up or suspense, which is what you need for this sub-genre. I wasn’t left wondering what the creature could be, we see a glimpse of it in the opening scene and there is no real mystery. The attempts at tension were laughable. At the end of the day this is the polar opposite of THE HIDDEN and should be avoided at all costs.
TRADEMARKS
Get A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge on DVD here
When you watch a Jack Sholder film it does feel like you are watching one of his films. I can’t quite put my finger on it but for the most part there is just something distinctive about his films. He is certainly a man who likes build up with a big end pay off. This is really apparent with most of the things he has done and it generally works in his favour. With ALONE IN THE DARK it kind of took a bit too long to get there, but this was fixed with FREDDY’S REVENGE and so forth. He does know how to mount suspense and build tension, and it does make the films that much more affective. Sholder is quite talented at framing shots in such a distinctive way, he does think outside the box and certainly on a visual level his films are quite unique.
I also think that Sholder has a very interesting eye for casting, he has turned down a lot of people in his time but what he does pick seems to be right for the role. There is no question that his films would be very different with other actors in specific roles, he seems to be a man who goes on instincts. He at least with FREDDY’S REVENGE didn’t read too much into subtext and metaphor’s and yet there are many with that end product. But the same could be said of his other films, whether he was aware of what he was doing or not. This is something fascinating within his work and perhaps a favourite of what he does.
HIDDEN GEM
RENEGADES is a strange film, and certainly a product of the late 80’s. It is another ‘buddy’ type of film, this time with Kiefer Sutherland and Lou Diamond Phillips. One is an undercover cop (Sutherland) the other is a Native American (Phillips), the pair get mixed up when the cop goes undercover and an artifact gets stolen. The pair against better judgments go out and seek revenge. This is an odd film no doubt and on paper it really sounds like it shouldn’t work. But some how it does and it is a fun little ride.
Back in the day I was obsessed with Kiefer Sutherland and this is one of those films I’d rent out just to see him in. But watching it now, it is a different experience. Both men are actually quite solid in their roles and Robert Knepper makes for a great villain. The story takes a lot of twists and turns and this is a bit of a problem because not everything is apparent and you need to carefully pay attention or wait for reveals that clear things up. Aside from that the film works really well as it is nicely paced and you begin to care about what is going on. It has its silly moments but there is a sense that it knows and does not take itself 100% seriously. It is a nicely directed piece and it really is a hidden gem, not just for Sholder but for the late 80’s as well.
OVERALL
Get Alone In The Dark on DVD here
Jack Sholder is an interesting director and someone whose work is worth checking out. Some things might be hit and miss like FREDDY’S REVENGE which really divides people (I am in the camp who really like it) but you can’t ignore the fact that man had interesting ideas and execution. He is a worth while name within the genre and in this humble writers opinion a man worth watching. A big thanks to Pat Torfe for the suggestion.
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