Product Details

• Actors: James Spader, Matthew Davis
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Lions Gate
• DVD Release Date: January 11, 2005
• Run Time: 88 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0006FFRR0
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,147 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Bizarre, Intriguing Examination of Desperation, January 15, 2005

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shadow of Fear (DVD)

SHADOW OF FEAR has all the markings of one of those scary French suspense films - evil begets evil in a centrifuge of action and mind manipulation. For first time writers and director this is an interesting concept that unfortunately ends with a too pat resolution.

After opening credits play over moody and very well photographed shoes walking on a rainy pavement bleeding into a hand held glass of liquor, we are plunged into an event of a hit and run by one Harrison French (Matthew Davis) only to discover that this youngest member of a secret society of wealthy men controlled by William Ashbury (James Spader) at first tries to keep his murderous event to himself without involving his wife Wynn (Robin Tunney) or his associates. French deals in real estate and is on the verge of bankruptcy and is dependent on his father-in-law Congressman (Peter Coyote) who strangely warns him to move away from the present environs.

Events develop: French's dope addict brother-in-law is killed after being involved in a bank heist (is this the man French murdered by hit and run?), French is arrested by Detective (Aidan Quinn) who seems to have all of the information about the interweaving scandalous events captured on film but one of French's associates in the society (an associate on the brink of being discovered as womanizer and adulterer), and the very cool and omniscient William Ashbury consistently intervenes to correct each of the evil doings of the secret society - for a price. Money can apparently change all truths and the entire secret society is implicated in some way with odious misdeeds covered up by the evil manipulations of Ashbury.

How all of these interwoven missteps are resolved is left to the very end of the film and therein lies the film's weakness. Too many loose threads are flimsily tied together by a few pertinent deaths and the story simply ends. Up to this point the tension is high and the characters all are well played by a fine cast (especially James Spader), the cinematography is moody and elegant and the musical score heightens the tension and atmosphere. For the first three fourths of this film we are suspended in a bizarre world of shadows and human deceit that could have had much more punch with a better resolved denouement. Still, a good film for a rainy evening suspense addict! Grady Harp, January 2005

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable!, February 14, 2005

By 

Shirley Priscilla Johnson "Author/Reviewer -... (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shadow of Fear (DVD)

At the beginning of this movie we meet Harrison and his wife Wynn. A young couple who seem to be very much in love and are going through the normal growing pains of life. Harrison has been dependent upon his father-in-law to help pay for their home until he becomes stronger in the business. Losing an account one evening he is driving home, quite upset and hits and kills a man. This happening sets into action the entire premise of the movie.
We find out that all the men are involved in a secret organigation, however not by choice. It seems each has done a deed they had to cover up and a very evil man named William found the solutions, however now they would forever be in his debt. Harrison is now in the web, having run from the scene of the accident.However he decides to fight back and get his life and those of the men free from this demonic controlling man.
There are many twists and turns to this movie but I think it really showed that owning up to what we have done is the best route to take. Deception in any form only leads to more heartache and control by forces we do not want to take over. This movie had a good ending, but you wonder how many times in life that people have put themselves in these situations that it did not. I believe you would enjoy viewing this movie, it has some good moments and is quite thought provoking.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Twisted, February 8, 2006

By 

N. Powell "topazzz6" (Albany,NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadow of Fear (DVD)

This is one of those twisted movies that you have to watch more than once to see things you didn't see the first time. I truly liked this movie.