Attack of the Morningside Monster takes place in a fictional New Jersey town, and that fact alone, as a New Jersey resident myself, made me excited to see this movie. Add in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star Nicholas Brendon and I was practically throwing my wallet at Amazon today.
Attack of the Morningside Monster written by Jayson Palmer and directed by Chris Ethridge. Cast members within include Robert Pralgo (“The Vampire Diaries,” “The Haves and the Have Nots”), Nicholas Brendon (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” Coherence), Tiffany Shepis (Scarecrow, Sharknado 2), Catherine Taber (“Robot Chicken,” “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”), Amber Chaney (“The Walking Dead”), Matt Kabus (“The Originals”), Mike Stanley, April Bogenschutz, Antonio Madison, and Aja Morgan.
“When a body is found in the woods outside the quiet town of Morningside, NJ, Sheriff Tom Haulk and Deputy Klara Austin embark on a desperate race against time to catch the killer, pitting them against friends, enemies and even each other.”
When I first started my viewing, honestly, my thought was, “Oh, this is an independent movie.” That’s not a bad thing by any means, especially because I work in grade B horror flicks myself, but I was just expecting something bigger budgeted. Especially as far as talent is concerned. The lead, Robert Praglo, is immensely talented and seasoned. Nicholas Brendon has a film in theaters that has won over 20 awards and he’s a cult star due to his time on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Tiffany Shepis is a top 10 contender in Playboy’s Hottest Scream Queens of All Time and just had a supporting role in Sharknado 2. Catherine Taber is one of the best voice actors on the planet and Amber Chaney was on the #1 show on cable. When put together, they created very real chemistry that roped me in. Specifically, the characters Abby played by Amber Chaney and her husband, Mark, played by Nicholas Brendon. I hurt for them, I really did. I believed everything that every character was saying. What an amazing accomplishment from the cast.
As far as this title is concerned in terms of production quality, the same comments of perfection cannot be made. Sure, Attack of the Morningside Monster had impeccable, top notch audio. It had great backing scores and interesting angles. The special effects were top notch, too, and brought in the much needed horrific elements. The camera work, especially at night, was just… horrible. During the day, the camera work and cinematography are great, but all of the night shots (except the finale) were unfocused, not color corrected, and just… horrible. I don’t know if it was a lighting issue or if the hazy, off-set looking moments were meant to convey disorientation and anxiety? I have no idea… They were just… horrible. In a world where critics are quick to bash anything in sight, this could be a deal breaker for people.
Luckily for me, and besides the fantastic acting performances, the script is what makes Attack of the Morningside Monster a step above the rest in its category. Through the writing, all of the elements – mystery, thrills, gore, romance, drama, dirty humor – all jell together perfectly. More importantly, the identity of the killer is kept 100% secret until the last ten minutes of the movie. This means that this title doesn’t contain all of the necessary horror clichés and stereotypes, and that needs a round of applause! From start to finish, this was a very well thought out, cohesive product that translated well from a word .doc to the movie screen. Of course, this wouldn’t have been possible without Chris Ethridge leading the ship and making all the hard decisions. The working relationship between writer Jayson Palmer and director Ethridge made Attack of the Morningside Monster succeed where most independent mystery-thrillers would have failed. It kept me interested!
I’m going to give this one an 8 out of 10. Loved it, loved it, loved it. Well worth the wait. Also, major props for having a late 90s/early 2000s movie poster. I know that’s random…
