Shock to the System (2006)

A gay detective tries to solve the murder of a college student.

Director:

Ron Oliver

Writers:

Richard Stevenson (based on the book by), Ron McGee

Stars:

Chad Allen, Sebastian Spence, Michael Woods

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chad Allen	...	Donald Strachey
Sebastian Spence	...	Timmy Callahan
Michael Woods	...	Dr. Cornell
Daryl Shuttleworth	...	Detective Bailey
Morgan Fairchild	...	Mrs. Hale
Anne Marie DeLuise	...	Lynne Cornell
Rikki Gagne	...	Katey Simmons (as Rikki Gange) (as Rikki Gagné)
Stephen Huszar	...	Grey
Nelson Wong	...	Kenny Kwan
Ryan Kennedy	...	Walter
Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman	...	Levon
Shawn Roberts	...	Larry
Gerry Morton	...	Jefferson
Morgan Brayton	...	Hannah
Leanne Adachi	...	Dr. Sung

Storyline

Because of a feature article on him in the Advocate, Albany based Donald Strachey has gained some notoriety as a gay private detective. His latest client, Paul Hale, a scared young man, provides Donald with a $5,000 retainer to find "someone", that person unspecified before Paul is scared off. Soon thereafter, Paul is found dead. The official cause of death is deemed suicide by the coroner's office, but Donald wants to do right by Paul by finding who killed him as the police unofficially believe he was murdered. Another person who believes Paul was murdered is his mother, Phyllis Hale. Donald learns that homophobic Mrs. Hale sent Paul to the Phoenix Foundation, run by Dr. Trevor Cornell and his wife Lynn Cornell and for which Paul was the poster child. The Foundation's raison d'etre is repairative therapy i.e. to help people turn from gay to straight. Donald believes Paul's death has something to do with the Foundation, whether it be a connection to one of the Cornells or one of the ...

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Plot Keywords:

male full frontal nudity | male frontal nudity | male nudity | gay | death | 

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Taglines:

A Donald Strachey Mystery

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexual content, nudity, language and a violent image

Did You Know?

Trivia

Set in Albany, New York, USA, but filmed primarily in and around Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

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Goofs

In the scene where Strachey thinks Kenny is breaking into his office, Strachey is wearing sunglasses. As soon as he busts through the door after Kenny, his glasses are off, and then reappear on his very next shot.

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Connections

References It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

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Soundtracks

Steam
written by Peter Allen
performed by Peter Allen

User Reviews

Reasonably Good Murder Mystery

A young gay man affiliated with a so-called "gay no more" program seeks help in finding someone, from gay PI Donald Strachey (well played by Chad Allen), in this second in a series of gay detective stories, from Director Ron Oliver. Before Strachey can pursue the investigation, the young man turns up dead.

My impression is that the filmmakers here want the audience to focus on the dubious nature of the "gay therapy" pushed by political conservatives. However, I chose to watch this film as I would any other murder mystery.

The killer was a person who was not high on my suspect list; so I enjoyed the surprise ending. However, Ron Oliver's apparent objective to spotlight the hideous agenda of social conservatives seemed to override the need for intricate plotting, necessary for a truly effective whodunit puzzle. Still, the mystery element was sufficiently credible, and I did spend quite a bit of time with it. The mystery's outcome has some clever irony.

The visuals have a noir, retro look and feel, especially in Strachey's office, with those window blinds, the table fan, and the light and shadows. The opening credits sequence features some great B&W schematics and a terrific jazz score. In the second half, light and shadows, together with eerie music, and the image of a hooded figure running down a dark corridor combine to create some excellent suspense.

Film direction is unobtrusive and simple, probably by design. I could have wished for fewer close-up shots. At times, the pace grinds almost to a halt in scenes with lengthy dialogue; however, this is not a problem if your attention is on the murder mystery.

To watch this film as a social commentary on those dreadful "gay no more" programs can be enlightening and informative. But I enjoyed the murder mystery element. "Shock To The System" wasn't quite as good as "Third Man Out", in my opinion. But it was as good or better than countless other whodunit films I have seen.

Details

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 July 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Donald Strachey: Systemschock

Filming Locations:

Langley Plaza - 20289 56th Ave., Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,750, 6 August 2006

Gross USA:

$3,768

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,768

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shavick Entertainment, Insight Film Studios, here! Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Color:

Black and White (opening sequence) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1