Shock to the System

This is a well-plotted, superbly cast follow up to the first Donald Strachey film, "Third Man Out." I personally found the subject matter—-sexual "healing" for gays—-more engrossing than the "outing" theme of the first film. Once again, Chad Allen is fascinating as the macho gay detective. And his back story—-he's an ex-soldier who was drummed out of the service for being gay—-more ably serves the screenplay this time around. The regulars all seem more comfortable in their roles, and it's nice to see Nelson Wong returning as Donald's secretary. Morgan Fairchild appears in a rather thankless cameo, and, although Sebastian Spence is a little less ditsy as Donald's lawyer boyfriend (Nora to Allen's Nick), Timmy, Allen's banter with Daryl Shuttleworth, as Detective Bub Bailey, and the other guys at the precinct is more fun. It's a first-class production, with director Ron Oliver making all the right moves, and Allen's acting is nothing short of brilliant: he does Emmy-caliber work in a surprisingly literate script.

This film is about a private investigator who investigates the death of a young man who hired him to find someone shortly before the death.

I just watched "Third Man Out", so there is an inevitable comparison between the two. The mystery part is toned down compared to "Third Man Out", replaced with emotional elements about gay conversion. This makes the film melancholic and even saddening. To balance it off, there are more steamy scenes than "Third Man Out" to make "Shock to the System" more commercially appealing.

The mystery part of the plot is hurt by the fact that all the leads point to a single suspect. If there were more suspects, then the mystery would have been more thrilling and engaging. Nevertheless, "Shock to the System" is an interesting mystery film with a emotional commentary on societal attitudes towards homosexuality. I find "Shock to the System" entertaining to watch.

Good script. Good acting. Good production. Good editing. Everything about it: good. Okay, maybe one or two weaker performances in minor roles, but nothing actually bad.

I have to say, this strikes me as really a gay film. That might sound obvious, but hear me out. Brokeback Mountain is about same-sex attraction, unrequited love, etc., but in no way shape or form would I call it a gay movie. Shock to the System has a gay sensibility. We feel we're really in the gay community, observing the rest of the world from OUR point of view. Usually films with this perspective are sub par, if not very sub par.

What a pleasant surprise to find a good genre picture made from our point of view. I really enjoyed this movie, and I was completely thrown by the various red herring strewn along the way. I'm no big fan of mysteries (a reason I wasn't particularly eager to see this movie), but this one kept me engrossed. The plot handily incorporates the subtext of what it is to be gay in a way that reinforces the story line. Kudos.

The more I think about it, the more I have to say, much to my surprise, I really liked this movie.

Richard Stevenson's gay mystery novels based on his creation of Donald Strachey, Private Investigator have found the perfect crew to transform these very interesting and entertaining stories to film. SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM is the second in the series and as adapted for the screen by Ron McGee, directed with panache by Ron Oliver, and starring the very fine actor Chad Allen as the sleuth with couth and style and charisma the results are a polished little gem of a film. But aside from the fact that the film is so well put together, it presents gay people in roles that are so far away from the usual stereotypical types that their sexual proclivity is in many ways simply incidental: you have to look long and hard to find a solid healthy gay relationship as well portrayed as that between Strachey and his life partner Tim (the very fine Sebastian Spence).

The story this time around involves Strachey's being asked to help one Paul Hale (Jared Keeso), the supposed poster boy for the Phoenix Foundation, a 'turn gay people straight' institute run by Dr. Trevor Cornell (Michael Woods) and his wife Lynn (Anne Marie Loder). Paul is soon found dead and the implications are suicide. But Strachey suspects foul play (we later discover Hale was his first love in the Army!) and aided by Hale's mother Phyllis (Morgan Fairchild looking terrific and acting well) who encouraged her son's joining the Phoenix Foundation, he begins his own style of investigation.

Strachey wisely 'becomes a patient' with Dr. Cornell and in group therapy makes discoveries and friends with those who eventually help to solve the case: a strong group of actors including Rikki Gagne, Stephen Huszar, Ryan Kennedy, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, Shawn Roberts, Dany Papineau, and Gerry Morton. The clues are laid out, the deaths follow and the truths finally surface. And all the while Strachey is supported by Tim, by a very fine comic actor Nelson Wong as his 'office manager', and by his 'boss' Detective Bailey (Daryl Shuttleworth).

The dialogue is crisp, relevant, intense when it needs to be and funny when it relaxes, the cinematography takes a beautiful bow to the old Hollywood film noir techniques, and the cast is excellent, filled with not only a lot of eye candy but also with some very well realized characterizations. In the end the film belongs to the very hunky and versatile Chad Allen, only making wait for the next installment in this very successful series! Highly recommended for all audiences. Grady Harp

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.