Dreams and Shadows
Encyclopedia
Dreams and Shadows is a 2009 American
drama film
written and directed by Tamarat Makonnen as his feature film
debut, and stars James Russo
and Shawn-Caulin Young. The film had its Los Angeles
premiere at the American Film Institute
in October 2009.
) is a paraplegic whose own dreams of happiness have faded away in an alcoholic haze. In a twisted attempt to find his purpose in life, the teen hatches a plot to seek vengeance on the man who allegedly crippled his father many years ago. However, he soon finds that things aren't always what they seem, as his mission for revenge may ultimately become one for his very own survival.
to MacBeth
".
featurette The Making of Dreams and Shadows.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
written and directed by Tamarat Makonnen as his feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
debut, and stars James Russo
James Russo
James Vincent Russo is an American film and television actor. He has starred in over 90 films in three decades.-Early life:...
and Shawn-Caulin Young. The film had its Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
premiere at the American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
in October 2009.
Synopsis
Billy (Shawn-Caulin Young), a teenage outcast drifts into his own vivid imagination to escape his bleak surroundings. His father (James RussoJames Russo
James Vincent Russo is an American film and television actor. He has starred in over 90 films in three decades.-Early life:...
) is a paraplegic whose own dreams of happiness have faded away in an alcoholic haze. In a twisted attempt to find his purpose in life, the teen hatches a plot to seek vengeance on the man who allegedly crippled his father many years ago. However, he soon finds that things aren't always what they seem, as his mission for revenge may ultimately become one for his very own survival.
Partial cast
- James RussoJames RussoJames Vincent Russo is an American film and television actor. He has starred in over 90 films in three decades.-Early life:...
as John Brunette - Shawn-Caulin Young as Billy Brunette
- Yoshi Ando as Samurai
- Kathy Christopherson as Krissy
- Julie Clark as Lorrie Brunette
- Joseph Darden as Tommy
- Robert Dolan as Lester
- Natalie Garcia Fryman as Sarah
- James Gibler as Twiggy
- Sean Ridgway as Spike
- Londale Theus as Eddie Vincent
- Cody Hamilton as Young Billy
- Mary Mackey as Prostitute
Critical reception
The film was given a rating of 3 out of 5 stars by We are Movie Geeks, who noted that the essence of Dreams and Shadows is "strong" with the film appearing to be something between a "dramatic soap opera and a pulp film noir". They also mentioned that "There are elements of classic storytelling that linger just beneath the surface of Dreams and Shadows, from Oedipus the KingOedipus the King
Oedipus the King , also known by the Latin title Oedipus Rex, is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed c. 429 BCE. It was the second of Sophocles's three Theban plays to be produced, but it comes first in the internal chronology, followed by Oedipus at Colonus and then Antigone...
to MacBeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
".
Home media
Dreams and Shadows was released on DVD October 12, 2010. It is distributed in the USA and Canada by E1 Entertainment/Synkronized, and includes the behind the scenesMaking-of
In cinema, a making-of, also known as behind-the-scenes, is a documentary film that features the production of a film or television program...
featurette The Making of Dreams and Shadows.
External links
- Dreams and Shadows at Allmovie