One of the issues I have with Stephen King film adaptations is they are obviously not filmed anywhere that even resembles Maine, and when some second or third unit drives all the way up I-95 to take a few establishing shots, they’re usually either quick or nowhere near where they say they are. It’s not anything a usual viewer might notice, but when a car heads towards Brewer Maine in Creepshow it’s highly unlikely that they’ll end up near Dexter taking that particular road. So when a film not only films in Maine, in numerous locations, but makes the effort to make it look like small town Maine, then it’s already on it’s way to being good.
And when that film is Graveyard Shift, it’s actually pretty damn great.
First and foremost, this film will not be for everyone. It is absolutely a B level movie, filled with D level stars (except for the always wonderful Brad Dourif), and it’s script is nothing special. Per usual, the Maine “accents” are atrocious, with the winner of the worst Maine accent going to the film’s mustache twirling villain, Stephen Macht.
But now that I’ve got the negatives out of the way, let me tell you this film is highly underrated. It’s a creature feature, and that creature happens to be a giant rat with bat wings. It’s slimy, disgusting, vicious, and rarely overstays its welcome on the screen. Much like Bruce in Jaws, it works best in tiny, frightening doses.
And like the rat-beast-monster, the rest of this film is dirty, grimy, sweaty, damp and mean. Maine might have the nickname of “Vacationland,” with its friendly locals smiling for your tourist money and temperate weather for approximately two weeks, but those of us who live here know there are bursts during the summer where the humidity feels like it rivals New Orleans. For those of us accustomed to subzero winters that last for approximately seven months, temperatures that reach triple digits melt us into disgusting puddles. Each frame of Graveyard Shift feels like it’s been soaked in sweat, unable to leave the house during the long weekend, even after the air conditioner broke.
Make no mistake, while the people of my state can come across as the salt of the earth, there are pockets where they’re absolutely awful to outsiders. They are angry, mean, and set in their ways. If you weren’t buying a commemorative lobster plate or a painted boat buoy they’d be more likely to tell you to mind your fucking business than to give you correct directions. “You can’t get there from here” is no joke. Every one of those locals work at Bachman Mills (see what they did there).
For those working the titular graveyard shift at the local mill, the fourth of July weekend means emptying out the basement level of a century of crap before the whole place burns to the ground. However, as they clean they discover that the building has even deeper, unexplored levels that house something hideous. The actual basement set is an old waterworks building in Bangor where I once happened to work…after a decade of refurbishing. And the outside of that mill is actually a yarn producing factory in Harmony, Maine. Other parts of the town were filmed in Corinna. Now these towns aren’t actually near each other, which I already complained about, but director Ralph S. Singleton, working from a screenplay by John Esposito, makes it work. Whoever did his location shooting deserved a raise.
As I mentioned earlier, Brad Dourif has a small role as an exterminator who meets a grisly fate, as honestly most of the characters get offed in rather gruesome fashion. The rest of the cast is rounded out by capable actors and actresses who happen to closely resemble more famous counterparts (Mark Harmon, Clancy Brown, Marisa Tomei), and while they won’t be bringing home any Oscars, they get the job done.
As the saying goes, Graveyard Shift isn’t a good movie, but it is great. B movie perfection.
Rated 3 out of 5 Stars
