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Movies / On DVD / Shock to the System
Shock to the System

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Shock to the System (2006)

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Reviews Counted:8

Fresh:4

Rotten:4

Average Rating:5/10

Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: When hard boiled private eye Donald Strachey (Chad Allen) finds his latest client dead, an apparent suicide, Albany's favorite gay detective smells a rat and decides to take matters into his own... When hard boiled private eye Donald Strachey (Chad Allen) finds his latest client dead, an apparent suicide, Albany's favorite gay detective smells a rat and decides to take matters into his own hands. With the help of his straight-laced but adoring husband Tim and his occasionally too-eager assistant Kenny, Strachey's investigation leads him on a dark and dangerous trail into the world of "gay conversion therapy" - a twisted mix of psychology and religion designed by Dr. Trevor Cornell to turn homosexuals "straight". With a cast of sexy young suspects at the heart of the mystery, and a standout performance from pop culture icon Morgan Fairchild as a wealthy socialite with a few secrets of her own, this second installment of the successful "Donald Strachey Mysteries", based on author Richard Stevenson's much-loved book series, is sure to leave even the most jaded audiences in "shock"... --© Regent Releasing [More]

Starring: Chad Allen, Sebastian Spence, Michael Woods, Morgan Fairchild

Starring: Chad Allen, Sebastian Spence, Michael Woods, Morgan Fairchild, Daryl Shuttleworth, Anne Marie DeLuise

Director: Ron Oliver

Director: Ron Oliver
Studio: Regent Releasing

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Reviews for Shock to the System

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1 - 8 (sorted by rotten rating; UK critics are listed first)
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Pity there was no room for Phyllis Diller or Carol Channing here, because then the film might have had a leg up on Scooby-Doo and the Creepy Castle.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
07/16/06
Ed Gonzalez
Ed Gonzalez
Slant Magazine

While the idea would certainly seem to hold promise for interesting social commentary, the script by Ron McGee lacks the necessary bite, as does the rote direction of Ron Oliver.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
08/14/06
Frank Scheck
Frank Scheck
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

... director Ron Oliver applies a thin veneer of straight-to-cable pseudo-gloss without finding a workable tone, and the cast lacks the charisma and chemistry to make the genre and gender-bending register as more than novelty.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
08/02/06
Jim Ridley
Jim Ridley
Village Voice

Where film noir is often punch-drunk with a jab of snappy patter and a left hook of world-weary cynicism, Shock tries to clinch with understanding.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
08/03/06
Michael Ordoņa
Michael Ordoņa
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Were it not for the fact that the hero and many of the major supporting characters are gay… this breezy, disposable film could as easily have been a mainstream network pilot for a McMillan and Wife-style series.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
08/04/06
Maitland McDonagh
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide's Movie Guide

This is a sly, refreshingly grown-up gay entertainment, though rather less satisfying as a thriller.

comment Comment
08/04/06
Nathan Lee
Nathan Lee
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's certainly a pleasant enough way to kill 90 minutes.

Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
08/05/06
Pam Grady
Pam Grady
Reel.com

A perfectly respectable second entry in the saga of gay private eye Donald Strachey.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
07/27/06
Robert Koehler
Robert Koehler
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
1 - 8 (sorted by rotten rating; UK critics are listed first)
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