Shock to the System: A Donald Strachey Mystery

Description

(Gay Thriller) When private eye Donald Strachey finds his latest client dead, he decides to take matters into his own hands. 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 a doctor to turn homosexuals "straight." Based on the best-selling series of novels by Richard Stevenson

Customer Reviews:

MORE INFORMATION.......2007-08-15

"Shock to the System" is a splendid Mystery/Detective presentation that is splendidly acted and directed. As a follow-up to "Third Man Out" it certainly answers some questions that I had while viewing "Third Man Out" (e.g., what is Starchey's "story" before he became a Detective?--a soldier that fell in love with another soldier and suffered the ramifications thereof)

The casting in this film is superb. Chad Allen is so very great as Detective Donald Starchey and so is Sebastian Spence as his partner. They are very believable as a very contented and happy couple. Morgan Fairchild gives a wonderful performance as a rather unhappy mother of the murdered gay son that is trying to blame "those gays" for her son's murder. I'm so very glad that the casting people brought back the little fired hotel Desk Clerk from the first episode as Starchey's office manager; he brings some "comic relief" to the story--plus he's "easy on the eyes".".(The scene when he first meets Starchey's partner is hysterical.)

The bottom line is that I truly loved "Shock to the System"; god, it is so good.

By the way do look at the cast interviews and the director's comments under Special features" they are very enlightening!

Wonderfully sweet relationship movie........2007-08-15

I adore the connection between Donald and Timmy. The action and mystery are well done, and provide a wonderful accompaniment to them.

Good mystery - well acted........2007-07-08

I watched this movie with no idea what to expect. For those curious, the gay aspect it minimal. It is part of the plot, but there aren't "skin" scenes. The plot is well constructed and Chad Allen is quite convincingly strong as the detective. It's nice to see a detective story where the detective isn't omnipotent. Why 4 stars? Hey, I figured the plot twist out before the final reel. I find this more a murder mystery than a gay murder mystery, but others may thrill at the nudity that's there.

this is the second need to see third man out to get soem of it.......2007-07-08

this is a maivie that fills in some of the things that were left out in the firts movie but helps ou get a better understanign of the characters and see what can be hidden from the inner mind of e veryone

Mystery and love for everybody!.......2007-06-13

I loved "Third Man Out", the first Donald Strachey Mystery movie and this one is even better. The great thing about "Shock To The System" is that the characters are more developed, especially Donald. You get to know him better and in the scene when he tells Timmy about the Army (I can't give details) you feel and cry with him. Chad Allen is a excellent actor but in that particular scene he is simply superb.

I love murder mystery either on film or in books and "Shock To The System" is a great film for those like me who love this genre. But what truly caught my heart is Donald and Timmy's relationship... they are adorable together! This movie is MUST for cute-couple-suckers like me... you can't get wrong with these guys!!!

Average customer rating:

what a shock!
Great Suspense
Punchy stinging black comedy of the workplace
Play Naughty; Win Big
Michael Caine is brilliant in this black comedy.

A Shock to the System
Starring: Michael Caine , Elizabeth McGovern , Peter Riegert , Swoosie Kurtz , and Will Patton
Director: Jan Egleson
Manufacturer: First Look Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001US85S
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Customer Reviews:

what a shock!.......2007-01-12

Michael Caine gives a great performance in this movie as he was passed over for a promotion. He plays by the rules only to get trampled by those less deserving of said promotion. Then he takes matters into his own hands and makes power moves that gets him his much deserved promotion by any means necessary .

Great Suspense.......2006-03-25

Great suspense. Michael Caine is excellent. The bad guys are very convincing in this picture.

Punchy stinging black comedy of the workplace.......2004-05-23

Here's where Michael Caine shines, as a corporate exec who gets passed over for the promotion he's so feverishly expecting he'll get in favor of a young Turk--well played by Peter Reigert--who lords it over Caine's character in subtle (and not so subtle) ways. Caine's wife, also well played by Swoosie Kurtz, one of the great unknown American stage and film actresses, is a serious [problem] to him. So he has two people in his life who are supremely annoying.

What does he do? Well, let's just say that his solution to these two problems ends in the population of the world changing, shall we?

The dialogue in this very smart blackly comic thriller is sharp as a razor; it's a lot of fun to watch Mr. Caine give us his best as a put upon exec who's more than capable of flying into a rage at the drop of a hat and of executing his very sneaky and well thought out plans for revenge. Also on hand is Elizabeth Perkins, an equally intelligent office colleague who attracts Caine in more ways than one, but does not suspect him of any wrongdoing at all. That is, until...

One of the best office comedies around, A Shock to the System is a stinging portrait of greed and selfishness in America--for my money, far better than the somewhat overblown Wall Street. This is a movie that gives you a great evening's entertainment and part of the reason for that may be to secretly exact vengeance upon those corporate bigwigs who've prevented you from getting a job for so long, given this miserable economy.

Great job. Highly recommended.

Play Naughty; Win Big.......2003-06-16

Michael Caine is marvelous when playing a happy villain. He was impossibly beautiful as a young man, but middle aged Michael with serious bags under his eyes and a slight weight problem has an air of wounded vanity, as if he can't quite understand how things went wrong.

Caine, as Graham Marshall, is a fairly successful marketing director with an expensive home, an expensive and slightly boring wife, and is desperately anticipating a promotion for his many years of diligence. He is stunned when he is passed over for a young, brash associate. Graham has an epiphany when a particularly smarmy panhandler enrages him, and Graham impulsively shoves him off the subway platform in the path of an oncoming train. No one has seen him and Graham muses on his "magical" powers. He quickly and cleverly dispatches the wife and the business rival, gets rid of his white elephant of a house in the suburbs, boards the pets and gets a tasteful apartment in Manhattan. Though homicide Lt. Laker (Will Patton with a splendid Long Island accent) is suspicious, nothing can be proved. Graham not only gets the promotion, he has his eye on taking over the company, dispatching his rivals on his upward climb.

What keeps the tension intact is the victims are not cartoon-like villains. The wife is irritating, but not evil. The youngster who beat him out for the promotion is vulgar, but it is clear he is clever and competent. We just cannot help but cheer Graham on his nefarious way. Michael Caine's glee and satisfaction are catching.

There is more than a whiff of Alec Guinness's "Kind Hearts and Coronets" in Caine's performance, but Michael Caine has a knack for villainy all his own. "Shock to the System" may be a trifle of a movie, but it is a highly enjoyable trifle. ....

Michael Caine is brilliant in this black comedy........2002-06-12

You're here so you're probably a Michael Caine fan. So, the crux of the issue is; Is this a performance you need to see? The answer is yes. If you're a fan of Michael Caine's you HAVE to buy this film. He is absolutely brilliant in it. No other actor could have pulled this off. The wicked, sly, dark humor, the subtlety, killing people and making you believe it, laugh
about it, and actually root for him. Caine nails it. If you're a Caine fan, you're not looking for some big obvious slap-stick comedy, you're looking for something a little more off-beat and
original. You found it. Enjoy.

Average customer rating:

what a shock!
Great Suspense
Punchy stinging black comedy of the workplace
Play Naughty; Win Big
Michael Caine is brilliant in this black comedy.

A Shock to the System
Starring: Michael Caine , Elizabeth McGovern , Peter Riegert , Swoosie Kurtz , and Will Patton
Director: Jan Egleson
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00008AWRB

Customer Reviews:

what a shock!.......2007-01-12

Great Suspense.......2006-03-25

Great suspense. Michael Caine is excellent. The bad guys are very convincing in this picture.

Punchy stinging black comedy of the workplace.......2004-05-23

What does he do? Well, let's just say that his solution to these two problems ends in the population of the world changing, shall we?

Great job. Highly recommended.

Play Naughty; Win Big.......2003-06-16

Michael Caine is brilliant in this black comedy........2002-06-12

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