Kevin Costner’s Forgotten Horror Flop: ‘Shadows Run Black’

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The horror genre has faced criticism since its beginning, being viewed as excessive and problematic, which led to disapproval from religious and political circles. Over time, the attitude towards this genre has become more tolerant, but many well-known Hollywood stars have steered clear of it during their careers. Notably, Brad Pitt and Tom Hanks started in the genre but soon distanced themselves from it. Their initial performances in the horror genre offer an intriguing look at them in a field they are not typically associated with, and some of these early attempts are quite impressive. However, unlike others, Kevin Costner starred in a dreadful horror film that he’d probably prefer to forget.

In an attempt to emulate the suspenseful atmosphere of erotic thrillers and the masked killers popular in Italian Giallo films, such as those from 1984’s “Shadows Run Black,” Kevin Costner starred in his sixth movie before gaining fame with his role in “The Untouchables” (1987). Despite its poor ratings on IMDb (3.1) and Letterboxd (2.7/5), one may wonder about the true quality of “Shadows Run Black.” Is it as bad as it’s made out to be?

‘Shadows Run Black’ Is a Failed Attempt at Horror and Suspense

In the 80s, when many films were cashing in on the slasher genre’s success, Shadows Run Black stood out as one that depicted a murderer stalking students and faculty on a college campus. This elusive killer, known as “The Black Angel,” constantly evaded Detective King, who was determined to bring the masked menace to justice after feeling guilty for not being able to find his own daughter’s killers. Jimmy Scott, portrayed by Kevin Costner and often associated with campus parties, was falsely accused as the main suspect in the film, a clear attempt to mislead. Although Costner didn’t have a significant role in the movie, he was prominently featured on the poster once he gained fame in Hollywood.

Howard Hern directed just one film titled “Shadows Run Black,” but went on to have success as an editor in later projects. Despite its slasher-themed promotional materials, the movie is more of an erotic thriller, which may confuse some viewers. The kill scenes are underwhelming and infrequent, the suspense is lacking, and it fails to capture the style of Italian Giallo films, leaving viewers yearning for a Dario Argento or Umberto Lenzi production instead. On screen, it’s a bore, offering little appeal to fans of horror, thrillers, or Costner movies.

Costner’s Reaction to ‘Shadows Run Black’

Kevin Costner hasn’t explicitly discussed “Shadows Run Black,” but there’s a intriguing piece of information circulating about this movie. The sole source for this detail is on IMDb trivia, so it should be approached with caution. It’s said that Costner attempted to acquire the rights not only for “Shadows Run Black” but also for another film, “Malibu Hot Summer,” from producer Eric Louzil. Interestingly, “Malibu Hot Summer” was Costner’s first film and included numerous scenes of him stripping with little explanation, a fact he has been open about disliking. This rumor of his intention to buy the rights for both films suggests that he might have been trying to control their distribution (and perhaps, given his past feelings towards “Malibu Hot Summer,” wanting to make them less accessible).

Despite being already sold to notorious Troma Productions, they effectively exploited Kevin Costner’s fame in promoting their release of the film, with the rather awkward tagline for Malibu Hot Summer: “Hot sand! Hot bodies! Hot Costner!” On the other hand, Shadows Run Black, though a bit tedious to watch, can be found on YouTube or streamed on Troma Now for those who are interested.

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2025-02-10 06:31