Shadowzone is a 1990 science fiction/horror film directed by J. S. Cardone.
Plot
NASA Captain Hickock arrives at Jackass Flats Proving Ground, a subterranean research facility. Mostly abandoned in 1962, it now houses “Project Shadowzone”. Hickock has been sent to investigate the death of a Shadowzone test subject and Tommy Shivers, the last of the maintenance staff, escorts him through the facility where they meet Dr. Erhardt, the second in command under Dr. Van Fleet. She introduces Dr. Kidwell, Wiley (the sole computer engineer), and finally Dr. Jonathan Van Fleet. The experiment consists of inducing extended deep sleep (EDS) in the two remaining patients while they’re in sleep chambers. To prove it isn’t life threatening, Hickock insists the test be done again with all the same parameters, only longer this time, and Van Fleet reluctantly complies. The male subject’s veins begin to swell and eventually his head explodes. The computer system malfunctions and blows the site’s main power transformer causing an emergency shut down, sealing off the lab.
Van Fleet, Kidwell, and Hickock enter the test lab and move the female subject’s sleep chamber into the computer lab when Wiley notices a fifth life form present on the heat-signature screen. Erhardt tells them to get out and that “John Doe” has arrived. Van Fleet seals himself in the lab and is attacked and killed. Erhardt explains their sleep experiment uncovered a gateway through the unconscious mind to a parallel dimension where they made contact with a life form (dubbed John Doe). She theorizes that John Doe has entered their dimension through the remaining male test subject. Wiley finds John Doe is no longer on the lab’s heat signature and theorizes the creature can expand and contract its molecular structure at will (making it essentially a shapeshifter) and escaped through a drain pipe. The creature, also mildly radioactive, triggers the site’s emergency airlock, installed as a failsafe for the nuclear research done in the ’60s, sealing them underground. Wiley and Hickock go to fix the transformer and Shivers and Kidwell go to get the site cook, Mrs. Cutter, while Erhardt stays with the female subject (who cannot be woken until the main power is restored) to monitor her.
When Kidwell investigates one of the lab monkeys screeching, she finds the cage mangled and radios to Shivers to help her search. Meanwhile, Cutter hears one of her rat traps go off. When she reaches into the wall, a massive deformed rat bursts through and tears her arm off. Kidwell finds the monkey and radios to the others but Shivers replies that he already has the monkey with him. Kidwell’s screams are heard over the intercom as the monkey she found mutates and attacks her. Shivers finds Mrs. Cutter’s body and panics, shooting his shotgun wildly in all directions. Wiley and Hickock abandon repairing the transformer and try to find Shivers from the noise he’s making but only find chunks of flesh splattered on the walls and ceiling. Wiley manually powers up the elevator but it shorts out and only Hickock is able to get inside. Wiley’s blood splatters the elevator window as he’s pulled off screen. Hickock climbs through the top of the elevator and up to the lab’s level.
In the computer lab, Erhardt is fascinated by the creature and theorizes that John Doe not only shapeshifts but can take the form of human thought; Kidwell was searching for the monkey when encountering it and Dr. Van Fleet, before he ran off, called out a phobia that was recorded in his psych evaluation, indicating it took the form of his worst fear before killing him. The power suddenly returns as does the creature to the test lab. It takes control of the computer system and tells them it’s dying and needs to return to its own dimension, willing to spare them if they help it get home. Hickock hooks up the female subject to the test lab and they induce EDS to the same parametres that killed the first two patients, opening a portal to the other dimension. Erhardt insists on seeing it in person and sticks a metal rod into portal, watching as it’s pulled through. She steps in, briefly disappearing, before stepping back out, saying excitedly, “There’s thousands of them!” The metal rod is shoved out the portal and through her chest. The creature steps out, roars at Hickock, and pulls Erhardt’s body through the portal with it. Hickock sets to destroying all the computers with a fire axe before an electric shock throws him back and he’s knocked unconscious. He wakes up to find the female subject awake and he lets her out of the sleep chamber as the credits roll.