The Shadow

The Shadow! Oh man, I love this movie. 'Who knows what evil lives in the hearts of men? I know.....'

Where else could you have Ian McKellen and Tim Curry in the same movie? And Neelix! (Ethan Phillips in an uncredited cameo). Although I would say Ian McKellen was criminally underused, spending most of the movie in a zombie like state. Sort of like my friends when I'm talking about Star Trek. Tim Curry uses his patented over-actacting ability to act his ass off¹. And it didn't spoil the movie. In fact, it positively helped it! But it's really Alec Baldwin that makes the role of The Shadow his own, it really makes the film for me. I'm not an Alec basher, I think that given the right role, he can be excellent.

For me, this film is far superior to others of its ilk like The Phantom, Dark City and dare I say it: Dick Tracy. Everything seems to work for it. The cast is just spot on. Serious enough that the supernatural elements are taken for granted, yet with enough tongue in cheek for the comic elements to work. The soundtrack is excellent, dark overtones and light ditties.

Special effects, like the Shadow emerging from his own shadow pinned to the wall still look excellent, even today. For a film from 1994, this is quite something.

There's only one question left to ask really. Why the hell isn't this already in my DVD collection?

In a nice and refreshing change, the bad guy isn't dead at the end of the movie. It's been said that the Batman franchise got into trouble (Joel Schumacher kind of trouble) because they kept killing off the bad guys.

Score: B- Would have been a B+, but for ITV4's inept advert breaks that come at the worst possible time during the movie.

OQ: 'Oh, that knife...'

Margo Lane: We need each other.
Lamont Cranston: No we don't.
Margo Lane: We have a connection.
Lamont Cranston: No we don't.
Margo Lane: Then how can you explain that I can read your thoughts?
Lamont Cranston: My thoughts are hard to miss.
Margo Lane: And why is that?
Lamont Cranston: Psychically, I'm very well endowed.
Margo Lane: I'll bet you are.

Lamont Cranston: I'll see you later
Margo Lane: Hey, how'll you know where I am?
Lamont Cranston: I'll know

Margo Lane: Oh, God I dreamed.
Lamont Cranston: So did I. What did you dream?
Margo Lane: I was lying naked on a beach in the South Seas. The tide was coming up to my toes. The sun was beating down. My skin hot and cool at the same time. It was wonderful. What was yours?
Lamont Cranston: I dreamed I tore all the skin off my face and was somebody else underneath.
Margo Lane: You have problems.
Lamont Cranston: I'm aware of that.

¹ Does anyone else wonder just how much they had to rein in Tim when they were shooting The Hunt for Red October? I'm guessing: a lot.