Home News
Reviews The List
NYTS Links
Dictionary Gallery
Wah. The summer movies season is over. Actually, the movie season ended for me when 'Gladiator' came out... and there's more to this comment, but that's another list. Anyway, it's that horrible time of year when we're praying for something MEDIOCRE at the theater. Well, if you aren't lucky enough to find anything, and you're sick of seeing 'Gladiator' or 'X-Men' at the $1.50 theater, here are a few gems I enjoy. Most aren't well known, so hopefully this will be new ground for you. And yes, I'm crossing genres again.
1. 'Manhunter.' Before all the hoopla surrounding 'Silcence of the Lambs' and 'Hannibal,' Thomas Harris wrote 'The Red Dragon.' It was a novel with Will Graham as a profiler forced out of retirement to capture a serial killer with a 'taste' for families. This also introduced Hannibal 'the Cannibal.' In brief comments here and there, we learn Graham captured Lector, and a nervous-breakdown shortly thereafter caused Graham's retirement. The movie was done by Michael Mann and re-titled 'Manhunter.' William Peterson plays Will Graham, the profiler after the new menace, and Peterson plays Graham with incredible intensity... and you also see the price a profiler pays to track the ultimate prey; a serial killer. By the way, Lector has a VERY small part in this movie as Graham's occassional... advisor.
2. 'Infra-Man.' Ah, a charming movie from the Far East! Take Ultraman, mix in one part Godzilla, a shot of Jackie Chan, and stir. Frightening thought, isn't it? 'Infra-Man' is set... oh who are we joking, does it really matter? Some time in the nebulous future, the legendary science police must defeat the evil Queen Dragon Mom (No, I'm not kidding) who has awakened from millions of years of hibernation to take over the world. She has amassed an army of foam-rubber hench-monsters to destroy everything. Of course, the head scientist decides humans must construct OUR OWN vinyl clad being to defeat these evil creatures. Hence, Infra-Man is born!!!!! Yes, it sounds horrible. Nonetheless, the movie is fun, features lots of hysterical dialog, decent fight scenes, and never takes itself too seriously.
3. 'Battle Beyond the Stars.' The umpteenth take on 'The Seven Samurai,' but such a fun take. Richard Thomas (Yep, John boy from 'The Waltons' got a job.) is on a quest to hire mercenaries to assist his poor planet under the assault of a wonderfully evil John Saxon. George peppard,among others, make a motley crew of warriors brought in to fight the good fight. Also, Robert Vaughn returns as a very similar character to the bounty hunter he played in 'The Magnificent Seven.'
4. 'Yojimbo.' I briefly gushed about this movied during my discussion about Usagi Yojimbo. This picture by Akira Kurosawa stars Toshiro Mifune as a masterless samurai (ronin) who happens to wander into a town in the midst of a gang war. He decides to stop them all by playing both sydicates against each other by offering his services as a body-guard (yojimbo) to both sides. Mifune glowers better then Eastwood ever did and Kurosawa creates a warrior who uses his mind AND sword to defeat his enemies. Classis scene used by every western ever done is at the end; villains cowering in terror, a giant wind-storm moving through the street. The only thing you see is the shadow of Mifune, walking down the street, like a force of nature looking for vengence.