I have always been a fan of all things pulp. Recently, a new publishing company called Nostalgia Ventures has begun to reprint the original pulp novel adventures of The Shadow and Doc Savage. This got me thinking about the Shadow, and I recently caved and ordered the widescreen UK DVD, since the US release is Pan and Scan only. I've had fond memories of this film from my first few viewings years ago and was pleased to find out that those feelings have not changed with the passage of time. This film notoriously bombed upon release, and yet I have no idea why. I realize that the Shadow doesn't have the same name recognition as the previous year's Batman Returns. However, this film is easily a much more satisfying superhero film than either of Tim Burton's massive bat-hits.
Don't get me wrong. High art, this film isn't. But, director Russell Mulcahy lends the kind of unique visual flair to The Shadow, that he did to his earlier Highlander. Everything you could want is here: insane Mongols, tommy guns, secret Shadow agents, gorgeous women, atomic bombs, and a brilliant cast. You'll spend half the film just pointing at bit actors and yelling, "hey! It's that guy!" The other thing that helps this film, is that it's tight. Not a frame is spared for something that doesn't add to the plot, or build on the necessary flavor of the film itself. Honestly, I don't want to get too deep into the film, because this is not a deep film. It's just a shit load of fun. Seek it out!
Trailer
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