One of the great under-appreciated gems of the detective/pulp action hero genre, THE SHADOW makes its debut on high-definition blu-ray this week. Nevermind that Universal couldn't be bothered sharing the extras from the Region 2 disc of a couple years back, the new blu-ray marks the first time North American fans will be able to enjoy the film in all its widescreen splendor since the studio issued the picture on laserdisc in the mid-Nineties. I'm definitely in for this one! :)
The Shadow (1994) US Teaser Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRcZ4Pw2t_8#ws)
Wow, I wish I agreed with you, LP.
Like Pal's DOC SAVAGE, I went in wanting to like this - and again, came out disappointed in a disjointed mess.
I mean, really - Jonathan Winters? A nose that comes and goes?
-Craig
Just got an email saying my copy has shipped! :)
Yeah, I'm with Craig on this one. I've been a Shadow fan since 1970 when a teacher played a READ flexi disc of a Shadow radio show to us. I was *hooked*!! Then DC came out with those great Shadow comics with Mike Kaluta art in 1973, and then those great original Shadow novels with the Steranko artwork on them. This led me to the great George Rozen Shadow pulp covers. I was very excited to get to see the Shadow on the big screen, and took my dad for his birthday. When we left the theater I remember telling him "I think I owe you a better gift." We were both disappointed in how the film turned out.
It was a lot more like the radio show than the stories in the magazines and comics. My exposure to him was limited to the radio show and the comics when the film came out---so I liked it. If it had been more like DC's The Shadow Strikes comics or the comics of the 70's I would've liked it better.
I have to agree with everyone. I was so hyped to see the movie, but it was so disappointing after having waited so long for a Shadow movie. I wanted the pulp Shadow, not a hybrid. The origin story, the lack of a real network of agents, the Cranston identity rather than Kent Allard, a relationship between the Shadow and Margo, the presence of Mongol warriors in 1930's New York and the over the top Shiwan Khan were all disappointments for me. However, the first appearance of the Shadow on the bridge in the movie was really cool!
Maybe with the new Shane Black Doc Savage movie there will be a new and more effective Shadow movie in the near future.
Quote from: Wich2 on June 04, 2013, 10:04:13 AM
Wow, I wish I agreed with you, LP.
-Craig
Well, it's disagreements that keep Life interesting, isn't it... :angel:
Quote from: RICKH on June 04, 2013, 09:53:50 PM
I have to agree with everyone.
I don't think that's possible.
As comedian Mike Birbiglia would say, "What I should have said..." was I agreed with all of those critical of The Shadow movie. :P Yet with all the criticism being noted it much better to have the Baldwin Shadow movie than to have no Shadow movie at all.
While I admit, it's a flawed movie, it's still better than the couple of "Shadow" movies made back in the thirties (?).
and the film does have several striking images of "The Shadow" .
Until some such day that a better film is made, it's all we got for now.
Quote from: LP_Quagmire on June 04, 2013, 08:11:37 AM
One of the great under-appreciated gems of the detective/pulp action hero genre, THE SHADOW makes its debut on high-definition blu-ray this week. Nevermind that Universal couldn't be bothered sharing the extras from the Region 2 disc of a couple years back, the new blu-ray marks the first time North American fans will be able to enjoy the film in all its widescreen splendor since the studio issued the picture on laserdisc in the mid-Nineties. I'm definitely in for this one! :)
The Shadow (1994) US Teaser Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRcZ4Pw2t_8#ws)
I'm with ya Quagmire. This is one of my "comfort" movies. I can pop it on, suspend disbelief, and be transported to a different time.
I saw this in the theatres when it first came out. I thought it was really good! At first I didn't get where they were going with the Mongolian thing and was worried they wouldn't have the Shadow be Lamont Cranston. But as the movie played out it was just like the story I knew of the Shadow. A couple of the shots of the Shadow were awesome especially when he was in that hotel at the top of the stairs with the wind blowing his cape and him just staring. That was cool! I will get this one.
Quote from: Bonomo on June 06, 2013, 11:41:24 AM
I'm with ya Quagmire. This is one of my "comfort" movies. I can pop it on, suspend disbelief, and be transported to a different time.
Well said! :)