Change Your Image
danger-mouse
Reviews
Night Stalker (2005)
Not worthy of the name...
This show isn't "The Night Stalker". This show is just X-Files, badly redone with lifeless characters. It totally missed the spirit of the old Night Stalker series. The most obvious difference is the lead, McGavin's character was colorful, funny and endearing. Townsend's is an incredibly bland version of Fox Mulder. Where's the Tony Vincenzo / Karl Kolchak interplay?!?
The plot of the pilot had so many holes it was hard to make out what was going on (that and the fact that apparently they couldn't afford lighting for their shooting).
*SPOILER ALERT*
What were those creatures after? Why were they ripping newborns out of wombs? Why'd they kidnap that little girl? Why did they target the same family? Why'd they leave the mom alive? How did the mom and girl know about them enough to fear them, but not enough to get away from the area?.
It all seemed dark and daffy to me.
Love the car though.
Logan's Run (1976)
Somehow, I'm not sure how, but this is a great flick!
Okay, it's got a hoaky plot with lots of holes in it, special effects made from matchbox sets, some mediocre acting (Farrah Fawcett?!?) and dialogue, a big ole "this was made in the 70's" stamp all over it, and I think the editing, direction and sound track are lousy too. And yet somehow it all works. I love this movie! Maybe it's the campy cornball that gets me every time. I dunno. Yet by the end I feel uplifted and even touched. What a great scene with the timid girl touching Ustinov's beard at the end with Logan and Jessica in each other's arms looking on.
While the acting is average (or perhaps its the lousy script) there are exceptions, thankfully mostly among the main cast. Richard Jordan is just great as the relentless and unremorseful sandman. And Ustinov is a lot of fun as the kooky old man. Michael York, who've I've always liked, is servicable as our hero (thankfully they don't ask him to stretch his acting skills too much here). But without a doubt the real jewel is Jenny Agutter as Jessica-6. I can't recall a part more perfectly cast. Ms. Agutter is the epitome of beauty, youth and doe-eyed innocence. And her underlying sensuality is impossible to miss in every scene she is in. And as if that weren't enough she can act to boot!
Of course there's a lot that I don't like about the movie, it's quite easy to pick apart. But again, I don't know how, "Logan's Run" is much better than the sum of its parts.
I hope they get the rumored remake off the ground, there's some good underlying sci-fi to be explored here and with a tightened up script, upgraded effects, better direction and editing you could have *real* winner. I just don't think they'll ever match the original casting job for Jessica-6.