Larry Cohen often talks about his love for
old movies of classic Hollywood and their influence on his work is frequently
apparent. This one is heavily inspired by Hitchcock, in particular The Lady
Vanishes. Eric Roberts is a comic book artist who is hot for a young Janine
Turner. She collapses and is spirited off in an ambulance but when he tries
tracking her down no one has any record of her admission. Then when they do
start believing about her existence, they start to think he’s responsible –
also Hitchcockian.
It’s all quite cleverly worked out and it
very watchable – I intended only to see ten minutes or so of this before going
to bed but ended up seeing the whole thing in one hit. A strong cast helps –
James Earl Jones is the detective on the case (his death provides a strong
second act twist), Janine Turner is very pretty, Megan Gallagher extremely
likeable as a cop who also gets involved. Cohen could write some very good
support parts and Gallagher’s has all these extra dimensions – she should’ve
been a bigger film name. Stan Lee plays himself and Eric Bauer from The Young
and the Restless pops up as a baddy.
Eric Roberts is okay in the lead, with his
late 80s mullet. At least he’s a star – I just wish his character wasn’t such a
sexual harasser of Turner in the early part of the film. I also felt the film
would’ve worked better if the character had been more anti social and shyer –
that asking Turner out was a bigger deal. That would’ve suited someone who was
a comic book artist and is someone that the cops would’ve found even more
likely to be a killer. But maybe Cohen felt that wouldn’t work for a good
looker like Roberts. Still there is always something a bit off putting about
Roberts that makes him seem better suited to villainy. Cohen wanted to cast
John Travolta but wasn’t allowed to – he would’ve been better.
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