[img]7|left|||no_popup[/img] Amidst news of pirates and bankers, fiscal apocalypse and shooting rampages, there’s nothing quite like a good B-movie to lighten the mood. But if you’re like me, your Netflix queue stretches to the moon and back, and choosing a film can be — shall we say? —a bit daunting.
To help whittle down the choices, here’s a rundown of fun little movies that, however flawed, have an irresistible playfulness and light-heartedness that, more than all those heavyweights, leave me with a goofy grin at the end. Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list; just a sample of the low-calorie pleasures I like to indulge when I need a break from the doom and gloom. If you have favourite B-movies that tickle you in times of trouble – or any time, really – let me know and I’ll post them in a future piece. Drop me a line at fsisa@thefrontpageonline.com.
The Shadow
Although not an expert on the subject of the classic hero of radio and pulp fiction fame, The Shadow’s always been a fun old school kind of character. Discovering his adventures, decades after his golden age, always has been a not-at-all guilty pleasure. Disappointing, then, that the 1992 film adventure veered away from the Shadow fighting thieves and murderers to a fantasy-laden duel with, of all people, Genghis Khan. Nonetheless, there’s a lot of B-movie fun to be had, beginning with Alec Baldwin’s charm in the role of the Shadow/Lamont Cranston. The opening, fog-shrouded scene that introduces the Shadow is deliciously theatrical, the film’s set and costume design have all the lush retro trappings one can have, and Tim Curry adds a spicy ingredient of fun as a corrupt nuclear scientist. It’s all a bit on the silly side, and word of a new, unrelated Shadow film promises to do justice to the character. Until then, this flawed but cheeky adventure has an infectious popcorn vibe.
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
The premise behind Alan Moore’s airy comic – a schlocky, lurid, and not especially compelling thing despite its literary pedigree – was actually improved by its conversion to a movie. Heresy, I know. A band of misfit characters, including Alain Quatermain, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Invisible Man, Captain Nemo, Mina Harker and others, facing off against a plot to conquer the world? Inspired. But the film was plagued by the on-set tensions of colliding egos. And the plot has all the impact of the attempt to resurrect “Wild, Wild West” with Will Smith. Still, “LXG” works splendidly as a B-movie, with detailed and amazingly artistic production design (the Nautilus is drop-dead gorgeous), character moments that sizzle with coolness (e.g. Mina Harker’s vampire attack), and a curious ending that applies to a good guy what is normally reserved for villains. LXG does go for snazzy details at the expense of the big picture, but even if, like the comic, the premise is superior to the delivery, at least it has unrepentant gusto, a measure of ambition, and a cheery demeanour about it all. It doesn’t hurt that the movie does away with the satirical, yet ultimately pointless and repellant, violence and sex of the book.
The Rocketeer
The biggest disappointment is that this Disney film, essentially an original story, didn’t spawn a franchise. It had, indeed, all the right ingredients for a light-hearted period adventure series; bold villains, a plucky heroine, and a charming everyman-turned-hero. Why the film bombed with audiences is a bit of a mystery; a hero who literally lives the romance of flying by strapping on a rocket pack is the stuff premium grade pulp fiction is made of. Maybe it’s just that the plot, involving a Nazi attempt to steal the plans for the rocket pack and equip an army of flying shock troops, was a little unfocused and familiar. Still, for all that the film isn’t the greatest story ever told, it’s a fun, overlooked gem that makes me wish I had a rocket pack to fly around in. And that, my friends, is the essence of escapist entertainment.
Escape from LA
Undercooked special effects – some, like the infamous wave surfing scene, served with a dollop of processed cheese – and a plot cloned from the film’s cult predecessor Escape from New York — take Escape from LA out of the A-leagues and set it firmly in B territory. But Snake Plissken, played with grit and panache by Kurt Russell, is one of the best of the lesser-known action anti-hero icons. Once again, he has to infiltrate a prison island – this time it’s L.A., which has been severed from the mainland thanks to an earthquake – and rescue the President’s daughter from the clutches of a terrorist. It’s all here, the dystopian future, the social decay, the satire, the action, wrapped up in rib-tickling cynicism. Even better, Escape from LA presages the rise of the Religious Right and the trappings of a police state in America. A few tongue-in-cheek moments without quite falling into camp, and here’s a B-movie to kick posterior with the best of ‘em.
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
It’s heartbreaking to think that Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow didn’t recoup its budget. Still, vagaries of audience tastes aside, Kerry Conran’s directorial debut is a fine cinematic achievement, an A-list movie that parades as a B-lister. Crafted with an understanding of storytelling and an innovative, technology-driven artistry, Sky Captain is a love letter to the escapist entertainment of pulp fiction. Giant robots, flying aircraft carriers, huge spaceships, a world-threatening villain with disturbingly understandable motivations and a dashing hero with spunk, are all part of a film chock-full of sci-fi goodness with all the quirky cool of old serials and comic books. It’s also one of those relatively rare films to achieve a singular visual style, due, in no part, to the film’s status as an innovator in placing live actors in digital backgrounds. But most of all, it just goes to show how much of a marvel a movie can be, a wonder of art and entertainment that takes us away, however briefly, to places we haven’t been before.
Frédérik invites you to share your favourite B-movies with him at his blog.
