The Shadow (1994)

[CountOrlok]

I rewatched this the other night and I think this is a badass, underrated movie imo.

The Shadow actually predates both Superman and Batman, and started out in radio dramas (Orson Welles actually narrated some of those). Since then there have been comic books and all other kinds of media.

I think this may be the first 'dark superhero' but I'm not sure.

The 1994 film is pretty cool, especially the opening few scenes. Reminds me of Batman Begins how it was set up.

Anyone else a fan of The Shadow?

 

[Micromind]

Batman was based on Shadow and Zorro.

The movie is fairly entertaining, more then other movies based on other old comic book characters like Dick Tracy and The Phantom.

 

[CountOrlok]

I liked the Dick Tracy movie as well. Classic 1930's pulp stuff.

Forgot to mention that a remake is in the works of The Shadow.

 

[rogue trooper]

I'm a fan of The Shadow character first. The 1994 movie, while not "perfect", is still a fun heroic film. More fun than "Dick Tracy". Alec Baldwin's interpretation of Lamont Cranston is what I wish Michael Keaton could have given us more as Bruce Wayne in "Batman". The direction of Russell Mulcahy(of "Highlander" fame) is good, but David Koepp's script probably needed more in terms of pushing for a more grim sense of tone. Think the element of danger in Sam Raimi's "Darkman". All in all, if you enjoyed Tim Burton's Batman films, you should definitely give "The Shadow" a chance.

I do hope that a much more "definitive" film version of The Shadow will lurk in the near future!

 

[Rowsdower!]

Yeah, I definitely like Baldwin's Shadow better than Beatty's Dick Tracy. To me, the movie's only major flaw is just that they go a little overboard with the supernatural and fantastical stuff in it. I love the atmosphere that they created but I wanted it to feel a little more old-time gangster and a little less ancient Chinese epic. Still a fun movie though. Shame it didn't do well because I would have definitely watched the sequel(s).

 

[ThePhantasm]

Good film, I quite like the atmosphere of it. I wish it had gotten a sequel. I liked that the origin was short and sweet and didn't require a whole film to tell.

 

[Rowsdower!]

I've never read the Shadow comics or listened to the old radio show, but the movie was the first incarnation of the character to have super powers, right? I wonder if a new film (or TV series a la Mad Men, which might be the best way to go with this) will feature a Shadow who is just a normal guy.

 

[3dman27]

the shadow has always had hypnotic powers described as "the power to cloud mens minds"

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

I have and always will love this film, I can't wait to get the new ShoutFactory blu-ray, I know the plot is a little weak but overall one of my favorite films of the 90's and the example I had always given to prove that Baldwin would've made a GREAT Bruce Wayne and Batman.

I still to this day get chills in the beginning scene on the bridge, the one thing the film got right is it truly had the tone and feel of The Shadow himself down.

 

[Rowsdower!]

the shadow has always had hypnotic powers described as "the power to cloud mens minds"

Oh, okay. Is it actually a superpower though or is he just really good at hypnosis?

 

[ThePhantasm]

Its more like a long-forgotten mystical art that he learns. There's no scientific explanation for how it works. He can cloud men's minds, most frequently used to make himself invisible (except for his Shadow).

 

[Spider-Aziz]

I have and always will love this film

Ditto

the example I had always given to prove that Baldwin would've made a GREAT Bruce Wayne and Batman.

Although I agree to this, I'm glad we got Michael Keaton as Batman instead
Alec Baldwin has Christian Bale's Batman voice done right

 

[BLACKVULCAN]

Man me too! i love this flick and have always felt it didnt get it's due
other than the over the top performances like Tim curry and the dude who played Genghis khan and that whole stupid %^&* with the bomb(those scenes reminded me of the old adam west batman show where he was trying to get rid of the time bomb) this flick was cool!
it also had some dark ass crap going on as Baldwin before he becomes the shadow was the opium drug lord!
I always dug this flick and Baldwin did a great job better than Billy Zane's Phantom!

 

[Rowsdower!]

To be fair, the guy who works at my local Starbucks could have done a better job than Billy Zane as the Phantom.

 

[Goshdarn Batman]

Billy Zane was great as The Phantom, in my opinion.

Anyway, I love The Shadow. I think his origin story in the 1994 movie is the most interesting one...the villain becomes the hero. I like stuff like that...t:

 

[Team Andino]

Billy Zane was great as The Phantom, in my opinion.

Anyway, I love The Shadow. I think his origin story in the 1994 movie is the most interesting one...the villain becomes the hero. I like stuff like that...t:

He got pretty jacked as well which you really can't tell as well with his purple spandex on. None the less I'm sure with a better less campy script (doesn't have to be overly dark either) it might of been pretty good.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

He didn't do enough parkour

 

[Hypestyle]

I enjoyed it but too bad it didn't take off at the box office. At this point you'd have to do a reboot, even though Baldwin has had a career comeback with the 30 Rock show.

Marvel might as well see if they can buy the character since they don't have Batman.

 

[Goshdarn Batman]

None the less I'm sure with a better less campy script (doesn't have to be overly dark either) it might of been pretty good.

Yeah, the Phantom character shouldn't be this dark and gritty "my parents are deeeeaaad"-type, but I hope they make a better movie next time. The Phantom is one of my favorite heroes, and one of the first comics I read as a child.

The cool thing about The Phantom is that they can make movies set in the 1600's AND the far future. The first movie could do it like Sin City, tell two stories in one movie, about the first Phantom and the current one.

I would love to see something like thatt:

 

[rogue trooper]

Yeah, the Phantom character shouldn't be this dark and gritty "my parents are deeeeaaad"-type, but I hope they make a better movie next time. The Phantom is one of my favorite heroes, and one of the first comics I read as a child.

The 1996 film was done with a, I guess, with too much of an "innocent" tone. I enjoyed it alot, as I view at as "what if a 1940's crimefighter-serial would have been done with a bigger budget?". It can help if you look at it that way.

The cool thing about The Phantom is that they can make movies set in the 1600's AND the far future. The first movie could do it like Sin City, tell two stories in one movie, about the first Phantom and the current one.

I would love to see something like thatt:

This!

 

[Goshdarn Batman]

The 1996 film was done with a, I guess, with too much of an "innocent" tone. I enjoyed it alot, as I view at as "what if a 1940's crimefighter-serial would have been done with a bigger budget?". It can help if you look at it that way.

It's one of my favorite movies, actually I have probably watched it 80 000 times or something (okay, that's a lie. 30 times, perhaps?). One of the things I like about it is that The Phantom is the ultimate goodguy. Love the scene where he's running after the badguys, and a scared lady drops her purse. He stops and picks it up for her...what a gentlemant:

I wish I saw it in theatres...I honestly don't know why I didn't I loved The Phantom as a little boy.

This!

Maybe a parallel story or something. They experience similar things, only in different times. I don't know...t:

 

[Rowsdower!]

As bad as I thought Zane was as The Phantom, I'll say this for him. Treat Williams was a BAZILLLLLLLLLION times worse as the villain. That might have been the campiest performance of all time.

"UNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNBEEEEEELLLLLIIIIIIEEEEEEVVVVAAAABBBLLLLLE!!!!

 

[Goshdarn Batman]

He was supposed to be inZane

t:

 

[Rowsdower!]

I just wonder what Williams was thinking when he played that part. He's usually a decent enough actor, particularly when he's playing a bad guy. I guess because it was a superhero movie, he felt he had to go as over-the-top cheesy as he could. He was as bad as Jigsaw and Loony Bin Jim in Punisher: Snore Zone. Maybe worse.

 

[rogue trooper]

It's one of my favorite movies, actually I have probably watched it 80 000 times or something (okay, that's a lie. 30 times, perhaps?). One of the things I like about it is that The Phantom is the ultimate goodguy. Love the scene where he's running after the badguys, and a scared lady drops her purse. He stops and picks it up for her...what a gentlemant:

I recall some reviewer on youtube comparing Zane's performance to that of Clayton Moore's Lone Ranger. I agree.

I wish I saw it in theatres...I honestly don't know why I didn't I loved The Phantom as a little boy.

Yeah, I saw it in theatres, and also wished more people had

Maybe a parallel story or something. They experience similar things, only in different times. I don't know...t:

It would definitely be a definitive approach.