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Heiress Nancy Cobb Archer discovers that her no-good husband
Harry is cheating on her with the local floozy. Nancy drives
out into the desert where she has a close encounter with a
UFO. Harry uses her talk of flying saucers as an excuse to
have her declared mentally unstable so that he can get hold
of her money. But then, as a result of her alien encounter,
Nancy suddenly goes super-size. The 50ft woman discovers a
newfound self-confidence and pursues Harry on a mission of
vengeance...
OK,
let's face it - the original 1958 version of this movie wasn't
great. It earned its "cult classic" status thanks to an iconic
poster design and by being "so bad it's good", with cheesy
dialogue and special effects that were risible even in its
day. This 1993 made-for-TV remake may have improved special
effects, but it's just not as much fun to watch.
Supposedly
a comedy, it isn't very funny, which is remarkable when you
consider that it is directed by the legendary comedian and
This is Spinal Tap star Christopher Guest. The one
line that is reasonably amusing is Daniel Baldwin's as Harry
Archer: "Congratulations, Doctor [Dr Loeb, who has just suggested
that Nancy's condition is hormone related]. You've just discovered
a new kind of PMS."
Also,
is it just me, or would you expect a film that involves Daryl
Hannah (who has proven to be not averse to getting her kit
off in movies such as Reckless, Splash and At
Play in the Fields of the Lord) growing huge and bursting
out of her clothes to include a bit of tasteful Hannah nudity?
No, all we get is a very tame bath scene. The irony is that
the film does include a quick butt shot, but it isn't Hannah's,
but rather that of Cristi Conaway as Harry's lover, Louise
"Honey" Parker (and very nice it is too). Furthermore, there's
an instance of the F-word being used. Why is this movie so
tame in some regards but adult in others?
The
production also seems a little unsure of where it stands when
it comes to the time period. The fashions, hairstyles, cars,
architecture and even the look of the flying saucer all reflect
the 1950s setting of the original movie, yet other references
suggest a later date. Nancy's father (William Windom) has
an old picture of himself shaking hands with former US president
Richard Nixon. And Harry uses the phrase "close encounter",
which was first coined (by J Allen Hynek) in 1972.
Director
Guest and writer Joseph Dougherty emphasise the feminist aspects
of Mark Hanna's original storyline (the empowerment of women)
and tack on a new ending. 24 fans may be interested
to know that this ending features an earlier appearance by
Xander
Berkeley.
Sorry
to put you off with this far from growing - er, I mean glowing
- review, but there are also no special features on the disc.
However, with no sign of the 1958 version becoming available
on DVD any time soon, I suppose this one will have to do for
now.
Chris
Clarkson
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