Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Get Patriotic

Time to GET PATRIOTIC and WAVE THE FLAG as we look at one of my personal faves, a little-known gem that combines the Superman mythos, Captain America, Captain Marvel, mixes it liberally with James Bond satire- stirred not shaken -then throws in all sorts of socio-political commentary resulting in one of the most oddball films of all time:

Admittedly NOT for everyone, but for those who have GUTS and appreciate this kind of humor, it has it all: Alan Arkin, as 'The Legend in Leotards', 'The Man of Magnet': Captain Invincible, whose powers and abilities are far beyond those of mortal men- flight, an amazing 'computer brain', magnetic attraction/repulsion (ala Iron Man), and as his antagonist, his 'Moriarity' if you will, is Christopher Lee as Mr. 'Evil' Midnight who allegedly existed long before the Earth even began, a primal force that...sings and dances?

Yep, 'tis true- you'll never watch any of the Hammer Draculas, Star Wars Episodes 2 & 3, and The Lord of the Rings thrillogy the same way ever again- and while you're laughing your ass off you'll notice Mr. Lee has a near-operatic vocal range, and surprised no one ever thought of making a serious operatic version of Dracula for the stage with him as the bloodsucking Count.

Strange thing that both Christopher Lee- Mr. Midnight -and Michael Pate- Mr. President of the United States -are noteworthy (♫no pun intended♫) as they played cinematic vampires years before; Lee in the aforementioned 1958 Hammer 'Horror Of Dracula'

and Pate as v--vampire turned hired-gunslinger Drago Robles

in the extremely offbeat 1959 Universal/MCA Horror-Western 'Curse Of The Undead'.

Don't think there were too many pairings like that before, well except maybe this one:

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