The sight of Black burning up with Old Glory in his hands is essential to the movie's sense of humor. Black also takes part in the opening salvo of the film's war between Earth and Mars, a "cultural misunderstanding" during which Billy Glenn is incinerated - before a live television audience that includes his doting parents - by a Martian ray gun after attempting to defend himself with the American flag. As army grunt Billy Glenn Norris, he's positioned as the foil to humanity's eventual savior, his slacker brother Richie ( Lukas Haas). Or does it? True to the legend, Houdini fades to black leaving the audience entertained but wondering.Within the interplanetary scope of Mars Attacks!, Black's role is small but crucial. However, his vow to achieve the ultimate escape - from death - remains unfulfilled. The more he scares audiences, the bigger the crowds grow, until he is a worldwide sensation. Houdini decides to give people something they will never forget, the possibility of death at every show. Rhea Perlman is in and out as a woman conducting a seance that weaves throughout the film and Paul Sorvino appears as a radio commentator. George Segal contributes a virtual cameo as Beck, one of several small performances by big stars, which must come with strings to future deals attached. His career takes a turn when he meets an impresario named Martin Beck, who tells Houdini he needs to punch up the act to distinguish himself from the crowd. Throughout his life, he is driven to win the approval of his mother, a cold, aloof person. The act initially bombs and there are problems at home because she resents him sending a goodly portion of what little they earn to his widowed mother. Theirs is not a fairy-tale success story. Stacy Edwards of Chicago Hope is a winning complement as Bess. Nevertheless, she becomes not only his wife but his partner, putting aside her own ambition to advance his. Auditioning for the vaudeville circuit, he meets a young aspiring singer named Bess, becomes instantly infatuated, and asks her to be his wife, a proposal complicated by the fact that she is Catholic. The TNT movie attempts to explore the dynamics that drove a young Jewish immigrant with no show business genes to become the all-time reference point for his craft. Wisely, the latest Houdini is more than a medley of marvel-inducing escapes and sleights of hand. However, there is no contemporary whose name has the magic - no pun intended - of Houdini, who has been dead for 72 years. David Copperfield is huge and Siegfried and Roy have been the toughest ticket in Las Vegas for more than a decade. The presence of still another biography is also a tribute to the man. This explains why TNT would mount a production of Houdini, an oft-told tale. Even the Fox tell-alls generated bigger Nielsens than any of their mutant cousins in the “world’s scariest animal crashes” genre. Specials showcasing magicians and illusionists unfailingly pull impressive ratings. In light of all this, it would seem TV viewers would be a tough room. This is to say nothing of those Fox exposs on how magic tricks are done. Viewers accustomed to trick camerawork and special effects know that it is impossible to believe what you see. The appeal of magic on television is as baffling as Harry Houdini’s art.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |