FrancisRizzo3

On Paul's mention that the Shadow should have thrown his mind to a dockworker to get him out of the water, rather than across town to Margot, I got the feeling that it could only be done between people with psychic powers. Earlier, Khan did it to the Shadow. so I assumed that's how that worked. Of course, considering how many people in the film have these powers, it's entirely possible that Dave the Dockworker was a mindreader too.

I think the biggest issue with the film is, who is Lamont Cranston? We have no idea how he ended up an opium kingpin, no idea what he does to get his money, and what he does when he's not being the Shadow (other than drink and hallucinate.) Part of the problem is that with the original Shadow (on radio and such) there wasn't much development of the Shadow outside of his adventures, and Cranston was actually just a persona he used to disguise himself (his name was actually Kent Allard.) Without much of an alter ego, all we can care about is the Shadow, but with heroes, it's as much about their life off the job as it is on it. This may have flown back in radio days, but not so much now. I don't know if you could consider this an omission, but for all the problems in the film, thee are some truly memorable visuals, like the fire around Margot and the face-peeling scene. The FX supervisor, Al Delgado, would go on to work on HDTGM favorites Crank II and Showgirls. And by the way, the film really did want to be Batman, from the Elfman-esque score by Jerry Goldsmith to the fact that they even got Bob Ringwood, the costume designer of Batman, to do costumes here.

I remember watching this film in the theater when I was younger, but I don't remember having a strong reaction to it. However, I wonder if watching it now, if our perception of Baldwin's performance is colored by his more recent work. As Jason said, you could picture him ending each line with "Lemon." Is it possible to view this film and Baldwin's performance on its own merits anymore? I submit that you can not. And the dream discussion can be put up against the greatest comedies ever written:

In watching the film, the mention of Beryllium spheres sounded familiar. I finally figured out why. That's what they used for fuel in the amazing film Galaxy Quest! Such a reference instantly raises The Shadow a few scarves higher.

No mention of the master class of acting that was Baldwin shaking like a paint can mixer in order to defeat Khan? I can't imagine what being on the set that day must have been like watching him vibrate like a lunatic. Of course, that's besides the fact that, at no other point in the film did using his powers cause him to physically react. Then there's the issue that breaking these mirrors doesn't seem to actually have anything to do with the ability to cloud men's minds. And don't try to tell me that this battle is happening on some sort of mental or astral plane, since the mirrors cause physical harm.

I tried to point this out earlier, but was rejected. I'm not gonna lie. It hurt.

OMISSION: There's a connection with another HDTGM movie: Mac & Me. Stewart Raffill directed both films, and in both films the father is dead, which we learn by seeing a photo of the dead father, and in both a dummy falls from a great height. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

I thought this same thing, but the statue/whatever would still have been in Hauptmann-Koenig, so English likely wouldn't have been spoken much. Though it could explain her inconsistent understanding of the modern world (if you accept that H-K wouldn't be on the cutting edge of technology.)

CORRECTION, SORTA: Paul mentions Career Opportunities (a true favorite of mine) as a film about mall department stores. This isn't really true, as it takes place at Target, which, as Long Island kids, we didn't have a frame of reference on.

OMISSION: At the end of the first Mannequin, the cleaning guy finds Roxie (the girl who had been after the lead and jealous of the mannequin) in the trash and kisses here. In this film, the cleaning guy is now the security guy, and he ends up kissing Gayle, the perfume girl (who had been after the lead and jealous of the mannequin), who looks just like Roxie from the first film.

OMISSION: When Jason takes Jessie out on the town, and before he shows her herself on TV, they pass a shoe store named Fetishes. That's just weird. Was there a real show store named Fetishes? Because that's an off bit of production design.

OMISSION: How does Jessie's hair change from her uptown girl do at the store to her feathered hair in Jason's room after the mini-car chase?

OMISSION: This movie came out in 1991, but the poster on Jason's door has a 1988 football schedule. Did this movie sit on the shelf for years or...what?

Seriously...the Barbie tangent is THE GREATEST THING EVER on HDTGM.

MORE OF AN ANSWER THAN ANYTHING ELSE: I believe the Helen Slater movie mentioned is The Legend of Billie Jean. A true classic.

What about the EXCESS of accents? What exactly was going on with the Queen's accent?

OMISSION: The long-haired garbage woman is at Hollywood's big show later on at one of the first tables...for no real reason.

CORRECTION: Jason thought that the body falling off the bridge was a person, not a mannequin. He makes reference to this after "saving" her.

I can't imagine that June is a fan of the Count's mole hair.

Not a bad movie, but an insane one. Check out this description. I can hear Jason yelling already. Plus, it's Herzog, so there's a Nic Cage connection.

The F. It's just wrong.

You have no idea how much that bothers me every time I type it.

Here's a trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKDrfAznREs

What exactly was the scene with the garbage women supposed to be about? (I also think you can see one of them later in the big climactic scene.)