The original version of this film, made in 1958, is hailed as a cult classic. Unfortunately I've never seen it. I only know this version, which was made in 1993. From what I've been told it keeps close to the original. The film is even set in the 1950's, not in the present date. The main improvement is in the more realistic special effects, and of course it's in colour. For me this is the film that I will always associate with the name of Daryl Hannah.
Daryl plays Nancy Archer, a rich woman who is the co-owner of her father's company. She is being used by both her father and her husband. By a stroke of luck she encounters a flying saucer which shines a ray on her that makes her very tall. The film is called "50 foot woman", but she looks bigger. She then has the chance to get revenge on the men in her life. This is an amusing feminist fantasy. And I hope I can get my hands on the original version soon.
Incidentally, let me add something to make my American readers jealous. I bought this DVD a week ago. I saw it on sale for £0.99, approx $1.54, and grabbed it straight away. Brand new, still factory sealed. I thought I'd got a great deal, but yesterday I checked and the price is £0.27 now, only 42 cents. At prices like that, why rent? Buy it, and if you don't like it throw it in the trash. It's great to live in England.
Despite the more expensive SFX in this version, the original black & white film looks better. The modern director had no grasp of how to make her look big. Instead of shooting from low angles, we get eye-level shots of Hanna stomping through a better constructed but more obvious toy town. The angles make it look like she was normal sized and everything else was small. Which, of course, is actually the case.
ReplyDeleteI remember feeling sad after watching it when it first came out. So much knowledge and artistry lost over time.
Thankfully, we have Attack Of The 60 Foot Centerfold to help make up for it.
(It's not my misspelling)
I grudgingly accept the American spellings in film titles. Very grudgingly.
DeleteI accept spellings in names, which includes titles. But that sometimes leaves me with a weird schism in my perceptions. For example - i buy Aluminum Foil which is made of Aluminium.
Delete"Aluminum" is more than just a deviant spelling, it's a completely different word. I lived in America for three years (1997 to 2000), and whenever I said "aluminium" people thought I was joking.
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