The Shadow (1994)

In 1930s New York City, the Shadow battles his nemesis, Shiwan Khan, who is building an atomic bomb.

Director:

Russell Mulcahy

Writers:

Walter B. Gibson (character The Shadow from stories), David Koepp

Stars:

Alec Baldwin, John Lone, Penelope Ann Miller

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alec Baldwin	...	Lamont Cranston / The Shadow
John Lone	...	Shiwan Khan
Penelope Ann Miller	...	Margo Lane
Peter Boyle	...	Moe Shrevnitz
Ian McKellen	...	Reinhardt Lane
Tim Curry	...	Farley Claymore
Jonathan Winters	...	Barth
Sab Shimono	...	Dr. Tam
Andre Gregory	...	Burbank
Brady Tsurutani	...	Tulku
James Hong	...	Li Peng
Arsenio 'Sonny' Trinidad	...	Wu
Joseph Maher	...	Isaac Newboldt
John Kapelos	...	Duke Rollins
Max Wright	...	Berger

Storyline

Based on the 1930's pulp fiction and radio drama series, the film pits the hero against his arch enemy, Shiwan Khan, who plans to take over the world by holding a city ransom using an atom bomb. Using his powers of invisibility and "The power to cloud men's minds", the Shadow comes blazing to the city's rescue with explosive results.

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Plot Keywords:

villain | tough guy | hero | good man | good woman | 

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Taglines:

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Fantasy | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for fantasy action violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 July 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

La sombra

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$32,055,248

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$48,055,248

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures,Bregman/Baer Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min 93 min (edited)

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo DTS Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During a discussion about the power source of the atomic bomb, or implosion-explosion device, beryllium spheres are mentioned as a trigger power source. Beryllium spheres are also the power source for the N.S.E.A. Protector in Galaxy Quest (1999).

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Goofs

When the Shadow's taxi first arrives in front of the Cobalt Club, it comes to a stop directly in front of the door. Another car can be seen to its Left, coming to a stop immediately beside it. The shot then cuts to a camera directly across the street from the club door, and the 2nd car is gone, allowing a full side view of the taxi.

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Quotes

Lamont Cranston: Am I in hell?
Tulku: Not yet.

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Connections

Referenced in Taylor Dayne: Original Sin (1995)

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Soundtracks

Original Sin (Theme from 'The Shadow')
Written, Produced and Arranged by Jim Steinman
Performed by Taylor Dayne
Courtesy of Arista Records, Inc.

User Reviews

The definitive Superhero movie!

Many people would not agree with the maximum rating being awarded to this film. I should agree with them, the one reason I don't is that you can clearly see this film attempted to be great in all areas. I feel sorry for them, they carried the story well and related back to a lot from the original stories. They would have succeeded if it weren't for the fact that they made a couple of casting errors. The lead hero and villain were good, Tim Curry always boosts a film and the female wasn't that bad really. The rest should have been reconsidered, however. Sir Ian McKellen is capable of so much more than he delivered, which is surprising. Even so, he should not have been chosen for that role. The one problem this film really has is that it chose to use a character created in times when there weren't any heroes really. It is nearly impossible to understand these times and therefore the impact of the character was lost on the audience this time around. It is a real shame, because the shot of The Shadow at the top of the stairs in the hotel is one of the best you will find of any hero in film. If you are aware of the original Shadow articles, this film will probably already be in your collection. It does a great job and should not have flopped to the extent it did. I would strongly encourage anyone considering watching this film to rent it. If you like the superhero genre, which is on the rise, you will love this film. Cliché, yes, but true.