Director: Mike Nichols
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, James Spader, Christopher Plummer
Have I Seen It Before: Never. A monster movie starring the Joker and Catwoman? The movie absolutely fascinated me from the far distance of a movie poster or VHS cover at a Blockbuster or other rental venue. But it was one of those uniquely grown-up (as opposed to adult, which has a different connotation) films that was just out of reach, and somehow got a little more than forgotten by the time I had freedom to come around to it.
Did I Like It: The opening credits unfurl, and I know I can’t be in for a bad time, and this doesn’t even take into account the fact that the Nicholson+Pfeiffer+Mike Nichols equation should be more than enough to guarantee a good time. James Spader? Screw you, I thought he was great on The Office. David Hyde Pierce? Who has had a bad time when he is on the screen? Ennio Morricone? Slow down, movie. You already had me at Jack Nicholson!
And the movie that follows fulfills that promise, for the most part. When it shifts the mythos of the werewolf into a commentary on toxic masculinity of the 1990s*, it moves the monster movie into something more interesting than it might be on its own. When it is Columbia’s big summer movie, complete with the complicated real estate of two of the biggest stars at that moment respectively growling and arching their back in grey scale, it ultimately doesn’t quote move beyond being just another monster movie whose special effects had little hope of not aging past their sell-by date by the time the 90s were over.
*Don’t worry: It hasn’t changed that much in 30 years. Also, worry: It hasn’t changed that much in 30 years.