Neon Signs

This minor little film that never saw the big screen is interesting mainly for it's cast. It is a treat indeed to see the the three leads - William Smith, Carol Lynley and Barbara McNair. These old pros have a wonderful and effortless chemistry together - especially the on-screen jibbing and bickering of Lynley and McNair (who have the telling names of two of the virtues - Grace and Faith). They offer delightful performances that belie the serious undertones of their on-screen crime spree. Add a grizzled (and rather sad) performance by Smith and you have enough talent to offset the attractive but lack-luster lead (Matt Dotson) and an uneven script. The low-budget adds to the charm of this curious little road picture. Given the right director and script, Lynley (an under rated actress) can pull in a fine performance. Its a treat to see her in a more recent film. Kudos to the leads.

I was actually looking forward to seeing this film and purchased the DVD. Not that I was expecting a masterpiece, but considering the interesting cast (William Smith, Carol Lynley and Barbara McNair), a moderately interesting story and the desert locations, I was hoping for an off-beat, independent film. Well, about a third of the way in, I began to have my doubts, and by the end, it became clear that there is nothing to recommend in this low-budget production, which fully deserves to remain in obscurity. The problems are numerous: a simplistic and amateurish script, sloppy editing, poor sound quality and, perhaps worst of all, a non-performance by Matt Dotson as "Otis", the film's catalyst. Considering the quality of the script and direction, I don't want to be too hard on the actors (and it is fun to see the three leads together), but Dotson's emotionally empty performance really has to be seen to be believed. At barely 86 minutes, the film is not a huge waste of your life, but there really is no need to bother... unless you're desperate to see the three leads together.

Don't mistake the understatements of the movie for lack of content. Dotson's character (standing for innocence/purity) is a great contrast to the wizened, seasoned veterans of petty crime. The simple backdrop is what gives the story away as parabolic and a morality tale. Listen to the music, which also gives the hint that the pace of the movie is deliberate. Things transpire as they should to make the point of a good morality tale, which is that evil doesn't pay....

An eight year old boy named Otis is abandoned by his no-good mother at a seedy motel in the middle of nowhere. Ten years later, Otis has grown into a hunky, strapping kid (debuting Matt Dotson), who's been raised by the motels' corpulent owner (Vivienne Maloy). He's known no world other than this little one in which he's been raised. When the old woman dies, Otis hits the road, thinking that he'll head for Las Vegas. Along the way, he runs into some hardened veterans of crime - Thelma & Louise-type robbers Faith (Carol Lynley) and Grace (Barbara McNair), and ageing con man Clyde (the great screen tough guy William Smith), and gets involved in their schemes, particularly a robbery of a high-stakes poker game.

Overall, this is a good, if not that memorable, morality tale, which attempts to show what happens as Otis, an obviously innocent and naive type, becomes corrupted by this new element in his life. Clyde, in particular, makes for a compelling twist on a "father figure". Working from a script by Lazar Saric, director Marc Kolbe tells a fairly predictable but entertaining story in style. He gets some great value out of the various rural California locations, which are supplemented by a flavourful music score composed by Tim May. Eventually, things do get pretty grim and violent, but the cast and director keep you watching, every step of the way.

The main reason to watch is to see some veteran and under appreciated talent get some good roles and shine. Lynley and McNair are enticing as the middle-aged but potent and still quite sexy thieves. Dotson was promoted by some as "the next Brad Pitt" at the time, but while he is a handsome young man, he's easily outshone by his co-stars. Clyde is one of the best latter-day characters for Smith, who gets treated to a rare instance of top billing. In fact, despite some of his shady characteristics, Clyde emerges as the most likeable person in the story. And it's also fun to see "Day of the Dead" antagonist Joseph Pilato in a substantial appearance as a sadistic bad guy.

There are no real surprises here (although viewers may be amused by the big twist that the script offers), but as far as movies with "crime doesn't pay" messages go, you could easily do a lot worse than "Neon Signs".

Seven out of 10.