L'attaque de la femme de 50 pieds

ATTACK OF THE 50 FT. WOMAN (1993-MADE FOR CABLE TV) ** 1/2 Daryl Hannah, Daniel Baldwin, Cristi Conaway, William Windom, Frances Fisher, Paul Benedict. Special effects laden remake of the campy sci-fi classic about a troubled woman whose close encounter with a UFO transforms her into a giantess. Easily head and shoulders above its laughable predecessor, Hannah makes the most of her towering performance in a film that tries to mix feminism with kitsch. She gives Allison Hayes a run for her money in her behemoth bikini. Directed by comedian/"Spinal Tap" star Christopher Guest (too bad he didn't think of this as a vehicle for his wife Jamie Lee Curtis. Yowsa!!)

I bought a 4-movie pack that has this movie. I expected it to be the original from the 50s but instead got this remake. Well... it's a campy bad movie but surprisingly not as annoying it could have been. Something about the vibe was fun enough to not be too boring. Giant Daryl Hannah is nice to look at, and Daniel Baldwin is having at least a little bit fun performing the boyfriend/husband/whatever guy he is.

The only thing I was disappointed there was not horror at all. The giant girl doesn't do much rampaging you would expect from this kind of movie. I guess there was no budget to destroy buildings. However, it's not a very long movie, so it's easy to watch if you want something weird.

HBO Films produces some of the finest made for TV films ever made but that view can not apply for this 1993 release starring Daryl Hannah in the title role originally portrayed by Allison Hayes in a 1958 drive in theater cult classic of the same name. The story about an abused housewife (Hannah) whose close encounter with an UFO causes her to become a giant is something that should not have been tackled by HBO Films. Fortunately, Hannah followed up this dreadful lead with a good supporting part in the theatrical hit film "Grumpy Old Men."

I was really excited to hear that there was going to be a remake of my favorite movie, but bitterly disappointed when I realized that it would be starring Daryl Hannah in the title role. She's not a very sexy actress nor is she very good-looking by my standards. I've always thought she was a bit on the skinny side. This role needs someone with a certain amount of sex appeal like Markie Post, Emma Samms, Victoria Principal or maybe even the actress playing Honey Parker, Cristi Conaway. I think this movie was just made to show off a new special effect technique, but even then, she still just looks like a normal woman on one of those table top train sets like I used to own. They could have used more of the extreme camera shots like used in Eddie Murphy's godzilla scene in "The Nutty Professor." Much of the movie's script has been updated though and two of the all male roles are now played by actresses [the deputy and one doctor].Some of the lines from the first movie are repeated verbatim, but the attack is still less than a true attack as seen on the original's movie poster. The violence is played down instead of up. The ending, though, is a bigger let down and a far cry from the historical last scene from the original. That strange grinding noise you hear through the movie is actually Allison Hayes rolling over in her grave.

I haven't seen the original; I can imagine that it isn't as feminist as, or at least less overtly so than, this. Guest gets the tone, and this largely delivers what it promises. I know he can direct something hilarious, since I've seen Best in Show; this doesn't have the benefits of a cast full of proved comedic talent, and the writing is inferior, though not without chuckle-inducing moments. There are a couple of lines that are downright quotable. You probably know the plot already; Daniel Baldwin, a bastard merely by virtue of the fact that he's cheating on Darryl Hannah(even if the squeeze he found is also a sight for sore eyes), and several others (all male) talk down to her, and once she begins to grow in size, she attempts to exact vengeance upon them. The FX are cheesy, dated and obvious, and I would wager this was an intentional decision. This is both a spoof and an homage. There is brief suspense. The characters and acting aren't half bad. There is some sexuality(and eye-candy) and brief nudity in this. The DVD comes with a theatrical trailer. I recommend this to fans of the concept. 5/10