SnoopyStyle

There is a serial killer hunting young handicap women. Police Lieut. Fields (Sam Wanamaker) is investigating. Helen Mallory (Jacqueline Bisset) has been mute since a traumatic incident. She is living with her sick grandmother Mrs. Sherman (Mildred Dunnock), her psychiatrist uncle Joe Sherman (Christopher Plummer), Joe's brother Steven, girlfriend Blanche, the nurse (Elaine Stritch), and others.

I thought a remake could improve on the original. For this movie, I'm wrong. The initial opening introduction confused me about all these characters. They don't even introduce the house well enough. I worked it out eventually and it turns back to a horror in a mansion. It is a lot waiting for something to happen. It is such a breakthrough decade for the horror genre, but this one has no fans for a reason. It is exceedingly dull. The great cast cannot save it.

Luke Brunner (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a CIA field operative on the verge of retirement. His secrecy broke up his family. An old case pulls him back into the field where he encounters his estranged daughter Emma (Monica Barbaro). Unbeknownst to him, she is also a CIA field agent and she's on the same case.

Arnie is back doing action comedy. He has lost a step, but it's still Arnold. The cast is either really hot people or funny people. I am a little bummed that Jay Baruchel got pushed to the side. In a way, it is indicative of the show. I would have made him the sidekick to Arnold. He would have injected a lot of comedy in the relationship. It's not the same with Monica Barbaro. She's hot. She's good at being serious. She's not that funny. The show rushes through a lot of action. The comedy struggles at times. The comedic actors try their best. At the end of the day, Arnie says it himself as he talks to Carrie-Anne Moss. The quips used to come easier. The action used to be better. It's still great to see Arnie and my love for him remains intact.

Mr. Imperium (Ezio Pinza) falls for Fredda Barlo (Lana Turner). He's an Italian prince and a widowed father to a boy. She's a singer in the hotel lounge. They have a whirlwind romance. He rushes off to his sick father. His handler lies to her. It's 12 years later before their next encounter. She is now a movie star.

Opera singer Ezio Pinza tries his hand in movie acting which fails miserably. His 30 years difference in age with Lana Turner is noticeable. I am willing to overlook it. He's Italian after all. I wouldn't say that there is great heat between the two, but there is a world where Lana Turner would go for him. Another issue is the 12 years absence. If he really wants to, he could have found her and sent her a letter. The hotel would know all her info. It speaks to how much he likes her. He didn't try and therefore he didn't so much. That is much worst than the age difference. This is not horrible, but it's not good. Debbie Reynolds has a minor role in this before her big break.