This ran on TCM last night after an evening of 1950's Sci-Fi films. It could be that I had just been burnt out by so many hours of mutants created by atomic bombs. Or, perhaps it's the fact that I just don't care for mimes. I must say I wasn't particularly entertained by seeing a frog electrocuted on a table either. In any case, this movie didn't make a huge impression on me.
Fact is, about 80% of this film has no dialog and I got the distinct feeling it was just a vehicle for Marcel Marceau to do his "mime" thing once more for an audience that had pretty much moved on from "mimery", except maybe in France. Considering other comments here from people who have not seen the movie for years, I should add this; The TCM version of this film is very clean and bright, and their Web site has a number of video clips from the film that are a few minutes each.
Shanks gets a 5 rating from me because it has some odd, interesting moments, but they are interspersed with some rather boring parts where the camera just goes to Marcel for the viewer to be blown away by his mime skills (I wasn't). It's like those guys that used to go on the Ed Sullivan Show and spin plates. Please, spare me.
However, I have to admit that this is the best zombie mime movie I've ever seen.
Fact is, about 80% of this film has no dialog and I got the distinct feeling it was just a vehicle for Marcel Marceau to do his "mime" thing once more for an audience that had pretty much moved on from "mimery", except maybe in France. Considering other comments here from people who have not seen the movie for years, I should add this; The TCM version of this film is very clean and bright, and their Web site has a number of video clips from the film that are a few minutes each.
Shanks gets a 5 rating from me because it has some odd, interesting moments, but they are interspersed with some rather boring parts where the camera just goes to Marcel for the viewer to be blown away by his mime skills (I wasn't). It's like those guys that used to go on the Ed Sullivan Show and spin plates. Please, spare me.
However, I have to admit that this is the best zombie mime movie I've ever seen.