The Continued Adventures of Reptile Man (AKA Brittle Glory)
Dir: Stewart Schill
1997
**
I think the idea behind 1997's The Continued Adventures of Reptile Man, or Brittle Glory as it is also know, had so much potential, especially as it had a Hollywood great cast in the leading role. Unfortunately that potential was totally wasted. The idea of an aging actor, whose biggest hit was as a popular 60s TV Superhero (Reptile Man), coming to terms with the facts that his career is over and he isn't really Reptile Man, is great. The possibilities are endless and Tony Curtis does deliver some wonderfully dramatic lines, but for some reason writer/director Stewart Schill concentrates more on Reptile Man's assistant Lewis, known as The Tadpole, as that was Reptile Man's side-kick in the show. Reptile Man promises to help Lewis with his career in acting as payment for assisting him with day to day chores as well as special appearances. Reptile Man then sabotages any success Lewis has so that he won't leave him. A third of the film has Curtis as a confused old actor, tormenting Lewis as a distraction from his own deep regrets and slipping into Reptile character when his emotions are at their extreme. This is a fascinating character piece with great script and impressive performance. The other two-thirds of the film deal with Lewis's depression, frustration and relationship with his wife. Arye Gross (Lewis) and Ally Walker (Lewis's wife) aren't very good actors and shouldn't have been given as much screen time as they both bring the film down, especially when Curtis is so good. Their character's story is utterly pointless and brings nothing to the film. The low budget isn't the problem either, writing is. One of my favorite films of all time, 1992's Eddie Presley, has a similar story and an even smaller budget but understands the characters and concentrates on the main subject. The Wrestler is also a great example of getting it right, neither are comedies though, so it's a shame that they couldn't even get what Schill describes as 'satire' right. The great Tony Curtis is gone now, you'll never get him back and yet you had him and wasted a golden opportunity. I wonder if this film keeps Stewart Schill up at night, like his character Reptile Man, who's regret eventually sends him mad.