Manhattan Baby (1982)

Recently my good friend and I Ed Demko recorded the first Gutmunchers Podcast, which was a Fulci show.  We discussed Zombie and City of the Living Dead, but during the show the subject of Fulci’s other films came up.  At the time I mentioned that I had yet to find a Fulci horror film that I didn’t like on some level.  Then of course not a week later I pop Manhattan Baby in to the DVD player and have to eat my words. 

The movie is about an archaeologist named Hacker studying ruins in Egypt.  After triggering a trap he comes face to face with an idol that shoots laser beams into his eyes and blinds him.  At the same time his young daughter is given a necklace that allows an ancient evil to inhabit her body.  They all end up back home on Manhattan island where using he girl the evil is able to open portals to the past, bring stuffed birds back to life, and in a strange bit of not evilness restore the father’s sight!  The good doctor, with the help of a creepy bird stuffing antiques dealer manages to save his daughter, but not until after they inexplicably lose their nanny in the walls of the apartment.  Oh and while the evil is gone from the daughters the man’s creepy ass son is still a little bastard!

Now most Fulci directed movies that I’ve ever sat down to watch have had some plot issues to some extent.  That is part of the charm to his movies, because they are always a bit off and strange.  But buried inside most of them is a kernel of something that makes sense for the audience to grab a hold of.  Not so much here with Manhattan baby.  The story makes little sense and feels as if it was written with bits and pieces of other movies in mind.  There is a little bit of Poltergeist mixed in with the Exorcist, all topped off with a bit of Raiders of the Lost Ark.  Unfortunately none of it mixes well together and we end up with a movie that is painfully boring and difficult to get thru.  In defense of the cast there are some familiar faces that have been pretty good in other movies, I just don’t think there was much they could do to help this one. 

There are some neat visual tricks that I enjoyed.  The camera work is top notch and is really the most interesting part of the film.  But until the last 5 minutes there is an obvious lack of gore, which has always been a cool trademark and saving grace of even the most uneven of Fulci films.  Also this movie makes the same mistake as many others and uses adults trying to speak like children to dub the kids in the movie.  This is a terrible idea that only further distracts from a plot that is struggling to hold the audience’s attention. 

Like I said there are some neat visual tricks and the movie is well made from a technical standpoint.  But the story is so damn slow and never ends up going anywhere.  I can’t really recommend this movie and think everyone should pass on it.  But if you are a Fulci collector or just a glutton for punishment Blue Underground has put out a decent DVD release of Manhattan Baby.  Check them out at http://www.blue-underground.com/ for more information on it.

1 ½ out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer

© Copyright 2009 John Shatzer