The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot

Calvin Barr is the personification of the Greatest Generation. He already did his part during WWII and now he might just save Canada. Apparently, there really is a Bigfoot, who is spreading a doomsday virus across the great white north. Obviously, this is a job for the titular hero of Robert D. Krzykowski’s The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (trailer here), which opens this Friday in New York.

Barr is now old and disillusioned, but when he was young, he was a hardworking, patriotic American. He was also deeply smitten with Maxine, the great love of his life, but alas, it was not to be. There were separated first by the war and then by her untimely death. Most frustratingly, Barr was even denied the solace of her correspondence, due to the sensitive nature of his service. The mild-mannered Barr excelled at behind-the-lines work, so was entrusted with the most hush-hush top-secret mission of the war: killing Hitler.

In the somewhat present day, Barr is sick of killing and still heartsick over the loss of Maxine. He mostly haunts a barstool, but he still finds time for Ed, his ever-loyal little brother. When “Flag Pin,” a shadowy Fed and his Canadian counterpart come asking for his help, Barr initially turns them down flat, but he eventually agrees. After all, he is still part of the Greatest Generation—and his nation needs him.

TMWKHATTB sounds like lunacy, but it is surprisingly poignant. Instead of an Inglorious Basterds romp, this is an elegiac ode to an action hero’s fading glory. Arguably, Elliott’s Barr belongs in the company of Michael Caine in Harry Brown, Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino, Ron Perlman in Asher, and Jackie Chan in The Foreigner.

In a more just world, Sam Elliott would be nominated for this film, rather than A Star is Born (which is a remake of a remake of a remake of a film from 1937). Barr is cut from similar cloth as Lee Hayden, his character in The Hero, but the aging commando is an even more poignant and messily human figure. As Barr, every one of Elliott’s wrinkles tells a story.

Aidan Turner does not have the same kind of presence as the younger Barr in his Hitler-killing scenes, but he develops some nice chemistry with Caitlin FitzGerald, who is quite touching as Maxine. Weirdly, their sweet, ill-fated romance is one of the best things going for the film. However, it is Larry Miller who really brings it home as the devoted Ed. Who knew he had such a sensitive performance in him, especially in such an unlikely genre film?

Oddly, killing Hitler is the least interesting part of The Man Who. Of course, it is physically and constitutionally impossible for Elliott to be uninteresting. Krzykowski short-changes viewers several obvious and necessary payoff scenes, but his characterization is quite strong. Recommended for fans of more sophisticated action-adventure movies, The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot opens this Friday (2/8) in New York, at the Village East.

Limbo (short): Featuring the Voice of Sam Elliott

This is yet another reason why texting and driving is such a bad idea. When a man receives a troubling message, he pulls off the road to indulge the impulse to hurl away his phone. That will take him on a slightly surreal detour through the desert in Will Blank’s short film, Limbo (trailer here), which releases today on digital VOD platforms.

Limbo represents the sort of comic book/graphic novel adaptation that the major studios have largely foregone. It also might be the most faithful adaptation ever, considering how little Blank and co-screenwriter Richard Kaponas deviate from the words and spirit of Marion Churchland’s graphic novella, originally published in the Meathaüs anthology. Through interior monologue, the film and its source novella address themes of regret and compassion, making it ill-suited for a prospective tent-pole franchise, so unlike Green Lantern, Elektra, and Jonah Hex.

While we never learn the details, it seems clear the man has had a falling out with his girlfriend that was probably his fault entirely. He certainly regrets it now, just like he regrets throwing his cell phone at the strange, Gatsby-worthy billboard. Like a slightly mad Jodorowsky character, he ventures into the desert, where he stumbles across a dying dog. After mercifully slaking its thirst, the expiring canine offers to grant the man one wish.

Even though the poor dog is dying, we can hear the authority and character in his voice, because he is dubbed by Sam Elliott, the hero, Lee Hayden himself. The deep resonance of his voice is pitch-perfect for the fantastical beast—and should be good karma for The Hero during awards season, especially considering Limbo is kind of about karma.

Don’t worry, no animals were hurt during the making of Limbo. The eerie-looking dog was actually rendered through puppetry and practical effects. However, it looks real enough to send PETA off on a PR rampage. Visually, it is a really impressive production, well worth checking out when Limbo releases today on VOD including Vimeo on demand.

Sundance ’17: The Hero

Have you heard the awkward outtakes from Orson Welles radio spot for frozen peas? Lee Hayden could relate to them. He too must record multiple takes of a lame radio commercial, but at least barbecue sauce better fits the faded cowboy movie star’s image. His career is on life-support, but he experiences an unlikely surge of interest at an inopportune moment in Brett Haley’s The Hero, which screens during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

Hayden is best known for playing the titular gunslinger in an early 1980s hit called The Hero. Since then, he has become as western icon for his drawling voice and silver moustache. In fact, he will soon receive the Western Icon Award to prove it. Hayden’s only friend is his drug dealer Jeremy, a former actor with whom he worked on a short-lived television show. While struggling to decide whether he wants to do anything about a recent diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, Hayden happens to make the acquaintance of Charlotte, one of Jeremy’s other customers.

This is not exactly a meet-cute, but Hayden is too old for that sort of thing anyway. Regardless, they seem to enjoy each other’s company, especially when they both arrive at the Western Icon Awards slightly stoned. That turns into Hayden’s best career move in years when his idiosyncratic acceptance speech goes viral. However, issues with his resentful grown daughter and the looming cancer might overshadow his sudden internet fame.

Beat for beat and note for note, Haley’s screenplay might be the most predictable, script-by-numbers narrative you will ever forgive. This is the sort of film that is all about the performances—and they are genuinely awards-caliber. Sam Elliott truly embodies Lee Hayden. He has the grizzled look and laconic drawl, but he invests the character with enormous dignity, while simultaneously exposing all his regret and self-loathing.

It is still January, but there is a good chance Elliott will be in awards contention for his turn in/as The Hero. However, maybe the greater surprise is how terrific Laura Prepon is portraying Charlotte. She is a smart, sultry, sarcastic presence, who truly lights up the screen. Nick Offerman’s Jeremy is also amusing in a lowkey kind of way. You could almost say he gets to play the film’s Sam Elliott character.

If Haley had deviated from the formula a bit more, The Hero might have become a Western Icon in its own right. Instead, we have what we have—and it is still well worth seeing, thanks to the stellar work of Elliott and Prepon (plus Offerman’s rock solid support). Despite the obvious manipulation, the emotional payoff is hugely satisfying. Recommended for nostalgic fans of Elliott and the western genre, The Hero screens again today (1/23), Thursday (1/26), and Saturday (1/28) in Park City, as part of this year’s Sundance.