Phillippe Mora’s “Communion” (1989) is, alongside the infamous failure of “Wired,” essentially the most peculiar movie of its film yr.
The previous is the notorious John Belushi biopic, doomed for failure within the lead-up to a launch that bordered on witness safety. The latter, a much more prestigious, if off-the-wall venture, is the variation of Whitley Strieber’s #1 bestselling 1987 guide by which he recounted being kidnapped by extraterrestrials.
Strieber’s prior revealed works embrace “Wolfen” in 1978 and “The Starvation” in 1981, each gripping horror novels which turned stable movie variations (in 1981 and 1983, respectively). The angle on “Communion” that Streiber caught to, within the guide and within the press, was that his story wasn’t fabricated.
The complete title of the guide is “Communion: A True Story.”
For individuals who bear in mind the late twentieth century, the unsettling guide jacket of “Communion” was omnipresent in each bookstore and airport newsstand for what felt like ages. The assumption, fascination and historical past of UFOs and extraterrestrials had at all times been in popular culture, however Strieber’s asserting that his account was the true deal elevated the subject.
Regardless of the place one stands on the problem, listening to a good author take a controversial stance like this was akin to Stephen King claiming “The Shining” was non-fiction.
No much less odd was the announcement {that a} movie model was being directed by Mora, the French Australian director of “Howling III: The Marsupials” (1987) and, enjoying Streiber, the entertaining, typically good and at all times unpredictable Christopher Walken.
Mora, who burst into the highlight with the fantastic Dennis Hopper-starring western, “Mad Canine Morgan” (1976), is a daring and gifted filmmaker. His method to the fabric, which alternates between straight ahead and wildly surreal, by no means gels.
Walken performs Strieber as a really odd novelist who typically movies himself whereas working. That makes his artistic course of akin to goofing round and discovering nuggets of inspiration amongst numerous one-man clowning. Strieber takes his spouse, Anne (Lindsey Crouse) and son, Andrew (Joel Carlson) out for a mountain retreat, by which bizarre issues happen each night time.
Upon returning, the Striebers notice all of them had comparable experiences and might’t dismiss them as merely desires. When the Striebers go to a health care provider (the reliably plucky Frances Sternhagen) who locations them underneath hypnosis, they conclude that they had been visited and abused by aliens.
“Communion” is fascinating however merely doesn’t work. One way or the other, the movie manages to be riveting and ridiculous on the similar time. Strieber’s screenplay and a few heavy-handed edits render the story imprecise and disjointed, with many scenes feeling like disconnected outtakes.
Walken’s wildly eccentric efficiency is undisciplined, with each scene feeling like a let’s-try-this improvisation. The actor could also be identified for this sort of goofy playfulness as we speak, within the post-“Cowbell” stage of his lengthy profession.
When “Communion” was launched, Walken’s then-recent milestones included an Oscar-winning efficiency in “The Deer Hunter” (1978), in addition to different highlights like “The Useless Zone” (1983) and “At Shut Vary” (1985).
It’s debatable if this was the primary time Walken gave a efficiency that may very well be deemed (both as an insult or a praise) as “self-parody.” But, even his prior “excessive” flip as a Bond villain within the underestimated “A View to a Kill” (1985) has a sustained depth and self-discipline that isn’t current right here.
It’s arduous to say how critical Walken or anybody current takes Strieber’s story, although the screenplay at the least commits to the ideas that extraterrestrials are actual; irrespective of how one feels concerning the problem, committing to the notion that what we’re seeing really occurred is arguably essentially the most attention-grabbing alternative the movie may take.
Mora, a high-quality B-movie director trying a serious-minded mainstream materials, waffles as a lot as Walken in his dedication to tone.
The true story of 1 man’s terrifying journey into the unknown.
On at the present time in 1989: COMMUNION, starring Christopher Walken, was launched. pic.twitter.com/2Ki4njV5pn
— FANGORIA (@FANGORIA) November 10, 2023
Crouse’s efficiency is a bit of bit higher than her co-star’s, although she’s largely following Walken’s wild lead. To be clear – I like watching nice actors having enjoyable, particularly Walken, Right here, the actor really overshadows the aliens, which is each a testomony to how spectacular he will be and likewise an issue.
At instances, I discovered Walken actually exploring the mindset of a author struggling to make sense of actuality, however there are additionally instances the place I questioned if Walken had contempt for the fabric and simply determined to amuse himself.
The visible results, significantly the aliens, are finest proven in fast doses and never in plain view. Eric Clapton’s grim guitar solos on the “Deadly Weapon” soundtracks had been an excellent match, whereas his comparable method to scoring this movie is misplaced.
RELATED: Audiences rejected “Communion” en masse in 1989. The movie generated simply $1.9 million on the U.S. field workplace.
There are some scary moments, however an absence of rationalization makes this stubbornly surreal and little else. Equally themed sci-fi dramas, just like the far richer and extra dynamic “Shut Encounters of the Third Variety” (1977) and even “Fireplace within the Sky” (1993) supplied some stability by presenting skepticism and doable alternate options to what we had been seeing.
Right here, it’s by no means thought of that the supernatural occasions we’re seeing are the outcomes of hypnotism, psychological trauma or something apart from precisely what we’re witnessing at face worth.
There aren’t sufficient skeptics on display, although it seems like a film about believing made by skeptics.
Mora’s movie unavoidably conjures up cynicism or, at the least, some affordable doubt, however nonetheless maintains that the story we’re watching actually occurred. That is seemingly why “Communion” has a small however appreciable cult following in sci-fi circles.
I’d be occupied with seeing this remade, although a filmmaker much less daring than Mora would seemingly deny us the spectacle of Walken conversing with aliens whereas sitting bare in a smoky spaceship. Right here’s a film Fox Mulder would seemingly have liked, laughed at, or each.