Simon Says MY OWN WORST ENEMY may be Christian Slater's route back to the top...
Christian Slater's star has often threatened to fizzle out completely over the past decade or so. After early career promise pointed towards a likely heady future status- some film fans (myself included) even going as far as to see shades of Jack Nicholson in the intensity and the eyebrows. But when you think about it, Slater hasnt really made a great deal of unforgettable movies- Heathers, True Romance and Interview with a Vampire were about as good as it got to start with, and Slater had the considerable accolade of appearing in The Undiscovered Country opposite Captain Kirk and Co, but after a funny uncreditted turn in Austin Powers, he pretty much dropped off the A-List map. And then, he went and made The Good Shepherd (no, not that one) and Alone in the Dark, either side of the worst film in living memory- Churchill: The Hollywood Years (essentially an extended and unnecessary skit on the way Hollywood paints history- everything it said could and should have been said in a three minute SNL sketch)- and he flirted dangerously with dropping off the C-List. Yet, against all odds, Slater has somehow been able to claw his credibility back- his appearance in the woefully underrated Bobby was measured and accomplished, as was his turn in The West Wing and even his voice-work in the regrettably forgettable Igor stands up pretty well. And what better way to move back into the attentions of the powers that be than by taking the small step down to the small screen for a good-looking high concept series about a schizophrenic family man/super-spy? I've always considered the bench-marks for believable schizophrenic characters to be John Lithgow's cult turn in Brian De Palma'sRaising Cain (honestly, it's much, much better than you remember), and much more recently James Nesbitt's frankly astounding twin-roles in ITV's otherwise poor Hyde. Both performances relied upon complete, but very subtle physical transformations that underpinned the changes in the characters' natures- Lithgow is masterful at convincing that he is each of his various identities, while Nesbitt relied on make-up (a very subtle change in his hair-line, and pupil size) to reflect his change into the villaionous and animalistic Hyde. In this context, Slater's take on the familiar characters finds decent bed-fellows: his performance is marked most by the subtle differences between Henry Spivey and Edward Albright that make the changes entirely believable, and by the fact that the actor is at his best when he is playing a fruitcake. A lot of criticism levelled at the series focuses on the level to which audiences are required to suspend belief- but this is a high-concept fantasy thriller so that concern should simply not come into it, otherwise we'd spend all of our time watching civil servants going to work miserable, doing nothing with their miserable lives and dying lonely and miserable. Others have chosen to highlight the shortcomings of the Man From U.N.C.L.E style 70s throwback spy plotlines, that glamourise the profession as a champagne-quaffing, womanising lark- but personally I love it. I have long yearned for a Man From U.N.C.L.E. big screen adaptation, and am a little sick of the slick, neo-real brutality of the blonde Bond and Robert Ludlum's own American Bond-rip-off. I also think the mixing of the Jekyll/Hyde story and the spy genre is ingenious- it's the epitomy of deep cover! This, of course, isnt the first time the Jekyll and Hyde story has been replayed on our screens: as well as the Nesbitt led ITV project mentioned above, there have been innumerate movie adaptations- from the sublime (Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and I, Monster) to the dispicable (Van Helsing and Dr Jekyll and Ms. Hyde) My Own Worst Enemy is very much the Jekyll/Hyde story for this moment- with Bourne and Bond still genuine money-pullers, and Alias having left a giant hole in the TV schedule, you cant blame NBC for injecting the old familiar schizo story with a bit of a slick espionage twist. But, initially it's hard to see the plot as anything other than made for a movie- compelling over two hours but a little more difficult to hold up over nine hour long episodes, perhaps explaining why it was cancelled so abruptly, ignoring the bloody excrutiating, unresolved cliff-hanger it ended on. The cancellation is perhaps understandable when you consider the awkward writing, and I have to say had Christian Slater not been the lead, I wouldnt have lasted until the second episode let alone the ninth. But for those of us who wish Slater would be given the chance to shien in a proper lead role again, it's actually well worth a watch. And if you need any other reminders as to what we've been missing... The Top Ten Christian Slater Movies 1. True Romance (1993) Stealing, Cheating, Killing. Who said romance is dead? Newlyweds, Clarence (a Gun-totin, Elvis lovin, Outlaw on the run from all sorts of trouble...a man who sees opportunities and takes them, played by Christian Slater) and Alabama, acquire an unexpected wedding present. Unknown to the happy couple, ruthless gangsters are on their tail and theyre determined to reclaim their lost property. 2. Heathers (1989) Three high school girls named Heather are at the top of the social ladder with their clique. However, when one of their anointees, Veronica, isn't sure she wants to fit into the clique, she starts pulling away; particularly when she meets the new boy in school, JD (Slater), a rebel who teaches her a more devious way to play social politics. Upon his arrival some of the more popular students start showing up dead with suicide notes....go figure. 3. Broken Arrow (1996) When terrorists steal nuclear warheads from the US military, dont count on a pilot and park ranger spoiling their plans. Major Vic Deakins and Commander Riley Hale (Slater) are training combat partners and good friends. They receive orders to perform another training exercise with a stealth bomber armed with real nuclear missiles, but all goes wrong when Deakins turns on Hale, who is then left to stop Deakins from using the nuclear missiles to blow up the west. 4. The Contender (2000) Nominated for 2 Academy Awards, and winner of a BFCAA (British Film Critics Association Awards), secrets from a womans past come to light as she runs for Vice President. After his Vice-president suddenly dies, the President, nearing the end of his final term decides to leave a legacy by selecting a woman to fill the position. 5. Interview with a Vampire (1994) Nominated for an MTV Award for Most Desirable Male, Interview with a Vampire promises a constantly surprising vampire story, and it keeps that promise. It hadn't even been a year since a plantation owner named Louis had lost his wife, and now he had lost his will to live. A vampire named Lestat takes a liking to Louis and offers him the chance to become a creature of the night: a vampire. 6. Pump Up the Volume (1990) From the basement of an innocent looking Arizona household, a voice travels on the radio wave that ruins all that is considered sacred in the world. The government is corrupt. School is a joke. But at the root of all of his ranting, this voice has a message. Mark, played by Slater is the voice of a generation who sets up shop as pirate D.J. Hard Harry, becoming a hero to his peers. 7. Gleaming the Cube (1989) Performances, plot and landings are nailed down. Brian's (Slater) adopted brother is killed when he discovers the shop he works in sends weapons to Vietnam instead of medications. Brian takes the challenge on himself and skates off to investigate the murder himself. 8. Hard Rain (1998) Set during a massive flood started by a dam accident in a small town, Christian Slater is an armoured truck guard who gets robbed by Morgan Freeman. A game of hide and seek in bad weather, this one surprises its audience by being an enjoyable thriller. 9. Zoolander(2001) Most movies made from TV comedy sketches turn out to be mildly amusing at best and painful at worst. Zoolander however, escapes this curse with surprising zest. Directed by Ben Stiller, Slater appears as himself in this exceptionally sophisticated comedy. 10. Very Bad Things (1999) A group of friends head to Las Vegas for a bachelor party, only things go wrong and a woman is killed. More bodies are turning up and friends find themselves turning against one another as the cover-up builds. Slater plays Robert Boyd, a real estate salesman and recent graduate of a self-help programme, taking charge of the group and devising a plan to dispose of the bodies by burying them. The group reluctantly goes through with the plan, but soon guilt and nerves begin to destroy the group and unravel their idyllic lives. A vicious, disturbing black comedy that delivers a wickedly entertaining ride. If My Own Worst Enemy tickles your fancy, it's available to pre-order here, and to buy from all good retailers, and some bad ones from the 31st of August.