The 1978 version. It was a pilot for a hoped
for TV series that never came about. The pilot crashed and burned in the
TV ratings. Of course, it went up against Roots which was like leading a
lamb to the slaughter. Too bad. It isn't terrible and definitely had room
to grow. And it has John Mills in it and if he and Jessica Walters had continued
with the series it would have had a little weight. I am far far from an expert
on Dr. Strange and not a fan of the recent films but one issue for fans of
the comic may have been that it strays far from the origin story. Like taking
a shortcut. No car crash. No damaged hands. No searching the world for healing
and the Ancient One. Here the Ancient One lives on Bleecker Street
in a fine brownstone which makes it very convenient.
That is Lindmer (John Mills) and his student Wong played by Clyde Kusatsu.
Lindmer is 500 years old but doesn't look more than 100 or so. His powers
are weakening and he knows evil is coming his way. He needs to pass on his
powers and title of Sorcerer Supreme to young blood. Dr. Strange is a psychiatrist
at a nearby hospital and Lindmer has been scouting him for years. Strange
is played by Peter Hooten, a Lee Horsley look-alike though today that may
mean nothing to most people. Wikipedia says he is best known for this role
so that may say enough. He was also in Inglorious Bastards. He is fine in
this. Very TV easy going like a couch with soft cushions. All I ever want
from a TV star is that he doesn't irritate and Hooten doesn't.
So Balzaroth the Big Evil Dude with red eyes sends Morgan Le Fay (Jessica
Walters) to earth to kill Lindmer and the new guy. She possesses the body
of a young woman to push Lindmer off of an overpass. Ouch. He bounces
back but realizes that this woman (Anne-Marie Martin aka Eddie Benton - Sledge
Hammer, Prom Night, Halloween II) now touched by evil needs help. So much
of the film consists of Lindmer trying to draft Strange in order to help
this girl and Walters trying to seduce him. Kind of a no lose proposition.
Lots of rays shooting from hands follow. I read a little bit about the comics
- never got into them as a child - and the recent Dr. Strange did not strike
a desire to. But I found it interesting that in the 1960's people apparently
searched for hidden messages in them - the Q of its time. People are strange.
