Dollman (1991) - S16 E129
Notas do episódio
It’s time to shrink your expectations and doll out some pocket-sized justice because Shoot the Hostage is back for the penultimate episode in Dan’s carefully curated “Size Doesn’t Matter” season. This week, Dan and Sarah take a short journey into the 1991 sci-fi action absurdity Dollman, directed by cult b-movie maestro Albert Pyun and produced by the legendary Charles Band of Full Moon Pictures.
We’re examining Brick Bardo, a 13-inch alien cop played with relentless, stoic grit by Tim Thomerson, who brings pure tiny Dirty Harry energy to the grimy streets of New York. After crash-landing from planet Arturus, Bardo finds himself locked in a low-budget showdown against South Bronx gang leader Braxton, played by a pre-Watchmen Jackie Earle Haley channelling a twitchy David Patrick Kelly. Along for the ride are local neighbourhood activist Debbie (Kamala Lopez), Bardo’s floating-head nemesis Sprug (Frank Collison), and Bardo’s frustrated precinct boss played by Nicholas Guest.
We break down why Charles Band films are “the TK Maxx of the movie industry” – a bargain bin where you must dig through piles of trash to find a rare kernel of genius. We explore how Dollman inflates its diminutive run time using five uninterrupted minutes of sidewalk stock footage, Garth Marenghi style slow motion lingering, and recycled Buck Rogers space shots. Plus, we take a small detour into 1991 nostalgia – discussing 20p newsagent hair gel, scratch and sniff t-shirts, Magic Eye puzzles and SeaQuest DSV before dissecting whether Bardo’s universe shattering blaster is merely a phallic extension for a lawman of tiny proportions.
What to expect in this episode:
- Nostalgic tangents exploring 1991 pop culture, including Global Hypercolor shirts, Magic Eye pictures and 20p tubs of hair gel.
- A tribute to Albert Pyun’s prolific career, Roger Corman roots and surprising historical ties to Total Recall.
- Celebration of Tim Thomerson’s iconic performance as Brick Bardo, the ultimate pocket-sized lawman.
- A breakdown of the planet Arturus opening hostage scene and its bizarre dialogue choices.
- Our full pitch for a modern Dollman reboot
- A preview of next week’s episode
This season has eight episodes, concluding September 21st
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