The Owl | |
---|---|
Genre | Action |
Based on | The Owl by Bob Forward |
Written by | Tom Holland |
Directed by | Tom Holland (as Alan Smithee) |
Starring | Adrian Paul |
Music by | Sylvester Levay |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Executive producers | Tom Holland Kim LeMasters |
Producers | Joel Simon Bill Todman Jr. Bob Forward |
Cinematography | Steve Yaconelli |
Editor | Casey Brown |
Running time | 48 minutes (TV) 84 minutes (home video) |
Production company | Lorimar Film Entertainment |
Original release | |
Network | CBS |
Release | August 3, 1991 |
The Owl is a 1991 American action television film inspired by the 1984 novel of the same name [1] by Bob Forward. The film, intended as a pilot for a series on CBS, was written and directed by Tom Holland, who chose to be credited as "Alan Smithee" on the later extended home video release. [2] The film starred Adrian Paul, Patricia Charbonneau, Brian Thompson, and Erika Flores.
Alex L'Hiboux, a ruthless mercenary-cum-vigilante, is known as "the Owl" because he never sleeps. His insomnia comes from a combination of a medical disorder and recurring nightmares of the murder of his wife and daughter. Alex is approached by Lisa, a young girl whose father is missing. She awakens painful memories of his own child, but after some persuasion from a policewoman friend, he agrees to help her.
The film was broadcast as a television pilot on CBS from 10:45 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. (Eastern Time Zone) on Saturday, August 3, 1991, but was not picked up as a series. [3] The TV broadcast ran 48 minutes, while the later home video release runs 84 minutes. Reviewer Eoin of theactionelite.com explained this difference, writing, "The length was doubled by padding it with deleted scenes (including Holland’s cameo as a rapist), and tedious montages were created utilizing every bit of alternate footage imaginable. Holland was so disgusted by the extended version that he had his directorial credit switched to Alan Smithee – though many video boxes still touted him as the director." [2]
In a critical review of the film, David Bushman of Variety wrote, "unfortunately, it can't resist the temptation to be cute and sentimental, and thus it often loses momentum." [3]
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Alan Smithee is an official pseudonym used by film directors who wish to disown a project. Coined by the Directors Guild of America in 1968 and used until it was largely discontinued in 2000, it was the sole pseudonym used by DGA members when directors, dissatisfied with the final product, proved to the satisfaction of a guild panel that they had not been able to exercise creative control over a film. The director was also required by guild rules not to discuss the circumstances leading to the movie or even to acknowledge being the project's director. The Alan Smithee credit has also been adopted for direction credit disputes in television, music videos and other media.
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