Blankman
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| Blankman | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
|
| Directed by | Mike Binder |
| Produced by | C.O. Erickson Eric L. Gold |
| Written by | Damon Wayans (story & screenplay) J.F. Lawton (screenplay) |
| Starring | Damon Wayans David Alan Grier Robin Givens Christopher Lawford |
| Music by | Miles Goodman Michael Jay |
| Cinematography | Newton Thomas Sigel |
| Editing by | Adam Weiss |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 19 August 1994 |
| Running time | 92 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Gross revenue | $7,941,977 |
| IMDb profile | |
Blankman is a 1994 superhero parody film starring Damon Wayans and David Alan Grier, who are both of In Living Color fame. The film was directed by Mike Binder.
[edit] Plot Summary
Darryl (Damon Wayans) is a nerdy, child-like man with a genius for inventing various gadgets out of junk. After tragedy hits his family, and when he stumbles on a method to make his clothes bulletproof, he decides to use his skills to become the lowest budgeted superhero ever. His brother Kevin (David Alan Grier) disapproves of Darryl fighting crime as "Blankman", but soon finds himself fighting alongside his brother as "Other Guy", an easily overlooked partner with no special weapons or crime-fighting abilities.
[edit] Influences
While The Meteor Man was a parody of Superman, Blankman is most clearly a parody of the Batman franchise. The opening shots in the film reveal the childhood versions of Blankman and his brother watching an episode of the 1960s Batman TV show, starring Adam West and Burt Ward. The movie uses the same fight scene graphic style (e.g. "Zap!", "Pow!") as the show, and Blankman relies heavily on gadgets, which he makes out of ordinary household appliances (J-5, Blankman's all-purpose robot, for example, is made from an old washing machine).
In addition to this, Blankman has his own version of the "Batcave," an old abandoned train station where he keeps various do-dads and gadgetry. The film Blankman follows a trend of early 1990s superhero movies, blending Golden Age superheroism with modern urban crime and African American heroes (such as Meteor Man and The Rza's Bobby Digital). There are also some influences from the Superman franchise; similar to Clark Kent's glasses, Blankman uses his nerdy specs to hide his true identity; although, those who know Blankman and his true self (Darryl) are not fooled.
[edit] External links
- Blankman at the Internet Movie Database
