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MATTHEW BLACKHEART: MONSTER SMASHER (2002)
I'm assuming that this flick sat on the shelf for a spell before landing on television (not sure what channel; I'm banking on Syfy). It feels like a 90's holdover, and scenes shot in New York City are clearly pre-9/11. So who is Matthew Blackheart? He's a unique superhero with the backstory of Captain America and the personality of Bruce Campbell. The bulk of the film is relayed through flashbacks. In the 1940's, Blackheart was created in a laboratory for the express purpose of locking horns with Nazis. Of course, something goes wrong, and our valorous hero becomes cryogenically frozen until the present day. The present day is 1999, which supports my "shelf" theory. Anyway, the monsters being smashed are called Bogeys. Some are vampires; some are were-trolls. All of them are controlled by the nefarious Mortas and his subservient dwarf.
That's a lot to take in, huh? Director Erik Canuel spoonfeeds the exposition to us, so everything is easy to follow. An honorable mention goes out to Robert Bogue. He plays Blackheart with an equitable mix of pathos and absurdity. Comparisons to Ash are justified, but things never get too silly. Monster Smasher's strength lies in its special effects. I'm surprised that it was claimed by the hazy hands of obscurity. The DVD is long out of print, but it's not impossible to find. Recommended to fans of Darkman, Brian Yuzna's Faust (hey, it's relevant), and comic book tie-ins. As an added note, I doubt very seriously that a Blackheart comic was ever commissioned, but I would love to be proven wrong.
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