The Living Idol

This film was shown today at the NFT in the season celebrating the career of Albert Lewin.This i believe was his last film so you could say that it went out with not a bang but a miaow.It is a sort of cross between Leopard Man and The Cat People.It tries hard to install a sense of the supernatural but teeters on the edge of silliness.In fact it has to be said that this film is one of those which is so bad as to be eminently watchable for that reason.The plot ,such as it is,resolves about Justice and his obsessional quest to communicate and understand Jaguars and the place in Mayan society.he believes his best friends daughter is in some way possessed by them,so instead of taking her to a shrink he lets a jaguar out of the zoo.This leads to a rather mirthful climax.i am rather ashamed to admit that in the august confines of NFT1 i let out a burst of uncontrolled laughter at the climax.I am sure i must have woken up the rather sparse audience.One i would recommend to lovers of truly bad films.