The Shadow
In Tibet, following the First World War, an American named Lamont Cranston (Alec Baldwin), has become a warlord and opium kingpin under the alias of Ying-Ko (Mandarin Chinese for "Dark Eagle"). One night, he is abducted by servants of The Tulku (Barry Dennen), a holy man who exhibits otherworldly powers and knows Cranston's identity. He offers Cranston a chance to redeem himself and become a force for good. Cranston refuses but is silenced by the Phurba, a mystical sentient flying dagger. Ultimately Cranston remains under the tutelage of the Tulku for seven years. In addition to undergoing rigorous physical training, he learns mind control abilities such as hypnotism, mind reading and bend people's perception so that he cannot be seen - except (of course) for his shadow.After completing his training, Cranston returns to New York City and builds himself as a laid back, millionaire playboy. He secretly operates as The Shadow, a vigilante who terrorizes the city's criminals. He recruits some of the people he saves to act as his agents, providing him with information and specialist knowledge. He also regularly has dinner with his uncle, Police Captain Wainwright Barth (Jonathan Winters), who provides him with useful information about police cases, not knowing that his lazy nephew is The Shadow.But Cranston's secret identity is endangered upon meeting Margo Lane (Penelope Ann Miller), a socialite who also have strong telepathic abilities, although she doesn't control them. For some reason, Lamont is unable to shield his mind from her.Meanwhile, Shiwan Khan (John Lone), arrives in New-York concealed in Genghis Khan's sarcophagus. Upon his arrival, he uses hypnosis to make a security guard shoot himself in the temple and make a taxi driver crash into a fuel truck, which explodes.
Khan meets up with Cranston in his secret lair and reveals that he was a disciple of the Tulku as well. Khan is the last descendant of Genghis Khan, and he plans to fulfill his family's goal of world domination. He offers Cranston an alliance, but Cranston refuses.
Cranston acquires a rare coin from Khan and learns that it is made of a metal called "bronzium" (an impure form of uranium) that theoretically can generate an atomic explosion. He then learns that Margo's father Reinhardt Lane (Ian McKellen), a scientist who works on building an atomic device for the Department of War, is acting very strangely and speaking Chinese all of a sudden. Cranston realizes that Khan may target Reinhardt and his invention to build an atomic bomb and makes his way to the federal building while changing into The Shadow. He fails to stop Khan's henchmen from taking possession of the device and Reinhardt in the process.Shiwan Khan then hypnotizes Margo and commands her to kill the Shadow. She goes to Cranston's home and shoots him, not realizing she was shooting at a mirror. Cranston breaks Khan's hold on her but she remembers exactly why she came over. She realizes that since she was ordered to kill the Shadow and she instinctively went to Cranston's home, that he is The Shadow. Cranston confronts him about the murder attempt and confirms he will not be an ally in Khan's plans. Khan reveals he's in possession of the Phurba and used it to kill the Tulku. Khan escapes and Cranston goes after him but looses him near an empty lot.The next day, The Shadow confronts Reinhardt's assistant Farley Claymore (Tim Curry) who reveals his allegiance to Khan and attempt to drown The Shadow. Cranston contacts Margo through telepathy and she saves him. She then tells him about a luxurious hotel called the Monolith who used to stand in the empty lot where Khan disappeared. The hotel went bankrupt before it ever opened and was teared down, although no one knows where or by whom. Cranston realizes the hotel is still there but Khan has hypnotized the whole city into believing it was gone. As soon as he realizes that, he's able to see the hotel.That night, knowing Reinhardt has completed the bomb under Khan's hypnotic control, The Shadow enters the hotel for a final showdown with Khan. He fights his way through the building, and hypnotically influences Claymore to jump to his death from a balcony. He finds Khan, but is subdued by the Phurba. The Shadow realizes that only a peaceful mind can truly control the Phurba. He successfully seizes command of the dagger and launches it into Khan's torso, creating a lapse in Khan's hypnotic control that frees Reinhardt and restores the hotel's visibility. The Shadow pursues Khan into the bowels of the building, while Margo and her father are having problems of their own disarming the bomb. The Shadow defeats Khan by hurling a shard of mirror into Khan's skull.A confused Khan wakes up in a padded cell in a mental hospital, discovering that his powers are gone. One of the doctors an agent of The Shadow tells Khan that they saved his life by removing a part of his brain that is rather useless unless you believe in psychic abilities. Khan is left powerless in his cell. Cranston and Margo begin a romantic relationship, and join forces to fight crime.
gothic, murder, neo noir, paranormal, cult, good versus evil, brainwashing