Twister

On Friday, we lost one of the greatest character actors ever, Harry Dean Stanton. His quiet and sometimes odd demeanor helped elevate so many films from being good to great. With over 200 film credits to his name, most very memorable, I thought I would focus on a couple over the next two postings that were lost in the mix. First up is 1989's Twister.

Stanton plays Eugene, a cola and mini golf tycoon and the patriarch of the Cleveland family, an eccentric clan based in Kansas. Eugene, his son Howdy, Crispin Glover, daughter Maureen, Suzy Amis, and Maureen's daughter Violet, Lindsay Christman, are preparing for a giant tornado that is heading their way. But even more destructive than mother nature are the visitors they get before the storm hits. This includes Maureen's ex Chris, Dylan McDermott, Howdy's girlfriend Stephanie, Jenny Wright, and Eugene's disapproving fiancee Virginia, Lois Chiles. Hoping to stop their dad before he heads down the alter, Howdy and Maureen go in search of their long missing mother. Their findings lead them to a strange man, author William Burroughs, who has some revelations about the Cleveland family that he offers to the siblings.

This is a very weird little film, but one I find pretty entertaining. It has an offbeat charm that really works in its favor. It doesn't hurt that it has such an amazing cast oddballs as well.

This film is not for everyone, but if you're looking for something that's a little out there, you might want to give Twister a whirl.

It's available on dvd.