Gary Lockwood and Project KILL. By Brian Kirst

Gary Lockwood(star of 2001 and this weekend’s guest at Movie Side Production’s Sci Fi Spectacular 3) has had a long ranging career appearing in everything from costume epics to television episodics (Night Gallery -for you lovers of creep) to direct to VHS horror fests (Night of the Scarecrow) to regular television roles (Bus Stop).

In the mid-1970’s, Lockwood hooked up with genre icon William Girdler(Abby, Grizzly, The Manitou) and brought some kung fu,action heavy dreams to life in Project KILL.

Working with the same quiet intensity as contemporaries Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson, Lockwood imbues the role of Frank Lassiter with tight economy and a wavering moral compass.

Programmed as a ‘robot’by the government and addicted to a daily sequence of pills, Lockwood’s Lassiter chases after his colleague/boss Trevor (Played by a pre-Naked Gun Leslie Nielson who also worked with Girdler on the beyond fun Day of the Animals) who has gone rogue.

Lockwood, enjoyably, finds himself in a variety of action sequences – including an amazing outing on a train involving an exploding grenade and a suitcase – leading up to his final confrontation with Nielson’s Trevor.

Girdler spends much time focusing on the sweat stained complexities of Lockwood’s expressive face ultimately making the loose, rainy day afternoon quality of Project KILL come full circle with some emotional resonance as well.

www.ticketweb.com
www.myspace.com/scifis
www.musicboxtheatre.com