It's not being paranoid if they really are out to get you: "The Manchurian Candidate"

Big weekend at the old homestead: I finally took the plunge and upgraded my TV. Goodbye, rabbit ears and tinfoil ... hello, remote control! And what better way to celebrate than with a remake of the only movie to include "Sinatra" and "submersive" in the same sentence?

When I saw the original version of "The Manchurian Candidate" several years ago, I was struck equally by how much of a stir this must have made in the '60s and how much Sinatra will overact given half a chance. Good movie, but man, was he out there sometimes. His attempt at kung fu fighting didn't help, either, even if this was one of the first movies to show martial arts. (But not the best, of course. Hello? "Gymkata," anyone?)

Naturally I was curious when the remake came out last year. Didn't catch it in the theater -- had a nice little Saturday at Home Depot and Bed, Bath and Beyond, and there wasn't enough time -- but through the miracle of digital video disc, there it was on my TV last night. Initial verdict: not bad, but not as potent as it could have been.

You may know the basic story: As an Army hero rises on the political stage, a few members of his old platoon -- most notably Denzel Washington ("Carbon Copy") -- are having dreams that the battle in which he saved them all (Kuwait in 1991 here vs. Korea in the old version) didn't actually happen. But some folks don't like other people asking questions. Ooh, the suspense!

Washington actually did a pretty good job, and it was interesting to see him play the Sinatra character as unbalanced and vulnerable. There are a few other changes from the 1962 version -- some work, some don't. One definite plus, though, was Meryl Streep. When her name came up during awards season, I was like, "Hell, Meryl Streep gets nominated for going to the post office." But she's solid here, matching Angela Lansbury from 1962 and adding a strong dose of Hillary Clinton for good measure. Hmmm ... wonder if Hillary learned anything about mind control in return. "You will elect me president in '08 ... you will elect me president in '08 ... you will elect me president in '08 ... "