Dark Forces (1980)  Also known as: Harlequin Director: Simon
Wincer Tagline: “Magic. Murder. Mystery… Nothing is what it
seems!” Plot: David Hemmings plays a senator, and to understand
the true oddness of Dark Forces, we have to pause there. Though
the film was obviously made in Australia, which does have a
senate, Hemmings makes no attempt to hide his English accent.
Australian actress Carmen Duncan co-stars as his wife, which
would suggest Australia as a possible setting. But aging, extra-
jowly, Philadelphia-born Broderick Crawford co-stars as
Hemmings’ character’s closest advisor, Doc Wheelan, a longtime
puppetmaster in whatever government Hemmings serves. Maybe it’s
best not to think too hard about it.  Anyway, Hemmings plays a
character named Senator Rast, whose busy career and occasional
affairs don’t stop him from worrying about his leukemia-stricken
son Alex (Mark Spain). What kind of name is “Rast”? The kind
that lends itself to being unscrambled into “Tsar” by
screenwriters drawing on bizarre chapte