PENTATHLON (Bruce Malmuth, 1994)

[Jox]

I know it's ridiculous!

[Jox]

Now PENTATHLON is also set for Blu-ray/DVD release in Germany (February 13) under the new title ESCAPE - DIE FLUCHT
http://www.amazon.de/Escape-Flucht-Blu- ... 598&sr=1-2
(it's from Euro Video which is a very uneven company so better get the Anchor Bay...)

[Nathan]

Just got the blu-ray for £4.99, will hopefully have it watched by the end of the week. Will be my first viewing.

[Jox]

WOW. Well it's the best version it ever looked.

[Nathan]

Hmmm, I really don't know what to think about this one. On the one hand it was a decent attempt at a thriller and one of Dolph's most interesting performances aside from playing the villain and he got the chance to explore a little. I guess that is why he did it, because looking at a lot of the other elements, it wasn't the most sound decision. Especially right in the middle of firecrackers like Joshua Tree and Men of War. So yeah on that front I am confused as to why he did it, there were points I was thinking wtf is this, such as the guy dancing in the hamburger joint then there were bits I was actually enjoying. It reminded me of Cover Up in places, which I think is really underrated. Bonus points for such a brilliant picture, I mean the quality, colours, crispness. Holy shit, 1994?! It was low budget granted, but the locations looked nice on Blu.

[Jox]

I think the initial project meant quite a bit for Dolph: it was a contemporary/realistic role where he could train his acting chops set in the realm of sports. And he was quite involved in the development of the project, which lasted 2 before it started rolling cameras. The first draft of the script was a tad more action/adventure oriented (as you can read the treatment here) then it became more of a dramatic piece, almost attempting to make a ROCKY out of it. But the production ran into two big problems:
- the financing didn't go well and the budget was half what Dolph expected
- the director Bruce Malmuth was very pedestrian, slow and apparently fooling himself that he was making a masterpiece for which Dolph would get an Oscar (according to the producer). FYI he had just been fired from the movie STONE COLD two years earlier after 3 weeks of shooting where he burned the entire budget so I it was risky to have hired him.
- the production was a mess, and there were constant arguments between the producer (Martin Caan from SILT), Bruce Malmuth and Dolph

On the other hand that's how Dolph trained and met with the U.S. team that later came to him to be the team leader the '96 Olympics and do some publicity for the endangered sport.

[leigh1975]

- the director Bruce Malmuth was very pedestrian, slow and apparently fooling himself that he was making a masterpiece for which Dolph would get an Oscar (according to the producer). FYI he had just been fired from the movie STONE COLD two years earlier after 3 weeks of shooting where he burned the entire budget so I it was risky to have hired him.
- the production was a mess, and there were constant arguments between the producer (Martin Caan from SILT), Bruce Malmuth and Dolph

It's not the first time I've heard bad things about Malmouth... Segal worked with him on Hard To Kill, and has said he was so inept, he couldn't walk across the set without falling over his own feet. I thought it was Seagal being, well, Seagal. Apparently not.

[Nathan]

Dolph seems to have gotten the shit end of the stick too many times in the late 80's/early 90's. If it's not asshole directors it's bankrupted companies. The Punisher, Pentathlon, Joshua Tree...even Showdown, I Come in Peace etc had poor releases. Universal Soldier looked like a shining light in the dark abandon but it was too bad that it was a rose amongst the nettles so to speak. I think that is why Dolph did not have such a successful career because these movies I just mentioned were all pretty good, even in comparison with what Van Damme was putting out at the time. Joshua Tree was as fun as Hard Target. And Hard to Kill was actually a good movie, it's a pity Pentathlon couldn't emerge victorious from the smoke of bad direction. Just bad luck D.

[Jox]

He was also victim of the fact that the distributors didn't believe much in his box-office potential, unlike Van Damme and Seagal (who got hooked up at Warner Bros god knows how). I mean after UNIVERSAL SOLDIER that's the only reason there would be that JOSHUA TREE wouldn't be released theatrically in the States or the UK in favor of NOWHERE TO RUN.

And Dolph got stigmatized from the start with MASTERS and RED SCORPION as the poor man's Arnold who's good for foreign sales and home video but doesn't have much more potential because h's such a "bad actor" (even for an action star) and doesn't have much star personality (again unlike Van Damme).

For DARK ANGEL, they didn't have any money left for marketing (whereas it was on 1,200 screens no less). But it did quite alright in France per instance.

As for PENTATHLON it seems the project didn't generate much interest from the start, so they could raise enough money. The first script was much more commercial and action/adventure oriented though. But that was alo the times when Dolph wanted to get serious as an actor, do dramatic parts in theater ("Miss Julie" by Strindberg) etc. HARD TO KILL you say? I think it's a fluke, Malmuth got recognized mostly from NIGHTHAWKS and HARD TO KILL (which Baxley turned down by the way, but saved STONE COLD from Malmuth a year later) but the successful parts is not his doing.

Anyway, the other thing is Dolph is he has a problem making choices and doesn't always follow his instincts so he made bad ones. And while I admire his humbleness, he didn't push enough to get better directors and studios unlike Van Damme did. That's what he needed (and still needs now sometimes).

[dolphage]

Anyway, the other thing is Dolph is he has a problem making choices and doesn't always follow his instincts so he made bad ones. And while I admire his humbleness, he didn't push enough to get better directors and studios unlike Van Damme did. That's what he needed (and still needs now sometimes).

Well said.

[Jox]

Italian giant lobby cards (70x50cm - 27.5x20in)

[Jox]

French edition out January 24, in 5.1 and 1:85.1 (instead of 1.78 on UK edition) apparently

http://www.sevensept.com/films/blu-ray/pentathlon.html

[Jox]

Japanese theater ticket stub

[Jox]

Greek VHS

[Jox]

French edition out January 24, in 5.1 and 1:85.1 (instead of 1.78 on UK edition) apparently

http://www.sevensept.com/films/blu-ray/pentathlon.html

I can now confirm that this is a lame release with French language track only...