RED SCORPION (Joseph Zito, 1988)

[savagesketch]

I was pretty young when this was released, so you'll have to forgive me, but how was this released theatrically? Was there a lot of promotion for it, and approximately how many screens was it released on back in '89? I know it was technically a "box office bomb," but I'd be curious to know if it got the appropriate marketing and promotion, and if not, if that was the reason for its failure.

I know that it came off of the heels of MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE and I imagine Dolph was being hyped as the next action star... This vehicle is extremely similar to a RAMBO film... So in that case, was it in fact released on the same number of screens and hyped in the same fashion as a RAMBO movie, or was it simply dumped in cinemas and quickly forgotten where nothing was said about it?

I'd be curious to hear about the film's genesis theatrically...

[Jox]

Well to understand the history of RED SCORPION you have to bear in mind all the trouble it went trough during production. Because they had to leave Swaziland (where they already had built, cast & crew already on location) at the 11th hour, they went to shoot in Namibia (that was ruled by South Africa). Warner Bros was to distribute it domestically, but they were in a binding agreement known as the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act (1986) to boycott South Africa for its practice of apartheid and so they dropped any attachment to the film.That led to some bad press for the movie (and therefore Dolph), notably in the New York Times, and that's probably what hurt the movie most because it was sort of on a blacklist in people's mind. The producer Jack Abramoff (same lobbyist that just got out of jail and that is the subject of the upcoming movie "Casino Jack") was stuck with no distributor and then made a deal with James Glickenhaus independent company SGE (Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment) to release the film.

It actually opened in the US a more than decent amount of theaters (1, 200) but even though I wasn't there it doesn't seem that the publicity was there. Actually it was said in a magazine that Dolph didn't wanna do much promo for it except in Japan (where he had strong bonds). It brought $1,972,994 on first week-end at rank #7 with an average of $1,555 (MASTERS did $4,883,168 with $4,120 average in approx in little less theaters).

So I mean yes Dolph was hyped as the next action star but at the same time the film had a bad reputation before it had even completed filming. Also I think it was bold of Dolph to take on a character that was kind of an ambiguous anti-hero, but it probably wasn't audiences wanted at the time (more like a clean patriotic hero); and like RAMBO III, it came out too late in terms of the cold war and by 1989 this kind of action film was already fading out, it should have been made in 1985.

Now if you ask about the French release, I remember it coming in an average but decent amount of theaters but barely lasted 2-3 weeks. By the the third week there was only one theater left in the whole Paris and suburbs area and I had my dad taking me on the last day, he waited outside because he didn't want to see it and I was ALONE on the theater (I was 10)!

It seems to have done barely better in Germany and Spain.

But the movie really was successful and probably made a lot of money of VHS.

[Mosquito]

I don't remember it being here at all, I guess I discovered the movie only several years later. But hell, that new release with a long version sounds *so* good! Let's hope they really do this, I'd pre-order right away!

The AOBG article is good as always, makes me watch Red Scorpion again. It has been a few months since the last view, it's about time again!

[Jox]

It did 145,950 admissions in Germany (105,288 in France and 236,945 in Spain).

[Jox]

[Jox]

Japanese promo pin


DVD cover

[sujana]

I was just watching it the other night, and unlike the theater release, the US disc is missing a scene where the soviets are in white anti-radiation suits and spraying the village with chemicals.............it should have been left it, because it makes no sense that the villagers say "it is raining on us" after the Russian war chopper flies over them, and nothing further is explained.

Yes, the them was really different and nice and having o any repetition like others . spray of chemicals science was wired for me .

[Jox]

Australian VHS

[riotgirl77]

On tonight's Conan...Kevin Spacey was one of the guests (he was promoting Casino Jack which is about Jack Abramoff) and mentioned that Jack can impersonate Dolph? I think I heard that right lol.

[Jox]

Yeah, apparently Abramoff was known in his entourage for making people laugh doing impressions of Dolph and Ronald Reagan...
http://bltwy.msnbc.msn.com/politics/spa ... 0016.story

As the movie is coming out and seems to be highly praised, Dolph and RED SCORPION will likely be mentioned quite a bit in the coming months.

[riotgirl77]

Ahhh...I would like to see Jack impersonating Dolph since I'm use to seeing Dolph impersonate Sly and Arnold lol.

Been reading good things about the movie and Kevin's up for a Golden Globe..

[Jox]

Anybody who make it to Paris on January 29th at midnight:

RED SCORPION will be screened on 35mm in a Dolph special night where I (yours truly) will be a guest speaker and will present the film, talk about Dolph and show trailers (in 35mm from my collection), videos etc!

http://paniccinema.com/Panic_Cinema/Pro ... r___2.html

[Jox]

Anybody who make it to Paris on January 29th at midnight:

RED SCORPION will be screened on 35mm in a Dolph special night where I (yours truly) will be a guest speaker and will present the film, talk about Dolph and show trailers (in 35mm from my collection), videos etc!

http://paniccinema.com/Panic_Cinema/Pro ... r___2.html

[dolphage]

[b]Anybody who make it to Paris on January 29th at midnight:

RED SCORPION will be screened on 35mm in a Dolph special night where I (yours truly) will be a guest speaker and will present the film, talk about Dolph and show trailers (in 35mm from my collection), videos etc!

Awesome as hell! You go, buddy! I hope there's a good turn out. Are you expecting a lot of people?

[Jox]

The event is almost every saturday and is usually packed... when I saw RED SCORPION in a theater in '89 I was the only one in the theater!

We've been trying to set up this event for a year and half (first for the CP release) so I'm glad it's finally happening!