RED SCORPION (Joseph Zito, 1988)

[Reznik]

Thank's Jox.

[leigh1975]

Hey actually I tried it for you, found it recently myself.

Verdict is, as you can expect, that's it's NOT 2.35 (don't even believe it was filmed in that ratio) widescreen, it is just 1.78 and 4/3 (think they just took a full screen master to emulate a 16/9 aspect ratio). And the 5.1 spatialization sound re-mix is horrendous.

Now of course the cover is great, taking the original theatrical Thai poster and like a lot of Thai editions it comes in a nice slip case with molded titles.

At last I got myself the Japanese DVD (only descent one uncut), but I hope Blu-rays will allow us to finally enjoy this one and a few others in a respectable original aspect ratio and uncut version...

I have the UK version, and that is a pretty close picture as it is, I would imagine there is quite a bit of image missing once it is jimmied to 16:9, no?

[Jack Caine]

The Region 1 dvd isn't uncut, is it?

[The_Canadian]

No, it isn't, although I wished it was, the infamous flame-thrower shot sounds pretty kickass.

[Jack Caine]

Oh big time. I was watching it tonight and realized it wasn't the uncut version when the guy gets his arm shot off w/o blood, but its' still nasty and violent. That final shootout at the camp is one of teh greatest action scenes of all-time. Easily the best Dolph film ever.

[Jox]

Interesting news: Kevin Spacey would be set to star as Jack Abramoff in CASINO JACK, a political thriller / biopic the ex-RED SCORPION producer and scandalous Washington lobbyist. Spacey and the director of FACTORY GIRL negotiated to visit Abramoff in jail:

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/e ... ood-visit/

I doubt they even mention RS in the movie but that production could make a movie alone...

[Jox]

Found this weird and funny anecdote from filming RS:
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_i ... 869&ref=mf

In the winter of 1988, Dolph Lundgren was shooting the film Red Scorpion. He was playing the memorable character Lt. Nikolai Rachenko. He was coming into the film off the back of such movie history making greats as Masters of the Universe, Rocky IV and A View to a Kill.

I don't know if you knew this, but Hans (that's his real first name) has a masters degree in chemical engineering, was the European Heavyweight karate champion and the Team Leader of the 1996 US Olympic Pentathlon Team.

I first met him on the set of Red Scorpion, where I was working as a rigger during a highly unsuccessful stint as a screenwriter cum gear-lugger. He and I got on fairly well, sharing as we do a keen interest in buckminster fullerine, which had only been discovered three years previously.

My rigging colleague at the time was a gorgeously queeny young man called Jolyon, who was hopelessly unsuited to the job (as was I) - and whose passion for fashion was matched only by his unrequited passion for the leading man in the movie.

Over lunch breaks, Hans and I would sit and discuss likely uses for fullerines, while Jolyon would sit and ogle the movie star, offering to fetch anything he needed and generally ingratiating himself in any way he could. Hans, I think, thought he was rather sweet and tried to treat him kindly whilst keeping him at arms length.

One day, during a break in filming, we were joined by Richard Bruno, the costume designer, who everyone knew as 'Threads'. He and Jolyon were great friends, and for once Jolyon's attention was off Hans as he swapped fashion tips and the occasional bitchy swipe with Richard. It was pouring down outside - big fat drops of water were drumming on the roof of the soundstage, if it kept going like that, we weren't going to get much more filming done that day. I was aware that the 6' 5" form of my co-chemist was a little twitchy - he hated being cooped up inside and would much rather have been getting on with the filming. I tried to distract him with the suggestion that C60 would quite likely make a excellent basis for building nanotubes, but he was not to be so easily mollified. Frankly he was quite determined to go outside and see if there was enough light to film a few action sequences. Richard was horrified - "Think of the continuity darling" he said, "Lord, you'll be soaked to the skin and we'll have to match it streak for muddy streak on your hair, skin and clothes for weeks to come - please sit down" and he made as if to grab Hans and stop him from going outside.

Now it's a brave man who tries to stop a 6' 5" karate champion from doing what he wants, especially when he's been stuck inside for too long and his patience is wearing thin. I suppose it wasn't exactly surprising that Hans gave Richard a gentle nudge back into his seat. Nor was it surprising that his idea of 'gentle' and Richard's didn't exactly coincide.

"I just think you should stay inside until it's stopped !" Richard whimpered as he shivered in his seat.

Jolyon though was more forthright - I think he was disappointed in his idol and it made him angry and not a little stern.

"Rude Dolph ! Threads knows rain dear !" he shrieked.

Did I mention he had a very shiny nose ?

[dolphage]

That IS a weird anecdote!

One would think that Dolph REALLY did not want to be called Hans during this period, though. The whole thing sounds like fiction. And more than a little gay.

[Jox]

There are too many true facts to be fiction though I think. I don't know about the Hans thing maybe it's just the "writer"'s decision to use it, and then again the rest is HIS point of view on the situation, there so many ways you can tell a story from the same situation...

[Mosquito]

Errr... can someone please translate "Threads knows rain dear" for me? I don't get the joke. Well, I get it that it sounds like reindeer, but I don't understand the actual meaning of that sentence.

[dolphage]

The wardbobe guy was called "Threads" and he knew all about rain (and it's effect on clothing). Plus he refered to DL as "Dear" (it's a gay thing) (...or so I'm told)

"Threads knows rain, dear"

[Mosquito]

Ah, oh, ok, I didn't get it that "Threads" was a reference to that guy. Thought the sentence was some kind of phrase. Thanks for the clarification.

[Jox]

Jay Chattaway wasn't given enough credit for his score
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e5GCxJwqGw

[Mosquito]

Old trailer in good quality on Youtube:

[Catty]

I recently watched this pretty good movie. It has everything in there. Even the conspiracy stuff is gripping and all comes down to a brilliant ending. Dolph looks wonderful and his hair is so different to the style he had during "Masters of the Universe" only 2 years before that was made.

Oh and RT website mentioned the Cold War: http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/red_scorpion/

(The 80's had so many Soviet action films and comics.)