SHOWDOWN IN LITTLE TOKYO (Mark L. Lester, 1991)

[Jox]

we didn't get that in the UK at all,

Yeah I don't think it was released elsewhere than America.
EDIT: just checked and it was released in Australia and Scandinavia...

[leigh1975]

Actually, I believe the Aussie 'definitive' edition is coded region 2 and 4, so that's fair game... I forgot about that! Too busy searching for Dolph imports, haha

[Travis]

Lester is a business man above all and funded his company American World Pictures through which he produces and an distributes (i.e. sells the distribution rights worldwide), I don't think he cares much about directing these days. I also think his directorial successes, especially COMMANDO, were flukes and were mostly due to other people involved, not his input or skills as a director.

It has to be said, there is virtually no sense of style or flair in his directing... I'm not even sure he cared back then.

I have to disagree with this. The style of filmmaking is that it does not draw attention to itself. The editing and camera work are seemless and don't call attention to themselves. It just lets the action play out in front of the camera.

I miss that style of filmmaking. Now movies, especially in the action genre are too much about crazy camera work and editing and relying on that to spice things up.

I haven't seen an action film made in the past 10 years as good as Showdown or Commando.

[leigh1975]

Lester is a business man above all and funded his company American World Pictures through which he produces and an distributes (i.e. sells the distribution rights worldwide), I don't think he cares much about directing these days. I also think his directorial successes, especially COMMANDO, were flukes and were mostly due to other people involved, not his input or skills as a director.

It has to be said, there is virtually no sense of style or flair in his directing... I'm not even sure he cared back then.

I have to disagree with this. The style of filmmaking is that it does not draw attention to itself. The editing and camera work are seemless and don't call attention to themselves. It just lets the action play out in front of the camera.

I miss that style of filmmaking. Now movies, especially in the action genre are too much about crazy camera work and editing and relying on that to spice things up.

I haven't seen an action film made in the past 10 years as good as Showdown or Commando.

I'm not sure we've been watching the same films. Commando gets by with a good, witty script and Arnie at possibly his most charismatic period ever (the kind of presence that saves duds like Raw Deal), but the directing is flat and pretty hack. And, as for SILT, it's funny (sometimes intentionally, sometimes not) and one of Dolph's better looking films cinematography wise, but one thing I'm sure a few of even Dolph's biggest fans that know anything about the nuts and bolts of filmmaking knows, it's directed very lazily, the editing is technically efficient, yet the footage presented is weak (a sign that suggests that no matter how talented your crew is, if the director hasn't got the correct coverage then the film won't work), and the script is quite poor; it's clear that Brandon and Dolph improvised the funny dialogue. And the final proof in the pudding is that Warners knew it was badly constructed footage-wise, despertly re-edited it several times and it STILL didn't work, so they essentially sent it straight to video. One of the biggest reviews at the time call this 'spiritless'... I wouldn't go that far, but the only real life in the film is in the two leads. There's a reason why something like SILT doesn't work and flops, and something as equally fun but daft like Tango & Cash does and is a hit... it's better made. I love SILT, but I'm not blind to it's faults. Lester is it's biggest. I'm led more by hindsight than nostalgia.

[Jox]

The DP was the same as DARK ANGEL but it looked more pedestrian in SILT I thought.

Actually the dialogs are pretty much written that way in the shooting script, BUT they twisted them when they re-edited the film (like the most famous one was actually written and shot as "you have the biggest dick I've ever seen on a white man" because the head of WB didn't like it as it was - so it wasn't supposed to be a gay-ish line!). I was told by the producer Warner actually loved the movie (even too much I was told) prior to testing it and then after test screenings they blamed everybody but themselves, re-cut everything and dumped it on limited release.

[leigh1975]

Was the infamous "mall" car chase ever filmed , or was it dumped in pre-production?

[savagesketch]

Unfortunately, lazy does describe this film pretty well... There are numerous goofs and errors that are sprinkled throughout the film that even the most untrained eye will notice:

-- The obvious dummy in the car getting crushed.
-- The scene where Dolph breaks the henchman's neck outside the beach home... only for his hand to mysterious rise and grab Dolph's arm.
-- The goon who commits suicde in the police station, only to reappear later in the film.
-- Tia Carrere's obvious body double wearing a bad wig.
-- The Yakuza "tattoo" ink running and disappearing in the bathhouse fight.

And it's apparent that the film was edited and chopped pretty severely... It barely clocks in at 80 minutes, and that's including credits. A missed opportunity. I think this was the final strike for Dolph in terms of getting mainstream theatrical releases (not counting Universal Soldier of course).

[shooby]

I'm not sure we've been watching the same films. Commando gets by with a good, witty script and Arnie at possibly his most charismatic period ever (the kind of presence that saves duds like Raw Deal), but the directing is flat and pretty hack. And, as for SILT, it's funny (sometimes intentionally, sometimes not) and one of Dolph's better looking films cinematography wise, but one thing I'm sure a few of even Dolph's biggest fans that know anything about the nuts and bolts of filmmaking knows, it's directed very lazily, the editing is technically efficient, yet the footage presented is weak (a sign that suggests that no matter how talented your crew is, if the director hasn't got the correct coverage then the film won't work), and the script is quite poor; it's clear that Brandon and Dolph improvised the funny dialogue. And the final proof in the pudding is that Warners knew it was badly constructed footage-wise, despertly re-edited it several times and it STILL didn't work, so they essentially sent it straight to video. One of the biggest reviews at the time call this 'spiritless'... I wouldn't go that far, but the only real life in the film is in the two leads. There's a reason why something like SILT doesn't work and flops, and something as equally fun but daft like Tango & Cash does and is a hit... it's better made. I love SILT, but I'm not blind to it's faults. Lester is it's biggest. I'm led more by hindsight than nostalgia.

in addition, in the French version, the voice dubbing (Yves-Marie Maurin, who also doubled Michael Dudikoff, Christopher Walken, David Hasselhoff or Larry Manetti from Magnum TV show, among others) was good. Too bad he died in 2009

[leigh1975]

-- The goon who commits suicde in the police station, only to reappear later in the film.

I never spotted that one!!! XD

[Jox]

Was the infamous "mall" car chase ever filmed , or was it dumped in pre-production?

I think it must have been filmed but I'm still trying to get confirmation...

[leigh1975]

Was the infamous "mall" car chase ever filmed , or was it dumped in pre-production?

I think it must have been filmed but I'm still trying to get confirmation...

Awesome, constantly on Dolph duty, do you never sleep? It is strange that I haven't ever even seen any production stills of the scene...

[Jox]

Awesome, constantly on Dolph duty, do you never sleep?

Believe me I do!

[leigh1975]

Awesome, constantly on Dolph duty, do you never sleep?

Believe me I do!

[dolphage]

Awesome, constantly on Dolph duty, do you never sleep?

Believe me I do!

He sleeps, hanging upside down in the DolphCave, one eye open, watching the "Dolph Lundgren" google alert.

[Jox]

Turkish TV spot