RETROGRADE (Christopher Kulikowski, 2004)

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Re: RETROGRADE (Christopher Kulikowski, 2004)

Postby whiteandblank on 16 Dec 2011, 00:06

This is on tv now in the uk, the channel is movies4men
Is there an off switch to your mouth?
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Re: RETROGRADE (Christopher Kulikowski, 2004)

Postby savagesketch on 02 Apr 2015, 16:48

Here's a podcast review of RETROGRADE...

http://filmsack.com/2009/11/film-sack-3 ... etrograde/

Film Sack is actually one of the better movie podcasts out there. This review is fun to listen to as they point out some good elements of the film, but also mostly the bad. They do admit that the story itself is actually quite good, and with a better budget, longer shooting time, and more experienced director, the idea has legs and could work. Yet we all know the end result...

Didn't think about this until listening, but one aspect that truly affects the film negatively is the editors lack of ADR in post-production. The constant movement of the character's motorcyle suit produces a leather sound that overpowers the dialogue...
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Re: RETROGRADE (Christopher Kulikowski, 2004)

Postby Jox on 02 Apr 2015, 20:11

Well you know during the shoot, the producers wouldn't get them enough film stock for the bare minimum of angles coverage of the scenes, so that gives you an idea of how the movie was handled and hastily put together (and yet these guys managed to re-edit and re-edit the film, despite the "no time, no money" situation).

And yes, when I first heard the plot and got a detailed synopsis of the film, I was pretty excited, naively thinking back then that it might have a $10 million budget and could make a really good sci-fi flick. This was of course without knowing the actual production cost was barely $1 million and how hard the producers would make things worse by sabotaging the production at every turn (which I know doesn't make sense but happens more often than not)...

The director sure lacked experience directing, and who knows how much better the film would have been with a better cast, crew and production value, but he was no youngster, and well in place in the post-production world of major studios, and full of better ambitions and ideas (certainly not to make a bad and cheap movie), and the confronted to the blackmail situation of "do it with what we give you or walk away".

And Dolph was probably intrigued by the concept of the film and doing sci-fi, which he hasn't done a lot of, but at the same time was very well paid for what it was (and already kind of going ahead, considering this was made between his almost co-directorial participation with Sidney Furie on DIRECT ACTION and stepping up to direct THE DEFENDER two months later).
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Re: RETROGRADE (Christopher Kulikowski, 2004)

Postby savagesketch on 03 Apr 2015, 21:04

Jox wrote:And Dolph was probably intrigued by the concept of the film and doing sci-fi, which he hasn't done a lot of, but at the same time was very well paid for what it was (and already kind of going ahead, considering this was made between his almost co-directorial participation with Sidney Furie on DIRECT ACTION and stepping up to direct THE DEFENDER two months later).


I also read that about half of the budget went to Lundgren's salary... Which sadly explains quite a bit. Ambitious story and plot for a film that unfortunately looks so cheap and hodgepodged together.
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Re: RETROGRADE (Christopher Kulikowski, 2004)

Postby Jox on 15 Jan 2017, 19:06

Director Christopher Kulikowski on location
(I assume it was on RETROGRADE)

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Re: RETROGRADE (Christopher Kulikowski, 2004)

Postby bomaz on 11 Apr 2017, 19:06

Well, I watched it for the first time today, and it was a bit painful. :( Bad acting, cheap music and editing, uninteresting plot.

If you want to check a cheap time travel sci fi flick, I highly recommend Total Reality with David Bradley (which shares approximatively the same plot).
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Re: RETROGRADE (Christopher Kulikowski, 2004)

Postby Jox on 13 Apr 2017, 11:10

I think it could have been decent if done right and it's funny to think it had evolved from a THING unofficial kind of sequel, but there too many messy factors that made it what it is, again no time and no money (not even for film stock), and sabotaging producers and an already dead and crook studio (Franchise Pictures)...
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RETROGRADE (Christopher Kulikowski, 2004)

Postby savagesketch on 13 Aug 2018, 07:09

Latest episode of the podcast has arrived, this time with an exclusive interview with Christopher Kulikowski, writer/director of RETROGRADE! Kulikowski was incredibly down to earth and great to talk to! A true stand-up guy! Enjoy! Please feel free to rate and review the show on iTunes, Stitcher, and other podcasting apps. Please continue spreading the word of the show!

https://imustbreakthispodcast.wordpress ... etrograde/
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Re: RETROGRADE (Christopher Kulikowski, 2004)

Postby Tom on 13 Aug 2018, 22:05

He's a really good guy. I did an absolutely scathing review of the film on IMDB back in the day. He then contacted me and put across his side of the story regarding finances, crew etc. He then offered to send me a directors cut DVD, which I still have. He took the time out to send that, along with a letter. It was really great of him to do that. Ultimately the film ranks as one of Dolph's worst, but I don't think much of that can be laid at the door of a director who was only going onto his second film and having to deal with so many issues, despite it being a 'star' picture.
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Re: RETROGRADE (Christopher Kulikowski, 2004)

Postby Jox on 14 Aug 2018, 15:46

Cool interview!

Christopher Kulikowski is a genuinely candid, nice guy. I started corresponding with him in the summer 2004, before the movie was released, and then met up and hanged out with him a couple of times when I was living in L.A: he couldn't have been nicer and supportive of me. It was through Chris that I was able to get in touch with Dolph's assistant for the first time in order to mail him my master's thesis. Chris and I still keep in touch once in a while on FB.

I'm glad to hear that he did restore his underground director's cut for better quality, even though he technically cannot make a proper HD re-master since the original elements are gone.
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Re: RETROGRADE (Christopher Kulikowski, 2004)

Postby Jox on 27 Feb 2019, 16:53

https://twitter.com/banditloaf/status/9 ... 5319577600
Ben Lesnick @banditloaf

My next question was: what happened to the eight Wing Commander Lightnings? After principal photography finished, several were moved to Pinewood Studios in London for pickup shots. These were later returned to Marine Salvage to be resold, some still kitted out as Rapiers.

Three most likely remained 'abandoned in place' in the Luxembourg warehouse that was the Tiger Claw flight deck. They and a number of other Wing Commander props appear in the 2004 Dolph Lundgren movie "Retrograde" which was shot in the same space!

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Re: RETROGRADE (Christopher Kulikowski, 2004)

Postby savagesketch on 12 Nov 2019, 09:13

Latest episode is here, this time chatting the cheesy, low-budget, but overly ambitious sci-fi flick, RETROGRADE! Catherine Gonzales from Shuffle Online joins the show to discuss this b-flick from 2004! Enjoy!

https://imustbreakthispodcast.wordpress ... etrograde/

As always, please feel free to rate and review the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you go to subscribe!
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Re: RETROGRADE (Christopher Kulikowski, 2004)

Postby Jox on 07 Sep 2021, 10:53

There's another German release under the title "ARCTIC ARMAGEDDON"

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Re: RETROGRADE (Christopher Kulikowski, 2004)

Postby Tom on 07 Sep 2021, 12:12

It amazes me that companies still release full screen editions.
I do love that Arctic Armageddon title, although it sounds more like a Tara Reid Syfy Channel disaster movie than anything else.
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