RED SCORPION (Joseph Zito, 1988)

[Jox]

RED SCORPION writer Arne Olsen on his POWER RANGERS movie script (which the producers merged with John Kamps' draft -- Kamps was David Koepp's co-writer on DARK ANGEL / I COME IN PEACE)

[Jox]

Remember when Mike White interviewed Dolph about RS on his Projection Booth podcast?
https://www.projectionboothpodcast.com/ ... -1988.html

12 years and hundreds of episodes later, it's still one of his most memorable guests:

During White’s zine days, his first interview would be with cult film icon Bruce Campbell. After interviewing one of his idols, he was prepared to take on many popular guests, including the ones mentioned previously. With so much talent, who would be a favorite? White comes forth with an answer to that particular question which was, in a way, shocking, but also not. “We had Dolph Lundgren on to talk about Red Scorpion (1988). I couldn’t believe I was talking to him. We’ve talked to so many people, and I’ve enjoyed talking with many folks. But I always default back to Dolph Lundgren; it’s a name that everybody knows, right? When people like Peter Bogdanovich or Jeff Goldblum agreed to be interviewed, they just blew me away. I couldn’t believe I was talking to them. Sometimes I can’t believe I’m talking to someone, but my main goal is to just be prepared.”

https://www.horrorgeeklife.com/2023/02/ ... h-podcast/

[Jox]

French promo poster for the rental video release (August 1990)

[Jox]

[Jamesflavell]

Greek promotional poster

RS Greek poster.jpg (230.76 KiB) Viewed 51960 times

[Jox]

Turkish lobby card

[Jox]

With cinematographer João Fernandes
https://www.therialtoreport.com/2016/01 ... ry-flecks/




João Fernandes: The Artist Formerly Known as Harry Flecks – Podcast 57 (118 min)
https://www.therialtoreport.com/2016/01 ... fernandes/
http://traffic.libsyn.com/therialtorepo ... Flecks.mp3

João Fernandes was adult film’s first true cinematographer.

He started in New York in the 1960s shooting black and white soft-core sexploitation films.

Then he was the man looking down the camera when Deep Throat, Devil in Miss Jones, The Story of Joanna and other groundbreaking Gerard Damiano films were made.

He worked with Doris Wishman, Armand Weston, Jonas Middleton and many others. He was responsible for the visual flair of films like Through The Looking Glass and Take Off.

But his talent and success was a double-edged sword. How could he hope to turn his underground fame in a semi-legal industry into a mainstream career?

After years of struggling, he did find success in Hollywood, working as Director of Photography on Chuck Norris films, shooting movies starring people as diverse as Tony Randall, Tom Berenger and Christopher Lambert, and even directing episodes of the hit TV show Walker, Texas Ranger.

But all the time, he wondered: What would happen if Hollywood found out about his adult film past?

For years he denied his involvement in adult film – even when it eventually seemed to be an open secret. So when Ron Howard’s production company came knocking in 2005, looking for an interview for their documentary, Inside Deep Throat, he continued to resist, still determined to keep his decades old secret.

As a result the man himself has been a mystery. No one knew much about him. How did a Brazilian become porn film’s first visual artist, what does he remember about the notorious and fabled films he worked on, and does he have any regrets?

On this episode of The Rialto Report, the artist also known as Harry Flecks breaks a 50 year silence.

In a special extended interview, we speak to the man himself. Joao Fernandes.

[Jox]

Best TV spot ever?

[alex.sp89]

As this one made for Marked for Death with Seagal. Very similar. They had a new strategy on tv back then

[alex.sp89]

Did anyone saw the american theatrical , butchered 90 minutes version of RS on video ? How was it, new editing , music cues and stuff ? Is it available somewhere? Thanks in advance

[Jox]

I'm not sure about the US, but in France the theatrical cut was only 92 minutes, they cut out 13 minutes notably with the Bushman, so you see when Gao approaches Nikolaï for the first time and then it cuts directly to the scene where he gives him out the sandals!

(I saw it again on the big screen back in 2015 at the French Cinematheque (and on 35mm) which reconfirmed what I remembered from seeing it in June 1989...)

Then a year later Delta Vidéo released it on rental video with the uncut 105 min version.

[Jox]

The Essential One Man Army Action Movies by Tom Jolliffe
https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2023/07/ ... on-movies/

Red Scorpion



Dolph Lundgren’s career never quite hit the heights he deserved and in part down to rotten luck with distribution problems and perpetually unlucky choices. Most of his best films only gained their cult following years after release, such as The Punisher or the growing appeal of Dark Angel (I Come in Peace). If Dolph appeared to drop down the budget range in advance of his contemporaries like Seagal and Van Damme, it must be said that he still had a number of films full of the kind of excess carnage that make these films enjoyable. The Punisher has a ridiculous kill count, Dark Angel annihilates a comical amount of cars and Army of One (Joshua Tree) balances John Woo-inspired shootouts with James Bond-inspired car chases.

Red Scorpion was yet another film choice, which on paper should have proved more successful, but as with everything Dolph did, probably came 2-3 years too late, whilst the decision to cast him as a Russian hero to trade off his Ivan Drago fame, would alienate theatrical audiences (though the film was a huge success on video).

[Jox]

Korean RED SCORPION VHS

[Jox]

Japanese press invite

[Moltisanti]

The great M. Emmet Walsh has passed.