This one’s for our overseas readers, particularly those in the UK.
Although not available here in the States, the lovely folks over at Arrow Home Video - one of my most favorite Home Video companies ever - recently brought forth a hugely entertaining Region B Blu-ray release of 1985’s REMO WILLIAMS: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS, and I wanted to share some thoughts about it for a few moments. [Please note the Region Coding of this product].
As the picture’s title implies, this was intended to be the beginning of a long and promising franchise chronicling the exploits of a New York police officer (Fred Ward) who is re-purposed into a weaponless super-agent by Chiun (Joel Grey) - a master of ‘Sinanju.’
Along the way, “Remo” (the cop’s new identity) encounters the likes of Wilfred Brimley and STAR TREK: VOYAGER’s Kate Mulgrew in an adventure which, for all intents and purposes, can best be described as a ‘James Bond tale with an everyman, urban flavor.’ A mission statement to which the filmmakers openly aspire on the Blu’s ample and hugely insightful extras. A mission statement so clearly defined from the outset that helmer Guy Hamilton was brought in to get the ball rolling. Hamilton, who once came thisclose to directing SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE also directed 007 tales like GOLDFINGER, THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, and LIVE AND LET DIE. He seemed the perfect selection to launch and potentially grow the REMO franchise, which would be driven by THE DESTROYER novels by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir, a fertile literary series which continuers to this day.
So how why did we not get more REMO WILLIAMS films? For my money, the film was chiefly hamstrung by woefully inadequate advertising which failed to capture the character and urban spectacle of the piece. I mean, in what universe is this poster a rational sales tool?
[via]
At the time of its release, I fully understood what this project was, but this poster actually came close to dissuading me from trekking to the theater to see it. Said art was ultimately recycled for home video releases and whatnot, resulting in a critical mass of dopey first impressions.
Trailers like this didn’t help much either.
They were too descriptive, and/or descriptive in all the wrong ways. This feels like we’re in for some sort of LAST DRAGONy satire and utterly fails to capture the film’s admittedly tricky tone - which is perhaps best described as playful but hard-boiled.
So, REMO came and went - it didn’t die, nor did it attain the success needed to consider further installments. And hopes of seeing Fred Ward’s slightly oafish…yet imminently lovable and compelling hero…on the big screen once more dissipated into nothingness. No more Chiun, so staggeringly embodied by the controversially cast Joel Grey.
[this clip is not from the Arrow Blu-ray and does not reflect its video quality]
Word recently came that Shane Black (IRON MAN 3) would be attempting to relaunch a REMO/DESTROYER franchise of some sort. A nice tonal fit one should think.
Meaning that, despite the under-performance of this film - and the utter flop of a television series which was attempted a few years after it - someone may ultimately latch onto a formula which could allow us to enjoy Murphy and Sapir’s rich characters on the big screen more fully at long last.
As a film, components of REMO WILLIAMS: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS often ignite more successfully than the whole. As mentioned above, Ward and Grey nail their characters and are consistently mesmerizing on-screen - individually and together. Yet, it’s hard to escape the sense that REMO is something of a pastiche of well-planned sequences and set pieces, rather than an organic, mapped-out whole. Its narrative never drives - instead it ambles, stepping off here for a badass moment, then shuffling over here for another great gag. It’s parts shine brightly, the whole feels diffuse and a at times undisciplined.
Still, it’s a tremendously entertaining outing and one which…despite its internal disorder...leaves one very much wishing this cast and crew had somehow banned together for another go-round. There’s a lot here to like, all REMO needed was to be refined and polished and focused a tiny bit more to to truly come into its own.
Although darker tones/night photography don’t fare quite as well as they might’ve here, Arrow’s Blu-ray offers a generally robust image with moments of lovely ‘pop.’ Andrew Laszlo’s cinematography (he also shot STREETS OF FIRE, THE WARRIORS, STAR TREK V: THE FINAL FRONTIER, FIRST BLOOD, SOUTHERN COMFORT) always seems tricky to port onto video - even when projected theatrically there’s a rough grittiness to his work which is sometimes muted and under-amped by Blu-ray/DVD presentation; I’ve recently seen STREETS, WARRIORS, and FIRST BLOOD via stunning 35mm prints, and none of the corresponding home video releases have come close to capturing the depth/flavor of his cinematography. The same effect happens here, but on the whole Arrow’s transfer comes together nicely and it’s safe to say this is as good as REMO has ever looked on home video.
If you’re like me and are a fan of this film, the extras here feel more insightful than the typical load out - and they’re hugely honest.
Special features include:
Audio Commentary
…from Producer Larry Spiegel and co-producer Judy Goldstein, revealing among other details that:
** Fred Ward was already into Zen, martial arts, etc. when cast.
** A number of actors who went onto be starts were looked at for the role (wonder how history might’ve changed if they’d won this part?)
** Actors being audition for the Remo role would come into auditions claiming they had studied the Sinanju martial art featured in the movie for years. Said martial art is actually fictional and only existed in THE DESTROYER/Remo Williams universe.
** Producers had to do very little work with Joel Grey; he had his character so firmly defined from the outset/by audition time.
Remo, Rambo, Reagan, and Reds: the 80s Action Movie Explosion (1 hr, 6 mins)
Interesting assessment of cultural attitudes and perceptions driving now legendary 80s era action characters and iconography. Includes discussion of political perception, class perception, how self-forged nature of heroes like Stallone and Schwarzenegger make them more appealing to masses. Assesses interaction of ‘genre’ becoming culture.
When East Met West (10 min)
Joel Grey remembers Chiun.
Discusses his initial reticence to take on the part because he was not Korean. Agent pushed him to read the script, which he loved. Discusses filmmakers’ insistence that he was absolute the man for the role even before an audition. Grey endured roughly 6 hours of make up application to get into part. Grey reveals that REMO is his second most-asked-about role after CABARET.
Changing Faces (10 mins 54 secs)
Carl Fullerton , nominated for an Oscar for his make-up on this film, discusses Chiun's make-up in detail.
Notes for a Nobleman (13 mins, 28 seconds)
Composer Craig Safan on the film's famed score. He says it's most complex score he's ever done…
…48 tracks (two 24 track tape machines slaved together). A Korean band was integrated with a 65ish piece orchestra, and synth. Chiun’s ‘theme’ is actually a Korean folk song.
Trailer
Fred Ward is notably nowhere to be seen on the extras. A disappointment to be sure, but there's still a lot to work ith here.
A very solid 1:85:1, 1080p release of an under-appreciated film, you can learn more about the issuance HERE, or find it HERE on Amazon UK. A Region A release of REMO should be showing up at the beginning of next year.
Up next, a look at Arrow’s Blu-ray release of Joe Dante's THE BURBS. A film I remember very, very little about - and haven't seen since its initial release...
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Glen Oliver
“Merrick”
