Ragin' Cajun (1990) User Reviews

This Heavener outing is a mixed bag at best.

[tarbosh22000 · 5/10 · 10 April 2013]

Cage Damante (Heavener) is a Vietnam vet who became a kickboxer. He signed a contract with the evil gangster Regetti (Rich), but fled from New York City to California to escape him and start a new life. His dream is to be a singer/songwriter on the country music circuit. With the help of girlfriend Ali Webster (Tilton), the troubled Cage may have a future. He also has a strong bond with Legs (Bottoms), a fellow vet and agoraphobic who refuses to leave the VA hospital. Both Cage and Legs are seeing psychiatrist Dr. May (Eggar) for further psychological help. Cage suffers from debilitating flashbacks. Just when things are looking better, Regetti insists that Cage "fulfill his contract" and engage in a "fight to the death" with none other than a dude named Dr. Death (Borja). Regetti even sends his goons after both Cage and Ali in order to force him to fight. Will Cage succumb to Regetti's demands? Or does he have some tricks up his sleeve? Even though this movie wasn't written or directed by David Heavener, as many of his later projects were, it seems he's in the driver's seat here as the main star and singer of the many songs this movie has to offer. Heavener seems to have plenty of heart here, and Ragin' Cajun, despite the tagline of "More Blood Than Bloodsport! More Kick Than Kickboxer!" is primarily a drama. Yes, there is some fighting and a smidgen of action, but this could firmly fit in the "Drama" section of your local video store, as opposed to the "Action" section. But Van Damme was huge at the time, so, even though Heavener couldn't be more different, the marketing people saw an opening during the action boom of the day.

Benny "The Jet" Urquidez is on board in a small role as a fighter that takes on "The Cajun", but interestingly he is billed as "Introducing" Benny The Jet, even though he had been in a bunch of movies before this. Charlene Tilton seems to be giving her all as the devoted girlfriend/singer/guitar player that refuses to give up on Cage. Didn't she play a similar role in Deadly Bet (1992)? Samantha Eggar is a quality actress and it's surely a coup that she agreed to be in this. But it truly is a cavalcade of music stars - Tommy Roe, Cristy Lane, Rex Allen Jr., Billy Vera and a few others perform songs, as do Tilton and Heavener, making this almost a quasi-musical. Of course, it's always funny when Heavener is sitting on a park bench with an acoustic guitar, and begins singin' and playin', and mic'd vocals and guitar with effects come strumming out.

But truly the star of the musical show is one Atanas Ilitch, using the stage name "Atanas". His "Let's Live Together" destroys the competition. Why an 80's-disco synthpop song is even in the same universe as all the country pickin' has yet to be determined. But like fellow Heavener vehicle Outlaw Force (1988), before the movie begins, there is an advertisement for the soundtrack. This commercial is a movie highlight. (yes, we know that doesn't make logical sense, but you know what we mean). Not available in stores! 12 original songs from the original artists! ONLY available on stereo cassette! Call now! I wonder if operators are still standing by...

Seeing as how visions of exploding huts dance in his head, there are plenty of chances for odd editing. But the choppiness in the editing room comes out in other, more unexpected places as well. We see what Heavener and writer/director Hillman were trying to do, but this drama/love story/almost-Punchfighter/action/gangster/musical comes out as you might expect - something like a not entirely digested meal. Not that this movie is BAD, but it's a bit on the haphazard side, and some of the fat could have been trimmed from it as well.

Once again, AIP delivers to video stores what others only can dream of. And once again, we applaud them for it. But this Heavener outing is a mixed bag at best.

Holding Out For Heavener

[Scott_Mercer · 2/10 · 26 December 2006]

On many of David Heavener's other films, he is also director and writer, in addition to being the star.

In this film, director and writer William Byron Hillman is in charge. In a helpful interview included on the DVD, Heavener states that he ran into Hillman at the AFM (film industry convention) and agreed to pitch a movie with the guy. They came up with a sketchy version of the concept over drinks in about three minutes, and almost immediately sold somebody on making this turkey for $2 million bucks. There's the film industry for you.

Never mind that they had no screenplay, soundtrack or actors (and claimed that they already did). They didn't even have the hilarious title, which is probably the most entertaining thing about this mess. The title came later.

Heavener plays Cajun (yes, that is actually supposed to be his first name), a kickboxer who keeps getting his butt kicked due to debilitating flashbacks to Vietnam (played by stock footage from a much more expensive movie). Let's forget that Heavener was born in 1958, making him too young to have fought in Vietnam. He gives up on the kickboxing, but a guy from "Da Mob" owns his ass and won't stand for this.

Cajun (or just "Cage" to his friends), moves to LA and checks into the VA Hospital, where he gets therapy and is released after a month. He has made friends in the hospital with "Legs", who hasn't left his room in five years due to even more debilitating agoraphobia than what Cage has.

He hooks up with a girlfriend (or was it a former girlfriend? It isn't too clear) who's also a country singer (played by Charlene Tilton, still looking nice). She gets him a job as a dishwasher at the club where she's singing (or maybe he worked there before?). He encourages her singing career, and, as it turns out, Cage is a bit of a musician as well (Heavener writes all the soundtrack songs here, like in some of his other films). How about a duet act?

Is their love doomed? Will Cage's 'Nam flashbacks continue to taunt him? WIll THE MOB finally catch up to him? Will Legs make it down the hall? Can someone be forced to kick box against their will? These and many more questions that nobody wanted the answers to are explored here.

I believe the problem here is that Heavener shines best as an action hero, and this is not an action movie. This is more of a wannabe drama with a few action scenes. Some of the actors even acquit themselves well; notably Samantha Eggar as the psychiatrist, and Sam Bottoms (who was in Apocalypse Now, for added Vietnam resonance), as the cloistered Legs.

Look out for unexpected musical performances from Tommy Roe, Billy Vera, and Stella Parton. That is, if you make it that far through this unenticing junk.

Look, I give Heavener a lot of credit. I don't think you've directed 14 movies, but Heavener has, thank you very much, even if they all did go straight to video. But this is not one of his "best". Check out KILL CRAZY for some insane, non-stop action. Perhaps it was using an outside director that was the problem. Perhaps, truly, only Heavener knows how to let Heavener be Heavener. NOTE: The cover art IMDb is using, yeah, the one right up there on the left, is NOT the correct cover art for this movie.

A dumb concept

[lor_ · 17 June 2023]

My review was written in February 1991 after watching the movie on AIP video cassette.

This corny 1987 David Heavener vehicle (originally titled "Loner") has the dubious distinction of being a martial arts musical, a genre the world probably still isn't ready for.

Uninvolving script has him playing a musician and kickboxer haunted by his Vietnam War trauma, hooking up with budding singer Charlene Tilton. Script pile it on, giving him the added problem of having the Mob our to get him for reneging on a fight.

Film's hokey climax is a hokey kickboxing deah match, plus Heavener freeing Tilton who's been tortured by the baddies, and accompanying her on guitar and vocals in a triumphant show, all in one evening.

Highlights include Tilton and Heavener's singing plus the 10 songs that Heavener wrote for the soundtrack. There's not enough kickboxing action for the genre fans.and the cross-cutting between fights and musical performances is poor.

Guest stars such as Cristy Lane and Billy Vera add llittle in brief song stints.