On Deadly Ground (1994)

Director:

Steven Seagal

Writers (WGA):

Ed Horowitz (written by) &
Robin U. Russin (written by)

Release Date:

18 February 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

Tagline:

His battle to save the Alaskan wilderness and protect its people can only be won...

Plot:

Mystical martial artist/environmental agent takes on a ruthless oil corporation.

Plot Keywords:

Environmental | Directed By Star | Alaska | Crooked Businessman | Environmental Activism

Awards:

1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Steven Seagal	...	Forrest Taft
Michael Caine	...	Michael Jennings
Joan Chen	...	Masu
John C. McGinley	...	MacGruder
R. Lee Ermey	...	Stone
Shari Shattuck	...	Liles
Billy Bob Thornton	...	Homer Carlton
Richard Hamilton	...	Hugh Palmer
Chief Irvin Brink	...	Silook
Apanguluk Charlie Kairaiuak	...	Tunrak
Elsie Pistolhead	...	Takanapsaluk
John Trudell	...	Johnny Redfeather
Mike Starr	...	Big Mike
Sven-Ole Thorsen	...	Otto (as Swen-Ole Thorsen)
Jules Desjarlais	...	Drunken Eskimo

Also Known As:

Rainbow Warrior (USA) (working title)
Spirit Warrior (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Inuktitut

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Philippines:R-18 | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Germany:18 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:15 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (cut) | USA:R | Norway:18 (video premiere) (1994) | Norway:(Banned) (1994-2003) (cinema release)

Filming Locations:

Fletcher Oil Refinery - 24721 Main Street, Carson, California, USA

Company:

Seagal/Nasso Productions

Trivia:

Forrest Taft, played by Steven Seagal, asks the question "What does it take to change the essence of a man?" to an oil worker. This question is posed and answered in an aftershave commercial by Kelly LeBrock, who was married to Seagal at the time.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: When Seagal hurls a villain through a pane of glass, a microphone and its operator are very visible to the left of the shot.

Quotes:

Forrest Taft: What does it take to change the essence of a man?

Movie Connections:

References Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)

Soundtrack:

UNDER THE SAME SUN

Rub noses with me, "Eskimo" maiden

In this Alaskan film, Joan Chen plays what is quite probably the last word in Sino-Eskimo snow bunnies.

Eskimo Joan represents the same sort of Hollywood confusion about racial boundary lines which saw Larry Fishburne play the Moor of Venice, and Jackie Chan cast to play the King of Pop in an upcoming TV movie. (I'm kidding about one of these.) Not to mention generations of Italian and Jewish Indians, and more white actors in blackface than there are seeds in a watermelon.

Joan is teamed here with Steven Seagal, quite probably the last word in inarticulate and extremely violent tree-hugging Buddhists. Sort of the Billy Jack of the Barents Sea. His jacket has more fringe on it than you'd see at a reunion concert by the Buffalo Springfield.

Together, they try to build a world where an interracial couple can be happy in an oomiak built for two.

A number of years ago, I spent nearly 8 seconds at a book-signing in the presence of Michael Caine. For each of those seconds, he was extremely personable. So it's a bit of a revelation for me seeing him playing his two-faced vicious Hun of a smooth oil company CEO. Old favourite John C. McGinley also appears against type as one of Caine's nastier henchthugs.

Finally, there's Seagal's direction which takes his film on this ecological walk through the woods which makes it all seem a little like Oliver Stone after too many days trapped in a sweatlodge.

It's so ridiculous I actually found myself enjoying the whole thing quite a bit.