The Octagon (1980)

Director:

Eric Karson

Writers:

Paul Aaron (story)
Leigh Chapman (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

14 August 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

In a world of choices, for one man there is no choice . . . he must face THE OCTAGON

Plot:

A martial artist must defeat a plan by ninjas to create a worldwide training camp for terrorists.

Plot Keywords:

Martial Artist | Ninja | Martial Arts | Flashback | Sex

Cast

Chuck Norris	...	Scott James
Karen Carlson	...	Justine
Lee Van Cleef	...	McCarn
Art Hindle	...	A. J.
Carol Bagdasarian	...	Aura
Tadashi Yamashita	...	Seikura
Kim Lankford	...	Nancy
Larry D. Mann	...	Tibor
Kurt Grayson	...	Doggo
Richard Norton	...	Kyo - Seikura's Enforcer / Long Legs
Yuki Shimoda	...	Katsumo - Seikura's Aide
Redmond Gleeson	...	Duffy
Alan Chappuis	...	Pierre
Brian Libby	...	Deadwyler
Ken Gibbel	...	Meat
Cheyenne Rivera	...	Greek
Ted Duncan	...	Truckdriver
Alan Marcus	...	Truckdriver
Gerald Okamura	...	Ninja Instructor
Jo McDonnell	...	Amy Lee
Jack Carter	...	Sharkey
Ernie Hudson	...	Quinine
Robert B. Loring	...	Johann
Fenton Jones	...	Square Dance Caller
Crane Jackson	...	House Detective
Clarke Gordon	...	Drunk
Ben Freedman	...	Newsvendor
Shannon Scott David	...	Waitress
Elizabeth Carder	...	Desk Clerk
Kitty Beau	...	Hostess
Aaron Norris	...	Hatband
John Barrett	...	Justines Killer
Bill Beau	...	Aide
Enrique Lucero	...	One Armed Man
Eric F. Valdez	...	Scott's Taxi Driver
Gasper A. Henaine	...	A. J.'s taxi driver
Carlos Romano	...	Pilot
Mario Valdez	...	Hotel Clerk
John Fujioka	...	Isawa
Mike Norris	...	Scott at Eighteen (as Michael Norris)
Brian Tochi	...	Seikura at Eighteen
Kevin Brando	...	Scott at Eight
Darrin Lee	...	Seikura at eight
John Shields	...	1st Lieutenant
Thad Geer	...	2nd Lieutenant
Haven Earle Haley	...	Diplomat
Benjamin J. Perry	...	Male Assassin (as Ben Perry)
Janette Jiliano	...	Female Assassin
Don Pike	...	Chauffer (sic)
Janell Twomey	...	Nanny
J. Ross Imler	...	French Policeman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tracey Walter	...	Mr. Beedy (uncredited)

Directed by
Eric Karson

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Paul Aaron		story
Leigh Chapman		screenplay
Leigh Chapman		story

Produced by
Alan Belkin	....	executive producer
Joel Freeman	....	producer
Michael Leone	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Dick Halligan

Cinematography by
Michel Hugo

Film Editing by
Dann Cahn

Production Design by
James L. Schoppe

Costume Design by
Barbara Burgdorf

Makeup Department
Dorothea Long	....	head hair stylist

Production Management
Jean Higgins	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mario Cisneros	....	assistant director
Skip Surguine	....	assistant director

Art Department
Sam Moore	....	property master

Sound Department
Glenn E. Anderson	....	sound mixer
David B. Cohn	....	supervising sound editor
John Osiecki	....	sound recordist
Duncan McEwan	....	sound loader (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Joep Bannenberg	....	special effects assistant

Stunts
John Barrett	....	stunts
Jay De Plano	....	stunts
Ken Lesco	....	stunt ninja
Aaron Norris	....	stunt coordinator
Richard Norton	....	stunts
Benjamin J. Perry	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
William L. Asman	....	camera operator: "a" camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sanford Slepak	....	costume supervisor (as Sandy Slepak)

Editorial Department
Vivian Hengsteler	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Roy Prendergast	....	music editor

Other crew
Aaron Norris	....	fight choreographer
Chuck Norris	....	fight choreographer
Brandon Pender	....	production executive: development

Production Companies

• ACG Motion Picture Investment Fund (copyright owners)
• American Cinema Productions

Distributors

• American Cinema Releasing (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• Danton Films (1980) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Pilot Filmverleih (1981) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (UK) (2012) (UK) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• EuroVideo (2012) (Germany) (DVD)
• Future Film (1996) (Finland) (VHS)
• Future Film (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Hipervídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• M.I.B. (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Madison Home Video (1984) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Nelonen (2008) (2009) (Finland) (TV)
• Omaxi (1980s) (Finland) (VHS)
• Videotrage (1980s) (Finland) (VHS)

Also Known As:

"The Man Without Mercy" - Philippines (English title)

Runtime:

103 min | West Germany:97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

France:-12 | Norway:18 | USA:R | Finland:(Banned) (1980) (uncut) | Finland:K-16 (1995) (uncut) | Finland:K-18 (1984) (cut) | Iceland:16 | Germany:16 (re-rating) (uncut) (2012) | West Germany:16 (nf) (cut) (theatrical version) | Sweden:15 | Australia:M | West Germany:18 (cut) (video version)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

ACG Motion Picture Investment Fund

Trivia:

When Richard Norton (as "Long Legs", not Kyo) is kicked in the Groin by Chuck Norris, he grabs himself and yelps out "Oh shit... shit!". Norton himself said that when he was assisting with the stunts on the set of "The Blues Brothers" and told John Belushi the fight he'd be in, Belushi was the one who told him to say "Oh shit!" when getting kicked in the groin.

Goofs:

Continuity: During a car chase sequence, the off-white colored car hits the pursing red vehicle that is parked in its path. The next time we see them, both cars are undamaged and not touching each other.

Quotes:

Scott:If winning overshadows everything, why didn't you teach one of us to lose?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Day the Earth Froze (#5.22)" (1993)

Can you go wrong with ninjas, Chuck Norris and Lee Van Cleef?

Scott James a retired martial arts champion gets caught up in a complicated web involving a wealthy heiress trying to hire him for an assassination job that includes an international terrorist group of ninjas and their training ground called 'The Octagon'. Who's actually led by his brother, turned nemesis from his youthful days. His friend A.J. takes up the offer of the job, but Scott does he best to convince him out of it. Although he finds himself stuck in it, when A.J. goes after the group. Along the way he gets help from an old friend/work buddy McCarn.

Whenever you got a ninja problem, Chuck Norris is your man. Though, I take it you already know that and will be relishing in every sequence involving Norris putting his boot into some ninjas. He's here to punish those who abuse their ninja abilities. It's too bad that many of those moments are very few and far between. As Norris wants to play detective, have flashbacks of his past, go for job interviews and constantly listen to his pondering voice in his head. And what's with the echoing lisp to it… I couldn't stop myself from laughing whenever he decided to take some time out to express his thoughts… in his head. Just brilliant! Only Norris could pull it off with such grace, ha-ha! This bizarre aspect only enhanced the unusualness and hazy cloud that formed amongst the over-populated material. I never thought I'll be saying this about a Norris film, but it has too much going on in the story and this makes it feel rather drawn out when its not shoving in those crackerjack martial art sequences. Otherwise with so much going on and it never truly being clear. From that it manages to rally up many random revelations and plot developments. Despite this its still a corn riddled outing on Norris' behalf and the junky script only goes on to prove it. The stupidity, machismo and ninja talk features rather heavily… to heavily in the woodenly talkative script.

This is one of Norris earlier features and one of his first lead roles. He's pretty much leaden in his acting abilities on this occasion (they gave him too much dialogues, when he should been kicking ass and having fun with it), but he would go on to hone down that charismatic appeal and personality he holds so greatly in the films that followed on. Or am I the only one of a few who thinks that? I find his presence to be far more engaging when his in more action-oriented roles that ask for some slight wit along the way. Anyhow this was probably made to turn him into the next American martial arts star, which would take him to Hollywood for even bigger roles. Oh no, that didn't entirely happen and he did get into some b-grade action flicks that flooded the 80s with the odd occasional big flick (Invasion USA, Delta Force). His acting is passable as a reluctant, but I must do it for the team Scott James, but when it came to the action. Those alert senses were brisk and flashy. When the film finally kicks into gear (in the latter end), up pops the very well choreographed and swiftly executed fight sequences capably directed by Eric Karson. Those final two fight scenes are a real blast. Too bad he couldn't get the pacing of the whole film to be like that, as it's downright sluggish for most part. Making up the rest of the performances is the wittily badass Lee Van Cleef (who steals the few scenes he's in) as the sneaky underhand McCern who feeds Scott with information he needs. Karen Carlson is horrible. Best leave it at that. Art Hindle is reasonable as Scott's go-getter friend A.J. Tadashi Yamashita nails down that venomously vile turn as Scott's brother Seigura. An elegantly biting Carol Bagdasarian turns up as a trainee terrorist who wants to make amends. Also in tiny, but potent parts are Jack Carter, Ernie Hudson and Richard Norton. The gloomily cheap b-grade production pretty much looks it. The lighting comes across as poorly dim and editing is quite haggard, but the beaming music score and stylishly vogue camera-work are competently suited into the picture.

A mildly amusing (and at times unintentionally rib-tickling) offering, but it just takes too long break out of it chains and the flat-nature to begin with for some might just be too hard to overcome. Really Chuck Norris' fans need only apply.