Showdown (1993/I)

User Rating:

4.7/10   

Director:

Robert Radler

Writer:

Stuart Gibbs (writer)

Release Date:

17 September 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Action

Tagline:

There is no other way.

Plot:

Ken has just moved from Kansas with his mother. He talks to a girl named Julie, not knowing that her boyfriend Tom is very possessive of her...

Plot Keywords:

Janitor | Machismo | Bully Comeuppance | Bully | Growing Up

Cast

Billy Blanks	...	Billy
Kenn Scott	...	Ken Marx
Christine Taylor	...	Julie
John Mallory Asher	...	Mike
Patrick Kilpatrick	...	Lee
Linda Dona	...	Kate
Ken McLeod	...	Tom
Michael Cavalieri	...	Rob
Seidy Lopez	...	Gina
Brion James	...	Asst. Principal Kowalski
Mike Genovese	...	Spinelli (as Michael Genovese)
Nicholas Hill	...	James
James Lew	...	Hit Man
Ray Gamboa	...	Thug
Debbie Bartelt	...	Shirley

Runtime:

Brazil:100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Germany:16 (cut) | Germany:18 (uncut) | Iceland:16 | USA:PG-13 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R (alternate version)

Filming Locations:

Paradise Valley Unified School District - 15002 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Company:

Imperial Entertainment

Trivia:

The film was shot at Paradise Valley High School when the school was closed because of freeway construction interference. Another school was built nearby for the students who attended Paradise Valley High School. The school ended up reopening and the other school was named North Canyon.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When "Ken" is describing where he previously lived, he pronounces "Salina, KS" with a long 'e' sound, which is how it is pronounced when describing "Salinas, CA". In KS, it's pronounced with a long 'i' sound.

Quotes:

Asst. Principal Kowalski: [Ken's first day at school] Ah, you're the new kid, huh?
Ken Marx: Uh, yeah.
Asst. Principal Kowalski: You got a name?
Ken Marx: Ken.
Asst. Principal Kowalski: Ken what?
Ken Marx: Marx.
Asst. Principal Kowalski: Marx, I'm Mr. Kowalski, Vice Principal. You got a problem you come see me. You know how to read?
Ken Marx: Uh, yes, sir.
Asst. Principal Kowalski: Ah, that's refreshing. Listen, let me lay down a few campus rules for you. No smoking, no profanity, no graffiti. No fighting, no weapons, and no sex. You like sex? Ah, never mind. On campus keep it in your pants. Listen, you stick to these rules, I'll stay out of your face. You don't - I'll become your worst nightmare. You got it?
Ken Marx: Yes, sir.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References The Karate Kid (1984)

Soundtrack:

LOSER TAKES ALL

High School Martial Arts Hijinks Highlight 'Showdown'.

I'm a sucker for the high school genre. And while this definitely echoes 'Karate Kid', it's has a John Hughes feel as well...sort of Midwesterny. Then I found out it was shot in Arizona...

Anyway, this is a really funny action film from Imperial Entertainment. It's a howler, suffers from technical problems, but moves along quickly to it's inevitable feel-good conclusion. Kenn Scott as the lead is such an annoyingly nice guy that YOU want to beat him up, but he does grow on you. Christine Taylor is the girlfriend of the bad guy teenager. The bad guy teen has some of the worst fashion and haircut I've seen in a long time; maybe he had stock in Merry Go Round. Brion James turns up in another Imperial Entertainment release in a throwaway role as the vice principal. Maybe he had a contract with them.

Apparently there's a PG-13 as well as the R rated version I saw, which explains once again why Imperial's films have that weird family vibe, then all of a sudden someone's cursing or spitting blood into the camera lens. Billy Blanks is a terrible actor; during SHOWDOWN, my friend kept screaming "He sucks so bad!!" and kept hitting his head, but believe me, he meant it in the nicest possible way. I tell you this....I'd rather watch a Blanks vehicle then a Wesley Snipes big-budget borefest any day of the week.

A true classic of the growing straight to video action cult. These were our drive-in films of the 90's, folks, so if you complain about the lack of that sort of New World/regional independent drive-in fodder you lovingly associate only with the 70's and early 80's, you better start backtracking. There's a lot of stuff to catch up with.