The Octagon (film)

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The Octagon
The-Octagon-Poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byEric Karson
Written by Leigh Chapman [1]
Story by
Produced byJoel Freeman [1]
Starring
Cinematography Michel Hugo [1]
Edited by Dann Cahn [1]
Music by Dick Halligan
Production
company
American Cinema Productions [1]
Distributed byAmerican Cinema Releasing
Release dates
  • August 8, 1980 (1980-08-08)(Dallas, Kansas City, St. Louis)
Running time
103 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States [1]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4 million [2] or $2.5 million [3]
Box office$19 million (United States) [4] [2] or $25 million [3]

The Octagon is a 1980 American action martial arts film starring Chuck Norris, Karen Carlson and Lee Van Cleef. It was directed by Eric Karson and written by Paul Aaron and Leigh Chapman. The film involves a martial artist (Chuck Norris) who must stop a group of terrorists trained in the ninja style by his foster brother (Tadashi Yamashita).

Contents

It was filmed in Los Angeles and released by the distribution wing of American Cinema Productions beginning August 15, 1980. It is notable for its inventive use of voice-over effects to portray the inner life of Norris' character, Scott James. This was actor Richard Norton's film debut.

Plot

The film opens at a secret military training camp led by Katsumoto, who warns his recruits that betrayal will mean death for them and their families. Soon after, members of the group assassinate a diplomat, revealing their reach and brutality.

Scott James, a retired karate champion, attends a dance performance and meets Nancy, a dancer who blends martial arts into her routine. After dinner, they are attacked by ninjas at her home. Scott fights them off but is unable to save Nancy or her family. Seeking answers, he turns to his old mercenary friend McCarn, who denies knowing anything about ninjas and tries unsuccessfully to recruit Scott into his anti-terrorist operation.

Scott later meets a wealthy woman named Justine, who lures him into a confrontation with McCarn. She admits she’s been targeting terrorist leaders and wants Scott’s help to eliminate Seikura, the man responsible for her father’s death. Scott refuses, but his friend A.J., another martial artist, becomes involved with McCarn’s group and learns that Seikura is Scott’s estranged foster brother.

Through flashbacks, Scott remembers training with Seikura, who was disowned by their adoptive father after a violent rivalry. Meanwhile, Seikura trains assassins at a hidden camp called The Octagon. With help from Aura, a disillusioned recruit, Scott infiltrates the organization.

The final act takes place inside The Octagon, where Scott battles through a series of deadly opponents. He faces Seikura’s top enforcer and ultimately confronts his brother in a brutal showdown. As the compound burns around them, Scott kills Seikura, ending their lifelong feud.

Cast

Production

Eric Karson had just made the film Dirt (1979). [10]

Release

Theatrical

The Octagon opened on 244 screens in Dallas, Kansas City, and St. Louis on 8 August 1980, before expanding into Los Angeles on 22 August 1980.

It earned rentals of $9.8 million. [11]

Reception

Critical response

Variety noted that the film "ought to keep the fans happy. A bizarre plot involving the Ninja cult of Oriental assassins with international terrorism provides plenty of chances for Norris and other martial art experts to do their stuff, and pic has a nicely stylized look with excellent lensing and music. Subtleties of writing and performing are not this film's selling points, so it would be misleading to belabor those inadequacies." [12] Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote, "It has an understandable story with a little bit of sophistication, which immediately places it head and shoulders above the typical kung-fu chop-socky flick. Unfortunately, 'The Octagon' gets a little too complicated for its own good. There are a bunch of supporting characters who really aren't that crucial to the story, once it gets going in a straight line toward the ultimate confrontation between Scott James and his Oriental relative." [13] Linda Gross of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "What is deeply disturbing about this movie is its inherent cynicism and wholesale endorsement of and commitment to violence. The screenplay by Leigh Chapman from a story by Chapman and Paul Aaron is predicated on the notion that pacifism causes violence and the only way to stop terrorism is to become a better fighter than your enemy, who in this case happens to be the hero's half-brother. The film also implies that if there are no wars around to fight, it's necessary to invent some." [14] Joseph McLellan of The Washington Post wrote, "Clearly 'The Octagon' is no real threat to 'War and Peace' or even 'Beau Geste,' but it will appeal to those who are still in mourning for Bruce Lee, who like carefully choreographed fight scenes and who enjoy standing in front of a mirror looking at their muscles." [15] Tim Pulleine of the Monthly Film Bulletin referred to the film as "routine martial arts hokum, too disjointedly assembled to compel much interest." [1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Pulleine, Tim (February 1981). "Octagon, The". Monthly Film Bulletin . Vol. 48, no. 565. British Film Institute. p. 31.
  2. 1 2 BROESKE, P. H. (May 19, 1985). "CHUCK NORRIS--AN ALL-AMERICAN HIT". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest   154169712.
  3. 1 2 Lipper, H. (26 August 1988). "Chuck norris // he wants emotion to add punch to his characters". St.Petersburg Times . ProQuest   262601599.
  4. "The Octagon (1980)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Palmer, Bill (1995). The Encyclopedia of Martial Arts Movies. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 255. ISBN   978-0-8108-3027-1.
  6. Jacques, Derek; Jorgensen, Janice; Kepos, Paula (10 July 2009). Contemporary Black Biography: Profiles from the International Black Community. Gale. p. 61. ISBN   978-1-4144-3440-7.
  7. Clary, David (May 1992). "Black Belt". Black Belt. Buyer's Guide. Active Interest Media, Inc.: 14. ISSN   0277-3066.
  8. Tillson, Thomas (October 1995). "Black Belt 'Meet Mike Norris'". Black Belt. Active Interest Media, Inc.: 42–43. ISSN   0277-3066.
  9. La Revue du cinéma. Ligue française de l'enseignement et de l'éducation permanente. 1981. p. 161.
  10. Donahue, Suzanne Mary (1987). American film distribution : the changing marketplace. UMI Research Press. p. 302. ISBN   978-0-8357-1776-2.
  11. Donahue, Suzanne Mary (1987). American film distribution : the changing marketplace. UMI Research Press. p. 301. ISBN   978-0-8357-1776-2. Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada
  12. "Film Reviews: The Octagon". Variety . August 13, 1980. 26.
  13. Siskel, Gene (August 19, 1980). "He's no Bruce Lee, but Norris hits in 'Octagon'". Chicago Tribune . Section 2, p. 2.
  14. Gross, Linda (August 25, 1980). "Violence on All Sides in 'Octagon'". Los Angeles Times . Part VI, p. 6.
  15. McLellan, Joseph (August 25, 1980). "For The Kill Of It". The Washington Post . B1, B11.