The Ultimate Weapon (film)

Last updated
The Ultimate Weapon
The Ultimate Weapon poster.jpg
Directed by Jon Cassar
Written byPaul Robert
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyBert Tougas
Edited byEnrique Launi
Music byMarty Simon
Production
companies
The John Strong Company
Betar Entertainment
Shostak/Rossner Productions
Distributed by Alliance Atlantis Communications (Canada)
Lionsgate Entertainment (U.S. and Canada)
Release dates
  • June 28, 1999 (1999-06-28)
(Canada) [1]
  • July 4, 2000 (2000-07-04)
(U.S.) [2]
Running time
95 minutes (Canada)
110 minutes (U.S.)
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

The Ultimate Weapon is a 1998 Canadian action film directed by Jon Cassar, starring Hulk Hogan, Daniel Pilon, Carl Marotte and Cynthia Preston. Hogan stars as a military contractor who runs afoul of the I.R.A. when he destroys one of their weapon stashes, and must protect his family from their vengeful wrath. Coming from the producer of the similar Steele Justice , it is considered Hogan's only true foray into the type of R-rated action vehicles that many of his contemporaries essayed during the 1980s and 1990s. [3]

Contents

Story

Ben "Hardball" Cutter, a traumatized former member of the U.S. Army Special Forces turned private consultant to the National Security Council, is called back into action by his former superior "Top" Drummond. He is to provide secret, armed support to an international U.N. Blue Berets task force during "Operation Shamrock", a peacekeeping operation in the fictional Serbian town of Trebor. The strong headed Cutter quickly butts heads with the Blue Berrets' leader, Colonel Dermot Roarke of the United Kingdom's Royal Marines. He still accepts the mission, despite the strain it puts on his relationship with his longtime girlfriend Lorrie and his daughter Mary Kate. He also gives a will for Drummond to keep in case he is killed in action. Despite his initial reluctance, he is seconded in his assignment by Vince Dean, codename "Cobra", the unassuming son of his former partner, whom he lost on the battlefield.

Dean proves his worth as the duo captures the Serbian enemy camp, where they find $20 million worth of illegal firearms and explosives. However, Cutter soon discovers that Roarke is not loyal to the U.N., and doubles as the leader of a ruthless band of gunrunners. The Colonel used them to get his hands on the weapons, which he intends to turn over to the Irish Republican Army. To avert his plan, Cutter blows up the depot housing the cargo. Back in the U.S., he confronts Drummond, who confesses to being aware of Roarke's activities and turning a blind eye to them.

Behind the respectable facade of a philanthropic entrepreneur, Irish-American Dylan McBride is actually an I.R.A. sympathizer who had brokered the Serbian arms deal. Fearing that his standing towards the organization will be compromised by the American's sabotage, he wants the affront avenged. Meanwhile, Cutter resolves to repair his family life. He asks Lorrie to marry him, and tracks down the estranged Mary Kate, who works as an exotic dancer. McBride and Roarke visit the corrupt Drummond to learn the identity of the two men who spoiled their arms deal. He gives in to their threats and sells them Cutter's will, which contains the name of his daughter. After hearing that Roarke intends to go after her, Drummond has a change of heart and tries to stop him, but he is gravely wounded by a gunshot and abandoned to a slow death.

McBride sends his bodyguard Jamie Ryan to Mary Kate's strip club, where she receives an invitation to his mansion. Encouraged by a co-worker who often goes on paid dates with older men, she begrudgingly accepts. Once there, she is isolated from her friend, and taken to a room where McBride attempts to force himself upon her, expecting that Mary Kate's defilement will lure Cutter out of hiding. During the ensuing scuffle, Mary Kate grabs onto a strange pendant the businessman wears around his neck, and flees with it. The pendant is revealed to contain an encrypted file that could cause McBride's downfall. Each looking to avenge his honor and to keep the incriminating data from the other, Cutter and McBride are now on a collision course.

Cast

Production

John C. Strong was previously slated to helm The Overlords, another action film set in a steel town that would have paired Hogan with Gary Busey and fellow wrestler Roddy Piper. The film was pre-sold at the 1996 American Film Market and Cannes Film Market. [4] [5] Despite it being a Canadian production, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Hogan was in Los Angeles to work on the film at the end of June 1996. [6] However, The Overlords never saw the light of day.

Strong resurfaced with a new project, The Ultimate Weapon, which was promoted at Cannes in May 1997, and for which he was announced as the director until days before filming. [7] [8] In the finished product, Jon Cassar—who had just directed Hogan in the made-for-television Assault on Devil's Island —received directorial credit, while Strong only received a presenter credit via his outfit The John Strong Company. A poster for the film's early German release gives Strong the possessory credit "a John Strong film directed by Jon Cassar", while the presenter credit goes not to The John Strong Company, but to Independent Film Partners, which Strong lists as another of his corporations. [9] [10] [11]

The screenplay was written by Quebec writer Vincent Robert, [12] who is alternatively credited as Vincent Paul Robert on the boxcover of a Lionsgate VHS, [13] and Paul Robert in the film itself. The Ultimate Weapon was part of a brief period during which Hogan attempted harder edged roles than his usual family fare. As with Assault on Devil's Island, the wrestler was given a new hairstyle, this time a brush cut, as his natural balding look was apparently deemed unfit for an action hero. [12] In a 1998 interview, the star noted that The Ultimate Weapon marked the first time his character killed somebody with a gun in his entire career. [14] This appears to be incorrect, as he already did in Devil's Island, although this film features slightly more graphic violence. [15]

The Ultimate Weapon was produced by Murray Shostak and Danny Rossner of Montreal-based S/R Productions [12] for Betar Entertainment, the Los Angeles-based company of executive producers Aziz Alaoui and Philippe Martinez. [16] The role of the other main partner, John Strong, is unclear. On his resume, he primarily mentions coordinating the film's marketing campaign. [11] An early poster credits Les Films St-Paul, a fledgling company from Quebec producer Jean-Marc Félio, as another partner in the production. [17] [18] It is not credited in the film, although Félio himself is listed as post-production supervisor. [19] St-Paul would co-produce two further projects with Betar in the following year. [20]

While the film takes place in Serbia and the Eastern U.S., it was filmed in the Canadian province of Quebec, and features bilingual local actors Carl Marotte and Daniel Pilon in major supporting roles. Just prior, Marotte played Jeff Fahey's sidekick in another of Shostak and Rossner's productions called When Justice Fails. Pilon returned to voice his dialogue in the French dub, but Marotte did not. [1] [21] Longtime Hogan acolyte and fellow wrestler Brutus Beefcake (under his real name Edward Leslie) has a brief role as a thug during a strip club scene. [21]

Filming dates are uncertain. Trade magazine Playback reported that photography was due to start on July 23, 1997. [8] Turner Classic Movies indicates only a small delay, and lists it as taking place between July 25 and August 29, 1997. [22] This timeframe is supported by a media appearance by Hogan, Pilon and Marotte on TVA on August 28, to promote the film which they "just finished". [23] However, an earlier article by The Montreal Gazette said that filming was due to start in early July. [12] This seems corroborated by a July 27 La Presse article in which Daniel Pilon recalls the shoot from the set of his following movie. [24] The Wrestling Observer Newsletter mentions Hogan filming in Montreal in its July 28 edition. [25]

Release

Advance screenings

The Ultimate Weapon was screened for industry professionals during the February 26 – March 6, 1998 American Film Market. [16]

General release

In its native Canada, the film was released on VHS by Alliance Atlantis Communications. The French language version, called L'ultime menace, had a street date of June 28, 1999, [1] while the English version was available on August 3, 1999. [26] The Alliance Atlantis video clocks in at 95 minutes. [21] [27] An English-language DVD was later released by Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment. It is based on the U.S. version of the film published by the same company, and lists a running time of 110 minutes. [28]

In the United States, the film premiered on VHS and DVD on July 4, 2000, via Lionsgate's Avalanche Home Video sublabel. [22] [2] [29] The boxcover lists an extended running time of 110 minutes. [13] However, its actual length is unconfirmed and no other cut appears to be as long. In the U.K., the film was released on DVD by Prism Leisure on September 3, 2001. [29] That version lists a runtime of approximately 90 minutes. [30]

The film was seen internationally before its North American release. It has a German release date of July 13, 1998. [31] It premiered on a VHS from Ascot Medien, with a listed running time of 95 minutes. [32]

The Ultimate Weapon has been reissued on Blu-ray in German speaking territories by Fokus Media, in partnership with the video arm of music label NSM Records. Available on August 27, 2021, [31] it is offered in a standard edition, a 24-page Mediabook available in five different covers, and an ultra limited retro-themed big box. Promoted as uncut, this version clocks in at 95 minutes. [31] [33]

Reception

In his syndicated column for Tribune Media Services, Jay Bobbins rated the film two stars on a scale of one to four. [34] VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever, a publication edited by film archivist Jim Craddock for academic publisher Thomson Gale, rated it a two on a scale of zero to four. [35] According to Hogan's autobiography, the film was profitable like his previous ones. [36]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">André the Giant</span> French wrestler and actor (1946–1993)

André René Roussimoff, better known by his ring name André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. Dubbed "the Eighth Wonder of the World", Roussimoff was known for his great size, which was a result of gigantism caused by excess human growth hormone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hulk Hogan</span> American professional wrestler (born 1953)

Terry Gene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide, the most popular wrestler of the 1980s and one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy Savage</span> American professional wrestler (1952–2011)

Randy Mario Poffo, better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler and professional baseball player, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ultimate Warrior</span> American professional wrestler and bodybuilder (1959–2014)

Warrior was an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder. Best known by his ring name The Ultimate Warrior, he wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation from 1987 to 1992, as well as a short stint in 1996. He also notably spent a few months in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1998, in which he was known as The Warrior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Hart</span> American musician, professional wrestling manager and sports businessman

James Ray Hart is an American professional wrestling manager, executive, composer, and musician. He is currently signed to WWE in a Legends deal. He is best known for his work in WWE when it was still known as the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and used the nickname "the Mouth of the South".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Lister Jr.</span> American actor and wrestler (1958–2020)

Tommy Debo "Tiny" Lister Jr. was an American character actor and occasional professional wrestler known for his roles as the neighborhood bully Deebo in the 1995 film Friday and its 2000 sequel, and as President Lindberg in The Fifth Element. He had two short professional wrestling stints, with Hulk Hogan in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) after appearing as Zeus in the 1989 film No Holds Barred and resuming the feud as Z-Gangsta in 1996 for World Championship Wrestling (WCW). He was born with a detached and deformed retina and was blind in his right eye, which drooped, a unique look that he turned to his advantage in film. He played in both comedies and dramas, usually cast as 'the heavy/big bully'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooke Hogan</span> American television personality and singer (born 1988)

Brooke Ellen Bollea, better known by her stage name Brooke Hogan, is an American television personality and singer. The daughter of former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, she starred in the reality television series Hogan Knows Best from 2005 to 2007. The show saw a then-teenage Brooke struggling with her overprotective father while pursuing her musical career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Swenson</span> American professional wrestler, stuntman and actor (1957–1997)

Robert Alexander "Jeep" Swenson Jr. was an American professional wrestler, stuntman and actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania VI</span> 1990 World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

WrestleMania VI was the sixth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on April 1, 1990, at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, marking the first WrestleMania to be held outside of the United States. The event had an announced attendance of 67,678, a record for the Skydome at the time. The main event of WrestleMania VI was "the Ultimate Challenge" — the main event match pitting WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan against WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion the Ultimate Warrior.

<i>No Holds Barred</i> (1989 film) 1989 film by Thomas J. Wright

No Holds Barred is a 1989 American action film produced by Michael Rachmil, directed by Thomas J. Wright, written by Dennis Hackin and starring professional wrestler Hulk Hogan. It is owned by WWE under a "Shane Distribution Company" copyright and was released by New Line Cinema on June 2, 1989. Released seven years after his appearance in Rocky III, it was Hogan's first starring role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dino Bravo</span> Canadian professional wrestler (1948–1993)

Adolfo Bresciano, better known by the ring name Dino Bravo, was an Italian-Canadian professional wrestler and promoter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SummerSlam (1990)</span> World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

The 1990 SummerSlam was the third annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on August 27, 1990, at The Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The card consisted of 10 televised matches, including two main events. The Ultimate Warrior successfully defended the WWF Championship against Rick Rude in a Steel Cage match, and Hulk Hogan defeated Earthquake by countout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starrcade (1997)</span> 1997 World Championship Wrestling pay-per-view event

The 1997 Starrcade was the 15th annual Starrcade professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). It was held on December 28, 1997, at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C.

<i>Hulk Hogans Celebrity Championship Wrestling</i> 2008 American reality television series

Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling is an American reality television series that aired on CMT from October 18 to December 6, 2008. In Australia, it premiered in July 2009 on the FOX8 channel. It was also shown in the UK on Bravo and Viva. It was co-produced by Hulk Hogan and Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment. It featured celebrities being trained to become professional wrestlers. The finale aired on December 6, when Dennis Rodman was declared the winner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antoine Olivier Pilon</span> Canadian actor

Antoine Olivier Pilon is a Canadian actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lutte Internationale</span> Canadian professional wrestling promotion

Lutte Internationale was a professional wrestling promotion based in Montreal from 1980 until 1987. The promotion was founded by Frank Valois, André the Giant and Gino Brito as Promotions Varoussac. Lutte Internationale succeeded All-Star Wrestling and Grand Prix Wrestling as Quebec's top wrestling promotion for most of the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Holds Barred: The Match/The Movie</span> 1989 World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

No Holds Barred: The Match/The Movie was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. The program aired on December 27, 1989, and consisted of the film No Holds Barred in its entirety, followed by a match previously recorded at a Wrestling Challenge taping on December 12 at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. It was one of the few pay-per-view events not made available for streaming at the launch of WWE Network service, although in 2018, the cage match became available as part of the WWE Supertape compilation in the service's Classic Home Video section.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWF/AJPW/NJPW Wrestling Summit</span> Professional wrestling show

The Wrestling Summit was a professional wrestling supercard show that was produced and scripted collaboratively between the US-based World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and the Japanese All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotions. The joint venture show took place on April 13, 1990 in the Tokyo Dome, in Tokyo, Japan and reportedly drew 53,742 spectators. The event was the only time the three promotions produced a joint show, although NJPW and WWF had previously worked together in the 1970s and '80s.

<i>Assault on Devils Island</i> 1997 television film directed by Jon Cassar

Assault on Devil's Island, also known as Shadow Warriors, is a 1997 Canadian–American made-for-television action film directed by Jon Cassar, starring Terry "Hulk" Hogan, Carl Weathers and Shannon Tweed. Hogan and Weathers portray Navy SEALs who team up with Tweed's DEA agent to fight drug-funded mercenaries holding a sports team hostage on a Caribbean island.

<i>Assault on Death Mountain</i> 1999 television film directed by Jon Cassar

Assault on Death Mountain, also known as Shadow Warriors: Assault on Death Mountain, is a 1999 Canadian–American made-for-television action film directed by Jon Cassar, starring Terry "Hulk" Hogan, Carl Weathers and Shannon Tweed. Hogan, Weathers and Tweed star as private military contractors on the hunt for a rogue American scientist and a Middle Eastern terrorist, who intends to launch a deadly gas attack on the American city of Seattle, Washington.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "L'Ultime Menace – The Ultimate Weapon (v)". doublage.qc.ca (in French). Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "The List: New on video today". Statesman Journal. Salem. July 4, 2000. pp. 1D.
  3. ↑ Vern (June 21, 2021). "Suburban Commando". outlawvern.com. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  4. ↑ "American Film Market". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles: BPI Communications. February 27, 1996. ISSN   0018-3660.
  5. ↑ "Cannes Film Market". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles: BPI Communications. May 6, 1996. ISSN   0018-3660.
  6. ↑ Meltzer, Dave (May 20, 1996). "n/a". The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell. ISSN   1083-9593. [...] a meeting on or around 6/26 between Bischoff and Hogan in Los Angeles, where Hogan is doing a movie called 'The Overlords'
  7. ↑ "What's for sale at Cannes". Variety. New York: Cahners Publishing. May 5, 1997. ISSN   0042-2738.
  8. 1 2 "Quebec Scene". Playback. July 28, 1997. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  9. ↑ The Ultimate Weapon plakat (home video release poster), Germany: Ascot Medien, 1998, Independent Film Partners presents Hulk Hogan 'The Ultimate Weapon' a John Strong film [...] written by Vincent Robert [...] directed by Jon Cassar
  10. ↑ The Ultimate Weapon (DVD) (in German). Splendid Entertainment. 2000. UPC   4013549594554.
  11. 1 2 "The John Strong Company, LLC" (Press release). The John Strong Company. 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Kelly, Brendan (July 7, 1997). "Montreal film-makers keep stars coming: Show biz chez nous". The Gazette. Montreal.
  13. 1 2 The Ultimate Weapon (VHS). New York: Avalanche Home Entertainment. 1999. UPC   057373145005.
  14. ↑ Matthews, Dave (April 9, 1998). "Incredible Hulkster tackles movies roles". Red Deer Advocate. p. C3.
  15. ↑ Hogan, Terry 'Hulk' (1997). Assault on Devil's Island (feature film). Los Angeles: Berk/Schwartz/Bonann Productions. Event occurs at 24:05.
  16. 1 2 "AFM '98: Vendors and Products". Variety. New York: Cahners Publishing. February 23, 1998. ISSN   0042-2738.
  17. ↑ "The Ultimate Weapon (1997)". blu-ray.com. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Entreprises: Les Films St-Paul Inc". quebecentreprises.com (in French). Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  19. ↑ The Ultimate Weapon (feature film). Montreal: 9039-7746 Quebec. 1997. Event occurs at 1:33:12. Post-Production Supervisor Jean-Marc Félio
  20. ↑ "With Les Films St-Paul Inc". imdb.com. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  21. 1 2 3 Lavigne, Mathieu (March 12, 2015). "Filmomania IV – Hulk Hogan au Québec dans 'Ultime Menace'". lutte.quebec (in French). Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  22. 1 2 "The Ultimate Weapon". tcm.com. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Au p'tit écran". La Tribune. Montréal. August 28, 1997. p. D2.
  24. ↑ Grimaldi, Francine (July 27, 1997). "En Vadrouille : Daniel Pilon en fermier américain". La Presse (in French). Montreal. p. B6.
  25. ↑ Meltzer, Dave (July 28, 1997). "n/a". The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell. ISSN   1083-9593.
  26. ↑ "New Releases for Aug. 3rd". Alberni Valley Times. Alberni. July 30, 1999. p. 2A. Ultimate Weapon Action – Hulk Hogan
  27. ↑ The Ultimate Weapon (VHS). Montreal: Alliance Atlantis Communications. 1999. UPC   065935129257.
  28. ↑ The Ultimate Weapon (Blu-ray). Toronto: Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment. UPC   057373145098.
  29. 1 2 "Ultimate Weapon (1997): Releases". allmovie.com. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  30. ↑ The Ultimate Weapon (DVD). U.K.: Prism Leisure. 2001. UPC   5014293111256.
  31. 1 2 3 "The Ultimate Weapon". schnittberichte.com (in German). Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  32. ↑ The Ultimate Weapon (VHS) (in German). Cologne: Ascot Medien. 1998. 9455.
  33. ↑ sw (October 19, 2020). "Fokus Media: 'The Ultimate Weapon' und weitere Filme als Mediabook-Editionen angekündigt". bluray-disc.de (in German). Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  34. ↑ Bobbin, Jay (June 30, 2000). "Video Den". North Bay Nugget. Tribune Media Services.
  35. ↑ Craddock, Jim, ed. (2012). VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever 2013. Farmington Hills: Gale. p. 993. ISBN   9781414482507. ISSN   1095-371X.
  36. ↑ Hogan, Terry "Hulk"; Friedman, Michael Jan (November 2002). "The Hasselhoff Position". Hollywoood Hulk Hogan. New York: Pocket Books. p. 257. ISBN   0743456904.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.