Steven Seagal's Latest Magnum Opus

JasonJason Posts: 76,557
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"Contract to Kill"
Harmon is a CIA/DEA enforcer investigating Arab terrorists captured in Mexico. With his team--seductive FBI agent Zara and spy-drone pilot Sharp--he flies to Istanbul and uncovers a brutal plot: Islamic extremists plan to use Sonora drug-smuggling routes to bring deadly weapons, and leaders, into the U.S. To prevent an attack on America, Harmon must turn these two savage forces against one another before his time--and his luck--run out.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5470222/?ref_=nm_flmg_prd_3

I'm just weirdly fascinated at the direction his career has taken. He napped his way through seven "films" last year, and this year looks like it's going to be no different with two films in pre-production already.

I'm just wondering who is funding these films because I can't imagine they're making any money at all.

Comments

  • Ted CTed C Posts: 11,730
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    I'm weirdly fascinated at how he keeps getting his films made.

    He's certainly not popular (if anyone can correct me please do), he is far too big and too old to be an action movie star, but yet these films keep getting churned out.

    I cannot see that they make profit, and the fanbase must surely be very small these days. If its different in other territories, then please enlighten me.

    Ultimately, I wonder where the financing for these movies comes from, considering how much is star has waned over the years.
  • Eddie BadgerEddie Badger Posts: 6,005
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    Harmon is a CIA/DEA enforce

    Well that's a surprise bit of casting for Mr Seagal :rolleyes:

    I have a suspicion that Seagal is a secret Jedi. His fighting technique now seems to consist of him simply waving his hands about in front of his face while stuntmen throw themselves across the set.
  • JasonJason Posts: 76,557
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    Well that's a surprise bit of casting for Mr Seagal :rolleyes:

    You'll be even more shocked to find out that in another of his recent epics, he plays a handyman working in an apartment complex who also just happened to be a retired special forces operative :)

    Reading through Wiki, it seems that the average budget for these films seems to hover around the $7m-$10m mark although there's no information regarding the budgets of his films last year to be fair.

    I can only guess he must have friends in europe who fund these films as some form of tax write-off. Wiki indicates that a lof of the films do actually get cinematic releases around the world as well, but even then, i can't honestly see how they can turn a profit.
  • LMLM Posts: 63,325
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    I can't see how they make a profit either. Someone is losing money somewhere

    He has to be one of the worst movie stars ever to of graced the silver screen. Simply a diabolical actor. And as a person, well that's another story. But anyone who can class Vladimir Putin as a close personal friend is someone who isn't someone i have time for or kind things to say about.
  • kirbyreedkirbyreed Posts: 1,816
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    i feel the same way about nicolas cage. don't producers etc know by now that nicolas cage in your movie means it's rubbish?
  • mgvsmithmgvsmith Posts: 16,452
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    It's a pretty good trailer. Seagal's voice has got even deeper. The girl looks a bit sensational. Despite being BS I watch nearly all of these when they turn up on ITV 2/4.
  • Mark AMark A Posts: 7,687
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    At only $10m (or less) a pop these would make a decent living wage just on the worldwide TV and streaming rights, with DVD/Blu-ray sales as bunts on top.
  • StrakerStraker Posts: 79,567
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    Seagal used to make good movies and had he kept the blubber off and got a decent haircut we would've had Under Siege 3 by now. I imagine these days he's most concerned with who's doing the catering on his wretched cookie("somebody mention cookies?")-cutter films.

    Statham is the natural heir to Seagal in his heyday.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 25,366
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    kirbyreed wrote: »
    i feel the same way about nicolas cage. don't producers etc know by now that nicolas cage in your movie means it's rubbish?

    Being a Coppola probably helps, to be honest.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 25,366
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    Other than Under Siege and Executive Decision (granted, he was only in it for like 10 seconds), I find the rest of his films utterly rubbish - I've tried a few of them, too and I don't recall watching any others from start to finish.

    His wiki profile pic reminds me of this guy...
  • StrakerStraker Posts: 79,567
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    His first ten movies are all good, some are great, but Fire Down Below (with Michael Caine hamming it up) was the last decent one in that run and that was 1997. Of his subsequent movies only Exit Wounds and Half Past Dead are worth bothering with.
  • ShaunIOWShaunIOW Posts: 11,303
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    Straker wrote: »
    His first ten movies are all good, some are great, but Fire Down Below (with Michael Caine hamming it up) was the last decent one in that run and that was 1997. Of his subsequent movies only Exit Wounds and Half Past Dead are worth bothering with.

    The Michael Caine one was On Deadly Ground in 1994, although I do agree Fire Down Below was the last decent Seagal film.
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