8mm Forum: Remo Williams - The Adventure Begins (S8 Optical Sound)

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Posted by Keith Ashfield (Member # 741) on October 17, 2008, 07:28 AM:

Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins - 1985 ( U.K. Title Remo: Unarmed and Dangerous). Super 8mm Optical Sound Feature –

Directed by Guy Hamilton, of Bond fame, this movie is the only big screen appearance featuring the character of Remo Williams which was taken from “The Destroyer” pulp fiction novels.
The film stars Fred Ward as Remo, Joel Grey (of "Cabaret" fame) as Chiun and co-stars Kate Mulgrew (Captain Janeaway - Star Trek Voyager) and Wilford Brimley (Cocoon)

The main character, played by Ward, is a tough New York street cop, who is recruited as a “Special Agent”, following his “faked death” (so that there will be no questions asked, with regards to his disappearance). He is renamed "Remo Williams" (after the name and location of the manufacturer of a hospital bedpan). Remo’s face is surgically altered and he is trained to be a human killing machine by an old Korean martial arts master, Chiun, (played by Grey in heavy makeup). Remo is taught a fictional form of Korean martial arts named Sinanju and learns such skills as dodging bullets, running without leaving footprints and overcoming his fear of heights, in a spectacular “stuntfest”, filmed on the Statue of Liberty.
The Chiun character provides both the comic relief and the wise mentor figure in the film. Joel Grey’s performance as an “oriental”, rivals that of Mickey Rooney in “Breakfast at Tiffanys” for comedic value.

Remo's “mission” is to investigate a corrupt weapons procurement program within the US Army.
The “organisation” he works for ensures that “justice will be carried out” where normally the perpetrators would get away, with freedom. All of their “eliminations” are actioned to look like an “accident”.

The print on my copy is very good indeed, very little fade, with a few neg marks here and there but nothing to be alarmed about. The optical sound is a little “warbly” in places ( a bit like a distant pneumatic drill), but again, it is acceptable. It is an enjoyable film and, in my opinion would have made a good “series”. However, it didn’t fare too well at the box office and only “spawned” a short television series which starred Roddy McDowall as the Chiun character.

A worthy addition to any “Action Collection”.

[ October 17, 2008, 09:12 AM: Message edited by: Keith Ashfield ]

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on October 17, 2008, 10:24 AM:

Cool Keith!! You beat me on doing a review of this film, (I'm usually the optical "King" when it comes to reviews, but then, I kept on putting it off).

My print appears to be on L.P.P. as there is absolutely no fade whatsoever. It is a very sharp print, (as I'm sure yours is as well). A few outdoor scenes are almost slightly over exposed, but that's just my opinion.

A fun film. Now, if I can just learn that "hand massage" movement for the ladies!

(You'd have to watch the film to get that one!)

Posted by Keith Ashfield (Member # 741) on October 17, 2008, 01:11 PM:

Thanks Osi. Watched the film last night, that prompted the review. this is my first optical feature but certainly will not be my last.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on October 17, 2008, 03:20 PM:

I bet that you were impressed with the sharpness eh? Don't get that usually except from the Derann's and CHC's of the world!

Just be careful with the film stocks!

I have always liked Fred Ward as an actor. He's been in a lot of my favorite films, Tremors being one of them ...

"scuse my french!"

... he's one of those actors that was seemingly born with a nicely aged face!

From the running time of the optical feature, there wasn't much cut out of this film, as it runs about 115 minutes or so on optical film, (the cartridges for the airlines could not run over two hours, they had to actually be a little under).

Another plus of the optical sound features was the great number of features that are extremely rare. "Ruckus" , for instance, with Dirk Benedict (Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica), as a vietnam vet hassled by a bunch of rednecks (sound familiar), or the recently offered by John Black "Izzy and Moe" a a nice period piece that you would be lucky to even find on 16MM almost anywhere, and rarely on VHS, and yet, they are bargains
on optical sound Super 8!

Posted by David Erskine (Member # 1244) on October 24, 2008, 05:05 PM:

Oddly, it is one of my favourites! I all so confess that I have about 50 of the books (damn - there goes my carefully built reputation as a classical scholar!) Having previously only seen Joel Gray as the MC in 'Cabaret' - it gave me quite a turn! I show it about twice a year and always enjoy it.

Posted by Lars-Goran Ahlm (Member # 1908) on September 21, 2013, 07:33 AM:

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on September 24, 2013, 12:48 PM:

This sadly confirms that there must have been Kodak SP versions (as shown above) and LPP versions, as my print of this has not faded in the least. Nice to see the screenshots though.

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