Cult Films Meet-Up: "Samurai Cop" (1991)

Cult Films Meet-Up - Spotlight on: “SAMURAI COP" (1991)

Let's talk movies! Join Movie Club Members and Co-Hosts David J, Crystal H and Victoria G. for what promises to be a wild and raucous Meet-Up to discuss and savor “Samurai Cop.”

“You have the right to remain silent. Dead silent."

Great movie tag lines are hard to come by. And this one might be right up there with: "Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water."

For those of us of a certain generation, we have fond memories of walking the aisles of the local video rental store for hours looking for that undiscovered gem we’d never even imagine existed. We wanted our minds blown. Part of the video store phenomenon was the prevalence of direct-to-video titles with box art that fired our imaginations but often contained low-quality VHS tapes that probably cost more for the distributor to replicate and distribute than it did to make the movies they contained.

Sadly, this movie – clearly intended for the 90’s DTV market – didn’t even make it to video in the US until 2004, when the days of the video store experience were numbered. Though it apparently was released in Poland a few years earlier on VHS. And only in Poland. Rumor had it the one surviving print was discovered in a castle, but actually it was buried deep in a vault where the elements of other forgotten films had been retired. The persistent legends and rumors make “Samurai Cop” even more memorable.

Here's how a Portland Movie Club Meet-Up works:
1. Just like a book club, we watch the movie before we meet**.**

2. We'll meet at the Breakside Brewery in Beaverton, OR at 2 pm on a Saturday. We'll try to be obvious and identifiable. We typically have signs or relevant books or memorabilia at our table(s), and sometimes we even wear colorful antennae if the movie we are celebrating demands it (e.g. “Real Genius” or “Robot Monster”). Please note that this is a change in venue from many of our scheduled Sunday Meet-Up events.

3. Grab some food and drinks and spend some enjoyable time socializing and discussing these fondly recalled masterpieces with us. (The Breakside in Beaverton has a full-service bar and a quality assortment of food carts in the outdoor patio area.)

A little about Amir Shirvan’s “Samurai Cop.”
Reportedly made on a budget of only around $9.000 and actually shot on film (a miracle itself at that budget level). Director Shirvan quickly cast in the lead an ex-bodyguard of Sylvester Stallone’s who’d never before swung a samurai sword, Matt Hannon, and the “Maniac Cop” himself, Robert Z’Dar. Unable to shoot at night due to technical limitations, Shirvan had to plan only day shoots. And when his lead actor was called back to film additional scenes after the initial shooting had ended, it was quickly noticed he’d had a pretty severe haircut in the meantime, and the director’s solution was to buy him a badly mismatched lady’s wig. During AVR Shirvan found that many of his actors were unavailable for dubbing so he dubbed the voices of all the missing actors himself. One challenge after another, confronted by the director, resulted in one inspired – but perhaps not particularly sane – solution after another.

Trigger Notes:
We tend to watch edgier stuff in the Cult Films Meet-Up than in other Meet-Up Events. Please view this site if you think there may be any concerning elements portrayed in this film: https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/112990.

Viewing Options
Are all over the place. From Amazon to Fawesome to Plex to Pluto TV. It has also been released on Blu-ray and the aforementioned DVD.

About Cult Films
"Cult Films" typically defy mainstream criticism and are noted for their obscurity and dedicated fan bases. Many cult films exist at the borderline between art and exploitation and are rich candidates for open-minded entertainment and interpretation. They often don't adhere to our expectations for the same shared cinematic language of major studio "product." Some consider Cult Cinema to be Oppositional Cinema, always inhabiting a space outside of mainstream trends and popularity.

We recommend viewing these classics and curiosities regardless of whether they were considered successful or not, and quite often because of both their financial failure, and the contemporary critical snubbing they usually incurred.

Tips

1. Haven't seen the movie in a while? You're in for a treat - try to watch the movie sometime before we meet. As with a book club, we don't watch the movie at our meetup, we just discuss it. You don't have to watch the movie to join us, but it'll be more fun if you do.
2. Some members enjoy researching the films and sharing what they find with the group. Others prefer to engage with the films in a more casual way. Both approaches are absolutely fine! Most PMC members land somewhere in the middle.
3. You may find it useful to take notes as you watch but definitely don't feel obligated. At the end of the day, we're here to socialize and have fun.

Previous titles viewed by our Cult Film Meet-up members for group discussion have included: Real Genius, Possession (1981), Born In Flames, Titane, Barbarella, Fantastic Planet, Eraserhead, Daisies (aka, Sedmikrásky), Jennifer’s Body, Another Day Another Man, The Human Tornado, The Love Witch, Plan 9 From Outer Space, Phantom of The Paradise, Takashi Miike's Audition, and David Cronenberg’s Videodrome and Rabid.

* Jaws 2

Are you on Discord? Join the PMC Discord!