The Steven Seagal Lounge

[monty]

Steven Seagal is by many held to be the greatest living action hero. As he's sure to have numerous fans on this board as well, I figured a poll was long overdue.

[weirdboy]

Executive Decision is by far the best because of his character's untimely demise. I remember the audience cheering when I saw that in the theater.

[Armoreska]

Executive Decision is by far the best because of his character's untimely demise. I remember the audience cheering when I saw that in the theater.

What do you mean by demise? It was just a violent exit. I'm sure he was just fine.

[bal3x]

Monty on a roll I see. Under Siege - the best by a mile and it appears his 2000s output is getting more awful by the year.. not seen much of those anyway, but for some of these films trailers are enough

[monty]

He's great on the guitar as well - better than Clapton even:



And here's one of his all-time best - he's a guitar demon for sure and what a fantastic voice!

[monty]

He's also highly respected among his acting peers:

[monty]

Here's something for you all to ponder: Why has Steven Seagal never been part of The Expendables saga?

[VincentPrice]

The early movies are some of the best Action movies ever, I especially love Out for Justice and the Under Siege movies.

[tommy_leazaq]

Undersiege clearly. The glimmer Man is one of the most boring film I have ever seen. Half past dead is half decent.

[monty]

The early movies are some of the best Action movies ever, I especially love Out for Justice and the Under Siege movies.

So you don't like his post-2000 output?

[Harco]

Out for Justice is definitely the man's magnum opus:

[VincentPrice]

The early movies are some of the best Action movies ever, I especially love Out for Justice and the Under Siege movies.

So you don't like his post-2000 output?

To be fair, I haven't seen much of his stuff post-2000, I saw a shitty vampire flick he did and another one with Stone Cold Steve Austin. I did love Machete though.

[Lammetje]

Just noticed this thread. I have seen 31 features and one short (Sheep Impact). Above the Law and Under Siege are my favorites and I like most of Steven's other early work. His best post-2000 movie is of course Exit Wounds, which I especially recommend since he doesn't really take himself seriously in that one.

[monty]

Just noticed this thread. I have seen 31 features and one short (Sheep Impact). Above the Law and Under Siege are my favorites and I like most of Steven's other early work. His best post-2000 movie is of course Exit Wounds, which I especially recommend since he doesn't really take himself seriously in that one.

Wow, that's impressive watching right there. Seagal always takes himself super-seriously - somehow I doubt Exit Wounds differs in that regard. Anyhow, what's your top ten post-2000 Seagal? And would you say that Steven's martial arts has evolved in step with his increasing girth?

Btw, did you know Seagal killed a puppy - with a TANK?

[Lammetje]

Just noticed this thread. I have seen 31 features and one short (Sheep Impact). Above the Law and Under Siege are my favorites and I like most of Steven's other early work. His best post-2000 movie is of course Exit Wounds, which I especially recommend since he doesn't really take himself seriously in that one.

Wow, that's impressive watching right there. Seagal always takes himself super-seriously - somehow I doubt Exit Wounds differs in that regard. Anyhow, what's your top ten post-2000 Seagal? And would you say that Steven's martial arts has evolved in step with his increasing girth?

Btw, did you know Seagal killed a puppy - with a TANK?

I've heard of that puppy story.

Steven's post-2000 work is quite poor, so I couldn't make a top 10. Here's my top 5, feature films only:

1. Exit Wounds (2001)
2. Machete (2010)
3. Half Past Dead (2002)
4. Driven to Kill (2009)
5. Shadow Man (2006)

Steven's martial arts have certainly not evolved since the turn of the century. However, one can be a true master in aikido regardless of one's weight. This is because aikido is strictly about self-defense and one does not have to be swift and agile to master it. I happen to know an aikido teacher who is more voluminous but, like Steven, has a black belt.

How about I watch a Charles Bronson movie of your choice (provided that there is a decent copy around, preferably with English subs) and you watch Exit Wounds, Monty? You'll see a different side of Steven!

[monty]

How about I watch a Charles Bronson movie of your choice (provided that there is a decent copy around, preferably with English subs) and you watch Exit Wounds, Monty? You'll see a different side of Steven!

Ok then, I will. You, on the other hand, get to watch Hard Times (1975)

Btw, love the 13:54 dislike ratio for Exit Wounds.

[Lammetje]

Btw, love the 13:54 dislike ratio for Exit Wounds.

I don't. Hard Times looks interesting though!

[bal3x]

looking forward to monty's review of Exit Wounds

[monty]

So...Exit Wounds: a terrific action film with mindblowing stunts, a great storyline and

Spoiler: click to toggle

...nah, this formulaic film was but a middle-of-the-road actioner, an easily forgettable, straight-to-video Seagal adventure. I saw little of the promised different side to Steven - no, he keeps his trademark impassive face and monotone voice delivery throughout, always taking things veeeery seriously. The so-called humourous stuff, courtesy of a black & white power duo, is plain daft and rather tiresome - that idiotic routine they did at the very end should have been left at the cutting room floor. As for the story itself, it's above average for a Seagal film. The fight choreography, however, leaves a lot to be desired (compared to stuff like The Raid, it all feels rather tame) - and that final humdrum shootout just went on for way too long. This may be Seagal's best effort since his glory days in the 90s but it still leaves a lot to be desired.

[Lammetje]

That conversation at the very end about Oprah and wiping butts and stuff was hilarious.

[monty]

That conversation at the very end about Oprah and wiping butts and stuff was hilarious.

What about the masturbating-in-tanning-parlors part? Too bad Steven didn't do those lines himself...

[Cippenham]

Seen two, didn't like them much, not heard of him until recently either

[joachimt]

not heard of him until recently either

[Cippenham]

Yes for some reason has gone under the radar for me, really not an action film fan

[monty]

Enjoy!

[Lammetje]

Good old Steven!

[OldAle1]

There'd better be a JCVD lounge also...

Anyway I've seen around 14 SS films - the first half dozen or so are actually pretty good, at least when measured against similar mid-budget action films from the period. Of course his career since going straight-to-video has been a joke but no more so than those of Van Damme, Lundgren, etc; it's mostly his Trumpian personality and size that have made him a bigger (pun intended) punchline than his contemporaries. Still I long for the period when there were seemingly dozens of new films from these guys and their slightly lower-tier peers like Jeff Speakman and Cynthia Rothrock coming out every year. When action films were still R-rated fare for the macho guy in all of us (well, all of us red-blooded gun-toting steak-eating 'mericans anyway).

Best of Seagal:

1. Out for Justice
2. Under Siege
3. Executive Decision
4. Above the Law
5. Hard to Kill - while I only place this 5th it is really the perfect Seagal film in terms of dialogue and plot, and "Mason Storm" is probably my favorite Seagal character name.

[monty]

Got a fav Seagal line, OldAle?
How about this one?

[monty]

Gotta love it when Stevie dishes out some of his Zen philosophy, like here @3:53

[Harco]

Anybody know why Richie did Bobby Lupo?

[monty]

Anybody know why Richie did Bobby Lupo?

That one still haunts me.

[Coco LaBerge]

He's a pretty good guitarist to be fair, speaking as someone who's taught guitar too, he's not shabby at all.

[Lammetje]

Got a fav Seagal line, OldAle?
How about this one?

Love that quote!

[Lammetje]

He's a pretty good guitarist to be fair, speaking as someone who's taught guitar too, he's not shabby at all.

While his second album Mojo Priest isn't great, it includes a few decent songs where Steven indeed shows his guitar skills. He just needs to avoid the high notes when singing (which he failed to do in the very first song). Monty posted the complete album here last year. The song starting at 15:38 ain't bad at all.

[matthewscott8]

I am a Lundgren and van Damme man personally. I like the darkness in Lundgren and the cynicism.

Seagal is too grandiose for me, I think he has a number of false awarenesses. That being said I think he would be a lot of fun on a night out and a polite dinner guest. I probably saw all the 90s movies but a little less since that.

Can I point out that Code of Honor (2016) for one needs to be added to the list of films.

I have to actually say that I did very much enjoy watching Code of Honor, even though the idea that the way to sort out crime is by deployment of ex special forces assassins on the streets, is fundamentally a ridiculous and fascist one. Crime exists because society is unjust, you make society just and less hypocritical and it all goes away. But the Neanderthal in me certainly did enjoy Seagal and his body count in this movie, and it was an easy and enjoyable way of placating him.

[Coco LaBerge]

He's a pretty good guitarist to be fair, speaking as someone who's taught guitar too, he's not shabby at all.

While his second album Mojo Priest isn't great, it includes a few decent songs where Steven indeed shows his guitar skills. He just needs to avoid the high notes when singing (which he failed to do in the very first song). Monty posted the complete album here last year. The song starting at 15:38 ain't bad at all.

Yeah I've never really listened to his stuff, just seen/heard him play a few times, can tell he's been at it for a long time. That's the thing with singing a lot of the time though, people don't just sit in their best range, which usually gives the best results, unless you practice a lot.

[Dolwphin]

http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2017 ... itizenship

[Lammetje]

Can this be true?

[OldAle1]

I never replied to Monty with a quote...maybe I'll look for one today. Anyway reviving this because I just re-watched Out for Justice, which remains the pinnacle of Seagal's "art" IMO. Those who knew me from IMDb or have gotten to know me a little here know that I'm a high rater compared to many, with lots of 8-9-10 votes and no compunction about being "generous"; but the best I can give this film, Seagal's best, is a 7. Much as I enjoy Seagal's arrogance and bad acting on certain levels they do get tiring in even his best films and this is no exception. What elevates this film is a rather good screenplay - somebody compared it to Mean Streets and it does have a little bit of that vibe as well as something of the feel of various 70s Blaxploitation or other low-rent crime films - and a better supporting cast than most, including Jerry Orbach in a fairly thankless role as Seagal's boss, Gina Gershon, and especially William Forsythe as the totally unhinged psycho-drug-addict antagonist. And it's got a good gritty feel for Brooklyn where it was mostly shot. Unfortunately Seagal's ego and non-acting do sabotage it to some extent - one thing I've noticed is that we always have to have some scenes with him displaying special (non-violent) skills, often languages - here he speaks Italian and Spanish - and usually he has to show his soft side (saving a puppy here). He can do anything! Oh, and his name here is Gino Felino, probably his second-best on-screen name after Mason Storm.

[matthewscott8]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41936741

Mr Seagal has become embroiled in the Hollywood misogyny scandals, looks like if you wanted to be a female co-star, you needed to get with him.