Boxoffice-July.1995

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The lOia IPicture A' s a left-leaning action star who weaves politics into his movies, Steven Seagal is an anomaly in a field where and serving as GOP spokespersons for the President's Council on Physical Fitness. In a way, it seems incongruent to be a peers like WUlis and Schwarzenegger confine their political energies to endorsing Republican presidential candidates gunslinging, eyegouging, kick-boxing macho superstar who espouses the touchy-feely agenda of the left. But there is at least one precedent for the contradiction between Seagal's philosophy and his occupation. That precedent is Ibm Laughlin, the creator, performer and filmmaker who gave the '70s one of tlieir most successful action heroes when he wrote, directed and starred in a series of films about a man named BUly Jack. After a token appearance as the character in his oviTi low-budget 1967 biker flick "The Bom Losers," Lauglrlin hit the bit^ time with 197r.N "BUly Jack," one ot the last great dri\'rin hits, and a film which— thanks Ui inventive marketing—became one ( )t die biggest independent smashes of its era. Until "BUly Jack," the usual pattern with low-budget indie fodder was to rely on pre-booking to recoup— a strategy that made sense if you were an exploitation studio like A. I. P., with lower margins and lots of product in the pipeline, but which would have put an independent Filmmaker like Laughlin at a distinct disadvantage, since he had only one film to sell. Like his non-conformist hero, Laughlin decided to march to the tune of his own drummer— in the process pioneering a release strategy still utUized by the big Hollywood studios today. What Laughlin did was to go into a particular releasing territory and then book his film simultaneously into as many theatres as would have him. He then self-financed media buys, raising wide audience interest by promoting "Billy Jack" on local TV stations around the clock— a given in today's marketplace, but a radical innovation in 1971 . The result was both an indie blockbuster and the birth ofa tactic which, when applied to more mainstream tare like "Jaws" and "Star Wars" later in the decade, would yield some of tiie biggest hits of all time. It's doubtful Laughlin could have pulled it off if "BUly Jack" hadn't delivered the goods. The film was well-made and wittily scripted by action standards, with Laughlin's BUly given enough memorable quips (delivered, as was the style even then, just before beating his enemies to a pulp) for tliree Schwarzene^er titles. More importantly, the seeming incongruity of being a buttkicking peacenik was perfectly attuned to the temper of the times. In 1 971 , America was in a conflised and tumultuous state thanks to the ongoing Viemam crisis. As the screen's original vigUante Vietnam vet (he gets drav\Ti into protecting a hippie commune from a towm full of rednecks), BUly Jack reflected both the increased mUitancy of the student left (which often rioted in the name of "peace") and the "law and order," "let's take back our streets" agenda of the right. Watching "BUly Jack, audiences saw the contradictions world of the they Uved in recondled at the business end of Laughlin's denched fist In 1974, Laughlin released his magnum opus, the three hour "Thai of Billy Jack," which restated earlier plotlines in much more violent terms borrowed from Ohio's Kent State massacre. One of the most politically paranoid action fUms ever made, "Trial" did some business within BUly Jack's fan base, but lengfli and ideological shrUlness made for a far more limited success. In Billy Jack's swan song, Laughlin forsook action altogether by sending his hero to tlie Senate. He called his unofficial Capra remake (what else?) "BUly Jack Goes to Washington," and so far afield had Laughlin gone that his film went virtually unreleased. But tile idea it expressed was clearly close to his heart; In 1992, LauglUin resurfaced briefly to declare his unsuccessful and Quixotic candidacy for President of the United States. Laughlin has emerged periodically to proclaim tliat another Billy Jack project is in the works, tliough it's doubtful his half-breed \agilante will ever reclaim his NL\on-era popularity. But Laughlin's influence survives, not only in Seagal actioners like "On Deadly Ground" (which demonstiated die same concern for Native American issues which L
Edwards Theatres Uam Theatres OSC Ampliliers are featured in Edwards Theatres, including ttieir flagship Newport Cinema, the largest screen on the West Coast. f\Jlann's Chinese the most famous movie house in the world is only one of the Mann Theatres that relies on QSC amplifiers. Pacific Theatres United Artists Theatres The Pacific Cinerama, another Hollywood landmark, is powered by QSC Amplifiers, as are other theatres in the Pacific Theatres chain. United Artists developing a new generation ol theatres like the UA Greenwood in Denver, is using QSC Ampliliers to move into the next century of entertainment The Power Behind The Pictures: Sow of the otlia theatre dalns featuring DSC Piwn hnplifieis ACT III Theatres, Allen Theatres. Associated Theatres. Budget Cinerrus. Central Stales Theatres. Century Theatres. Cinema World. Cineplex Odeon Theatres. Classic Cinemas. Dickinson Theatres. Douglas Theatres. General Cinemas. GKC Theatres. GTI Theatres. Marions Theatres, loetis Theatres. Maico Theatres, Manos Theatres. Marcus Theatres. Mulone Theatres. Muvico Theahes. National Theatres, Neight)ortiood Dnemas, U D I O Plitt Theatres. Rhyjn Theatres. U.CI Theatres. Warner International Theatres. Western HTS Cinemas, and many, many more. Lucasfiinn and TRXflJO THX are trademarks of Lucasfilm, Ltd. QSC and "Tfie Power Behind The Pictures" are trademarks of QSC Audio Products, Inc, AUDIO V»_^^ QSC Audio Products. Inc.1675 MacArthur Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Tel (714) 754-6175 Fax (714) 754-6174 Response No. 26
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Boxoffice-July.1995

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