MCBAIN: A Last Action Hurrah For A True Independent
One of Schlockmania's top action directors from the '80s is James Glickenhaus. Beginning with his wild second film, the grindhouse classic The Exterminator, he made a string of films that combined over-the-top action, offbeat plots, a quirky sense of humor and a style that was professional yet had its own uniquely personal vibe. A lot of action 'heads grew up with these films - which also include VHS and cable staples The Soldier and The Protector plus the surprise theatrical hit Shakedown - and they've been kept in print over the years as VHS gave way to DVD and then blu-ray.
McBain kicked off the '90s for Glickenhaus and he turned downed studio offers to release it himself through his own distribution shingle, Shapiro/Glickenhaus Entertainment. Sadly, it fizzled at the box office, symbolizing the end of distinctive indie genre fare being a force in a distribution system increasingly controlled by the major studios. Glickenhaus would only make two more features before shutting down his company leaving filmmaking to pursue other interests like manufacturing racecars.
However, McBain found a following on home video like his other films, aided by the presence of no less than Christopher Walken in the lead role. In retrospect, it plays like the last hurrah for the director's distinctive take on the action genre.
McBain begins much like The Exterminator did, with its hero being rescued from certain doom during the Vietnam War. In this case, McBain (Walken) is in the middle of a cage match at a P.O.W. camp at the war's end when a group of soldiers who are being sent home decide to storm the camp and free their brother soldiers. McBain expresses his gratitude to Roberto Santos (Chick Vennera), the soldier who spearheaded the raid, and makes a vow to pay him back whenever he needs it. That vow comes due years later when Santos dies trying to overthrow a corrupt cartel-dominated government led by a corrupt El Presidente (Victor Argo).
When the U.S. government won't step up to help, his surviving sister Christina (Maria Conchita Alonso) tracks McBain down in New York City. He doesn't hesitate to honor his vow, gathering his fellow vets - Eastland (Steve James), Frank (Michael Ironside), Dalton (Jay Patterson) and Gill (Thomas Waites) - and using creative methods to get money for his own daring mission into enemy territory. What follows involves a return engagement with El Presidente and his backers, one that involves everything from aerial dogfights to elaborate, epic ground warfare.
The result is a strong action flick in the old-school style that fans of '80s and early '90s action love. While the beats of the plot might sound familiar, the way Glickenhaus applies his filmmaking style gives them their own unique phrasing: for example, there's a scene where the vets storm a drug den only for its main dealer to point out that they're lashing out at people just trying to survive in dire circumstances rather than getting the real culprits behind the drug trade. There's also an odd but witty scene in which Walken pretends to be an Israeli to shake down a mobster for funds that will be used to fund the group's mission. Such scenes have the outside-the-box thinking and unexpected humor that make Glickenhaus' work so interesting within its genre.
McBain is also unique in that it doesn't fall neatly into an expected political stance like a lot of conservative-minded action fare from the era did. At its heart, it's a story about men who are out to avenge a friend. While their actions have geopolitical ripples, they're not doing it for rah-rah political motivations. Instead, it's more about having soured on the direction the world has gone - there's a uniquely middle-aged perspective here - and they grow to appreciate their fallen friend's desire to bring freedom to the downtrodden.
In fact, McBain is much more concerned with how corruption wears people down and money causes complacence with an ugly status quo. For instance, El Presidente is revealed to be little more that a pawn for wealthy drug cartel interests and an interesting subplot has Frank, who has become a successful tech guy in post-war life, getting roused from wealth-induced cynicism by joining in on his buddies' fight. As for Glickenhaus, he lets you know where he stands when a crooked corporate head gets punched in the face by a disgruntled employee - and an amused Steve James steps back to let it happen.
However, it's worth noting that McBain isn't a sermon. It's a "guys on a mission" action flick and Glickenhaus delivers his most impressive and large-scale setpieces in this film. The second half of the film was shot in the Philippines, doubling for Colombia, and Glickenhaus wrings every drop of production value out of his locales with jumbo explosions, wild stunts, tons of squibs and battle and riot sequences with hundreds of extras involved in action. He even throws in a few well-done dogfight sequences, including a killer scene where a jet has to outrun a couple of heat-seeking missiles.
An excellent cast further strengthens the film. Walken is an inspired choice for lead, able to handle the action stuff but doing so without the look-at-me showiness of a conventional action hero. He also brings a Method-style gravity to the dialogue and is totally in sync with the director's offbeat sense of humor. Alonso brings a lot of emotion to the rare woman's lead in this kind of flick and her character participates in the battles right alongside the men. The supporting cast of vets is also fantastic, particularly Vennera in the pivotal role that kickstarts the plot and Ironside getting to a play a more dimensional than usual tough guy role.
Simply put, this is the kind of action flick that you'd never see at a theater today, one more concerned with the filmmaker's interests than pleasing a test screening audience and also a film that pulls off some impressive spectacle through analog means. If you're a fan of Glickenhaus' other films, it's a must-watch - and don't be surprised if its 'end of an era' quality makes you feel wistful.
Blu-Ray Notes: After a while in video limbo in the U.S., McBain has finally made it to blu-ray here via a new disc from Synapse. It boasts a sharp transfer with nice, celluloid-accurate detail and a rich representation of the film's earthy color palette. The original 2.0 stereo mix is included plus a new 5.1 stereo mix that opens up sound effects in the action sequences nicely, both presented in lossless form (English subs are also included).
There's just one new extra but it's a strong one: a new commentary pairing Glickenhaus with author, film historian (and friend of Schlockmania) Chris Poggiali handling moderator duties. It's an easygoing but always informative chat session that covers the filmmaker's motivations in plot and theme, working with Walken, the value of shooting in the Philippines and the challenges of self-distribution in a studio-dominated world. There's lots of interesting detail on the director's career and the changes he experienced during his time in the film business - and Poggiali does a good job of priming him with questions without interrupting the flow of his thoughts. It's a great listen for anyone curious about his career. A trailer rounds out the set.
Click here to order this release directly from Synapse Films.