Showdown (I) (1993)

PG-13   |    |  Action

Showdown (1993) Poster

Ken has just moved from Kansas with his mother. He talks to a girl named Julie, not knowing that her boyfriend Tom is very possessive of her. Tom is learning karate from Lee, a sensei whose... See full summary »

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  • Christine Taylor in Showdown (1993)
  • Showdown (1993)
  • Patrick Kilpatrick in Showdown (1993)
  • Christine Taylor in Showdown (1993)
  • Showdown (1993)
  • Showdown (1993)

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Reviews & Commentary

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User Reviews
1 November 2000 | blackxmas
5
| High School Martial Arts Hijinks Highlight 'Showdown'.
I'm a sucker for the high school genre. And while this definitely echoes 'Karate Kid', it's has a John Hughes feel as well...sort of Midwesterny. Then I found out it was shot in Arizona...

Anyway, this is a really funny action film from Imperial Entertainment. It's a howler, suffers from technical problems, but moves along quickly to it's inevitable feel-good conclusion. Kenn Scott as the lead is such an annoyingly nice guy that YOU want to beat him up, but he does grow on you. Christine Taylor is the girlfriend of the bad guy teenager. The bad guy teen has some of the worst fashion and haircut I've seen in a long time; maybe he had stock in Merry Go Round. Brion James turns up in another Imperial Entertainment release in a throwaway role as the vice principal. Maybe he had a contract with them.

Apparently there's a PG-13 as well as the R rated version I saw, which explains once again why Imperial's films have that weird family vibe, then all of a sudden someone's cursing or spitting blood into the camera lens. Billy Blanks is a terrible actor; during SHOWDOWN, my friend kept screaming "He sucks so bad!!" and kept hitting his head, but believe me, he meant it in the nicest possible way. I tell you this....I'd rather watch a Blanks vehicle then a Wesley Snipes big-budget borefest any day of the week.

A true classic of the growing straight to video action cult. These were our drive-in films of the 90's, folks, so if you complain about the lack of that sort of New World/regional independent drive-in fodder you lovingly associate only with the 70's and early 80's, you better start backtracking. There's a lot of stuff to catch up with.

Critic Reviews

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Did You Know?

Trivia

During the climax, Lee pulls his belt on Billy where it was used as a whip - a brutal scene like this is unlikely to be filmed in 2016 (unless a film is period specific e.g. Django Unchained) since the belt used as a whip on an African American is connotated with slavery, racism, racial prejudice (especially in the Southern United States) and child abuse (especially with viral child abuse videos (usually from African American parents) uploaded to the controversial website WorldStarHipHop.com where video footage of such action have led to criminal charges filed against those who film it) - a depiction of this brutal scene would be considered as a symbol of racial bigotry (besides the hangman's noose and the Confederate Battle Flag (especially in the wake of the June 17, 2015 Charleston, South Carolina church shootings).

Quotes

Ken Marx: I get it! When this is all over, I'm going to learn some karate stuff, right? It's like, wax on, wax off. Paint the fence. Sand the floor.
Billy Grant: No. This is called toilet cleaning. Teaches humility. Then I want you to start on those urinals. Okay?

Goofs

When "Ken" is describing where he previously lived, he pronounces "Salina, KS" with a long 'e' sound, which is how it is pronounced when describing "Salinas, CA". In KS, it's pronounced with a long 'i' sound.

Alternate Versions

The UK video was cut by 6 secs to remove all footage of butterfly knives. The Prism DVD features the same cut print.

Soundtracks

STREETS OF RAGE
Recorded by D.F.M.
Written by Tracy Swider, Dana Freebairn, Adam Shore, Todd Lane
Published by Captin Swidey Music (ASCAP) Freebairn
Music (ASCAP) Shore Is Music (ASCAP) Ybsober Music (ASCAP)

Storyline

Plot Summary

Synopsis (WARNING: Spoilers)

Genres

Action

Details

Release Date:

17 September 1993

Language

English

Country of Origin

USA

Filming Locations

Old Tucson - 201 S. Kinney Road, Tucson, Arizona, USA

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