Bloodsport (1988)

Director:

Newt Arnold

Writers:

Christopher Cosby (screenplay)
Mel Friedman (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

26 February 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Biography | Sport

Tagline:

The secret contest where the world's greatest warriors fight in a battle to the death.

Plot:

Frank Dux has spent most his life being trained by Tanaka to participate in the Kumite, the ultimate martial arts tournament...

Plot Keywords:

Martial Arts | Tournament | Martial Arts Tournament | Death | Fight

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jean-Claude Van Damme	...	Frank Dux (as Jean Claude Van Damme)
Donald Gibb	...	Ray Jackson
Leah Ayres	...	Janice Kent
Norman Burton	...	Helmer
Forest Whitaker	...	Rawlins
Roy Chiao	...	Tanaka
Philip Chan	...	Inspector Chen
Pierre Rafini	...	Young Frank
Bolo Yeung	...	Chong Li
Ken Siu	...	Victor Lin (as Kenneth Siu)
Kimo Lai Kwok Ki	...	Hiro
Bernard Mariano	...	Sadiq Hossein
Bill Yuen Ping Kuen	...	Oshima
Lily Leung	...	Mrs. Tanaka
Joshua Schroder	...	Chuck / Older Boy
Keith Davey	...	Eddie / Older Boy
Sean Ward	...	Shingo Tanaka
Johnny Lai	...	Desk Clerk
Henry Ho	...	Official
Henry Kot	...	Official
Thomas Lam	...	Official
Simon Lai	...	Official
A.P. George	...	Referee / Judge
Charles Wang	...	Chinese Doctor
Cihangir Gaffari	...	Gustafson (as John Foster)
John Cheung	...	Toon
Dennis Chiu	...	Chuan
Michel Qissi	...	Suan Paredes (as Michelle Qissi)
Nathan Chukueke	...	Paredes' Opponent
Geoff Brown	...	Paredes' Friend
David Ho	...	Pumola
Eric Neff	...	Morra
Michael Chan	...	Yasuda
Rick Erikson	...	Cocard
John Law	...	Luu
Samson Li	...	Budimam Prang
Paulo Tocha	...	Paco
Greg Richardson	...	Aussie
Saheed Sahabuddin	...	Syrian Fighter
Rocky Jasminder Singh	...	Syrian Fighter
Wilson Lee	...	Chong Li's Trainer
Mark DiSalle	...	Boxer
Edward E. Ketterer	...	Aide
Ken Boyle	...	Col. Cooke
Mark Wheelhouse	...	Older Boy
Wayne Morris	...	Older Boy
Darren Humphrey	...	Older Boy
Tom Tam	...	Young Tough
Claude Heme	...	Mr. Dux
Mandy Chan	...	Janitor
Susan Sheers	...	Mrs. Dux
Tak Ming Wong	...	Flagman
Tsui Siu Hung	...	Policeman
Chung Sung Tak	...	Policeman
Kung Sung Wan	...	Policeman
Christopher Lay	...	Butler
Andrew Rule	...	Guard
Lois Gochnauer	...	Special Lady
Patricia McDonald	...	Special Lady
Mic Rieusset	...	Special Lady
Gloria Wu	...	Special Lady
Peggy Tam	...	Special Lady
Jacqueline Choy	...	Special Lady
Bernie Cilia	...	Special Lady
Rani Gill	...	Special Lady
Christine Redman	...	Special Lady
Johnny Wong Tin Tok	...	Big Spender
Mak Shu Sun	...	Big Spender
Nip Kwok Chiu	...	Big Spender
David Tetter	...	Fighter
Benjamin Ling	...	Fighter
Joao Gamez	...	Fighter
Kin Hung Tse	...	Fighter
Steve Daw	...	Fighter
Yuk Shu Ng	...	Fighter
Henrik Wesslen	...	Fighter
Paul Findley	...	Fighter
Wayne Archer	...	Fighter
Attilio Reale	...	Fighter
Mark Sharrock	...	Fighter
Paul Treadwell	...	Fighter
Colin Bucknor	...	Fighter
Roger Walker	...	Fighter
Hung Chi Shing	...	Fighter
Victor Wong	...	Fighter
Chu Wah	...	Fighter
Eric Ng	...	Fighter
Max Clsekedi	...	Fighter
Ronnie Li	...	Fighter

Directed by
Newt Arnold

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Christopher Cosby		screenplay
Mel Friedman		screenplay
Sheldon Lettich		screenplay
Sheldon Lettich		story

Produced by
Mark DiSalle	....	producer
Yoram Globus	....	producer
Menahem Golan	....	producer

Original Music by
Paul Hertzog

Cinematography by
David Worth		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Carl Kress
Jean-Claude Van Damme		(uncredited)

Casting by
Madalena Chan
Michael Olton

Production Design by
David Searl

Production Management
Burt Bluestein	....	production manager
Omneya 'Nini' Mazen	....	post-production supervisor
Rony Yacov	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ken Siu	....	second assistant director
O.J. Tan	....	first assistant director

Sound Department
Thomas Paul Croce	....	foley artist
Gibson Fung	....	boom operator
Jeffrey J. Haboush	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mike Le Mare	....	supervising sound editor
Doug Madick	....	foley artist
Anthony Palk	....	sound editor
Greg P. Russell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gary Shepherd	....	sound editor
Karola Storr	....	sound editor (as Carola Storr)
George Weis	....	production sound mixer

Special Effects by
John Chan	....	special effects coordinator

Stunts
Shelley Cook	....	stunt double
Shelley Cook	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
Gary Fung	....	dolly grip
Stanley Hung	....	key grip

Editorial Department
Jeff Kress	....	assistant editor
Michael Philip	....	assistant editor
Angelo Russo	....	color timer
Anne-Marie Vitello	....	negative cutter
Ron Vitello	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Richard Whitfield	....	music editor

Other crew
Wenden K. Baldwin	....	title designer
Frank Dux	....	fighting coordinator
Kathryn Loraine Hibbs	....	production accountant
Rick Nathanson	....	production executive
Kyle Seidenbaum	....	title designer
Nonette Tsang	....	script supervisor
Charles Wang	....	production consultant: Hong Kong

Production Companies

• Cannon International (presents)

Distributors

• U.G.C. Worldwide Distribution (1988-1989) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Cannon Film Distributors (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• Ízaro Films (1988) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Scotia-Cannon (1988) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Cannon France (1988) (France) (theatrical)
• Hoyts Distribution (19??) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Ab Svensk Filmindustri / Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• América Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (19??) (Australia) (VHS)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• RCA/Columbia-Hoyts Home Video (19??) (Australia) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Vestron Video International (1988) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1989) (Spain) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (UK) (DVD)

Other Companies

• B & B Sound Studios  sound re-recording
• Cinema Research  titles and opticals
• Perseverance Records  soundtrack (USA) (2007)
• Silva Screen Records  soundtrack (Germany) (198?)

Runtime:

92 min | Finland:71 min (video release) (1991) | Finland:89 min (DVD release) (2006)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (heavily cut) (1991) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (2006) | Canada:14A | South Korea:12 | Australia:R | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 | Poland:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:18 | UK:15 (video re-rating) (2003) | UK:18 (original rating) | UK:18 (video rating) (1989) | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

Cannon International

Trivia:

Though Frank Dux's brick-breaking demonstration is purely fictional, the Dim Mak ("Death Touch") is a legendary move fabled in Chinese martial arts folklore. The Dim Mak is an accu-pressure attack where the attacker quickly strikes his opponent several times (in sequence) at various spots on his body. Striking an opponent in this method can result in broken bones, paralysis/painful muscle spasms or even instant death. Pei-pei Cheng's character Jade Fox uses a paralyzing Dim Mak-type attack in Wo hu cang long (2000).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The film is from 1988, the flashback scene is at least 10 years prior. During the flashback scene in which Frank defends Shingo from school bullies, one of the onlookers is wearing a "Bartles and Jaymes" T-Shirt. Bartles and Jaymes was introduced in 1985.

Quotes:

Title Card: [Last Lines] From 1975 to 1980, Frank W. Dux had 329 matches. He has retired undefeated as the Heavyweight class Kumite champion. He still holds records to this day. Quickest knockout: 32 seconds. Quickest punch in a knockout: 3.2 seconds. Fastest Kick in a knockout: 72 MPH. Total knockouts: 92.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in JCVD (2008)

Soundtrack:

STEAL THE NIGHT

Cult

I love this man. His acting wasn't very good. (I do think though it improved over time... a little.)

Bloodsport was inspiration for a whole generation to start learning martial arts. A Cult movie. I grew up some of my life in Asia and it amuses me to see those buff cliché white men jumping around through colourful, but grubby marketplaces/ back alleys. In fact the whole movie is simple and has even a nice tidy cliché structure: Man starts terribly, improves through tough training and develops into sexy fighting machine. Some people who commented on this movie said he is no Bruce Lee. But that is the beauty of it. He is somebody from a western country trying to measure up and fit into the eastern culture. Good stuff.