Cage (film)
Cage is a 1989 American martial arts action film starring Reb Brown and Lou Ferrigno.
| Cage | |
|---|---|
 1989 Theatrical Poster | |
| Directed by | Lang Elliott |
| Written by | Hugh Kelley |
| Produced by | Lang Elliott |
| Starring | Reb Brown Lou Ferrigno |
| Cinematography | Jacques Haitkin |
| Edited by | Mark S. Westmore |
| Music by | Michael Wetherwax |
Production companies | Cage Productions Lang Elliott Entertainment |
| Distributed by | New Century Entertainment Image Organization |
Release date |
|
Running time | 101 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $618,178 (USA) |
Plot
A GI in the Vietnam War saves his buddy's life, but in the process is shot in the head. The injury results in brain damage to the point where he basically has a child's brain in a (very large) man's body. When they get out of the army the two open up a bar together, but some local gangsters make things tough for them after they refuse to take part in brutal "cage" matches where fighters battle to the point of serious injury and/or death.
Cast
- Lou Ferrigno as Billy Thomas
- Reb Brown as Scott Monroe
- Michael Dante as Tony Baccola
- Mike Moroff as Mario
- Marilyn Tokuda as Morgan Garrett
- Al Leong as Tiger Joe
- James Shigeta as Tin Lum Yin
- Branscombe Richmond as Diablo
- Tiger Chung Lee as Chang
- Al Ruscio as Costello
- Daniel Martine as Mono
- Rion Hunter as Chao Tung
- Dana Lee as Pang
- Maggie Mae Miller as Meme
- Paul Sorensen as Matt
- Danny Trejo as Costello's Bodyguard (uncredited)
Pre-production
When cast, Lou Ferrigno did extensive research on underground cage match-style fighting, soldier life after injuries, and PTSD. Reb Brown did not.
Reception
The film received a modest reception from critics. Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times called it "an exceptionally stylish and dynamic martial-arts movie".[2]
Ferrigno noted in his interview for Charleston City Paper: "Personally, my favorite dramatic role was in a movie I did with Reb Brown called Cage."[3]
References
- "Cage". AFI Catalog.
- Kevin Thomas (September 2, 1989). "Movie Review: Martial-Arts Fighters Square Off in 'Cage,' a Male-Bonding Tale". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
- Brack, Andy (May 2, 2012). "Chatting with a childhood hero, Lou Ferrigno". Charleston City Paper. City Paper Publishing, LLC. Archived from the original on March 5, 2022. Retrieved March 5, 2022.