Drive (1997 film)
| Drive | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Steve Wang |
| Written by | [Scott Phillips[1]]] |
| Starring |
Mark Dacascos Kadeem Hardison Brittany Murphy Tracey Walter John Pyper-Ferguson |
| Music by | Walter Werzowa |
| Cinematography | Michael Wojciechowski |
| Edited by | Ivan Ladizinsky |
Release dates | August 4, 1997 (Germany) |
Running time |
99 minutes original cut 112 min director's cut |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3.5 million |
Drive is a 1997 cult action film starring Mark Dacascos, Kadeem Hardison, Tracey Walter, John Pyper-Ferguson, Brittany Murphy, and Masaya Kato. The film was directed by Steve Wang with stunt work/fight choreography done by Koichi Sakamoto. Like most of Wang's films at the time, Drive went straight-to-video but received a cult following afterwards.
Plot
A machine/human hybrid prototype formerly working for the Red Chinese, Toby Wong, forces a down-on-his-luck, extroverted songwriter named Malik Brody to drive him to Los Angeles after their first meeting in a bar. He is on the run from hitmen—a hillbilly assassin/bounty hunter named Vic Madison and his inane henchman called "Hedgehog".
Alternate Cut
The US DVD, VHS and cable showings of this cult film are the infamous "Robbie Little Cut", a producer on the film that edited 20 minutes of it to a 98 minute running time and replacing the original soundtrack with a techno-based score. The UK PAL "Special Edition" DVD formatted for NTSC, includes not only a video transfer but a full restoration of Steve Wang's original cut including a Dolby Digital 5.1 remix of the original soundtrack. The British DVD release is a special Director's Cut version, containing reinstated cut scenes and the original film score. Special extras on the DVD include newly commissioned interviews with cast and crew, director's audio track, and a feature on the Japanese stunt team responsible for the film's action scenes.
Deleted scenes include: A scene in Malik's house where Malik and Toby enter his daughters' room and they talk about his 4-year-old daughter and how much he loves her. A scene in which Hedgehog and Madison question the existence of aliens. A scene after the Motel fight where Deliverance hugs Toby and Malik gets a bit jealous. A scene in which Toby reveals he has a brother and that they were both singers once. A longer version of the final fight where Toby delivers a new kick.
Cast
- Mark Dacascos – Toby Wong, a karate fighter working for the Red Chinese.
- Kadeem Hardison – Malik Brody, a extroverted songwriter.
- John Pyper-Ferguson – Vic Madison, a bounty hunter.
- Brittany Murphy – Deliverance Bodine, a lady who runs a motel. She has a crush on Malik.
- Tracey Walter – Hedgehog, Vic's inane henchman.
- James Shigeta – Mr. Lau
- Masaya Kato – Advanced Model
- Dom Magwili – Mr. Chow
- Ron Yuan – Razor Scarred
- Clive Rosengren – Cantwell
- Christopher Michael – Jeb
- Ted Smith – Joss
- Sanaa Lathan – Carolyn Brody
- David Hayter – Cop #1
External links
- Drive at the Internet Movie Database
- Drive at Rotten Tomatoes
- Drive at AllMovie
- Greatest Movie EVER! Podcast - Review
- Kung Fu Cinema - Review
- Kung Fu Cinema - Director Steve Wang Interview
- Micro-Shock Cinema - Screenwriter Scott Phillips Interview
- Exhilarated Despair Productions - Screenwriter Scott Phillips Message Board
- Studio-Nibble - Fan Site