Saturday, August 13

The Making of Missing in Action 2: The Beginning - 1986 Interglobal Video VHS

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Possessing the DIY video transfer know-how of a two-week-old rotting chimp, I can't do the smart thing and throw this up on YouTube. So instead I figured I could at least detail the contents of this rare making-of cassette from Interglobal (bearing Vidmark Entertainment's logo on tape) especially with every DVD only having the trailer.

This video is basically a fluffy twenty minute featurette designed to show the film in an ever-idyllic light with almost robotic narration. There's no real meat and this sequel, or even the first or third, aren't exactly features screaming for a peek behind-the-scenes. As such zero mention is made of this sequel originally intended to the first in the series with producers realizing the shot back-to-back "sequel", or Missing in Action, was superior and opting to release it first.

Expect your usual topical spiel about the plot, production, fight sequences, and pyro effects with tiny interview snippets with Norris, director Lance Hool, and vet effects supervisor Dick Parker mixed with scenes from the movie and on-set footage. Still, it's not poorly put together and might be of interest to fans of the MIAs or 'Nam-themed actioners despite the lack of trivia. Certainly seemed ripe to throw on the DVD release...
  • The film was shot on Mount Misery (Mount Liamuiga) on the island of Saint Kitts in the West Indies.
  • It took two months to prep the sets with local labor with a new road built to the film's encampments.
  • The Asian soldiers and extras were flown in from North Carolina(?!?)
  • According to Chuck, karate was the premiere cinematic fighting style of the '80s. No argument there.
  • Despite Norris stating much research was done in capturing accurate torture methods and reflecting on his brother lost in Vietnam, you can tell he struggles to find much to say about the movie, "...because if the bad guy wins...then you...ermmm...lose the movie..."
  • Director Hool pronounces Maalox as "Mel-licks" (huh?) 
(would have been badass if this was actually "THE MAKING OF CHUCK NORRIS")

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