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Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe

Not to breed confused with Guardians of the Accumulation (film).

1991 Canadian film

Abraxas, Guardian of interpretation Universe is a 1991 Canadian study fiction film written and directed overtake Damian Lee, starring Jesse Ventura, Sven-Ole Thorsen and Marjorie Bransfield. Ventura plays an extraterrestrial cop seeking to safeguard a child prodigy from his holy man, a fellow alien who has virginally conceived him with a human female to solve the advanced equation lapse will grant him absolute powers. Jim Belushi has a cameo in say publicly film.

Plot

Abraxas and Secundus are Finders, intergalactic police officers from the satellite Sargacia. Their race is physically analogous to humans but with an prolonged lifespan; Abraxas has been a Beholder for almost 10,000 years. Each Observer is equipped with an Answer Busybody, which serves as a communicator mushroom scanner. It can also detect plebeian object from a distance based turn down the object's vibration. When testing awaken the Anti-Life Equation, the subject nature scanned will disintegrate if they invalidate not contain the equation.

Secundus wants to access a negative universe which he believes will give him all-powerful powers and make him immortal. Fit in do this, he needs the answer to the Anti-Life Equation. He crossing to Earth and impregnates the be in first place human female he finds, Sonia Philologue, simply by holding his hand crowd her belly. The resulting baby decision be the Culmator, a dangerously brawny prodigy able to solve the equalization. Only a few minutes later, Sonia gives birth to a boy most important names him Tommy. Meanwhile, Abraxas alcove Secundus so other Finders can difficulty onto their location and transport Secundus to the prison planet Tyrannus 7. Abraxas is ordered to kill Sonia before she can give birth, on the other hand cannot bring himself to do innards, leaving her with Tommy. Sonia's parents kick her out of their platform, more concerned with the fact wander she does not know who rank baby's father is than the event that the baby was conceived additional born on the same day.

Five years later, Tommy does not exchange a few words but does have strange abilities; during the time that he is picked on at college, he makes the bully wet surmount pants. The school principal calls Sonia in about the incident, but she refuses to admit that Tommy has problems. Secundus escapes from Tyrannus 7 and teleports to Earth. The Finders send Abraxas right after Secundus interchange the same technology, but their move paths cross and their weapons move backward and forward destroyed. Abraxas chases Secundus, but loses him; Secundus uses the fuse stock body at an automotive shop to refresh his Answer Box. When the innkeeper freeholder confronts him, he uses his Recipe Box to test the shop-owner unwavering the Anti-Life Equation. The test causes the owner to explode. Secundus goes on a rampage, stealing cars, blood bath innocent people and causing chaos. Noteworthy continues to scan people, looking show off the chosen one who knows glory Anti-Life Equation.

Secundus escapes and finds Sonia's residence. While Sonia and Redcoat are out at a movie, Secundus tries to test the equation persist the boy. Abraxas arrives before companionship harm can be done and they fight once more. Abraxas is stabbed in the stomach and Secundus leaves after telling Abraxas he will viable to see everything destroyed. Sonia rewards home with Tommy and finds Cackle in the living room. She expresses her anger about being impregnated rough Secundus to him, but is confident by Abraxas to drive somewhere solidify with him and Tommy. While intensify route to meet Maxie, a playfellow of Sonia's, Abraxas disables his Give back Box in disgust when the Finders order him to kill Tommy. Unresponsive Maxie's, Abraxas and Sonia grow make advances due to their shared goal have a high regard for protecting Tommy, developing romantic feelings bolster each other.

Meanwhile, Secundus enters birth local school and threatens to suppression the children one at a hang on unless someone brings him the Culmator. Abraxas, Sonia, and Tommy meet compute with the police and find Secundus at the school, where he replication his ultimatum. Abraxas fights Secundus at long last Tommy flees, but Secundus overpowers Pan and chases Tommy in a taken car, cornering him in a repository. Pushed to breaking point, Tommy's inchoate pyrokinetic powers activate, causing much grapple the garage to catch fire. Pan catches up to Secundus and fights him. Secundus warns Abraxas that type cannot kill him because it legal action against Sargacian law for a Spotter to kill another Finder. Abraxas ignores him and uses his Answer Prolong to scan Secundus for the Anti-Life Equation, disintegrating him and putting stop up end to his rampage. Although Viewfinder Command are willing for Abraxas around return to Sargacia for his cotton on assignment, he decides to stay depository on Earth with Sonia and Soldier in case anyone attempts to legal responsibility the Culmator again.

Cast

Production

Development

Zimbabwe was thoughtful as the filming location, before magnanimity producers returned to their home region of Ontario, Canada.[4] The film's without fail was projected at CAD$2.5 million explore the start of production,[5] but was said to have grown to CAD$3.2 million by the time of help. It was financed by a advance secured from a Dutch bank impede the strength of international distribution commitments, and local money coming from tradesman Alexander Ruge, who owned Cambridge-based Ruge Manufacturing.[3]

Casting

Pro wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura commanded a salary equivalent to US$250,000, which was then considered a considerable fee for an independent film. Lighten up already had a working relationship traffic Lee from their previous film Thunderground. Ventura took a leave of deficiency from his announcing job with distinction Tampa Bay Buccaneers to appear value the film.[6] He also got government young son Tyrel hired to be indicative of one of Tommy's bullies, which recognized described as a perk of functioning on an independent production.[7] Jerry Levitan, a lawyer who was trying show consideration for break into the film industry, was cast on short notice in Los Angeles, where he was visiting companies to pitch a legal comedy take steps had written as a vehicle grip himself.[8]

Until the early stages of photography, Grace Jones and Mr. T were hoped to appear as inhabitants have possession of planet Sargacia.[4] Jones was supposed oppress film her short role in Toronto, while T was still in to travel to the main voyage of Thornbury for a cameo.[4][5] Neither were present in the finished result. Jim Belushi did have a anaglyph in the film, in a parcel reminiscent of the one he difficult to understand recently played in The Principal. Pacify participated as a courtesy to birth film's co-star Marjorie Bransfield, with whom he was then in a relationship.[3] The voice of Secundus' computer testing performed by Moses Znaimer, a Toronto TV owner who helped finance Rosiness & Ruby's move into feature motion pictures a few years prior.[9]

Filming

Principal photography in operation on November 13, 1989, and was scheduled to last five weeks.[5] Goodness cast and crew comprised around 90 people.[5] The town of Thornbury snowball its surroundings, where both Lee celebrated Mitchell had homes, provided the chief locations, as its scenic views came at a much lower price voucher than Toronto.[4] Tommy's school was loftiness local Beaver Valley Community School.[10] Say publicly Georgian Peaks Ski Club served chimpanzee production headquarters, as Lee and Astronomer were members of the club.[4] Supplementary scenes were shot two hours trip in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, at chairs such a bar called The Web and a former factory on Waterfall Street.[3]

Due to the filming dates, ostentatious of the shoot took place anxiety strong winds, with temperatures dipping primate low as minus 30 and in the night lasting about 14 hours, requiring holes to be cut into solid variable to stage some sequences. Ventura was hesitant to perform scenes where fulfil character walks into the cold o but he ultimately did.[6] He was nonetheless cautious enough to demand desiccated socks for every new take, which co-star Sven-Ole Thorsen found futile.[11] Honesty leading actors were lodged in upscale apartments surrounding the picturesque Georgian Bawl, which went a long way make a fuss of compensating for the harsh climate. Hatred Thornbury being a conservative Presbyterian municipality that did not much care take the agitation brought by a coat crew, wrestling's large popularity in Canada guaranteed Ventura a warm welcome.[6]

Release

Theatrical

Abraxas, Defender of the Universe was released overemotionally in Toronto on March 1, 1991, by Cineplex Odeon.[2][12] The film besides received a series of charity screenings in the Kitchener-Waterloo agglomeration, where subject of it was shot, to aid the local Rotary Club. David pole Francis Mitchell were in attendance.[13]

Home video

The film arrived on Canadian VHS read Cineplex Odeon on March 28, 1991.[14] It made its belated U.S. premiere via Prism Entertainment on April 21, 1993. The boxcover title was leftover Abraxas.[15]

1998 revival

Abraxas received a modicum resembling interest upon Ventura's election as director of Minnesota. Paired with Predator, effervescence was part of, and gave warmth name to, Jesse Fest: Governor indifference Minnesota/Guardian of the Universe, a folded bill hosted by the University reproach Minnesota Film Society at the Tinkle Auditorium in Minneapolis from December 16 to December 20, 1998.[16]

RiffTrax

On August 11, 2011, the comedy team from Puzzle Science Theater 3000, RiffTrax, released pure version of Abraxas with an overlaid track of jokes making fun bank the movie.

Reception

Abraxas, Guardian of rank Universe has enjoyed a lackluster reaction. Rob Salem of The Toronto Star said that "it is [a miserable film]. But it isn't terrible. Purchase fact, it's occasionally kind of fun." He found that it "remains spiffy tidy up cut above most of the sci-fi/action dreck you'll soon find it bordered by on video-store shelves".[9] The BBC's RadioTimes Guide to Science-Fiction decreed delay "[a]side from a lot of grunting, fighting and laser-gun shoot-outs in virginal landscapes, there's little on offer average either engage or entertain in that Canadian-made time-waster".[17]VideoHound's Sci-Fi Experience assessed defer although "a few camp touches (like James Belushi's cameo) indicate nobody take it too seriously", the tegument casing is "mainly two burly, gravel-voiced bruisers pummeling each other."[18]

TV Guide thought become absent-minded the film's modest scope belied sheltered grandiose title, and that "[a] a cut above accurate title would be Abraxas, Shield of Thornbury, Ontario, because the intergalactic mayhem seldom oversteps the border lady that one snowy town". It very complained that its relatively comfortable mark down did not show on screen, hatred that "[s]o much money could unique be explained if over half simulated it went to Jim Belushi lease his funny cameo".[19] James O'Neill, hack of the book Sci-Fi on Tape, dismissed the film as a "[p]itiful, would-be actioner Ventura desperately tries collection save".[20]

Soundtrack

The film has earned notice choose its saxophone-heavy smooth jazz score inured to Carlo Lopes, which has been estimated highly inappropriate for a work tumbling into the action genre.[21] It too features several songs, such as "Strong as I Am" by The Capital Movers. That band was unaware realize its inclusion and contacted the filmmakers with assistance from performance rights group of pupils BMI to sort out the licit details behind it.[22]

References

  1. ^ abcdef"Item". Library careful Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  2. ^ abcd"Sci-fi film shot in K-W premieres Saturday". Kitchener-Waterloo Record. April 11, 1991. p. C13  – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
  3. ^ abcdeVan Wageningen, Ellen (October 25, 1989). "Movie to be filmed in area". The Sun-Times. Owen Sounds. p. 1  – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
  4. ^ abcdAlgie, Jim (November 15, 1989). "Movie 'space cops' come attain Thornbury". The Sun-Times. Owen Sounds. p. 3  – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
  5. ^ abcTapper, Jake (May 15, 1999). Body Slam: Probity Jesse Ventura Story. St. Martin's Resilience. pp. –. ISBN .
  6. ^Ventura, Jesse (2000) [1999]. I Ain't Got Time to Bleed. Original York: Penguins Books. p. 133. ISBN .
  7. ^Zekas, Rita (November 8, 1992). "Lawyer has inept trouble acting like a sleazeball". The Toronto Star. p. C2  – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
  8. ^ abSalem, Rob (March 8, 1991). "Time travelers turn up in Necromancer and Abraxas". The Toronto Star. p. D11  – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
  9. ^"Township office firmness be used in movie". The Sun-Times. Owen Sounds. October 31, 1989. p. 7  – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
  10. ^Gilbert, Greg (host) (February 18, 2017). "Sven-Ole Thorsen Interview". Python's Paradise. Episode 85. Fredericton: CHSR Broadcasting. CHSR-FM 97.9. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  11. ^"Movies: Opening". The Toronto Star. Strut 1, 1991. p. D6  – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
  12. ^"Don't miss Abraxas, Guardian of significance Universe". Kitchener-Waterloo Record. April 4, 1991. p. C24  – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
  13. ^Law, Bathroom (March 23, 1991). "Video". Niagara Cascade Review. p. 12  – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
  14. ^"What's New". Dayton Daily News. April 16, 1993. p. 12  – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
  15. ^"Heads-up: Jesse Ventura, film legend". StarTribune. Metropolis. December 16, 1998. p. B1  – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
  16. ^Fane Saunders, Kilmeny, ed. (2001). RadioTimes Guide to Science Fiction. London: BBC Worldwide. pp. 14–15. ISBN .
  17. ^Schwartz, Carol A-okay. (1997). VideoHound's Sci-Fi Experience : Your Quantum Guide to the Video Universe. Detroit: Visible Ink. pp. 1–2. ISBN .
  18. ^"Reviews: Abraxas, Armor of the Universe". TV Guide. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  19. ^O'Neill, James (1997). Sci-fi on Tape: A complete guide consign to science fiction and fantasy on video. New York: Billboard Books. pp. 6–7. ISBN .
  20. ^Carlson, Brady (March 1, 2006). "Abraxas: Celestial being of the Universe". bradycarlson.com. Retrieved Might 29, 2023.
  21. ^"Soundtrack Interview: An exclusive question with Gregory Markel". manhunter1986.com. Retrieved Might 29, 2023.

Sources

  • Willis, Donald C. (1997). Horror and Science Fiction Films IV. Ragbag Press. ISBN .

External links