Seagal’s Black Dawn – Hacker

Huge inspiration for Apocalypse Briggs.

Seagal’s Shadowman – Hadouken

Best way to hold a gun: really high and really close to your body

Best way to foreshadow a smackdown: an oriental flute (0:43)

Best line: “It ain’t over. It ain’t over ’til the wolf howls.”

Best move: Hadouken.  What the hell was that?

Seagal’s Black Dawn – Date

This is the last scene in Black Dawn and the only romantic interaction between Seagal and this girl the whole movie. It’s a surprise for the viewer, kind of an afterthought. But it’s great.

Girl: “After all we’ve been through together you’re gonna call me a friend? Normally when people sleep together … “

Seagal: “What are you talking about, man? Okay okay … “

Seagal doesn’t give a shit about this girl, calling her “man” really nonchalantly, and doesn’t know how long they’ve been seeing each other — “as busy as I am it’s all a blur.” They go on with this lover’s bickering and then end up laughing after the girl mentions how he taught her how to use chopsticks, a reference to Seagal’s oriental lifestyle, a staple of every Seagal movie, yet stubbed in as an afterthought.

The second half of this clip is a shitty wrap-up of the movie as the girl talks to her boss on the telephone (you can assume this with all the sir’s and the “report on Monday”). She gives props to Seagal for getting rid of the “nuke” — “With all due respect sir, in all my years with the CIA, it’s the most courageous act I’ve ever seen” — and then she finds out the President wants to meet her — “The President? … I’d be honored.”  I love how the conclusion to this movie is a one-way conversation on a telephone, a very easy and lazy way to give the viewer a lot of information on a low-budget.

The best part is the “ticket for one,” as the camera pans over to a lumpy body hobbling in the distance, pointing to Seagal being the same old lone-wolf free-bird who can’t be caged.

Seagal’s Black Dawn – Throw That Bitch Out

There’s so much in this clip.  CGI effects of the ocean (and a school of fish!), romantic, desperate looks from the girl, really weird dialogue, and a lot of heavy breathing.

A couple of favorite pieces of dialogue:

“Throw that bitch out!”  “What?”  “Get it out.”

“Are we clear?”  “Well, uh … it looks like we might be, but uh … we could be glowing in the dark for a while.”  Is this improvised?  Were the weird pauses and uncertainty planned?

Seagal’s Black Dawn – Security Guard

The highlight of this clip is the confusing orientation of shots.  The dialogue between the girl and the security guard is shot head on.   Then there’s a shot from the side of the security guard getting blasted. Amateur shot arrangement is successfully disorienting.

Seagal’s Black Dawn – Fuck!

What I like about this is the delivery and the use of “Fuck!” Seagal is mentioning a *potential* outcome, but she’s reacting to it as if she just stubbed her toe.

Seagal’s Black Dawn – Body Double

Keep a keen eye on this clip. You’ll have to be very perceptive to notice Seagal’s using a body double. Watch as Seagal enters into the stairwell in a black coat, then a man in a gray suit and grayish ratty hair is featured fighting some goons in the stairwell. It all happens quicker than the naked eye as Seagal’s character goes from black clothing to gray. Seamless.