Marked for Death
Encyclopedia
Marked for Death is a 1990
action film
directed by Dwight H. Little
. It stars Steven Seagal
as John Hatcher, a former DEA troubleshooter. Upon moving back to his home town, Hatcher finds it taken over by a gang of vicious Jamaica
n drug dealers
, led by Screwface.
The film is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be one of Seagal's very best films (alongside Under Siege
and Above the Law
), due to the fight scenes integrating heavy elements of aikido
, as well as use of weapons and arm dislocations. Seagal supposedly studied Obeah
, a West Indian term for black magic rituals in depth to make the film.
) has just returned from Colombia, where his partner Chico (Richard Delmonte) was killed in a confrontation with drug dealers, and John killed the dealers who killed Chico. As a result of Chico's death, John has decided to retire.
One night, John and his friend Max (David
), a local high school football team's head coach, go to a bar. A gun fight breaks out between local drug dealers and a Jamaican gang called the Jamaican Posse
, whose leader is a drug kingpin known as Screwface (Basil Wallace). Hatcher arrests one of Screwface's henchmen as the gunfight ends.
The next day, Screwface and some of his henchmen get revenge by shooting up the house that John, his sister Melissa (Gracen
), and Melissa's 12-year-old daughter Tracy (Harris
) live in. Tracy gets shot and is hospitalized in critical condition.
Hatcher encounters a gangster named Jimmy Fingers (DiBenedetto) and unsuccessfully tries to get him to tell him where Screwface might be and is forced to kill him. Another Jamaican named Nesta (Evans) arrives and Hatcher is able to sit him down but Nesta tells him to go after Screwface alone and jumps out the window to his death
. John finds the blood symbol used by the Posse during the murders vandalized on a carpet the next day and gets information about it from a Jamaican voodoo and gang expert named Leslie (Pacula
) who works part time as a detective.
Hatcher comes out of retirement to join Max in a battle against Screwface. While John is in the detective's store, Melissa makes a phone call to him but is cut short when Screwface and his men invade into Hatcher's home and and attempts to murder Melissa but they leave upon Hatcher's arrival.
The next day, Hatcher and Max get into a fight with three of Screwface's henchmen during a car chase. The fight moves on to a mall after the henchmen's car crashes and the duo kill all three men there. At the house of Leslie, Hatcher now realizes that the only way to stop the Jamaican Posse is to bring down Screwface.
The two team up with Charles (Wright
), a Jamaican Chicago police officer who has been trailing Screwface for five years. They gather all the weaponry they need from a local weapon dealer; machine guns, pistols, remote control bombs and head for Kingston, Jamaica
to find Screwface. Upon their arrival, Max and Charles ask everyone in the streets for the location of Screwface's hideout. They meet a local Jamaican who presents them a photo of a woman who knows Screwface. Hatcher meets her in a club and she gives the address of Screwface's mansion.
At night, Hatcher, Max and Charles (disguised as a Posse) head for Screwface's mansion where there is a party. They secretly infiltrate the premises through a plantation area nearby. Hatcher shoots down three of the henchmen at the balcony and goes to a nearby power station and plants a bomb. He infiltrates the inner grounds by climbing on the roofs while Max and Charles monitor the activities. Hatcher detonates the bomb and party erupts in mayhem and gunfire. Hatcher enters the building and disposes every henchmen. He finds a sacrificial area and is captured by Screwface and his remaining henchmen. Hatcher is able to break free and kills every henchmen before fighting Screwface. During the swordfight, he kicks dust to Screwface and puts the sword to Screwface's penis and decapitates him.
Back in Chicago, Hatcher displays Screwface's severed head to the Jamaican Posse to get them to leave town. However, Screwface's identical twin brother, who runs the Posse crime business and actually committed all the Screwfaces in Chicago, arrives and kills Charles making the gang and the audience believe that Screwface returned from the dead. The meeting erupts into chaos and the gang open fire on the duo. While Max holds off the henchmen in the gunfight, Hatcher kills more gang members before dealing with Screwface's brother in a swordfight. The fight moves to the nightclub where Hatcher kills Screwface's brother by gouging his eyes and blinding him, breaking his back and dropping him down an elevator shaft, in which he gets impaled upon landing. The gang looks at their dead boss and with both the Screwfaces dead are presumed to be arrested at the film's ending.
The final scene shows Hatcher carrying Charles' body with Max limping next to him who was shot in the leg before the film ends with Jimmy Cliff
's John Crow in the credits.
and Washington Post gave it average reviews, noting that it was a fairly standard Seagal action film.
, reggae
and R&B music was released on September 27, 1990 by Delicious Vinyl
.
1990 in film
The year 1990 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* CGI technique is expanded with motion capture for CGI characters, used in Total Recall .* The first digitally-manipulated matte painting is used, in Die Hard 2....
action film
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
directed by Dwight H. Little
Dwight H. Little
Dwight Hubbard Little is an American film director, known for directing the films Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, The Phantom of the Opera, Marked for Death, Rapid Fire and Murder at 1600...
. It stars Steven Seagal
Steven Seagal
Steven Frederic Seagal is an American action film star, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist and reserve deputy sheriff. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan...
as John Hatcher, a former DEA troubleshooter. Upon moving back to his home town, Hatcher finds it taken over by a gang of vicious Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n drug dealers
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
, led by Screwface.
The film is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be one of Seagal's very best films (alongside Under Siege
Under Siege
Under Siege is a 1992 American action film directed by Andrew Davis and starring Steven Seagal as a former Navy SEAL who must stop a group of mercenaries, led by Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey, on a U.S. Navy battleship...
and Above the Law
Above the Law (film)
Above the Law is a 1988 action film directed by Andrew Davis, probably best-known for being the film debut of Steven Seagal. This came about after a successful screen test, financed by Michael Ovitz, led to Seagal being offered a contract by Warner Bros...
), due to the fight scenes integrating heavy elements of aikido
Aikido
is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit." Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to...
, as well as use of weapons and arm dislocations. Seagal supposedly studied Obeah
Obeah
Obeah is a term used in the West Indies to refer to folk magic, sorcery, and religious practices derived from West African, and specifically Igbo origin. Obeah is similar to other African derived religions including Palo, Voodoo, Santería, rootwork, and most of all hoodoo...
, a West Indian term for black magic rituals in depth to make the film.
Plot
Chicago DEA agent John Hatcher (SeagalSteven Seagal
Steven Frederic Seagal is an American action film star, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist and reserve deputy sheriff. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan...
) has just returned from Colombia, where his partner Chico (Richard Delmonte) was killed in a confrontation with drug dealers, and John killed the dealers who killed Chico. As a result of Chico's death, John has decided to retire.
One night, John and his friend Max (David
Keith David
Keith David Williams , better known as Keith David, is an American film, television, voice actor, and singer. He is perhaps most known for his live-action roles in such films as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop and Men at Work...
), a local high school football team's head coach, go to a bar. A gun fight breaks out between local drug dealers and a Jamaican gang called the Jamaican Posse
Jamaican Posse
Jamaican posses, often referred to simply as posses, are a loose coalition of gangs, based predominantly in Kingston, London, the New York City area and Toronto, Canada, first being involved in drugs and gun-running in the early 1980s...
, whose leader is a drug kingpin known as Screwface (Basil Wallace). Hatcher arrests one of Screwface's henchmen as the gunfight ends.
The next day, Screwface and some of his henchmen get revenge by shooting up the house that John, his sister Melissa (Gracen
Elizabeth Gracen
Elizabeth Ward Gracen is an American actress who won the title of Miss America in 1982. She was born Elizabeth Grace Ward but should not be confused with another Elizabeth Ward who worked as a television actress during the first half of the 1980s....
), and Melissa's 12-year-old daughter Tracy (Harris
Danielle Harris
Danielle Andrea Harris is an American film and television actress, best known as a scream queen for her roles in several horror films, four of them in the Halloween series: in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers as Jamie Lloyd and in Halloween and...
) live in. Tracy gets shot and is hospitalized in critical condition.
Hatcher encounters a gangster named Jimmy Fingers (DiBenedetto) and unsuccessfully tries to get him to tell him where Screwface might be and is forced to kill him. Another Jamaican named Nesta (Evans) arrives and Hatcher is able to sit him down but Nesta tells him to go after Screwface alone and jumps out the window to his death
Defenestration
Defenestration is the act of throwing someone or something out of a window.The term "defenestration" was coined around the time of an incident in Prague Castle in the year 1618. The word comes from the Latin de- and fenestra...
. John finds the blood symbol used by the Posse during the murders vandalized on a carpet the next day and gets information about it from a Jamaican voodoo and gang expert named Leslie (Pacula
Joanna Pacula
- Early life :Pacula was born in Tomaszów Lubelski, Poland to a pharmacist mother and an engineer father. In 1979, she graduated from the Aleksander Zelwerowicz State Theatre Academy.- Career :...
) who works part time as a detective.
Hatcher comes out of retirement to join Max in a battle against Screwface. While John is in the detective's store, Melissa makes a phone call to him but is cut short when Screwface and his men invade into Hatcher's home and and attempts to murder Melissa but they leave upon Hatcher's arrival.
The next day, Hatcher and Max get into a fight with three of Screwface's henchmen during a car chase. The fight moves on to a mall after the henchmen's car crashes and the duo kill all three men there. At the house of Leslie, Hatcher now realizes that the only way to stop the Jamaican Posse is to bring down Screwface.
The two team up with Charles (Wright
Tom Wright (actor)
Tom Wright is a television and theatre actor. He was born in Englewood, New Jersey and attended West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania....
), a Jamaican Chicago police officer who has been trailing Screwface for five years. They gather all the weaponry they need from a local weapon dealer; machine guns, pistols, remote control bombs and head for Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
to find Screwface. Upon their arrival, Max and Charles ask everyone in the streets for the location of Screwface's hideout. They meet a local Jamaican who presents them a photo of a woman who knows Screwface. Hatcher meets her in a club and she gives the address of Screwface's mansion.
At night, Hatcher, Max and Charles (disguised as a Posse) head for Screwface's mansion where there is a party. They secretly infiltrate the premises through a plantation area nearby. Hatcher shoots down three of the henchmen at the balcony and goes to a nearby power station and plants a bomb. He infiltrates the inner grounds by climbing on the roofs while Max and Charles monitor the activities. Hatcher detonates the bomb and party erupts in mayhem and gunfire. Hatcher enters the building and disposes every henchmen. He finds a sacrificial area and is captured by Screwface and his remaining henchmen. Hatcher is able to break free and kills every henchmen before fighting Screwface. During the swordfight, he kicks dust to Screwface and puts the sword to Screwface's penis and decapitates him.
Back in Chicago, Hatcher displays Screwface's severed head to the Jamaican Posse to get them to leave town. However, Screwface's identical twin brother, who runs the Posse crime business and actually committed all the Screwfaces in Chicago, arrives and kills Charles making the gang and the audience believe that Screwface returned from the dead. The meeting erupts into chaos and the gang open fire on the duo. While Max holds off the henchmen in the gunfight, Hatcher kills more gang members before dealing with Screwface's brother in a swordfight. The fight moves to the nightclub where Hatcher kills Screwface's brother by gouging his eyes and blinding him, breaking his back and dropping him down an elevator shaft, in which he gets impaled upon landing. The gang looks at their dead boss and with both the Screwfaces dead are presumed to be arrested at the film's ending.
The final scene shows Hatcher carrying Charles' body with Max limping next to him who was shot in the leg before the film ends with Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff, OM is a Jamaican musician, singer and actor. He is the only currently living musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievement in the arts and sciences...
's John Crow in the credits.
Cast
- Steven SeagalSteven SeagalSteven Frederic Seagal is an American action film star, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist and reserve deputy sheriff. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan...
as John Hatcher - Basil Wallace as Screwface
- Keith DavidKeith DavidKeith David Williams , better known as Keith David, is an American film, television, voice actor, and singer. He is perhaps most known for his live-action roles in such films as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop and Men at Work...
as Max - Tom WrightTom Wright (actor)Tom Wright is a television and theatre actor. He was born in Englewood, New Jersey and attended West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania....
as Charles - Joanna Pacuła as Leslie
- Elizabeth GracenElizabeth GracenElizabeth Ward Gracen is an American actress who won the title of Miss America in 1982. She was born Elizabeth Grace Ward but should not be confused with another Elizabeth Ward who worked as a television actress during the first half of the 1980s....
as Melissa - Danielle HarrisDanielle HarrisDanielle Andrea Harris is an American film and television actress, best known as a scream queen for her roles in several horror films, four of them in the Halloween series: in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers as Jamie Lloyd and in Halloween and...
as Tracey - Al IsraelAl IsraelAl Israel was an American film and TV actor who is best known for his role as the Colombian drug dealer "Hector the Toad" in the 1983 cult film Scarface. He also appeared alongside Al Pacino in Carlito's Way a decade later.He was one of three original cast members to lend their voice talent to...
as Tito Barco - Arlen Dean Snyder as Duvall
- Victor Romero Evans as Nesta
- Michael RalphMichael RalphMichael Ralph is an American actor, comedian and voice actor. He is perhaps best known for his recurring roles as Spencer Boyer on the sitcom A Different World, Tyrell Livingston on Cleghorne! and as Kelly on The Bernie Mac Show....
as Money - Danny TrejoDanny TrejoDan "Danny" Trejo is an American actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films, most notably in roles as an antagonist, or anti-hero.-Early life:...
as Hector
Critical reaction
The movie had a mixed reception. Both The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
and Washington Post gave it average reviews, noting that it was a fairly standard Seagal action film.
Box office
Marked For Death was considered a box office success, earning a little more than $43 million domestically and $57 million worldwide.Soundtrack
A soundtrack containing hip hopHip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
and R&B music was released on September 27, 1990 by Delicious Vinyl
Delicious Vinyl
Delicious Vinyl is an American independent record label founded by Matt Dike and Michael Ross in 1987 and based in Los Angeles. Throughout its history, the label has had distribution deals with [Island Records/[PolyGram]], Warner Music Group, EMI, Red Ant, Rhino and Universal Music Group.-Early...
.