American Yakuza (1993)

Director:

Frank A. Cappello

Writers:

Takashige Ichise (story)
Max Strom (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

22 December 1993 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The mob has a new enemy.

Plot:

An American FBI agent is lured away by the Japanese Mafia--the Yakuza--in this action film.

Plot Keywords:

FBI | Sex | Yakuza | Undercover Agent | Forklift

Cast

Viggo Mortensen	...	Nick Davis / David Brandt
Ryo Ishibashi	...	Shuji Sawamoto
Michael Nouri	...	Dino Campanela
Franklyn Ajaye	...	Sam
Yuji Okumoto	...	Kazuo
Anzu Lawson	...	Yuko (as Cristina Lawson)
Robert Forster	...	Littman
John Fujioka	...	Isshin Tendo
Nicky Katt	...	Vic
James Taenaka	...	Taka (as James Katsuyuki Taenaka)
Saiko Isshiki	...	Aya
Fritz Mashimo	...	Okazaki
Jeff Bankert	...	Medical Student
Rosine 'Ace' Hatem	...	Agent #1
John Hammil	...	Agent #2

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | Finland:K-16 (video premiere) | Germany:18 | USA:R | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Echo Park Lake, Echo Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

First Look International

Trivia:

For the shot near the beginning of the inside of a time clock as someone clocks in, an enormous time clock was built by the director and shot in his garage. The paper inserted is about 2 feet wide, and it was shot sideways so that they could just let the heavy stamper drop rather than come up from the side to hit the paper.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Back to Back (1996) (TV)

Soundtrack:

A Gal & a Six-foot Rope

Cool "mob" flick, with a twist...

My brother Adam and I were extras on this movie set. (We were in the climactic big shoot 'em up scene at the end when Nicky Katt brought Michael Nouri the bloody shoes) Viggo was really nice to us and went as far as to sit with us for a couple of meals during the shoot. Very cool guy. Who knew he would eventually play Aragorn in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy?? I read Huckleberry Finn between takes, sheltering myself from grips and prop masters under a wardrobe trailer. Cool huh? Good times........yep. Good times. One thing of interest was watching Mr. Mortenson work up the emotion to do the scene where he had to carry his dead partner down the stairs to the waiting throng of police. He was very convincing in the actual scene, and the process of watching him prep himself for the scene (on an emotional level) was absolutely fascinating.