Spawn (1997)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

Mark A.Z. Dippé

Writers (WGA):

Todd McFarlane (comic book)
Alan B. McElroy (screen story) ...

Release Date:

1 August 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Action | Fantasy | Horror

Tagline:

Born in darkness. Sworn to justice.

Plot:

A mercenary is killed, but comes back from Hell as a reluctant soldier of the Devil.

Plot Keywords:

Devil | Hell | Clown | Deal With The Devil | Revenge

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Michael Jai White	...	Al Simmons / Spawn
John Leguizamo	...	Clown / Violator
Martin Sheen	...	Jason Wynn
Theresa Randle	...	Wanda Blake
Nicol Williamson	...	Cogliostro
D.B. Sweeney	...	Terry Fitzgerald
Melinda Clarke	...	Jessica Priest
Miko Hughes	...	Zack
Sydni Beaudoin	...	Cyan
Michael Papajohn	...	Glen, Zack's Dad
Frank Welker	...	The Devil Malebolgia (voice)
Robia LaMorte	...	XNN Reporter (as Robia La Morte)
John Cothran Jr.	...	African Liaison
Caroline Gibson	...	News Anchor
Tony Haney	...	African Liaison

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements involving the demonic underworld, violence, intense fantasy action and crude humor.

Runtime:

96 min | USA:98 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Germany:18 (director's cut) | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | South Korea:12 | Ireland:12 | Ireland:18 (director's cut) | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A | Canada:PA (Manitoba) (director's cut) | Canada:18A (director's cut) | Finland:K-16 (video premiere) (director's cut) | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | UK:12 | UK:15 (director's cut) | USA:PG-13 | USA:R (director's cut) | Mexico:B

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Center Studios - 1040 N. Las Palmas Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

John Leguizamo ate live maggots on pizza for this film.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: After Clown kills Zack's Dad the paramedics that arrive at the scene put a cloth over his head indicating that he is dead but before they drop the cloth he twitches his eye.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Cogliostro: The battle between Heaven and Hell has waged eternal, their armies fueled by souls harvested on Earth. The devil, Malebolgia, has sent a lieutenant to Earth to recruit men who will turn the world into a place of death in exchange for wealth and power, a place that will provide enough souls to complete his army and allow Armageddon to begin. All the Dark Lord needs now is a great soldier, someone who can lead his hordes to the gates of Heaven and burn them down.

Movie Connections:

References Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Soundtrack:

Spawn

just good, it could have been better.

The problem again here with this movie, that had an excellent story, is the usage that the director gave to it. This director could not handle the story and delivered just a plain and simple story, that is kind of boring. Mark Dippe, learn from directors as Norrington (Blade), and from Guillermo del Toro (Mimic). What a shame.