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BLADE (1998) |
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MORGAN'S RATING |
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| Based on the comic book of the same name, Blade is half-mortal, half-immortal bent on avenging his mother's death and destined to rid the earth of a race of vampires. Meanwhile, the modern-day technologically advanced vamps he's targeted are in pursuit of his special blood type needed to summon an evil god who plays a key role in their plan to execute the human race. |
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| Wesley Snipes (Blade / Eric Brooks / TheDaywalker), Stephen Dorff (Deacon Frost), Kris Kristofferson (Abraham Whistler), N'Bushe Weight (Dr. Karen Jenson), Donal Logue (Quinn), Udo Kier (Vampire Elder Dragonetti), Arly Jover (Mercury), Traci Lords (Racquel), Kevin Patrick Walls (Officer Krieger), Tim Guinee (Dr. Curtis Webb), Sanaa Lathan (Vanessa Brooks), Eric Edwards (Pearl), Donna Wong (Nurse), Carmen Thomas (Senior Resident), Shannon Lee (Resident), Kenny Johnson (Heatseeking Dennis), Clint Curtis (Creepy Morgue Guy), Judson Earney Scott (Pallantine), Sidney S. Liufau (Japanese Doorman), Keith Leon Williams (Kam), Andray Johnson (Paramedic), Stephen R. Peluso (Paramedic), Marcus Aurelius (Pragmatic Policeman), John Enos III (Blood Club Bouncer), Eboni 'Chrystal' Adams (Martial Arts Kid), Lyle Conway (Reichardt), Freeman White III (Menacing Stud), D.V. DeVincentis (Vampire Underling), Matt Schulze (Crease), Stephen Norrington (Vampire, uncredited). |
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PART MAN. PART VAMPIRE. ALL HERO. |
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PRODUCTION INFORMATION |
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DIRECTOR: Stephen Norrington (LXG)
WRITER: David S. Goyer.
PRODUCERS: Robert Engelman, Peter Frankfurt and Wesley Snipes.
CO-PRODUCERS: Jon Divens and Andrew J. Horne.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Avi Arad, Joseph Calamari, Michael De Luca, Lynn Harris and Stan Lee.
ORIGINAL MUSIC: Mark Isham.
DISTRIBUTOR: New Line Cinema. |
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QUOTES |
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Dr. Karen Jenson: You used me as bait?
Blade: Get over it. |
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Deacon Frost: You may wake up one day and find yourself extinct. |
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Whistler: I'm getting too old for this shit! Somebody get me a god-damned wheelchair! |
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FACTS |
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Blade: The world you live in is just a sugar-coated topping. There is another world beneath it. The real world. |
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RELEASE DATE: August 21st, 1998 (USA)
BOX OFFICE OPENING: $17.0 million (USA)
BOX OFFICE RESULT: $70.0 million (USA)
WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE: $112.6 million
BUDGET: $45 million (USA)
- LL Cool J was originally considered for the part of Blade.
- Donal Logue reinjured his jaw in the scene where he is struggling with N'Bushe Wright in the hospital. He had originally broken his jaw in a motorcycle accident years before.
- A great many handheld shots were accomplished with a special anamorphic-lens camera that also had single-unit sound -- the only one of its kind in the world.
- In the scene where Blade is chased to the subway, and the subway train is passing by, all the passengers are cardboard cutouts with teh special FX man among them.
- Blade's silently-mouthed "What...the...fuck?" is a direct reference to the 'A Fistful of Yen" segment from Kentucky Fried Movie.
- In the last fight scene in the temple, Deacon says "My turn" -- this is a reference to The Lost Boys (1987).
- Udo Krier played Dracula in Blood for Dracula (1974). The true name of the Blade character is Eric Books. (Another character calls Blade "Eric", and Blade's mother's driver's license says "Brooks."
- The vampires at Frost's party are watching Mortal Kombat (1995).
- The Vampire Bible is referred to as "The Book of Erebus". Erebus is a god of darkness according to Greek mythology.
- Stephen Norrington cameos...during the chase with officer Krieger, as the vampire on the side of the road biting the girl's neck.
- Followed by a sequel: Blade II (2002). |
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Deacon Frost: Tonight, the age of man comes to an end. |
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Blade: Some motherfuckers are always trying to ice skate uphill. |
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Dr. Karen Jenson: Wait! I'm coming with you.
Blade: You're useless. |
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Blade: How do you think we fund this little operation? We're not exactly the March of Dimes. |
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Blade: There are worse things out tonight than vampires.
Dr. Karen Jenson: Like what?
Blade: Like me. |
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Pearl: He's gonna kill me! You need me, Frost! You need me!
Frost: Pearl, you're history. Have the good grace to die with some fucking dignity. |
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Pearl: He's gonna kill me! You need me, Frost! You need me!
Frost: Pearl, you're history. Have the good grace to die with some fucking dignity. |
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Dr. Karen Jenson: You're one of them, aren't you?
Blade: No, I'm something else. |
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CRITICAL COMMENTS |
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"Blade has the capacity to dazzle, but it also will leave many viewers dissatisfied." -- James Berardinelli, Reel Views |
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"Eventually, Blade loses its edge." -- Jay Carr, Boston Globe |
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"Pure visceral imagery." -- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times |
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"The sort of glittering trash pile that makes you dread the words comic-book movie." -- Owen Gleiberman, EW |
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