24 Things We Learned from the Commentary for Steve Wang’s ‘Drive’

Welcome to Commentary Commentary, the place we sit and hearken to filmmakers speak about their work, then share probably the most attention-grabbing elements. On this version, Rob Hunter revisits probably the greatest motion motion pictures of the Nineties, Steve Wang’s Drive.

Learn any record celebrating one of the best American motion motion pictures of the Nineties, and the same old suspects will all be there, from Terminator 2 (1991) to The Matrix (1999). You’ll comprehend it’s an important record, although, if it has the knowledge to incorporate Steve Wang‘s final function as director — a criminal offense in its personal proper that he hasn’t been given one other one since — motion/comedy Drive (1997). Improbable and frequent struggle scenes headlined by Mark Dacascos, enjoyable stunts and explosions, and many reliable laughs courtesy of Kadeem Hardison and Brittany Murphy. This film rocks and exhibits what’s doable on a tiny price range.

Launched straight to DVD after premiering on HBO, Drive has gone on to earn a well-earned cult following. It’s had numerous dwelling video releases over time too culminating in a slick 4K UHD from 88 Movies again in 2022. Wang and his two leads recorded a commentary monitor for an early DVD launch, so in fact I gave it a hear. Now hold studying to see what I heard on the commentary for…

Drive (1997)

Commentators: Steve Wang (director), Koichi Sakamoto (struggle coordinator), Mark Dacascos (actor), Kadeem Hardison (actor)

1. Followers of the movie from seeing it on American cable may marvel why the opening music is totally different. The reply is as a result of producers shortened the movie for its U.S. launch and made some music selections too. This prolonged reduce options David Williams‘ authentic rating.

2. “You’ll see quite a lot of Japanese guys pretending to be mafia,” says Wang over the opening credit. All of those guys are performed by members of Sakamoto’s Alpha Stunts crew. Sakamoto shares that they’re all Japanese and grew up watching and loving Hong Kong motion motion pictures. As of this recording from (I consider) the early 2000s, the Alpha Stunts crew was dealing with stunt work on the Energy Rangers tv exhibits.

3. This director’s reduce options the precise character motivation for Toby Wong (Dacascos) — his girlfriend — which was reduce fully from “the HBO reduce.” Producers/distributors felt that wasn’t wanted information.

4. The opening struggle scene aboard the ship was truly filmed a full month after the movie had wrapped. It was a problem for Dacascos as he had spent that point in Hawaii “consuming like a pig.”

5. One of many two cops who enter the bar is performed by David Hayter who would go on to put in writing X-Males (2000), The Scorpion King (2002), Watchmen (2009), and extra.

6. The automobile sideswipe at 12:07 truly crushed the best entrance wheel, knocking it off the axle, and left the automobile basically useless. This was dangerous information for a low price range movie as they wanted to shoot extra scenes with it the next day. Fortunately, a bystander watching the filming was a mechanic and approached them after the stunt to supply his help. He got here by way of, and the automobile was prepared the following day.

7. Wang made up the exhibits that the dangerous guys are watching within the RV, and whereas Hardison didn’t perceive what was humorous about “Walter the Einstein Frog” again then, he pretends to find it irresistible now. It was initially meant to be an ape, however Abroad Movie Group has a coverage that no animals are allowed on their units with a purpose to remove the potential of abuse. “I couldn’t even carry my canine on set” says Wang, and he provides that he’s seen human extras handled far worse on units than he’s ever seen completed to animals. “It was outrageous.”

8. Dacascos’ character tells a cop his identify is Sammo Hung, and he went on to do an episode of Hung’s Martial Legislation present two years later. The Hong Kong legend informed Dacascos that he and his spouse had loved the film and that “you informed them you had been me!”

9. The quarry struggle required a ton of rehearsal, and its authentic conception noticed it lasting twice as lengthy. Wang’s rewrites on Scott Phillips’ script described this struggle that includes the 2 leads handcuffed collectively as completed within the type of a 50s sock-hop. Producers cherished the thought, however when it got here time to movie they ended up solely capturing half of what they’d rehearsed.

10. The automobile dialog after the quarry was filmed twice, with one model aiming for a PG-13 score.

11. Wang makes a cameo in the course of the opening ship struggle, and his spouse and younger son do the identical at 38:26.

12. Mr. Lau’s (James Shigeta) workplace on the Leung Company was a set constructed for the movie, and after manufacturing wrapped they bought it to Babylon 5 (1993-1998). It pissed Wang off as a result of it appeared on that present earlier than Drive truly obtained launched.

13. The shot at 42:33 of the Superior Mannequin (Masaya Katô) rolling the coin throughout his fingers is definitely of a magician under body reaching up in to the shot for the trick.

14. They struggled arising with a title for the movie. Turbo Drive was one early suggestion, however Wang’s response was “oh yeah, straight to video.”

15. Brittany Murphy couldn’t be there for the commentary recording, and Hardison says that she’s there “in spirit.” Reads totally different now.

16. Murphy virtually missed her audition as a result of she was sick and had low vitality, “however low vitality for Brittany was like me on fifteen cups of espresso.” Wang knew her from Clueless (1995) and didn’t suppose she appeared the half, however when she confirmed up she appeared completely totally different and blew all of them away along with her line reads and charisma. “I believed she’s cute however she’s not gonna be horny, which is what I used to be in search of, I believed ‘no manner is anyone gonna suppose she’s horny.’ Boy, was I ever so incorrect.”

17. Hardison informed Murphy to name him “chocolate boy marvel,” and whereas Wang was fearful how it might play, it ended up being a really humorous beat that had some viewers gasping. That’s the response “from the sisters” that Hardison was after as he’s all the time considered himself as chocolate boy marvel and was thrilled to have a white woman name him that on display screen. Wang says that it got here from Batman, however Hardison corrects him that it truly “got here from Pete Rock and CL Clean.

18. The motel assault sees the dangerous guys all wearing black with ski masks, and that was partially meant as an homage to Luc Besson’s The Skilled (1994). The second motive, although, was extra sensible because the characters are white guys however for motion functions they’re performed on this scene by the Alpha Stunts crew. Associated, a second nod to The Skilled comes in direction of the top when Mr. Lau is requested which implants to spice up and replies “Each one!”

19. Hardison factors out the stunt man doubling him at 1:35:19 — identifiable as a stunt man as a result of his shirt rides up, and it’s clearly not a Black man beneath.

20. The tip struggle between Malik (Hardison) and Madison (John Pyper-Ferguson) grew to become larger than initially supposed as a result of they realized that there had been some racial rigidity between the characters constructing as much as that time. Wang and Sakamoto then determined to have Madison pull out a whip throughout their brawl, and it fell to Hardison to level out the deep and painful imagery at play there as they themselves simply didn’t see it initially. That in flip led to him improvising the dialogue as he beats Madison’s ass. “Fortunately, when it was all edited collectively, it wasn’t wherever close to as darkish because it felt on set,” says Wang, including that “it was definitely not my intention to go there.” Hardison understands and agrees however says “now if I used to be working with George Lucas, and he pulls some shit like that…” We then get a Jar Jar Binks impression as somebody (I feel Wang) says “Meesa gonna whip you!”

21. The movie was initially going to see the struggle on the Apollo 14 restaurant embrace a number of wire work and lengthen up atop the rocket itself, however price range limitations noticed that scrapped.

22. Requested what their concepts for a sequel can be, numerous concepts are floated from feminine murderer fashions to the fellows heading to Hong Kong. To that latter level, one in every of them says the thought was already arrange in Rush Hour (1998), a movie none of them counsel ripped off Drive.

23. Wang needed to take a day job after filming wrapped with a purpose to hold engaged on the film’s post-production.

24. In a primary for Commentary Commentary, slightly than simply cease abruptly or in silence, the commentary monitor retains going even after the movie’s credit finish. They hold speaking for an extra minute with only a black display screen.

Finest in Context-Free Commentary

“These are the type of scenes that you just all the time get in fights with distributors about whether or not or not they keep in, as a result of all they wish to do is reduce to the struggle.”

“I’m Fred, you’re Ginger.”

“I really like doing issues which can be quirky.”

“I’m Gary Oldman.”

“Mark can’t discover the rhythm.”

“I obtained to chop his arm off, I couldn’t consider I used to be attending to do all this, I dreamed about this as a child.”

“That’s ebony and ivory, that’s the best way the world ought to be.”

“Right here’s my John Woo ripoff.”

Last Ideas on the Drive Commentary

When individuals ask me for my favourite commentary tracks the reply is normally easy — any monitor with John Carpenter and Kurt Russell. They’re nice, informative tracks, however the important thing to their enjoyment as commentaries is the pure, unfiltered enjoyment that Carpenter and Russell clearly share after they’re collectively. Their laughter and sense of enjoyable are infectious, and whereas this Drive monitor doesn’t fairly attain these highs, that very same feeling is abundantly current. These guys love one another’s firm, and so they’re extraordinarily humorous of their observations on the movie and banter backwards and forwards. Does action-master Sakamoto fart at one level? Sure, he does, however the laughs hold rolling. Nice monitor for an important film, and extremely advisable.

Learn extra Commentary Commentary from the archives.

Associated Subjects: Action, Commentary Commentary

Rob Hunter has been writing for Movie Faculty Rejects since earlier than you had been born, which is bizarre seeing as he is so rattling younger. He is our Chief Movie Critic and Affiliate Editor and lists ‘Broadcast Information’ as his favourite movie of all time. Be at liberty to say hello if you happen to see him on Twitter @FakeRobHunter.