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Everything Action Commentary: Death Warrant (1990)
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For the latest Everything Action Commentary, Zach and Chris get locked up with Jean-Claude Van Damme and watch 1990's Death Warrant, which just celebrated its 35th anniversary.
Van Damme plays Louis Burke, a Mountie from Quebec who takes down the ruthless serial killer, The Sandman (Patrick Kilpatrick). Sixteen months later, he agrees to go undercover in a California prison where several inmates have been murdered. Burke encounters several colorful characters, ruthless and corrupt guards, and an old foe who appears to have returned from the dead. While watching the movie, Zach and Chris wonder how there's a Canadian/Los Angeles task force, The Sandman's obsession with the 1950s song "Mr. Sandman", horny teenage hackers, all of the great character actors who show up, and more.
You can stream Death Warrant on Prime Video, Tubi, and PlutoTV and sync it up to our commentary to watch along with the Everything Action crew.
We want to hear your comments and feedback. Send them all to contact@everythingaction.com. Also, let us know your suggestions for movies for us to discuss.
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Transcript
Introduction and Film Overview
00:00:19
Speaker
Hello and welcome to another EveryNaction Commentary for September 2025. I'm your host Zach. And I'm your co-host Chris. And this month we' we're getting locked up with Jean-Claude Van Damme and watching Death Warrants, ah which celebrated its 35th anniversary this month. It came out in September 1990.
00:00:38
Speaker
ah feel like I feel like around that time there's a lot of like prison action movies. Like Tango and Cash had like the you know it's its whole big section in the prison. i think like... What was the Sloan? Locked down or something? Or locked up?
00:00:55
Speaker
That's one of the missing ones. I always confuse that one and the one that where it's like he's in the 1930s and he's like a newsie. And he's in prison or...
00:01:07
Speaker
No, no, but I feel like they might have visited one in that movie. Mm-hmm. No, yeah, there' was there's like there's a stone over where he gets like yeah he's like like like locked out or something, where he's like he's like you know in prison. He has to survive prison.
00:01:22
Speaker
I feel like i' wrong like late 80s, early there were a lot of those going And this is this is ah Van Damme's spin on it.
00:01:33
Speaker
coming out right between Lionheart and ah Double Impact.
Streaming Availability
00:01:41
Speaker
Which, I've seen both those movies, but I have not seen Death Warned. So this is my first viewing. Yeah, I think this is this is definitely a deeper ah deeper cut Van Damme movie. for like the This is for like the Van Damme sickos.
00:01:55
Speaker
The Fan Dams? The Fan Dams, yep.
00:02:01
Speaker
So ah it's on Prime Video, which where we're watching it. I believe it's also on like Pluto and Tubi. So there's a couple different places if you want to ah stream it. But Prime Video, there's no ads. So that's probably the best place to go for it.
00:02:17
Speaker
And so wherever you sync it up, get it paused at zero. And then I'll give a countdown if we'll get started here.
00:02:28
Speaker
So, five, four, three, two, one, play.
Stallone's Films Discussion
00:02:37
Speaker
ah really quickly, the movie I was thinking about with Sylvester Stallone was Fist. Which one? Fist. Oh, okay. Sometimes it's abbreviated as F-I-S-T.
00:02:51
Speaker
Yes, this is an MGM movie, so it makes sense to why it's on a Prime Video, because they own MGM now.
Patrick Kilpatrick's Career
00:03:29
Speaker
Is there like a is a creature in the water? Is it like a shark? It's actually a she black lagoon. O' Patrick O'
00:03:39
Speaker
Patrick O' Patrick Yeah, it's not a sad man. i didn't know. I was reading Patrick O' Patrick. Did you know he was actually like, he started out as like ah like and ah a reporter, like a journalist.
00:03:57
Speaker
What? Like, he he wrote for, like, Sports Illustrated, like, New York Times, like, People, like, all these different magazines. Did not know that, that he was a journalist first. don't at first, but, like, he's, he like, he that's, like, one of his other careers is, like, he was, like, a prolific, like, writer for, like, publications.
00:04:16
Speaker
That's crazy. And they became, like, one of the go-to, like, psychopaths for movies. Yeah.
00:04:25
Speaker
He's got like an intense face. I can imagine trying to like have like a good intense journalist thing and you just have this guy like look at you like that. Also, yeah, David S. Goyer, i think this is his first movie that he ever wrote.
00:04:38
Speaker
Yeah, we did the math. Like he would have been 24. Mm hmm. yeah
00:05:04
Speaker
It is weird that he's a Canadian undercover agent. Like a joint like Canadian LAPD but operation.
00:05:20
Speaker
like how every like background cholo person
Critique of Film's Setting
00:05:27
Speaker
is here. like I've seen those actors in other movies. They're all the same roles.
00:05:34
Speaker
Also, it seems like the troll has had nothing to do with like the actual thing he's doing. That was just like, random LA. 1990 LA.
00:05:41
Speaker
nineteen nineteen ideal
00:06:29
Speaker
Man, this has all the signs of a terrible drug den. It's got, like, no locks. What could be a dead body. Like, creepy-ass- It was definitely a dead body.
00:06:47
Speaker
Okay, so when you do that you say, hey, I found it a dead body, like, we... call the backup. This is a crime scene now. There's no time. He killed my partner.
00:07:10
Speaker
Oh my god, it's a doll.
00:07:20
Speaker
Is that Patrick Kilpatrick? Was he just like... like so it's So his his thing is... he He's a sandman who and he wears like pajamas? That's like his serial killer thing?
00:07:38
Speaker
i guess. He's like... It's nighttime. Bedtime for you. I put a you to sleep.
00:07:46
Speaker
Also, they dyed his eyebrows, so it looks like he has no eyebrows, but this looks bad.
00:07:55
Speaker
He's doing like a Cesar Romero. like you're You're not shaving my eyebrows off. You could dye them. Put like powder over them. but you I'm not shaving it.
00:08:08
Speaker
Just give him eyebrows. Like, why why even take away the eyebrows? Sixty months later, it's party time. Alright, so it's like 1992 now, in this movie's time frame.
Plot Confusion and Detective Role
00:08:23
Speaker
Ugh, fashion was a weird choice back then. Look, it was like... Should you be hugging this Canadian detective? Man, it's so awesome you shot that guy.
00:08:39
Speaker
Everyone loves this Canadian detective.
00:08:42
Speaker
Is he back in Canada or is this LA still? like He just stayed in LA. This is LA. He came back.
00:08:51
Speaker
Wow, this is fancy l LA office.
00:09:19
Speaker
By the law of like the 90s, if there's one woman in this in like a suit in a powerful situation, they always go for the main lead.
00:09:42
Speaker
Intimated.
00:09:48
Speaker
David Square is like busting out all of his like big like $12 words. Yeah. I don't know if Canada has gubutory. So it's like they've explained that to him. He's like, it means governor.
00:10:28
Speaker
There is no chemistry. Like, she's got all the chemistry. He looks like he's getting, like, in trouble for tax evasion. Mm-hmm.
00:10:49
Speaker
So... This is still kind of weird because they they purposely invite him to go to L.A. prison because he's he's like French-Canadian. Yeah.
00:11:01
Speaker
just Just because he was ah like he came to L.A. a year and a half ago and killed the serial killer.
00:11:59
Speaker
That is the fakest rain. It's like only one spot if you see the whole shot. Veda's not even getting rained Nope. Just like dumping it all on Cynthia Gibb.
00:12:13
Speaker
What did she do?
00:12:20
Speaker
She was in short circuit 2. She's on fame. hu
00:12:27
Speaker
she's on fame
00:12:36
Speaker
Oh, is she like is she like in like the like Hallmark machine now? Seems like it.
00:12:55
Speaker
This is LA. It seems like these are all like... ah Everyone looks like a like celebrity knockoff. like These are all the Hollywood Boulevard costumers that got arrested.
00:13:22
Speaker
I'm a fan of Art LaFur.
00:13:25
Speaker
It's definitely like whenever I see him in movies... He's pretty much like the same guy, but just slightly sterner in certain things.
00:13:40
Speaker
Of course, is his famous one is the Sandlot. Mm-hmm.
00:13:58
Speaker
Goes for you, Billy Ray Cyrus. I don't know if you like normally do this like right in the middle of every- like, just in the yard. like, for everybody.
00:14:33
Speaker
I'm allergic to peanuts.
00:14:47
Speaker
I mean, why why would he try to pick up a peanut shell? Like, I never got... It wasn't like he dropped a quarter or he dropped a bunny. Yeah, it's like your your instinct is to pick up a peanut shell. It's like, gotta pick it up.
00:15:04
Speaker
Why use his real name?
00:15:09
Speaker
Wait, like, they said his name is Lewis, like Lewis Burke. Yeah. Oh my God. That's Quark. That's the actor who played Quark on Deep Space Nine.
00:15:22
Speaker
Oh, is it? That's cool. Yeah. Armin Shimmerman. And Benson, Robert Yeom.
00:16:22
Speaker
Stop saying your name.
00:16:25
Speaker
Why would they give him, like, a fake name?
00:16:31
Speaker
Like, whatever he's going to do now they're going to tell people that there was a guy named Burke at the prison, and he, you know, was French-Canadian. and He stands out already.
00:16:49
Speaker
It's like, oh, there's there There is this cop named, ah but like, Louis Burke, who is, like... But also, there's this criminal who's also from Quebec, who's, like, Louis Burke.
00:17:02
Speaker
Totally different person. Who's somehow serving, like, jail in America. Yeah.
00:17:16
Speaker
So this Robert De Niro knockoff, like from Taxi Driver. You look at me? You look at me? Yep, essentially that's what it is, Zach.
00:17:27
Speaker
Yep.
00:17:39
Speaker
See, this is the David Goyer just going, oh, I like Taxi Driver, but if he's a bad guy, even more. What if he was in jail?
Conspiracy Unveiled in Prison
00:18:41
Speaker
So this is just a straight up prison movie now, right? There's no like... yeah
00:18:47
Speaker
Uh... Conspiracy. There's no... Well, it's got he's got to figure out who it... Like, what's going on because people are getting killed in the prisons. Yeah, which nine inmates are in on this like kill the guards thing. But like, it makes sense. The guards are shitty.
00:19:01
Speaker
You know, the prison's shitty. Benson's getting held up with a fork.
00:19:10
Speaker
I mean, maybe it will happen, but like I'm surprised it's not like a illegal fighting tournament in the prison. Yeah, that makes sense. It's like there's certain convicts who just end up dead, like, unexplained, and it's like, they have, like, combat wounds.
00:19:26
Speaker
You know, that makes sense to send him in. He's like, you're a good, formidable fighter. This seems like they could have any cop to go walk into this prison. yeah Like, it it didn't need to be French-Canadian.
00:19:40
Speaker
like Or it's like, yeah, they don't every cop in L.A. We can't say anyone in there from L.A. got to send. Just get another state. You know, the the Internet barely took off. You know, this is that time.
00:19:51
Speaker
And it's not like they need Jean-Claude Van Dan to infiltrate like a French Canadian gang in the in the prison. Also, why is Art LaFleur's tie like not even on?
00:20:05
Speaker
It's a clip on. Yeah.
00:20:15
Speaker
Oh, I don't like Art Lefer saying that out loud. Oh boy,
00:20:27
Speaker
yeah. How is this not the cover?
00:20:38
Speaker
Also, who saw Art Lefer being, like, the antagonist? like Like the Shawshank, like, prison guards? Mm-hmm.
00:20:58
Speaker
It's not rat. Everyone saw it.
00:21:03
Speaker
did It's like, did it did I beat you up ah a year and a half ago?
00:21:31
Speaker
Do you think someone at Disney watched this movie and was like, we need this guy to be Rafiki.
00:21:41
Speaker
Just specifically, not Benson.
00:21:48
Speaker
He's really playing the wise mentor, sort of, like the the guy like helping him. Yep. Fulfilling that mentor figure.
00:21:58
Speaker
And then Van Damme found, like, Just like a multicultural group here.
00:22:08
Speaker
Found like discount Mr. T and like.
00:22:18
Speaker
Trying to figure where seen these guys.
00:23:06
Speaker
and Prison wine.
00:23:24
Speaker
You don't have to drink it, Van Damme. Yes!
00:23:45
Speaker
yeah This is not a movie we're going watch like out loud.
00:23:51
Speaker
It's prison. all They're all horrible people. True.
00:24:11
Speaker
We're going find out that this guy's been lying. This, like, wannabe Robert Niro. He's been here for just, like, two weeks.
00:24:29
Speaker
So, Conrad Dunn plays Konifki. um He's famous because he played a psycho character from Stripes. Oh, hmm. he He was like that psycho ah a soldier.
00:24:45
Speaker
And so, like, that character basically was a parody of Robert De Niro from Taxi Driver. So essentially, you just keep calling roles that are the same things. It's like, you can't get Robert De Niro? Call him.
00:25:10
Speaker
Hello, I'm definitely his wife and not his attorney. am Mrs. Burke. Definitely not L.A. lawyer Burke. Wee! I am Quebeki.
00:25:31
Speaker
She looks like she's wearing her regular work office clothes. That's what I'm saying! It's like...
00:25:42
Speaker
And then, yeah, it's like Red Flags already where she's like this pri pop proper LA 90s woman. And he's just like a bad boy French Montreal armed robber.
00:26:29
Speaker
Bake it in a pie. That's the classic way to do it.
00:26:34
Speaker
Shouldn't he be like, I needed some loonies. I need you to give me a sock full of money.
00:26:44
Speaker
money
00:27:24
Speaker
I mean how much how much can Van Damme possibly need? Like, they're $500? No way! $100? I could see that. And then they're just, like, freaking out. They're like, this operation costs us so much money to send Van Damme to prison.
00:27:41
Speaker
Do you know how much we spent on his fake name? oh wait!
00:27:59
Speaker
Okay, why did he have this pet like look of like, oh.
00:28:17
Speaker
From like a few hours ago? Yeah. I mean, I think the next day. But still. Yeah. Oh!
00:28:30
Speaker
No, it's the same Asian guy from every, like, torture scene in a prison, or, like, or just, like, you need a guy who can kick and scream. Mm-hmm.
00:28:43
Speaker
Al... Al Young. but Al Young, yeah.
00:28:49
Speaker
Is he still in movies? Yeah.
00:29:01
Speaker
His last movie was Death by Midnight in 2020. It's like,
00:29:25
Speaker
oh no, someone else can kick in this prison.
00:29:30
Speaker
They can call him Chuck.
00:29:34
Speaker
Since everyone in this prison is slightly racist.
00:29:42
Speaker
If you're wearing action jeans...
00:30:16
Speaker
Yeah, so where what did you get, like $500? I think so. Because all hundreds?
00:30:24
Speaker
LA government was like, we can't afford $500. Why
00:30:35
Speaker
like why is this side of the prison so cool? Except for that part. That's so cool.
00:30:54
Speaker
i think David Goyer knew how to write this right. like He's basically walking into a house party scene. Yeah.
00:31:14
Speaker
and and Van Damme's just in normal uniform now. like it's like white t-shirt jeans.
00:32:35
Speaker
Oh, that was the actually the original title of this movie. Oh, Dusted, yeah. When it was a canon movie.
00:32:46
Speaker
I mean, thank God they didn't go with like any Sandman angle or anything like that. It's like the Sandman, and then it's like he dies in the first act, and you're like, oh, okay. And it's just like regular prison movie.
00:33:00
Speaker
Well, I mean, spoilers, I think he comes back. Somehow. Well, yeah, but at least they went for something else where it's like a phrase. she would enter say should have been Enter Sandman.
00:33:11
Speaker
When did that song come out? 92? 92?
00:33:15
Speaker
ninety two
00:33:30
Speaker
Oh, it was next year. So that's perfect. It would have been like, hey, I've got this cool song about this, like, sleep man. then it's like, oh, we got a movie with a sleep man.
00:33:42
Speaker
was called Sandman. We have got it a whole, like, instead of, like, the like video they made, they could have, like, a Van Damme, Robert Kilpatrick, like, video.
00:33:53
Speaker
Holy shit. That would have been cool.
00:34:02
Speaker
What's up with this? so like This prison just has different like neighborhoods or boroughs or something. It's like the warriors. they yeah Each wing. But then, is this up to regulation? like You can just kind of call the prison and be like, hey, who set up their own tent city?
00:34:32
Speaker
bree This is RuPaul.
00:35:05
Speaker
You know, there's better sexual tension here between Van Damme and prison ladies than there is with like Beckett and him.
00:36:02
Speaker
So, Priest is played by Abdul Shaman El Razek. Mm-hmm. That dude's, like, 6'5". Like, he is tall, so you don't notice that in his pit.
00:36:15
Speaker
That's why it's sitting down. It's like, oh, we can't have him, like, towering over Van Damme. Yeah, yeah.
00:36:43
Speaker
oh
00:37:05
Speaker
What's his actor's name again?
00:37:25
Speaker
Yeah, like... um because he's Yeah, he's been in tons of stuff.
00:37:36
Speaker
Oh, man. it's just turned into this, like, pee fetish thing. Oh, God.
00:37:50
Speaker
Oh, Larry Hankin. That's it. Yep. This is Breaking Bad, right? Yep.
00:37:58
Speaker
He was like the junkyard. That's also weird to watch him with like, well, like, like, hair like that. Like, darkened hair.
00:38:14
Speaker
Why is he back in Priest's, like, tent city? It's like the secret the secret phone. I guess so. He's in his tent city for calling you. You wanna use my phone? That's another hundred dollars. Also, I need more money.
00:38:44
Speaker
She just looks like smooth jazz.
00:38:48
Speaker
well, like her table full alcohol. Did you see that? She had like three bottles of wine and like wine coolers, beer. Yep.
00:39:13
Speaker
He's just burning through that $500 problem. Maybe $100.
00:39:53
Speaker
How?
00:40:03
Speaker
What? Where was Fandip hiding? On the other side. Okay.
00:40:10
Speaker
Just like, stretched up.
00:40:17
Speaker
Well, think maybe like that's what the guy hit. And then he's like, alright. It was Pruno.
00:40:26
Speaker
Because Van Damme didn't know where the stick was going to come from. So that was like the double decoy. Also, man, like you're a guard here. Don't drink prison wine. Everyone's just like, sure, I'll to i'll have a hit
00:40:41
Speaker
How bad was alcohol back in 1990 where basically if like prison wine was like, oo I want to try that.
00:41:37
Speaker
Man, Van Dam's got some vertical leaps. Yeah.
Van Damme Improvises
00:41:45
Speaker
Oh man, classic...
00:42:17
Speaker
And then Van Damme's just like locked in there.
00:42:23
Speaker
it It took me a eight hours to get out of there. Well, because there's a guard. There's a guard that watches that, so... Don't worry, move past it. Move past it.
00:42:49
Speaker
She's just like, bit whatever you say, beautiful man.
00:42:55
Speaker
ah my god.
00:43:16
Speaker
It probably doesn't help me just play like like sexy smooth jazz. Like Kenny G?
00:43:27
Speaker
Slex.
00:43:29
Speaker
So this actor is also the writer for that 2015 movie The Final Girls.
00:43:38
Speaker
ah
00:43:50
Speaker
Also, this is Jason Patrick's, like, half-brother. Oh, wild.
00:44:24
Speaker
Isn't that what here? Like, just hack it.
00:44:42
Speaker
you
00:44:58
Speaker
great character. Let's get a whole movie with him. yeah He had he had big like big love and energy. oh yeah. I was like trying to nail down what where why is this happening? like Why does it sound familiar?
00:45:11
Speaker
how does How does Van Damme know that kid? That's weird. it's like I know this and teenager who's a good hacker. But maybe you should wear like a trench coat and a ring coat on top of it.
00:45:26
Speaker
Wear something sexy. Wear something sexy. Or don't, you're going be super distracted. Make sure you play sexy KG smooth jazz.
00:45:39
Speaker
That's the part that's weird too.
00:46:14
Speaker
So people are just getting like spiked in the head? I guess, yeah.
00:47:08
Speaker
Well, at least she learn she figured out, like, don't play there's no music and she's wearing, like, t-shirts. yeah Look, see? She learned not to dress more sexy.
00:47:50
Speaker
give me a copy of those numbers. Is this an encrypted file that you can't read?
00:48:15
Speaker
Five hours later, it'll burn
00:48:49
Speaker
um I need to get home. I can't drive. It's a school night.
00:49:19
Speaker
Oh my god. Check out these like intense like Dutch angles.
00:49:37
Speaker
You see, that's why they can't give him a codename. Because like she doesn't know recognize the codenames, I guess. So she's like A.B. b Burke. it's like There's not too many A.B. Burks there.
00:50:58
Speaker
So guess they they thought that he like killed his cellmate, or like almost killed his cellmate? Well, mean, there's another guy on the floor, right?
00:51:11
Speaker
Well, maybe? Doesn't quite explain things, but... This is how they solve things in prison.
00:52:26
Speaker
don't think Jersey's making out of that.
00:52:33
Speaker
So that was Harry Waters Jr. ah Famous before this in Back to the Future as ah the person that calls up ah Chuck Berry.
00:52:44
Speaker
but Like, it's your cousin, Marvin. That's the same actor. Mm-hmm.
00:53:57
Speaker
Man, that's a lot of gas to have in prison. Yeah, convenient.
00:54:22
Speaker
Man, I was...
00:54:26
Speaker
Always down for a good, like, guy on fire.
00:54:47
Speaker
You know, I was thinking if there's every, almost every prison movie has a guy on fire. Mm-hmm. It's like a Carson trope.
00:55:32
Speaker
Alright, this movie just had to turn to this real quick.
00:55:56
Speaker
You get to see a little bit of her, get to see a little bit of Van Dan.
00:56:10
Speaker
I'm regretting this undercover operation.
00:56:15
Speaker
Couldn't he just like, like, you probably could just bail at any time, right? Just be like, I'm done. like Get me out of here. It's like face off. Like no one knows he's undercover.
00:57:38
Speaker
Why is Van Damme feeling sexy, Tom? If he's like official business, he just... We are we are in the conjugal visits trailer, so... Are they being watched?
00:57:51
Speaker
Right now, this is just him doing this. Yeah.
00:57:57
Speaker
When I go undercover, I go deep undercover. Apparently. And she's like, I have a husband?
00:58:06
Speaker
Does she? I mean, no, it'd be funny though. You're like a husband and it's like...
00:58:19
Speaker
It's like, Burke's going like ultra method. Just like, I am a friend of now. i have to take advantage of this conjugal visit.
00:59:13
Speaker
So there's always like there's like ice picker guy. Like Spiker. This is very interesting camera angles and then like shots, right? hmm.
01:00:06
Speaker
ah the the The director of this, Darren Serafian, he did ah The Roadkillers with Christopher Lambert. He also did Terminal Velocity. oh And then he just entered like TV mode. He's said like he's been directing an episode of like every show from 1999 to like now.
01:00:28
Speaker
It's just... this movie doesn't have bad like pacing it's just Like, there's just, like, wacky things happening in it. Oh, man.
01:00:39
Speaker
Finally, he's back. The duster? The sandman.
01:01:00
Speaker
and and Dan, can I get, like, and a break in this whole prison?
01:01:19
Speaker
Was this in Tango and Cash? Tango and Cash came out before this, right? Yeah. So this is their Tango and Cash moment.
Sandman's Motives Analysis
01:02:38
Speaker
Even though he's like a French Canadian cop. so
01:02:43
Speaker
He's a bounty.
01:03:06
Speaker
what he's he's the sandman he dreams he's like his entire motive is just like based on like the sandman song
01:03:18
Speaker
i'm mr sandman bring me a dream make him the cutest that i've ever seen So, like, it's 1990. That song came out like... The 50s?
01:03:31
Speaker
yeah it's like he's obsessed with 50-year-old theme song. That's like... That's like we're getting to that point now. We're gonna get new movies where the the person's, like... i don't know, like... 40 years 40 years ago now would be a song from...
01:03:53
Speaker
No, it'd 85, right? five right Yeah, so it'd be like, you spin me right round. Right round. Like a record.
01:04:09
Speaker
when she if If you're Burke, wouldn't she just be like, Cynthia Gibb, get me the fuck out of here. They know I'm a cop now. like give me yeah this This plan is ruined. The operations failed.
01:04:31
Speaker
Good question.
01:04:50
Speaker
So Seema just got transferred to this prison, right? Apparently. so he So he wasn't responsible for like these high-spit killings. So it's a totally unrelated thing, and it just, coincidentally, this other serial killer is now at the prison.
01:05:05
Speaker
Supposedly.
01:05:14
Speaker
maybe if she wasn't doing conjugal visits all the time, she would be good at her job.
01:06:33
Speaker
You know what's funny? like He figured this plan, like he didn't want to do it himself. he could he could investigate it.
01:07:08
Speaker
Oh, here's like the big reveal. Yep.
01:08:16
Speaker
Oof, this is his only character drama. That was ah pretty gripping. Yeah.
01:08:24
Speaker
Hopefully he gets some resolution to that, because that's that'd be like a weird end to that um That was a huge little bop or twist, then... And then now you got to the, like, back to the Van Damme prison movie.
01:08:36
Speaker
It would have been great if she was in it, too. It's like, oh, you found out, dear? I'm the mastermind. I told him, get me a liver. Yeah. At any cost.
01:08:49
Speaker
I can see that.
01:09:23
Speaker
So I guess the the warden was like cracking down on this and then they killed the warden. What? Yeah, the assistant warrior or whatever, they said he got killed.
01:09:43
Speaker
Riot! Sandman's here! woo
01:09:56
Speaker
I like how he gets like special, preferable treatment in this prison. like is Does everyone know who he is? guess? guess so. It's like, oh, it's the fucking Sandman!
01:10:09
Speaker
I love your work, bro.
01:10:27
Speaker
I like this now became like a zombie movie for Van Damme. mean They play it backfired fast on Van Damme.
01:10:41
Speaker
Yep.
01:11:28
Speaker
Duster. Yeah, that was like a weird quick kick cut where it's like, did he snap his neck or just kick him a lot?
01:12:26
Speaker
What's he got a weight? Oh yeah. He's got a dumbbell. Yeah.
01:12:39
Speaker
It's like a grin-off. You want to see crazy? I'll show you crazy!
01:12:46
Speaker
ah so what's going on with this lighting in here? It's like... A horror movie lighting. Yeah.
01:13:13
Speaker
they just go in a circle?
01:14:02
Speaker
Man, everyone's like busting out all their weapons they've got. like All these like prison weaponry is coming out.
01:14:44
Speaker
No, he won't.
01:14:54
Speaker
You know we're close to finale because now Van Damme's in like a tank top. Yep.
01:14:59
Speaker
He's in his final battle clothes.
01:15:26
Speaker
isn't he Is he right there? Wow, Robert Guillaume moved fast for a guy like that couldn't move at all.
01:15:51
Speaker
Taste it.
01:16:46
Speaker
Each scene feels like it draws out its own little scenario, right? Mm-hmm.
01:16:55
Speaker
The only time we don't really get that dramatic tension is, like, just Van Damme scenes.
01:17:15
Speaker
Are prisoners able to just like wander throughout this building to get like a lay of the land?
01:17:24
Speaker
I guess Priest knows everything about because he can get anything or do anything. That's true.
01:18:06
Speaker
man, this is like this is this is like its own factory. like Yeah, this um this is part of the prison. This is huge Did Priest get a personal tour down here? mean, what does he what are your is this? It's like it's like a the prison has like only like like foundry or something. It's like Terminator 2. It's smiting facility. and yeah Is it also like like a nuclear like cooling system? like When do you see those like factories...
01:18:43
Speaker
Never think about the surprise 3D wrench in the face. Wow.
01:18:48
Speaker
Also, he threw that from like all the way up there.
01:19:05
Speaker
time Time for sleepy time. oh god, he's he's in he's into the blood sport mode that he can't see.
01:19:13
Speaker
Well, sometimes that that mode puts you in your most deadliest. Yeah.
01:19:49
Speaker
I do like for this movie, we get like, like almost like a comic book villain of a serial killer. He's not just some regular dude. He just is like all sorts of like mysterious back origin.
01:20:05
Speaker
and For all we know, he might have superpowers. We don't know yet. I mean, he survived like how many, how many bullets to the chest? Like six. Yeah.
01:20:22
Speaker
And this is that era where like super villains didn't look like regular people. They always looked like comic book kind of villains. like They were comically over exaggerated.
01:20:34
Speaker
i feel like we're missing like some sort of... like i guess i guess because it's not really about like It's not track tracking him as a serial killer, but like we don't really know what his MO was. like Did he put sand in mouths or something? Well, guess he sang.
01:20:52
Speaker
His whole thing was just the song, and like dressing in his pajamas. Yeah, the pajamas was an interesting take. Yeah. forgot about that. like like old but like old Old-timey like a bathrobe but and like fit these pajamas.
01:21:40
Speaker
There he is. Oh my and like Are they the Batman 1989 set? Yep. yeah know Is this Ace Chemical Factory?
01:21:59
Speaker
I feel like I've seen this set before. This is very like...
01:22:03
Speaker
The way the metal work and the the tears, it's very generic. that's it's got it's got it's got to be It's got to be somewhere in like... I'm sure they filmed this in LA, right? like It's got to somewhere in LA.
01:22:56
Speaker
Van Team's go-to.
01:23:02
Speaker
Kick flurry.
01:23:17
Speaker
Some rough cuts in this movie. Couple, yeah.
01:23:24
Speaker
i was just a slobber knocker.
01:23:53
Speaker
Oh, well, there's still, like, more furnace stuff? well
01:24:03
Speaker
Obvious jump kick action. instantly regret my decision.
01:24:16
Speaker
was really convenient.
01:24:20
Speaker
I mean, everyone now watched a murder, like,
01:24:26
Speaker
He's like, burst out there.
01:24:38
Speaker
Yeah! Yes!
01:24:44
Speaker
Now he's like the Toxic Avenger or something.
01:24:52
Speaker
You're cheering on this guy? I don't, Sam. Oh my god.
01:25:04
Speaker
yeah i think I think your theory about like the same thing is supernatural is right, Chris?
01:25:11
Speaker
He's like an immortal? He's like got is a Jason Voorhees or something.
Film Conclusion Critique
01:25:15
Speaker
mean, now he is.
01:25:39
Speaker
And he gets up again!
01:26:14
Speaker
No one-liner? Yeah, that... Like... I mean, like perfect like like like... It's like, the dream is over, or like, go to sleep, or something. like Lights out for the Sandman, or something? yeah Nope, none of that.
01:26:49
Speaker
So guess that that negates him being a cop is that he killed the Sandman, so that's like, alright, he's cool now, though he's a cop. I mean, I guess so.
01:26:59
Speaker
Well, I mean, like, it gives him prison cred.
01:27:04
Speaker
He's the baddest man in the prison now. all the other ones are dead. Yeah, mm-hmm.
01:27:28
Speaker
She brought the hacker kid. Why? yeah This is a great like week. I got to look at boobs, hack, go to prison.
01:28:03
Speaker
She just turned on by this all the time? Like...
01:28:10
Speaker
That's just like... It's like the... It's like from a kickboxer. Feeling so good today.
01:28:21
Speaker
Wow. So so we never we never did forget the resolution of like her boss. like is No. so His wife just confronted him and then she's like, oh shit. Yeah.
01:28:33
Speaker
i don't know if they got a happy ending or it's one of those... like I want a divorce. Yeah, she instantly leaves him and it destroys their whole thing. like shes like like see they give There wasn't even a line of like, oh, my like it was my boss is behind it. like He's arrested now. like Yeah. I feel like there's no closure in that one.
01:28:55
Speaker
Yeah.
01:28:58
Speaker
And then most of the people that would indicate the other guy are all dead.
01:29:05
Speaker
oh and brief The song is Bring Me a Dream. oh my god.
01:29:27
Speaker
Yeah, it was like with David S. Goyer, it's like, somehow he just, like, like Mr. Sandman came on the and he was ah on radio or something. It's like, oh man, yeah. What if there's a serial killer named Mr. Sandman?
01:29:44
Speaker
I guess so, because this is like, ah according to Wikipedia, this is his second script he written he wrote, you know? And it's like, when he was like 19? Yeah.
01:30:18
Speaker
It's a very positive message of things, but I feel like we still don't know who Van Damme's partner was. Was the partner in on this too? um well'll see the same Well, Sam had killed him before the movie started. Okay, so then who was doing the stabbings and the burnings?
01:30:35
Speaker
it was it was the It was the other, it was like those two guys, the two guys, like the two like guys with like the the one guy with the names on his head. yeah was like it was but That's what's weird about this movie.
01:30:48
Speaker
The organ harvesting thing is a totally separate thing from the Sandman. The Sandman just happened to be like transferred into this prison because the the yeah the boss wanted to kill Van Damme.
01:30:59
Speaker
I see. It just seemed it seemed like maybe the Sandman was there, but then when they brought in the actual Sandman and they were just confused by that, we're like, okay, so that's someone else? Yeah.
01:31:11
Speaker
I feel like it should yeah should have been like... like the same entire time and then that's the big reveal like oh the same man is alive and he's killing people again in this prison secretly in the prison and he's like wiping out a hit list yeah yeah that makes sense
01:31:26
Speaker
Or like or like Van Damme in prison like finds like a guy that's the m M.O. of the Sandman. He's oh my god, it's the Sandman. like Well, okay. that got in the movie And the movie's called Death Warrant. So do they even say there's a death warrant? out ah is What is a death warrant?
01:31:47
Speaker
i No, I just realized that. because It's like, wait, that'd be a hit list. And it's like, they couldn't use the word hit list? And then... They're not death row inmates.
01:32:00
Speaker
Yeah, I feel like i feel they just picked like... Oh, what's like a prison term? Death ward. That sounds awesome. quick Even though it has nothing to Death ward is like i like the confirmation for like execution. and That is? but Yeah, that's what like Google says. like It's like it's like the the the confirmation of the order for like to kill like ah to perform execution.
01:32:21
Speaker
Huh. Well... I guess there was one, an execution to order out on Van Damme by the third act. so but But yeah, the Sandman was his death warrant.
01:32:37
Speaker
I guess so. Then the executioner would have been the Sandman. It kind of makes sense now, but that's a like us breaking it down and finishing the movie all the way to understand the title.
01:32:49
Speaker
But if you're trying to sell this to the public really easily... I feel like it should become like Death Prison. And then it's like, okay, we understand something. That's the modern day title.
01:32:59
Speaker
David Goyer was a little too creative with calling this, but i think it would have been even more cryptic if it was called dust it was still called Duster. Dusted, yeah. Dusted, yeah.
01:33:11
Speaker
Yeah, this and this this was i mean this is a solid movie. I feel like I would have preferred like a more of like like a serial killer thriller where it's like Van Damme is tracking... Patrick Kilpatrick the entire time.
01:33:22
Speaker
wouldn't want that to. I mean, technically, that's cut that would have been what was happening in the prior movie that happened before this. We saw the end of where he tracked him down to that building and killed him. yep Quote, that's what it is.
01:33:36
Speaker
and And have have have that somewhere, like, weird, like ah like, totally, like, lean into, like, the Sandman thing of, like, oh, he, like, yeah, he he's, like, he buries people in sand, or, like, he, like, uses, like, he, like, chokes them to death with sand.
01:33:50
Speaker
Or leaves behind a pair of slippers or something dumb. Yeah. Yeah.
01:33:58
Speaker
Because, cause it because it yeah, it's like, Van Damme finds that body in the in that building, but it's like, it that it just seems like it got slashed up or something. There's not really a weird, like, serial killer MO to it. Yeah, it just seems like just a crime of passion. But I guess his, uh, no, the moniker is that he dresses up like a sleepy, like, grandpa.
01:34:18
Speaker
How great would it have been if he were, like, like yeah the full, like, the, like, Victorian era? Like, a nightgown and, like, a nightcap? Oh, Like a lantern. It's sort of what was the precursor of what do you think of like Sandman people. I'm thinking of the Rick and Morty sleepy sleep be somebody.
01:34:38
Speaker
And it's like that's what you think is the classic pajama dad older generation look. I mean that that that look died in our generation. That look died in the 90s.
01:34:50
Speaker
Or like the like the classic like the like the red like ah like um Like the full, like, ah pajama like pants. Like, the onesie. Ooh!
01:35:01
Speaker
That's a classic. That one's an older one, yeah. With, like, the butt flap? Yeah. ah that definite Like the long john pajamas? Mm-hmm. That's definitely gone. Now you see that in a movie, it's like, that's a period piece.
01:35:15
Speaker
And then he uses, like, static electricity his weapon. Like, I'm gonna my feet on the floor and make static electricity.
01:35:28
Speaker
Anyway, we are yeah this movie definitely ah feels just like a prison movie. And every time it switches focus on that, you get um kind of pulled out of it.
01:35:39
Speaker
And then you get pulled into like another like dramatic scene. you like There's so many dramatic moments at the end that will like really start amping it up. You don't see it coming.
01:35:50
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Yeah, solid mid- to low-tier Van Damme, I would say. not definitely not Definitely not one of his best, but still like a pretty... like a so so like for For the era that came in, Sal and Van Damme.
01:36:08
Speaker
Yeah, it's follow. it's You're able to follow along. I think the only parts that we... Just sort of say, like, is the Van Damme suspense of belief is, like, every time he's trying to, like like, hit on Cynthia... What's her name?
01:36:24
Speaker
Cynthia Gibb, yeah. Yeah. And then, like, there's no chemistry between them, and then by the half of the point, like, a crapload. So it's, like, a small build-up to that. ah And then... also shocked that it wasn't a, like...
01:36:42
Speaker
ah like another tournament movie, like an illegal prison tournament movie. I think that's like Van Damme's bread and butter for every five movies he needs a tournament movie. like guess it's for His first like four or five movies were the same like like all tournament movies.
01:36:59
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. was going to say, this is the first time we've seen him being a cop.
01:37:06
Speaker
mean Besides like Time Cop, which is few years later, but he wasn't a cop before in most of his movies.
01:37:14
Speaker
Yeah, because it was
01:37:22
Speaker
was... Bloodsport, Black Eagle, Cyborg, Kickboxer, Lionheart, this. Yeah, so it's like... Okay, Cyborg. but Yeah, he was he was he was a cop. he Wasn't he like a bounty hunter?
01:37:36
Speaker
Yeah, or like... but he's And then he's essentially bad in this, but... He doesn't really do any, like, law. and We just see him have fun at the police station.
01:37:51
Speaker
But that's Cop Van Dan.
01:37:55
Speaker
think he does more copping in Time Cop. Oh, yeah. Mm-hmm.
01:38:05
Speaker
But ah yeah, so that that was Death Warrant. um Hopefully everyone... and If you haven't seen that before, ah now you can add that to your John Cleavidam watch list. did. This is my first full rewatch.
01:38:24
Speaker
And yeah, and so head over to the head of the to our the regular site. We got all ah the other stuff up there. We got the podcast, we got reviews, trailers, news, all kinds of stuff up over at everythingnation.com. It's also... new and improved. We got a new look. We got a new feel. So never check that out.
01:38:40
Speaker
And we'll be back next month. It's going to be October. So it's going to be a horror movie commentary, I'm assuming. So come back for that. Just time for Halloween.
01:38:49
Speaker
And yes, of course, I'm Zach and we will see you next time. For more for everything action, head to www.everythingaction.com. You can also find us on Facebook at facebook.com slash everything.action and follow us on X at Evie Action.
01:39:06
Speaker
We're also on Instagram and thread at threads at everything.action. Find more episode of the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your at podcast app of choice and be sure to rate and subscribe.