Action Hall of Fame - Steven Seagal

I thought that I would try a new feature on my blog in which I induct actors, filmmakers, and significant figures in the action entertainment industry into a hall of fame of sorts chosen by me exclusively. I used to do a feature where I would try to highlight an actor's career and update the list, but it turned out to be far too time consuming, especially when you consider how many actors and filmmakers there are too highlight.

In order for a figure to make it into the official Better Clear On Out the Back - Action Hall of Fame, they must have made a significant impact on action cinema either throughout their career or at a distinct point in their career (i.e. Clint Eastwood, Arnold Schwarzenegger). They can also be inducted purely for appearing in countless action films or for devoting most of their career and screen image to the genre (i.e. Al Leong, Gary Daniels, etc). Filmmakers, editors, and composers can also be inducted, although actors tend to be the most highlighted faces of action cinema, as they are the star and marquee value and all. I plan on inducting a new figure every month and will explain my reasoning as to why that figure should be inducted into the hall of fame.

For my first inductee, I thought that I would go with someone typically overlooked, the one and only, Steven Seagal. It would be too easy if I started off an action hall of fame by inducting go to actors Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger (I'm looking at you IGN.com). Therefore, I decided to go with someone unique who requires explaining and reasoning for their place in the hall of fame.

"I'm just a cook."

Better Clear On Out the Back - Action Hall of Fame Inductee:

Steven Seagal (actor, director, writer, songwriter, producer, etc.)

You know you've made it when this is your 1st poster.

Steven Seagal is an action star whose films are mainly remembered for their incorporation of violent gun play and akido styled martial arts. When most people bring up Seagal nowadays, it tends to be met with a fat joke or a complete disregard for his entire filmography. While I agree that the man could lose a few pounds, as well as use a new attitude, I absolutely adore his early films and consider them to be the hottest streak of any breakout action star in cinema history. That Seagal was able to churn out hit after hit for several years in a row without missing a beat earns him a spot alone in the hall of fame.

Seagal broke out onto the action scene with not a supporting role, but a starring role in his very first film, 1988's Above the Law. It's not often that an unknown actor appears out of nowhere in a starring role, let alone an action film distributed by Warner Bros. Seagal is the rare action star who started as an action star, not a no name actor in the back ground or a small supporting role in a bigger action star's film. He came onto the scene as an action star and began his career on the highest of highs, something that no other action star to date has been able to rival or duplicate.

The best 'Die Hard' rip-off this side of the 90s.

Seagal's early films, specifically Above the Law and Hard to Kill, showcased an action star with both brutalistic fervor and gentle kindness. Watch the scenes with Seagal and his spouses in both of those films and tell me he is not the kindest husband you have seen that side of a gun and a badge. I also adore the scene in Hard to Kill in which Seagal prays with his son before he goes to sleep. For those who do not believe that Seagal can act, look no further than the first act of Hard to Kill in which he has everything and loses it all within minutes, all the while kicking ass at the same time.

The man would continue to thrill viewers with increasingly violent films like Marked for Death and Out for Justice, two films where Seagal's characters continue to show no mercy on his enemies. It is within these first films of his in which Seagal's trademark knack for breaking arms and destroying his enemies was established. However, Seagal experienced minor A-list success with his fifth film, 1992's Under Siege. The film was not only critically well received, but a massive financial success and a two time Academy Award nominee. You read that right, a Seagal film ruled the world at one point. To this day, most general audiences remember this as the film that defines Seagal as an action star and entertainer for its blockbuster sensibilities and success upon its release in the 90s. It's worth noting that both of the films that Seagal worked on with director Andrew Davis are two of his most critically well received pictures.

The end of an era.

Unfortunately, Seagal's hot streak ended in 1994 with On Deadly Ground, his first critical and commercial flop, as well as his directorial debut. While the film features some first rate action, Seagal's weaknesses as a director and story teller abound throughout the entire film. For example, Seagal resorts to lots of A.D.R. in nearly every scene. He also bashes the viewer over the head with his film's themes, thereby making it more of a lecture than anything else. Regardless of its flaws, it is truly a unique action film in which a muscle bound action star used their minor A-list stardom to highlight their concern for the environment.

Seagal followed up his first failure with two more minor hits that signaled the end of his minor A-list stardom. Under Siege 2, while a minor success and honestly an immensely underrated sequel, was not as well received as its blockbuster predecessor. And Executive Decision, Seagal's first film in which he played a supporting role, revealed Warner. Bros' dying patience for the star, in which they killed him off early in the film. For those who are curious, I personally believe that Executive Decision is the best film that Seagal ever appeared in, although I consider Hard to Kill to be the best Seagal starring vehicle.

After those films, Seagal's career took a nose dive into terrible theatrical efforts, such as The Glimmer Man and Fire Down Below. Before he knew it, the sensei was appearing in direct to video action film after direct to video action film, more than anyone could care to count. As someone who has seen some of Seagal's direct to video efforts, I can honestly vouch that they are some of the worst films ever made, with 2005's Attack Force earning the title as the worst film that I have ever seen. And although Seagal experienced minor theatrical comebacks in 2001 with Exit Wounds and 2010 with Machete, the action star's heydays seem to be long gone, as few people respect the actor anymore.

There is no denying it, Seagal is now a burnt out 'has-been' whose heyday happened long ago. However, based purely upon the strength of his heyday, I would argue that Seagal is probably the greatest 'has-been' to have ever come upon the action scene. Seagal's early films are still well remembered to this day because they blended both intimate drama with brutal action, something that had rarely been tackled before. And while those intimate films signaled a possible A-list star in the making, Seagal's blockbuster days were short lived. To this day, people still debate whether Seagal or Jean Claude Van Damme were the better B-list action star of the early 90s, as both men had one massive success that grossed over $100 million worldwide, Under Siege for Seagal and Timecop for Van Damme. Therefore, I personally believe that based upon the strength of his earliest films, Seagal most definitely earns a spot in the action hall of fame.

The Sensei proudly accepts his award.