Action superstar STEVEN SEAGAL has delivered a consistent string of popular worldwide hits, starting with "Above the Law" and including "Hard to Kill," "Marked for Death," "Out for Justice," "Under Siege," "Under Siege 2: Dark Territory" and "Executive Decision." Now, he returns in "The Glimmer Man," a suspenseful action-thriller in which he must contend with something he's never faced onscreen before . . . a partner.
About the Story . . .
In the jungles of the Third World, his unsuspecting targets would hear nothing. They'd sense nothing. And they'd see only a glimmer before it was too late -- he would strike and be gone. His shadowy government superiors called him the Glimmer Man, and they dispatched him on the riskiest, most sensitive covert assignments in which the United States was never officially involved, but which were silently, swiftly taken care of.
Now, as detective Jack Cole (Seagal), he has abandoned his former occupation and identity many years ago.
When a serial murderer with a macabre, ritualistic style plunges the families of Los Angeles into terror, the L.A.P.D., making no headway on the baffling case, are forced to summon the one man whose instinct and understanding of the criminal mind are unrivaled: Detective Jack Cole from New York. This time, in the urban jungle of Los Angeles, Cole is not the killer hunting prey, but the hunter seeking a killer.
The iconoclastic Cole is paired with seasoned local homicide detective Jim Campbell (KEENEN IVORY WAYANS), and the two quickly discover that their match was made somewhere other than heaven.
Cole, steeped in Eastern mysticism and accustomed to operating on his own, is a quiet man of steely precision and solemn resolve. Campbell, whose swaggering exterior belies his soft spot for weepy melodramas, is a tough-talking career cop with no patience for Buddhist prayer beads and a grandstanding loner from New York. But the two, stuck with each other, have to overcome their essential differences and find a way to work together if they're going to catch the murderer, whose body count continues to mount.
Called to the killer's latest crime scene, Cole makes a horrific discovery: his own ex-wife and her new husband are the latest victims. And the clues all seem to implicate Cole himself as the murderer.
With Campbell caught between belief and distrust of his new partner, Cole delves deeper into the mystery and uncovers a trail of unexpected revelations, including a company of professionals from his own secret past tied in with the murders. As the life he thought he'd left behind comes to endanger everyone around him -- his new wife (MICHELLE JOHNSON), his children, his partner and his new identity -- Cole discovers a conspiracy entangled in the killings that is more deadly than he or the cops on the case ever imagined.
The Glimmer Man must again call upon his own lethal talents and confront his history to protect the life he's created from powerful conspirators who are determined not to let the past die.
The cast of "The Glimmer Man" also includes BRIAN COX as Mr. Smith, the man holding the strings to Cole's secret background and the head of a sinister trio rounded out by BOB GUNTON as financier Frank Deverell and JOHN JACKSON as strongman Donald Cunningham. Also appearing is STEPHEN TOBOLOWSKY as a deranged suspect that Cole encounters.
"The Glimmer Man" is directed by JOHN GRAY and produced by Seagal and JULIUS R. NASSO for their Seagal/Nasso Productions banner. The film's executive producer is MICHAEL RACHMIL; the co-producer is ED McDONNELL; and the film was written by KEVIN BRODBIN.
The behind-the-scenes talent on the film includes director of photography RICK BOTA ("Tales from the Crypt Presents Demon Knight"), production designer WILLIAM SANDELL ("Total Recall"), Academy Award-nominated editor DONN CAMBERN, A.C.E. ("Romancing the Stone"), costume designer LUKE REICHLE ("Clive Barker's Lord of Illusions") and stunt coordinator DICK ZIKER ("Executive Decision").
About the Production . . .
Since his motion-picture debut in 1988's "Above the Law," Steven Seagal has built an enthusiastic international following that anticipates the martial-arts action and thrilling stunts that have become his signature on the big screen. Each new installment in Seagal's body of work has taken filmgoers on a new adventure -- onto a speeding train, aboard a nuclear battleship, deep in the Alaskan wilderness or flying miles above the Earth -- while the action star has consistently delivered the visual thrills and combat sequences his fans demand and enjoy.
"The Glimmer Man" continues in this tradition, placing Seagal's character in the midst of a grisly murder investigation and providing Seagal with another new experience to tackle onscreen -- dealing with a partner. As is his trademark breakneck style, the plot is continually punctuated by a series of pyrotechnic stunts and action sequences.
Seagal, who also serves as one of the producers of the film, describes his character as "not your average detective. He believes in Eastern philosophies and lives by them. He only wears certain clothes and really doesn't care what anybody thinks about him. Except for his wife and kids, he's a loner and very content with himself. Cole rarely laughs, as life is very serious to him. He does his job his way, not caring what anyone in the department thinks of it."
Seagal has established a motion-picture persona as a serene individualist who usually confronts his enemies with solitary confidence and him-against-the-world assurance. In "The Glimmer Man," however, things grow a little more complicated as Seagal is paired with Keenen Ivory Wayans, whose rapid-fire delivery and wry observations are the virtual antithesis of Seagal's more measured manner. Seagal explains, "There's no doubt that my character causes him nothing but irritation. It's a love/hate relationship. We both know our jobs, and we protect each other. But, he continually takes a beating and blames it on me. I enjoyed working with Keenen because his comedic sense and timing added to every scene.
"There's plenty of action, dynamic stunts and even comedy. ėThe Glimmer Man' is what my audience has come to expect, plus there are some great bonuses."
Chief among those bonuses is Keenen Ivory Wayans, who established an acclaimed comedic career as one of the creators of the hit series "In Living Color" and previously parodied action films in his satire, "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka." Wayans appreciated the opportunity to break into a mainstream action-thriller with such an established practitioner of the genre. "Action films are what I go to see at the movies," says Wayans. "I've always wanted to be part of that. It's great now since there's an expectation of me having some humor even in a real situation. I can be serious yet still have the opportunity to be funny.
"Being paired up with a major force such as Steven allowed me to be in a situation where the pressure was off, and it was a fun experience. I believe the producers, Steven being one of them, figured pairing us up would bring interesting exchanges, and it did," he concludes.
The film's other producer, Julius Nasso, a longtime professional associate of Seagal's, also recognized the dynamic possibilities of pairing Seagal with Wayans. "Sometimes people don't recognize it, but Steven actually has a wonderful sense of humor," Nasso expresses. "Putting somebody like Keenen into the mix really gave him the chance to bring that out without sacrificing the straight-ahead action that his fans love. Having the two of them spar with each other while pursuing this very serious investigation balances the humor with the action. Fans who have followed Steven for years will be more than satisfied, and I think people unfamiliar with a Seagal action picture will find something to enjoy as well."
Director John Gray notes that "The Glimmer Man" offered firsts for not only Seagal and Wayans, but himself as well. Gray, whose previous work includes a number of projects for the prestigious Hallmark Hall of Fame, found himself unexpectedly drawn to the logistic complexities of a large-scale action picture. "Personally, this is a huge departure for me. I've never really done anything like this before, as most of my films have been character pieces. This is Steven's first buddy picture. He really does team up with Keenen, and they complement each other perfectly. It was fun to watch them on and off screen. Keenen really got Steven laughing."
Gray, who shares screenplay credit on "The Glimmer Man," recalls that the script underwent some spit-and-polish to accommodate the contributions and idiosyncracies of its stars. "Prior to shooting, the script kept evolving and changing. As we started shooting, the chemistry between the two really stood out. Steven's actually pretty funny, and I think that Keenen really brought that out of him. I think the audience will see another side of Steven, a side that shows humor without giving up anything they might expect from him."
Gray is quick to point out that Wayans contributes much more than just comic relief.
"Of course, Keenen brings his expected humor to the film, but he also has a kind of fearsome intelligence -- a smartness and intense presence. He's a no-nonsense tough guy with tremendous appeal. Keenen also goes through a lot of hell in the picture. He's a good detective who is always in some kind of trouble from the time he meets Steven's character."
That trouble included some hand-to-hand action for novice action star Wayans, who benefited from Seagal's seasoned experience. "Steven choreographs his own fight scenes and he knows what he wants, so I sat back and took it all in. You can really learn a thing or two from him just by watching." He laughs, "But I told everyone up front I wasn't going to engage him. I had that in my contract, you know: we don't fight."
Stunt veteran Dick Ziker, who has seen his share of complicated sequences in films such as "Executive Decision" and "Clear and Present Danger," concurs with Wayans' regard for Seagal's action expertise. "Steven Seagal is action. He knows what he wants and has a wonderful sense of what the camera sees. As the stunt coordinator, I had to provide the best guys available because of Steven's knowledge and ability."
Seagal makes a decidedly non-action-oriented contribution to "The Glimmer Man" as well: music. He has been a lifelong guitar player and has recently revived his passion for the instrument and for composing. He performs and wrote music for the driving soundtrack that accompanies the action in "The Glimmer Man."
"Being born in Detroit, music was special when I was growing up," Seagal explains. "I listened to bands such as Humble Pie, Small Faces, Cream, King Crimson and Procol Harum plus blues greats like Albert King, B.B. King, Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson. I started playing guitar almost 30 years ago and picked it up again about two years ago."
On Location
"The Glimmer Man" was shot entirely on location in the city where its action takes place: Los Angeles. Southern California's balmy winter days followed by a hot and sunny beginning of spring placed continual pressure on the production team to maintain a consistent seasonal atmosphere to the film. Attempting to add to the feeling of big-city foreboding that permeates the film, a water truck was added to the movie's convoy to wet down streets at every location and remove the luster of the sun.
Many of the locations were in historic sites of downtown Los Angeles. Doubling as the seedy Ovington Arms was the lobby of the now-defunct Los Angeles Herald-Examiner Building, built in the '30s. The exterior of the Ovington Arms was one of the city's earliest hotels, The Barclay. Today, it serves as low-income housing, as does its sister hotel, The Frontier. The Frontier's rooftop provided another view of the Ovington Arms. Both hotels have been totally refurbished, though residents claim that the tunnels linking them are still being used by rats and ghosts. The Frontier and Barclay and two other downtown hotels were connected by these tunnels so patrons could come to underground speakeasies during the Prohibition Era.
Traffic on one of downtown's busiest thoroughfares, Main Street, was diverted to film a breathtaking scene with stunt men scaling the side of a building and swinging into open windows. Another downtown site was the Art Deco-era Licha's Santa Fe Grill. Additional locales included John Burroughs Jr. High School and the Alverno Academy.
The biggest impact made by the production was in a vacant downtown lot and loading dock. A massive tanker truck explosion had to be done twice since the entire truck wasn't destroyed the first time it was attempted. The second explosion did the trick, lighting up the clear night sky so spectacularly that it elicited many phone calls to the police from startled downtown residents wondering what was rocking their neighborhood.
The answer, of course, was Steven Seagal.
Warner Bros. Presents A Seagal/Nasso Production of A John Gray Film: Steven Seagal and Keenen Ivory Wayans in "The Glimmer Man," starring Bob Gunton, Brian Cox and Michelle Johnson. The music is by Trevor Rabin. The film is edited by Donn Cambern, A.C.E.; the production designer is William Sandell; and the director of photography is Rick Bota. Michael Rachmil is the executive producer. The film is written by Kevin Brodbin and produced by Steven Seagal and Julius R. Nasso. "The Glimmer Man" is directed by John Gray and distributed by Warner Bros., A Time Warner Entertainment Company.