In 1993 Dolph Lundgren followed up his villainous role in Universal Soldier with this underrated chase thriller. In Army of One (also known as Joshua Tree) Lundgren plays Anthony Wellman Santee, an escaped convict who carves a warpath through the California desert as he attempts to clear his name and take vengeance on the crooked cops who set him up. Taking inspiration from the “California desert” pictures of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, Army of One is packed with bloody shootouts, high speed car chases, and Lundgren as the ultimate badass. The directorial debut of legendary Hollywood stuntman Vic Armstrong, Army of One is fairly basic in terms of its story, yet that didn’t deter Armstrong or Lundgren from delivering a memorable shoot-em-up! Joining me to chat this violent VHS-gem of the ‘90’s is David J. Moore, author of the excellent reads The Good, The Tough, and The Deadly: Action Movies and Stars 1960’s – Present and World Gone Wild: A Survivor’s Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Movies. Which clichés of ‘90’s action movies does Army of One have fun with? How did Armstrong make the most of the film’s modest budget? How integral is the film’s setting, particularly Joshua Tree, to the film as a whole? How does the score help differentiate the film from all the other action flicks of the ’90’s? And was this film in fact the first American production to capitalize on the John Woo / Hong Kong style of filmmaking? Join David and I as we discuss Army of One, his action movie compendium book, and Dolph’s role in the realm of action heroes!
Major thanks to David J. Moore for joining me. Please pick up his books on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or wherever books are sold! Feel free to rate and review the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever else you subscribe!
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