The Adventure Began

Based on the cult book series "The Destroyer" by Warren Murphy, Remo Williams was about a single super secret agent working for a small 3 to 4 man government agency known as CURE. Only known to the President Of the United States they work covertly to protect America from unknown enemies foreign and domestic. Often uncovering secret corruption and conspiracies within the government, Remo would have to do battle utilizing his wit and the ancient (and fictional) martial art known as Sinanju, as taught by the old and wise Sinanju Master, Chiun.

There was little fanfare when this movie came out in 1985. And if I haven't stated it before, I'll state it now. 1985 was my year. Although I always knew I wanted to make movies, 1985 was the year that really sealed it. Back To The Future, The Goonies, Legend, Young Sherlock Holmes, etc. These were movies filled with adventure and fantasy so much so that my movie making dreams were just bursting at the seams. Remo Williams was no exception.


Wasn't exactly a critical hit, nor a box office success, although there was a terrible attempt at a TV series. Fans of the books will complain it's not as intricate or fantastical, but what the movie had to offer was plenty for a chubby 10 year old Filipino kid from Grand Prairie, Texas. A super hero secret agent that fought using a secret martial art that taught you how to run over water and dodge bullets. Of course I was blown away.

I wanted a master like Chiun to teach me how to hear for the clicking sounds of a gun right before it fires, and know when to move out of the way. I wanted to build an obstacle course in my living room where I could train to jump on and off of things and balance on them perfectly (which I did by the way, and my Mother wasn't too happy about that.) I wanted to be able to start a fire by rubbing my fingers on a tree branch. Or to magically make Kate Mulgrew fall in love with me (not really, although I did love her as Captain Janeway).

I really started reminiscing about all this when I came across the amazing score for the movie by Craig Safan. I had forgotten I had it in a file hidden away in my movie scores collection (cuz I'm a nerd like that). Listening to it brought back all those memories. Craig Safan's score was adventurous and wonderful, fun and moving. Chiun's theme specifically is quite joyous and playful and it always makes me smile.

It's obvious by the score (along with the marketing) that the studio really wanted this to be the next Indiana Jones. They weren't successful, but they were successful in further inspiring a young kid from a small Texas town to want to make movies like this. Movies that would inspire other kids anywhere and everywhere, of every race, age, or circumstance, to dream big, and to make them realize and see that their own lives don't have to be seen as mundane or ordinary. That they could begin their own adventure.

Found this video on youtube. Someone had cut together scenes from the movie over Craig Safan's amazing score.




Fun, adventurous, moving, and inspired a kid to think bigger. That's what my aim is in alot of my movies, especially with Bobby's Closet.