Drive (1998)

 

Drive is a 1998 direct-to-video film starring Mark Dacascos, Kadeem Hardison, Tracey Walter, John Pyper-Ferguson, Brittany Murphy, and Masaya Kato. The film was directed by Steve Wang and the stunt work/fight choreography was done by Koichi Sakamoto.

Plot

A machine/human hybrid prototype formerly working for the Red Chinese, Toby Wong, forces a down-on-his-luck, extroverted songwriter named Malik Brody to drive him to Los Angeles after their first meeting in a bar. He is on the run from hitmen - a hillbilly assassin/bounty hunter named Vic Madison and his inane henchman called "Hedgehog."

Trivia

As the US DVD, VHS and cable showings of this cult film are the infamous "Robbie Little Cut", a producer on the film that edited 20 minutes of it to a 98 minute running time and replacing the original soundtrack with a techno-based score, writer Scott Phillips has offered for sale to fans copies of the UK PAL "Special Edition" DVD formatted for NTSC, which includes not only a video transfer but a full restoration of Steve Wang's original cut including a Dolby Digital 5.1 remix of the original soundtrack. The British DVD release is a special Director's Cut version, containing reinstated cut scenes and the original film score. Special extras on the DVD include newly-commissioned interviews with cast and crew, director's audio track, and a feature on the Japanese stunt team responsible for the film's action scenes.

Deleted scenes include: A scene in Malik's house where Malik and Toby enter his daughters' room and they talk about his 4 year old daughter and how much he loves her. A scene in which Hedgehog and Madison question the existence of aliens. A scene after the Motel fight where Deliverance hugs Toby and Malik gets a bit jealous. A scene in which Toby reveals he has a brother and that they were both singers once. A longer version of the final fight where Toby delivers a new kick.

Cast

Mark Dacascos - Toby Wong
Kadeem Hardison - Malik Brody
John Pyper-Ferguson - Vic Madison
Brittany Murphy - Deliverance Bodine
Tracey Walter - Hedgehog
James Shigeta - Mr. Lau
Masaya Kato - Advanced Model
Dom Magwili - Mr. Chow
Ron Yuan - Razor Scarred
Clive Rosengren - Cantwell
Christopher Michael - Jeb
Ted Smith - Joss
Sanaa Lathan - Carolyn Brody
David Hayter - Cop #1

-- wiki