"Remo Williams" (1985) is an adventure masterpiece - Rip Fred Ward

[Mutant 77]

Brilliant, exciting and fun - Fred Ward was amazing, the direction was absolutely great, the story was epic and compelling.


FRED WARD was a legend to me. He was one of my top 10 actors. I'm devastated.

REMO WILLIAMS is an adventure masterpiece, and a big cult classic. In Italy, it was a huge success.

TIMERIDER is one of the most wonderful time travel movies in history.

I loved each role that he played in his astonishing career & life.

You're my hero, Fred. Rest in peace.

[j9ac9k]

I always hoped they'd make more Remo Williams movies. Joel grey in yellowface doesn't hold up though - that was an unfortunate choice.

Ward was also great in "The Right Stuff" and "Miami Blues."

[Username taken]

RIP Fred Ward.

[batnbreakfast]

Tremors will always be a Personal Favorite. I hope He went on to a better plane

[Witchfan]

I think this bombed at the box office, but it played really well on cable TV.

[Jokerz79]

Currently on Tubi to watch for free.

[Mutant 77]

I think this bombed at the box office, but it played really well on cable TV.

Yes, absolutely.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I was a big fan of the Destroyer novels when the movie came out. While Mr. Ward nailed it as Remo, having Joel Grey in yellowface as Chuin was insulting. For all the grief Scarlett Johansson caught a scant few years ago for being cast as Motoko Kusanagi in the big screen version of Ghost in the Shell, Grey was worse, but there was no social media back in the mid 80's to call out the studio for not having cast an Asian actor as the Master of Sinanju. As for the movie, I thought it was okay, but was disappointed because I expected more.

[Mutant 77]

While Mr. Ward nailed it as Remo, having Joel Grey in yellowface as Chuin was insulting.

The make-up was 100% impressive. It almost gained an Oscar.

They just picked an American actor because... well, those were different times. Today, we live the exact opposite. Both extremes are ridiculous.

That said:

The role garnered him a Saturn Award and a second Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

[j9ac9k]

The make-up was 100% impressive. It almost gained an Oscar.

They just picked an American actor because... well, those were different times. Today, we live the exact opposite. Both extremes are ridiculous.

That said:

The role garnered him a Saturn Award and a second Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

I don't see PoC actors running around in whiteface and, as you say, getting award nominations, so no - it's not "the exact opposite" now, despite what the "you will not replace us" crowd says.

[Mark Trail]

Hmmm. Same day this thread was posted I made a comment that we’d end up getting into Joel Grey’s casting now being considered problematic and it got deleted. Yet here we now are.

[Mutant 77]

I don't see PoC actors running around in whiteface

NO, but they are altering pre-existing characters and their ethnicity without real reason or logic behind - see the new Spider-Man trilogy or Batwoman.

That said, it doesn't matter. There's no debate. Joel Grey was superb.

[Powerboy]

The make-up was 100% impressive. It almost gained an Oscar.

They just picked an American actor because... well, those were different times. Today, we live the exact opposite. Both extremes are ridiculous.

That said:

The role garnered him a Saturn Award and a second Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

I'm assuming that, by an American actor, you meant a white actor as opposed to an equally American actor of Asian rather than European descent.

It was a poor choice having Joel Grey. But, to show how much our culture has changed, in the theater, in 1985, it never occurred to me for an instant that there was anything wrong with it.

[Rincewind]

NO, but they are altering pre-existing characters and their ethnicity without real reason or logic behind - see the new Spider-Man trilogy or Batwoman..

Real reasons and logic for changing the race of pre existing characters:
1. Characters created decades ago were overwhelmingly white. This is because bigots threw a fit anytime a minority was portrayed as a hero. For instance, Southern distributors in 1962 would never carry a comic featuring a black Peter Parker.
2. Any updating to a contemporary setting should reflect that setting instead of continuing to cater to bigots who get upset if the race of a fictional gets changed.
3. The "Get Woke, Go Broke" argument is racist BS that ignores that the success of more diverse stories. For instance, the new Spider-Man trilogy is the most critically and commercially successful version of the franchise.

Real reasons and logic for complaining about changing the race of pre existing characters:
1. Bigots get upset at the sight of minorities

PS Fred Ward was awesome in Tremors.

[Jokerz79]

As for the yellowface aspect I will say Joel Grey did an impressive job I didn't know it was him or even a Caucasian until I was in my teens and I saw this as a kid.

So while I don't agree with the casting even for the time period it was the 80s James Shigeta, James Hong, or Mako (Pat Morita is too obvious of a choice) would had done equally fantastic in the role as Joel Grey. But this also wasn't Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany's or even Eddie Murphy in Norbit which came out in 2007! & there was no intention to laugh at Asians or Asian cultures. It's just odd to make that casting choice that I see more as unfortunate than problematic. But strangely they did it twice, there was a tv pilot with Roddy Mcdowall playing the role.