MovieChat Forums > Out for Justice (1991) Discussion > Bizarre editing choices around the Death...

Bizarre editing choices around the Death of Tattoo?

posted 6 months ago by Aylmer (534)
1 reply | jump to latest

Of all Seagal's movies, this and MARKED FOR DEATH I find the most enjoyable especially as both have such insane climactic battles. The one scene that always gets a perplexed laugh out of me has to be Tattoo's death (?). I assume he dies due to the gurgling sound he makes when he hits the wall and that his eyes are open as he slides down anyway.

What's weird though is right before he does the "F-you cop" line, Seagal is looking around a corner and a bloody looking Tattoo "falls-up" behind him as though he's in reverse-footage. It's as though they took a scene of Tattoo falling down dead and just put it in reverse as though he's standing up again. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it in a Hollywood-level feature film.

[–] Ismailov (165) 5 months ago

To be honest I don't see the editing issue. Seagal pulls Tattoo out of another room, throwing his face and body up against a brick wall (which would explain why Tattoo would be "bloody looking," though looking at the footage of him getting up in 1080p he doesn't look bloody to me.) Seagal turns around because a woman is fleeing who momentarily notices him. Tattoo gets up, Seagal turns to face him, Tattoo delivers the "f-you cop" line, Seagal kicks him so hard against another brick wall that it is enough to kill him.

Tattoo "falling up" as you put it does look a bit jarring for someone who I'd expect to be recovering from already being thrown into a brick wall, but it doesn't look like reversed footage IMO. Most likely the director had the actor positioned out of the camera's field of vision so he could quickly get up seemingly unscathed and deliver his defiant line. I assume the idea was to have audiences momentarily expect a fight scene only for Seagal to deliver his kick of doom.