Ross Hagen interview 2007

REMEMBERING TOUGH-GUY ACTOR ROSS HAGEN (WONDER WOMEN, SUPERCOCK)....

From Mike Malloy’s Tough And Gritty blog post 09/05/11

News is circulating that biker-movie actor and general tough guy Ross Hagen passed away a couple days ago, and although this has not been confirmed by mainstream sources yet, we can take this opportunity to remember some of his work, no matter what his current condition (which I hope is "perfectly in the pink").

The following are some random excerpts from my interview with Mr. Hagen from January 15, 2007.

I remember calling to set up the interview with Ross, and he told me he had recently done interviews for projects about co-stars Nancy Kwan and Elvis Presley. So when I called for the actual interview, I told him, "Mr. Hagen, you said you've done interviews about other people lately, but I only want to talk to you about Ross Hagen." He laughed, and I hoped he felt flattered. --Mike Malloy

ON FILMMAKING IN THE PHILIPPINES:

“John [Ashley] was the godfather. If you went into the Philippines, you went to John, and he would tell you who to deal with. Because he had cut the door open, and he knew all of the right players.”

"They’re such wonderful people, the [Filipinos]. It’s fun to work with them. They’re always laughing, and everybody’s having a good time. There’s none of that sourpuss stuff. So I’d say that our film experience in the Philippines was 100% good, happy times."

“Those guys take their cockfighting just as seriously as Spain does their bulls.”

“[Cockfighting] is their national sport. Just as we played it in Supercock is exactly what goes on there. That’s all authentic dialogue ... all of that cockfighting talk in there is exactly the way they talk. There’s not any added Hollywood stuff to that at all.”

"In Wonder Women, most of us stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel in Makati. And it’s a super-class five-star hotel. And of course, we were there, and we got caught in the typhoons of the Philippines, the great rains and stuff. So what we did is we took the ballroom of the hotel, and I produced the film, so I just turned the ballroom into a soundstage. We filmed a lot of the interiors right there in the hotel."

"Fowl Play, we used the old Manilla Motel, the one where MacArthur was in, because it had more of that seedy area. And then Imelda Marcos took it over, and now it’s one of the top hotels in the world. It’s beautiful now."

“COCK” USED AS DOUBLE ENTENDRE IN 'FOWL PLAY'/'SUPERCOCK'?

“Of course, but how nice when you can have a PG film with the name Supercock on it. And it’s PG—there’s no tits, there’s none of that stuff. That was the fun of it. The rating board here, when they were rating the film, they called me after they gave it a PG rating, and they said, “Ross, that title...” And I said, “It’s a chicken! The whole ad shows me running with a chicken!”

“Louisville, Kentucky—when we were opening the film there, they said, “We’re not going to run that ad. It’s pornography.” And I had to fly back to Louisville and convince them it was about a rooster. I said, “Look it up in Webster’s Dictionary. It has nothing to do with your penis."

ON GUS TRIKONIS DIRECTING 'FOWL PLAY':

“Gus is a hell of a director. He took a piece of material like that and shaped it into something that was totally entertaining.”

“Gus would add those little touches, like the bamboo sticks dancing. So he put a little of their culture in the film too.”

Wonder Women (1973)

1973 - Wonder Women (General Film Corporation)

[working title “The Terrible Transplants of Dr Tsu”; also released as “The Deadly And The Beautiful”, “The Chinese Puzzle”, “Women of Transplant Island” and in France as “Ongles Rouges et Cuisses d’Acier”]

Director Robert “O’Neil”/Vincent O'Neill Screenplay Lou Whitehill Adapted by Robert “O’Neil”/Vincent O'Neill Producer Ross Hagen Executive Producer Donald Gottlieb, Ronald Remy Cinematography Ricardo M. David Music Carson Whitsett Song "Wonder Women" Charles May Vocals Annette Thomas Editor Richard Greer Art Director Ben Otico Makeup Artist Ernie Carvajal Executive In Charge Of Production Arthur Marks In Charge of Production Nilo Saez Assistant Production Manager Gerry Gerena Sound Elpidio Salvador Special Effects Jessie Sto. Domingo Action & Stunt Coordinator Erik Cord Stills Mike Alejandrino, Beau Marks Script Supervisor Bert Amazan Jr Wardrobe Designer Jerry Bailon Nancy Kwan’s Wardrobe Lumen David Women’s Wardrobe Elcorte Ingles Assistant Cameramen Rodolfo Bautista, Manolito Cuenco Schedule Master Vic 'Basing' Costelo Additional Photography Michael Neyman

Cast Nancy Kwan (Dr. Tsu), Ross Hagen (Mike Harber), Maria De Aragon (Linda), Roberta Collins (Laura), Tony Lorea (Paulson/Lorenzo), Sid Haig (Gregorious), Vic “Dias”/Diaz (Lapu-Lapu), Claire Hagen (Vera), Shirley Washington (Maggie), Gail Hansen (Gail), Eleanor Siron (Mei-Ling), Bruno Punzalan (Nono the Fisherman), Joonee Gamboa (Won Ton Charlie), Rick Revere (Paulson's attendant), Rudy DeJesus (The Boy), Wendy Greene (The Swimmer), Leila Benitez (Lillian Taylor), Ross Rival (Ramon the Jai-Alai Player), Jesus Ramos (The Crabman), Phred Kaufman (The Beggar), Beau Marks (The Blind Athlete), Joe Conners (Joe the Athlete), Logan Clarke (The Attendant), Victor Vematsu (The Servant), Moises Sia (Paulson's attendant), Sal Vaca (The Desk Clerk), [uncredited] Marilyn Joi

Michael J. Weldon’s review from Psychotronic Video Magazine #30 (1999) p.12

Mike Carver (Hagen), a macho mercenary ex-CIA agent in leisure suits, is hired to investigate the disappearance of several athletes. Dr. Su (Nancy Kwan) has had them kidnapped to her private island for use in brain transplant experiments. Except for her assistant (Sid Haig with hair), all her agents are machine gun firing females in mini skirts. The fu fighting Maria De Aragon (from the director's BLOOD MANIA) has the most screen time and there's also blonde Filipino drive-in movie vet Roberta Collins and Afro hair Shirley Washington (DARKTOWN STRUTTERS). An eccentric cab driver (Vic Diaz) becomes Carver's guide and translator, so you get to see a lot of Manila (and a slo/mo cock fight). The General Films release substitutes "brain sex" for the expected skin scenes (it must have been rated PG), but pays off when Su's mutant failures escape from their cells. The score is typical funky wacka wacka wha wha music. Arthur Marks was the exec. in charge of production.

Michael Weldon’s review in Weldon (ed), The Psychotronic Encyclopedia Of Film, New York, Ballantine Books, 1983, p.790

Flower Drum Song star Nancy Kwan is the evil Dr. Su, whose all-female army kidnaps the world's top athletes to dismember and use for spare parts. Their organs are sold to aging millionaires. An insurance investigator arrives at the doctor's island fortress to stop the lady cutups. Producer Ross Hagen gave himself the hero role. With some pitiful monsters and Sid Haig.

Supercock (1975)

1975 - Supercock (Audio Films Specialists Inc/ Hagen-Wayne Productions Inc/The Superchicken Co)

[also released as “Fowl Play”, “Superchicken” and “A Fistful of Feathers”]

Director Gus Trikonis Story Gus Trikonis, Leland Lando Lilly Screenplay Michael Laton Producer Ross Hagen Executive Producers for Audio Films Specialists Inc Lettie B. Soriano, Fred C. Soriano Jr Associate Producers Jorge B. Vargas, Miguel L. Lorza Executive Producer for Hagen-Wayne Productions Inc Gail Wayne Associate Producer Anthony J. Lorea Producers Representation for AFS/HWP Miguel L. Lorza Music Tito “Soto”/Sotto Cinematography Fred C. Soriano Jr Editor Gervasio I. Santos First Assistant Director/Executive in Charge of Philippine Production Fred Galang Titles Roman Arambula Assistant to the Producer Russ Tinsley Production Manager Bien David Production Supervisor Eric Lidberg Wardrobe Design Claire Hagen Assistant Director Dick Adair Script Coordinator Hernan Robles Assistant Editor Rudy Cabrales Sound Effects Editor Antonio Gonzalez Public Relations Hilda Galang Production Secretary Roupert Sese Schedule Master Tony Ramos Transportation Manager Ted Favis Mr Hagen’s Jewellery Dante

Cast Ross Hagen (Seth Calhoun), Nancy Kwan (Yuki Chan), Tony Lorea (G.I. Joe), Subas Herrero (Seeno Nono), Joonee Gamboa (Speeno Nono), Louie Florentino (Heeno Nono), Eric Lidberg (Swede), Charlie “Davad”/Davao (Spaniard), Joe Garcia (Yaso the Turk), Logan Clarke (Cocknapper), Marissa Fernandez (“Tinikling” Dancer) Friendly the Supercock (himself) Goons Cricket Lorza, Johnny Vicar, “Frank”/Franco Zarate, Rene Roque, Johnny Rio, Rolan Montes, SOS Daredevils The Children Roderick Paulate, Dawnie Soriano, Fred Soriano III, Yvette Soriano

Review from the Brains On Film website:

Don't run away kids, this one was also released as SUPERCHICKEN and (yeesh) FOWL PLAY , so it's not about someone's filthy sinful tallywhacker, we wouldn't stoop to that sort of thing on this site. Heck no, this movie's about that wholesome, misunderstood OTHER sport of kings. Yep it's a cockfighting movie. Not to toot our own horns or anything but while everyone else is doing their umpteenth Fulci or Argento review, who else but us is writing about chicken-sploitation?

Anyhow, I myself find cockfighting kinda stupid but I've consumed way too many hot-wings in my lifetime to really be offended by it, so lets just strap in and enjoy the ride. And what a ride it will be since SUPERCOCK is another masterpiece from the Greek and geek tandem of Gus Trikonis and Ross Hagen, the same team that brought us biker flicks THE HELLCATS and THE SIDEHACKERS (aieeeee!!)! And not only that, it's shot in the Phillippines and features Nancy Kwan just like THE DEADLY AND THE BEAUTIFUL! Toss in a few bloody chickens and how can you go wrong?

So anyway, Ross plays a shit-kickin' Oregon pullet-pimp by the name of Seth Calhoun who's in Manila for the annual cockfighting olympics, we can't make this shit up. In the Pines cockfighting is not only legal, but they have an arena for it (complete with PEPSI banners) and chickenfighters from all over the globe are flying in to get a piece of "friendly", Seth's bad-ass motherfucker of a yard pheasant. Seth is immediately on the radar of the local chickenfighting heavy who sends the lovely Ms. Kwan to scope out the competition ("What is your opinion of the American?" "He has the largest cock I've ever seen.") but of course she is quickly enamored with this plucky foreigner because hes Ross Hagen for Christ's sake. This leads to a touching bar-room soliloquy by Seth which illustrates that, like all men, he really loves his cock.( "Have you ever seen a cock that dearly loves good red wine, ,fresh vegetables, and pretty women?")

By the way, if I listed every bad pun using the word "cock" contained in this film we'd have to dump the streaming video off the site for lack of room. Ahhh screw the video, here's but a few:

"Why are you throwing your cock against the wall? Won't you hurt it?"

"Do you have anything to declare?" "Nothing but my cock."

"When my cock smells blood, the fight is over"

"When did you know your cock was a champion?" "When he was just a little pecker."

"Would you like to come up to my room and meet my cock?"

"Your cock must be made of prime hard muscle and free of excess fat."

"One's cock must not only be strong, but look beautiful as well."

"Have you ever noticed that if your cock's dehydrated it turns into a dud?"

"Gentlemen! I would like to propose a toast to our cocks!"

The bad guy sets up a meeting with our hero to try to buy his....cock, but of course Seth refuses, and of course this leads to lots of low grade Bond-esque intrigue and gunfights and well, no car chases, but there is a horse-drawn carriage chase. I don't have to tell you that Kwan and Hagen end up in love but the lovingly filmed slow motion finale is something to see.

Yep, real live animals ripping and tearing the holy living shit out of each other just so Gus Trikonis could film an 80 minute penis joke. (Up yours Raging Bull!!). Friendly wins the big fight of course, and everyone is happy. Well, except for all the mortally wounded chickens.

8 piece box anyone? I'll have extra crispy.

Review from the All Movie website:

Don't be fooled by the packaging of this violent action-comedy's video release; despite its claims of "family fun" and an animated credit sequence, Fowl Play (originally released as Supercock) is not for children. Why anyone would assume that the brutal sport of cockfighting would be appropriate for the whole family is a headscratcher in itself, and the fact that the film gets barely subtle comic mileage out of the double meaning of the word "cock" further proves it was originally meant for adults. Director Gus Trikonis captures the seediness of his tropical setting, focusing on back alleys, crowded streets, and the dilapidated arena that hosts the tournament, and a climactic horse-and-buggy chase is an unintentional hoot. However, the main character's attempts at justifying his sport are weak at best, and despite his radical "affection training" the whole enterprise is ultimately just a way for him to bet heavily enough to avoid work. Of course, if the viewer has no qualms with cockfighting, then Fowl Play will appear to be just another lightweight, predictable drive-in picture, though the controversial nature of the subject will likely raise questions for most.