Street Fighter: The Movie feat. Devan Scott

Hit Factory

Vancouver-based filmmaker, educator, and podcaster Devan Scott joins to discuss Street Fighter: The Movie, based on the hugely popular Capcom video game franchise. Dismissed by both critics and fans of the game at the time of its release as a disaster, the film has since found a small but vocal faction of champions nearly 30 years later.

We discuss the film as an example of what Devan calls "The Anti-Masterpiece": A film that through no fault of its author becomes an astonishing work, either in spite or because of a distinct lack of conventional competence. Then, we discuss the pleasure of watching a film featuring a massive ensemble cast, none of whom can seem to agree on what kind of movie is being made - from Jean-Claude Van Damme's incidentially self-referential Colonel Guile to Raul Julia's genuinely great, Shakespearean take on despotic warlord General M. Bison. Finally, we discuss the film's inadvertantly prescient take on the American imperial project of the 21st century, and how its caroonishness and brazen stupidity feel right at home in a post-Trump America.

Follow Devan Scott on Twitter.

Read Brandon Streussnig's "Wrapped In Plastic: JCVD's Street Fighter" for Secret Handshake.

Read Chris Plante's "Street Fighter: The Movie - What Went Wrong" for Polygon.

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Our theme song is "Mirror" by Chris Fish.