The Octagon

"In a world of choices, for one man there is no choice... he must face The Octagon."

1980 1h 44m EN

😐

5.1

MID

★5.1TMDB · 159

AdventureActionThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Scott James, a veteran martial arts expert, is recruited as the protector of the wealthy and beautiful Justine after she becomes the target of a ninja clan. When Scott finds out that his ruthless arch-nemesis, McCarn , is involved with the stealthy and dangerous criminals, he is eager to settle old scores. Soon Scott is facing off against McCarn and the entire ninja horde in an effort to take them all down.

“In a world of choices, for one man there is no choice... he must face The Octagon.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Chuck Norris
Scott James
Karen Carlson
Justine
Lee Van Cleef
McCarn
Art Hindle
A. J.
Carol Bagdasarian
Aura
Kim Lankford
Nancy
Tadashi Yamashita
Seikura
Kurt Grayson
Doggo

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Eric Karson
Writers: Paul Aaron, Leigh Chapman, Leigh Chapman
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $4.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 4.7× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

46 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Eric Karson, shot by Michel Hugo. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Dick Halligan. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Dann Cahn shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Chuck Norris and Karen Carlson and Lee Van Cleef carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "In a world of choices, for one man there is no choice... he must face The Octagon.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Eric Karson directs. Michel Hugo behind the camera. Dick Halligan scores. Dann Cahn cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $4.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Made its money back 4.7× over at the box office.
346 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Directed by Eric Karson, shot by Michel Hugo. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Dick Halligan. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Dann Cahn shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Chuck Norris and Karen Carlson and Lee Van Cleef carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "In a world of choices, for one man there is no choice... he must face The Octagon.".
9IMDB entry: tt0081259 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 12 themes, including "martial arts", "assassin", "fight", "revenge".