he is neither a good actor nor a skilled film director or producer. However, he is distinctive and somehow he managed to turn a funny ponytail, the expressiveness of a cut log and the grace of a reinforced concrete block into a hallmark and attribute of a full-time Hollywood tough guy. There is also nothing to hide, films with his participation in the 90s were a source of perhaps unsophisticated, but entertainment, which made them permanently inscribed in the canon of the “they killed him and escaped” genre.
Why so much Steven Seagal on Polish television?
Seagal’s movies have never been good, they’re often downright ridiculously stupid, but that’s part of their dubious charm. About 20 years ago, Poles could also have had a certain weakness for Seagal – the actor came to Warsaw in 2004 to shoot “Out of Reach”. This is a Polish-American co-production about a former special agent who comes to our capital to find a missing teenager. By the way, he falls under the mafia dealing in human trafficking.
The cast included TVP favorite Ida Nowakowska, Agnieszka Wagner, Krzysztof Pieczyński or very young Aleksandra Hamkało. To the latter, Seagal reportedly even revealed his secret of acting, which the actress, amused years later, told, among others. in the program of Kuba Wojewódzki. What is it about? “Always be yourself” – Steven Seagal, known for his mythomania, was supposed to say, for whom the plots of his numerous films have obviously been confused with reality for years.
however, he missed the moment when it was necessary to leave the stage undefeated. He didn’t stop filming the same thing over and over again, only worse: by 2019, he was even releasing several films a year. Apparently, every one is worse, because Seagal not only does not accept that he is getting old, but also accumulates in his productions to the limit everything that is “toxic in caricatured masculinity” – he wrote a few years ago
Considering that Seagal’s films are made in bunches, it’s easy to suspect that because there are a lot of them and they are of very poor quality, the licenses for them must be simply cheap and televisions buy them in buckets or have already bought them years ago. Until the end of January, Polish channels such as Kino TV, Polast, TV Puls and Film Box Action will broadcast, among others the series “No Mercy” and such action figures as “Commander”, “Death Game”, “Out of Reach” or “Seeking Justice”. On January 1, you could also see “In Revenge for Death”.
The website states that films with the participation of Steven Seagal can be watched on the antennas of such stations as: AMC, AXN, AXN Black, AXN Spin, CANAL+ PREMIUM, CANAL+ 1, CANAL+ FILM, CANAL+ SERIALE, FilmBox Action, FilmBox Premium HD, Kino TV, Nowa TV, Paramount Channel Polska, Polonia 1, Polsat, Polsat Film, Polsat Seriale, PULS 2, Stopklatka TV, Super Polsat, Tele5, TV4, TV6, TVN, TVN 7, TVN Plot, TVP1 HD, TVP2 HD, TVP Woman, TV Pulse, Warner TV (formerly TNT), WP, Zoom TV. It’s a disturbingly long list.
Of course, you should also ask yourself who watches any movies on TV in the era of increasingly dominant VOD and streaming platforms. If there are relatively few such viewers, the economic solution is to play the cheapest productions. But it would be a mistake to assume that no one watches television – the ratings show otherwise. There are still plenty of viewers, even the elderly or those who are not used to using streaming platforms, so the conclusion is that Seagal’s films are played because he has a recognizable name and face (and licenses are cheap). At this stage, however, plugging holes in the schedule with his films is already very problematic – and for many reasons.
Bad acting is forgivable. What’s wrong with Steven Seagal?
Seagal’s mythical inclinations have been known for years, who maintained, among others, that he worked for the CIA and knows many government secrets, including the details of the murder of Marilyn Monroe (CIA does not confirm), or that he was taught aikido by its founder Morihei Ueshiba – who died in 1969, Seagal left for Japan two years later. In one of the interviews, he also said that he had clairvoyant and healing abilities – so we should not be surprised that he explored the secrets of natural medicine, herbal medicine and acupuncture. It was also funny when in 2014 Seagal accused Liam Neeson of not being able to fight like a real action movie star: Steven has clearly not been doing sports for years, he doesn’t even run in the movies anymore, he only walks, and he uses a stunt double in fight scenes .
Seagal seems convinced that as an ex-cop and self-proclaimed Buddhist, he is the “good guy”, the “patriot” who is always right. It is a pity that he apparently believed what Vladimir Putin told him. i.e. this is an optimistic version, because it gives hope that the actor is simply gullible or very stupid, and not simply calculating, mean and evil. And now he’s using his name to legitimize Russian lies and cover up war crimes.
In 2019, a clear break in his film activity began, which largely coincides with the period when the actor discovered the layers of patriotic love for mother Russia. Let’s line up some relevant events from this point of view: in 2014, Seagal expressed his deep support for Russian aggression, when Putin led to the annexation of Crimea. In fact, Seagal did not limit himself to giving interviews on this subject, he even went to the Crimea, where he played a concert with his band Thunderbox for the pro-Russian separatists.
Good relations evidently continued, as he received Russian (and Serbian) citizenship in 2016. In turn, in 2020 he joined the Russian political party “A Just Russia – For the Truth” – he was even supposed to write a draft law on the fight against environmental pollution. Particularly close to the actor’s heart was the protection of Lake Baikal, as well as the issue of the demilitarization of outer space.
In 2021, he undertook a diplomatic task and tried to “establish dialogue” between Russia and Japan, which had been in a dispute over the ownership of the Kuril Islands for years. After Russia invaded Ukraine, Seagal announced that he would not give up his Russian citizenship, and then went to the Donbass to shoot a supposedly documentary about what “the situation is really like there.”
Let us remind you that he was seen in Ołeniwka, where the so-called filtration camp. There, prisoners from Azovstal were held and tortured, and a massacre took place on the night of July 28–29; 53 Ukrainian soldiers were killed under Russian fire. Russia maintains that the Ukrainian side is responsible.
Poor movies and denial are still understandable, but it’s hard to tell what Steven Seagal’s worst is. After all, long before he became Putin’s favorite, very disturbing reports were coming to light.
The stuntmen who worked with him openly talked about him being aggressive and actually hitting them instead of faking punches, and Sean Connery claimed that Seagal broke his wrist on purpose. There is also the burning issue of sexual violence. Regina Simons, who was an extra in the movie On Deadly Ground, accused him of raping him. Actresses Portia De Rossi, Julianna Margulies, Rachel Grant, Rae Dawn Chong, Jenny McCarthy and model Faviola Dedis have accused Seagal of sexually assaulting or assaulting Seagal. The actor denies everything, some cases have expired or high compensation has been paid. But Seagal was also accused of pimping and human trafficking.
If you believe the data from IMDb, Seagal has not forgotten about Hollywood, because apart from the propaganda film about Donbass, he is also working on two more action films, including the second part of “Nico – Above the Law”, which began his fruitful Hollywood career. Maybe the second part will finally end it?
Source: Gazeta
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
