McBain (film)

McBain is a 1991 American action war film written and directed by James Glickenhaus, and starring Christopher Walken as the title character, alongside Michael Ironside and María Conchita Alonso.

Premise
Santos attempts to lead a people’s revolt in Colombia to overthrow the Presidente. When his revolt fails and he is killed, his sister Christina goes to New York to find McBain, a lieutenant Santos rescued during the Vietnam War. McBain agrees to help, recruits his old war buddies, raises some cash by killing a few drug dealers, then leads an attack to topple the Colombian President (Victor Argo).

Cast

 * Christopher Walken as Bobby McBain
 * Michael Ironside as Frank Bruce
 * Steve James as Eastland
 * María Conchita Alonso as Christina Santos
 * Victor Argo as El Presidente
 * Thomas G. Waites as Gill
 * Chick Vennera as Roberto Santos
 * Jay Patterson as Dalton
 * Forrest Compton as President Flynn
 * Luis Guzmán as Papo
 * Dick Boccelli as John Gambotti

Production
The film was announced in May 1990, under its original title McBain's Seven. In September of that year, it was announced that filming would begin shooting on a sixty-two day schedule under its shortened title McBain. While the film received offers from several major studios for distribution, production company Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment ultimately decided to release the film themselves committing an estimated $8–$10 million for promotion and the manufacture of 1200 film prints as selling distribution rights would've meant relinquishing the home video rights.

McBain is also the name of an action movie character on the animated sitcom The Simpsons played by the character of Rainier Wolfcastle, an analogue of Arnold Schwarzenegger. His appearance on The Simpsons predated the release of the film, and apart from the name, the film has no relation to the character.

Reception
The film took in less than $500,000 at the box office in the United States.

Re-releases
The movie was released on videocassette in the United States in 1992 by MCA/Universal Home Video and in Canada that same year by C/FP Video. Goodtimes released the budget tape of the movie some years later. Synapse Films stated an intention to release McBain on Blu-ray from a newly restored 2K transfer. Rifftrax released a video on demand version of the movie on January 25, 2013, including the running mocking commentary by stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000 including Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett.