Cyclone

Cyclone (1987)

The ultimate team of woman and machine

Rick has developed the ultimate motorcycle, the Cyclone. It is a $5 million bike equipped with rocket launchers and laser guns. Rick meets his fate and it is up to his girlfriend Teri to keep the Cyclone from falling into the wrong hands. Teri can trust no one but herself.

Date of release
1987-06-05
TMDB
4.1 / 10 (36)
Runtime
1h 29m
Genres
Action, Thriller
Director
Fred Olen Ray

Casting

Interesting facts

  • Budget: $750K

Cyclone is a 1987 science fiction action film directed by Fred Olen Ray, starring Heather Thomas, Jeffrey Combs, Martine Beswick, Huntz Hall and Martin Landau. It concerns a woman who must keep the ultimate motorcycle from falling into the wrong hands.

Production

The film was developed from an outline by director Fred Olen Ray under the working title of Cycle Warrior. Paul Garson, a contributor to several motorsports magazines including Hot Bike, was approached to write the screenplay by Ray, who knew him from his press work. He was offered a meager $3500, and given a week to deliver his first draft.

Ray originally had Linda Blair in mind for the starring role, but she yearned for an image change and more comedic roles. CineTel was then offered the services of Heather Thomas, who was paid just $20,000 for her appearance. She had a clause inserted in her contract that guaranteed she would not do any nudity. Celebrity sons Michael Reagan and Tim Conway Jr. also made their feature debut as a pair of detectives.

As usual, vintage movie enthusiast Ray peppered the supporting cast with classic actors. He had known Martin Landau for about two years, but it was the first time he had backers who were willing to pay his rate. However, CineTel were adamantly against the hiring of Huntz Hall, whom Ray had loved as part of the Bowery Boys.

The Los Angeles Times announced the start of principal photography for the fourth week of August 1986. However, another source wrote that Thomas started filming on August 11, 1986. The film was shot in the Los Angeles area over an 18-day schedule for a budget of $750,000. The scene where Thomas gets tortured had to be moved to a backstage area not intended for filming, after the real soundstage became unavailable.

Ray did not have the best experience with his cast. Star Heather Thomas was difficult, at one point threatening to no-show the next day unless she was given a pair of Fred Segal Tark'1 jeans to wear. She also showed some animosity towards her co-star Ashley Ferrare. Some of the veteran actors did not show the expected preparedness. Robert Quarry and Martine Beswick did not cope well with the long days and sometimes struggled with their lines.

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