View source for Law of the Jungle (1995 film)

{{Short description|1996 film by Damian Lee}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Law of the Jungle
| image          = [[File:Law_of_the_Jungle_(1995)_Canadian_poster.jpg|200px]]
| caption        = Original release art
| director       = [[Damian Lee]]
| producer       = {{ubl|Damian Lee|Jeff Sackman|Jeff Wincott (associate)|John Gillespie (associate)|[[Ashok Amritraj]] (executive)}}
| writer         = {{ubl|Damian Lee}}
| starring       = {{ubl|[[Jeff Wincott]]<br>Paco Christian Prieto<br>[[Christina Cox]]}}
| music          = Ronald J. Weiss
| cinematography = Gerald R. Goozee
| editing        = David Ransley
| studio         = Amritraj Entertainment<br>Richmond House
| distributor    = [[Cinépix Film Properties]] (Canada)<br>Triboro Entertainment (U.S.)
| released       = {{Film date|1995|06|30|Canada|1995|07|25|U.S.}}
| runtime        = 98 minutes
| country        = Canada<br>United States
| language       = English
| budget         =
| gross          =
}}
'''''Law of the Jungle''''', also known as '''''Jungle Law''''', is a 1995 Canadian-American [[martial arts film]] film written, produced and directed by [[Damian Lee]], starring [[Jeff Wincott]], Paco Christian Prieto and [[Christina Cox]]. Wincott stars as a lawyer who has fallen on hard times, and must fight in underground tournaments organized by a mobster (Prieto) who was once his childhood friend. The film was retitled '''''Street Law''''' for its U.S. release.
==Plot==
John Ryan, reformed youth offender turned lawyer, gives a lot of his time to [[pro bono]] cases, which has caused his finances to dwindle and led him to contract a debt with Larry, a [[loan shark]]. While Larry is actually a friend and shows great leniency towards him, the debt attracts the attention of mobster Luis Calderone. Calderone is no stranger to Ryan, as the two were partners in crime during their teenage years, before Ryan left him behind during a police chase, leaving him to bear the consequences of their offense. Now firmly entrenched in a life of crime, Calderone intends to use his underworld connections to hasten Ryan's downfall and get revenge for his perceived betrayal.
Calderone roughs up Larry to force him to sell Ryan's debt, forges the lawyer's credit rating and fabricates connections to several homicides, getting him disbarred and making him homeless. Now in a desperate situation, Ryan is offered a way out: he must participate in an underground fighting circuit run by Calderone. Then, the kingpin ups the ante and attempts to coerce his former friend into becoming a hitman for him. Adding to the tension between the two men is the presence of Kelly, Calderone's girlfriend, with whom Ryan has become infatuated.
==Cast==
{{cast listing|
* [[Jeff Wincott]] as John Ryan
* Paco Christian Prieto as Luis Calderone
* [[Christina Cox]] as Angel
* [[Richard Yearwood]] as Michelangelo
* Michael Copeman as Joe Baker
* Douglas O'Keeffe as Larry the Lender
* Kevin Rushton as Blade
* Raymond Marlowe as Sam Armstrong
* Dennis O'Connor as Carruthers
* David Campbell as Grime
* Nicu Branzea as	Tony
* Stephen Micalchunk as Gustavo
* Alessandro Bandiera as Tommy Vega
* Géza Kovács as Andy Giancola
}}
==Production==
''Law of the Jungle'' was the second of a series of four Wincott vehicles produced and directed by Damian Lee, shortly after ''[[The Donor]]'' and before ''[[No Exit (1995 film)|No Exit]]'' and ''[[When the Bullet Hits the Bone]]''. An earlier film, ''[[The Killing Machine (1994 film)|The Killing Machine]]'', also starred Wincott but was directed by Lee's frequent collaborator David Mitchell. As with these other films, Lee provided production services via his company Richmond House, on behalf of Los Angeles-based Amritraj Entertainment.<ref name="res-lamb">{{Citation | publication-date=2021 |url=https://docplayer.net/235129927-Jim-lambie-c.html | last1=Lambie | first1=Jim | title=Production Experience |type=resume}}</ref> First Ontario Film Distributors, a side company created by [[Cinépix]] executive Jeff Sackman to specialize in commercially oriented Ontario-filmed projects, was also involved in the production.<ref name="play-26sep94"/>
The film pairs Wincott with [[Mexico|Mexican]] Paco Christian Prieto, fresh from the inner city martial arts film ''[[Only the Strong (film)|Only the Strong]]''. This was a more demanding role, due to the extensive dialogue. Although Prieto—a sought after martial arts trainer—was not actively pursuing acting, he was contacted by an industry acquaintance who had heard of the project and suggested he meet Lee. An agreement was quickly found with the producer.<ref name="vik-pri">{{cite AV media | people =Prieto, Paco (guest); Kurzhal, David (host) | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjQhTXKej4w | title =Who's the Best Martial Artist? Van Damme, Dacascos, Wincott (Paco Prieto in part 3 interview) | medium =video interview | date=August 31, 2022 | series =Viking Samurai}}</ref> Photography started at the end of September 1994 and continued over part of October. [[Toronto, Ontario]], was the primary filming location, and stands in for [[New York City]].<ref name="play-26sep94">{{cite web | url =https://playbackonline.ca/1994/09/26/3805-19940926/ | title =Ontario Scene | last1 =Cuthbert | first1 =Pamela | date =September 26, 1994 | work =Playback | access-date =May 29, 2023}}</ref> Prieto remembers Wincott being highly invested in the technical aspects of the film's direction, such as choices of camera angles and lenses. The two actors got along well and remained friends after working together.<ref name="vik-pri"/> The film was originally called ''Jungle Law'',<ref name="star-28may95"/> and that title was retained in some international markets such as [[Australia]].<ref name="vhs-aus">{{cite AV media |title=Jungle Law |medium=VHS | date=1997 | location=Australia |publisher=Network Entertainment | id={{UPC|9398250974068}}}}</ref>
==Release==
===Pre-release===
Moonstone Entertainment handled the film's international sales.<ref name="vhs-aus"/> Wincott appeared at the May 1995 [[Cannes Film Market]] to promote this film and two of his other works for Amritraj: ''[[The Donor]]'' and ''[[No Exit]]''.<ref name="star-28may95">{{cite news |last=Salem |first=Rob |date=May 28, 1995 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/947603555 | title=Celeb gawkers' paradise |newspaper=The Toronto Star |page=B1, B5}}</ref> The film received a private screening for cast and crew on June 27, 1995, in Toronto.<ref>{{cite news |last=Zekas |first=Rita |date=June 30, 1995 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/947609029/ |title=Jeff Wincott advocates parental discretion |newspaper=The Toronto Star |page=C2 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}}</ref>
===Theatrical===
In Canada, ''Law of the Jungle'' premiered at a [[Cineplex Odeon]] theater in [[Toronto]] on June 30, 1995.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=June 30, 1995 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/947609061/ |title=Openings |newspaper=The Toronto Star |page=C12 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=July 6, 1995 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/947613495/ |title=Cineplex Odeon Cinemas – CinemaGuide |newspaper=The Toronto Star |page=G5 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}}</ref> According to a later article, the film was actually screened as ''Jungle Law'' during its limited theatrical run, although some contemporary listings indicate otherwise.<ref name="star-22jul95">{{cite news |last=Salem |first=Rob |date=July 22, 1995 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/947953356/ |title=Video File: This Week |newspaper=The Toronto Star/Starweek |page=8 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}}</ref>
===Home media===
In Canada, the film was released on [[VHS]] as ''Law of the Jungle'' through [[Cinépix|CFP Video]], on the week starting July 22, 1995.<ref name="star-22jul95"/> In the U.S., it debuted through Triboro Entertainment on July 25, 1995, and its title was changed to ''Street Law'', possibly to avoid confusion with another actioner distributed by the company that summer, ''[[Jungleground]]''.<ref name="tcm">{{cite web | url =https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/525215/street-law#notes | title =Street Law: Notes | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | website =tcm.com | access-date =May 29, 2023}}</ref><ref name="inq-27jul97">{{cite news |last=Cornell |first=Christopher |date=July 27, 1997 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/178292804/ | title=New on Video |newspaper=The Toronto Star |page=C12 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}}</ref> Triboro concurrently issued the film on [[LaserDisc]] in partnership with disc-based media specialists [[Image Entertainment]].<ref name="inq-27jul97"/> Image re-issued it on [[DVD]] on September 14, 1999.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.allmovie.com/movie/street-law-vm425511/releases | title =Street Law: Releases | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | website =allmovie.com | access-date =April 2, 2023}}</ref>
==Reception==
The reception for ''Law of the Jungle'' has been largely negative. Writing in the ''[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]]'', Robert Philpot wasn't convinced by the central premise, calling it "totally preposterous", and compared Wincott's new streetwise look to "a cross between [[Mickey Rourke]] and [[Pauly Shore]]". However, he granted that "its film noir look makes up for a lot" and gave it two and a half stars out of four.<ref>{{cite news |last=Philpot |first=Robert |date=July 8, 1995 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/645495563/ | title=One Last Shot |newspaper=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |page=D3 {{subscription required|via=newspapers.com}}}}</ref> In his book '' A Century of Canadian Cinema'', Gerard Fratley was more dismissive, writing that a martial arts-trained lawyer dealing with a loan shark "is one cause that should never have come to court".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pratley |first1=Gerald |date=2003 |url=https://archive.org/details/centuryofcanadia0000prat/page/n3/mode/2up |title=A Century of Canadian Cinema: Feature film guide, 1900 to the present |location=Toronto |publisher=Lynx Images |pages=95 |isbn=1894073215}}</ref>
[[TV Guide]] found the film a disservice to Wincott's career, writing: "On TV, this once personable actor seemed to have a future. But in his direct-to-video flicks, he's nothing more than a big lug with a few judo tricks." Little merit was given to the film's creative aspects, as it was found to be "[h]obbled by flat-footed direction, formulaic screenwriting, and trite tough-guy dialogue".<ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.tvguide.com/movies/street-law/review/2030112323/ | title =Review: Street Law | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | work =TV Guide | access-date =May 29, 2023}}</ref> British reviewer John Elliot's ''Guide to Home Entertainment'' also found it to be "a badly staged actioner", whose script was "not as inventive" as Wincott's onscreen look.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Elliot |first1=John |date=1997 | edition =4th |url=https://archive.org/details/elliottsguidetoh0000elli/page/952/mode/2up |title=Elliot's Guide to Home Entertainment | chapter=The Films |location=London |publisher=Aurum Press |page=396 |isbn=1854104853}}</ref>
==Soundtrack==
The film features three songs by Big Faith, a group produced by and consisting of former [[Red Rider]] guitarist [[Ken Greer]] and former [[Chalk Circle (Canadian band)|Chalk Circle]] singer [[Chris Tait]], backed by the longtime rhythm section for [[Bruce Cockburn]], bassist Fergus Marsh and drummer Michael Sloski.<ref>{{cite AV media |title=Law of the Jungle |medium=feature film |time=1:26:48 | date=1995 |publisher=Amritraj Entertainment}}</ref> The ending tune "Undertow" was the title track of the band's debut album. The next two films in the Damian Lee/Jeff Wincott collaboration, ''No Exit'' and ''When The Bullet Hits The Bone'', were scored by Greer and feature further songs from bands associated with him.
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*{{IMDb title|id=114564|title=Law of the Jungle}}
*{{AllMovie title|m425511|Law of the Jungle}}
{{Damian Lee}}
[[Category:1995 films]]
[[Category:Canadian martial arts films]]
[[Category:Canadian action films]]
[[Category:American action films]]
[[Category:American martial arts films]]
[[Category:1995 martial arts films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Damian Lee]]
[[Category:Films produced by Damian Lee]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Damian Lee]]
[[Category:1990s Canadian films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:English-language action films]]