The songs only become memorable within the context of the film and neither have aged well 30 years later. Even Vanity’s “7th Heaven” was nothing more than a reworking of her 1984 minor hit “Pretty Mess” (both songs even had the same producer). The soundtrack of “The Last Dragon” was mediocre in retrospect, it was anchored by DeBarge’s Diane Warren penned hit “Rhythm Of The Night” (the video was given a prominent part in “The Last Dragon”) but aside from the overlooked gem “Upset Stomach” by Stevie Wonder this soundtrack was meh at best overall. That would be even more evident once the film was finished. While this all seems great on paper to the producer Berry Gordy and the studio Tri-Star/Columbia Pictures seeing as so many people in place had proven track records, you had an out of touch executive (Gordy) making a film for young people in the mid 80's using people who specialized in making music and film with the sensibilities and aesthetic of the 70's. The music in “The Last Dragon” was handled by the team of Suzanne Coston as music supervisor while legendary musicians Willie Hutch and Norman Whitfield handled the score. Veteran character actor Christopher Murney was brought in to fill the role of Eddie Arkadian, the video game king and secondary villain (who became the main villain towards the second half of the film). Another key casting decision involved Leo O’Brien who filled the role of Richie Green, Leroy’s younger brother (he’d also appear as the younger brother in 1985's “Rappin”” opposite Mario Van Peebles).
At the time, Julius’ most notable roles were in the 1979 Blaxploitation films “Disco Godfather” & “The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh” but he underwent martial arts training under Ron Van Clief in order to be believable in his role. In the end Julius Carry was chosen to be Sho’Nuff, The Shogun Of Harlem.
One of the most crucial casting decisions made was the main villain. Veteran music executive Suzanne De Passe was also very involved in many facets of the project. The film was set to begin production/shooting in Spring 1984. From there the rest of the cast would soon fall into place. His love interest would be played by recent Motown signee and former frontwoman of Vanity 6, Denise “Vanity” Matthews in the role of music video show host Laura Charles. Taimak Guarriello would be chosen to fill the role of “Bruce” Leroy Green. Berry Gordy brought on one of the most experienced Black directors of the era Michael Schultz ( “Cooley High”, “Car Wash”, “Greased Lightning”, “Which Way Is Up?” & “Bustin’ Loose” ) to direct the project that would be called “The Last Dragon”.Ĭasting the leads was crucial so the film would be built around a 19 year old martial artist and one of the prized pupils of Ron “Black Dragon” Van Clief. Louis Venosta, a first time screenwriter and former dancer produced a script about a young Harlem Kung Fu expert which incorporated all of the necessary elements to appeal to young people in the 80's while at the same time harkening back to 70's Blaxploitation films. If they could find a way to incorporate all of those elements into a film they’d have a hit on their hands. Young people loved Rap & Hip-Hop, music videos, Kung Fu films, video games and music. Make a film incorporating everything they loved.
After seeing the fan response to “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever” in Spring 1983 once it aired and the rise of Run DMC then Rap music and Hip-Hop culture go mainstream throughout 1984 it became clear to Berry Gordy how to have Motown reach younger audiences. Both films ended up becoming cult classics but were considered too campy and cheesy to be taken seriously. The last profitable Motown film was 1975's “Mahogany” as they released two box office bombs in 1978, “Thank God It’s Friday” and “The Wiz”. With the exception of Rick James, Teena Marie (who would successfully sue the label in 1982 for her release), DeBarge (who emerged from former Motown act Switch), The Dazz Band and Lionel Richie, Motown had serious trouble putting out acts that music fans responded to and most young people saw the label as a veritable dinosaur. Motown had been on a downward spiral since it lost most of their legendary original roster throughout the 70's and had failed to capitalize off of the Disco Era or consistently sign talent to would keep them on top of the music industry. Motown’s attempt at maintaining relevancy in the mid 80's resulted in a Kung Fu musical aimed towards the Hip-Hop generation “The Last Dragon”: A 30th Anniversary Retrospective