Matty is hot for Jm Wynorski’s scorching disaster flick.

The peak of Jim Wynorski’s stock footage actioners for longtime collaborator Andrew Stevens’ Phoenician Entertainment, ABLAZE can also be considered part of Wynorski’s robust remake continuum, a la the similarly excellent Not of This Earth (1988) and The Wasp Woman (1995).

Though Ablaze’s Ice-T opening is bolstered by a thrilling car chase swiped from Rowdy Herrington’s underrated Bruce Willis caper Striking Distance (1993), much of the film is pieced together from Canadian disaster flick City on Fire (1979). Incredibly well integrated, the use of the footage is, on a technical, nuts and bolts level, almost on par with the superbly cut – if overall flawed – Rangers (2000) in terms of Wynorski’s output within the stock/B-roll arena. Augmented by some fabulous CGI, it’s only when you clock the more overt ‘70s props and costumes lurking in the background that the joins between City on Fire and Wynorski’s own stunningly composed material become obvious. Nevertheless, Ablaze excels building upon and remixing City on Fire’s plot, keeping the key elements – a conflagration started at an oil refinery, peril at a nearby hospital as the inferno spreads, a backdrop of political chicanery – but amplifying the drama and stakes with better characters, a stronger sense of pace and place, and flashier scenes of white-hot spectacle.

The film is anchored by a great script. Written by Phoenician and Wynorski favourite Steve Latshaw, it juggles people, heart, and disaster movie tropes beautifully. With Wynorski and Latshaw’s previous pairing, the decent Extreme Limits (2001), serving as a dry run, Ablaze plays as another ensemble piece. The difference here, mind, is that no one is wasted. Everyone feels essential and in step with the world Ablaze unfolds in – and those tasked with bringing Latshaw’s cavalcade of memorable denizens to life are uniformly brilliant. That said, while the likes of Ice-T, Michael Dudikoff, and Tom Arnold get top billing, its co-stars Amanda Pays, William Zabka, Edward Albert, and Wynorski regulars Larry Poindexter and Melissa Brasselle who do the heavy lifting. Braselle in particular is incredible, unleashing a poignant, career-best turn as a pregnant woman caught in the carnage. Incidentally, the mighty Michael Cavanaugh appears amidst Ablaze’s throng. He’d already crossed paths with Dudikoff on several epics from producer Stevens – Crash Dive (1996), Strategic Command (1997), Black Thunder (1998) – and would go on to feature with the American Ninja (1985) and Ice-T in Fred Olen Ray’s Latshaw-penned Phoenician romp, Stranded (2002). As it happens, Poindexter cropped up in Strategic Command and Stranded too. 

Solidly made, Wynorski employs every trick at his disposal to enhance the suspense and excitement. Especially potent is Ablaze’s gritty and immersive style, with handheld photography and glorious steadicam work lending the film a tremendous amount of energy and immediacy. Moreover, Wynorski’s evident delight at being able to play in the Irwin Allen sandbox is wholly infectious. He’s a reverent and devoted student of cinema, truly.  

Shot in March 2000, Ablaze hit DVD and VHS in the U.S. via frequent Phoenician peddler 20th Century Fox on 16th July 2002. Its release was quietly bookended by two other pictures from Stevens and Phoenician co-founder Ellie Samaha’s production line: Zig Zag (2002) and FearDotCom (2002) – both of which were produced by Phoenician’s big budget parent company, Franchise – landed on disc the week before and debuted in stateside cinemas the month after, respectively.

USA ● 2001 ● Action, Drama ● 97mins

John Bradley, Tom Arnold, Ice-T, Michael Dudikoff ● Dir. Jim Wynorski (as ‘Jay Andrews’) ● Wri. Steve Latshaw