Question Regarding Breakin' 2' Matt Patches

 

-- Before Breakin' 2, I believe you worked with Yoram, Menahem, and Cannon Films on several films? More action-oriented work? How did you wind up working on/become the right pick for Breakin' 2?

 

SF. Correct, I directed several action movies for Cannon Films in the 80s. At the same time they produced the movie Breakin’ that was a great success when it come out. At that point they decided to capitalize on it and make a sequel Breakin’ 2, I don’t know why the director of the first Breakin’ was not involved but at some point Menahem Golan approached me and asked if I can direct it. I was delighted to get involved because I love music and the truth is that directing dance sequences is not much different from directing action there are a lot of similarities.

-- How familiar were you with street dance culture before trying to make this movie? Do you remember learning anything from the kids who worked on the film?

 

SF. When I got involved in developing Breakin’ 2 with the writers of the script I didn’t know anything about street dancing at all. Once I met them, the  choreographer Bill Goodson and the star dancer Adolfo 'Shabba-Doo' Quinones, they all introduced me to the concept and the culture of street dancing, hip hap, and rap.

 

-- I heard that the film may have been titled Electric Boogaloo before it ever became Breakin' 2? Any idea on the story behind the script/project's origins? I'm trying to figure out where Yoram or Menhem may have even heard the phrase "Electric Boogaloo."

 

SF. I don’t know of the origin of the phrase “Electric Boogaloo” when I got involved the name was already established but my filling is that it come from Shaba-Doo  himself, since he was involved with developing the project from the beginning. here is his web site http://www.shabba-doo.com/ I am confidence that he might have a better answer if you contact him. One more clue might be that the street name of Michael Chambers was “Boogaloo Shrimp” so it might also be a factor, but I am not sure.

 

-- I don't know my street dancing well enough to know if there's actual boogaloo-ing in the film. Is there, or was it just a great phrase?

 

SF. I don’t know either but again Shaba-Doo would know for sure, I think that his solo dance on the roof of the community center is of the Boogaloo-ing style. Attached is a photo of me with Shaba-Doo and Lucinda. If you need photos please let me know.

 

--I know that was the Cannon way, but do you recall how quickly you were able to put this movie together to release it within that window?

 

SF. here is the story why “Electric Boogaloo” come out so quickly. It was 1984 Tri-Star was a big distribution company in the 80s and they bought the movie for distribution in the 2nd week of production upon watching the raw footage. at the same time they also picked up for distribution the movie Supergirl with Helen Slater for holiday release in November 1984, it was a big movie with big stars so they booked about 1200 theaters exclusively for few weeks. Electric Boogaloo was slated to be released right after Supergirl and we started the editing right about the same time (November). Critical reviews for Supergirl were poor, and although the film took the #1 slot at the North American box-office during its opening weekend, the audience did not like it and it immediately took a nosedive in attendance and widely considered to be a box office bomb after making only $14 million in North America. Tristar realized right away that they are stuck with commitment to 1200 theaters with a dead product so they pressured Cannon to deliver Electric Boogaloo pronto right away. The heat come down to us in the editing room and so the chief editor Marcus Manton hired 7 or 8 additional editors with an army of assistants and sound editors and for the next 2 weeks we worked 24 hoers around the clock in shifts. I was running from one editing suit to the other none stop to check cut sequences and at the same time screening to Menahem |Golan finished segment of the movie. The final sound mix was done simultaneously in several stages none stop day and night while the color correction was going on at the same time, and the task was accomplished in time. Electric Boogaloo was slated to be exhibited in about 600 theaters nation wide but instead tristar printed about 2,000 copies, polled Supergirl out of the theaters and replaced it with our movie, so Electric Boogaloo was playing in about 2,000 theaters nation wide in the holiday season. Eventually though the critics gave it mixed reviews, as you know it was a great box office success and become iconic phenomenon. It’s a good thing you asked this question since it evoked me memory regarding this incident.

 

How ‘Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo’ Became a Movie and Then a Meme:

http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/how-breakin-2-electric-boogaloo-became-a-movie-and-then-a-meme/