''Seven'' is a 1979 American

action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...

directed by

Andy Sidaris Andrew W. Sidaris (February 20, 1931 – March 7, 2007) was an American television and film director, film producer, screenwriter, and actor. Early life Sidaris was born in Chicago, Illinois, to first-generation Greek immigrants. He grew up ...

and starring William Smith as Drew Sevano, a freelance agent hired by the government to eliminate a cartel of seven mobsters attempting to take over Hawaii. To help him accomplish this, Drew recruits a team of seven individual operatives with their own special talents.

Cast

* William Smith as Drew * Barbara Leigh as Alexa *Guich Koock as The Cowboy *Christipher Joy as T. K. *

Art Metrano Arthur Metrano (September 22, 1936 – September 8, 2021) was an American actor. He was noted for his role as Lt./Capt./Cmdt. Mauser in '' Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment'' and '' Police Academy 3: Back in Training''. Career Metrano's ...

as Kinsella *

Ed Parker Edmund Kealoha Parker (March 19, 1931 – December 15, 1990) was an American martial artist, actor, senior grandmaster, and founder of American Kenpo Karate. Life Born in Hawaii, Parker began training in Judo at an early age and later studied ...

as Himself *Richard LePore as The Professor *

Reggie Nalder Reggie Nalder (born Alfred Reginald Natzler; 4 September 1907 – 19 November 1991) was a prolific Austrian film and television character actor from the late 1940s to the early 1990s. His distinctive features—partially the result of disfigurin ...

as The Hermit *

Seth Sakai Seth Saita Sakai (May 22, 1932 - May 10, 2007) was an American television and film actor. Sakai's roles included various characters from ''Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an A ...

as Keoki McDowell * Kwan Hi Lim as Mr. Chen * Tino Tuiolosega as Mr. Lee *

Lenny Montana Lenny Montana (born Leonardo Passafaro; March 13, 1926 – May 12, 1992) was an American actor who played the role of feared hitman Luca Brasi in ''The Godfather''. Prior to becoming an actor, he had a successful career as a professional wrestler ...

as The Kahuna *

Martin Kove Martin Kove () (born ) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as John Kreese, the main antagonist of ''The Karate Kid'' (1984). He reprised the role in ''The Karate Kid Part II'' (1986), ''The Karate Kid Part III'' (1989), and the ...

as Skip *

Susan Kiger Susan Lynn Kiger (born November 16, 1953 in Pasadena, California) is an American model and actress. Kiger was the ''Playboy'' Playmate of the Month for January 1977. Her centerfold was photographed by Pompeo Posar and Ken Marcus. In addition, sh ...

as Jennie *

Peter Knecht Peter Leo Knecht, September 19, 1936 – October 3, 2014, was a criminal defense attorney from Los Angeles, California. During his career, he represented many Hollywood and music-biz celebrities, including sentenced Rock Star David Crosby ...

as Kimo Maderos *

Terry Kiser Terry Kiser (born August 1, 1939) is an American actor. Besides portraying the deceased title character of the comedy ''Weekend at Bernie's'' and its sequel, ''Weekend at Bernie's II'', he has more than 140 acting credits to his name, with a car ...

as Senator *

Nicholas Georgiade Nicholas Georgiade (March 25, 1933 – December 19, 2021) was an American film and television actor, best known for playing Agent Rico Rossi in the television series ''The Untouchables (1959 TV series), The Untouchables''. Early life and educati ...

as Niko *

Tadashi Yamashita is a Japanese American martial artist and actor. Early life Tadashi Yamashita was born in Japan in 1942, but he considers himself an Okinawan. His father died when he was three and he and his mother moved to Okinawa when he was 8, after the ...

as Swordsman *

as White Hat Man

Production

''Seven'' was filmed at

Oahu Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...

and

Kauai Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...

in Hawaii. Robert Baird, who is credited along with William Driskill as screenwriter, is a pseudonym for writer and photographer William Edgar. ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' budgeted the film at $2 million and noted that the film had "just completed" in their February 7, 1979 article.

Release

''Seven'' was released in the United States on September 21, 1979, where it premiered in Los Angeles. The film distributed by American International.

Reception

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' stated that ''Seven'' is "filled with stock Hawaiian footage, and not very good stuff at that. Pic lags continually, which won't pacify the action audience." The review also noted that "product plugs are also heavy-handed, and enumerated again with a final credit." The ''

Monthly Film Bulletin ''The Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 to April 1991, when it merged with ''Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those with a ...

'' stated that the film was "rendered thoroughly mechanical by the laborious business of pairing off its seven hit men with their seven underworld targets. The film's trite efforts to make an impression with its bizarre methods of execution-by hang-glider, lasergun and inflatable sex doll-do little to offset the interminable exposition."

Notes

References

External links

''Seven''
at

TCMDB Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of Atl ...

* 1979 films 1979 action films Films directed by Andy Sidaris American action films 1970s English-language films 1970s American films {{1970s-action-film-stub