Commando is a 1985 American action thriller film directed by Mark L. Lester and produced by Joel Silver. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead role, alongside Rae Dawn Chong, Alyssa Milano, Vernon Wells, Bill Duke and Dan Hedaya. The film’s score was provided by James Horner.
Commando was released in the United States on October 4, 1985, where it received praise for the action sequences and humour. The film became a commercial success at the box office. It was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Special Effects, but lost to Back to the Future.
Principal photography began on April 22, 1985, and wrapped on June 6, 1985 after 45 days of filming. The film was shot on location in California.
San Nicolas Island off the coast of Santa Barbara, to which Matrix flies to rescue his daughter, was filmed on the Pacific coast at San Simeon. The barracks that are “attacked” are actually beach properties belonging to the Hearst Castle Estate. The house that Matrix storms at the film’s climax was actually the former main residence of the Harold Lloyd Estate in the Benedict Canyon district of Beverly Hills. The car chase scene between Sully and Matrix starts on Ventura Blvd and moves into the hills on Benedict Canyon. The Sherman Oaks Galleria, in Sherman Oaks, California, served as the film’s shopping mall location, and was used for six days after 9pm, after stores closed. This film was originally set to cost $8 million, but ended up costing $9 million once filming ended.
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