Inferno (1999) Biography, Plot, Filming, Trailer

Inferno (1999)

Inferno (alternatively known as Desert Heat) is a 1999 American action film directed by John G. Avildsen, and starring Jean-Claude van Damme, Danny Trejo and Pat Morita. This was the last film directed by Avildsen before his death in 2017. Eddie Lomax (Van Damme) is a veteran soldier sick of life, wandering the desert looking for a reason to die. An incident with a few thugs from the nearby town, who steal Eddie’s motorbike and beat him almost to death, sets him on a path of revenge.

Plot.

The film opens as Eddie Lomax (Jean-Claude van Damme) drives an Indian motorcycle in an open desert plain (referred to as the Dry Lake). Soon enough, the motorcycle breaks down and Eddie dismounts, carrying nothing but his jacket, his .45 pistol, and a bottle of tequila. As he lies in the desert drinking, he eventually sees his friend Johnny Sixtoes (Danny Trejo), a Mexican Indian, to whom he had sent a postcard notifying him of his arrival. In their conversation Eddie reveals that the surprise he wrote about in the letter was, in fact, the Indian motorcycle. He also reveals that he is there to kill himself as he goes into a drunken rage, revealing deep regret from their days in the Army, claiming that the souls of those he killed haunt him.

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Firing shots off in all directions, he vents his buried feelings to Johnny, and hopes he will “give him the OK to take a journey”. Soon after the shots are fired, a truck pulls up to Eddie, Johnny disappears, and it becomes clear that Eddie was hallucinating about him being present. Matt (Shark Fralick), Jesse (Silas Weir Mitchell), and Petey Hogan (Jonathan Avildsen), sons of Ramsey Hogan (Larry Drake) get out of the truck, Matt furious as one of Eddie’s drunken shots almost killed him. Eddie staggers to them, not wanting any trouble; Matt, however, insists that he apologise. Matt then proposes that they take the motorcycle, and they will forget about the gunshot.

Eddie persists that the motorcycle is a gift for his friend, telling Matt to get off. Matt seems to comply, until he delivers a cheap blow to Eddie. After a fight, Eddie is left beaten and shot in his right shoulder. As the brothers stand over Eddie, another truck passes with a local restaurant waitress Dottie (Jaime Pressly) and cook Vern (Kevin West). Dottie expresses extreme concern; Vern simply drives on, not wanting any trouble from the Hogans. Matt begins to load the motorcycle onto the truck, instructing Jesse to make sure that Eddie is dead. Jesse asks for Eddie’s gun from Pete, who took it from the earlier struggle. Being the youngest of the three, Petey insists on doing the job.

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Filming.

Variety reported that filming started in June 1998 and had a planned schedule of eight weeks. The original cut of the film was known as Coyote Moon. Van Damme did not like this cut and had the film recut. Avildsen unsuccessfully attempted to have his name removed from the film.