Editing Out for Justice (section)

==Production==
John Flynn later claimed the original title was ''The Price of Our Blood'',<ref name=":0" /> "meaning Mafia blood. That was the title that Steven and I wanted, but Warner Bros. said no. It had to be a three-word title like the other Steven Seagal films (''Above the Law'', ''Hard to Kill'', and ''Marked for Death'')."<ref name=john>{{cite web|url=http://www.focorevistadecinema.com.br/FOCO2/chartrand-johneng.htm|author=Harvey F. Chartrand|title=Interview with John Flynn|work=Shock Cinema|year=2005|number=29|pages=26–29+46}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Marx|first=Andy|title=Two-word title twice as nice for Steven Seagal|url=https://variety.com/1992/film/news/two-word-title-twice-as-nice-for-steven-seagal-101248/|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=October 9, 1992}}</ref> During filming, the working title was ''The Night''.<ref name=":0" /> Seagal claimed to have completely rewritten the original script, though only [[R. Lance Hill]] (under his pen name David Lee Henry) was credited on the final film.<ref name=":0" />

The character Richie Madano was inspired by [[Costabile Farace|Costabile “Gus” Farace]], a [[Bonanno crime family|Bonanno family]] associate who was the subject of a manhunt by both law enforcement and his former mob associates after killing an undercover DEA agent. Farace was eventually caught and killed by a mob hitman.

Filming took place on-location in the [[Brooklyn]] borough [[New York City]], and in [[Los Angeles]].<ref name="john" />

=== Re-editing ===
The movie was originally much longer and included more plot and characters. Seagal reportedly cut some of [[William Forsythe (actor)|William Forsythe]]'s scenes because he felt that Forsythe was upstaging him. Also, Warner Bros. brought in editor Michael Eliot to re-edit the original cut of the movie so that it would be shorter and more profitable at the box office. Eliot did the same job on a few other Warner Bros. movies - [[Wes Craven]]'s sci-fi horror ''[[Deadly Friend]]'' (1986) and [[Mark L. Lester]]'s action movie ''[[Showdown in Little Tokyo]]'' (1991). Some scenes were deleted, and some others were cut for pacing, so two montage scenes with no dialogue are in the movie. Re-editing also caused some minor continuity mistakes. The theatrical trailer shows two deleted scenes: Richie shooting inside a clothing store from which he took a new shirt (in his first few scenes, he is wearing one shirt, then all of a sudden, he is wearing another shirt for the rest of the movie), and a scene where the police captain tells Gino that body count is going up. Some TV versions of the movie included two deleted scenes: Richie stealing the new shirt from store because he got blood on it (also seen in trailer), and Richie and his guys breaking into the house where Gino's wife is and trying to find her, but leaving when some neighbors show up.

Flynn later recalled:

<blockquote>I really liked working with Bill Forsythe and Jerry Orbach and all those guys in the car who played the killers. But I didn't get along with Steven. He was always about an hour late for work and caused a lot of delays. We shot until October 31, 1990, because an IATSE strike was threatened. (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts - Ed.) Warner Bros. told us we had to be on a plane by November 1. So we shot for about a month in Brooklyn. The rest of ''Out for Justice'' was shot in and around south Los Angeles. We filmed those scenes on Lacy Street, in a slummy area of old wooden buildings that could pass for Brooklyn.<ref name=john/></blockquote>Further cuts were made after the film received an [[NC-17]] rating for violence.<ref name="storynotes">{{cite web |title=Story Notes for Out for Justice |url=http://www.amc.com/talk/2013/11/story-notes-for-out-for-justice |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204165841/http://www.amc.com/talk/2013/11/story-notes-for-out-for-justice |archivedate=February 4, 2017 |access-date=February 3, 2017 |website=AMC}}</ref>

=== Gene LeBell incident ===
During filming, there was an alleged physical altercation between Seagal and stunt coordinator [[Gene LeBell]]. While on the production set, Seagal allegedly claimed that due to his aikido training, he was "immune" to being choked unconscious. At some point, LeBell, a 10th degree red belt in [[judo]] and experienced [[catch wrestler]], heard about the claim and gave Seagal the opportunity to prove it. He supposedly placed his arms around Seagal's neck, and once Seagal said "go", choked him into unconsciousness, urination and defecation.<ref>{{cite news|last=Palmquist|first=Chris|date=March 12, 2012|url=https://www.mixedmartialarts.com/news/gene-lebell-talks-steven-seagal-s-ing-himself/|title=Gene LeBell talks Steven Seagal s—-ing himself|accessdate=July 27, 2021}}</ref> The popularity of this incident led LeBell to be counted in 1992 as a potential additional member of Robert Wall's controversial "Dirty Dozen," a group of martial artists willing to answer to a public challenge made by Seagal 

Seagal has denied the incident ever took place, calling LeBell a "sick, pathological scumbag liar" and offered the name of a witness who could discredit the other account. After refusing to comment for many years, LeBell circumspectly referred to the story in 2012 in an [[Ariel Helwani]] when questioned on the matter in an interview; some outlets chose to consider this confirmation of the story, despite LeBell refusing to directly comment.<ref>Mancini, Vince. [https://uproxx.com/filmdrunk/jude-gene-lebell-confirms-choking-steven-seagal-until-seagal-pooped-himself/ "Judo Gene Lebell confirms choking Steven Seagal until Seagal pooped himself"], ''uproxx.com'' March 12, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2021.</ref> He was quoted as saying: "When we had a little altercation or difference of opinion, there were thirty stuntmen and cameramen that were watching. Sometimes Steven has a tendency to cheese off the wrong people, and you can get hurt doing that." After being asked whether he was not going to directly confirm it, LeBell said: "Well, if thirty people are watching, let them talk about it."

Stuntman Steven Lambert, who was also Seagal’s part-time bodyguard, stated he was present and said that a confrontation did happen. According to Lambert, Seagal explained to LeBell that he did not believe his choke hold was effective, and that he could escape from it. LeBell demonstrated the choke hold by putting it on Seagal. Without locking the hold, Seagal side stepped and swung his forearm backwards into his crotch. LeBell came off the floor by a few feet. As soon as he landed, LeBell used a foot sweep to sweep Seagal off the floor, with Seagal landing on his back. LeBell helped Seagal up.<ref>Mancini, Vince. [https://uproxx.com/filmdrunk/jude-gene-lebell-confirms-choking-steven-seagal-until-seagal-pooped-himself/ "Judo Gene Lebell confirms choking Steven Seagal until Seagal pooped himself"], ''uproxx.com'' March 12, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2021.</ref>