One Stab Too Many

This 1986 film starred Robert Z'Dar and John Carradine. It was written and directed by Ignacio Del Fuego.

## Plot

Richard "Dick the Blade" Portnoy, a seasoned veteran of the Knife Fights, goes to a local clinic to be treated for his wound. The doctor explains that a person's one-hundredth stab wound will always be fatal. Indeed, physicians in the City are not legally allowed to treat anyone who has suffered such a wound, because doing so would be a waste of time and resources.

The rest of the film involves Dick's quest to find some way to save his life as he slowly grows weaker and weaker from his wound. Finally, he encounters a homeless street preacher who lives in a alley behind a greasy spoon named Wide Tom's Bean House. He heals Dick's wound by pouring gasoline into it and setting it on fire. While excruciating, this process miraculously seals the wound, leaving a large and vivid scar. The last words spoken in the film are those of the preacher, who whispers "Praise z0rg" before falling to the ground. The film fades to the closing credits before we learn if the Preacher is dead or merely unconscious.

## Cast

B-Movie icon Robert Z'Dar was cast as Dick the Blade. His chin was also cast as Dick's girlfriend, Jennie Cleft, who was voiced by Fran Drescher.

John Carradine was cast as the Street Preacher. To help him prepare for his role, Del Fuego ordered him not to bathe or change his clothes for two weeks before filming began. Del Fuego also slapped him several times in the face with a 2-by-4 in order to "produce a state of heightened awareness necessary for the role."

## Filming

The director Del Fuego had to be hospitalized for second-degree burns on his buttocks. He came running out of his trailer on set, screaming in pain. A woman, who was later identified as a local escort named Desiree DeeLite, staggered out behind Del Fuego with severe burns on her face and arms. The inside of his trailer was a raging inferno by the time the crew had reached it. It was noted that he had eaten nothing but pork and beans mixed with raw jalapeno peppers for both breakfast and lunch that day.

Del Fuego was treated for second-degree burns on his buttocks and upper thighs. Filming was delayed for two weeks before he was able to resume work on the film. DeeLite took over a month to recover and required two skin grafts. While convalescing at the hospital, she would often mutter, "Lit the fart..... z0rg, z0rg..... Lit the fart.... z0rg burned us." This puzzled investigators, who believed she was referring to the Zork text-only adventures games published by Infocom. After she recovered, she refused to speak of what happened in that trailer and declined to explain her earlier remarks.

It is unknown if the final line of the movie was attributed to Ms. DeeLite, or vice-versa, or if it is two events related only in mystery and the arcane which Director Del Fuego is known for.

## Marketing

Del Fuego arranged for local stuntmen to be stabbed 99 times at theaters around the country. Fifteen stuntmen were hired for this publicity campaign. Ten of them died, two were maimed, and the other three took five to seven months to recover. Scantily-clad women were hired to count aloud the stabs being inflicted.