# The Birth of Seagal Cinema | ABOVE THE LAW (1988) - The Seagal Series Pt.1

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/sunset-video-rentals-7080755/the-birth-of-seagal-cinema-above-the-law-1988-the-seagal-series-pt-1.md
Podcast: [Sunset Video Rentals](https://stenobird.com/podcast/sunset-video-rentals-7080755)
Published: 2025-12-15T16:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://rss.com/podcasts/movies-never-say-die/2354852
Audio file: https://content.rss.com/episodes/298629/2354852/movies-never-say-die/2025_11_29_00_12_27_87e9f3a7-58e0-442b-be40-e9d70deb1e97.mp3
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Duration seconds: 652

## Resource

Steven Seagal didn’t just stroll into action movies… he crashed through a window with Above the Law (1988). In this first episode of The Seagal Series, we dig into how this scrappy Chicago cop thriller became the birth of “Seagal cinema” – from the real-life myths baked into Nico Toscani, to the bone-crunching aikido, to its life as a legit VHS rental staple.

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## Transcript

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