{Editor's Note: This is a semi-regular series of high-water mark performances that spans movies, television, books, music and life its ownself.}
It's easy to dismiss Steven Seagal these days as a paunchy pugilist who releases another straight-to-video movie with increasingly unbelievable editing each week, but back in the 90s, Seagal and his ponytail kicked some serious ass. 
And no movie put his particular brand of authoritative aloofness and bone-busting ability on better display than "Marked For Death," which found Seagal battling drug-dealing, voodoo-practicing Jamaicans. This film was preceded by the excellent "Hard to Kill" and occurred before his fame reached its zenith with "Under Siege." 
For my money, however, "Marked For Death" was the high-water mark for Seagal as the fight scenes were numerous and featured several busted arms, a few clotheslines and even a brutal eye-gouging that didn't stop until there were empty sockets staring at nothing in particular.
There was also plenty of weaponry on display that was used on bad guys and huge slabs of meat, but in a smart move, the filmmakers had the final showdown come down to Segal casually wielding a large sword against his nemesis, Screwface.
The movie even featured Seagal doing a bizarre shimmy to Reggae music inside a Jamaican dance-club, a scene that showcased the pure animal magnetism that he boasted in those days as Seagal looks woefully out of place, yet still managed to seduce and threaten a good-looking woman for information. 
That's the Seagal I grew to love in those days. 
He was afraid of nobody and didn't care if he was up against one Jamaican or a posse of them wielding carpentry materials. He was a man of few words, the majority of which were barely audible and he still found time to have a beer with old friends (Keith David in this movie) when he wasn't charming the ladies with his ferocious pony-tail. 
These traits were on full display in "Marked For Death," a movie that is a must-see for those whose lives feel incomplete without taking a good look at Seagal during his salad days of yesteryear.
-BDS
Oh, I weep to think of what he's become...hang your ponytail in shame Mr. Seagal.
I LOVE Steven Seagal movies, mostly because he's so much fun to mock. Did you see "On Deadly Ground"? The best part is at the end of the film, when he gives an interminable lecture about saving the environment. I wonder how many people in the audience wanted to hang themselves during it.
I was actually watching Hard to Kill this morning. My favorite line:
Kelly Labrock: You've just come out of a 7 year coma. Do you remember anything?
Steven Seagal: I... I remember everything.
Jlee - Ha. Hang it down low indeed as Seagal has fallen & will never get up.
Wendy - The ability to mock keeps increasing as his career progresses and I did see On Deadly Ground and even sat through the bizarre speech. Unintentionally hilarious.
Idig - Hard to Kill was excellent, and that's a good line. I also like, "I'm going to take you to the bank - the blood bank." Solid gold.
Segal was coked-up in every scene he shot. But he had the dramatic discipline to convey his drug-use as an artistic dedication.
I heard he once put a bestboy's nose cartilage into his brain for putting sugar (not natural sweetner) into his frappacino.
I love those movies! I liked the one where he was on a train with "his" daughter. He rocks but has managed to get a tad pudgy these days but then again, maybe he can afford it now? : )
lol hootch.
seagal always looks like he has a headache.. you know.. with that serious brow action..
i'll be sure to look for his movies when i go pirated dvd shoppin this comin weekend.
ja717 - I had heard about the coke situation, but that other story is pure craziness, yet I can believe it. Thanks.
Symplyamused - Ahh, you're referring to Under Siege 2: Dark Territory. This was pretty good, although I'll take the first one with Tommy Lee Jones at the bad guy.
Lastlife - Go with Hard to Kill or Marked for Death (you should be able to pick up both for about $2 I imagine) and you're right about the brow furrowing as he always looks deep in thought or mildly constipated.
Took your recommendation and watched this ... my first Segal movie. Is it OK that I laughed at the bad guys' collective demises? Breaking the last guy's back over his knee was classic! Crazy film, thanks!
Linda - I'm so glad you took this in as your first Seagal movie, and I had almost forgotten about the back-breaking. Seagal chalked up some true carnage in this movie, but I"m sure you also saw the magnetism. Ha.