‘Escuadrón’ is an ambitious Spanish-Mexican co-production whose budget amounted more than 265 million pesetas. It was filmed in autumn 1986, with exterior shots filmed in Barcelona, Vilanova, Castelldefels, Arenys de Munt and Ibiza. In the film there appear pictures of Es Codolar, Santa Eulària des Riu, Hacienda Na Xamena Hotel in Sant Miquel, Es Caló d’en Real in Sant Josep and the Marina district in Vila and other Ibiza locations.
The film is influenced by the successful action movie ‘The Delta Force’ (1986), starring Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin. ‘Escuadrón’ began the shooting with the temporary title ‘The Hurricane Force’ and in the United States was finally distributed under the title ‘Counterforce’.
Spanish director José Antonio de la Loma is responsible for films known as ‘Stray dogs’ (1977) and ‘I,’ The heifer ” (1985). De la Loma, who had been in charge of the inauguration of the “II Encuentros Cinematogràficos” in Ibiza in 1985. He stated to the newspaper La Vanguardia regafrding ‘Squadron’: “Cinema is evasion, and my film, besides being suitable, can be seen by both a communist or a fascist. People have told me I’m doing a three million dollar comic strip. Yes, I’m making a comic strip for adults and youth, why not?”
‘Escuadrón’ has an international cast with Kabir Bedi (the popular Sandokan from the seventies television series), Louis Jourdan, George Kennedy, who won an Oscar for ‘Cool Hand Luke’ (1967) and funk musician Isaak Hayes, also holder of the same golden statuette for the soundtrack he composed for the action movie ‘Shaft’ (1971).
Commentary written by Enrique Villalonga, head of production companu Filmótica.
La Vanguardia. By Félix Flores. November 21, 1986.
