Greetings, fellow Space Cadets, we have another interview for you today. This one comes from Albert Pyun, the mind behind such films as The Sword and the Sorcerer, Cyborg, Nemesis and Road To Hell. For this interview, I chose to keep the questions somewhat brief, as well as avoiding the 10-question format. Mr. Pyun is going through some…rough times right now, so I didn’t want to cause any undue stress. That being said, I would like to thank Mr. Pyun for being willing to answer some questions. I will be leaving some links below after the interview for Albert Pyun’s official website as well as trailers for Road To Hell and his upcoming Interstellar Civil War. Let’s have a chat with Mr. Albert Pyun!
Q: My first question is about Cyborg. What was it like working with Jean-Claude Van Damme? Did he provide any insight into how his character would behave in certain situations?
A: well, jean-claude was quite young back then, not terribly experienced yet. i remember he listened to everything and absorbed everything. our dicussions were rather one sided except about the fights.
Q: What was your response to the overall reception of Cyborg?
A: i was in europe prepping captain america so i didn’t learn of reactions until I was online
Q: How difficult was it to transition from working on movies for big studios to working on films that you distribute yourself?
A: every film i did for studios was a deeply unhappy experience. yes, the films would get worldwide distribution but they weren’t my vision. so the heartbreak was overwhelming, films i distributed on my own had no interference and were my vision, good or bad – lol.
Q: Are there any independent film makers that have inspired you and what films would you recommend from them?
A: oh, there are many but its mostly the films that affected me. i respected any filmmaker who made films that reflected their vision without giving in to market or financial forces.
Q: You have worked with some of the biggest stars over the years. Who was your favorite one to work with and why?
A: Ive enjoyed them al. each brought a level of professionalism and artistic integrity to their work. i was always surprised at their level of commttment, even Seagal. really enjoyed them and tried to create an environment where they could do good work. recently i really enjoyed working for the cast of Interstellar civil war. new to me artists like ellie church, kelsey carlisle, fulvia santoni, ashley campbell, nick rush and jennie carroll, they inspired me.
Q: For Road to Hell, what was your inspiration for the film’s story?
A: i saw streets of fire in 1983 at a screening at universal. this was before it had been released. it blew my mind and burned into me soul. i more than loved it. it had the single greatest influence on my filmmaking. so i’d always wanted to dabble in this world. i got to know michael pare and soon, i came up with idea that became rth. good or bad, loved or hated, i made the film as a loving homage to walter hill.
While this was pretty brief, it was still informative. Again, I would like to extend my gratitude towards Mr. Pyun for taking the time to answer some questions. I know that Mr. Pyun and his family are going through some pretty tough times right now, so I would like my best wishes and my hope for the best in his situation. Mr. Pyun has an upcoming movie called Interstellar Civil War, so here is a poster and a trailer for the upcoming sci-fi flick as well as a trailer for Road To Hell:
I also want to give a quick shout out to an organization called Alzheimer’s Association. They are an organization dedicated to eliminating Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia through research. They also want to provide care and support to any and all who are affected. You can click here to find out more.
Greetings and salutations fellow Space Cadets! I have something special for you tonight. I was given the opportunity to view some recent films that starred the legendary Don “The Dragon” Wilson, which were very good. I was also given the opportunity to ask Mr. Wilson ten questions. He was gracious enough to provide some answers. Before I go on, I would like to thank Mr. Wilson for taking the time out of his very busy schedule to answer some of my questions. I would also like to extend my gratitude to David J. Moore, who allowed me to screen The Martial Arts Kid and Paying Mr. McGetty. Without Mr. Moore, none of this would have been possible. So thank you to both Mr. Wilson and Mr. Moore for giving me this opportunity.
As some of you may or may not know, Don “The Dragon” Wilson is an 11-time world champion kickboxer with an impressive record of 72 wins, 5 losses, 2 draws and 47 wins by knockout. That is a very impressive resumé. His filmography is just as impressive with Bloodfist being his first real lead role. So, with that in mind, let’s have a chat with Don “The Dragon” Wilson.
Q: Looking back at your professional kickboxing career, which is extremely impressive, what was your most memorable match and why?
A: I had so many “memorable” fights against other Champions that it is impossible to decide which one is the “most” anything. They all had elements of challenge and difficulty which made them stand out and uniquely satisfying. I think my fight with Branko Cikatic, because I fought with 2 broken hands and my bout with Dennis Alexio because I had the Flu, stand out as especially tough. Those 2 opponents became Champions of the K-1 and the ISKA World Heavyweight Champions respectively. Neither were “walks in the Park” if I were at 100% but being diminished in both fights, I had to call upon “internal” strengths which defy physical limitations. Or, as I sometimes say, “I got Lucky!”
Q: Has there been a competitor that you would have loved to have gone up against, but didn’t get the chance to?
A: There were many opponents I would have enjoyed fighting but never got the chance….Rob Kamen, Bob Thurman, Ernesto Hoost, Rick Roufus, and later, Cung Le are just a few names that come to mind. The different rules, weight divisions, etc. would have been part of the negotiations but, unfortunately, none of these bouts materialized during my 28 year career.
Q: There are few nicknames as awesome as “The Dragon.” How did you earn such a nickname?
A: In my first Pro fight in 1974, the ring announcer came in the locker room to get everyone’s “Nick Name or Ring Name”. I spent 10 seconds thinking about it and since I studied the Dragon Style of Kung Fu, said, “Don the Dragon Wilson”. That was in 1974 and it’s followed me ever since that time. I tell people, “Be careful what you say because it could be with you until you die!”
Q: When you started doing movies, you were still actively competing. How difficult was it to keep your fighting career and your movie career separate?
A: It was VERY difficult to be Professional Athlete competing at the 12 round or Championship Level and maintain and successfully Star in up to 5 Martial Arts Action Films in 13 months. I made so much more money acting that I began to look at my “fight career” as a hobby. I knew then, it was time to retire for the 3rd time and hang up the gloves and kicks forever.
Q: The movie that really put you on the map was Bloodfist. How many opportunities did you start getting for action movies after that film? How many did you end up turning down?
A: At one point in my career after Bloodfist, I had a dozen producers send me scripts to consider and I was already committed to do 6 films in advance with Pay/Play guarantees. Which means, I get paid even if they don’t make the movie! I was riding the “Video Monster” and it had to be fed with 90 minutes of action every week from all the 80’s-90’s Action Stars. I did my best to feed the monster and with 4 HBO World Premieres, had my picture in TIME Magazine for being one of the top 4 Direct to Video Stars in the World. At one point, I had 5 films successfully released in 13 months. I have made millions of dollars as an actor but probably turned down at least that amount in projects I “Passed On”. I have many regrets…although I did make a few correct decisions in the “Biz” over the last 35 years.
Q: You’ve gone up against some pretty big names in martial arts movies like Richard Norton, Cynthia Rothrock, and Billy Blanks. Was there somebody that you would’ve loved to work with but didn’t get the opportunity?
A: I have ALWAYS wanted to work with Chuck Norris in a MA Action film and believe with the right script we could make a tremendous “Billy Jack” meets “Enter the Dragon” Classic! It’s a dream, but many important successes in my life have started as “dreams”.
Q: How did you end up in Batman Forever as a gang leader? That was a pretty wild scene, by the way.
A: Joel Schumaker called my agent Ray Cavaleri to set up a meeting about me appearing in “Batman Forever”. 2 friends of mine, Russ Fokes and Tim Baker also worked as contacts with Mali Finn and Joel to help find a place for the Dragon in “Batman Forever”. At first Joel considered that I would be a henchman for Tommy Lee Jones but I had too many contractual commitments to work 3 months on the film. So, we decided I would do a 1 scene “Cameo” with Chris O Donnell (Robin) and that turned out to be the “Neon Gang Fight”. It was fun to appear in the highest grossing film of the year and my son Jonathan loved going to the Premiere and sitting FRONT ROW! When my scene started, he screamed, “That’s my Dad!”
Q: The Martial Arts Kid was a pretty good film with a good message about martial arts. You also co-produced the film. What was it like working side-by-side with Cynthia Rothrock, both in front of and behind the camera?
A: Cynthia and I have been close friends since the mid 80’s. We lived on the same street in Beverly Hills when I first moved to LA and, later, she lived up the street from my home in Woodland Hills, we both got our Black Belts in the same style of Kung Fu, Pai Lum , and we have had the same agent throughout our careers. What are the Odds of these complete coincidences? We’ve discussed these strange similarities and realize that there are many reasons we are very comfortable working together on movie sets. As far as, behind the camera, we have been friends for over 30 years.
Q: For Paying Mr. McGetty, which was a pretty funny film, a good chunk of the humor came from you. How much of that was improvised?
A: Well, I do not recall saying or doing anything which I would find funny or comedy. My character Shota is a “Hit Man” and I did not portray him as going out of his way to “make a joke”. If it was funny, it was the Director Michael Baumgarten as the writer, Director and working with the Editor making my character “amusing”. I did think his line, I think it goes, “20 seconds, a lot longer than I thought it would take” in reference to the “all night ass kicking” was meant to be funny though. If audiences enjoy this film and my performance I may continue to seek work as an actor and not just the “good guy” or “lead” in a film. It was fun and I enjoyed the experience. But, it’s up to the audiences….if they like seeing a different “Dragon” once in a while, I will have more opportunities to continue as an “actor” and not just MA Action Actor.
Q: What was it like playing a character that started off as a villain, but kind of changed over the course of the film? Would you actually consider playing a full-on bad guy at some point?
A: I would love to play a really EVIL bad guy and, as I said earlier, if audiences will support my performances, then directors will continue to offer me different types of roles-characters to play. So, it’s not ultimately up to me. My Fans and the audiences control what actors are offered. I’d love to do many different types of roles and hope they continue to support me as an actor like they have as an Action Star. Best Wishes and Thanks for this honor to speak to your audience.
As you can see, Mr. Wilson has a great deal of experience and knowledge that you generally don’t see out of most action stars during the late 80’s and early 90’s. Once again, I would like to thank Don “The Dragon” Wilson for taking the time to talk with us and share a little bit of his careers in both sports and film making. Mr. Wilson has a new movie coming out in September that I believe everyone should go see. Paying Mr. McGetty hits the big screen on September 15, 2017, according to IMDB. I have reviewed the film in question and you can check out my review by clicking the Reviews tab at the top of the page. Meanwhile, here’s a trailer and a poster to get you excited:
Cast:
Bruce Payne: The Warlock
Ashley Laurence: Kris
Paul Francis: Michael
Jan Shweiterman: Jerry
Angel Boris Reed: Lisa
Rick Hearst: Scott
Boti Bliss: Robin
In 1990, there was a nifty little flick called Warlock that was released to theaters. It featured Julian Sands in his most recognizable role as an evil warlock dead-set on destroying the world. It wasn’t the most creative plot device, but the way it was executed was very interesting and very well done. It also featured an awesome performance by Richard E. Grant as a 17th century thrown into the modern world. As you could imagine, things get a little crazy. But it worked. The film flopped at the box office, but it gained enough of a cult following to warrant a sequel: Warlock: The Armageddon, which would feature Julian Sands as the Warlock again. While I wouldn’t say that The Armageddon was as refined as the original film, it definitely had a meaner streak and a far more violent vibe. So, imagine my surprise when I walked into my local Blockbuster(when they were still in business) and I saw Warlock III: The End of Innocence in the horror section. There was no YouTube or any form of social media when this movie came out in 1999, so nobody knew about it. There were no trailers released to the film at least on the theatrical level, mostly because it went straight to video. Yup, it’s one of those.
The film opens at some point in the 17th century as some apparently random woman is dragging her young daughter along to find….stuff. Out of nowhere comes a mysterious man in black who is not Julian Sands that kidnaps the girl and rides off. Cut forward a few centuries and we see a young woman, Kris, as she heads to her apartment after going to classes for the day. After spending the night with her boyfriend, Mike, she gets a phone call in the morning. Apparently, she’s inherited a house that’s been in her family for generations. She’s given the opportunity to go the house and clear out anything family-related before it gets torn down. Taking her friends with her, she also hires a historian to talk to her about the house. At the same time, a mysterious man-in-black-who-is-not-Julian-Sands shows up. What follows is quite possibly one of the most ho-hum horror movies I’ve ever seen. The Warlock movies have always been low-budget movies. It’s been evident since the original film. But they couldn’t even muster up enough money to come up with something more compelling than this. There’s a reason why Julian Sands didn’t come back for this film. The script wasn’t up to his particular standard. It’s very clear from the opening scene that this Warlock simply wasn’t going to come anywhere near the first two.
Since Julian Sands refused to take part in Warlock III, they brought in Bruce Payne. That’s not actually a bad choice for the role….if it was the same character that Julian Sands played, which it’s not. This is a very different Warlock that actually has a name: Philip Covington. Mr. Payne’s performance is actually not that bad. He doesn’t go completely over-the-top until the end of the film. His character is far more manipulative and conniving than the previous films. He’s clearly a supernatural bad-ass, but we’re never given the full extent of his power, unlike the last two movies, where the Warlock just let loose. Ashley Laurence, who played Kirstie in Hellraiser, plays Kris. She does the best she can with what she’s given, but it’s not really a whole lot. Everyone else does an okay job, but there’s nothing Oscar-worthy here, even though you really shouldn’t be expecting that in a Warlock movie. Most of the victims in the movie are your typical slasher-movie fodder. It also plays out very much like a slasher film. The previous movies were essentially supernatural road movies, because the Warlock had to travel to get the things he needed for world domination/destruction. Here, everybody’s trapped in a house just waiting to be picked off one by one.
Surprisingly, the effects in Warlock III are pretty decent. The gore effects and make-up work are done practically, and it’s fairly impressive with what they’ve accomplished. When Covington rips the throat out of the historian, it’s grisly and detailed. It’s pretty cool. Mike’s decaying is pretty gruesome as well. We see him go through various stages of decay. The CGI that was used in the film was thankfully kept to a fair minimum, but it was used. The problem here is that the violence of this film isn’t up to the level of the previous two, and a lot of people are going to be disappointed. I get that it’s a low-budget direct-to-video film, but I think they could have done a lot more here.
While I can’t flat out say that I hate this movie, because I don’t, it fails to provide the thrills and chills of the previous films. Everyone involved here does the best they can with what they have, but the script needed quite a few more re-writes. The things that save this film from complete obscurity are Bruce Payne, Ashley Laurence, and the effects…well, most of them anyway. However, Julian Sands was right in not coming back for this film. It’s easily the worst entry in the series. Is it the worst direct-to-video movie I’ve ever seen? Not even close. It has enough saving graces to warrant at least a viewing on a rainy night. I can definitely think of worse ways to spend 90 minutes. But I can also think of better ways to spend 90 minutes.
Final Recommendation: If you learn that you have inherited a run-down ancient house, stay away, there may be a Warlock lurking about. 6.5/10
Cast:
Scott Adkins: Boyka
Teodora Duhovnikova: Alma
Alon Aboutboul: Zourab
Julian Vergov: Slava
Brahim Achabbakhe: Igor Kazmir
Emilien de Falco: Viktor
It is a very rare thing to see sequels completely overshadow the original film. In fact, most of the time it doesn’t happen. There have been franchises that have accomplished that. Ip Man 3 blew the first two movies out of the water. The Road Warrior ran circles around the original Mad Max and The Fast and The Furious sequels left the original film in the dust. Is that always a good thing? Depends on the movie. When it comes to Undisputed, my first exposure to that franchise was Undisputed II: Last Man Standing with Scott Adkins and Michael Jai White. When Undisputed III came out, I was really excited. I’ve never seen the original film, oddly enough. I was never interested in a prison boxing movie. So, here we are 15 years later with the third sequel in the Undisputed franchise: Boyka: Undisputed 4.
As the film opens, we see famed ex-prison fighter Yuri Boyka enter the ring against a man named Viktor. Blow for blow, the two fighters go at it until Boyka gets the upper hand and knocks Viktor out. As Boyka leaves the ring victorious, medics rush Viktor to the hospital. After being informed by his manager that Viktor had passed, Boyka discovers that Viktor left behind a wife, Alma. Taking the prize money and photo that he finds of Viktor and his wife, Boyka heads to Russia to find Alma. As soon as he finds her, she’s whisked away by a Russian mobster by the name of Zourab. It seems she owes him a lot of money and is working to pay off the debt. Most people generally don’t go see an Undisputed film for the story, just the fights. However, the story in Undisputed 4 is a personal one for the character of Boyka. It’s not bad at all. In fact, I found myself pretty engaged and actually giving a shit about what happens to these characters.
Over the course of three films, we see Boyka transform from this seemingly egotistical angry Russian to a character on a quest for redemption. He was definitely the bad guy in Undisputed II, make no mistake about it. His character got what was coming to him. In the third film, he’s kind of broken because he lost to a boxer and ended up with a shattered knee. Undisputed III was a chance for Boyka to become a fighter again and rediscover that part of him that was really violent. Undisputed 4, has him seeing the consequences of that violence and has him trying to atone for that violence. Boyka is easily Scott Adkins’ most memorable role. I haven’t seen anybody play an angry Russian the way Adkins does. Scott Adkins, while not the most refined actor, has a physical presence that can rival that of a lot of 80’s action heroes. Adkins is easily the best part of these movies, but I like it when he confronts Alma and tries to tell her the truth about her husband’s death. It’s a surprisingly powerful moment for both characters and actors. The villain, Zourab, is played by Alon Aboutboul, and makes for a terrifically slimy villain. Aside from those three main actors, everyone else is kind of….there.
In terms of action, I would personally say that Undisputed III is the better film in terms of choreography and intensity, I can honestly say that Boyka is no slouch in that department either. Thanks to some very solid fight choreography by Tim Man, who also makes an appearance, the fights in Boyka are brutal and spectacular. Watching Scott Adkins do his thing in the ring is nothing short of amazing. All the acrobatic stuff that you saw in the previous two films is intact here. I also have to give credit to Brahim Achabbakhe for being able to go toe-to-toe with Adkins in terms of physicality. If anything, Undisputed 4 manages to infuse those fights with the story, which gives them a much larger impact, especially on Yuri Boyka. The action in the film is shot well with big wide shots so you can see what’s going on. There’s also no shaky-cam going on, thankfully. The shaky-cam during fights in most movies, is done to hide poor choreography, from my perspective at least. Action-wise, everything that you would want in an Undisputed film is here. It’s definitely worth checking out for the fights alone.
Overall, I would have to say Boyka: Undisputed 4 is a worthy addition to any fan of the franchise and fight movies in general. It’s action-packed, hard-hitting, and has a surprisingly emotional weight to the film. The three lead actors are absolutely fantastic in their roles and just seeing the character of Boyka go to town everyone in the ring is a sight to behold. I love it. Before I wrap this review up, I would like to address an issue that I’ve come across on Scott Adkins’ Facebook page: Piracy. I came across an exchange Scott had with one of his fans about the actual damage piracy can do to a film. When it comes to the larger, multi-million dollar movies, one or two copies being pirated isn’t going to make much of a dent, but it does add up quickly. For smaller and more independent productions like Boyka, piracy can be very destructive. All the money that’s made from each copy sold goes back not just to the distributor, but also to the actors and the people that work to create these films. To say that piracy doesn’t have an actual effect, shows a complete ignorance and lack of understanding when it comes to the economics of making a movie. I have to side with Scott Adkins on this issue: Piracy is bad for everybody involved. If Boyka gets pirated more than it sells legitimately, any chance of making another film is going to be diminished, no matter how popular the film is. So, film makers can’t make the movies they want, and fans aren’t going to be able to see them. There is a relationship between the two. Honestly, just go out and buy it. If you can’t afford to buy it, rent it. Do it legally. Support the indie film industry and support the people like Scott Adkins who love making movies this way. If you do that, you’ll be seeing more.
Now that I’m off my soapbox about piracy, I can easily give Boyka: Undisputed 4 my highest recommendation as an action film. While I don’t think it is as good as number 3, it more than stands on its own. With surprisingly good performances by Scott Adkins, Teodora Duhovnikova, and Alon Aboutboul, this is a very solid film. I would love to see another, but if there isn’t another, I could think of worse ways to end a franchise. Definitely check this one out.
Final Recommendation: Don’t piss off an already angry Russian. He might beat you to death. 8.5/10
Q: My first question is about Cyborg. What was it like working with Jean-Claude Van Damme? Did he provide any insight into how his character would behave in certain situations?
Q: Looking back at your professional kickboxing career, which is extremely impressive, what was your most memorable match and why?
