Albert Pyun was a beloved B-movie filmmaker who brought audiences a total of 52 films as a director and who recently passed away leaving two upcoming films seemingly unfinished. Looking at his career, the man knew how to create interesting and entertaining films to say the least. His first release was the 1982 film The Sword and the Sorcerer and his newest was the 2018 film Death Heads: Brain Dead. The man seemed unstoppable, and he will be very missed. To celebrate the man and his work, here are 5 of our favorite films from the Pyuniverse.
The Sword and The Sorcerer (1982)
Pyun’s first film as a director, which he co-wrote with Tom Karnowski and John V. Stuckmeyer, The Sword and the Sorcerer is a medieval-esque epic film with magic, sword, babes, and a whole lot more. There’s a ton on here and the film goes in a few different directions, not...
The Sword and The Sorcerer (1982)
Pyun’s first film as a director, which he co-wrote with Tom Karnowski and John V. Stuckmeyer, The Sword and the Sorcerer is a medieval-esque epic film with magic, sword, babes, and a whole lot more. There’s a ton on here and the film goes in a few different directions, not...
- 12/4/2022
- by Emilie Black
- JoBlo.com
Some years ago, when Wong Chun suggested this movie as one of his favorites, I could not imagine how relevant it would still be today, almost 30 years later, while it also reminded me of the pleasure pointy, sociopolitical satire can offer. Cheung uses cage homes as the base of the story, a type of residence only large enough for one bunk bed surrounded by a metal cage, usually inhabited by those who did not qualify for social welfare, or subsidised rent or electricity, in order to make his comments, in an effort that resulted in awards for Best Film, Director, Screenplay and Supporting Actor by the 12th Hong Kong Film Awards.
The story explores the lives of the tenants of the Wah Ha cage-house, before and after the property owner announces he will take the building back and demolish it. The main characters are Fatso, the man in charge of...
The story explores the lives of the tenants of the Wah Ha cage-house, before and after the property owner announces he will take the building back and demolish it. The main characters are Fatso, the man in charge of...
- 5/8/2021
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Legendary Actor and Film-Maker Sammo Hung is back with a bang, teaming up with Kickboxer Actor Dennis Chan to form a new film company “Sammo Hung films“. This is very exciting news with many Projects already being planned such as To Catch a Killer, Back to School, Operation: Ground Zero, Silk Road, I-Ching Warriors, The Detrimental Protectors and the big one The Return of Lucky Stars.
Excited?
The Return of Lucky Stars will bring together the old “Lucky Stars Gang”, reuniting Sammo Hung with Richard Ng, Eric Tsang and John Sham. I’m a very big fan of the Lucky Star Movies from the hard hitting Wheels On Meals to the Hilarious Winners And Sinners, i am sure The Return of Lucky Stars will be another hit for the gang. I am more confident now, we could get the Three Dragons back together for one last time, Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao.
Excited?
The Return of Lucky Stars will bring together the old “Lucky Stars Gang”, reuniting Sammo Hung with Richard Ng, Eric Tsang and John Sham. I’m a very big fan of the Lucky Star Movies from the hard hitting Wheels On Meals to the Hilarious Winners And Sinners, i am sure The Return of Lucky Stars will be another hit for the gang. I am more confident now, we could get the Three Dragons back together for one last time, Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao.
- 3/13/2017
- by kingofkungfu
- AsianMoviePulse
Guess who's back? Jean-Claude Van Damme is returning to the Kickboxer franchise. While the original 1989 film stands alongside Bloodsport as one of the actor's great 80s martial arts flicks, that film's sequels (without him) were basic straight-to-video fare. Now there's a remake in the works and the producers have cast Jcvd in it in order to stir up interest.
Van Damme will play the mentor role to the film's protagonist Kurt Sloan, who will be played by Alain Moussi. The role was recently in the hands of Thai superstar Tony Jaa, but when Jaa dropped out, Jcvd got the call and is now in final talks to join the remake.
Alain Moussi
One of the film's producers, Ted Field, gushed about the casting. "We are so excited to have Kickboxer roll into production and to have Jcvd in the role of Master Chow, passing the torch to Alain, to...
Van Damme will play the mentor role to the film's protagonist Kurt Sloan, who will be played by Alain Moussi. The role was recently in the hands of Thai superstar Tony Jaa, but when Jaa dropped out, Jcvd got the call and is now in final talks to join the remake.
Alain Moussi
One of the film's producers, Ted Field, gushed about the casting. "We are so excited to have Kickboxer roll into production and to have Jcvd in the role of Master Chow, passing the torch to Alain, to...
- 12/2/2014
- by Mario-Francisco Robles
- LRMonline.com
Earlier this year, fans of the Kickboxer franchise were greeted with the news that Thai action star, Tony Jaa (Ong Bak) had signed on to appear in the sort-of anticipated remake. As exciting as the announcement was, alas a dreaded scheduling conflict arose and he has now dropped out of the project. But don’t worry – the original Kickboxer, Jean-Claude Van Damme, has boarded the movie as his replacement!
Directed by John Stockwell, the retooled version will follow Alain Moussi (X-Men: Days of Future Past)’s leading man Kurt Sloan – “a talented martial artist who travels to Thailand where he must learn the secrets of the kickboxer to avenge his brother’s death at the hands of Tong Po.” Moussi will be facing up against WWE-star Dave Bautista (Guardians Of The Galaxy) as his deadly adversary, Po.
In the eighties pic, Van Damme tackled the role of Sloan in one...
Directed by John Stockwell, the retooled version will follow Alain Moussi (X-Men: Days of Future Past)’s leading man Kurt Sloan – “a talented martial artist who travels to Thailand where he must learn the secrets of the kickboxer to avenge his brother’s death at the hands of Tong Po.” Moussi will be facing up against WWE-star Dave Bautista (Guardians Of The Galaxy) as his deadly adversary, Po.
In the eighties pic, Van Damme tackled the role of Sloan in one...
- 12/1/2014
- by Gem Seddon
- We Got This Covered
Though action star Tony Jaa (of Ong Bak, The Protector and the upcoming Fast & Furious 7) was previously slated to star in the remake of Kickboxer from Honk Kong filmmaker Stephen Fung. However, scheduling conflicts will keep Jaa from being in the film, but fans of the original film should be pleased with his replacement. The original film's star Jean-Claude Van Damme has stepped up to take the master role in the film who mentors Kurt Sloan (Alain Moussi), a talented martial artist who travels to Thailand where he must learn the secrets of the kickboxer to avenge his brother's death at the hands of Tong Po. Read on! That might make this more of a reboot than a remake now that Van Damme is involved, but THR says he'll be playing a new version of Master Chow (played by Dennis Chan in the original 1989 movie), so maybe these films...
- 12/1/2014
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
Wushu
Stars: Sammo Hung, Wei Dong, Wu Dazhou, Lie Xin, Shi Yao, Liang Zhicheng, Zhang Jin, Tei Nan | Written by Dennis Chan & Ho Leung Lau | Directed by Antony Szeto
“Raised by their grandmother since their mother’s death, nine-year-old Li Yi (Wei Dong) and his younger brother Li Er (Wu Dazhou) are about to start a new life with their father, Li Hui (Sammo Hung), a teacher at an elite Chinese martial arts school which they are to attend. Their mischief-filled first day introduces them to fellow pupils Fong Fong (Lie Xin), Xiao Zhang (Shi Yao) and Yang Yauwu (Liang Zhicheng) and a life-long allegiance between the five friends is soon formed.
Ten years later, in their final year of college, Li Yi, Fong Fong and Yang have become the school’s top Wushu students, while Li Er and Xiao Zhang are the top two Sanda fighters, all working hard...
Stars: Sammo Hung, Wei Dong, Wu Dazhou, Lie Xin, Shi Yao, Liang Zhicheng, Zhang Jin, Tei Nan | Written by Dennis Chan & Ho Leung Lau | Directed by Antony Szeto
“Raised by their grandmother since their mother’s death, nine-year-old Li Yi (Wei Dong) and his younger brother Li Er (Wu Dazhou) are about to start a new life with their father, Li Hui (Sammo Hung), a teacher at an elite Chinese martial arts school which they are to attend. Their mischief-filled first day introduces them to fellow pupils Fong Fong (Lie Xin), Xiao Zhang (Shi Yao) and Yang Yauwu (Liang Zhicheng) and a life-long allegiance between the five friends is soon formed.
Ten years later, in their final year of college, Li Yi, Fong Fong and Yang have become the school’s top Wushu students, while Li Er and Xiao Zhang are the top two Sanda fighters, all working hard...
- 4/1/2011
- by Baron Fornightly
- Nerdly
At the same time that the Hong Kong Film Festival is held (currently in full swing), Filmart (21 - 24 April) unveiled several titles that caught our eye and that we look forward to in the near future. Among the noteworthy items promoted at the event, the lineup at Emperor Motion Pictures includes four major films, "The Great Magician", "The Last Supper", "The Viral Factor" and "Diva". "The Great Magician" is now currently in production, starring Tony Leung and directed by Derek Yee, centering on a story of a magician who saves his country with his tricks and illusions. "The Last Supper" will be directed by Lu Chuan, who won the best director award of Asian Film Awards last year. He would pair up heavyweights stars Liu Ye, Chang Chen and Daniel Wu on this new historical drama. "The Viral Factor" will mark another collaboration between director Dante Lam and actor Nicholas Tse,...
- 3/26/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
Chicago – The DVD Round-Up is back with a collection of foreign films, indie flicks, a documentary, and a Kathy Griffin stand-up special. The key word for 2010 is diversity and there’s no DVD column more embracing of the variety of titles at your local store than the Round-Up.
“Kathy Griffin: She’ll Cut a Bitch” and “You, The Living” were released on January 12th, 2010.
“Chevolution” was released on January 19th, 2010.
“B-Girl,” “Fireball,” “Import Export,” and “Wushu” were released on January 26th, 2010.
“Kathy Griffin: She’ll Cut a Bitch”
Photo credit: Shout Factory
Synopsis: “The Emmy-Nominated special comes to DVD! Two-time Emmy Award-winning and self-proclaimed “D-Lister” Kathy Griffin’s latest comedy special takes you backstage in Hollywood — from the Emmys to the Grammys and even to Cher’s Malibu mansion! Appearing before a sold-out crowd at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, Oregon, Griffin is in top form...
“Kathy Griffin: She’ll Cut a Bitch” and “You, The Living” were released on January 12th, 2010.
“Chevolution” was released on January 19th, 2010.
“B-Girl,” “Fireball,” “Import Export,” and “Wushu” were released on January 26th, 2010.
“Kathy Griffin: She’ll Cut a Bitch”
Photo credit: Shout Factory
Synopsis: “The Emmy-Nominated special comes to DVD! Two-time Emmy Award-winning and self-proclaimed “D-Lister” Kathy Griffin’s latest comedy special takes you backstage in Hollywood — from the Emmys to the Grammys and even to Cher’s Malibu mansion! Appearing before a sold-out crowd at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, Oregon, Griffin is in top form...
- 2/1/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Seventh Moon is the latest picture from one of the names behind the Blair Witch Project. It uses the same .shaky-cam. footage that the other film was known for, but offer also offers some chilling scenes of its own. Melissa (Amy Smart) and Yul (Tim Chiou) are newlyweds that are touring Yul.s homeland of China before going off to meet his relatives. They.re being driven around by tour guide Ping (Dennis Chan). The happy couple has just attended a religious festival and is driven into the night by Ping. They.ve had a little too much to drink so both doze off in the back of the car. The car stops and Melissa awakens to see Ping going towards...
- 10/13/2009
- by Jeff Swindoll
- Monsters and Critics
Seventh Moon is one of the new Ghost House Underground films and is a mix of zombie horror and Chinese mythology that has its moments but is ultimately unsatisfying. Melissa (Amy Smart) and Yul (Tim Chiou) are a newlywed couple spending their honeymoon in China . After experiencing the local flavor of the Festival of the Seventh Moon, they make a long trek to stay at Yul’s grandmother’s home, deep in the countryside. When their driver Ping (Dennis Chan) gets lost, he stops to ask for directions at a small village…and never returns.
When the couple goes to search for Ping , they find the village completely shuttered and seemingly devoid of human life until an eerie chanting fills the night air. They flee only to encounter a group of pale-skinned and naked creatures, human but animalistic. They find themselves cast as the sacrifices of the Seventh Moon, which...
When the couple goes to search for Ping , they find the village completely shuttered and seemingly devoid of human life until an eerie chanting fills the night air. They flee only to encounter a group of pale-skinned and naked creatures, human but animalistic. They find themselves cast as the sacrifices of the Seventh Moon, which...
- 10/13/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Tim Janson)
- Fangoria
Chicago – It’s always nice to see world-famous filmmakers raising awareness about work from their lesser known peers. Where would Eli Roth be without Quentin Tarantino, or Neill Blomkamp be without Peter Jackson, or Danny McBride and Jody Hill be without the better half of Hollywood’s comedy titans? That’s why it’s nice to see “Evil Dead” creators Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert “hand pick” the indie horror films they admire, and then assist in their distribution.
Overall Blu-Ray Rating: 2.5/5.0
Raimi and Tapert’s “Ghost House Underground” series began last year with a collection of eight features that included the exuberant zombie satire “Dance of the Dead.” This year’s collection has shrunk to four features, none of which are as fun or memorable as last year’s “Dance.” Only one film manages to satisfy, while the other three vary in their degrees of mediocrity and failure. Let...
Overall Blu-Ray Rating: 2.5/5.0
Raimi and Tapert’s “Ghost House Underground” series began last year with a collection of eight features that included the exuberant zombie satire “Dance of the Dead.” This year’s collection has shrunk to four features, none of which are as fun or memorable as last year’s “Dance.” Only one film manages to satisfy, while the other three vary in their degrees of mediocrity and failure. Let...
- 10/13/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Even the cultivated sportsmen who fill the end zones at Raiders games might find this bloody, sadistic display of mayhem beneath their entertainment standards. Look for a decisive second-weekend knockout at the boxoffice, following a feeble Round 1 in the ring for this Trimark release.
In this crude combination of story cliches, from ''The Karate Kid'' way on down, ''Kickboxer 2'' centers on an idealistic, young kickboxer (Sasha Mitchell) who dedicates his life to teaching street kids the rudiments of the kickboxing art. Although his inner-city gym is going down the tubes financially, David resists repeated offers -- the kind you can't refuse -- from Justin Maciah, a sleazy promoter (Peter Boyle), to re-enter the ring.
David's just the clean-cut type the Don King-ish promoter wants to bring class to the scummy world of kickboxing. But David, in addition to his shoulder tattoos, carries psychological scars -- his two brothers (both better fighters than he) were killed following a big victory in Thailand. And it's this mental scar that Maciah picks -- suckering the lad into a no-holds-barred fight with the fearsome Thai, Tong Po, whose managers murdered David's brothers.
While the overall plot is serviceable by generic standards, ''Kickboxer 2'' is all low blows and telegraphed moves in terms of execution: leaden dialogue, atonal transitions, melodramatic missteps, flat humor -- all are lethal, asethetic takedowns.
Even the fighting sequences are surprisingly unspectacular in comparison with its competitors in the genre: director Albert Pyun shoots much of the kickboxing in closeup, perhaps attempting to cover up the lack of real fighting skills on display here. Tight shots of blood spewing from cracked jaws and thunderous grunts are about all this one has to offer for the gym rats who may pay admission to see dazzling martial arts techniques.
Among the film's many stereotypical contrivances, the Pat Morita-ish Oriental character (Dennis Chan) who counsels young David is, perhaps, the most ridiculous concoction in David S. Goyer's fat-fisted screenplay. Throughout, the aged sage delivers non-stop philosophical, animal allegories; all of them -- ''To catch a tiger you must bait the trap, '' fox example -- seem culled from reject fortune cookies.
Technical credits are highlighted by Nicholas T. Preovolos' appropriately squalid production design, conveying the sordid milieu of this slimy subworld.
KICKBOXER 2
Trimark Pictures
A Kings Road Entertainment Production
An Albert Pyun Film
Producer Tom Karnowski
Director Albert Pyun
Screenwriter David S. Goyer
Director of photography George Mooradian
Production designer Nicholas T. Preovolos
Editor Alan E. Baumgarten
MusicTony Riparetti, James Saad
Associate producer David S. Goyer
Cast:
David Sloan Sasha Mitchell
Justin Maciah Peter Boyle
Mr. Sangha Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Xian Chow Dennis Chan
Tong PoMichel Qissi
Morrison John Diehl
Neil Vargas Mattias Hues
Heather McComb
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
In this crude combination of story cliches, from ''The Karate Kid'' way on down, ''Kickboxer 2'' centers on an idealistic, young kickboxer (Sasha Mitchell) who dedicates his life to teaching street kids the rudiments of the kickboxing art. Although his inner-city gym is going down the tubes financially, David resists repeated offers -- the kind you can't refuse -- from Justin Maciah, a sleazy promoter (Peter Boyle), to re-enter the ring.
David's just the clean-cut type the Don King-ish promoter wants to bring class to the scummy world of kickboxing. But David, in addition to his shoulder tattoos, carries psychological scars -- his two brothers (both better fighters than he) were killed following a big victory in Thailand. And it's this mental scar that Maciah picks -- suckering the lad into a no-holds-barred fight with the fearsome Thai, Tong Po, whose managers murdered David's brothers.
While the overall plot is serviceable by generic standards, ''Kickboxer 2'' is all low blows and telegraphed moves in terms of execution: leaden dialogue, atonal transitions, melodramatic missteps, flat humor -- all are lethal, asethetic takedowns.
Even the fighting sequences are surprisingly unspectacular in comparison with its competitors in the genre: director Albert Pyun shoots much of the kickboxing in closeup, perhaps attempting to cover up the lack of real fighting skills on display here. Tight shots of blood spewing from cracked jaws and thunderous grunts are about all this one has to offer for the gym rats who may pay admission to see dazzling martial arts techniques.
Among the film's many stereotypical contrivances, the Pat Morita-ish Oriental character (Dennis Chan) who counsels young David is, perhaps, the most ridiculous concoction in David S. Goyer's fat-fisted screenplay. Throughout, the aged sage delivers non-stop philosophical, animal allegories; all of them -- ''To catch a tiger you must bait the trap, '' fox example -- seem culled from reject fortune cookies.
Technical credits are highlighted by Nicholas T. Preovolos' appropriately squalid production design, conveying the sordid milieu of this slimy subworld.
KICKBOXER 2
Trimark Pictures
A Kings Road Entertainment Production
An Albert Pyun Film
Producer Tom Karnowski
Director Albert Pyun
Screenwriter David S. Goyer
Director of photography George Mooradian
Production designer Nicholas T. Preovolos
Editor Alan E. Baumgarten
MusicTony Riparetti, James Saad
Associate producer David S. Goyer
Cast:
David Sloan Sasha Mitchell
Justin Maciah Peter Boyle
Mr. Sangha Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Xian Chow Dennis Chan
Tong PoMichel Qissi
Morrison John Diehl
Neil Vargas Mattias Hues
Heather McComb
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
- 6/14/1991
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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