Member Travis Posted September 15, 2011 Member Share Posted September 15, 2011 I saw some interesting opinions on Van Damme being thrown around in the Weapon thread, but I figured this deserves it's own thread for further discussion. What are your thoughts and opinions on JCVD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member AlbertV Posted September 15, 2011 Member Share Posted September 15, 2011 I have to admit I like JCVD. He was truly in his prime in the 80's and early 90's. Then, I'm guessing because of his drug habit (which he had admitted on E! Television) and his personal life woes at the time, his popularity waned and is now resorted to the straight-to-DVD fare, but they are of mixed bags. The only JCVD film I hated with a passion was LEGIONNAIRE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DarthKato Posted September 15, 2011 Member Share Posted September 15, 2011 He's alright. I find most of his movies entertaining(even Street Figter). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Apanblod Posted September 15, 2011 Member Share Posted September 15, 2011 I guess it's not his fault that his movies uses terrible editing (one kick - cut, one punch - cut). If he was used in his prime in let's say a Jackie Chan movie, he could have looked just as good as any of the Asian stars. The guy had some impressive moves and amazing physique. I actually enjoy The Quest, mainly because it has some very interesting characters and that it is one of few movies that actually follow up on it's tournament plot (most other movies introduce a tournament, which is later discarded for some reason) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Markgway Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 The central problem with The Quest is that Van Damme the director wanted to create an epic based on Van Damme the writer's B-movie script. It remains the star's best looking and best produced film - who knows how it might have turned out with a better screenplay behind it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Travis Posted September 16, 2011 Author Member Share Posted September 16, 2011 I grew up idolizing Van Damme as a kid and I have actually met him briefly. He made a string of great films in the 80's and 90's. Just about every film he did was good until about 1999. Now that I am an adult I think I see him more for what he really is...a weird, depressed drug addict, and probably a creep. At least that's how I see it. I can't say what the real JCVD is like because I don't know him personally. It seemed a lot of people on the Weapon thread did not like him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Phoenix Posted September 16, 2011 Member Share Posted September 16, 2011 Which Weapon thread? I liked Bloodsport as a kid, watched his early films, but now I enjoy Bloodsport and Cyborg just for the cheese factor. I have no time for his films, really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Lionclaw Posted September 16, 2011 Member Share Posted September 16, 2011 I used to love him as a child but now I don't really like him because a lot of his movies are so repetitive and the fights are not as exciting as I thought they were. The only movies that still hold up well for me is Lionheart, Universal Soilder(I like all of them), Wake of Death, Repliciant, and Kickboxer. His fights are also way too one sided. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator One Armed Boxer Posted September 16, 2011 Moderator Share Posted September 16, 2011 I guess it's not his fault that his movies uses terrible editing (one kick - cut, one punch - cut). If he was used in his prime in let's say a Jackie Chan movie, he could have looked just as good as any of the Asian stars. There was a really interesting coversation about Van Damme going on in this thread - http://kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14513 In regards to your point about the terrible editing, dionbrother made a really interesting point over in that exact thread, regarding Van Damme's attitude to his fight sequences - You should also keep in mind that Van Damme could have had MATRIX-quality fight scenes in his early films but chose not to. A lot of Hong Kong talent worked on those films, but his ego and laziness worked against him, and he went for the slo-mo, one kick at a time crap. I know that the DOUBLE TEAM stunt team literally said to him "We can make you look better than Jackie Chan, you just have to let us work with you" and he refused. I also know from a producer that VD ignored advice to take some acting lessons. He is his own worst enemy. He could have been another Alain Delon and he totally blew it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member blue_skies Posted September 16, 2011 Member Share Posted September 16, 2011 There was a really interesting coversation about Van Damme going on in this thread - http://kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14513 In regards to your point about the terrible editing, dionbrother made a really interesting point over in that exact thread, regarding Van Damme's attitude to his fight sequences - Ha, you beat me to the punch I was going to mention that although without going into the time finding those links. My opinions on Van Damme is that I used to like him a great deal but as has been said it's been a long time since he's made good movies. It's clear through his own reality TV programme about himself that he is nothing but a Hollywood whore and in my humble opinion wants nothing more than the lifestyle of being a Hollywood star and all that entails. You can see he's lazy and he doesn't put effort into his physical condition and certainly doesn't bother to push himself to make better action and martial arts sequences. he is self-centred and egocentric, even with great talent like Scott Adkins on board of some of his films he doesn't let him shine because it only makes Van Damme look half the man he was when he was younger. He may be off the cocaine but he has more interest in partying all through the night with girls his daughter's age than anything else including his family, who suffer due to his selfish nature – everyone had to wait for Christmas until 5 PM after Van Damme decided to get out of bed. Physically he can't do what he used to and doesn't even try to really make the effort. He is an old has-been and like Steven Seagal should retire as soon as possible. At least then the younger up-and-coming stars could have a bigger chance of breaking through. I'll still enjoy his old movies but I dislike his new stuff and thanks to his shameless whoreing reality program I've come to realise what a selfish prick he is in real life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member dionbrother Posted September 16, 2011 Member Share Posted September 16, 2011 I know I sound like a broken record but he needs to keep marketing himself as a weathered tough guy in the Bronson/Marvin mold, now that his pretty boy looks have faded. I haven't enjoyed most of recent movies, but I think he's a better screen presence and actor in them than he was in the movies that made him famous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted September 16, 2011 Member Share Posted September 16, 2011 I like the Van Damme of yore.... from Bloodsport to The Quest! Anything after that, I don't really care about. Same with Seagal.... from Above The Law to Fire Down Below.... after that.... Don't care! As for their off screen personalities, I always thought they both came off rather douchy... but that doesn't really hamper my enjoyment of their earlier efforts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShaOW!linDude Posted September 16, 2011 Member Share Posted September 16, 2011 I like the Van Damme of yore.... from Bloodsport to The Quest! Anything after that, I don't really care about. I pretty much agree with that though there were a couple ofter this run that I thought were good: Knockoff; Universal Soldier: The Return & Regeneration; The Shepherd: Border Patrol. I'm like blue_skies. If he ain't gonna throwdown, he ought to step down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member dionbrother Posted September 16, 2011 Member Share Posted September 16, 2011 Did you check out WAKE OF DEATH or UNTIL DEATH? Surprisingly decent and he's better in those films than any of his old school "forget the movie, look at me" silliness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Travis Posted September 16, 2011 Author Member Share Posted September 16, 2011 I have only seen clips of his reality show on youtube. It doesn't air in America. He does seem a bit weird and creepy from the clips I have seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShaOW!linDude Posted September 16, 2011 Member Share Posted September 16, 2011 Did you check out WAKE OF DEATH or UNTIL DEATH? Surprisingly decent and he's better in those films than any of his old school "forget the movie, look at me" silliness. Don't think I've ever seen UNTIL DEATH but I watched WAKE OF DEATH not too long ago. I was really disappointed in it from an action standpoint. Great plot and the acting wasn't all bad but there should've been some serious fighting in that and it totally tanked in that sense (imo). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Markgway Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 I know I sound like a broken record but he needs to keep marketing himself as a weathered tough guy in the Bronson/Marvin mold, now that his pretty boy looks have faded. I haven't enjoyed most of recent movies, but I think he's a better screen presence and actor in them than he was in the movies that made him famous. I think Assassination Games was a real attempt to do just that. I know it wasn't a classic, but it was perfectly decent, and it's a shame that the man doesn't even get credit when he tries to do something good. To compare him to Seagal is unfair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator One Armed Boxer Posted September 17, 2011 Moderator Share Posted September 17, 2011 The only Van Damme movies that have a certain level of rewatchability for me are probably 'Hard Target', 'Knock Off', 'Replicant', & 'Universal Soldier: Regeneration', and in some of those cases it's more for the out there plot than it is for Van Damme's action. I don't think there has been any other western based actor who has got to work with such top level talent from Hong Kong - Ng See Yuen, Corey Yuen, Bolo Yeung, John Woo, Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam, Sammo Hung, Xiong Xin Xin, Yuen Bun, even Simon Yam. But frankly the quality of his movies has never matched the quality of the people he works with. I don't think it's fair to call him weird and creepy if you don't know him. If he wants to star in a reality show with himself as the main attraction, it's perfectly fair for people to form opinions on him based on what they see in the show. I think Assassination Games was a real attempt to do just that. I know it wasn't a classic, but it was perfectly decent, and it's a shame that the man doesn't even get credit when he tries to do something good. The problem with 'Assassination Games' is that I think it was made at the wrong time. Anybody with even a passing interest in the martial arts movie scene should know that when a movie is made with an up & coming action talent like Scott Adkins in it, paired up with an action icon from the 80s & 90s in the form of Van Damme, audience expectation is going to be that of an action movie. To simply present a by the books thriller was a mistake in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Markgway Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 The problem with 'Assassination Games' is that I think it was made at the wrong time. Anybody with even a passing interest in the martial arts movie scene should know that when a movie is made with an up & coming action talent like Scott Adkins in it, paired up with an action icon from the 80s & 90s in the form of Van Damme, audience expectation is going to be that of an action movie. To simply present a by the books thriller was a mistake in my opinion. Perhaps? But I'd rather judge it for what it is than what it isn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member blue_skies Posted September 17, 2011 Member Share Posted September 17, 2011 The only Van Damme movies that have a certain level of rewatchability for me are probably 'Hard Target', 'Knock Off', 'Replicant', & this, and in some of those cases it's more for the out there plot than it is for Van Damme's action. I don't think there has been any other western based actor who has got to work with such top level talent from Hong Kong - Ng See Yuen, Corey Yuen, Bolo Yeung, John Woo, Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam, Sammo Hung, Xiong Xin Xin, Yuen Bun, even Simon Yam. But frankly the quality of his movies has never matched the quality of the people he works with. If he wants to star in a reality show with himself as the main attraction, it's perfectly fair for people to form opinions on him based on what they see in the show. The problem with 'Assassination Games' is that I think it was made at the wrong time. Anybody with even a passing interest in the martial arts movie scene should know that when a movie is made with an up & coming action talent like Scott Adkins in it, paired up with an action icon from the 80s & 90s in the form of Van Damme, audience expectation is going to be that of an action movie. To simply present a by the books thriller was a mistake in my opinion. I pretty much agree with all of that especially the final paragraph. I think if you're going to spend the majority of your career making nothing but action B-movies. Your audience doesn't expect to be watching a thriller or a drama, even more so if it's not marketed as such. It's one thing to shake things up and try and make better films but nobody is buying/renting a Van Damme film to watch a good drama, you're hoping for some entertaining action. Look at Jackie, he at least tried to stop himself from being pigeonholed as just an action/martial arts star doing dramatic roles at the height of his career. He is still pretty much typecast but when he does go down that path it's not completely unexpected. At the end of the day if you're an action star/martial artist that's exactly the expectation, whether they like it or not and as SD succinctly put it "If he ain't gonna throwdown, he ought to step down. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted November 14, 2013 Member Share Posted November 14, 2013 Not martial arts, but pretty damn epic commercial with Van Damme M7FIvfx5J10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member AlbertV Posted November 14, 2013 Member Share Posted November 14, 2013 That was sweet... someone mentioned he should market himself as a Bronson/Marvin mold...that was why I liked his film SIX BULLETS (originally titled THE BUTCHER). His first fight was his typical VD round house kick style fight. However, the rest of his action scenes, he used more close quarters combat, which for his age, makes better sense. Plus, his character was truly that of a tortured soul who had to find penance of sorts for a mistake he made years ago and his latest mission is a road of redemption for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted November 14, 2013 Member Share Posted November 14, 2013 That was amazing. Also how old was Van Damme when he did Bloodsport cause in this volvo video, he's aged considerably... Also, where is Travis?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Keung Posted November 14, 2013 Member Share Posted November 14, 2013 Incredible! Also how old was Van Damme when he did Bloodsport cause in this volvo video, he's aged considerably... 26/27, maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member mpm74 Posted November 14, 2013 Member Share Posted November 14, 2013 I mentioned this before, but JCVD looks more like an action star with the wrinkles. Less pretty-boy. I think his ripe old age works to his advantage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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