In the pantheon of great Van Damme action flicks from the 1980s and 90s, 'Hard Target' (1993) undoubtedly stands out as one of his best. As hunky Cajun ex-Marine, Chance Boudreaux, the mullet-wearing 'Muscles from Brussels' struts his more sensitive side while also exhibiting the sort of superhero antics that would put Schwarzenegger to shame, like firing a pistol while standing on a moving motorbike and - famously - punching a snake. He has his director to thank for one of his most iconic roles: John Woo, the 'heroic bloodshed' maestro fresh from his ballistic Hong Kong masterpiece, 'Hard Boiled' (1992), and determined to make an impact in his American directorial debut. The resulting concoction is pure Woo - a slow-motion bullet ballet of epic proportions which cemented his position as one of cinema's greatest directors of action. Joining me and 'Life of Action' author Mike Fury to discuss this milestone in movie mayhem is Christina Newland, lead film critic at the i Paper and a contributing editor to Empire Magazine. As three dedicated Jean-Claude Van Damme fans, we unpick the reasons why we think his appeal is more inclusive than that of his action contemporaries - people like Sylvester Stallone, Steven Seagal, and Chuck Norris - and the lasting legacy that John Woo has had on action cinema. This episode was recorded live at the Nova Cinema in Woking, UK, in November 2024 as part of the British Film Institute's Art of Action season. A huge thank you to the crew at the Nova Cinema and the people of Woking who attended the show, and the Independent Cinema Office and Film Hub South East for helping to organise the event.

LINKS

Christina Newland on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/christinalefou.bsky.social

Christina Newland's website: https://www.christinanewland.co.uk/

Christina Newland on Substack: https://substack.com/@christinanewland

Subscribe to 'Sisters Under the Mink' on Substack: https://christinanewland.substack.com/

Buy 'She Found It at the Movies: Women writers on sex, desire and cinema': https://www.waterstones.com/book/she-found-it-at-the-movies/christina-newland/9781912157181

'Act Like a Man: Jean-Claude Van Damme' by Christina Newland: https://mubi.com/en/notebook/posts/act-like-a-man-jean-claude-van-damme

Buy 'Hard Target' on 4K UHD from Kino Lorber: https://kinolorber.com/product/hard-target-4k-uhd

'Hard Target' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/HardTarget1993

Jean-Claude Van Damme profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/VanDammeKFMG

Jean-Claude Van Damme on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jcvd/

John Woo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/john_woo_filmmaker/

'John Woo’s Next Film Is ‘A Half-Musical’ With Sparks', Empire Magazine: https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/john-woo-half-musical-sparks-exclusive/

'Celebrate Renowned Hong Kong Action Classics, Storytellers, And Film Icons With Shout! Studios’ New Home Entertainment Series Hong Kong CInema Classics': https://www.shoutstudios.com/press/celebrate-renowned-hong-kong-action-classics-storytellers-and-film-icons-with-shout-studios-new-hom

Mike Fury on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themikefury/

Mike Fury's website: https://www.mikefury.net/

Visit the Nova Cinema in Woking: https://www.novacinema.com/

Learn more about the BFI's Art of Action season: https://www.bfi.org.uk/art-action

A huge thank you to Independent Cinema Office (https://www.independentcinemaoffice.org.uk/) and Film Hub South East (https://www.independentcinemaoffice.org.uk/film-hub-south-east/)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Parkour pioneer Sébastien Foucan can be credited for bringing Parkour to the masses. His seminal UK documentary, 'Jump London' (2003) - and its follow up, 'Jump Britain' (2005) - sparked a cultural phenomenon which would see youngsters take to the streets in wild, acrobatic, hair-raising abandon; running, climbing and leaping across their urban environment in scenes we still see on our streets today. For Sébastien, a movie career followed, with stand-out roles in action films including 'Casino Royale' (2006) and 'The Tournament' (2009). Those perceptive enough to see the inspiration behind his incredible physical abilities and derring-do would be quick to reference the work of Jackie Chan, whose stunt-filled films would prove to be one of the early catalysts for Sébastien and his friends to take to the streets of Paris, recreating what they saw in his movies. Today, Sébastien is an inspirational speaker and CEO of the Foucan Academy, teaching kids the art of movement and self-expression. His motto: "we play".

On this episode - recorded live at the Gulbenkian Arts Centre in Canterbury as part of the British Film Institute’s Art of Action season - Sébastien explores his love of Hong Kong action cinema (especially the films of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee), his experiences working in Hollywood, current attitudes towards Parkour, and much more. This conversation was recorded after a screening of the 1978 Jackie Chan classic, 'Drunken Master', and is co-hosted by the 'Life of Action' author - and friend of the show - Mike Fury. A huge thank you to the crew at the Gulbenkian and the people of Canterbury who attended the show, and the Independent Cinema Office and Film Hub South East for helping to organise the event.

LINKS

Sébastien Foucan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sebastienfoucan/

Sébastien Foucan on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Seb-Foucan/100010605671158/

Sébastien Foucan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastien-foucan/

Sébastien Foucan website: https://www.sebastienfoucan.com/

Foucan Academy: https://foucanacademy.com/

'Jump Britain' on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2TJurAP9l-Q?si=Abborgj9sRKdOKMN

Chase scene from 'Casino Royale': https://youtu.be/iZxNbAwY_rk?si=9RvrgPTeoUWGT0GZ

Sébastien Foucan on 'Ninja Warrior UK': https://youtu.be/o7YFOF1oeag?si=hjKZ23vx9DT-6S-k

Mike Fury on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themikefury/

Mike Fury's website: https://www.mikefury.net/

'Drunken Master' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/DrunkenMasterKFMG

'Drunken Master' trailer: https://youtu.be/WSu-9X8NF9k?si=BNVVYygZ7Ke_VdYp

Buy 'Drunken Master' on Blu-ray: https://eurekavideo.co.uk/movie/drunken-master/

Visit the Gulbenkian Arts Centre in Canterbury: https://thegulbenkian.co.uk/

Learn more about the BFI's Art of Action season: https://www.bfi.org.uk/art-action

A huge thank you to Independent Cinema Office (https://www.independentcinemaoffice.org.uk/) and Film Hub South East (https://www.independentcinemaoffice.org.uk/film-hub-south-east/)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bren Foster is a man on a mission. Fresh from the positive reactions to his blistering 2024 martial arts revenge drama, 'Life After Fighting' - which also marked his directorial debut - Bren is now keen to show the world a new kind of action hero. The former soap star, who made his name on shows like 'Days of Our Lives' and 'Home and Away', is now capitalising on his incredible martial arts abilities to star in more fight films. His next will be an MMA actioner with Russell Crowe and Luke Hemsworth, called 'Beast in Me', in which he also provides fight choreography. This will be music to the ears of many martial arts movie fans who, before 'Life After Fighting', could only glimpse at Foster's extraordinary physical abilities in small bursts - like on the documentary series, 'Fight Science', or his roles in two Steven Seagal films, 'Maximum Conviction' and 'Force of Execution', or on the small screen in the series, 'The Last Ship'. If anything, 'Life After Fighting' saw Bren making up for lost time, throwing himself into every aspect of the film - providing roles for his own family and casting many of his students, and even filming at his own martial arts school. As well directing, he writes, stars, produces, and provides fight choreography. Despite its low budget, the film still packs a major punch, and was one of my favourite fight films of 2024. We discuss a life dedicated to the martial arts and competition, the toils of low-budget filmmaking, working with Steven Seagal, and his next steps in an already fascinating career.

LINKS

Bren Foster on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1248409/

Bren Foster on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brenfosterreal/

Bren Foster on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brenfosterofficial

Bren Foster profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://kungfumovieguide.com/profile-bren-foster/

Bren Foster on 'Fight Science': https://youtu.be/cU4j-t2oYA0

'Life After Fighting' trailer: https://youtu.be/KMdiYlC_cA8

'Life After Fighting' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://kungfumovieguide.com/life-after-fighting-2024/

Watch 'Life After Fighting' on Paramount Plus UK: https://www.paramountplus.com/gb/movies/video/JPOVHXAdlJw50eEVsCzk8tXMySV_yp9P/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.