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Pyun is also in post production on an upgrade of his original Nemesis<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.quietearth.us/articles/2010/03/10/Promo-reel-for-NEMESIS-v20 |title=Promo reel for NEMESIS v2.0 |publisher=Quietearth.us |date= |accessdate=2010-05-19| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20100615042613/http://www.quietearth.us/articles/2010/03/10/Promo-reel-for-NEMESIS-v20| archivedate= 15 June 2010 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> and was inducted into B Movie Celebration's B Movie Hall of Fame in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bmoviecelebration.com/?p=718 |title=The Golden Cob 2011 Winners |publisher=The B Movie Celebration |date=2011-06-27 |accessdate=2012-07-07}}</ref>
Pyun is also in post production on an upgrade of his original Nemesis<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.quietearth.us/articles/2010/03/10/Promo-reel-for-NEMESIS-v20 |title=Promo reel for NEMESIS v2.0 |publisher=Quietearth.us |date= |accessdate=2010-05-19| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20100615042613/http://www.quietearth.us/articles/2010/03/10/Promo-reel-for-NEMESIS-v20| archivedate= 15 June 2010 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> and was inducted into B Movie Celebration's B Movie Hall of Fame in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bmoviecelebration.com/?p=718 |title=The Golden Cob 2011 Winners |publisher=The B Movie Celebration |date=2011-06-27 |accessdate=2012-07-07}}</ref>


In 2004 Pyun went to the US territory of [[Guam]] and, along with film producer John Laing, convinced the Guam government to put up an $800,000 loan guarantee to finance their film ''[[Max Havoc: Curse of the Dragon]]''.<ref name=mvguam.com>Zita Y. Taitano, "Local court to hear 'Max Havoc' case", Marianas Variety, December 29, 2009, http://mvguam.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10189:local-court-to-hear-max-havoc-case&catid=1:guam-local-news&Itemid=61</ref> In his effort to convince Guam officials to approve the loan guarantee, Pyun told them that he and his producer (Laing) had a "sterling financial record" and that neither he nor John Laing had ever defaulted on a loan.<ref name="mvguam.com"/> In 2006 Laing defaulted on the loan, and Guam lost its guarantee. Laing blamed Pyun for the failure of the film.<ref name=articles.latimes.com>Kim Christensen, "Camera, Legal Action! The making of a kung fu flick on Guam turns into court battles on both sides of the sea", Los Angeles Times, June 13, 2007, http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jun/13/business/fi-guam13</ref><ref>Nate Denight, "Tropic Blunder: The Curse of Max Havoc," Uno Magazine Guam, June 1, 2010, http://tpiguam.com/unoguam/?s=albert+pyun&submit.x=0&submit.y=0&submit=Go</ref> An out of court settlement was reached between John Laing and the Guam Economic Development Authority in May 2012 but up until October 2012 Laing has not honored the terms of that settlement.<ref>Kevin Kerrigan, "Laing misses 2nd payment to GEDA in settlement over Max Havoc film fiasco", Pacific News Center, October 15, 2012, http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28127:max-havoc&catid=45:guam-news&Itemid=156 </ref> In late 2012 GEDA Administrator Karl Pangelinan reported Laing had made a $75,000 payment on the balance of the settlement amount and the balance outstanding was $75,000. <ref>http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28473:liang-makes-another-payment-to-geda-pangelinan-confident-final-payment-in-max-havoc-film-fiasco-will-be-made-by-january&catid=45:guam-news&Itemid=156,</ref> GEDA officials confirmed the final payment was made in February 2013 bringing the matter to a close.<ref>http://www.kuam.com/story/21237615/2013/02/18/laing-gmpc-make-first-installment-on-settlement</ref> Pyun was not involved in any of the legal litigation between GEDA and Laing.
In 2004 Pyun went to the US territory of [[Guam]] and, along with film producer John Laing, convinced the Guam government to put up an $800,000 loan guarantee to finance their film ''[[Max Havoc: Curse of the Dragon]]''.<ref name=mvguam.com>Zita Y. Taitano, "Local court to hear 'Max Havoc' case", Marianas Variety, December 29, 2009, http://mvguam.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10189:local-court-to-hear-max-havoc-case&catid=1:guam-local-news&Itemid=61</ref> In his effort to convince Guam officials to approve the loan guarantee, Pyun told them that he and his producer (Laing) had a "sterling financial record" and that neither he nor John Laing had ever defaulted on a loan.<ref name="mvguam.com"/> In 2006 Laing defaulted on the loan, and Guam lost its guarantee. Laing blamed Pyun for the failure of the film.<ref name=articles.latimes.com>Kim Christensen, "Camera, Legal Action! The making of a kung fu flick on Guam turns into court battles on both sides of the sea", Los Angeles Times, June 13, 2007, http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jun/13/business/fi-guam13</ref><ref>Nate Denight, "Tropic Blunder: The Curse of Max Havoc," Uno Magazine Guam, June 1, 2010, http://tpiguam.com/unoguam/?s=albert+pyun&submit.x=0&submit.y=0&submit=Go |accessdate=6 July 2010}}{{dead link|date=May 2013}}</ref> An out of court settlement was reached between John Laing and the Guam Economic Development Authority in May 2012 but up until October 2012 Laing has not honored the terms of that settlement.<ref>Kevin Kerrigan, "Laing misses 2nd payment to GEDA in settlement over Max Havoc film fiasco", Pacific News Center, October 15, 2012, http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28127:max-havoc&catid=45:guam-news&Itemid=156 </ref> In late 2012 GEDA Administrator Karl Pangelinan reported Laing had made a $75,000 payment on the balance of the settlement amount and the balance outstanding was $75,000. <ref>http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28473:liang-makes-another-payment-to-geda-pangelinan-confident-final-payment-in-max-havoc-film-fiasco-will-be-made-by-january&catid=45:guam-news&Itemid=156,</ref> GEDA officials confirmed the final payment was made in February 2013 bringing the matter to a close.<ref>http://www.kuam.com/story/21237615/2013/02/18/laing-gmpc-make-first-installment-on-settlement</ref> Pyun was not involved in any of the legal litigation between GEDA and Laing.


His 2005 film ''Infection'' was one uninterrupted shot from a [[surveillance camera]] mounted inside a [[police car]]. The title of the film was changed by [[Lions Gate Entertainment]] to ''Invasion'' so as not to be confused with an earlier Lions Gate release.<ref>{{cite web|author=Hasko Baumann, Thorsten Hanisch, Alexander Stahl |url=http://www.dasmanifest.com/06/albertpyun.php |title=Retrospective of ALBERT PYUN'S CAREER |publisher=Dasmanifest.com |date=2004-09-09 |accessdate=2010-05-19| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20100406033429/http://www.dasmanifest.com/06/albertpyun.php| archivedate= 6 April 2010 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> Lions Gate also released Pyun's film Left for Dead.
His 2005 film ''Infection'' was one uninterrupted shot from a [[surveillance camera]] mounted inside a [[police car]]. The title of the film was changed by [[Lions Gate Entertainment]] to ''Invasion'' so as not to be confused with an earlier Lions Gate release.<ref>{{cite web|author=Hasko Baumann, Thorsten Hanisch, Alexander Stahl |url=http://www.dasmanifest.com/06/albertpyun.php |title=Retrospective of ALBERT PYUN'S CAREER |publisher=Dasmanifest.com |date=2004-09-09 |accessdate=2010-05-19| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20100406033429/http://www.dasmanifest.com/06/albertpyun.php| archivedate= 6 April 2010 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> Lions Gate also released Pyun's film Left for Dead.

Revision as of 04:15, 27 May 2013

Albert Pyun
Born (1953-05-19) May 19, 1953 (age 71)
Hawaii, U.S.
OccupationFilm director
Years active1970 - current

Albert Pyun (born May 19, 1953)[citation needed] is an American film director best known for having made many low-budget B-movies and direct-to-video action films. The Independent Film Channel said of Pyun's career: "(He has) carved out a unique niche as a director of low-budget, high-concept genre films starring actors past their prime" adding that "others believe this a charitable description for Pyun, who has also been derided as the new Ed Wood." [1] He frequently blends kickboxing and hybrid martial arts with science fiction and dystopic or post-apocalyptic themes, which often include cyborgs. Some of Pyun's better known films include The Sword and the Sorcerer, Cyborg, Captain America (1990 version) and Nemesis[2]

Pyun's father was a Marine and so he lived on military bases around the world until his father settled in Hawaii. Pyun went to school in Kailua, a small town located on the windward side of Qahu. Pyun's first 8mm and 16mm movies were made in Kailua and he credits living in foreign countries and growing up in Hawaii as strong influences on his filmmaking style. [3]

Early Career

While in high school, Pyun worked at a number of production houses in Honolulu before receiving an invitation by the Japanese actor, Toshiro Mifune, to travel to Japan for an internship.[4][5] Initally Pyun was to intern on the Akira Kurosawa film, Derzu Uzala, which was to star Mifune. [6]But the actor decided not to do the film and Pyun found himself working on Mifune's TV series instead and under the tuleage of Kurosawa's Director of Photography, Takao Saito (Red Beard, Seven Samurai). [7]

Pyun returned to Hawaii and began working as a commercial film editor at KGMB in Honolulu and edited commercials for agencies such as Bozell Jacobs and Leo Burnett. After several years as an editor, Pyun moved to Los Angeles to begin his quest to become a feature film director. This resulted in getting his first mainstream feature film made in 1981. [8]

Career

1980s

Pyun's first film, The Sword and the Sorcerer, remains his highest-grossing as of 2011, eventually earning $36,714,025 in the United States.[9] Its opening on April 30, 1982 resulted in a gross of $4,100,886 which ranked the film #2 that week in America.[10] Richard Lynch received the Best Supporting Actor Saturn award for his performance as Cromwell.[11]

His second film, Radioactive Dreams, was awarded the top festival prize of the Golden Raven at the 5th Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival in 1987.[12] Radioactive Dreams recently screened in Philadelphia at the Exhumed Film Festival on May 2, 2013. [13][14]

Pyun's career took a more mainstream turn with the thriller Dangerously Close,[15] and the romantic adventure film, Down Twisted, starring Carey Lowell, Charles Rocket, and Courteney Cox.

In the late 1980s, Pyun made Alien from L.A., featuring supermodel Kathy Ireland's acting debut; the film was later mocked on an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.,[16] This episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 was released on DVD on March 26, 2013. [17]

During that time came Cyborg, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. Cyborg opened as the #4 highest grossing film in America on April 7, 1989.[18] It eventually grossed $10,166,459 in the US.[19] 22 years after making Cyborg, Pyun released his director's cut in 2011. MGM re-released the film on Blu-Ray in October 2012.

In 1989, Pyun made Deceit, and began Captain America, based on the Marvel Comics superhero. Production ended when financing fell through.[20] A director's cut was released in May 2011,[21] when it played a film festival,[22][23] and had at least one commercial theatrical booking.[24]

1990s

In the early 1990s, Pyun made Nemesis with Olivier Gruner and Thomas Jane;[25] Brainsmasher... A Love Story (1993) with Teri Hatcher and Andrew Dice Clay; and Mean Guns (1997) with Christopher Lambert and Ice-T.

On June 14, 1991, Pyun's film Kickboxer 2 - written by David Goyer (Ghost Rider, Blade, The Dark Knight) opened in theaters to mixed reviews.[26]

Other 1990s films include: Knights with Kris Kristofferson, Kathy Long and Lance Henriksen; Raven Hawk with Rachel McLish and William Atherton; Spitfire with Henriksen, Sarah Douglas, Tim Thomerson and Kristie Phillips; Hong Kong '97 with Robert Patrick and Ming-Na Wen; Adrenalin: Fear the Rush with Christopher Lambert and Natasha Henstridge; Post Mortem with Charlie Sheen; Crazy Six with Rob Lowe, Mario Van Peebles and Burt Reynolds; Omega Doom with Rutger Hauer and Shannon Whirry; Arcade with Megan Ward, Seth Green, Peter Billingsly and John Delancie. Pyun also made his only episodic TV work to date for the NBC/Columbia Tri-Star prime time show The Fifth Corner with Alex McArthur, Kim Delaney and James Coburn.

2000s

Pyun directed and produced Ticker Artisan Entertainment in May 2000, which featured Steven Seagal, Tom Sizemore, Dennis Hopper, Jaime Pressly, Nas and Ice-T plus Chilli of the R&B group TLC. It was awarded the Video Software Dealers Association's 2002 Best Renting Direct-To-Video Title By An Independent Studio.[27]

Pyun is also in post production on an upgrade of his original Nemesis[28] and was inducted into B Movie Celebration's B Movie Hall of Fame in 2011.[29]

In 2004 Pyun went to the US territory of Guam and, along with film producer John Laing, convinced the Guam government to put up an $800,000 loan guarantee to finance their film Max Havoc: Curse of the Dragon.[30] In his effort to convince Guam officials to approve the loan guarantee, Pyun told them that he and his producer (Laing) had a "sterling financial record" and that neither he nor John Laing had ever defaulted on a loan.[30] In 2006 Laing defaulted on the loan, and Guam lost its guarantee. Laing blamed Pyun for the failure of the film.[31][32] An out of court settlement was reached between John Laing and the Guam Economic Development Authority in May 2012 but up until October 2012 Laing has not honored the terms of that settlement.[33] In late 2012 GEDA Administrator Karl Pangelinan reported Laing had made a $75,000 payment on the balance of the settlement amount and the balance outstanding was $75,000. [34] GEDA officials confirmed the final payment was made in February 2013 bringing the matter to a close.[35] Pyun was not involved in any of the legal litigation between GEDA and Laing.

His 2005 film Infection was one uninterrupted shot from a surveillance camera mounted inside a police car. The title of the film was changed by Lions Gate Entertainment to Invasion so as not to be confused with an earlier Lions Gate release.[36] Lions Gate also released Pyun's film Left for Dead.

Pyun received the Golden Unicorn Award in 2005 at the Estepona Film Festival for lifetime achievement.[37]

In September 2008, Pyun began production on his long delayed Tales of an Ancient Empire.[38] Shooting began on October 12, 2008. The film premiered at Louisville, Kentucky's Fright Night Film Fest.[39] The film was released by Lions Gate Films on January 24, 2012 and stars Kevin Sorbo, Michael Pare', Melissa Ordway and Ralf Moeller.

Pyun's film, Bulletface, was released on January 26, 2010, and starred Victoria Maurette, Steven Bauer, Scott Paulin, Morgan Weisser, Assaf Cohen, Jenny Dare Paulin and Eddie Velez.[40]

His most recent release is "Road To Hell". The film went on the indy festival circuit beginning in Belfast, UK at the Yellow Fever Independent Film Festival where it was awarded Best Picture Award. [41]

Road to Hell was the opening night film for the Pollygrind Underground Film Festival in Las Vegas on October 17, 2012 and won "Best Picture", "Best Actor" by Michael Pare', "Best Actress" by Clare Kramer, "Best Song" by Tony Riparetti, "Best Screenplay" by Cynthia Curnan.[42][43] Pyun was awarded his third Lifetime achievement award at the Pollygrind Festival after being honored by the Estepona International Film Festival of Fantasy and Horror and the B Movie Celebration in 2012.

Selected filmography

Producer

References

  1. ^ http://www.ifc.com/fix/2010/06/albert-pyun
  2. ^ http://io9.com/5966375/incredibly-strange-and-ridiculously-cheap-albert-pyuns-30-year-b+movie-adventure
  3. ^ http://www.cultreviews.com/interviews/interview-with-albert-pyun/
  4. ^ La Cosa Cine Fantastico Issue #113, July, 2005
  5. ^ http://www.fearzone.com/blog/albert-pyun
  6. ^ http://mediasaurs.blogspot.com/2010/02/bulletface-and-director-albert-pyun.html
  7. ^ http://www.worldheadpress.com/cult-people-photobook-115
  8. ^ http://www.coolasscinema.com/2009/10/interview-with-sword-sorcerer-director.html
  9. ^ "Sword & Sorcerer - Box Office History". The-numbers.com. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
  10. ^ "Sword and the Sorcerer". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 11 June 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-19. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ "Past Saturn Awards". Saturn Awards. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
  12. ^ "CinemaFantastique.net - Le cinéma fantastique au bout des doigts !". Cinemafantastique.be. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
  13. ^ http://cinapse.co/2013/05/08/ex-fest-iii-revenge-gore-insanity-the-end-of-the-world-and-a-lot-of-fun/
  14. ^ http://staystillreviews.blogspot.com/2013/02/interview-with-director-albert-pyun.html
  15. ^ Goldstein, Patrick (May 09, 1986). "Movie Review : Young Vigilantes In 'Dangerously Close'". Los Angeles Times. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ Alien from L.A. at IMDb
  17. ^ http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Mystery-Science-Theater-3000-XXVI/17850
  18. ^ "Cyborg (1989)". Box Office Mojo. 1989-05-02. Archived from the original on 13 June 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-19. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ "Cyborg (1989)". Box Office Mojo. 1989-05-02. Retrieved 2011-04-29.
  20. ^ Josh Bell, "Chatting with original 'Captain America' Director Albert Pyun," Las Vegas Weekly, June 29, 2011, http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:aRSSNskNBogJ:www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2011/jun/29/chatting-original-captain-america-director-albert-/+%22albert+pyun+captain+america+financing+problems%22&cd=7&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari&source=www.google.com
  21. ^ http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/108686-Own-The-Directors-Cut-Of-Captain-America-On-DVD-This-May, http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/2011/03/22/1990_captain_america_getting_directors_cut_blu-ray_release_fantasia/
  22. ^ "Chatting with original 'Captain America' director Albert Pyun". Las Vegas Weekly. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
  23. ^ — translation: Rupert Bottenberg (2011-08-06). "Captain America (1990) – Director's Cut | Cinemabox & Ubisoft Present Fantasia 2011". Fantasiafestival.com. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
  24. ^ "CAPTAIN AMERICA w/ Albert Pyun Live : Austin : Alamo Drafthouse Cinema". Drafthouse.com. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
  25. ^ "Box Office Mojo Nemesis". Boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
  26. ^ Valentin, Albert (2009-09-01). "REVIEW: Kickboxer 2: The Road Back (1990) " Kung Fu Cinema". Kungfucinema.com. Retrieved 2011-04-29.
  27. ^ "Video Software Dealers Association - VSDA - Announces Its 2002 Home Entertainment Award Winners". Mi2N.com. Retrieved 2011-04-29.
  28. ^ "Promo reel for NEMESIS v2.0". Quietearth.us. Archived from the original on 15 June 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-19. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  29. ^ "The Golden Cob 2011 Winners". The B Movie Celebration. 2011-06-27. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
  30. ^ a b Zita Y. Taitano, "Local court to hear 'Max Havoc' case", Marianas Variety, December 29, 2009, http://mvguam.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10189:local-court-to-hear-max-havoc-case&catid=1:guam-local-news&Itemid=61
  31. ^ Kim Christensen, "Camera, Legal Action! The making of a kung fu flick on Guam turns into court battles on both sides of the sea", Los Angeles Times, June 13, 2007, http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jun/13/business/fi-guam13
  32. ^ Nate Denight, "Tropic Blunder: The Curse of Max Havoc," Uno Magazine Guam, June 1, 2010, http://tpiguam.com/unoguam/?s=albert+pyun&submit.x=0&submit.y=0&submit=Go |accessdate=6 July 2010}}[dead link]
  33. ^ Kevin Kerrigan, "Laing misses 2nd payment to GEDA in settlement over Max Havoc film fiasco", Pacific News Center, October 15, 2012, http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28127:max-havoc&catid=45:guam-news&Itemid=156
  34. ^ http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28473:liang-makes-another-payment-to-geda-pangelinan-confident-final-payment-in-max-havoc-film-fiasco-will-be-made-by-january&catid=45:guam-news&Itemid=156,
  35. ^ http://www.kuam.com/story/21237615/2013/02/18/laing-gmpc-make-first-installment-on-settlement
  36. ^ Hasko Baumann, Thorsten Hanisch, Alexander Stahl (2004-09-09). "Retrospective of ALBERT PYUN'S CAREER". Dasmanifest.com. Archived from the original on 6 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-19. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  37. ^ "26 August 2005 | Screen". Screendaily.com. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
  38. ^ "Tales of an Ancient Empire | Horror Movie, DVD, & Book Reviews, News, Interviews at Dread Central". Dreadcentral.com. 2008-04-17. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
  39. ^ "Tales of an Ancient Empire to Debut at Fright Night Film Fest - Comic-Con Gossip". Filmifi.com. 2010-07-27. Retrieved 2011-04-29.
  40. ^ "EXCL: First Look at Bulletface DVD Artwork". Dreadcentral.com. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
  41. ^ http://theyfiff.webs.com/yfiffawardwinners.htm
  42. ^ http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/61010/road-hell-wins-nine-awards-pollygrind-film-festival-2012
  43. ^ http://www.fangoria.com/index.php/home/all-news/1-latest-news/8701-chicago-albert-pyun-in-person-with-road-to-hell-at-the-triple-threat-film-fest

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