Jean-Claude Van Damme
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padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
not just any arcade game - a fighting game, in a nice little meta-nod
and of course they're going to become buddies - their meeting is way more a meet-cute than JCVD meeting his super bland "love interest"
they're also the two white Americans (JCVD being "American") and beard guy is basically the audience surrogate
like "fuck all fancy this Asian shit, here's a true blue American drinking beers and punching dudes"
then Chong Li almost kills him so you know that now the final showdown with JCVD is personal
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
I do enjoy that Trump fast forwards thru all the plot to get to the fighting
I mean, for once he's not really wrong. besides the absurd/cool training flashbacks, you don't really need any of the plot.
and by 80s fight choreography standards, the fighting is pretty damned good
I mean, for once he's not really wrong. besides the absurd/cool training flashbacks, you don't really need any of the plot.
and by 80s fight choreography standards, the fighting is pretty damned good
IdleRich
IdleRich
Yeah it's obviously a conscious choice but for me it was a surprising one. I that - at least stereotypically - your red-blooded Italian tough guy is just as homophobic as the as the US version. It's not a competition or anything though.
In Monaco Forever, one of his earliest roles, he's just listed as "Gay Karate Man".
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
speaking of cool JCVD fighting, here's some of the best stuff in Cyborg
fighting some paramilitary mask dudes in a cool looking ruined office building, prominently featuring switchblade boot
fighting the main gang of bad dudes in abandoned factory
just gonna say it, this movie had dope production design and costuming, in a ridiculous post-apocalyptic vein
also I enjoy how everything is shot in an abandoned factory, so you know they were doing it for cheap
the way 80s knockoffs of Road Warrior spend all their time in abandoned quarries
fighting some paramilitary mask dudes in a cool looking ruined office building, prominently featuring switchblade boot
fighting the main gang of bad dudes in abandoned factory
just gonna say it, this movie had dope production design and costuming, in a ridiculous post-apocalyptic vein
also I enjoy how everything is shot in an abandoned factory, so you know they were doing it for cheap
the way 80s knockoffs of Road Warrior spend all their time in abandoned quarries
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
I'm not taking about Americans or Europeans, just their respective action movie traditions
it is a surprising choice, and courageous, especially in that it specifically plays against his image of Franco Nero, tough guy
the kind of choice Eastwood/Reynolds etc never came close to making
I'm about to watch that one. I was going to watch Black Eagle, but the links were dead, so Cyborg's next.
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
just by actually being in bed with a woman that scene is already 100% less gay than every Arnold film besides maybe the first Conan
Arnold, Sly, etc would never have the courage to play "Gay Karate Man"
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
actually, I would very much like to see a movie about Gay Karate Man, that sounds pretty awesome
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
oh you're in for a treat. it's actually pretty good by the standards of post-apocalyptic 80s flicks.
like, totally ridiculous, but in more or less internally consistent way
and, topical - he's escorting the cyborg of the title to the remnants of the CDC to stop a plague (or something like that, it's vague)
IdleRich
IdleRich
You're right... I was so busy talking about how surprising it was that I didn't mention it being brave. But it is.
craner
Beast of Burden
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
woah I have not but that is a crazy image
and now I looked it up and it sounds pretty batshit crazy but probably not in a good way
like an Assassin's Creed meets Dan Brown meets Indiana Jones rip-off kinda thing
the actual chase is a real letdown, Tony Jaa could do it 100x better in his sleep
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
have to respect the brazenness and/or Frenchness (or, Walloon) of the "abnormal not to have had an affair" defense tho
craner
Beast of Burden
It would've been criminal not to.
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
"look, she's a great lady. what am I supposed to, not have an affair with her? [shakes head, chuckles ruefully, lights Gauloise]"