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/)
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