|
|
|
|
|
|
-How did you get involved in Bridge of Dragons? I got involved in the project when a good friend of mine, producer Yoram Barzilai, worked with Dolph on Sweepers. Dolph felt frustrated from the way the shooting went, commenting that he should do his next film with an action director. Yoram, that produced a film with me (High Voltage), told him that he knows the right man. Yoram got the script from a friend of us, through Nu Image he sent it to Dolph, who liked it, then Dolph wanted to meet me. Yoram and I flew to NY met Dolph. At that point in Dolph's office hanged a huge pictures of him and his friends from the Kyokushinkai Dojo in Stockholm. I have been there in 1980 with my teacher Tamas Weber , The minute I mentioned this to Dolph the ice broke and we hit it right on. -What's your opinion of the completed movie? did you achieve what you wanted? Bridge Of Dragons is the only film I did that I really dislike, It did not at all come the way I wanted. It's like there was a curse on the film, for the following reasons: 1 There is a saying in Hebrew that says "that the others learn how to shave over my beard" , and that is what happened to me in Bulgaria - It was the first action film that was shot in Bulgaria and the crew that was still used to the soviet slow pace of shooting, just did not get it (When I came there to do "US Seals 2" almost two years later it was a total different experience, by then the same crew already worked in over a dozen Nu Image action films and they knew what to do and they were great!!). But also for us it was a learning experience because we did not really knew that as an example, the position of an AD in Bulgaria is non existence, (later on on the next films, all the AD's were American). Or another example The Bulgarian army promised us that they will assist the movie but until the first shooting day it was not sure that they will do it, as a matter of fact we arrived to the first shooting day not even knowing if they'll arrive to the set . they finally appeared 10 minutes before call time. Or another example the pyrotechnique (SFX) man that we had, had no real experience and knowledge to do what he was doing, but of course we found out that fact only on the first shooting day. 2. After I completed the shoot - and only then we discovered that 8% of the film that was shot had scratches (And that was because the film stock that was bought was defected) therefore I could not really use it for editing and I had to cut around that material. Then when the film was completed and we saw a print in a screening room, we discovered that the final shot of the movie was unusable -( A big beautiful crane shot with a big panorama, lots of extras and Dolph and the princes talking and kissing in the F.G) - because we did everything in the Aavid the shot looked always very bright, and only when it was screened we discovered that the camera's magazine was not sealed right and a blimp of light came in and out during the shot. at that point ( and this was when we were mixing the film) I had no choice but to cut that shot out and from ends and tails of other shots (and some stuff that second camera shot + some sound improvisation) we really patched up some kind of a laym ending to the film, but this was a total heartbreaking experience. 3. We (the producer Yoram, Dolph and me on one side had a big fight over the script with Nu Image executives , this fight was not really resolved until we started shooting that is why the film does not make any sense, and you have a mix of styles in it 4. We had to shoot the film the way it was because it was financed by a bank and if we would not have shot it it would have ruined Nu Image (the film cost by the way, a little less then $4 million) -How was it working with Dolph Lundgren? Does he have a lot of influence on how the project turns out to be (script, editing...)? Dolph is a real gentleman, he's kind, nice - a super great guy, he has a great sense of humor and he is very intelligent he's also a very good Karateka. His friend (and sensei since 1973) Brian Fitkin was with us and we really had a good time together , we use to train together (kihon Kata etc.) Dolph gives a lot of respect to everybody he works with. We worked very well together I always want the actors I'm working with to be involve in everything because it is at the end a team work and I do want to hear their opinions, Of course as the director I make the final decision but it's never based on ego but always on what's best for the film. Dolph was not involved in the editing process but as I said before he was involved on the script (as much as both of us could really get involved with that coursed film) -how is directing a B action movie for Nu Image? is it fun or hell? Both, fun & hell The fun thing is that at the end of the day you really do what you want (despite what I told you of what happened in Bridge Of Dragons, that was the exception), once a decision to make a movie is given the work starts immediately, and really at the shooting stage editing stage and at the mix you are by yourself and no one drives you really crazy so you have the freedom to creates and this also brings me to the hell side - you have the freedom to create as long as everything stays cheap! At the end u unfortunately those films go nowhere and that is a frustrating fact in doing B movies, no matter how good the movie is -it will go straight to video. But as a final word I would like to remind you of a saying that my parents taught me in French it says : "In the country of the blinds the one eyed is the king", and in my case . as a foreigner that dreamed in his childhood in Israel that I would like to make action films the fact that I am doing it is good enough (at least for now...) |