Albert Pyun | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1953-05-19)May 19, 1953 Territory of Hawaii, U.S. |
| Died | November 26, 2022(2022-11-26) (aged 69) |
| Occupation | Film director |
| Years active | 1970–2018 |
Albert Pyun (May 19, 1953 – November 26, 2022) was an American film director who made low-budgetB-movies anddirect-to-video action films.
TheIndependent Film Channel said that Pyun "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 newEd Wood."[1]
Though his films frequently blendedkickboxing andhybrid martial arts withscience fiction anddystopic orpost-apocalyptic themes, which often includecyborgs, Pyun stated in a 2012 interview that "I have really no interest in cyborgs. And I've never really had any interest in post-apocalyptic stories or settings. It just seemed that those situations presented a way for me to make movies with very little money, and to explore ideas that I really wanted to explore — even if they were [controversial]."[2]
Pyun's films includeThe Sword and the Sorcerer,Cyborg,Captain America, andNemesis.[2]
Pyun was born on May 19, 1953.[3]Pyun was a "military brat" and lived on bases around the world until his father settled in Hawaii. He went to school inKailua, a small town located on the windward side ofOahu. 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.[4] 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.[5][6] Initially Pyun was to intern on theAkira Kurosawa film,Dersu Uzala, which was to star Mifune.[7] but the actor decided not to do the film and instead Pyun found himself working on a Mifune TV series under the tutelage of Kurosawa's Director of Photography,Takao Saito (Red Beard).[8]
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 become a feature film director.[9]
Pyun's first filmThe Sword and the Sorcerer remains his highest grossing, eventually earning $36,714,025 in the United States.[10] Opening on April 30, 1982, it grossed $4,100,886 which ranked the film second that week in America.[11]Richard Lynch received the Best Supporting ActorSaturn Award for his performance as Cromwell.[12] During the production of the film, stuntman Jack Tyree was killed while doing a high fall stunt atGriffith Park in Los Angeles. While performing a 78-foot fall in heavy costume and makeup, Tyree struck his airbag off center, resulting in a fatal impact.[13]
With the success ofThe Sword and the Sorcerer, Pyun was attached to several science fiction projects in 1984 includingTotal Recall, to be produced byDino De Laurentiis atUniversal Pictures, with a screenplay based on thePhilip K. Dick story written byRonald Shusett (Alien). At the time,William Hurt was attached to star.[14]
His second film,Radioactive Dreams, was awarded the Golden Raven at the 5thBrussels International Fantastic Film Festival in 1987.[15] "Radioactive Dreams" recently screened atExhumed Films' 2013 eX Fest.[16]
Pyun's career took a more mainstream turn with the thrillerDangerously Close[17] and the romantic adventure filmDown Twisted, starringCarey Lowell,Charles Rocket andCourteney Cox.[18]
In the late 1980s, Pyun madeAlien from L.A., featuring supermodelKathy Ireland whom he cast after seeing a photo of her without doing a screen test. Ireland then tookacting lessons.[19] The film later appeared on an episode ofMystery Science Theater 3000.[20]
Pyun'sCyborg opened as the fourth-highest-grossing film in America on April 7, 1989.[21] It eventually grossed $10,166,459 in the United States.[21] In 2011, twenty-two years after makingCyborg, Pyun released his director's cut. AMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer re-release on Blu-ray followed in October 2012.
In 1989, Pyun madeDeceit andCaptain America. A director's cut ofCaptain America was released in May 2011.[22]
In the early 1990s, Pyun madeNemesis withOlivier Gruner andThomas Jane;[23]Brainsmasher... A Love Story followed in 1993 withTeri Hatcher andAndrew Dice Clay; andMean Guns withChristopher Lambert andIce-T in 1997.
In June 1991, Pyun's filmKickboxer 2, written byDavid Goyer (Ghost Rider,Blade,The Dark Knight), opened in theaters to mixed reviews.[24]
Other 1990s films includeKnights withKris Kristofferson,Kathy Long andLance Henriksen;Dollman starring Tim Thomerson as a 13-inch-tallDirty Harry-type cop from another planet;Raven Hawk withRachel McLish andWilliam Atherton;Spitfire with Henriksen,Sarah Douglas,Tim Thomerson andKristie Phillips;Hong Kong '97 withRobert Patrick andMing-Na Wen;Adrenalin: Fear the Rush with Christopher Lambert and Natasha Henstridge;Post Mortem withCharlie Sheen;Crazy Six withRob Lowe,Mario Van Peebles andBurt Reynolds;Omega Doom withRutger Hauer andShannon Whirry; andArcade withMegan Ward,Seth Green, Peter Billingsly andJohn Delancie. Pyun also made his only episodic TV work to date for theNBC/Columbia Tri-Star showThe Fifth Corner withAlex McArthur,Kim Delaney andJames Coburn.
Pyun directed and producedTicker for Artisan Entertainment in May 2000, which featuredSteven Seagal,Tom Sizemore,Dennis Hopper,Jaime Pressly,Nas and Ice-T plus Chilli of the R&B groupTLC. In 2002, it was among five films honored for sales by the Video Software Dealers Association in the category of 'Direct-to-Video/Limited Release by an Independent Studio'.[25]
In 2004, Pyun went to the U.S. territory ofGuam and, along with film producer John Laing, convinced the Guam government to put up an $800,000 loan guarantee to finance their filmMax Havoc: Curse of the Dragon.[26] 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.[26] In 2006, Laing defaulted on the loan, and Guam lost its guarantee. Laing blamed Pyun for the failure of the film.[27][28]
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.[29] 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.[30] GEDA officials confirmed the final payment was made in February 2013 bringing the matter to a close.[31] Pyun was not involved in any of the legal litigation between GEDA and Laing.
In September 2008, Pyun began production onTales of an Ancient Empire.[32] Shooting began on October 12, 2008. The film premiered atLouisville, Kentucky'sFright Night Film Fest.[33] The film was eventually released by Lions Gate Films in January 2012 and starsKevin Sorbo,Michael Paré,Melissa Ordway andRalf Moeller.
Pyun's filmRoad to Hell won the Best Picture award at the Yellow Fever Independent Film Festival inBelfast in 2011.[34] Later in 2012, it opened thePollyGrind Film Festival in Las Vegas where it won Best Fantasy Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Song, Best Use of Songs, Best Use of Music, Best Visual Effects, Best Screenplay, and the Newcomer Award.[35]
In late 2013, Pyun announced he hadmultiple sclerosis.[36] In March 2014, his health had improved enough for him to filmThe Interrogation of Cheryl Cooper.[37] By 2017, he also haddementia. However, he sought funding for projects as late as 2018.[38][39]
In November 2022, Pyun's wife andproducer Cynthia Curnan[40] posted on herFacebook page that Pyun's health was in rapid decline and that he had been placed inhospice care. Curnan stated that Pyun wanted to hear from his supporters and asked if people would write him messages that she could read to him. Her request was amplified by the Facebook page for film directorSam Peckinpah and on film review websites such asJoBlo andComicBook.com. Curnan reported to fans a week later that Pyun was "enjoying messages from supporters" and that they helped to "alleviate guilt Pyun has been feeling because he was unable to complete two films before he had to stop working."[41][42]
Pyun died in Las Vegas on November 26, 2022, at the age of 69.[43]
Movie stuntman Jack Tyree was killed in the filming of the scene on August 25, 1981, falling 180 feet and missing a large airbag by two feet.
