Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast

Having now worked with UK martial arts star Scott Adkins a total of six times – including on the films Savage Dog, Accident Man, The Debt Collector, and the soon to be released martial arts movie event of the year, Triple Threat, which also stars Iko Uwais, Michael Jai White, Tony Jaa, Tiger Chen and Michael Bisping – the writer, director and former stunt performer Jesse V. Johnson is right to feel proud of what they have accomplished in a reasonably short space of time. Jesse and Scott continue to produce exceptionally accomplished martial arts action features in an increasingly unsettled world for low-budget filmmaking. But it’s a world Jesse knows only too well. Born in the UK – the nephew of stunt legend Vic Armstrong – Jesse used his earnings as a teenage stunt performer for the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger classic, Total Recall, to relocate to Hollywood, where he balanced stunt work on major studio pictures with directing and writing his own feature films. It hasn’t always been easy, as Jesse explains in this frank and often revealing conversation, and he has had to learn some important lessons along the way; about ambition, integrity, and the craft of filmmaking. He is most proud of his new film, The Debt Collector, an enveloping crime comedy starring Scott Adkins and Louis Mandylor (Martial Law, My Big Fat Greek Wedding), available to watch now on Netflix. It will get its UK big screen premiere at the Fighting Spirit Film Festival in London on 14 September. We also spend time discussing his all-star action extravaganza, Triple Threat. Jesse’s next project with Scott will be called Avengement, which has just wrapped filming in the UK.

LINKS

Jesse V. Johnson on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/actionjessevjohnson/

Jesse V. Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actionjessevjohnson/

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Today is an 'I Am Vengeance' movie special. WWE star Stu Bennett (aka Wade Barrett) and martial arts movie legend Gary Daniels star in 'I Am Vengeance' (aka 'Vengeance'), which is out now in theatres and on digital download in the US. The film tells the story of ex-serviceman turned mercenary, John Gold, and his quest for revenge following the death of his former army buddy. The UK-made action film is the brainchild of writer and director Ross Boyask and producer John Adams, who both work at Evolutionary Films, an independent production house and distributor which specialises in genre films. On this Vengeance movie special, we discuss the challenges of running a film company in the digital age, and learn more about the making of the movie, and their plans to turn the John Gold story into a franchise.

I also sit down with one of the film’s stars, Bryan Larkin, whose psychotic henchman character is one of the highlights of the movie. The Scottish actor and filmmaker discusses his life and career, from directing his own short films to appearing opposite Gerard Butler in London Has Fallen (2016), and working in Hong Kong with Donnie Yen and Andy Lau in the gangster thriller, Chasing the Dragon (2017). 'I Am Vengeance' will get its UK premiere at the Fighting Spirit Film Festival in London on 15 September, and will be released via Evolutionary Films on 28 September.

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Although Bob Wall had no desire to become a film star, he somehow ended up appearing in some of the highest grossing martial arts films of all time. As Chuck Norris’ business partner and Bruce Lee’s training buddy and friend for over a decade, Bob – a world professional karate champion – found himself cast as one of the baddies in Lee's 1972 film, The Way of the Dragon. Bob provided a similar foil to Lee’s on-screen attacks the following year when he was cast as the treacherous villain, O’harra, in the 1973 martial arts classic, Enter the Dragon. In this candid interview, Bob Wall – now aged 78 and speaking to me from his home in California – recalls a young and charismatic Bruce Lee who ruffled feathers amongst the martial arts community and revolutionised the action film genre. Despite a few film appearances since Enter the Dragon (including Robert Clouse’s Game of Death and supporting roles in Chuck Norris films), Bob – who describes himself as a “foul-mouthed Irishman” – mostly retired from the movie business following Lee’s untimely death. But the Bob Wall story doesn’t end there. Listen as he recalls training with Gene LeBell, Mike Stone and Joe Lewis, and teaching superstars like Steve McQueen, Freddie Prinze and Elvis Presley. He is still active on the martial arts scene as the founder of World Black Belt, and through his many appearances at seminars around the world. For the latest Bob Wall information, head to bobwallworldblackbelt.com.

Also on the show, I talk to the action film expert and writer Timon Singh, who drops by to talk about his new book, 'Born to Be Bad – Talking to the Greatest Villains in Action Cinema', which features interviews with some of the best big screen baddies, including Bob Wall. 'Born to Be Bad' is available now in hardback, paperback and on Kindle via Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Born-Be-Bad-greatest-villains/dp/162933345X/.

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