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Post by Testudo86 on Dec 21, 2017 10:50:33 GMT
Interesting that they had some trouble during production but JC and Atencio were determined to keep it complex without turn it simplistic.
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Post by Claudia on Dec 22, 2017 21:23:28 GMT
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Post by Claudia on Dec 24, 2017 18:36:15 GMT
Jean-Claude Van Damme is back with 'Jean-Claude Van Johnson' Created : 22 December 2017 The new Jean-Claude Van Damme action spoof "Jean-Claude Van Johnson" mixes a pinch of reality with spinning kicks and laughs.
"Just, it's fresh. Yeah, it's fresh. They took pieces of reality and fiction and good writing, fresh idea, unusual comedy and drama," Van Damme says.
Like the movie "JCVD" nine years ago, Amazon Studio's "Jean-Claude Van Johnson" finds Van Damme playing a version of himself - a mostly washed-up action star. Only this time around, he's also an international spy, taking jobs on movies as cover to go after the bad guys.
"I would say that 'JCVD' can be one of the episodes in the season, you understand? 'JCVD' can go back to Belgium, he's got problem, he's stuck in the bank. That can be one of the episodes," Van Damme said. "This show, hopefully it will have some legs – if destiny knows to, because I don't know yet."Read more here: www.looptt.com/content/jean-claude-van-damme-back-jean-claude-van-johnson |
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Post by Replicant on Dec 28, 2017 14:32:18 GMT
Jean-Claude Van Damme Kicks, Quips His Way Back into Spotlight (Exclusive) By Elliott Smith 9:40 AM PST, December 15, 2017 “He has the ability to do a lot of things that no one’s really taken advantage of before,” says Callaham, whose five-page concept for the show confused executives but thrilled Van Damme, who received the treatment before the writer was aware of it. “I think we’ve seen glimpses of it, scattered throughout his career, but nothing quite as far as this show. We go pretty sensitive and we go pretty introspective in this show, and he was eager to show that side of himself. He didn’t say no to anything. He was incredibly game and humble.Read more: www.etonline.com/jean-claude-van-damme-talks-amazon-series-and-spotlight-exclusive-92766 |
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Post by Claudia on Dec 30, 2017 16:32:58 GMT
“I’ve Been Muzzled in My Career”: Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Third Act as a Comedy Star By: Alex Nino Gheciu|December 29, 2017 Jean-Claude, I was caught off guard by how hilarious you are in Jean-Claude Van Johnson. Have you always been his funny? JCVD: Yeah, funny is one thing. I can be funny, but the story was also funny and well written for me to able to extérioriser... how do you say? To express myself as an actor. The director chose his own team of writers very carefully, so it stays great. He’s very demanding, but not demanding, if you know what I mean. DC: He’s selling himself a little short; he’s a very naturally funny person. There are people who, when they’re interacting with people in a room, they like to have fun and play jokes and they lighten things up. And Jean-Claude, you wouldn’t describe yourself that way, but that’s how I found you. That’s true. Jean-Claude plays such a tough guy in movies, but whenever I’ve watched interviews with him, he’s always had this jocular, playful demeanour I was just saying you’ve always had this funny side to you in interviews. JCVD: Ah, yes, yes. I said to you, life is so short, right? And it comes to a point where, look, I’m 55-plus and there’s no time to waste. And also, I think I’ve had a muzzle on me. What’s that thing they put on dogs? Muzzle. Yeah, I think I’ve been muzzled in my career, in terms of not being able to go all way. And thank god, time, destiny, or I don’t know what, that it happened this way. Thank you to Dave and Peter. It’s all by coincidence and it’s all beautiful. The mother of Dave was training Kung Fu and so she saw my movies, and Dave saw my movies with his mom. So it is something amazing; it’s like a family affair. It’s me, it’s Dave, and it’s his mother. Together, it’s a triangle of memory at the time of the VHS. So that was my big luck, that the mother of Dave was my fan. DC: Saying that you’re muzzled is a really good way to put it, because I suspect that’s the reason that this has turned out the way it has. I think that Peter and I have also felt muzzled by on our respective roles in Hollywood. The thing that’s unique about the show is we’re being allowed to do a lot of things that there’s no way you could do on network TV. There’s no way we could sell this as a movie to a major studio. So Amazon is giving us this opportunity and all of a sudden, like, all this stuff gets to pour out of all three of us. I can’t even imagine what your pitch to Amazon must’ve sounded like. DC: It was so confusing to them that they just said, ‘Okay.’ They didn’t want to admit that they didn’t know what I was talking about. They’d probably deny that, but they always sort of let us do what we wanted. They could tell we were passionate and that we felt confident in what we were doing. Amazon is a very good example of a company that made their way by just trusting creative people who had ideas that don’t sound that marketable, to be honest, and getting out of the way. In the first episode, there’s this scene where Jean-Claude tells a waiter, “I’m not Nicolas Cage retired, I’m retired retired.” What does it mean to be Nicolas Cage retired? PA: Well, in the show he’s really stepped away from everything. He really has no connection to the film industry, and that’s where he’s starting from. I think to be “Nicolage Cage retired” is really where his career in real life was a few years ago, where he was doing VOD movies and things that were seen more outside of America, but within the context of what we in the US consider being less successful or having a lower level of cultural awareness than he enjoyed at one point in his career. I think a lot of stars go through what we call “Nicolas Cage retired,” where they’re still creative and making really interesting work, but it’s just not on the same stage that it once was. Read more here: sharpmagazine.com/2017/12/29/ive-been-muzzled-in-my-career-jean-claude-van-dammes-third-act-as-a-comedy-star/ |
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Post by Claudia on Jan 1, 2018 12:22:27 GMT
screenmayhem.com/kat-foster-interview-we-talk-to-the-jean-claude-van-johnson-star-about-becoming-an-action-hero-and-accidentally-kicking-jcvd-in-the-face/
Kat Foster Interview: We Talk to the ‘Jean-Claude Van Johnson’ Star About Becoming an Action Hero and Accidentally Kicking JCVD in the Face
Jean-Claude Van Johnson is the new must-see series from Amazon. Trust us, if you like action, self-referential comedy and heartfelt moments then this show is for you. The series stars the very talented Kat Foster as Vanessa, hair-stylist, and ex-flame to Jean-Claude Van Damme, who just happens to be a real life super-spy. He doesn’t get to have all the fun, however, as Vanessa, who also works as his tech support but wants to be so much more, joins him in the field to thwart an evil cartel who plan to take over the world.
What’s the audience reaction been like?
All I’ve heard is great things. I mean, all I’ve heard is just people being really… I think anyone who’s a fan of Jean-Claude Van Damme is gonna just be into every frame of this entire show. It’s really sort of a love letter to him in a way, both as an actor and an action star. So I don’t know. I mean, I’ve just heard great things. I know the reviews have been kind of mixed. Right? I didn’t expect that and it’s been a little bit disappointing. But I don’t think people necessarily knew exactly what to make of it and how to categorise it. I mean it’s so silly. Anyone who doesn’t love it, I feel like, doesn’t totally get it. I guess, I kind of feel like there’s nothing not to love about this show. It’s the best that this premise, and the concept, and that we as a team could have ever offered. It’s the best version of itself. It couldn’t have been better, so if you didn’t like it that’s just because you were never gonna like it. You know what I mean?
[..]
He’s actually a wonderful actor, isn’t he? Did you expect him to be as good as that?
I had no idea what I was getting into. I honestly was not super familiar with his work. But I watched Double Impact, and I watched JCVD. And I could tell from Double Impact that he was great and that he was funny. And then watching JCVD, I was blown away. I was like, “Oh he’s really a talented, feeling actor.” From that, I sort of could guess that we were gonna have a really nice time working with each other, and then once we got on set, my suspicions were confirmed. I mean, he’s really into telling the truth and he’ll do whatever it takes to do that. He’ll stay in the scene until he feels like we have a genuine connection or that we’ve really told the story that this dialogue is meant to tell. It’s nice.
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Post by Claudia on Jan 1, 2018 13:19:16 GMT
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Post by Replicant on Jan 2, 2018 10:58:09 GMT
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Post by Claudia on Jan 9, 2018 11:02:35 GMT
nationalpost.com/entertainment/television/the-second-act-counter-punch-of-jean-claude-van-dammeThe second-act counter-punch of Jean-Claude Van Damme By Calum Marsh January 8, 2018 Now, I have interviewed many actors about many projects, and I am well-accustomed to hearing rapturous affirmations in interviews. But never in my career as a journalist and critic has someone impressed upon me with such candour and conviction their belief in the calibre of the work they’re promoting. “This is my best movie,” he told me outright. “Not because it’s now. It’s really my best film. If something happened to me today, it’s okay. Honestly. I would be happy because this show is what I left behind.”
[..]
But it really sounded as though JC wanted to show off to his loved ones — to remind them that he had not in fact receded into obscurity, or perhaps to remind himself. It was touching.
[..]
I felt insecure about it, about doing it well, but I knew I could always go back to the same spot on my safety wheel, which is ‘Jean-Claude Van Damme’, that type of guy, you know? The whole thing, it could have been just another Van Damme movie, and that’s it. But it isn’t.”
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Post by Claudia on Jan 21, 2018 14:17:23 GMT
www.cupbord.com/index.php/2018/01/20/jean-claude-van-damme-explains-why-his-ball-punching-move-always-works-in-real-life/Jean-Claude Van Damme Explains Why His Ball-Punching Move ‘Always Works’ In Real Life By Mohamed Elarby On January 20, 2018 Since “Jean-Claude Van Johnson” is technically a parody of your life, I have to ask ― are you a real secret agent?
No, of course not. I was never an agent. But I was with a lot of different personalities all over the world from the Middle East to Russia to Bosnia to Chechnya to Indonesia. And all those people are at the head of countries. I don’t know why they like me. They love sports, they love martial arts, and I was able, because of that, to meet big boys and also meet normal guys. So I’m sure my phone is bugged.
Of course. Think about it. When an actor goes left and right around the world like that, they have nothing else to do than to listen. I’m not staying home … so it’s a nice idea for me to be an actor and a spy in real life.
You make light of yourself in the series, including your famous split and crotch punch. When did you start doing that move?
Oh, the punching in the balls?
Yeah. Punching in the balls.
I mean, in real life it always works. Especially against big people, because I’m a small guy. No, no, but, I mean, in martial arts they have a kick to the temple, to the sternum, under the chin, to the throat, to the testicles. And it hurts … but they used that in the show because it’s kind of cool.
Remember “Lionheart”? The guy is kicking me, and I block his legs in the air, and I go [makes punching and groaning sound]. In “Jean-Claude Van Johnson,” it’s different. It’s almost like [makes more punching sounds] and the guy goes down slowly.
Mortal Kombat’s Johnny Cage was modeled after you. Did you ever play the game?
You know, the moves and the clothing and everything. I never talked to those guys, but normally they were not supposed to use the name and the face and the lookalike. If I wanted to … but I will never in my life. I will never sue anybody. It’s against my rules. Even if a guy slapped me in the face. I don’t care. But who cares? “Bloodsport” ― all that stuff in Mortal Kombat came from there.
You left “Predator” for “Bloodsport,” right? What do you think your career would’ve been like if you didn’t leave “Predator”?
One, I was bye-bye because they wanted to start “Bloodsport” just a couple of weeks after “Predator,” but thank God the suit I was trying in “Predator” didn’t work, so they made a new one. Which is true by the way.
[The original predator suit can be seen below.]
But you want to know the story? When I met “Bloodsport” producer Menahem Golan, no matter what I did — I did the split between two legs in between two chairs, I showed my body, I took my shirt off — he said, “My friend, you know you’re not a movie star … Chuck Norris is a star. You’re just another guy.”
And I said, “Yeah, but Arnold Schwarzenegger likes me. And I’m the heavy in ‘Predator.‘” So he goes, “OK, call Fox.” So he called 21st Century Fox and said, “Is Van Damme playing the Predator?” They said, “Yes, Van Damme is playing.” He goes, “OK, so you get ‘Bloodsport.’” But he didn’t know I was in a costume in “Predator.”
So all this happened. It’s an amazing life.
It’s been about 30 years since “Bloodsport.”
Mark Wahlberg wants to do “Bloodsport 2” … I don’t know if he’s going to get it, but Mark Wahlberg, when he came from Boston, he came to my house. Knocks on my door. But I was not the guy who opened the door. It was my guy Pepe ― housekeeper, great guy. And he said, “Well, there’s a young man outside. He wants to make a documentary on you, is a big fan of you from ‘Bloodsport.’” And I said, “I don’t have time to make a documentary about ‘Bloodsport.’ It’s not such a good movie. It’s only karate and stuff,” so the guy left.
It was Mark Wahlberg. You can mention that because it’s the truth. He came on Saks Avenue. It was about 25, 30 years ago. He came to my house. He found my house. To show you how hungry he was, he found my house. He rang the bell. That’s why he’s very successful today, I guess.
You punch a snake in “Hard Target.” Have you ever really punched a snake?
I never punched a snake. But do you remember the scene in “Enter the Dragon,” when Bruce Lee takes a snake out of a bag, and then he takes the head of the snake and smacks the snake ― to excite him ― and then he throws the snake inside? You have to see a movie called “Enter the Dragon.”
Yeah, I’ve seen “Enter the Dragon.”
Lee’s very sexy, and even with the snake it was sexy the way he did it. And then he sends the snake on his enemies. So I didn’t think about that. But you know Tom Pollock, who was at that time the chairman of the Motion Picture Group of Universal Studios? A good friend of mine. Aw, what a great guy. What a great person is Tom Pollock. He said, “Hey, Jean-Claude, I would like you to take a snake and to punch the snake.”
That’s his idea. And I said, “Tom, this will never work. Are you crazy? You want me to punch a snake? It’s gonna get knocked out?” He said, “Listen, Jean-Claude, you’ve got to do me this favor. I feel it’s gonna work.” And guess what? You know those guys, man, they just know shit we don’t know. They know what to do. They have sometimes those amazing moments.
Yeah, that still lives on.
But again and again, I did it very seriously. When I punched the snake, to me, it looked like I was punching the face of a bad boy, so I stayed very serious on the action, and it looked good.
It’s an iconic snake punch.
At the premiere, when I saw here’s the snake coming in on screen, and you see me holding the snake, and the snake gets knocked out, people start to laugh. I go, “That’s it. I’m in trouble here.” But they were laughing in a good way.
Since you’re known for your fight scenes, there’s this popular internet question: What would you rather fight, 100 duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck?
If I would like to fight 100 what?
[Publicist jumps in: “Would you rather fight 100 horses that are the size of ducks ― so like tiny little horses, but 100 of them? Or would you rather fight one giant duck that’s the size of a horse? Which would you rather fight?”]
The 100 small horses, because I know nature. You put a duck the size of a horse ― it’s very strong, you know? It will go nuts on the water ― woosh, like beep, beep ― and it will be great. But I don’t think a duck will hurt me because I’m such a cutie guy. It will maybe keep me captive for a couple of years. That’s not good for Amazon and Ridley Scott. But what can I do?
So you’d go with the horses?
I cannot kick a horse. I cannot kick a duck. Maybe I’ll be friends with them, because animals, they never engage a fight. That’s what humans don’t get. Some people get it. We have more good people than strange people in terms of animals. We have to really protect them. It’s very important for our children.
What do you think about all the parodies of the split you did in the Volvo commercial?
It’s crazy. Crazy. Yeah, the split became a new cult. But we gonna find a new move, huh? Something different to come back. I have to find a new move, something completely amazing. I think it’s a cool thing. It will go all over the place. It’s like the “I’ll be back” line of Arnold. But I think that split is more strong though, because it’s an image.
Has there been any talk of “Jean-Claude Van Johnson” Season 2?
Hopefully if it’s good, and the ratings are high, then we may have the chance to do a second season. And if not, it’s destiny. That’s it. It’s nothing complicated about life.
This interview had been edited and condensed for clarity.
RIP “Jean-Claude Van Johnson.”
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