Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (original) (raw)

There is no need to say much after my first interview with Isaac Florentine last year. This mega-talented director and very nice person will make his breakthrough with "Undisputed II: Last Man Standing" and finally also attract the attention that he deserves.

Isaac, you finished the movie last year but nine months later the audience still waits for the release. New Line hasn't pubish an official date but they work on extras - for example audio commentaries. How frustrating is it for you to await the release of your last work also first reviews are very positive?

The release date is Jan 23 2007. The reason for the delay is because of series of events that happened to the film since its first audience test score on Dec 2005. Originally the film was pre-sold to New Line Cinema. The First audience test screen was in Long Beach CA. The film scored extremely high. New Line decided to test the film once more in Clifton NJ. and the scores were pretty much similar. Bob Berney from Picture house (A company partly owned by New Line) attended that screening, liked the film and the way the audience reacted to it and decided to come with a plan to release it theatrically (Bob released My Big Fat Greek Wedding and the Passion of the Christ). Unfortunately his plan was rejected by New Line. Avi Lerner the CEO of Nu Image asked the film back from New Line, so he'll be able to shop it around in order to find a company that will release it theatrically. New Line gave him 30 days to do it and basically asked for an additional price for the film if it'll be sold to another campany. The film generated interest with other companies, but thefact that they had to out buy New Line made the film's price an unattractive acquisition. As an example the film was shown to Harvey Weinstein who liked it but did not want to out buy New Line. Finally the film came back to New Line. Luckily the senior VP of the Home entertainment devision is a great guy who really loves films. His name is Kevin Kasha and he is the Person who originally bought the film in the first place (when we were still in its first shooting week), Kevin already believed in the film in that stage. When Kevin purchased the film, our producer Boaz Davidson called me told me the good news and asked me how can he help . I asked Boaz to give us more shooting days and he managed to do it. Kevin Kasha is proud of the final result and he is determined to make it a DVD hit for New Line. So are his stuff and rest of the people I met in New Line. That is why Kevin is planning to release the film at January 2007, so the film will not be buried by the Christmas and Summer films. So looking back I can say that for me it's a bitter sweet victory...

You told me in our first interview that your are a freelancer who does not create new projects but modifies existing projects. How can I imagine these changes using the example of "Undisputed II: Last Man Standing"?

From my experience of directing a lot of episodic TV, I came to realize that in reality the director's craft is to give his interpretation to the written material, allowing him to emphasizes things he feels are right to the film (and genre) - I am not a big Jazz fan but I believe its like the way a Jazz player takes a music piece and plays the way he feels is right for him. or an arrangement for a music piece that can go to many directions. When a production company are bringing a director to do a project it really means they're bringing a certain style in to it. I can not really give you a specific example because it is all over the film. Also it really began from the fact that I am no a fan of jail films and I did not want to do a depressing jail film so I went more in the direction of a fun film kind of like the original Longest Yard" a different director could have taken that film and go to different direction . - Ringo Lam made From Hell and went into a violent gloomy direction I went for the action "light" feel. It doesn't mean one is better then the other it's a matter of taste (Some like Vanilla ice cream some chocolate...)

After "Desert Kickboxer" you found your entrance to Nu Image (My mistake: the movie was made by Golbal Pictures) on the set of "American Cyborg: Steel Warrior" as martial arts choreographer. Can you explain a little bit how these contact came into being?

Not really, NU Image was not involved in American cyborg, as it did not existed yet in LA, however it's the first time I worked under Boaz Davidson who directed the film. and ever since then I see him as close friend and a mentor in the film making world. I did not really do a lot in the film, I wanted to do much more but it was always a matter of short scheduling. I met Boaz just before the film, by then he was already a legend (because of the Lemon popsicle films) Boaz has a rare capability to look into a person's insight immediately and read it like an open book. That makes him the good director he is, and a great story teller / film maker with tremendous grip on a story. I said it before and will say it again . I truly believe that Undisputed II: Last Man Standing came up good is because of Boaz Davidson. He was like a solid rock making sure the film will get anything needed to elevate its quality. This film was a total joint effort and he was the fuel that made the engine running.

Between "Special Forces" and "Undisputed II: Last Man Standing" is a lapse of three years? What do you between your movies normally and how difficult is it for you to wait for the next production?

It's frustrating as I love doing films I do not like the waiting period. However sometimes I feel I need the time to recharge the batteries. I use to direct TV episodes in between (Power Rangers). Also I am a partner in Rising Sun productions that distributes and produce Instructional Martial Arts DVD strictly for the Martial arts practitioners. And having a large family four kids and a wonderful wife that is a full time physician, I am always always busy.

Five years ago you shot with "U.S. Seals II" your last movie in Bulgaria. Nu Image invested a lot of money in the local studios in the last years. Did you feel big differences during filming "Undisputed II: Last Man Standing" compared to "U.S. Seals II" ? Nu Images productions also often placed in South Africa. Would it attract you to work in South Africa again. In my opinion the locations are looking more attractive and unspent.

Actually I did the first film Nu Image did in Bulgaria (Bridge of Dragon with Dolph Lundgren). For me that film was a total mess because the shooting conditions were really bad. I liked Bulgaria and it's people but I was not sure I wanted to make there films again . Ever since then I did two more films there and visited the country five more times. It a total new experience I love working in Bulgaria the crew (same one from the first film) is really good and Sofia is a beautiful great city. And the studio there is running like a machine. The head of the studio David Varod is a good friend he was the production designers in Cold Harvest and Bridge of Dragon . David has a great managing instincts besides being an artist and a man who knows from first hand the craft of making films. It's always a pleasure to work in the studio. I also shot in Lithuania and South Africa. I have no problems to shoot anywhere as long as it's right for the film. -The film comes first.

You can feel the pulse of the b movie industry direct in Los Angeles. After a few rather unsuccessful years excellent films like "Undisputed II: Last Man Standing" or Dolph Lundgrens "The Mechanik" delight the fans and also veterans such as Wesley Snipes or Jean-Claude Van Damme find themself in better productions. Is there a optimistic mood to detect? How does your view in the future look?

I wish others would feel the same. As I find it, the main stream Hollywood is shying away from B-movie Hollywood. I discovered that being a straight to DVD director is ( just to quoteBoaz Davidson) " worst then saying you have a Malaria..." I always say that until the French New Wave "intellectuals" called the American B films that were made in the 30's "Film Noir" the American looked down at these films. I always joke with my wife that probably after I'll be long gone some important film maker (from the mainstream) will say that he used to love the B films of directors like Steve Wang or Isaac Florentine when he was a kid...

Ok, the closing words are yours. If you want to say something to the your fans is this your opportunity.

I do not have fans - We're all fans!! We're all fans of the genre we love so much. I am maybe lucky to express myself in it and to do a film or two. however I really believe we're all in the same boat. If not for the action/ Martial arts films, especially Bruce Lee Sergio Leone and the Spaghetti Westerns, I would have never got the desire to become a film maker. - At the end with all I said I love it!! And I really like that I am getting good reactions for U2 and I hope to do better films in the future.