Dragon Hunt (1990)

PLOT: Twin kickboxers fight for their lives as an army of misfit mercenaries attempts to hunt them down in the harsh Canadian wilderness. While the flannel is optional, moustaches are required.

Director: Charlie Wiener
Writers: Michael McNamara
Cast: Martin McNamara, Michael McNamara, B. Bob, Sheryl Foster, Heidi Romano, Curtis Bush, Ed Tyson, Charles Ambrose

PLOT THICKENER

There's a memorable scene in the 1993 action vehicle Back in Action that finds Billy Blanks's hero character fighting off an identical pair of mustachioed, Zubaz pants-wearing goofs of athletic build and below-average height. "Who ARE those dudes?!" I recall blurting out within the safety of my own stupid brain. It was only a few hours later that I discovered that these particular dudes were Michael (Mick) and Martin McNamara, Canada's own "Twin Dragons." (Ha! Take that, Jackie!) Not only had the twins made a successful living as martial arts instructors in their native country and promoted kickboxing matches all over the world, but they produced three of their own films where they were the stars. 1990's Dragon Hunt, a quasi-sequel-ish follow-up to their debut in 1986's Twin Dragon Encounter, promised double the action, double the facial hair, and approximately eight times the vanity as their first film.

In what one can only assume is an autobiographical tale, the McNamara brothers play twin Canadian kickboxing instructors named Martin and Mick. A twisted creep with a metal hand by the name of Jake (Bob) leads his private army -- er, the People's Private Army -- in framing the twins in a cruise boat hijacking. This act is not entirely without cause, as we observe via flashback that Jake is a previously vanquished adversary who lost his hand in a prior encounter of the Twin Dragon variety. If that's not bad enough, Jake contracts two attractive ladies -- played by Sheryl Foster and Heidi Romano, respectively -- to court the twins and lure them to a secluded island under the guise of a getaway vacation. Before long, the twins are captured by Jake and forced to act as prey in his own twisted version of a most dangerous game. His gang has used every method available to them, up to and including placing ads in "all the mercenary, hunting, and martial arts magazines" in order to find the best hunters, killers, and poachers in the world to hunt the twins down for a $250,000 (CAD) prize. Jake's mercenaries include expert trappers, whiteboy ninjas,  a "beastmaster" in a cowboy hat (Tyson) who owns a furry dog, and a lot of guys with terrible haircuts. The only arbitrary rule: no guns allowed. (Until the climax). Can the twins survive in the Canadian wilderness with the deck stacked against them? Will Jake get his ultimate revenge? Can the cast and crew manage only one restroom among them (per co-star Curtis Bush)?

Let’s get this out of the way: the heroes McNamara are total jerks in this film. At the start of their vacation with their lady friends, one twin snaps a girl’s bra strap while another twin mimes humping the back of the other girl’s head. While driving a boat, one twin pours a perfectly good beer all over one of the gals while she's sitting down and minding her business. The first fatal strike they make against Jake’s army is killing the Beastmaster’s dog instead of the goons for hire. Later in the film, they chase an enemy through the woods while taunting him about his weight. Maybe skull-humping, body-shaming dog murderers are celebrated as heroes in some parts of the world, but not in my house.

As the ruthless gang leader, Jake, B. Bob is both the best and worst thing about the film. His visual look strikes the right balance between loud-mouthed 1980s wrestling manager and walk-on extra in an Italian post-apocalyptic b-movie. His gruff, stilted dialogue ("trained assassins -- ruthless, fanatical, I LIKE THEM") is frequently hilarious and his incessant screaming is appropriate to match the campy tone of the film. However, his constant reliance on reciting fight songs and modified nursery rhymes is grating and not especially funny. If you thought the songs in City Dragon were an insult to the musical form, Jake's improvisations might be regarded as a cultural war crime. A certain segment of the viewing population will be entertained by these segments, and I want nothing more than for these people to fall victim to violent spasms of diarrhea while sitting in traffic.

The action builds in intensity and scale the way it should in genre action films -- Dragon Hunt gets this part mostly right. The rustic trap setting (a la First Blood) becomes more elaborate, the kills get more gruesome, and the firepower becomes louder and more frequent. The major misstep amidst all of this, though, is having two martial artists as stars and not featuring them in more than a couple of fights. Who do we have to blame for this oversight? The star martial artists themselves. One scene finds a twin battling a crossbow-wielding Curtis Bush -- the only other verifiable martial artist in the film, by my estimation -- but it's short-lived and a bit bland. The climax sees the twins deploying every weapon in their arsenal, punches and kicks included, but the fight is dogged by slo-mo and lacks any interesting exchanges or combinations. Instead of going with relative strengths -- actual fighting -- the McNamara twins oddly chose the more "Eighties!" option of traps and guns. This was the film's biggest weakness and a baffling decision when you consider the personnel.

VERDICT

Dragon Hunt is the second in three self-made McNamara films, and regardless of what you think of them from a quality perspective, you have to admire the gusto of the twins' effort. At the the end of the day, though, this story is derivative, the acting ranges from stiff to goofy, and the action isn't executed well enough to counteract the missteps in other areas. An odd, occasionally entertaining curiosity.

AVAILABILITY

The only official copies never made it beyond VHS, so eBay and Amazon are your best bet. Occasional do-gooders have uploaded it to YouTube.

2.5 / 7

Enter the Interview: Curtis Bush

For our final review of 2012, we looked at a gory, over-the-top, straight-to-video release called Psycho Kickboxer. The film starred professional boxer and kickboxer, Curtis Bush, a champion whose 20-year career in the ring saw him collect various titles in the welterweight, light-middlweight, middlweight, and super welterweight divisions. A native of Virginia, his first film role came in 1988's Canadian martial arts film, Dragon Hunt, starring the McNamara brothers (first seen by yours truly in Back in Action). Soon after, he appeared as a Foot Soldier in the first two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films, and various roles in television and film followed.

Through the magic of social media, I recently connected to Curtis and he agreed to participate in an interview to share his thoughts about his life and film work.

Fist of B-List: Several competitive kickboxers -- Don Wilson, Ian Jacklin, Kathy Long, Jerry Trimble -- turned into actors during the late 1980s and 1990s. Did you look to any of these people as potential models for what you wanted your film career to be?
Curtis: I grew up loving action movies and heroes like Clint Eastwood, Bruce Lee, and Charles Bronson. I wanted to be them. I fought Trimble in his retirement fight in 1988. We fought to a 12 round draw, and Trimble retired and moved to California where he scored big in action movies.

Fist of B-List: How did you become involved with the production of 1990’s Dragon Hunt? Could you describe the experience of working with the McNamara brothers?
Curtis: I fought and knocked out the #1 world welterweight contender Paul Biafore in Toronto, Canada in 1988, and his managers Mic and Martin McNamara invited me to play a Poacher in their film Dragon Hunt. The twins, as they are known, are two hyper energetic fun loving guys who make movies. We filmed for two weeks on an island in Toronto and I loved it. One outhouse and 30 Canadian crew/actors made for fun times.

Fist of B-List: Psycho Kickboxer has a very homegrown quality to it. You’ve said in interviews that you used some of your students in the film, and some family members and friends contributed towards the production budget. Did that add to the pressure of making the film, or did it put you more at ease?
Curtis: My mom and sister invested and a lot of my students’ parents invested as well. I did not want this film to fail. Even if we made no money, I wanted a 100% finished product that they could watch and say they were a part of. And of course, we did not make a dime!

Fist of B-List: In an interview with DVD Verdict, you described how you wanted to make a Death Wish film, but with kickboxing. Do you think you succeeded in doing that with Psycho Kickboxer?
Curtis: I met a producer in 1992 and we started planning Psycho Kickboxer, where I would be the lead. I wanted the film to be Death Wish, Chinese Connection, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly all rolled into one low budget masterpiece. My students and friends played bad guys and victims and we signed with EI Cinema to release the film on video in 1997. Took 5 years to get a release on home video. EI re-released the film in 2008 on DVD.

Fist of B-List: What other film or acting experiences stick out for you?
Curtis: In 2000 I was chosen to do the motion-capture for the Xbox video game, Bruce Lee: Quest of the Dragon released in 2002. I played the character Cobra who fights Bruce Lee in the game. Had so much fun filming in California and having my face scanned at Microsoft Headquarters in Redmond, Washington. Terence Masson selected me and James Teal directed. In Hawaii I have worked on the TV series Lost, North Shore, Hawaii 5-0, and a few films including Battleship. My acting skills suck but I am determined to be an actor. Love the film business, big time.

Fist of B-List: Could you talk about some of your memories from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films? What was that film set like, compared to others you've been on? If you worked with Pat Johnson, what was that experience like?
Curtis: I never heard of the Turtles until I went to the open audition in Wilmington, NC where it was filmed. About 300 martial artists from around the country and Canada were there. I auditioned in front of Pat Johnson and all I could think was: "hey, that’s the referee from Karate Kid and one of the bad guys in Enter the Dragon.” I then proceeded to beat the shit out myself with my nunchucks. They must have liked it, and called me the next morning to tell me I was one of 30 Foot cast in the film. Pat was a great Fight Coordinator and man. He talked to the Foots and Turtles in a friendly voice. Everyone loved him and wanted to do their best to please this great martial artist. But on the first day of filming with the Foots, one of the Foots showed up about an hour late. He was fired in front of all the other Foots and had to do a walk of shame out of the studio. No Foot was ever even a second late after that! One day during off time, Pat had me hold the mitts while he punched and kicked. I was in awe and proud to be helping him work out. Great memories. My friend, World Champion Dale Frye, and Jimmie Lee Sessom of North Carolina were also cast as Foots and we had a blast.

Fist of B-List: Were there any martial arts actors with whom you would have liked to work in a film, but didn't get the chance?
Curtis: Love Chuck Norris. That would be cool. He was my instructor’s instructor so I had the chance a few times to meet and talk with him. Great man!

Fist of B-List: What is your personal opinion on the influence of MMA and jiu-jitsu in modern fight choreography? Do you think it makes the fights better or do stand-up styles translate better for the camera?
Curtis: Stand up fighting looks better and is more exciting than ground fighting. Flashy kicks and punches always sells.

I'd like to thank Curtis for sharing his experiences and being so generous with his time. Be sure to check out Psycho Kickboxer and keep your eyes peeled for his appearance in 2012's Battleship!

Psycho Kickboxer (1997)

PLOT: After a kickboxer gets engaged to his girlfriend, the couple’s plans for matrimony are derailed -- not by lousy choices of the catering service or wedding band, but by homicide. Will he take vengeance on the crime boss responsible? Better yet, can he get his deposit back from the wedding venue?

Directors: David Haycox, Mardy South
Writers: Kathy Varner (screenplay), Danny Dennison (story)
Cast: Curtis Bush, Kathy Reynolds, Rodney Suitor, Tom Story, Rick Clark





PLOT THICKENER:
Following in the footsteps of those before him -- Don “The Dragon” Wilson, and Jerry “Golden Boy” Trimble included -- Curtis “The Explosive Thin Man” Bush swapped out his gloves and shin guards for acting in 1990, when he played “Poacher/Ninja” in an obscure Canadian kickboxing movie called Dragon Hunt. After a few years of supporting roles, he graduated to star performer in 1997’s Psycho Kickboxer. While it’s true that we’ve failed to cover anything in the Best of the Best franchise, any of Jeff Speakman’s output, and not a single fucking Lorenzo Lamas movie, I guess I’m a sucker for box art depicting a ninja kicking a dude’s head off his body with blood spurting out.

A kickboxing Virginian named Alex Hunter (Bush) has his world turned upside down when both his new fiancee and his police chief father are murdered by goons working for Hawthorne (Story), the foppish crime boss Papa Hunter was trying to lock away. Shot and left for dead, Alex awakens days later to find that a handicapped homeless war veteran named Joshua (Suiter) has taken him in, healed his wounds, and nursed him back to health. While grateful, Alex laments the lost opportunity to protect his loved ones, recounting the terrible event with all the raw emotion of an elderly man reading letters off an eye chart. It turns out that Hawthorne is a common enemy for both men; Joshua reveals that he was paralyzed by Hawthorne’s gang. He wants Alex to act as his legs and warns that their vengenace hinges upon Alex “controlling the animal." Whatever dude.

Among other activities, controlling the animal consists of Alex hitting the heavy bag, doing sit-ups, running along a beach, and dressing up like a ninja while stopping petty criminals from committing everything from armed robbery to grand theft auto. He also scares some children from spraypainting the side of a warehouse, an act which experts agree is either a gateway crime to more violent deeds or a good way to break into the art world. His completely unoriginal brand of vigilante justice earns Alex the moniker of "The Dark Angel" in the media and catches the interest of private investigator Jack Cook (Clark) and a character named Cassie Wells (Reynolds) who may or may not have been a journalist, but definitely had a topless scene.

We should probably start off with the good. Curtis Bush has a solid moustache and you can tell that he's a legitimate fighter; he’s athletic, his strikes are crisp and his kicks in particular are delivered with great form. However, sabotaging Bush’s display of physical skills is the usual three-headed Ghidorah of pedestrian choreography, poor camera angles, and amateurish editing. Some unusual touches brighten up this blueprint on occasion. Alex dons his ninja gear to fight a pair of gangbangers donned in Zubaz pants in the middle of the day on the Virginia Beach boardwalk as beachgoers observe with confused restraint. In a scene that recalls Lady Snowblood’s unique combination of cinematic violence and serene snowfall, Bush’s character kicks a bag of cocaine in the air and covers two violent drug dealers in Colombian Marching Powder before beating them unconscious.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the ridiculous amount of gore strewn throughout the film: a gruesome headshot in an ode to Tom Savini’s work in Maniac, a crushed head beneath a car tire, and a chopped hand during a tense gang meeting are some of the highlights. I counted one instance where chocolate syrup was substituted for blood, and it honestly would’ve been better used on ice cream or mixed with bourbon, as I often do when lacking more suitable mixers.

On what was, no doubt, a shoestring budget, directors David Haycox and Mardy South prove occasionally capable. While Haycox won’t get any comparisons to Christopher Doyle or Dean Cundey for his camera work, he frames a few good shots throughout the film but the frequent use of steadicam was nauseating. There’s no major technical faux pas on the level of a visible boom mic or crash mat, but the film looks really washed out and poorly lit overall. That can be forgiven considering the budget, but a better effort in this area alone could have elevated the content. The directing duo’s attention to gore is both curious and gratuitous, so I obviously loved it. In a kickboxing movie filled with shit lighting and SNES-level music, I appreciated that they flouted most tenets of technically sound filmmaking to focus on executing not one, but two exploding head scenes. Perhaps to the film’s benefit, they leaned on a lot of footage of a pair of radio DJ personalities talking about The Dark Angel's deeds to pad out the running time. While grating, they provide an element of quirk to the story which, outside of the Joshua character, the film sorely lacks.

VERDICT:
If you got through the trailer for this movie and thought anything other than “I’ve been waiting my entire life for a movie that combines video-quality production values, kickboxing, campy gore, and on-air banter from Virginia radio DJs” you are going to be sorely disappointed by Psycho Kickboxer. I think a weak script left Curtis Bush vulnerable to some fairly awful moments -- screams of despair and dialogue that exposes his discomfort with emoting come to mind -- but he acquits himself reasonably well during fight scenes. At the end of the day, this is a quirky slice of movie-making best enjoyed amongst friends. Forgiving, non-judgemental, extremely stoned, possibly unconscious friends.

AVAILABILITY:
Amazon, Netflix, EBay.

3.5 / 7