JCVD

[stray]

Well, I have to see this..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAMobwJwFYY


Van Damme plays himself... as a victim in a bank robbery.

[HaemishM]

That may be and at the same time.

[stray]

Apparently, from things I've read, the man is nearly Oscar worthy in it. Or in some cases, actually is Oscar worthy.

Jean-Claude Van Damme is simply amazing in the title role. His carries through an emotional range that is simply spectacular. I'm absolutely not kidding when I say the role may be Oscar worthy.  Jean-Claude is superb from the opening scene to the closing credits.  He's absolute proof to the statement that many actors make 'I'd just love an opportunity to show them what I can really do.' In JCVD, Jean-Claude shows us what he can really do, and there's no way anyone will be able to see him the same way again.

What if I told you that one of the coolest and most creative films of the fall starred.... Jean Claude Van Damme?

Van Damme delivers a devastating performance as a downtrodden caricature of himself, infusing the role with such emotional complexity that he seems at times almost unrecognizable.

Van Damme impressively takes the career comeback title from Mickey Rourke. It's an acting tour de force not to be missed. Van Damme bears his soul.

Those might be overstatements, but I'd be willing to accept a Shatner-like turn ala Denny Crane at least.

83% on Rotten Tomatoes

[Evil Elvis]

I've seen it.  It's pretty good.  Funnier than you'd expect, and a good performance from Jean-Claude.

[schild]

He won't get nominated for anything simply because it came out last year and uhhh, yea, that. For whatever reason, I've avoided watching it for about 4 months.

[WindupAtheist]

You guys don't watch enough B movies. Van Damme quietly turned into a very skilled actor years ago, honing his craft in a bunch of direct-to-video flicks that nobody saw. Replicant wasn't what I would call a good movie, but in it Van Damme plays a newly-made clone with the mind of a child. It's a very challenging part that most of the action guys he's typically lumped in with couldn't even attempt, but he pulls it off well, and that was all the way back in 2001.

[stray]

^ Heh


Well, I finally got a hold of this. I wonder if this movie makes fun of Chuck Zito (then again, that wouldn't be very smart).

[stray]

Yeah, cool flick. Not parodic at all. Actually really heartfelt and sad in some places. The stories aren't alike, but it vaguely resembles both Dog Day Afternoon and Being John Malkovich.. if that can make sense.

[Evildrider]

I haven't seen this yet, but I've always been a Van Dam > Seagal guy. 

I've heard it was pretty good and it even got him a spot in Stallone's new movie.  Which he passed on to work on Bloodsport 2.

[stray]

Seagal is cooler to me because Akido is cooler, and he knows his shit. Plus, he's basically responsible for some of the greatest comedies of our time.

[DraconianOne]

Seagal == Wife Beater

That shit's never cool.

[stray]

Umm.. was that ever in the news? I can't seem to find anything.... except other dudes on other message boards saying he was a wife beater. Heh

[WindupAtheist]

After the limelight faded and they were both relegated to direct-to-video releases, Van Damme continued to turn out reasonably entertaining B movies while simultaneously learning how to act. (I forget what it was called, but the one where he was briefly running through Jerusalem dressed up as an Orthodox Jew while being chased by a giant angry Arab had it's moments.) Segal just got fat and quit caring. He's starred in some of the worst examples of moviemaking I have ever seen, and this is coming from a guy who considers his earlier stuff to be good times.

[DraconianOne]

Umm.. was that ever in the news? I can't seem to find anything.... except other dudes on other message boards saying he was a wife beater. Heh

You've got me. The nearest I can get is http://www.nndb.com/crime/296/000043167/ but it doesn't give a date unlike the many of the others on that list and it also doesn't provide a source. I seem to recall reading about it in the news way back around the time it's supposed to have happened which would be about 1995/1996 so pre-Internet boom. Then again, it could be one of those urban myths.

Anyway, substitute wife beater for fat C&W singer and you still end up with not cool. There's definite proof about the latter.

[stray]

Haha. Not to get in a real argument or anything, but that is not "C&W", if by C&W you mean Country and Western. He plays blues guitar, and roots stuff.

[stray]

This movie needs more interest. It's not a joke. Really quite good. Not fucking with you with some "so bad it's good" thing. The story isn't the greatest, but all of the acting related stuff is justified.

[DraconianOne]

Haha. Not to get in a real argument or anything, but that is not "C&W", if by C&W you mean Country and Western. He plays blues guitar, and roots stuff.

I wouldn't get into an argument about it - I'm really not as anal as I sometimes come across.

[Jeff Kelly]

JCVD ran at the Fantasy Filmfest in Germany last June. It went by largely unnoticed because People already have certain aasumptions about Van damme movies. I thought that it was really great and I didn't know than Van Damme really can act so well.

[stray]

My only complaint is...

[lamaros]

I saw this tonight. Though it was fun, though it had its bad points. Mostly due to the film trying too hard with the narrative fucking about. Unless the thing is pure awesome on every level I don't want to spend my time watching the same scenes from different perspectives.

Van Damme did a good job, though I don't think his monologue was that amazing it did at least seem to have some passion.


For some reason no one else in the cinema seemed to think it was as funny as me. Didn't notice any laughs during the .

[schild]

Decided to pick this up since I had some remaining money at Fry's and it was on sale on Blu-Ray. Fucking superb. It's the best movie he'll ever make.