Albert Pyun, Director of Cult Films, dies at 6918811
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| Albert Pyun, Director of Cult Films ‘Cyborg’ and ‘The Sword and the Sorcerer,’ Dies at 69 The B-movie filmmaker also directed 1990’s direct-to-video ”Captain America“ Thom Geier | November 27, 2022  Albert Pyun, the prolific director of low-budget B-movies ranging from “The Sword and the Sorcerer” to “Cyborg” to a 1992 direct-to-video version of “Captain America,” died Saturday at age 69, according to a Facebook book from his wife and producer, Cynthia Curran. “I sat with him for his last breath that sounded like he was releasing the weight of the world,” Curran wrote. Several years ago, Pyun was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and dementia. Born in Hawaii, Pyun got his start in film after meeting Japanese star Toshiro Mifune, who brought him to Japan to intern on a TV series he was doing. After working as a commercial film editor for several years, then moved to Los Angeles and took his shot on the 1982 low-budget fantasy film called “The Sword and the Sorcerer.” The film became a low-budget smash, grossing $39 million and earning Richard Lynch a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor. It also earned Pyun the attention of mainstream Hollywood studios. He was briefly attached to direct “Total Recall” for Universal, and did direct the John Stockwell-Carey Lowell thriller “Dangerously Close” (1986) and the Carey Lowell thriller “Down Twisted” (1987) for Menahem Golan’s Cannon Films. Pyun followed those films with the martial arts cyberpunk hit “Cyborg” (1989), starring Jean Claude Van Damme as a mercenary in a post-apocalyptic America. The film grossed $10 million in theaters, but proved even more successful on home video where it developed a cult following that justified two sequels. In 1990, Pyun directed “Captain America,” a loose retelling of the Marvel Comics superhero’s origin story starring Matt Salinger (the son of reclusive writer J.D. Salinger). The film became mired in legal rights issues and was released on cable TV and direct-to-video in 1992. In the 1990s, Pyun continued to direct low-budget genre fare like “Kickboxer 2” that seldom won over critics though they consistently turned a profit. He also worked with up-and-coming actors like Teri Hatcher, Charlie Sheen and Rob Lowe. By the 2000s, he frequently turned to older actors such as Steven Seagal and Dennis Hopper, stars of the 2001 action film “Ticker,” or Kevin Sorbo and Michael Paré in the 2010 fantasy “Tales of an Ancient Empire.” He completed his final film, “Interstellar Civil War” starring Kenzie Phillips in 2017. |
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 -Our Odin-Rest in Peace |
Jesse_O private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Oh man!!! He directed some great B movies, especially Captain America!!! RIP Mr. Pyun. Thanks for the movies. |
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 Staple topics, nice.
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makahuka private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Such a bummer, I watched Captain America as much as I could as a young adult, was totally stoked! RIP and thanks for the Marvel film Albert Pyun! | ||
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 Collector
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Rafel private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Rest In Peace Albert Pyun. | ||
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 Where's his Bat-package?
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Byrdibyrd private msg quote post Address this user | |
| To this day, I still remember seeing "The Sword and the Sorcerer" in the cinema when it was first released. It was a great Cruddy Movie. So bad it was a delight to watch. Thanks for the entertainment, Mr. Pyun! RIP |
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 I'm not a plagiarist. I'm also not illiterate.
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drmccoy74 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by ByrdibyrdYup I remember seeing that one in the theater too. I liked Clash of the Titans better though. Both good rotten movies like you say |
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 I don't believe this....and I know you don't care that I don't believe this.
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GAC private msg quote post Address this user | |
| rip | ||
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Where's his Bat-package?
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Byrdibyrd private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by drmccoy74 Clash of the Titans is awesome! Harryhausen's best stop motion by far. Also a spectacular cast and I think every one of them phoned in their performances. Far more entertaining than the totally unnecessary remake! CGI did NOT improve on the stop motion, and rubbish acting did not improve on wooden acting from some of the greatest actors in cinema history. The original Clash of the Titans is the star attraction of any Cruddy Movie Night while the remake is just crud. |
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-Our Odin- Rest in Peace |
Jesse_O private msg quote post Address this user | |
| It does my heart good to see all this love for B movies!!! | ||
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Where's his Bat-package?
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Byrdibyrd private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I love classic cinema (my all-time fave is Casablanca), but there's a bit of work involved in watching these A-list movies. All the nuances you miss if you don't pay attention to every detail, the background you may need in order to catch references and symbolism, and all the minutiae you have to consider at the end in order to properly analyse your experience with the film(s). The huge advantage to B-listers and Cruddy Movies is that you can just have a great time watching them. Sure, you can find hidden depths if you apply critical theory to some of them, but it's not strictly necessary to the viewing experience. There is incalculable value to things that exist purely for our entertainment and enjoyment, just as there is for artistic masterpieces. | ||
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