17-11-09 : The Blood Bond (part 40)

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Big Brawl#1 : Yam VS Biehn

Were it not for some inconsistencies in their DNA, I would suspect that Michael Biehn and Simon Yam were long-lost half-brothers. These two are absolutely cut from the same cloth: both consummate professionals, both with decades of industry experience, both highly energetic and remarkably physical...

I remember when I first worked with both of them on 'Dragon Squad' (AKA 'Dragon Heat'). The 'stars' of the film were a bunch of overly-pampered newcomers, who had to be handled like royalty, even though (as it turned out) the five of them rolled into one couldn't open a film. The kids themselves were fine; it was the irritatingly excessive 'management' teams around them that grated.

Then there were the old hands: Simon, Michael, Sammo Hung, Maggie Q... They just showed up and got the job done with the minimum of fuss. In the end, they were the ones you remembered from the film.

Michael and Simon never really got to know each other on 'Dragon Squad', so its great that they have become comrades in arms on 'The Blood Bond'.

Tonight's scene sees Lompoc (Simon) and his right hand woman Guang Di (Emma Pei) storm a hospital ICU. This scene is set after a fierce firefight which we have yet to shoot. Michael takes great pleasure in trashing the set to ensure that it matches its post-gunplay 'look'.

Simon has, of course, long years of experience with on screen gunplay. He inhabits the role of a veteran rebel leader effortlessly.

We're all impressed at how good Emma looks with her weapon. Its a long way from the catwalk to battlefield, but 'Pei Bei' delivers. Off camera, she's her usual pixie-ish self.

We're drawing to the end of her time on the movie, and, boy, we're all going to miss her. I promised her a lead in another film, if she can gain 30 pounds (or more!). Its either that, or we make Chinese Popeye, with her as Olive Oyl!

There's the usual fun and games between her and Simon, who seems to have adopted Emma as his naughty little sister.

Once inside the ICU, Lompoc and Guang Di get ambushed by our heroes, which leads into a no-holds-barred battle between Simon and Michael.

The idea is that we juxtapose a brutal, anything goes fight for Lompoc and Tremayne with a more stylised martial arts duel between Deva and her opposite number, Guang Di.

Action director Ken Yip's job is made much easier by the fact that (though they're both in their early 50s), both Michael and Simon have great coordination, and keep themselves in top condition.

What really 'sells' the fight is that the guys never neglect the acting aspect of the scene, in favour of the action. Everything comes from the situation and the characters. The duel has a genuinely visceral feel to it, despite the fact that the guys are best friends between takes.

We take the fight as far as we can, and then wrap for the night, with our two combatants limping off to prepare for round two. (And after that the girls start!)

Next: Big Brawl#2 : Yam VS Biehn continued, plus Phoenix VS Emma