Author Topic: Jean-Claude Van Damme - Thoughts on his Legacy? (Read 9133 times)

Matt · « **on:** February 24, 2018, 01:52:45 AM »

Did anyone catch the 6-episode series "Jean-Claude Van Johnson"?

I only watched the first episode in full, and half the second. It was sort of like the movie JCVD, which I mean as a compliment.

That said, I do think it's kind of sad that Jean-Claude has been somewhat relegated to only making entertainment that sort of makes fun of his former prime...

When you think about it - with the accent in addition to the fact that he was sort of a piece of Hollywood male meat, it was sort of bound to turn out like this for him, which I find a little sad. He never had the star of Arnold, but along with Sylvester Stallone, and I would say Steven Seagal, he was a definite top 4 Hollywood action star IMO. I would say #3, although some would argue #4, others #2. Aside from The Rock, who can compare to Arnold?

Why is it that in Hollywood today, Liam Neeson is basically our modern-day action star, filming Taken 3 at over 60 years of age?

Is it just the whole anti-maleness or "Toxic Masculinity" BS going on?

Anyway, Wiki stated that Jean-Claude was consuming up to ten grams of cocaine a day by 1996 when he realized he had a problem. Yikes!

Is it safe to say that Jean-Claude is what happens when you combine the genetics for amazing physical fitness + drug abuse? As in, Jean-Claude has an amazing constitution to have tolerated that sort of cocaine habit? Or is it just that snorted cocaine is maybe like coffee, with 85% of the deaths coming from intravenous use? [don't quote me on that - just something I read online].

Ok, so that New Year's Resolution to reduce the sizes of my posts by 90%? Yeah, I made it to Day Zero. $:-\$

Thoughts on Van Damme? His Amazon Prime 6-episode series? His state of mind and being today? Am I wrong that he was safely top 4 in the Hollywood action world?

Discuss.

Matt · « **Reply #1 on:** February 24, 2018, 01:55:53 AM »

I'm posting this since I'm watching Hard Target right now...you have to feel sorry for the overweight Randal character in that movie...like WTF did he do wrong? Poor guy.

Was this Jean-Claude's top physique/form?

Kwon · « **Reply #2 on:** February 24, 2018, 02:04:25 AM »

Watch the beginning, Van Damage was great as villain as well.

Starts at 0:01:10

1:22:30 for some hilarious Van Damage-moments of Peace

ratherbebig · « **Reply #3 on:** February 24, 2018, 02:09:58 AM »

van damme is 8 years younger than liam neeson which is promising, in 2026 he can continue the TAKEN series (that is if liam neeson, then 73 has stopped making them)

Kwon · « **Reply #4 on:** February 24, 2018, 02:12:45 AM »

Quote from: ratherbebig on February 24, 2018, 02:09:58 AM

van damme is 8 years younger than liam neeson which is promising, in 2026 he can continue the TAKEN series (that is if liam neeson, then 73 has stopped making them)

Liam could probably continue with Taken up until his 80s...

ratherbebig · « **Reply #5 on:** February 24, 2018, 02:15:26 AM »

charles bronson did the death wish 5 at 73 years old

ratherbebig · « **Reply #6 on:** February 24, 2018, 02:17:56 AM »

not sure who matt has #3 action stars but i assume its kevin levrone

Matt · « **Reply #7 on:** February 24, 2018, 02:23:35 AM »

Quote from: Matt on February 24, 2018, 01:55:53 AM

I'm posting this since I'm watching Hard Target right now...you have to feel sorry for the overweight Randal character in that movie...like WTF did he do wrong? Poor guy.

Was this Jean-Claude's top physique/form?

Bah...I shouldn't have done this Google search.

So it turns out that Eliott Keener, the actor who performed the role of the overweight man Randal Poe in "Hard Target", who was murdered in the movie, himself died in 1999 of a heart attack, just over a month after turning 49.

How sad is that that the role he had in the movie that, I suspect, was the biggest box office hit he was in, was basically made fun of and abused, then murdered in the movie, only to himself die so young?

Damnit...I knew the man had to be around 70 now, and possibly - more like probably - no longer alive. Why did I have to run that Google search?

Matt · « **Reply #8 on:** February 24, 2018, 02:24:54 AM »

Quote from: Kwon on February 24, 2018, 02:04:25 AM

Watch the beginning, Van Damage was great as villain as well.

Starts at 0:01:10

1:22:30 for some hilarious Van Damage-moments of Peace

Nice! I don't think I've ever seen that. Thank you, Kwon!

Quote from: Kwon on February 24, 2018, 02:12:45 AM

Liam could probably continue with Taken up until his 80s...

LOL!!!

It's funny, but also funny you added that emoticon...because you are not kidding. Or maybe I can put that better - some would not think you are kidding. Heck, he is 65 years old now and Taken 3 was only released in 2014...

Always a pleasure reading your posts, Kwon!

Matt · « **Reply #9 on:** February 24, 2018, 02:31:08 AM »

Quote from: ratherbebig on February 24, 2018, 02:15:26 AM

charles bronson did the death wish 5 at 73 years old

Haha, I did not know that! Wow! That's perspective for you - Arnold will be 73 in 2020, although he cannot carry a movie alone as he once could. Seems like it needs to be in a multi-star vehicle for it to do well at the box office.

Quote from: ratherbebig on February 24, 2018, 02:17:56 AM

not sure who matt has #3 action stars but i assume its kevin levrone

Maybe Kev is in a league of his own? Or possibly just a league with himself and Chuck Norris?

PS - Also a joy reading your posts, ratherbebig. Although at this point in my life, I'd still rather stay 170 - only this time for as long as I can. I'm 185 now, but believe I can get down quickly if I ever did that thing called cardio. At 36, it may be the time to start for me. I've seen some high school ectomorphs become really, really overweight over 30...

Matt · « **Reply #10 on:** February 24, 2018, 02:35:15 AM »

Quote from: Kwon on February 24, 2018, 02:04:25 AM

Watch the beginning, Van Damage was great as villain as well.

Whoa, whoa, whoa...how is it that I read that Bloodsport was Jean-Claude's first action movie? I will definitely have to look more into this now...I obviously read some false information. I had no idea that Jean-Claude did anything of note prior to 1988 in Bloodsport...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Retreat,_No_Surrender

ratherbebig · « **Reply #11 on:** February 24, 2018, 02:43:03 AM »

no retreat no surrender is a great movie in a karate kid 80's kinda way.

the first display of van dammes skills, jumping spinning kicks etc

i watched the first couple of episodes of his amazon show and i thought they were pretty well done and had their moments but it got old pretty quick.

Matt · « **Reply #12 on:** February 24, 2018, 02:59:11 AM »

Quote from: ratherbebig on February 24, 2018, 02:43:03 AM

no retreat no surrender is a great movie in a karate kid 80's kinda way.

the first display of van dammes skills, jumping spinning kicks etc

i watched the first couple of episodes of his amazon show and i thought they were pretty well done and had their moments but it got old pretty quick.

Looks like thanks to you and Kwon, I have a movie to find on Google Play.

Annnndd...not available to rent on Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/No_Retreat_No_Surrender?id=ADDC38DBE1C20697MV

$:-\$

Also, great way to describe the Jean-Claude Van Johnson series! It was good but gimmicky - it worked for the movie JVCD as a one time deal, but not so much as a series. I hadn't thought of it that way, and I quite like the way you put it.

PS - am I the only Getbigger who basically pays for all movies I watch? Better question - am I the only human being on the planet still doing this?

My reason is just straightforward capitalism...pay for what you consume - give the producers an incentive to produce more of it. That makes sense, right? Yet I'm the only person I know who seems to think this way, so it's yet another of the many times in my life where I feel like a man in a straitjacket trying to convince the world that it is indeed only me who is sane.

Kwon · « **Reply #13 on:** February 24, 2018, 03:51:40 AM »

Matt

You've seen Bloodsport i hope? What made Jean Claude famous.

Griffith · « **Reply #14 on:** February 24, 2018, 04:02:21 AM »

Quote from: Matt on February 24, 2018, 02:59:11 AM

Looks like thanks to you and Kwon, I have a movie to find on Google Play.

Annnndd...not available to rent on Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/No_Retreat_No_Surrender?id=ADDC38DBE1C20697MV

$:-\$

Also, great way to describe the Jean-Claude Van Johnson series! It was good but gimmicky - it worked for the movie JVCD as a one time deal, but not so much as a series. I hadn't thought of it that way, and I quite like the way you put it.

PS - am I the only Getbigger who basically pays for all movies I watch? Better question - am I the only human being on the planet still doing this? My reason is just straightforward capitalism...pay for what you consume - give the producers an incentive to produce more of it. That makes sense, right? Yet I'm the only person I know who seems to think this way, so it's yet another of the many times in my life where I feel like a man in a straitjacket trying to convince the world that it is indeed only me who is sane.

For those of us from 'Third World' countries, piracy is only an issue if you sell or distribute copies for profit.

BSN · « **Reply #15 on:** February 24, 2018, 08:54:15 AM »

Fortress · « **Reply #16 on:** February 24, 2018, 10:40:26 AM »

JCVD was a top action man in the late '80s/early '90s. The changing times, his ego and his drug issues resulted in his diminishing star. But the man's shown himself to be resilient and he has now been "around" long enough to be considered cool again.

To me, he's always been cool. Jean Claude just needed to grow up.

He's one of a few Hollywood types I'd actually enjoy meeting. I'm sure yapping with him would be a good time.

be back · « **Reply #17 on:** February 24, 2018, 12:01:05 PM »

Quote from: Kwon on February 24, 2018, 02:04:25 AM

Watch the beginning, Van Damage was great as villain as well.

Starts at 0:01:10

1:22:30 for some hilarious Van Damage-moments of Peace

wow, thats really bad..... $:-\$

funk51 · « **Reply #18 on:** February 24, 2018, 12:20:20 PM »

Quote from: ratherbebig on February 24, 2018, 02:15:26 AM

charles bronson did the death wish 5 at 73 years old

bronson opened the doors for all action stars... nothing special as an actor but a commanding screen presence.he not only acted but looked the part.

ratherbebig · « **Reply #19 on:** February 24, 2018, 12:23:28 PM »

bronson used a lot of steroids how could he otherwise be that ripped

Notomorrow · « **Reply #20 on:** February 24, 2018, 12:39:32 PM »

Loved him in Breakin.

thebrink · « **Reply #21 on:** February 24, 2018, 03:22:40 PM »

Quote from: Matt on February 24, 2018, 01:55:53 AM

I'm posting this since I'm watching Hard Target right now...you have to feel sorry for the overweight Randal character in that movie...like WTF did he do wrong? Poor guy.

Was this Jean-Claude's top physique/form?

Oh dont worry about Randal , hes all ears !

thebrink · « **Reply #22 on:** February 24, 2018, 03:23:14 PM »

Quote from: Matt on February 24, 2018, 01:55:53 AM

I'm posting this since I'm watching Hard Target right now...you have to feel sorry for the overweight Randal character in that movie...like WTF did he do wrong? Poor guy.

Was this Jean-Claude's top physique/form?

Board_SHERIF · « **Reply #23 on:** February 24, 2018, 04:53:06 PM »

"Jean-Claude Van Johnson" - I made it 2 mins and tuned that rubbish off

Griffith · « **Reply #24 on:** February 25, 2018, 02:05:57 AM »

Quote from: Matt on February 24, 2018, 01:55:53 AM

I'm posting this since I'm watching Hard Target right now...you have to feel sorry for the overweight Randal character in that movie...like WTF did he do wrong? Poor guy.

Was this Jean-Claude's top physique/form?

He probably looked his best in Kickboxer.

Author Topic: Jean-Claude Van Damme - Thoughts on his Legacy? (Read 9133 times)

be back