Bruce Payne

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Bruce Payne
Born
Bruce Martyn Payne

(1958-11-22) 22 November 1958 (age 65)
Addlestone, Surrey, England
Alma mater Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupation(s) Actor, producer, screenwriter, film director, Theatre director
Years active1981–present

Bruce Martyn Payne (born 22 November 1958) [1] is an English actor, producer, screenwriter, film director and theatre director. Payne is best known for portraying villains, [2] [3] such as Charles Rane in Passenger 57 , Jacob Kell in Highlander: Endgame , and Damodar in Dungeons & Dragons and Dungeons & Dragons 2: Wrath of the Dragon God .

Contents

Payne trained at RADA (the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) in London and was identified, in the late 1980s, with the "Brit Pack" of rising young British actors. [4]

Early life

Payne developed an interest for acting at an early age. In an interview with Impact (magazine) in 2001, Payne claimed that a crocodile from the play Peter Pan shouted that it would eat his brother and then proceeded to run upstage. [5]

At the age of 14, he was diagnosed with a slight form of spina bifida, [6] which by age 16 required surgery to rectify. Payne was hospitalised for 6 months following the operation. [7] Payne continued school studies, despite a contact with a talent scout during that time. After his graduation, he enrolled in the National Youth Theatre for two seasons. Payne has described this experience as "Four hundred kids thrown together to work on 7 plays." [8] In addition, he played a lead role for the National Student Theatre Company at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for one season in 1979. He then auditioned for several fringe acting companies, but was told he was too young and lacked experience. Nonetheless, that year saw him admitted to the "prestigious" [9] RADA acting programme. Before being accepted at RADA, Payne had worked as a joiner, a salesman, and a landscape gardener. Payne graduated from RADA in 1981 with seven major prizes for acting, comedy and physical presence.[ citation needed ]

Payne was part of a 'new wave' of actors to emerge from the academy. Others included Jonathan Pryce, Juliet Stevenson, Alan Rickman, Anton Lesser, Kenneth Branagh, and Fiona Shaw. In 1980 the Principal of RADA, Hugh Cruttwell, selected a scene from an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth , which Payne co-wrote with Paul McGann, to be performed in front of Queen Elizabeth II, in one of her rare visits to the academy. Payne directed the scene in which he and McGann acted. Payne played Macbeth and wielded a baseball bat on stage instead of a sword. Kenneth Branagh performed a soliloquy from Hamlet at the same event. [10]

Acting career

1980s

Payne's first television role was in the Tales Out of School series. Payne played an abusive PE teacher who "comes across as more head bully than responsible adult during his classes". [11] His first major film role came in Privates on Parade in which he played the singing and dancing Flight Sergeant Kevin Cartwright (which role he had already played in the stage version). [12]

In 1983, he appeared in Michael Mann's horror film The Keep as an unnamed border guard. [13] That same year, Steven Berkoff cast him in his production of West at the Donmar Warehouse. Payne played Les, a member of an East End gang intent on gaining revenge against the rival Hoxton Mob for the slaying of one of their number. Richard Corliss of TIME stated that Payne bestowed "a frighteningly dynamic performance" in the play. [14]

In 1985, Payne was cast as a "committed", [15] "butch snooker manager" [16] known as "The One" (also known as "T.O.") in director Alan Clarke's snooker musical Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire . Michael Brooke stated that Payne gave the "stand-out performance" in the film. [17] and MS London stated that Payne "is a charismatic presence, with a capable voice, who is perfectly cast as The One". [18]

In 1986, both Payne and Berkoff appeared in Julien Temple's musical Absolute Beginners . Payne played a psychotic [19] "pompous and pathetic racist" [16] named Flikker, who participated in the 1958 Notting Hill race riots. One reviewer argued that Payne was "the only actor to walk off Absolute Beginners with his reputation not only intact but enhanced" and that his portrayal of Flikker "was a headbutt of reality in a fantasmagoria of overkill." [20] One critic stated that Payne gave a "meaty, saving-grace performance" in the film. [16] Film journalist and editor Ann Lloyd selected Payne as the most promising newcomer of 1987 for his role in the film. [21] In the same year Payne appeared in the film Solarbabies along with fellow British performer Alexei Sayle as filthy bounty hunters named Dogger and Malice. Payne said of his and Sayle's performances in Vogue that "the old image of an English arch-villain – Boris Karloff, that sort of thing, is turned upside down. We're just a couple of soaks". [22]

In 1988, Payne appeared as Eddy in the Steven Berkoff-directed play, Greek (a retelling of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex ), at the Wyndham's Theatre. Martin Hoyle, writing for The Independent , stated that Payne's "Eddy is vital, intelligent and physically disciplined in the best Berkoff style". [23] Charles Osbourne, writing for The Daily Telegraph , stated that Payne brought "a cheerful zest to the role of Eddy". [24]

A reviewer for The Listener stated that Payne "impresses throughout" the play. [25] Another reviewer stated that "Payne gives a powerful performance as Eddy, the crusader out to defeat the horror of society" only "to find that he is part of the horror". [26]

In 1989, he was cast in For Queen and Country as a "drug kingpin". [27] named Colin. [28]

Payne and other young British actors who were becoming established film actors, such as Tim Roth, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, and Paul McGann, were dubbed the "Brit Pack". [20] Payne's performances endeared him to Warner Bros., who considered "Bruce Payne as Bruce Wayne" on their "one liner" press marketing PR campaign for the first of Tim Burton's Batman films. Ultimately, Michael Keaton got the role. Payne has commented, "Warner were fascinated by the similarity" between his name and that of Bruce Wayne. Payne has said that "they drew up a very short shortlist and there I was on it. Obviously, I lost out in the end to Michael Keaton." [29]

That same year Payne appeared as Doctor Burton in the dramatic film Silence Like Glass . [30] The film was nominated for Outstanding Feature Film at the German Film Awards. [31]

1990s

In 1990 Payne appeared in the music video for Neil Young's song "Over and Over", directed by Julien Temple, as a Stanley Kowalski-esque character.

In 1991, Payne was cast as the Devil in Switch . Payne was described as a "delightfully wicked Satan" by Film Review . [32] The Providence Journal described him as a "slick devil". [33]

In 1992, Payne was cast in his best-known role, opposite Wesley Snipes, as a "notorious terrorist and hijacker", [34] with a steely, demonic nerve, [35] named Charles Rane, in Passenger 57 . Marcus Trower of Empire stated that Payne was "a brilliantly disconcerting madman. With his flowing blond Jesus locks, armour-piercing stare and casual sadism, he makes Hannibal Lecter look like a social worker – and like Anthony Hopkins' serial killer, part of the man's menace is in the apparent contradiction between his articulate, well-spoken English and his off-hand brutality." [36] The Radio Times stated that Payne and Snipes both gave "charismatic turns" in the film. [37] The New York Times stated that Payne brought "a tongue-in-cheek humor to the psychopathic fiend". [38] A reviewer for People magazine stated that "Bruce Payne steals the plane—and the movie". [7] In an article for the Waterloo Region Record , Jamie Portman described Payne as a "suave and cultivated English actor" playing "a suave and cultivated killer named Charles Rane" and suggested that a "key reason director Kevin Hooks chose him for the role was that he wanted a villain with as much magnetism as the hero". [39] Payne was described as "icily perfect as the villainous Rane" in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette . [40] Julius Marshall stated that Payne was "ideal for his role: charming, dangerous – the kind of evil genius you love to hate". [41] The Star Tribune stated that "Bruce Payne makes a splendid psychopath, consistently stealing scenes from the likes of Wesley Snipes and Elizabeth Hurley throughout Passenger 57". [42]

In 1993, Payne played a "charismatic" [43] werewolf named Adam Garou in Full Eclipse . Joseph Savitski, who reviewed the film for Beyond Hollywood, stated, "Payne is masterful as Detective Garou, a seductive and evil villain with arrogance and confidence to spare. When he's on screen, Payne demands the attention of the audience, and you're hard pressed to resist his performance. Payne is also the perfect adversary, the kind you're supposed to hate, but who has the charisma to draw you in nonetheless". [44]

In 1995, Payne played a "rogue FBI agent" [45] named Karl Savak in director Kurt Wimmer's One Tough Bastard . One reviewer described Savak as "one of the most entertaining movie villains in low budget action flick history" and noted that "so awesome is Karl Savak that some lunatic has created a Facebook page in his honor". [46] Another reviewer stated that "Bruce Payne, with his Whitesnake hair and nose ring is slimeball perfection as the villain". [47] In 1998, he played Jurgen, a first-class and charismatic operative in season two of La Femme Nikita .

2000s

In 2000, Payne portrayed the villain Jacob Kell in Highlander: Endgame (2000), the third sequel to the original Highlander film. One reviewer said of Highlander: Endgame, "the one in the cast that seems to be having the most fun is Bruce Payne. Traditionally, Highlander villains give performances that go completely over-the-top and well into the stratosphere. Payne contrarily gives a performance where he enunciates every syllable with relish and dramatic weight, resulting in a performance that is entirely captivating whenever he is on screen." [48]

Salon.com's reviewer wrote that "[Payne] playing Kell as a cockney thug with triple crucifixes embedded in the heels of his Doc Martens, Payne is more fun than either of the stars". [49] A reviewer for Trash City stated that "Endgame is pretty good, largely thanks to Bruce Payne's efforts as the bad guy, who is right up there with Clancy Brown's original decapitator", the Kurgan. [50] Marke Andrews, writing for The Vancouver Sun , stated that Payne provided the "focal point" in the film and that he dived "into his role with gusto". Andrews also stated that Payne's 'facial expressions rival Jim Carrey's in The Mask'. [51] Cherriece Wright, who reviewed the film for The Dispatch , stated that it contained "brilliant performances by Christopher Lambert and Bruce Payne". Wright stated that Payne "delivers a great performance as Jacob Kell blending smoothly the malicious vindictiveness of the embittered immortal with a sarcastic wit that provides needed humor". [52]

In the same year, Payne played Damodar in Dungeons & Dragons , henchman of the malevolent Profion (played by Jeremy Irons). Although the film was critically panned, Payne's performance was reviewed favourably. One reviewer said that "Bruce Payne (Damodar) as Profion's nefarious assistant in his power-hungry schemes was the stand-out performance of all the actors in the film. Payne has a true lock on how to play a character that is menacing even without any show of power. His portrayal of Damodar calls to mind Doug Bradley's portrayal of Pinhead in the Hellraiser films, so coldly, coolly arrogant and confident is his character. Above and beyond the grade I give to this film, Payne has earned himself an A+ in my gradebook." [53] Another reviewer stated that Payne's performance proved that he is "one of Hollywood's more reliable villains". [54]

Branden Chowen, who reviewed the film for Indie Pulse, stated that "the standout in the film is the man who returns for the sequel: Bruce Payne. His character is written to be one-note throughout, but Payne still manages to create an excellent villain. Once the audience gets past his blue lipstick, which is no small feat, Payne is a formidable and passionate force". [55] The Charlotte Observer stated that "menacing Bruce Payne gives the film's one potent performance". [56] Abbie Bernstein for Audio Video Revolution declared that Payne was "enjoyably evil as the secondary baddie in charge of capturing the rebels" [57]

In 2004, Payne appeared as the "snarling" [58] Neighbour, who "dabbles" [59] in producing kinky virtual games [60] in the dystopian horror mystery [61] Paranoia 1.0 . The film was nominated in the best film category at the Sitges - Catalan International Film Festival and at the Sundance Film Festival, and won the best film award at the Malaga International Week of Fantastic Cinema. John Fallon stated that as the Neighbour, Payne "laid on the charisma and the macho-ness thick". [62]

In 2005, Payne returned to the role of Damodar in Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God . Payne was the only member of the original cast in the sequel. [63]

In 2006, he helped to launch the National Youth Theatre's 50th-anniversary programme along with Sir Ian McKellen, Timothy Spall, Diana Quick, Paula Wilcox, Jonathan Wrather, newsreader Krishnan Guru-Murthy, and Little Britain 's Matt Lucas and David Walliams. [64]

2010s

In 2011, Payne appeared in the horror film Prowl as a "blatantly untrustworthy" [65] "hillbilly truck driver" [66] named Bernard. Matt Withers, who reviewed the film for JoBlo.com, stated that "Bruce Payne shows up as a trucker in a throwaway role that he makes anything but". [67] Payne also appeared in Carmen's Kiss (an adaptation of the Georges Bizet opera Carmen ).

In 2012, Payne voiced a demon in the found-footage horror film Greystone Park (also known as The Asylum Tapes).

In 2013, Payne appeared in the Warner Bros. action film Getaway . [68] Payne also appeared in the action film Vendetta as a sinister Whitehall mandarin named Mr. Rooker. [69] One reviewer of the film gave it eight out of ten and stated that Payne "nearly steals the movie with a plum role as the icy head of British black ops". [70] In addition, Payne portrayed Auschwitz camp commandant Rudolf Hoess n a "superciliously evil" manner, [71] in the French film Victor Young Perez , which concerns the life of the Tunisian Jew flyweight boxer Victor Perez.

In 2015, Payne played Winston, a religious fanatic, [72] in the horror film Re-Kill .

In 2018 Payne appeared in the anthology film London Unplugged , which premiered at the East End Film Festival.

In 2019 Payne was nominated in the category of Best Actor in a Feature Film at the FANtastic Horror Film Festival in San Diego, for his performance as Jacob in the horror film Acid Pit Stop.

2020s

Payne played the main antagonist in Creators: The Past (which he also produced and acted as assistant director for), which was released in 2020 in Italy.

In 2021 Payne gave a "brief but stunning turn as Damien, the arch bad guy" in British gangster thriller Nemesis . [73] Carl Marsh stated that one scene in the film with Payne's character (Damien Osborne) and Billy Murray's character (John Morgan) reminded him of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino meeting in the Michael Mann film Heat and "was masterful". [74] Chris Gelderd stated that "Payne is the perfect intimidating big-boss going up against Murray's cool and care-free kingpin". [75]

Payne has been cast as Frank Warren in Michael-The Michael Watson Story, a biopic of boxer Michael Watson. He is also cast in sequel of the Finnish superhero film, Rendel 2: Cycle of Revenge . [76] [77]

Filmography

Film

As actor
YearTitleRoleDirectorNotes
1982 Privates on Parade Flight Sergeant Kevin Cartwright Michael Blakemore Based on the Peter Nichols play Privates on Parade
1983 The Keep Border Guard #2 Michael Mann Based on F. Paul Wilson's 1981 novel The Keep
1984 Oxford Blues Peter Howles Robert Boris A remake of the 1938 film A Yank at Oxford
1985 Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire T.O. (The One) Alan Clarke Loosely based on the rivalry between the snooker players Ray Reardon and Jimmy White [78]
1986 Absolute Beginners Flikker Julien Temple Based on Colin MacInnes 1959 novel Absolute Beginners
Smart Money Lawrance MacNiece Bernard Rose
Solarbabies Dogger Alan Johnson
CapriceJacko / Edwina LaPage Joanna Hogg Short Film
1988 The Fruit Machine or WonderlandEcho Philip Saville Payne does not speak a word of dialogue as the film's primary antagonist
1989 For Queen and Country Colin Martin Stellman
Silence Like Glass or Zwei FrauenDoctor Burton Carl Schenkel
1991 Pyrates LiamNoah Stern
Howling VI: The Freaks R.B HarkerHope PerelloLoosely based on The Howling novels by Gary Brandner
Switch The Devil Blake Edwards Based on George Axelrod's play Goodbye Charlie
1992 Passenger 57 Charles Rane Kevin Hooks
1993 Full Eclipse Adam Garou Anthony Hickox
1994 The Cisco Kid General Martin DupreLuis ValdezBased on the character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story The Caballero's Way
Necronomicon Edward De Lapoer Christophe Gans Part 1 The Drowned. Loosely based on H. P. Lovecraft's short story The Rats in the Walls
1995 One Tough Bastard or One Man's JusticeKarl Savak Kurt Wimmer
Aurora: Operation Intercept Gordon PruettPaul Levine
1996 Kounterfeit Frankie John Mallory Asher
1997 No Contest II or Face the EvilJack Terry Paul Lynch
Ravager Cooper WayneJames D. Deck
1999 Sweepers Doctor Cecil HopperKeoni Waxman
Warlock III: The End of Innocence The Warlock / Phillip CovingtonEric Freiser
2000 Highlander: Endgame Jacob Kell Doug Aarniokoski Based on characters created by Gregory Widen
Dungeons & Dragons Damodar Courtney Solomon Based on the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game
2001 Never Say Never Mind: The Swedish Bikini Team Mr. BlueFrederick Feitshans IVA spoof of the James Bond films
Ripper Marshall KaneJohn Eyres
2002 Steal or RidersLieutenant Macgruder Gerard Pires
2003Newton's LawDadPete AnticoShort Film
Hellborn or Asylum of the Damned Dr. McCortPhilip J. Jones
2004 Paranoia 1.0 or One Point OThe NeighbourJeff Renfroe and Marteinn Thorsson
2005 Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God Damodar Gerry Lively Based on the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game
2007 Messages Doctor Robert GoldingDavid Fairman
2008 Brothel Thief/Death Amy Waddell
2010 Dance Star HarrySteven M. SmithShort film
2011 Prowl BernardPatrik Syversen
Carmen's Kiss MichaelDavid FairmanAn adaptation of the Georges Bizet opera Carmen
2012 Greystone Park or The Asylum Tapes Demon Sean Stone Voice role
2013 Getaway Distinguished Man Courtney Solomon
Vendetta Mr RookerStephen Reynolds
Victor Young Perez Rudolf Hoess Jacques OuanicheBased on the life of Victor Perez
2014 Tales of the Supernatural Father DoyleSteven M. Smith
Final CommandKaneRoss PeacockShort film
Asylum Lieutenant SharpTodor Chapkanov
2015 Age of Kill Prime Minister James NewmontNeil Jones
Re-Kill WinstonValeri Milev
The Antwerp Dolls Ray FerrinoJake Reid
Ripper Jack the Ripper James CampbellShort film
2016 Breakdown Peter GraingerJonnie Malachi
ShoppingNick Layke Anderson Short film
In the MorningJamesTom KinnerslyShort film
2017 The Rizen AdminMatt Mitchell
2018 London Unplugged Nick Layke Anderson Anthology film
2019Acid Pit StopJacobJason WrightNominated- FANtastic Horror Film Festival Best Actor in a Feature Film
2020 Creators: The Past Lord KalPiergiuseppe Zaia
2021 Nemesis Damien OsborneJames Crow
Election NightDominic DrummondNeil Monaghan
Give Them Wings Dr Markum Sean Cronin
2023 Rendel 2: Cycle of Revenge Edward CoxJesse Haaja
Natas CorpFredrik HillerPreproduction
Michael-The Michael Watson Story Frank Warren Sean Cronin Preproduction
Made OrdinaryDr AnderssonChristian KoteyPreproduction
ReflectionsWillChris DavidShort Film. Pre Production
The Silent SweeperDr Rupert WardourBruce PayneShort Film. Pre Production
Dark RoomDr LeonardVincenzo FranceschiniPreproduction
2024 The Stoic RhodesJonathan Eckersley
As producer
YearTitleDirectorNotes
1997LowballDemian Lichtenstein
2018The Boy Who Never Came Home: A True StoryRanjeet S. MarwaDocumentary
2020 Creators: The Past Piergiuseppe Zaia
2021 Nemesis James Crow
Karma Coma 2022
2023The Silent SweeperBruce Payne
As director/assistant director
YearTitleDirectorNotes
2020 Creators: The Past Piergiuseppe ZaiaAssistant Director
2023The Silent SweeperBruce PayneDirector
As screenwriter
YearTitleDirectorNotes
2015 Re-Kill Valeri MilevContributing writer
The Antwerp Dolls Ray FerrinoContributing writer
2016Shopping Layke Anderson Contributing writer
2018The Boy Who Never Came Home: A True StoryRanjeet S. MarwaExecutive Story Editor
2020 Creators: The Past Piergiuseppe ZaiaStory Supervisor
A Little Boy's DiaryRanjeet S. MarwaContributing Writer
2021Karma Coma 2022
2022Mia (tra sogno e realtà)Antonio CentomaniEnglish Film Screenplay
2023The Silent SweeperBruce PayneContributing writer
Made OrdinaryChristian KoteyContributing writer
Dark RoomVincenzo FranceschiniContributing writer

TV appearances

As actor
YearTitleRoleNotes
1982Tales Out of SchoolBarrattEpisode: "Birth of a Nation"
1983 Keep it in the Family PolicemanEpisode: "A Moving Affair"
1984WestLesTV movie adaptation of Steven Berkoff's play
The Bill Adam MarchEpisode: "Clutching at Straws"
Diana Sergeant GriceEpisode 7
The Brief Sergeant Davis RMPEpisode: "People"
1985Operation JulieDC Malcolm PollardTV movie based on Dick Lee and Chris Pratt's nonfiction book Operation Julie: How the Undercover Police Team Smashed the World's Greatest Drugs Ring
Oscar Warder MartinEpisode: "De Profundis"
1987Lost BelongingsSimon HuntEpisodes: "The American Friend" and "Lenny Leaps In"
The Bell-RunPaceTV movie
Miss Marple Michael RafielEpisode: "Nemesis", an adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1971 novel Nemesis
1988 The Equalizer Greg RiversEpisode: "Eighteen with a Bullet"
1989StoryboardGeraldEpisode: "Snakes and Ladders"
1990 Yellowthread Street Nick EdenSeven episodes, series based on the Yellowthread Street novels by William Leonard Marshall
Bergerac JakeEpisode: "The Messenger Boy"
1995 Tales from the Crypt Sergeant ParkerEpisode: "Comes the Dawn"
1998 La Femme Nikita JurgenEpisodes: "Approaching Zero", "Third Person", and "Spec Ops"
1999 Cleopatra Cassius TV movie adaptation of Margaret George's 1997 historical fiction novel The Memoirs of Cleopatra
2000 Britannic Major Baker, MDTV movie
Apocalypse Revelation (aka San Giovanni – L'apocalisse) Domitian TV movie
2003 Dragnet Alex KarpEpisode: "All That Glitters"
Keen Eddie YellowEpisode: "Horse Heir"
Spooks Mickey KahariasEpisode : "Smoke and Mirrors"
2004 Charmed Leader of the OrderEpisode: "Prince Charmed"
2017 Count Arthur Strong Mr DuncanSeries 3 Episode: Arthur the Hat

Theatre

As actor
YearTitleRoleNotes
1978 Julius Caesar Julius Caesar Directed by Michael Croft (Shaw Theatre); play by William Shakespeare
1979The Tale of Randy RobinPerformerDirected by John Godber (Cathedral Hall, Edinburgh); play by Michael Lawrence
1980 The Pillars of Society Karsten BernickDirected by Glyn Idris Jones (RADA); play by Henrik Ibsen
The Recruiting Officer Captain PlumeDirected by Euan Smith (RADA); play by George Farquhar
'Tis Pity She's a Whore VasquesDirected by Adrian Noble (RADA); play by John Ford
Macbeth Macbeth Directed by Bruce Payne (RADA); play by William Shakespeare
1981No Names, No MedalsSAS SoldierDirected by Euan Smith (RADA); play by Euan Smith
A Midsummer Night's Dream CobwebDirected by Richard Digby Day (Nottingham Playhouse); play by William Shakespeare
1982PIAF Yves Montand Directed by Jeremy Howe (York Theatre Royal); play by Pam Gems
Privates on Parade Flight sergeant Kevin CartwrightDirected by Michael Blakemore (Derby Playhouse); play by Peter Nichols
1983 The Rocky Horror Picture Show Frank-N-Furter Directed by Christopher Dunham (Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea); play by Richard O'Brien
WestLesDirected by Steven Berkoff (Donmar Warehouse); play by Steven Berkoff
1984AliceThe InventorDirected by Nicholas Hytner (Playhouse Theatre); a musical version of Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel Alice in Wonderland
1988GreekEddy and Fortune-TellerDirected by Steven Berkoff (Wyndhams Theatre); play by Steven Berkoff
As director
YearTitleNotes
1980MacbethPlay by William Shakespeare
1993Greek Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles; play by Steven Berkoff

Other media

Music videos

Television advertisements

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Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a fantasy role-playing game first published in 1974. As the popularity of the game grew throughout the late-1970s and 1980s, it became referenced in popular culture more frequently. The complement of games, films and cultural references based on Dungeons & Dragons or similar fantasies, characters, and adventures became ubiquitous after the end of the 1970s.

<i>Full Eclipse</i> 1993 American TV series or program

Full Eclipse is a 1993 science fiction crime film directed by Anthony Hickox. Starring Mario Van Peebles and Bruce Payne, the story is set in Los Angeles where the police department has assembled a unique squad of officers who possess the ability to turn into werewolves. The tagline of the film was: There's a new police force on the streets... and they only come out at night.

<i>Asylum of the Damned</i> 2003 American film

Asylum of the Damned, Columbia Tristar (2004), also known as Hellborn, CDA Entertainment, is a 2003 horror film written by Matt McCombs, directed by Philip J Jones and starring Matt Stasi and Bruce Payne.

<i>One Tough Bastard</i> 1995 American film

One Tough Bastard, also known as One Man's Justice, is a 1995 American action thriller film directed by Kurt Wimmer in his feature film debut, and starring Brian Bosworth, Bruce Payne and M.C. Hammer. It premiered in the United States on HBO.

<i>Mugamoodi</i> 2012 superhero film by Mysskin

Mugamoodi, subtitled onscreen as The Superhero Within, is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language superhero film directed by Mysskin and produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur. The film, which is dedicated to Bruce Lee, stars Jiiva, alongside Narain, Pooja Hegde, Nassar, Selva and Girish Karnad. In the film, Anand alias Bruce Lee, a martial artist, wears a superhero costume in order to impress his girlfriend Shakthi, but Anand gets framed for his friend Viji's death and sets out to prove his innocence by becoming a real superhero called Mugamoodi.

<i>Dungeons & Dragons</i> (film series) Film series

Dungeons & Dragons is an action-adventure fantasy film series based on the role-playing game of the same name currently owned by Wizards of the Coast. The original trilogy consisted of a theatrical film, a made-for-TV second installment, and a direct-to-video third installment.

<i>Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves</i> 2023 film directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a 2023 American fantasy heist comedy film directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, who co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Gilio from a story by Chris McKay and Gilio. Based on the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, it is set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting and has no connections to the previous film trilogy released between 2000 and 2012. Starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, and Hugh Grant, the film follows bard Edgin Darvis (Pine) and barbarian Holga Kilgore (Rodriguez), who enlist a team of unlikely heroes to steal an ancient and powerful relic but come into conflict with evil forces.

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