The decade of the 1980s in Western cinema saw the return of studio-driven pictures, coming from the filmmaker-driven New Hollywood era of the 1970s. The period was when "high concept" films gained popularity, where films were expected to be easily marketable and understandable. Therefore, they had short cinematic plots that could be summarized in one or two sentences. The modern Hollywood blockbuster is the most popular film format from the 1980s. Producer Don Simpson is usually credited with the creation of the high-concept picture of the modern Hollywood blockbuster.
Commando is a 1985 American action film directed by Mark L. Lester and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong, Alyssa Milano, Vernon Wells, Bill Duke and Dan Hedaya. The film was released in the United States on October 4, 1985. The film was noted for its furious action and sense of humor.
Showdown in Little Tokyo is a 1991 American buddy cop action film directed by Mark L. Lester, who also produced with Martin E. Caan. The film stars Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee; it was the latter's first American film role. The film was released in the United States on August 23, 1991. Showdown in Little Tokyo was Dolph Lundgren's last Warner Bros Pictures film until 2018's Creed II.
Hans "Dolph" Lundgren, is a Swedish actor, filmmaker and martial artist. His breakthrough came in 1985, when he starred in Rocky IV as the imposing Soviet boxer Ivan Drago. Since then, Lundgren has starred in more than 80 films, most of them in the action genre.
Peter Hyams is an American film director, screenwriter and cinematographer known for directing 1978 conspiracy thriller film Capricorn One, the 1981 science fiction-thriller Outland, the 1984 science fiction film 2010: The Year We Make Contact, the 1986 action/comedy Running Scared, the comic book adaptation Timecop, the action film Sudden Death, and the horror films The Relic and End of Days.
Davis Entertainment is an American film and television production company, founded by John Davis in 1984.
Red Scorpion is a 1988 American action film starring Dolph Lundgren and directed by Joseph Zito. Lundgren appears as a Soviet special forces ("Spetsnaz") operative sent to assassinate an anti-communist rebel leader in Africa, only to side with the rebels. It was produced by lobbyist Jack Abramoff and controversially filmed in South West Africa with the support of the apartheid-era South African government. The film was released in the United States on April 21, 1989. It is the first installment in the Red Scorpion film series.
Menahem Golan was an Israeli film producer, screenwriter, and director. He was best known for co-owning The Cannon Group with his cousin Yoram Globus. Cannon specialized in producing low-to-mid-budget American films, primarily genre films, during the 1980s after Golan and Globus had achieved significant filmmaking success in their native Israel during the 1970s.
The Punisher is a 1989 American action film directed by Mark Goldblatt, written by Boaz Yakin, and starring Dolph Lundgren and Louis Gossett Jr. Based on the Punisher character from Marvel Comics, the film changes some details of the character's origin, and eliminates the signature skull logo; instead, The Punisher uses a knife with the skull on its pommel. It was shot in Sydney, co-starring Jeroen Krabbé, Kim Miyori, Nancy Everhard, and Barry Otto.
Sheldon Lettich is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is best known for his collaborations with Jean-Claude Van Damme and his work in the action film genre.
Storm Catcher is a 1999 American action film starring Dolph Lundgren and directed by Tony Hickox, who also co-stars in the film. New Zealand model and actress Kylie Bax debuts as Jessica Holloway. The film tells the story of a renegade general who plans to bomb Washington, D.C., with a new stealth fighter. Although intended for a larger audience, Storm Catcher, after a short theatrical run, was released direct-to-video.
Bridge of Dragons is a 1999 American romantic action film directed by Isaac Florentine, and starring Dolph Lundgren, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Valerie Chow, and Gary Hudson. Lundgren and Tagawa had previously starred together in the 1991 film Showdown in Little Tokyo. It was the first film by Nu Image to be shot in Bulgaria.
Matt McColm is an American actor and stuntman, and former model.
Gianni Capaldi is a Scottish actor and film and television producer.
Icarus is a 2010 Canadian action film starring and directed by Dolph Lundgren in his last directorial effort until 2021. The script was written by Raul Inglis. The film co-stars David Lewis, Samantha Ferris, and Bo Svenson. The film centers around Edward Genn, a former Soviet hitman known as "Icarus". After the collapse of the Soviet Empire, he moved to the United States to begin a new life. But after many years, his past has finally caught up with him.
John Hyams is an American screenwriter, director and cinematographer, best known for his involvement in the Universal Soldier series, for which he has directed two installments. Hyams is the son of director Peter Hyams.
Puncture Wounds is a 2014 American action film directed by Giorgio Serafini and James Coyne, and starring Cung Le, Dolph Lundgren, Vinnie Jones, and Briana Evigan. The film follows John Nguyen, a war veteran suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder. After he rescues a prostitute, Hollis, a local crime lord, marks them for death. It was released direct to video in the United States on March 11, 2014, followed by a limited release in other countries.
Kindergarten Cop 2 is a 2016 American comedy film starring Dolph Lundgren and directed by Don Michael Paul. It is a standalone sequel to the 1990 film Kindergarten Cop, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Principal photography in Maple Ridge, Langley, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada took place for 28 days, from July 27 to August 24, 2015. The school at which the film was produced is Kanaka Elementary. The film was released by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment on DVD in the United States on May 17, 2016.
Balboa Productions is an American film and television production company founded and led by Sylvester Stallone. The studio is named after his character Rocky Balboa from the Rocky franchise.
The Expendables 4 is an upcoming American action film directed by Scott Waugh, with a script co-written by Kurt Wimmer, Tad Daggerhart and Max Adams, from an original story by Spenser Cohen, Wimmer and Daggerhart. The fourth installment in The Expendables franchise and the sequel to The Expendables (2010), The Expendables 2 (2012) and The Expendables 3 (2014), it stars an ensemble cast including Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren and Randy Couture reprising their roles from previous films, alongside 50 Cent, Megan Fox, Andy García, Tony Jaa, Jacob Scipio, Iko Uwais, Levy Tran and Eddie Hall.
