Sheldon Lettich didn’t direct for more than fifteen years. He was looking for this opportunity all that time by talking with producers and people with money to whom showed written by him screenplays. In the previous year, Lettich was called by unknown filmmakers with an offer to stage Fight Pride, which director describes “sorta in a vein Lionheart”. He works on screenplay and will going to direct. I’m going to take look on films he staged.
His first work as screenwriter and director was shortage Firefight (1983). I can’t find it anywhere. No site where I could download and buy it’s film. I didn’t get information what’s about plot. I even checked review sectors on flick sites, but nobody posted there. It’s known that Firefight takes place in Vietnam War what is familiar to Lettich, because he was there for five years as a radio operator. Lettich was devoted to that experience then. He wrote a stage play Tracers in 1980, which took wide in popularity from beginning in big towns of the United States to around the world. Sheldon Lettich also about Vietnam War wrote in eighties screenplay Firebase and unsuccessfully did efforts to realize it. He still wants it. As for many artists, it’s his a sole dream project. Probably, it originates from Firefight. Watching of it’s legendary flick will a discovery of lost treasure for me. Information on cast mentions five involved people and all of them will become famous. It was a first movie for Brian Thompson memorable for main villain roles in Cobra (1986) and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1996). Frank Dux on whose, as will reveal, a great imagination will be based iconic Bloodsport (1988). Phillip Rhee will create Best of the Best film series. Simon Rhee is still doing stunts and coordinate in that as Gary Kasper is prolific in acting. Lettich will collaborate again with couple of these people. The eighties will his rise as a scriptwriter. From a low budget action Thou Shalt Not Kill… Except (1985) with involvement Raimi brothers and Bruce Campbell to comedy and drama Russkies (1987) and breakthrough in Bloodsport, which also will for performer of a main role Jean-Claude Van Damme with whom Lettich will make a friendship and many excellent movies. Before entering to directing Lettich also has a reciprocal collaboration with Sylvester Stallone in writing of screenplay for Rambo III (1988). Lettich was invited after Sly reading Firebase in which he wanted to act, but it didn’t realize as before it was with producer Joel Silver and director Walter Hill.
Lionheart (1990). Lettich gets opportunity for directing, which becomes written by him Lionheart. Inventive and creative in fights, their styles, places and overall staging demonstrates already solid Lettich. It’s flabbergasting blood clashes and powerful drama about French Legion soldier Lyon Gaultier who forcefully went in AWOL by knowing on circumstance with his brother. I see as wonderful that he will never meet people killed his relative. Sometimes it reminds me a fairytale in watching flicks where all evil resolves in the end. However, it depends how to right to tell. It does human when Gaultier shows a naivety in saying on wanting to take away Cynthia from underground fights when she of their faces. Lionheart is about a man who participates in blood combats for help brother’s family. It’s freezing in memory the last confrontation with Attila played by Abdel Qissi who will appear in The Quest (1996) as a fighter from Mongolia what surprised me years ago that it was one man, because mustaches in The Quest did that confusion as few days ago I revealed that Yushin in Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) and one of chasing Legionnaire soldiers is a same person, because Vojislav Govedarica has… well, mustaches in Lionheart. I didn’t recognize Tom Selleck… all right, I willn’t mention that awfully unfunny show about friends. I need to drink after all that, but it’s in the next time. However, I hardly can accept that Michel Qissi, a brother of Abdel Qissi, is the same man who plays a second chasing Legionnaire and Tong Po in Kickboxer films as I couldn’t recognize Al Pacino in The Godfather I-II from usual look although initially was informed it is him and despite he hasn’t mustaches. Nevertheless, the last match between Lyon and Attila I was saw multiple times and it was with breathtaking every time. The eyes can’t be not wet in watching on drama under memorable hearttaking music by John Scott. I was shocked in confession from a manager and foremost protagonist’s friend Joshua in a secret to Lyon what shocked me in the first watching. It is exciting moment to hear what says on that Lionheart. His fighting moniker does development of personage of Jean-Claude Van Damme who became confident in directing abilities of Lettich by got impression from Firefight. JCVD in total great in demonstrating Lyon Gaultier, unforgettable performance of Harrison Page as Joshua and a role has Brian Thompson who plays bodyguard, which will regret for saying “motherfucker”.
Double Impact (1991). Quadrupled profit on spending on Lionheart allowed to continue for Lettich to get big budgets. Double Impact recouped budget and was the next fantastic work with Jean-Claude Van Damme who does a dual starring what in a first time and will become one of associative with an actor. In a future, he will perform two characters in Maximum Risk (1996), Replicant (2001) and Jean-Claude Van Johnson (2016-2017). Double Impact began with adaptation of The Corsican Brothers by Alexander Dumas on which Lettich wrote a screenplay by order from Menahem Golan. The scriptwriter was going to stage it with Jean-Claude Van Damme who accordingly had dual roles. Cannon Films to that time did limitation in budgets for films and delayed salary for workers. Sheldon Lettich sued for that producer didn’t pay for screenplay. Golan offered rights on the screenplay on what Lettich agreed and revamped in Double Impact. Jean-Claude Van Damme astonishes in showing two opposite characters by behavior and fighting techniques. Sometimes he overacts in Alex but clearly stays true to personality. Lettich never disappoints in variable and creative action as my favorite is a surprise fighting with hostile in unusual circumstance whom acts Peter Malota (he will impress again in martial arts in The Quest as a Spanish fighter.). No any doubts to imposing in bodybuilding and masterful combat skills Bolo Yeung. He always disgust in playing villains as before that was in Bloodsport. Double Impact has intricate and exciting screenplay about separated twins, one of whom took a bodyguard of killed family Frank Avery played by wonderful actor Geoffrey Lewis and who will appear in Lettich’s next flick when the another brother eventually situated in Hong Kong, which in films is charming place in eighties and early nineties. Certainly, passed time gave more magnetizing beauty for wonderful movies of these decades as to staged by Sheldon Lettich.
Only the Strong (1993). It considered is one and only film has whole devotion to capoeira. Lettich reasons that this movie could be a way for Mark Dacascos in big budget films. Role of Louis Stevens gave recognition for him when box-office had only half of six million budget. It’s closure was also for Sheldon Lettich with whom happened familiar situation. Profitable flicks directed before weren’t in benefits to this sole failure. Lettich blames Dacascos’s manager Cathryn Jaymes in destroying actor’s career as it was her signing of an actor to notorious Double Dragon and it did failure to Only the Strong. Dacascos should follow to schedule to signed movie. His unavailability many times postponed a promotion tour in twelve city of the United States with involvement of Lettich and Paco Christian Prieto. Test audience cheered the film while a good marketing campaign wasn’t realize what always and everywhere important (I presume, that downfall of Cannon Films initially was in humbling spending on this aspect.). However, Only the Strong is magnificent demonstration of Brazilian jujutsu. A screenplay somewhere follows to pattern and has misfires, which are I didn’t see transformation of troubled students living in criminal Miami district to diligent, teamworking and support each other people and relationship between Louis and Dianna begins with icy cold and suddenly changes that Stacey Travis’s personage patches fight injures of a lead hero. Film feels as incomplete in absence of development of these lines. I didn’t find information about probable hard cutting at least. Lettich accuses Frank Dux who was a fight choreographer that that didn’t implement martial art scenes as was in conception. The director says Dux was slacking on set and was fired for that. A first confrontation of Louis with Silverio isn’t credible for me in that I don’t believe a sharpened fighter who is the main hero couldn’t do blocks and dodges on these unsophisticated attacks. A final collision with bunches of gangs isn’t a capoeira technique but anyway it’s a wonderful showing of multifaceted wielding of martial arts of Marc Dacascos. Eventually, I never knew what will in a plot and was surprised in conclusion. A second combat meeting with criminal leader Silverio was exciting in staging. Paco Christian Prieto who played antagonist role did it with that I despised even what talks this person. Perhaps, Sheldon Lettich is right that it could be a beginning for him too. Before this flick, he amazed as a pool fighter in Lionheart. Only the Strong is wonderful in aftertaste and makes flaws as forgettable. It’s deeply powerful in drama, characters and creativity of fights.
Perfect Target (1997). Lettich expresses regret that didn’t accept offer to stage a pilot of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys with Kevin Sorbo from Raimi brothers. In his words, it would gave him way for possible filming more episodes of this show, getting residuals from that and way for television. His next film was Perfect Target with Daniel Bernhardt released for VHS and it was a first movie didn’t base on Lettich’s script. Mastery and individuality can’t be destroyed while written by Michael Lanahan, George Saunders and Peter Brosnan is excellent. An ex-soldier who became mercenary David Benson is involved in political games in fiction Latin American dictatorship state. Amazing fightings and shootings in a movie with surprising twists, which will till the end and the final will from Benson. Brian Thompson did one more exciting presence as well usual grandiose did Robert Englund and no less fine were undisputed beautiful Dara Tomanovich, Jim Pirri, Julieta Rosen and the rest cast.
Lettich hadn’t big budget films in behind yet. He elaborated into a screenplay with Jean-Claude Van Damme an idea from the last about a man who enrolls in Legionnaires for abscond from mobsters. Sheldon Lettich was going to direct it’s projected film, which called Legionnaire (1998), but he decided to leave production and stay only in writers and executive producers. Meantime, films of JCVD didn’t make a payback in box-office. Lionsgate, who distributed Legionnaire, decided a 35 million dollar flick to release on video in America by seeing decreasing demand with an actor. This film and Universal Soldier: Regeneration (1999) after it willn’t secure Van Damme who also couldn’t handle with stardom then. A millennium was beginning of his participation in direct-to-DVD productions, which didn’t change on amazing.
The Last Patrol (2000). On question about recommendation to watch this film, Sheldon Lettich answered “No”. He as Dolph Lundgren signed, because they wanted to work with each other. The director agreed to stage on condition to rewrite a screenplay and he was deceived about it, because both authors of written were executive producers. I can’t take in mind that Lettich did deal on words instead add this part in contract. I couldn’t endure after sixteen minutes. It astonishing to look on grandiose combination of shots, filigreed putting of intro credits and using of filmed and documented videos gives a believable look as one what I absolutely never saw before. Listening between them a monologue of Dolph Lundgren for thinking that he should play more in movies with elaborated characters, because he mesmerized in voiceover narration. Whilst it’s film with wacky screenplay was a brainwashing process.
The Order (2001). Lettich still didn’t write a screenplay in his immediately following a directorial movie, which was produced by Millennium Films, a company who still was continuing to release movies for video. Then it was becoming a place for action actors who usually didn’t make a profitable box-office for silver screens anymore. Dolph Lundgren, Steven Seagal who decided to be independent after rejected a contract on seven years with Warner Brothers, a little times was involved Chuck Norris who after downfall of Cannon Films relocated on TV in nineties and Jean-Claude Van Damme with whom Sheldon Lettich did reunion on adventure movie The Order. I adore flicks of this genre as this one has lovable searching of treasure, exciting a historical background, chasings, shootings, Van Damme fightings and a light comedy. It’s a nice to soul moment a meeting with Abdel Qissi who with mustaches was recognizable as the Mongolian fighter in The Quest. I presume, if I saw Lionheart back then, and Qissi would be with a shaved face, I would recognize him as Attila from Lionheart. Perhaps, I would wish new adventures of Rudy Cafmeyer and his delightful father Oscar Cafmeyer. It was new mutual meeting with Peter Malota and Brian Thompson, a villain with judophobia who aspires to do a very outrageous act in charming Jerusalem, which main action will leading place what unusual for adventure movies. Fantastic little appearance did Charlton Heston in starring of professor Walt Finley. A colossal screenplay was written by Jean-Claude Van Damme and Les Weldon who created variable in goodness stories in Millennium Films. I surprised that budget is twelve million dollars with scale and unstoppable action when I hadn’t understanding for many times in what happened with money in movies for hundred million dollars.
The Hard Corps (2006). Long time passed since The Order and very more since Sheldon Lettich’s name as scriptwriter was in credits. The Hard Corps was produced by Motion Picture Corporation of America, which was based by Bred Krevoy and Steve Stabler in 1986. That company was involved in pictures for theaters in past when on that moment it was in video in years. Distributor of The Hard Corps was Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, a video division of conglomerate. Lettich had a first-rate people in production for video. The fourth collaboration with Jean-Claude Van Damme is flabbergasting again. A small amount of action scenes needed in elaboration but nevertheless Lettich didn’t lost a creativity what also didn’t occur with what he did in directing and drama. Among of action attention takes development of relationship between protagonist, a bodyguard Philippe Savage, with an ex-boxer Wayne Barclay whom wonderfully performed unknown Raz Adoti. A nice fighting scene between them despite kickboxing is superior of boxing by the inclusion of legs. Sheldon Lettich wanted Wesley Snipes for the last role, but Krevoy didn’t wish to spent another three million dollars as that money got Jean-Claude Van Damme. I think, it would be wonderful if DMX was in role of antagonist Terrence Singletery. A rapper couldn’t take a part due to return in jail for parole violation. His previous imprisonment was for multiple petty crimes included possession of drugs and weapon, drunk driving and et cetera.
Second in Command (2006) with Jean-Claude Van Damme was released before The Hard Corps where Sheldon Lettich has credit for “script polish”. Many years ago I switched on a second half of that movie and liked. Vice versa effect was watching again not so far. A plain horrible but potentially well in conception movie. Lettich’s filmography includes polishing of script of The Quest and executive producing Double Impact. The last involvement was collaborative with fit for grandiose too a writer-director Boaz Yakin with whom was making of screenplay of, as it will reveal, a wonderful children film Max (2015) on development of tremendous friendship between boy and a dog who was with killed in a war main hero’s brother. The movie staged by Yakin did a humble profit in theatres while Sheldon Lettich couldn’t move any of projects until invitation in Fight Pride. I would be happy if Sheldon Lettich will turn it into a movie where he is one of executive producers. A very promising project by story conception and cast with Michael Pare, Randy Couture, Ralf Moeller and Natassia Malthe.