Sheldon Lettich is a gifted storyteller as I saw in his debut Firefight. I was reading a book on moment his wish to make Firebase and I decided to check information on that movie. I saw it was added in stills since mine previous visit and that made me to think on probability I can see this short movie, which never had release in theaters and video. A director only showed it to few people as to producers for confirmation of his staging skills. I felt right. Sheldon Lettich put Firefight in web in March 2. I made pause in reading for watch it. Origin of short was assuming as one of stories of stage play Tracers. However, it was bigger and technically, as was reasoning Lettich, was impossible for show a helicopter. I surprised to real one this machine in an independent short movie made by people without wealth backing. Reality of it using confirms credits while a book explained me how Sheldon Lettich got flying machine. The short has kinda repercussions with unrealized Firebase, but it’s an individual story. Firefight is professionally staged. Directing is unpredictable in telling. A film is colossal technically. And an accidental fly adds a grandiose shot. I raptured by that the film in documentary color. Lettich already could combine reality and documentary and I never saw who else can do it. I’m sure, his background of photographer is origin of incredibility of Firefight. A screenplay is when I don’t know next and it is exciting in dramatic mighty. I didn’t see reasonable in Firefight that one soldier gets wound after which is no a correct reaction and other personage suddenly ran without point. Little and meaningless misfires. I thought after watching on regret that Sheldon Lettich didn’t make Firebase in eighties. Firefight has a great acting, action is highest even despite somewhere in small in excellent combat is dramatized – things, which are also forgettable. I found it’s treasure.
Reading is gripping journey, which begins from mine favorable place in taking point what brought him to be a movie director. Lettich didn’t want to tell on details as he says who was his “first girlfriend” and “first dog” by commercially reasoning that people aren’t interested in these parts and he specially made book in three hundred pages long. Think on audience isn’t correct for artist. Nevertheless, this always first when he makes movies.
I already hold my breath on tour in Vietnam by magnificent stories in which get indications on lie from those media. He expresses opinion on movies about Vietnam War. And never mentions Apocalypse Now, but there don’t need words, because a true vet of Vietnam will never consider it for a good film.
Lettich is a unique action filmmaker by that not many people of cinema had real Vietnam War experience. This book tells on how came to production and became classic his movies, what happened inside and about projects, which weren’t realized. Director’s mistake was in choosing a person for writing of this book.
Corey Danna mindlessly combined own writing and put text said by Lettich and people with whom he made interviews and who all of them are director’s great friends and therefore they express only acclaim. When you execute request from a man on write his biography, it doesn’t assume research in interviews of people, but Danna makes it and one side. A writer admires Lettich and he confesses in it. I praise director too, but I don’t want to read a book of feedbacks, I want a biography on a man himself. Danna didn’t turn text into prose.
His own writing in constantly reminding that then was no GPS, Internet, home video and everything that was a science fiction. These things making to seem he writes on Medieval. Danna’s describing on people can be such as “that writer didn’t want to add it’s credit on his IMDb page”. I don’t think that it had on mind of that man. A good writer must be a psychologist and learn people instead put words, which triviality mistakenly assume for beautiful sounding or it was a first from a mind.
He uses unappreciated forms in writing of biography as “some stories will be told later” and “but before that I’ll tell”. Danna makes simple mistakes as that event happened “two days after Christmas” and adds in this sentence that it was “few days before New Year”. He calls the year 1998, then meeting occurred in 1981 and concludes that between that seventeen years were. Once he narrates on casting choices, which weren’t with wish of Lettich, says that it wasn’t at first time for director and writes in bracket “see Perfect Target”. Danna can’t be thoughtful to signing photo by putting “in Tel Aviv, Israel” and it follows “filming in Israel”. The author repeats information highly many times and that can be in couple pages. Sometimes he jumps in chronology as the most blatant was leaving behind seventies and make some return to them later.
The book hadn’t editor and corrector for fixing forgetting such as “his wife, the former Gladys Portuguez” or “Tiger Tanaka” (one character in You Only Live Twice has this name.) who after few pages is “Senzo Tanaka” and historical mistakes, which are multiple. The Return of Billy Jack is unfinished film. Nazi didn’t invade in Bukovina in 1940 that did commies when Germany’s invasion on territory of Soviet Empire was in 1941. Commies almost left Afghanistan in release of Rambo III, which was in May 25, 1988, as the book informs whereas withdrawal began in May 15, 1988 and ended February 15, 1989. Danna puts dates on films, but he is slovenly here too by writing that Another 48 Hrs. was before Platoon and engaging of Michel Qissi was in The Order and a final time, as he writes, in The Quest. He writes that Wade Eastwood was in all Mission Impossible movies two times and between them puts fact that a stuntman was several times in Mission Impossible films. Once he mentions on Hell on Wheels, which attempted to realize from early to mid-90s and then it’s project was in several years after Perfect Target. Also text says that Lettich and Van Damme were apart until The Hard Corps, but actually they made The Order between them, and Danna will tell a story on reconciliation in production of this flick.
The writer didn’t make researching on name of “tornado movie” with Daniel Bernhardt, which can do in few clicks. He leaves unnamed one scriptwriter and two directors to not happen Bloodsport: Death to Life. I did a first try and for a millisecond got row of news on involvement of Philip Noyce. Danna writes that action would take in “South America” when I read news written in 2011 from which I knew on “Brazil”. If you write a book on somebody, you must be passionate. I get correct facts by reading and listening interviews with Sheldon Lettich himself who in one of them says on a small part to Daniel Bernhardt in Bloodsport: A New Beginning while book indicated on a large role for an actor.
Certainly, interviewed other people of cinema tell wonderful stories and other point of view of events. However, reading of that made me badly wish to know more views and probably who opposite to director. I believe in honesty of Sheldon Lettich and his interviews make me to consider to this point and to that he is a good soul, but I was confused by a place, which was on Peter MacDonald who malevolently caused firing of Russell Mulcahy from Rambo III and Sheldon Lettich himself from Legionnaire for taking director’s sit in these movies as says director. MacDonald in his describing as failure in directing by that his ending of Legionnaire wasn’t like to studio and it was cut and that his badness in staging made that Stallone mostly filmed Rambo III. Writing on him ends that he didn’t succeed as a director and his staying in a second unit director Lettich considers as humiliating. His stories on films, which eventually directed MacDonald, lies for truth as correct on endings with Legionnaire, but I never heard similar on acts of Peter MacDonald as I didn’t find now. Official reason of Russell Mulcahy’s leaving in “creative differences with Sylvester Stallone” as wrote when Rambo III was in filming and it still stays. I became confused, because Stallone was asked about firing of Russell Mulcahy on Ain’t It Cool News in 2008 on what he wrote “Yes, Russell Mulcahy, I thought did a brilliant job on several music videos and eventually “Highlander”. I remember calling him what a wonderful job he had done. He answered back in a bored fashion “Why thank you darling”. So I hired him. He went to Israel two weeks before me with the task of casting two dozen vicious looking Russian troops. These men were suppose to make your blood run cold. When I arrived on the set, what I saw was two dozen blond, blue-eyed pretty boys that resembled rejects from a surfing contest. Needless to say Rambo is not afraid of a little competition but being attacked by third rate male models could be an enemy that could overwhelm him. I explained my disappointment to Russell and he totally disagreed, so I asked him and his chiffon army to move on.” I more keep to point that Sheldon Lettich has personal to Peter MacDonald for creative differences on Legionnaire, which was a wishful project for Lettich and he intended to stage, but involvement of MacDonald who was a producer (also before that he was an executive producer of The Quest in which Lettich had involvement with screenplay, but presence of MacDonald there doesn’t mention in the book.) caused to remove of Sheldon Lettich. Probably, Lettich’s relation to MacDonald by that he had chances to stay in cinema for silver screens if directed Legionnaire.
From Vietnam to Van Damme discloses on other people, which are Jean-Claude Van Damme and Frank Dux. Lettich and other people compliment and doesn’t evade for saying the bitter facts on JCVD, but the book doesn’t mention what was actor’s reason in relocation to DVD movies and it hasn’t meaning due to it’s book not about him. However, no words on Lettich’s involvement as producer in Black Rose, it’s one film, which he didn’t stage and didn’t write screenplay. I know, it wasn’t nice experience.
Lettich isn’t vain, but put in personal achievement that a nudity scene in Double Impact is a favorite among adolescent boys isn’t for own pride due to people in that age has prone to every such episode (if a woman is not so ugly for them.) in any seen movie. I have disgust in listening stories when actress suddenly knows that she must strip and forced to do it. Although Alonna Shaw was warned about it in words of the director (however, it depends how that was said what once again makes to wish to know other view, which is hers.) and if it’s true, she supposed to hear that and think, because it was reckless from her side if it was not.
I don’t agree with the director that Cannon made a mistake from rejection right on screenplay turned into Double Impact. I reason, that a film wouldn’t take this big box-office by that Cannon put little money for marketing campaign (when it’s known that achievement is possible in big and masterful promotion.) and I more keep to point that caused their financial downfall.
He indicates on other time in that actors from drama movies took roles of action heroes in which stuntmen and doubles give them this look. I opposite to Lettich here by I don’t believe that these characters wield of martial arts and these roles usually aren’t well performed at overall. And I can’t share that personages in current movies became sensitive and get more in personality when I see that they do monkey business for audience. I recall a lot muscle heroes showing touchable side and Lettich created such characters as his involvement in Rambo III made change in character’s vision on involvement in Afghanistan conflict and it made grandiose story and Lionheart is powerful in characteristics personages as a main one I always believe in his struggles. These movies have thing, which contemporary haven’t – a soul. I recall John McTiernan who in one interview attacked modern American cinema. He considers that all film studios were “acquired by money” and then “They’re not make movies about real people anymore cause they’re dangerous.” Sheldon Lettich is the director who made and will stage such flicks so.