Albert Pyun Remembered: The King of Cult Video

ABOUT THE SERIES:

“This town seems to be perfect for me. I never saw a place where there are so few brains and so many guns!” – Dakota (Burt Reynolds), CRAZY SIX 

The American Cinematheque celebrates the life and career of Albert Pyun with a tribute series featuring one-of-a-kind cult classics from throughout his prolific body of work.

Raised in Kailua, Hawaii, Albert Pyun’s first break into the entertainment industry came when the great Toshiro Mifune brought him to Japan as an apprentice on the set of a TV series. Returning to the United States with the dream of becoming a filmmaker in his own right, Pyun made waves with 1982’s THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER, a fantasy epic that briefly put his name in the ring to direct some of the biggest hits of the 1980s. Subsequent titles like DOWN TWISTED (1987) and ALIEN FROM L.A. (1988) saw Pyun direct emerging talents such as Courtney Cox and Kathy Ireland, but it was CYBORG (1989), a cyberpunk action thriller starring Jean-Claude van Damme, that would be his last commercial box office success.

In the 1990s, Pyun achieved legendary cult status with the home video releases of titles like CAPTAIN AMERICA (1990), NEMESIS (1992), OMEGA DOOM (1996), and MEAN GUNS (1997), the first in a series of collaborations with star Ice-T. Pyun continued directing well into his 60s, developing the CYBORG and NEMESIS franchises with a collection of spin-offs and sequels. While critical reception of his films varied in later years, an enormous and devoted fan base continues to laud Pyun’s unique contributions to cinema and ensure his legacy as the king of cult video.