1. JCVD IS ACTUALLY JCCFVV.
The Muscle tissue From Brussels’s actual title is Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg. He initially glided by the stage title “Frank Cujo” earlier than selecting Jean-Claude Van Damme.
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2. HE GOT HIS BIG BREAK BY SHOWING HIS MOVES.
Van Damme, who moved to the U.S. within the early Eighties and labored as a waiter, demonstrated a roundhouse kick to producer Menahem Golan in the course of meals service. The impressed producer ultimately signed Van Damme to a three-movie contract, which included Kickboxer.
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3. VAN DAMME HAD DIRECT CONTROL OF THE FIGHT SCENES.
He directed and choreographed all of the combat scenes within the film himself. He additionally has a “Story By” credit score within the closing movie.
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4. THE MOVIE WASN’T ALWAYS CALLED KICKBOXER.
It was launched in sure territories in Europe as Karate Tiger 3.
5. IT WAS ORIGINALLY SUPPOSED TO STAR CHUCK NORRIS.
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Norris tried to purchase the movie rights to Kickboxer, however producer Menahem Golan wouldn’t promote them as a result of he particularly purchased the movie rights as a starring position for Van Damme.
6. ITS MAIN VILLAIN IS MISCREDITED.
The evil kickboxer Tong Po is billed as “himself” within the film’s finish credit, although he was really performed by martial artist and actor Michel Qissi.
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7. QISSI AND VAN DAMME WERE CHILDHOOD FRIENDS.
The pair educated on the similar Shotokan Karate dojo as youngsters in Belgium, and Qissi additionally served as Van Damme’s private coach throughout the manufacturing of Kickboxer.
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8. UNLIKE TONG PO, QISSI ISN’T THAI.
Qissi is a Moroccan-born martial artist who moved to Belgium when he was two years outdated and ultimately moved to Hollywood with Van Damme to star in motion pictures. He really had make-up utilized to his face in Kickboxer to make him a extra plausible Asian martial artist.
9. ERIC SLOANE WAS AN ACTUAL HEAVYWEIGHT KICKBOXING CHAMPION.
The character was performed by former kickboxing champ Dennis Alexio. Kickboxer was Alexio’s second—and final—function movie look.
10. IT WAS SHOT ON LOCATION IN THAILAND.
The movie’s villain could not have been authentically Thai, however the setting was. The manufacturing lasted 50 days between June and August of 1988, and had a comparatively small price range of $1.5 million.
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11. THE DIRECTOR MAKES A QUICK CAMEO.
Director Mark DiSalle seems early on within the film because the American reporter who coaxes Eric and Kurt Sloane to go to Thailand.
12. FREDDY LI’S VOICE WAS DUBBED BY FAMOUS CARTOON VOICE ACTOR JIM CUMMINGS.
Cummings—whose work in Kickboxer was uncredited—can be the person behind the voices of Winnie the Pooh, the Tasmanian Satan, and Darkwing Duck.
13. PEOPLE DIDN’T THINK JCVD’S SKILLS WERE LEGIT.
After the film was a hit, legendary B-movie producer Roger Corman introduced a $100,000 winner-take-all kickboxing match between Van Damme and world champion kickboxer Don Wilson as a result of he thought JCVD’s martial arts background was faux. Sadly, the publicity stunt by no means occurred.
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14. VAN DAMME DIDN’T COME BACK FOR ANY OF THE SEQUELS.
4 Kickboxer sequels have been made between 1991 and 1995, however Van Damme wasn’t round. These movies as an alternative targeted on Van Damme’s character’s brother David Sloane, who isn’t talked about within the first film.
15. BUT VAN DAMME WILL BE BACK FOR THE REMAKE.
Titled Kickboxer: Vengeance, Van Damme will take over the position of the Muay Thai grasp who teaches Kurt Sloane (now performed by actor and stuntman Alain Moussi) to combat. It’s set to be launched in 2016.
16. VAN DAMME STILL DOES THE KICKBOXER DANCE.
