Highlander: Endgame | Ballistic Kiss | Legend of the Wolf | Tiger Cage 2

It all started off during the prime time action period. It was the Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao era. It was unfortunate for Yuen Wo-ping, who was working as an independent, because Golden Harvest ruled. I'd noticed that Sammo Hung's films had such large budgets they always had money for props, guys falling from two-story buildings, etc. They had lots of resources, both manpower and money. I still remember the conversation Yuen Wo-ping and I had at his house. I told him the key was individual character. I strongly felt that to distinguish ourselves we needed to emphasize the individual style and character of the martial artist. I used Bruce Lee as an example. Everytime Bruce Lee kicks somebody, you don't see the person he kicks thrown specific places, falling, breaking a chair or a table. Instead the camera stays on Bruce Lee because he's so dynamic and charismatic. The camera doesn't need to cut away. So I told him, for example, let me run the fight and have the camera stay on me-I'll have a flavor you don't see with Sammo and Jackie and Yuen Biao.

Sammo Hung was using wide angle shots, quick cuts, three moves to a cut, etc. I suggested to Yuen Wo-ping, let's have a long shot, just let me go off. Just have the person delivering the techniques. Sammo's style is to emphasize the person receiving the techniques. With Tiger Cage and Tiger Cage 2, we didn't have any choice because of the low budgets. How many props did we destroy? How many high falls? It's just Michael Woods or Stephan Berwick or John Salvitti and me battling it out. It's simply individual performances-the one delivering the techniques. And it takes a lot of ability from that person.

At that time, I also saw that Sammo brought over foreigners like Benny Irquidez, and I told Yuen Wo-ping that I knew a bunch of guys I worked out with, and we needed a mixture, a crossover. Of course they had to be outstanding with their martial arts abilities, which these guys are. Stephan, Michael and John were all students of my mom, all with strong martial arts backgrounds. Stephan had traditional martial arts training even before he came to my mother; Michael travelled around the country dissecting styles, and he trained as a Navy Seal and with the Special Forces; and, John started hard style karate in his early teens. They all had strong grounding and also trained with me. I believe in versatility, and this built their foundation for working in the film industry.

Highlander: Endgame | Ballistic Kiss | Legend of the Wolf | Tiger Cage 2