45. 80s Action Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme – The Muscles from Brussels

High kicks, slow splits, and a surprisingly soulful streak, Steven and Benjamin trace JCVD’s journey from Bloodsport bravado to meta meltdown. Expect talk of spin kicks, slow-mo tears, some surprising acting chops, and the philosophical musings of cinema’s most flexible action poet.

We chart the early fighting cult classics such as Bloodsport, Kickboxer and Lionheart (aka A.W.O.L). There is the branching period out of low-budget films like Cyborg, Death Warrant and Double Impact. His Hollywood heyday with Universal Soldier, Nowhere to Run, Hard to Kill, Timecop, Streetfighter and Sudden Death. His plunge into Direct to Video with Legionnaire, Replicant. and finally his latter-day prestige work with JCVD, The Expendables 2 and The Bouncer. Van Damme is that rare figure in his genre where his work and skill set has grown with age.