THE BUMRUSH

I was HE-UGE fan of Jean Claude Van Damme back in the day. In my formative years, my best friend had a big screen TV and was also within a bike ride of the video store. And since Van Damme could pump out the movies even before his direct to video glory days, a little Van Damme action was part of my Saturday night so many times.

So, I was pretty damn disappointed when I read this on Cinema Blend:

Four months ago we reported on a “sister’s cousin’s uncle” type rumor about Jean-Claude Van Damme joining the cast of Rush Hour 3 as the villain. Today’s Empire online reports that the rumor not only isn’t true, but was made up by Van Damme himself. The former action hero told the press, "it was just a comment, a joke, that I made during an interview. I said, ‘We’ve got Jackie, we’ve got Chris Tucker — what about me, making it a trio?’”

Say it ain’t so, Jean Claude? I would have loved to see him in Rush Hour 3. I might have actually seen it. That’s how psyched I was. My day perked up just a little bit when I came across this piece of news, though.

Exclusive: Capcom Talks New Street Fighter Movie

Capcom has unveiled a partnership with Hyde Park Entertainment on a new Street Fighter film franchise that will tie into games, a potential TV series and more. The movie will focus on the character Chun Li. Capcom marketing guru Charles Bellfield sheds some light on this project. After getting into the movie business in 1994 with Street Fighter: The Movie, a $35 million production starring Jean Claude Van Damme and Raul Julia that was completely funded by Capcom, the Japanese game publisher exited the movie industry. Street Fighter earned only $33 million in the U.S., although it did go on to gross another $66 million overseas. The film was panned by film critics and gamers alike.

My only wish is that Van Damme and the corpse of Raul Julia make a return for the remake.

Labels: celebrities, movies, rumors, van damme