Brian Thompson, a good friend of Lettich's, was immediately hired as the main antagonist's right-hand man. [3] Ashley Johnson, who plays Lyon's young niece, made her acting debut in this film. She was noticed when she accompanied family friends to an audition for the film while on a holiday trip to Los Angeles. [2] Filming [ edit ] Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition. London: Guinness World Records. 2008. ISBN 978-1-904994-21-3. Masters, Kim (12 October 2011). "Seal's Chechen Leader Birthday Bash Performance Questioned By Human Rights Group". The Hollywood Reporter. Of course afterwards it starts to get a little more serious. But only too often when Van-Damme hits his stride does the editing start to get carried away. He finishes off the swimming pool pepper with an elbow shot, which the film repeats about five times from different angles before the guy finally goings down. On June 12, 2018, the film received a special edition Blu-ray from MVD Entertainment Group as part of their "MVD Rewind" line, to which Van Damme and Lettich have personnally collaborated. It contains a version that Lettich calls "very close to the Director's Cut [he] had originally turned in to the producers." [3] [13] Reception [ edit ]

Mostly, the direction is average, though Director Peter Malota does a nice job with the pacing. This slow to begin with but speeds up nicely when the action starts. There are a couple of sections where he slows it down to help the story and to give the viewers a breather.Van Damme very determined". Hartford Courant. 16 September 1994. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012 . Retrieved 21 May 2011. Van Damme has been married five times to four different women. Until 1992 he was married to his third wife, bodybuilder Gladys Portugues, with whom he has two children, Kristopher (b. 1987) and Bianca Brigitte (b. 1990). [136] He had begun an affair with actress Darcy LaPier, whom he married in February 1994. From this marriage, the couple has a son named Nicholas (b. 10 October 1995). That same year he had an affair with his Street Fighter co-star Kylie Minogue during filming in Thailand. [137] [138] LaPier, who was pregnant with their son at the time, did not become aware of the affair until Van Damme publicly admitted it in 2012. [139]

The film has heart though as time is spent literally spelling out that he does this to support his family, and is in essence a no-monkey business innocent when it comes to loyalty and providing for a family. A lesson well learnt by his friend Joshua in the final fight when he decides to place the “wrong bet.”Elder, Miriam (13 October 2011). "Hilary Swank 'regrets' partying with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov". The Guardian. London . Retrieved 14 October 2011. Richards, David (September 4, 1994). "FILM; Jean-Claude Van Damme, the, uh, Actor?". The New York Times . Retrieved August 8, 2010. ; Cater, Dave (May 1987). "Bloodsport – The Ultimate Martial Arts Movie". Inside Kung Fu Presents the Complete Guide to Ninja Training: 38–47. I had known Frank Dux for a number of months before I came up with the idea for Bloodsport. Frank told me a lot of tall tales, most of which turned out to be bullshit. But his stories about participating in this so-called "Kumite" event sounded like a great idea for a movie. There was one guy who he introduced me to, named Richard Bender, who claimed to have actually been at the Kumite event and who swore everything Frank told me was true. A few years later this guy had a falling-out with Frank, and confessed to me that everything he told me about the Kumite was a lie; Frank had coached him in what to say." [8]

Lionheart". Entertainment Weekly. 1991-01-18. Archived from the original on 2009-12-21 . Retrieved 2010-12-01. Lyon Gaultier ( Jean-Claude Van Damme) goes AWOL from the French Foreign legion in North Africa to avenge the death of his brother in Los Angeles. a b Lionheart (Blu-ray). MVD Rewind. Pottstown: MVD Entertainment Group. June 12, 2018. UPC 0760137076483.Elder, Miriam (13 October 2011). "Hilary Swank 'regrets' partying with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov". The Guardian. London. Home Alone' Fends Off Yet Another 'Intruder': Box Office: Vietnam War film opens to mediocre business as comedy remains on top for 10th week. After four weeks of release, 'Godfather Part III' drops to 12th". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2013-04-04 . Retrieved 2012-06-04. In 1990 Van Damme starred in Death Warrant, the first script credit for David S. Goyer. Also that year he starred in Lionheart. [47] Lionheart was directed by Sheldon Lettich who had co-written Bloodsport, and said the film was "the first movie to demonstrate that Van Damme was more than just a flash-in-the-pan "Karate Guy" who would never rise above simplistic low-budget karate movies." [48] It also featured rear nudity from Van Damme which Lettich says "became a very memorable moment for the ladies in the audience, and for the gay guys as well. Showing off his butt (clothed or unclothed) almost became a signature trademark of his after that." [48] Since its release, Bloodsport has become regarded as a cult film. [15] Though Jean-Claude Van Damme doesn't appear in additional installments, it was followed by three sequels: Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite (1996), Bloodsport III (1997), and Bloodsport 4: The Dark Kumite (1999).