"I Must Break" This Podcast

On this month's episode we're stepping back into the world of television, this time looking at the six-episode story arc of the fifth season of the hit CW show, Arrow! In this televised adaptation of the DC Comics character, Lundgren guest stars as Konstantin Kovar, the leader of a Russian criminal empire who shows up in flashbacks as the main antagonist to Stephen Amell's superhero, the Green Arrow! Dolph may not have the biggest role (and to be honest, there are a TON of TV tropes that tend to weigh the episodes down!), but that didn't stop us from having fun discussing these episodes! Returning to the show to help me discuss this one is Travis Bow, host of the Reel Comic Heroes Podcast! In what ways does Dolph's inclusion help elevate these episodes... and at the same time, almost grind the story to a halt? Are flashbacks/prequels really necessary to the development of a character, especially five seasons in? And what exactly is going on with Green Arrow's team of D-list superheroes (cleverly named "Team Arrow"!)? Join us as Travis and I answer these questions and many more as we chat Arrow!

Major thanks to Travis Bow for joining me! Please check out his podcast, Reel Comic Heroes, which examines the films based on comic book properties! Also, be sure to be on the lookout for his movies by minute podcast, Minute of Thieves, to be dropping on your podcast app of choice soon! Please be sure to check out the show's official webpage as well as Facebook page: www.imustbreakthispodcast.wordpress.com; www.facebook.comimustbreakthispodcast. Show's intro. and outro. music is "Sports Action" by Audionautix.

On this month's episode it's Dolph vs. a bloodthirsty shark! Who doesn't want to see that?! Unfortunately, the film's not nearly as exciting as it sounds... Yes, this month we're chatting the 2015 shark thriller, Shark Lake! In this Jaws knock-off, Lundgren plays Clint Grey, a prison parolee who must not only reconnect with his young daughter, but ALSO rid a small town lake of a bull shark that is eating the locals. Thankfully, he has a sheriff's deputy and PHD professor nearby who will not only assist him in this huge undertaking, but manage to take up more screen time than our man of the hour! Making his inaugural appearance on the show is Kevin Dotson, co-host of the Six Degrees of Schwarzenegger podcast! In what ways is this film essentially a cameo role for Dolph? Why are there virtually zero scares in the entire 85-minute run time? Could a bull shark even survive in Lake Tahoe? And could the lead sheriff's deputy be one of the most annoying characters to grace a shark film? Listen in as Kevin and I go swimming in Shark Lake!

Major thanks to Kevin Dotson for joining me! Please be sure to check out Kevin's podcast, Six Degrees of Schwarzenegger, which can be found on its own feed as well as the Last of the Action Heroes Podcast Network! Please feel free to rate and review the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever else you go to subscribe! Please be sure to check out the show's official webpage and Facebook page: www.imustbreakthispodcast.wordpress.com; www.facebook.com/imustbreakthispodcast. Show's opening and closing music is "Sports Action" by Audionautix.

This month, the Muscles from Brussels and the Big Swede reteam yet again! Only instead of being adversaries, they're now on the same side! Yes, we're chatting the 2018 submarine adventure, Black Water! In this DTV team-up, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren join forces, making this their FIFTH collaboration! This time Van Damme and Lundgren play two government operatives who're wrongly imprisoned onboard a top secret CIA blacksite submarine. Yet these two badasses aren't about to stay underwater forever, and they're prepared to mow through an army of heavily trained commandos in order to get back to the surface! Returning to the show to help me discuss this one is uber-JCVD fan, David Ullman! Just how dated was the submarine setting and conceit in 2018? What works in seeing JCVD and Dolph join forces again... and what doesn't? And how much fun does Dolph bring to what is a small supporting role? Listen in as David and I chat Black Water!

Major thanks to David Ullman for joining me once again! Please check out his website for his music, writings, podcasts, and film work: www.davidullman.net! Please feel free to rate and review the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever else you go to subscribe! Please be sure to check out the show's official webpage and Facebook page: www.imustbreakthispodcast.wordpress.com; www.facebook.com/imustbreakthispodcast. Show's opening music is "Sports Action" by Audionautix. Closing song is "Bloodsport (and Kickboxer, Too)" by Ukelilli. Check out her website: www.ukelilli.com.

Please check out the new book, Bloodspurt!, which critically analyzes the films of Jean-Claude Van Damme available now on Amazon from Bear Manor Media! You just might find a few essays, written by both David and myself! https://www.amazon.com/Bloodspurt-Films-Jean-Claude-Van-Damme/dp/B0BQXWH7NF/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?crid=3EZG75BQ699C6&keywords=bloodspurt+van+damme&qid=1676227241&sprefix=bloodsport+van+damme%2Caps%2C158&sr=8-1-fkmr0

It's Christmas time in Chickaree Creek, Mississippi. And a bloodthirsty demon has been released on the unsuspecting townsfolk with only one intention... Chaos! Yes, on this month's episode, we're chatting the 2017 action-horror-comedy, Don't Kill It! In this crazy slice of indie-horror, Lundgren plays Jebediah Woodley, a bounty hunter who has arrived in Chickaree Creek to capture the bloodthirsty demon. Unfortunately, killing this demon poses one small problem... Whoever kills it becomes inhabited by it! Joining me to chat this film is Katrina Hill from the website, Action Flick Chick! How does this film make the most of its quick 17-day shoot? Could the character of Jebediah Woodley sustain a potential franchise? And just how much fun is everyone visibly having on set? Listen in as Katrina and I discuss Don't Kill It! After, stay tuned at the end of the episode for screenwriter, Tom Jolliffe's thoughts on the film! Jolliffe knows a thing or two about the world of low-budget indie filmmaking, so he lends his insight on this particular film!

Major thanks to Katrina Hill for joining me. Please be sure to check out her website, Action Flick Chick: http://actionflickchick.com/superaction/. You can also check out her book, Action Movie Freak!, which is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Katrina-Hill/e/B0091JLOR4/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1. Check out the show’s official website and Facebook page — http://www.imustbreakthispodcast.wordpress.com; http://www.facebook.com/imustbreakthispodcast. Show’s intro. and closing music is “Sports Action” by Audionautix. Don't Kill It is currently available for free streaming on Tubi, Peacock, Plex, and Vudu!

Please check out the new book, Bloodspurt!, which critically analyzes the films of Jean-Claude Van Damme available now on Amazon from Bear Manor Media! You just might find a few of my essays, which I contributed prior to publication! https://www.amazon.com/Bloodspurt-Films-Jean-Claude-Van-Damme/dp/B0BQXWH7NF/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?crid=3EZG75BQ699C6&keywords=bloodspurt+van+damme&qid=1676227241&sprefix=bloodsport+van+damme%2Caps%2C158&sr=8-1-fkmr0

On this month's episode, it's Dolph Lundgren and Scott Adkins battling a legendary beast in China! With a premise as exciting as this, what could go wrong? Apparently, just about everything! Yes, this month we're chatting the 2013 Chinese production, Legendary! In this expedition adventure, Lundgren reteams with Scott Adkins once again, this time as two rival hunters, each in search of a mystical beast that's supposed to be extinct... Yet the titular monster is very much alive, and it very much resembles an overgrown gecko (scary, right?!)... Returning once again to the show to help me discuss this one is Richard Hawes, co-host of The DTV Digest! In what ways does the film's low budget hamper the general conceit? In a film with two noted action stars, why is there virtually zero action in it? And just how much of a letdown is the actual monster? Listen in as we discuss Legendary!

Major thanks to Richard Hawes for joining me! Please be sure to check out his podcast, The DTV Digest: https://thedtvdigest.podbean.com/. Please be sure to rate and review the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever else you go to subscribe! Also, feel free to check out both the official webpage for the show: www.imustbreakthispodcast.wordpress.com, as well as the show's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/imustbreakthispodcast. Intro. music is "Sports Action" by Audionautix; closing song is "Tonight in Babylon" by LoverushUK featuring Bryan Adams, which played in the closing credits of Legendary. Legendary is available for free streaming on Youtube and Tubi!

On this month's special Christmas episode, we're looking at the family-friendly Christmas comedy, Pups Alone from 2021! In this strange oddity, Dolph takes on a supporting role as a pet product employee who hires a couple of crooks to steal his new neighbor's high-tech invention just before the holidays! Yet awaiting these thieves are a group of rambunctious canines who are prepared to protect their home while their owners are away! Joining me to discuss this one is Katie Geilenkirchen, one of the hosts of the One More Round podcast! Just how many various story threads are in this one? How long did this film sit in post-production (and was that for the better?)? Could this film have benefitted from some serious editing? Is ripping off Home Alone 30+ years later even a novel idea at this point? And just how off the rails is Dolph's performance? Listen in as Katie and I get festive and chat Pups Alone!

Major thanks to Katie Geilenkirchen for joining me! Please be sure to check out her podcast, One More Round, which is also on The Last of the Action Heroes Podcast Network! Also, check out the show’s official website and Facebook page: http://www.imustbreakthispodcast.wordpress.com; http://www.facebook.com/imustbreakthispodcast. Show’s intro. and outro. music is “Sports Action” by Audionautix.

On this month's episode, we're looking at TWO DTV films starring Dolph, and BOTH involving him infiltrating the prison system -- 2015's Riot and 2017's Larceny! Yes, in addition to starring in TWO one-word title films over the course of TWO years, Lundgren muscled his way into TWO low-budget productions that both have him going undercover in the inside! In Riot, Dolph takes second fiddle to rising action star (?), Matthew Reese as William, a dim-witted inmate who helps a former cop seek vengeance on the Russian gangster who controls the penitentiary! In Larceny, Dolph plays a thief / DEA agent / CIA informant (let's be honest, we really don't know what in the heck his role is!), who sneaks into a Mexican prison to crack the secret safe belonging to a cartel drug lord! But how do both of these films stack up against one another? Let's just say that one is much, much better than the other... Chris Prentice returns to the show to help lend insight to yet another combo pairing of Lundgren efforts! In what ways did these films succeed in utilizing Dolph as the commodity that he’s become…? And in what ways do they fail (well, one of them at least)? Listen in as Chris and I tackle this double dose of Dolph, prisoners, shootouts, and fights!

Major thanks to Chris Prentice for once again joining me! Please be sure to check out the rest of the shows on The Last of the Action Heroes Podcast Network! Also, check out the show’s official website and Facebook page: http://www.imustbreakthispodcast.wordpress.com; http://www.facebook.com/imustbreakthispodcast. Show’s intro. music is “Sports Action” by Audionautix. Closing song is "It's On" performed by Matthew Reese, which played in the closing credits of Riot!

On this month's episode, we're chatting Lundgren's most recent film, Section 8! In this star-studded effort (which is currently available on streaming), Dolph stars alongside Ryan Kwanten, Dermot Mulroney, Mickey Rourke, and Scott Adkins in a tale filled with revenge, government espionage, and way more twists than you'd expect from a 90-minute actioner! Ryan Kwanten takes the lead as Jake Atherton, a retired soldier who's back on US soil after a stint in the middle east. Yet the violence has a way of finding him when he's recruited by a shadowy covert organization to carry out government assassinations. And when it's clear that Jake is actually working for the bad guys instead, he enlists his former army buddy and mentor (played by Dolph!) to help him take out Section 8! Returning to the show to help me discuss this one once again is action movie expert, Vern from the website, outlawvern.com! How does the film do in balancing its cast? How is Mickey Rourke utilized in his brief role? Just how integral is Dolph Lundgren to the movie? How is it that so many seem to know about Section 8 and seemingly do nothing about it? And how does Scott Adkins' presence (and late arrival) save this film? Listen in as Vern and I enter Section 8!

Major thanks to Vern for coming back! Please be sure to check out his website: www.outlawvern.com. You can also read his many books, Seagalogy, Niketown, and Worm on a Hook available on Amazon or where ever books are sold! Section 8 is currently available on video on demand as well as AMC+! Please be sure to check out the the official webpage for the show: www.imustbreakthispodcast.wordpress.com. Also, please check out and follow the show's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/imustbreakthispodcast.com. Opening intro. and outro. music is "Sports Action" by Audionautix.

On this month's episode, Dolph Lundgren goes to World War II, and he's bringing Mickey Rourke, Luke Goss, and Chuck Liddell with him! Yes, we're chatting the WW2 epic film on a budget -- 2015's War Pigs! In this "men on a mission" war film, Lundgren, Goss, and Rourke star as grizzled Army soldiers who must lead a ragtag team of young recruits to go behind enemy lines and take out a super Nazi weapon! Joining me to chat this one is Jacob Gustafson, author of the Awful Awesome book series! How does Utah do in doubling for Western Europe? Just how nondescript and bland are the titular “War Pigs” soldiers? How hard is everyone working behind the scenes on this one? And just what is going on with Dolph's accent? Listen in as Jacob and I travel to WW2 and chat War Pigs!

Major thanks to Jacob Gustafson for joining me! Please be sure to check out his Awful Awesome books, which examine the "so bad, they're great!" films in the action, horror, and science fiction genres: amazon.com/Jacob-Gustafson/e/B0B4XVZHV7/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1. Please be sure to rate and review the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever else you go to subscribe! Also, feel free to check out both the official webpage for the show: www.imustbreakthispodcast.wordpress.com, as well as the show's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/imustbreakthispodcast. Intro. and outro. music is "Sports Action" by Audionautix.

On this month's episode we're chatting the 2015 martial arts thriller, Skin Trade!  In this highly ambitious direct-to-video film, Dolph Lundgren teams up with Tony Jaa as two detectives who join forces to take down a Serbian mobster and destroy his worldwide human trafficking network!  Yet for Dolph, this mission is more than serving justice... it's personal!  Also along for the ride in this film is a star-studded cast of many who are more than familiar with the action genre, including Michael Jai White, Ron Perlman, Peter Weller, and Cary Tagawa!  Returning to the show to help me discuss this one is Ben Johnson, host of the Kung Fu Movie Guide! What is it about this film that makes it look much more cinematic than so many of Dolph's other films post-Expendables?  Just how generous is Dolph to his cast in letting everyone have their moment to shine in the film?  How amazing is the fight between Dolph and Tony Jaa?  And how does the film do at tackling the very weighty subject matter of human trafficking?  Join us as Ben and I answer these questions and many more as we chat Skin Trade!

Major thanks to Ben Johnson for joining me! Please be sure to check out both his website and associated podcast -- the Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://kungfumovieguide.com/! Please feel free to rate and review the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever else you go to subscribe! Please be sure to check out the show's official webpage and Facebook page: www.imustbreakthispodcast.wordpress.com; www.facebook.com/imustbreakthispodcast. Show's opening and closing music is "Sports Action" by Audionautix.