"I Must Break" This Podcast

With a film as awesome as The Expendables, one episode simply wasn't going to be enough! In Part II of our Expendables discussion, we have two regulars coming back to the show -- the always dependable Chris Prentice is back once again, this time reminiscing with me on the announcement, hype, and overall excitement leading up to the release of The Expendables in August 2010! After, Matt Poirier from the Direct to Video Connoisseur blog and podcast comes back to the show and we discuss the film’s effect on the action genre, particularly the direct-to-video market. In what ways was this film a boon and an almost last hurrah for these types of movies? And how did this film change the trajectory in Dolph’s career going forward? Listen in as we close out the discussion surrounding The Expendables!

Major thanks to Chris Prentice and Matt Poirier for coming back! Be sure to check out the Direct to Video Connoisseur: http://dtvconnoisseur.blogspot.com/, which examines the plethora of movies that bypass theaters and head direct-to-video!

Feel free to rate and review the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever else you go to subscribe! Also, please be sure to check out the Facebook page for the show, www.facebook.com/imustbreakthispodcast. Lastly, the show has now joined the Last of the Action Heroes Podcast Network, so please check out that feed, which also contains shows looking at the careers of other cinematic action heroes including Stallone, Bruce Willis, James Bond, and more!

Intro. and outro. music to the show is "Sports Action" by Audionautix.

In the first of a two-part special, we're talking the action extravaganza, the ultimate team-up for the ages, and Dolph Lundgren's momentous return to the big screen! This is The Expendables! In this love letter to '80's and '90's action films, Sylvester Stallone stars, writes, and plays ringleader to The Expendables -- a team of mercenaries who take on the impossible mission of liberating an island from its dictatorship regime! Stallone leads the ultimate task of tough guys including Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li, Jason Statham, Randy Couture, and many more! And we're pulling out all the stops for the conversation! In this episode, I was invited on by the Sylvester Stallone Fan Podcast Network for their monthly Stallone Movie Breakdown, in which The Expendables was chosen as their next discussion! Ryan Rebalkin from Going the Distance: The Rocky Series Podcast, Doug Greenberg from The Rocky Minute, Craig Cohen from the Slycast, and I all sit down to geek out and break down this momentous Summer 2010 release! Enjoy!

Major thanks to the Sylvester Stallone Fan Podcast Network for the invite! You can check out this episode as well as other Sly-related discussions at their respective feed: https://goingthedistance.libsyn.com/ Stay tuned for Part II of the conversation in which Chris Prentice and the DTV Connoisseur's Matt Poirier come back to the show and we discuss the hype and excitement surrounding The Expendables, as well as its impact on the direct-to-video action market!

Please feel free to rate and review the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever else you go to subscribe! Feel free to follow the show on Facebook as well: www.facebook.com/imustbreakthispodcast. Opening intro. music to the show is "Sports Action” by Audionautix; closing outro. music is "Diamond Eyes" by Shinedown.

On this special episode, we're stepping slightly outside of the Dolph cannon and this time discussing everything He-Man! Corey Landis, one of the directors behind the documentary, Toy Masters, joined the show to discuss not just his documentary, but the iconic toyline, animated series, and 1987 movie! For those unaware, Toy Masters is the long awaited documentary where super fans Corey Landis and Roger Lay Jr. went on a journey exploring the He-Man and Masters of the Universe franchise and its pop cultural impact over the years! Yet as they explored the origins of Eternia, they discovered that two very real characters have been engaged in a 40-year battle over who really created He-Man. Enter Roger Sweet and Mark Taylor, both employees of Mattel who each swear that they invented the character, leading the viewer down a rabbit hole that is even stranger than fiction! Completed in 2012, the documentary has since sat unreleased to the public. But that didn't stop Landis and Lay Jr. from allowing fans to see the film in some form... podcast form. Released in the Spring of 2020, Toy Masters takes many of the film's bits and lays them out for listeners in a five-episode series that is a blast to listen to! In this discussion, Corey Landis and I chat making the documentary, the enigma that is Roger Sweet, and our general thoughts on the toyline, show, and movie. We also geek out and discuss our favorite figures (some of which, we may still have)! Listen in as Corey and I hold the power and discuss Toy Masters!

Major thanks to Corey Landis for his time! Please check out his Toy Masters podcast available on all major podcast apps! And be on the lookout for the documentary film, which will hopefully be released some day soon!

Feel free to rate and review the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever else you go to subscribe! Please be sure to follow the shows Facebook page, www.facebook.com/imustbreakthispodcast. Intro. and outro. music is “Sports Action” by Audionautix.

This month we're discussing Dolph's fifth turn as star-director and looking at 2010's Icarus (ridiculously retitled Dolph Lundgren is the Killing Machine upon its North American DVD release)! In this homage to Luc Besson's The Professional and David Cronenberg's A History of Violence, Lundgren plays Edward "Eddie" Genns, a real estate broker leading a double life; unbeknownst to his family, he embraces his hidden KGB-trained background and moonlights as a cold contract killer going by the codename, "Icarus." Yet when Eddie's cover is blown, he must race to protect his family and destroy those who outed him before it's too late! Joining me to discuss this one is returning show regular, Chris Prentice, and making his inaugeral appearance on the show is major cinephile, Mike Flynn! Just how different is the final product from what was initially intended? How has Dolph grown into his own as both a star and director? How does this film utilize its Canadian production values to its benefit? And what is with the ending? Join us as we take aim at Dolph Lundgren and Icarus!

Major thanks to Chris Prentice and Mike Flynn for joining me. Feel free to check out Mike's film reviews on Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/mikedrewflynn/. Also, please feel free to rate and review the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever else you go to subscribe. Be sure to follow the show's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/imustbreakthispodcast.

Opening intro. music is "Sports Action" by Audionautix. Closing outro. music is "Smoking Gun" by Fall of Envy, which played in the opening titles sequence of Icarus!

On this month's interview episode, Michael Nachoff, the writer of the 2011 action-fantasy, In the Name of the King 2 dropped by the show to discuss his career in the fields of writing, visual effects, and cartooning! For the uninitiated, In the Name of the King 2 was the sequel to the 2008 film in which Lundgren took over for Jason Statham as a modern-day karate instructor and war veteran who is whisked away to medieval times! In this discussion, Nachoff and I chat his early gigs in film, including the horror-comedy, Slither! We also discuss how he began collaborating with Uwe Boll and working on many of his productions. It was here where Michael Nachoff was tapped to write sequels to two films directed by Uwe Boll -- In the Name of the King 2 and Bloodrayne: The Third Reich! Nachoff has a true passion for cinema, especially these lower-budget indie action flicks that we all love and enjoy!

Major thanks to Michael Nachoff for his time. Please be sure to check out his visual effects work on SyFy's Van Helsing, currently going into its fifth and final season! You can also follow him on Twitter @Michael_Nachoff including his online comic strip, Chi Coffee Shop!

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 and follow the show's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/imustbreakthispodcast. The show's intro. and outro. music is "Sports Action" by Audionautix.

It's time to jump back into the Universal Soldier saga once again, this time looking at the final (and darkest) installment in the franchise! In this wild nightmarish sequel, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren return once again, this time joining forces (!) and taking a backseat to martial arts sensation, Scott Adkins! Adkins stars as John, a family man who finds himself in the middle of a power struggle between an army of rogue Unisols and the government trying to reclaim control of them. John Hyams also returns to the director's chair once again, and this time he brings in a Lynchian element to the Unisol franchise, combined with Apocalypse Now and The Manchurian Candidate! And if you thought Hyams' vision in Universal Soldier: Regeneration was brutal, Day of Reckoning goes to a whole other level! Joining me to discuss this film is Ben Highton and Alex Balerdi of The Arniethology Presents podcast! Just how different is this installment from the 1992 original? How does Scott Adkins do at taking the reigns of the franchise? How bold is the direction they’re taking JCVD’s Luc Devereaux character? And does this film cross a line in terms of its unrelenting violence? Join us as Ben, Alex, and I embark on our own day of reckoning and break down Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning!

Major thanks to Ben and Alex for joining me! Please check out their podcast, The Arniethology Presents! https://soundcloud.com/arniethology Their current season, Keanucopia examines the entire filmography of Keanu Reeves! And while you're at it, check out their back catalog with previous seasons examining the filmographies of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom Cruise!

Please feel free to rate and review the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever else you go to subscribe. Also, check out the Facebook page for the show: www.facebook.com/imustbreakthispodcast. New intro. and outro. music is "Sports Action" by Audionautix.

On this month's interview episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with screenwriter, Chris Millis, author of the novel, Small Apartments and its 2011 film adaptation! In this bizarre dark comedy, Matt Lucas portrays Franklin Franklin, an eccentric recluse who must dispose of a body all the while encountering an oddball assortment of characters residing in his apartment complex! Directed by Jonas Akerland, Small Apartments boasts an eclectic and talented assortment of actors including Billy Crystal, James Caan, Johnny Knoxville, and Dolph Lundgren (in his very first comedic performance!)! Rocking black, slicked back hair, Dolph plays Dr. Sage Mennox, a self-help guru in a performance that's unlike anything he's done before! In this conversation, Millis and I chat his inspiration for writing the book, its transition to the big screen, and how this little film managed to attract such a large cast. We also discuss his work in the fields of cartooning and teaching, as well as what he has lined up for 2021!

Major thanks to Chris Millis for his time! Please check out his website, www.chrismillis.com.

Feel free to rate and review the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever else you go to subscribe. Also, please check out the show's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/imustbreakthispodcast. New opening intro and outro music for the show is "Sports Action" by Audionautix.

On this month's episode we're jumping into sequel territory and looking back at the reunion no one had expected -- 2009's Universal Soldier: Regeneration! In this direct sequel to the 1992 original, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren reunite as Luc Deveraux and Andrew Scott -- resurrected soldiers who rekindle their feud, this time at a Chernobyl reactor! The clock is ticking, and the heroic (?) Luc Deveraux has just a few hours to save hostages, defuse a bomb, take out a Russian militia, and square off against not just the next upgraded universal soldier, but a clone of his mortal nemesis, Andrew Scott! Joining the podcast to help me discuss this one is David Ullman from his podcast, Long Walk for a Short Drink! David is a huge fan of the work of Jean-Claude Van Damme, so it was a pleasure bringing him on the show to help discuss the second reunion of JCVD and Dolph! But did it live up to our expectations? Let’s just say that David and I had different reactions, which made for a fun conversation... Just how cold, oppressive, and brutal is this film in comparison with the original? In what ways is this film akin to Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman? How little are Lundgren and Van Damme actually in this film? And what kinds of artistic flourishes does John Hyams bring to this one? Join us as we suit up and jump back in on the action that is Universal Soldier: Regeneration

Major thanks to David Ullman for joining me. Check out his podcast, Long Walk for a Short Drink and his website: www.davidullman.net!

Please feel free to rate and review the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever else you go to subscribe! Feel free to follow the show’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/imustbreakthispodcast

On this month's interview episode, Will Beall, one of the writers on the 2018 smash hit, Aquaman dropped by the show to tell us his story and how he broke into the entertainment industry! Beall has an especially unique story... Before he started penning big-budget blockbusters, Beall worked as a detective for the LAPD. It was those experiences that led him to writing his novel, L.A. Rex, a gritty cop tale set in the world of the LAPD's 77th precinct. From there, Beall's writing caught the attention of Hollywood, where he crafted some police procedural stories for both the big and small screen including Gangster Squad, Castle, Training Day (the series), and Deputy. He was then tapped to jump on board the DC Comics superhero adaptation, Aquaman, and the rest is history! In this conversation, Beall tells us his journey how he went from detective to screenwriter and his experiences writing Aquaman. He also talks about his love and appreciation for Dolph Lundgren, and how he geeked out upon learning of his casting! Enjoy!

Please check out Will Beall's work, both on the big screen as well as television. Also, be sure to give his debut novel, L.A. Rex a read; fans of Training Day will approve!

As always, please feel free to rate and review the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you go to subscribe. Be sure to check out the show's Facebook page! http://www.facebook.com/imustbreakthispodcast

This month we're DIRECTING our sights on the 2009 Dolph Lundgren-Nu Image production, Direct Contact! In this goofy '80's throwback, Dolph plays Mike Riggins, an ex-Special Forces badass who's released from prison to find a kidnapped American in Bulgaria!

Yet when it's apparent that he's has been manipulated and lied to by his employers, Riggins arms himself with the appropriate firepower to punish those who've wronged him! Coming back to the show once again to help me break this film down is Doug Greenberg from the Rocky Minute! How does this film compare to the other "direct" movie, Direct Action? How heavily is this film embracing its fondness for '80's action cinema? Just how unstoppable is Dolph as he lays waste to Bulgaria? And does the film even understand what Stockholm Syndrome is? Join us as Doug and I answer these questions and so many others as we look at Direct Contact!

Major thanks to Doug for coming on once again! Please check out his movie-by-minute podcast, The Rocky Minute! Stay tuned for Season 3, covering Rocky III minute-by-minute, to be released here soon!

Please feel free to rate and review the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever else you go to subscribe!

Please be sure to like and follow the Facebook page for the show! https://www.facebook.com/imustbreakthispodcast/