Menahem Golan: the discoverer

"I have carried Hollywood to the martial limbs and the martial limbs to Hollywood"

of Don Warrener

Of Menahem Golan ce n' it is one single. When it is been born they have destroyed the stamp! Who is? E' a 10° dan of karate shotokan, judo or ju jitsu? Not, it is a 10° dan in the art to make film on the martial limbs. It has uncovered Jean Claude Van Damme while it had supper in a French restaurant of Beverly Hills. "I was seated to the table with my moglie when this beautiful young man has been approached and it has asked to me in French: ` Me excuses, it is Menahem Golan ' ` Sì', I have answered, then he has raised a leg and with the foot the hats with much delicacy ` For she have combed me could make this in a film, if it gives one to me chance'. All that while it resisted on the hands two plates of zuppa. Of they are remained to say little bewitched. I have said to introduce in my office the day after, the rest is history. "Jean Claude is naturally fotogenico, appeals to to the taken machine from and to the age it had a air from innocent: with of factors that make of he one true star. In the last years he has lost that innocent air, but nothing is impossible to Hollywood and it is one full person of resources. He can return to shine?
Is a question from 64 million dollars. With a good director and a good scenario all it can be. "But I am still trying the new Jean Claude Van Damme" says Golan. Wow, than interview beginning! Been born 76 years ago, the passion for the direction of master Golan it is bloomed when she was still a child and it made to slide the coils of the subtitles them in the old cinemas in the Biblical city of Tiberiade, on the sea of Galilea, Israel. "my preferred films were the westerns and other films of cowboy, are then that I have uncovered thing transform a film in happening. In the better films there are heroes in which the public it can be identified and the bonds always gain on the bad ones you. For this reason they are always to the search of a hero ". In years Fifty, Sixty and until the Seventy Menahem Golan divenne the father of the Israeli cinematographic industry and its director and more active producer. Then in years Seventy it arrived to Hollywood and it founded the Canon Pictures that divenne the greatest independent cinematographic house of Hollywood and reinventò completely the rules in the golden city.
I wanted to know its ideas on films of martial limbs and wanted to feel them from he in person, therefore there are puttinges of agreement in order to go together to lunch. It has explained to me that the cinematographic kind of the martial limbs has been invented from the Chinese and that the merit goes to Bruce Lee. "it had all to Them: talent, carisma, beautiful presence... He was a perfect hero and public us it could be identified ". Dov' is been born the idea of its films on the ninja of years Seventy? Golan, as usual, was trying a hero. Therefore it was put to leaf through its encyclopedia and went to read the voice "ninja". After to have read of their determined abilities and theirs 6° sense that would have them it transforms to you from catti to you in benefactors. The ninja it was a figure outside from the normal school, was perfect for that age and that type of cinema. It knew Sho Kosugi and it began a distance that carried to produce it nearly 20 films on the ninja. The first film, Enter the ninja, in origin had an other actor and an other director, but after to have visionato the turned material in the first Golan week it fired them both. The Black, famous Frank actor Italian in Europe for its you leave in several "spaghetti western" of succeeding like Django, Compañeros and Keoma, for case was found in vacation just in the Philippines, where the film was being turned. Golan saw in hotel and it convinced it to interpret the role of the protagonist. Therefore Kosugi trained Black and for the scenes in which it wore the estate from ninja rerun to one controfigura. The film was happening and the successes to you were entrusted the director Sam Firstenberg. Sam is a talentuoso director and indeed succeeded to make to emerge the dark side of the world of the ninja. Following the idea of Golan to transform the ninja in a positive figure, it then turned Revenge of the Ninja, American Ninja, Return of the Ninja and many others. Firstenberg, than is not a marzialista, succeeded to earn the respect of the cast and of the troupe and when to this you add a director that it knows well its trade with years of experience to the shoulders you succeed to obtain something much special one. They have been just these films on ninja the turns from Firstenberg indeed launch the kind of the martial limbs to the cinema. Menahem Golan is also R-he who has chosen Chuck Norris for Missing in action and Force Delta in 1986. When we have asked to it for Norris has answered to us: "Chuck Norris is one of the kinder persons, more educated and genuine who I have never met and it would appeal to a lot indeed to me to still work with he. Chuck is also a simple man and its positive aura is that that door the persons to follow it on the screen and to encircle it of attention constantly. Its Walker Texas Ranger watches from how many years comes passed in television, us must be one reason! It can also not be the better actor of the World, but Chuck Norris is a good man and is with the good men who make the heroes ".
Famous for being a pitiless speculator to Hollywood, we have asked to it if it is true that it has stipulated of the job agreements spreading and signing contracts on the napkins of the restaurants. It has answered to us that it has signed therefore a contract from 1,5 million dollars with the famous French director Jean Luc Godard in order to turn King Lear. "I make to take from the passion when draft to make a film and when I want to make something I make it. I let to guide from my feelings when job, when I want to make something I make it. Simple E' therefore ". When we have asked it who other had uncovered has cited the director Isaac Florentine. "E' one of the best directors than action film that has never met. Also it is the book of martyrs when film draft. Glielo law in face when it speaks to it. When it was introduced in my office for before time did not want to know some of refusals. It would not have never yielded. E' also Israeli he and this with to its acquaintance of the martial limbs it renders an ideal director for film of action of this kind. Moreover she is an athlete who trains itself every day.
Who best of he could turn a film on the martial limbs? Its better work must still come. When someone will supply it a true one star with which working and a worthy budget of he you will not believe to your eyes, a lot is creative!" Which tasks that are your better film? "In this trade we always say that the next one will be the best one. But ce they are some of which they are enough proud: Directed Lemon popsicle from Boaz Davidson, naturally Bloodsport with Jean Claude and Delta Force with Chuck Norris, beyond naturally to films ninja ". When we have asked it which it has been its greater contribution to Hollywood has answered: "I have had much happening and I have carried my contribution to Hollywood. First of all I have had more succeeded that flop and being cineasta a this it is the way in which calculation my value. But I have contributed also in other ways. I have changed the way to work in the United States, where a film from 1 million dollars and from 50 was taxed in the same way.
When I have raised the problem I have given the way to a great battle, but to the end they have understood and hour in the USA is a called law Canon law that it lavishes deep special to film to reduced budget.
"also they have been the first one pre-to sell films to Hollywood and one of my more smash hit has been to have carried Hollywood to the martial limbs and the martial limbs to Hollywood".