Arrow Note: This set visit was written by
Jérémie Damoiseau and
is EXCLUSIVE to AITH and the great Dolph fansite
DOLPH
ULTIMATE.
What hasn’t already been said about Sylvester Stallone’s fan-boy dream that
is The Expendables? With the most simple pitch and a bunch of
tough guys, Sly, the one and only, has managed to make all of us giddy like
we’ve never been before even in our wildest fantasies of badassness. You
know, the kind like who would win in a fight between Batman vs Superman,
Bruce Lee vs Jackie Chan, Jet Li vs Dolph Lundgren?!
This unlikely project first showed up during last November’s American Film
Market during which was announced that Stallone’s next action extravaganza
was not Rambo V, but a straight-forward mercenary flick
co-starring Jason Statham and Jet Li entitled The Expendables.
Cool. But the buzz unexpectedly really started a few weeks later, when Sly
announced at the Transporter 3 premiere that he was signing
Dolph Lundgren onto the $60 million (rumored to be 80 now) budget Nu
Image/Millennium production.
Then began one of the most unique casting processes that has ever happened
with a succession bad ass additions to the mix (Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts,
Gary Daniels, Randy Couture, Steve Austin), wish-fulfillments (Arnold
Schwarzenegger), rumors (Sandra Bullock), rejections (Jean-Claude Van Damme,
Kurt Russell), speculations (Bruce Willis) and other withdrawals (Forest
Whitaker) and unrealistic fan utopias (Wesley Snipes, Steven Seagal). So
when you say Rocky and Drago back on screen together, Lundgren finally back
on the big screen to get it on with Jet Li… twice! I say sign me up!
OK, granted, Dolph Lundgren has never drawn big crowds and hasn’t even
become a cultural media icon and target such as the Muscles from Bruxelles
or the bear with a ponytail. Half of Lundgren’s films have been bad choices
or disappointments but the Swedish iron man managed to survive the Hollywood
dream and nightmare, while keeping his career intact and remaining a solid
household name for old-school action flicks worldwide. Moreover, he’s been
reinventing himself, namely by taking on the director’s reins, starting five
years ago (by accident). By doing so Lundgren fulfilled a longtime wish and
started to gain a solid reputation among the action fan communities.
Therefore it’s natural that Dolph implemented directing as part of his
career (as a whole). The Defender, The Mechanik, Missionary Man, and
this year’s, Command Performance and Icarus… With only five
films to his belt is Lundgren becoming as prolific as Woody Allen and Clint
Eastwood?
In the past year I’ve had the chance to visit Mr Lundgren on set twice but
it sounded like a totally different ballgame when it was suggested I come
and drop by New Orleans, Louisiana where he’s been filming his new acting
(action?) gig with Sly and the gang.
New Orleans: June 26, 2009 – Being flown from Paris to New Orleans, I landed
15 hours later in a hotel suite bigger than my studio apartment. My arrival
is amidst the last few days of the shoot. They have been shooting nights for
a while and the filming schedule has been changing/revised constantly.
I’m on hold with Dolph – he called at the last minute – and he has advised
me to meet him in the lobby in the late afternoon to drive to the set. I
first recognize his coach and sparring partner Slavi Slavov. We’re joined by
Nyla, a petite Canadian fitness model training and hanging out with the
guys. And now here appears Dolph Lundgren, laid back as usual, tanned,
and sporting military-style shorts and a sleeve-less sportswear displaying
his two Expendables tattoos. Dolph is holding his “pink”
script revised sides in hand. Randy Couture shows up, and exchange a few
banalities and laughs with Dolph before the blond veteran action star finds
a seat aside to finish memorizing his lines for today’s scene. I’m briefly
introduced to the impressive looking Couture who also seems like a very
nice, down to earth guy.
When we get to base camp, Dolph gets into make-up and takes some time to
relax and focus. We’re then driven to the set with actor David Zayas who’s
also shooting “Dexter” in L.A., going back and forth. The sun is setting. A
beautiful building, probably art nouveau, is standing before us. It’s a New
Orleans courthouse coupled with a prison. While we’re waiting for the set to
be ready and huge exterior lights to be rigged, we see Sylvester Stallone is
playing with his two dogs on a small square of grass.
There won’t be any action or shout out/gun shot filmed today. The scenes
being shot, and the set, was definitely minimalist compared to the rest of
the film so there was nothing crazy, but for a big budget production it
didn’t feel over the top or too corporate, no heavy protocol except the
usual film production ones, crew was young and professional everybody was
getting the job done in a casual manner. I guess when you come towards the
end of a two and half month shoot, everybody is burnt out but things have
come into place, are routine.
They’re gonna be shooting in a small office, which stands in for an
interior of the bad guy dictator General Garza’s palace. Present are Gary
Daniels, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, David Zayas and Eric Roberts. But it’s
Dolph Lundgren who owns the scene here. Sly talks the actors through the
blocking and rehearsal, which is followed by wardrobe/costume change and
last make-up touches while camera and lighting crew are prepping.
Going back to set after Dolph got more time to prep himself. The weapon
wrangler Kent H. Johnson (Rambo) hands Dolph what seems like a
cross between a sawed off shotgun and a handgun, maybe a modified custom
weapon, that sounds like something a character like Gunnar would use. I got
to hold this baby for Dolph between takes and I can say that was not a
plastic toy, the thing felt real and heavy! The weapon wrangler is the real
deal, a small but strong man in his 60s maybe, fun but knows his stuff for
sure and not to be messed with.
Dolph storms into the room stealing the show. His character had been
off-screen for a while after we encountered him in the first part of the
picture and is now making a comeback into the story with a somewhat
theatrical and twisted monologue. Sly is very particular about the phrasing,
he will say the lines the way he wants it or point the gun a certain way.
The fact is there’s nothing monotone about Dolph’s monologue, which goes
back and forth between a very personal irony and sarcasm, and a threatening,
tough and bad-ass attitude. It’s nice to see Sly direct Dolph and talk him
through the beats, watching the takes on the monitor together, working
seriously and yet still cracking up and joking around together. They’re
friends but both men seem to keep a mutual sense of respect about each
other. Dolph keeps his distance towards Sly and the cast as just an actor
and employee. Low key…
Sly is the man that everybody looks up to and makes way for when he walks
through, he’s the General on his set and you don’t wanna mess with him or
interrupt him if not necessary, but you trust him and look up to him.
Needless to say it’s hot and humid in New Orleans, and on the set, the only
place with air conditioning is the green room where talent can hang out and
chill in between set ups. Dolph is joking around with his stunt double (not
on call for this scene but still on the set), they talk about their
respective fights (in competition). Dolph laughs about an exhibition boxing
fight he did a couple of years ago in Moscow. Then his stunt-man tells a
crazy story about a fight he did in Finland with a friend of his who asked
him to go down at the second round and still went pretty hard on him. Then
comes Randy Couture and Gary Daniels into the conversation and jokes. These
guys genuinely respect each other
Meanwhile the second unit is also lining up a quick shot of Terry Crews
hiding in the palace from soldiers. Nothing elaborate, the camera on a
plate, outside lights. Sly is called to check out the set up and consult
with the stunt-coordinator/second unit director. Then it’s up to shoot
medium shots and close ups of the Dolph scene…….. (same usual deal).
Once they wrap the scene it’s a wrap for the total shoot for Gary Daniels
and Steve Austin. Time for lunch, which we take back at base camp.
Dolph is done for the night(!) but takes me to the other set where they’ve
been shooting the final showdown. They’re prepping for big time explosions
and still have some coverage to get for the day. A twenty minute drive from
camp, it’s a totally built set next to a warehouse. There we have a better
sense of the scale of the production, although most of it has already been
destroyed by the mayhem that concludes the film. The set is like a huge
military camp surrounding a palace (which some of will be completed through
CGI and therefore stands huge blue screen on top of it. In the middle stands
a statue (of the dictator) likely to be blown up tonight. Dolph is all
proud, and quite animated as he shows me around the set. He also takes me
inside the warehouse where they had shot the opening action scene set on the
deck of a pirate ship, as of now only a reddish deck remains. The
Expendables sea plane is at rest.
While we’re watching the crew working on the set, Dolph took out his
director’s hat and switched back to being a normal visitor, he doesn’t show
off in any way, as if he almost felt like a small player within a big
Hollywood production with other big names involved and lots of money at
stake. He’s probably as much happy and excited to be part of this as he is
also just happy to make and direct his own little projects (as he calls
them). As he says with a big exasperated laugh “Love this business!”.
APRIL 23rd 2010 = THE EXPENDABLES RELEASED!
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