Albert Pyun was a director known for his low budget direct to video cult films including “The Sword and the Sorcerer” and “Cyborg.”
- Died: Saturday, November 26, 2022. (Who else died on November 26?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 69. No cause of death given but he had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and dementia.
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Direct to Video Cult Movies
Albert Pyun first made films in Hawaii where he was born and then went to Japan where he was mentored by Akira Kurosawa’s cinematographer Takao Saito. He moved to Los Angeles and made his first film “The Sword and the Sorcerer” in 1982. The fantasy movie was his most successful, grossing 40 million dollars. In 1988, he made “Aliens from L.A., casting supermodel Kathy Ireland in the lead role though she had no acting experience. The bulk of his work came in the 1990s when he made numerous films including “Captain America,” “Crazy Six” with Burt Reynolds, and “Mean Guns” starring Christopher Lambert and rapper Ice-T. He continued to make cultish direct to video films with his last release being 2017’s “Interstellar Civil War.”
Notable Quote
” I learned early on that once those other markets came online, like home video and cable, they were all viable outlets that got the film out to a much bigger audience than theatrical ever would. Theatrical is not something that filmmakers should think about initially. They should think about how to connect to their audience and then figure out what the best platform will be to connect to that audience.” – 2010 interview with IFC
Tributes to Albert Pyun
Full Obituary: Variety
