I had the pleasure of interviewing Writer/Director Steve Wang about his directorial career: soundcloud.com/the-important-cinema-club/interview-steve-wang-wont-sleep-till-the-last-punch-is-thrownIt's got the rough edges of a hungry director let loose for the first time (2 Hours?!), but with GUYVER 2: DARK HERO Writer/Director/Producer/Effects Artist Steve Wang delivers the best R Rated monster-suit action movie ever produced in North America - and not only that - but it's a top-shelf example of the genre. SEE FOR YOURSELF!The story goes that Wang had a miserable experience co-directing the first one, with the producers deciding at the last minute to make it a kids film, but when his co-director Screaming Mad Geroge wasn't interested in a sequel, the project was handed off to Wang who was told "Do whatever you want as long as it comes under a million dollars and features one monster." - so Steve whipped up an epic (Shooting in the woods is cheap!) that featured a dozen monsters, a story about the genesis of humankind, and lots of crazy kicks. As a professional effects artist, Steve Wang is at the top of his game, so all the monsters look amazing, and thanks to Choreographer/Guyver Suit Performer Koichi Sakamoto, the action slaps like nothing else at the time (or since!). Tokusatsu (Power Rangers style) shows aren't really known for their intricate fight choreography, so it's amazing to witness Wang and Sakamoto take it to the next level and splatter gore all over it. There's even a Wong Fei-hung No Shadow Kick for the real Hong Kong cinema super fans! Logically, this led to Steve Wang being hired to direct POWER RANGERS: THE MOVIE, but after three months of pre-production, he left due to creative differences - which I'm sure were "Why are you trying to make something good!? This is for kids. Phone it in!" Steve would direct the action classic DRIVE (1997), but he hasn't made a feature since - which is a crime against entertainment.
