Transcript

Hard Target LIVE! (HDTGM Matinee)

From How Did This Get Made? · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 1 h 17 min · 13,336 words · 342 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Hard Target LIVE! (HDTGM Matinee)", an episode of How Did This Get Made? published February 3, 2026 (1 h 17 min, about 13,336 words). It mentions 13 people, works and ideas, including Hard Target, Jean Claude Van Damme, Lance Hendrickson, New Orleans, John Woo.

What this episode is about

The discussion centers around the 1993 action film "Hard Target," directed by John Woo and featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme, focusing on its themes of survival and human hunting. The hosts engage in a lively commentary filled with humor, exploring memorable characters, iconic moments, and the film's cultural impact, all while interacting with a live audience.

Key takeaways

  • Baggy jeans and mullets: the timeless uniform of danger and questionable fashion choices—thank you, 1993!
  • In a city where turtles and tourists mix, JCVD's accent somehow gains street cred. Who would have thought?
  • Stripped of dialogue, JCVD shines. Less is more, especially when 'less' is just a tank top and charm.
  • New Orleans: where even the audience wears their 'sloppy' with pride. A celebration of chaos and frozen dairies!
  • Hard Target flips the hunter-hunted trope—wealthy elites gunning for the poor. Social commentary wrapped in action nostalgia.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 10:00: Hard Target, New Orleans, John Woo, The Most Dangerous Game
  2. – 20:00: Lance Hendrickson, John Woo, New Orleans, Hard Target
  3. – 30:00: Lance Hendrickson, John Woo, June Diane Raphael
  4. – 40:00: Lance Hendrickson, John Woo, Hard Target, New Orleans
  5. – 50:00: New Orleans, Lance Hendrickson, John Woo
  6. – 1:10:00: Lance Hendrickson, John Woo, New Orleans
  7. – 1:17:12: Hard Target, New Orleans, Lance Hendrickson, John Woo

Notable quotes from "Hard Target LIVE! (HDTGM Matinee)"

  • And from what I can tell, I did watch it closely. It's the first time you don't see John Claude Vanam's ass.
    about Hard Target · at
  • Fresh out of the house, out of quarantine.
    about Jason Manzukas · at
  • I don't know why we're doing this movie on this podcast and not unspooled.
    about June Diane Raphael · at
  • Interact with real people. He's just like a vigilante essentially, but he's just a poor person. that's This movie is about the rich hunting the poor against their knowledge. Really, I have a lot of issues.
    about Jean Claude Van Damme · at
  • Lance Hendrickson is now I think my favorite How Did This Get Made actor.
    about Lance Hendrickson · at
  • Some like sort of gel on him so he wouldn't like fully ignite. That was not supposed to happen. And John Woo was Yeah, he didn't break character, so he left it all in.
    about John Woo · at
  • In the morning. The whole movie, the whole movie, the streets of New Orleans are empty, which is legitimately impossible because there is always either a wasted person or a corpse somewhere on these streets. I've never.
    about New Orleans · at
  • Going to tell you some [ __ ] and this is it, you know. And it's like and so when he opens his mouth in this movie my jaw Yeah. It was shocking done dropped.
    about Wilford Brimley · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Jean Claude Van Damme — Person · Referenced actor / film subject · 2 mentions · first at
    Central figure of the episode because the live show is a comedic breakdown of his 1993 film 'Hard Target' and his performance/style (dialogue, physique, mullet) is repeatedly discussed.
  • Lance Hendrickson — Person · Referenced actor / primary antagonist discussed · 21 mentions · first at
    Discussed as the standout performer playing the villain Emil Fouchon; hosts praise his acting choices, anecdotes (caught fire on set), and his chemistry with other villains.
  • John Woo — Person · Referenced director / stylistic touchstone · 15 mentions · first at
    Framed as the director whose signature slow-motion, doves/pigeons, and gunplay shape the film; noted as his first English-language film and contrasted with JCVD’s style.
  • June Diane Raphael — Person · Co-host · 3 mentions · first at
    Co-host providing reactions, critiques, and running bits (e.g., hair/fashion, pacing, subtitles); she also participates in audience Q&A and wrap-up plugs.
  • Jason Manzukas — Person · Co-host · 2 mentions · first at
    One of the two co-hosts on stage; contributes jokes, critiques, and comparisons (e.g., other films, action tropes) throughout the live episode.
  • Wilford Brimley — Person · Referenced actor / late-appearing scene-stealer · 3 mentions
    Discussed for his surprising accent/voice choice and as a memorable supporting character who shifts the movie’s dynamic when he appears.
  • Arnold Vosloo — Person · Referenced actor / supporting villain discussed · 2 mentions
    Mentioned as 'Mr. Pick' (and referenced via The Mummy) and discussed for his on-screen chemistry with Lance Henriksen and villain dynamics.
    He also fun to cuz I also recently watched Aliens and he is at the right he understands every time what movie he's in.

Products & tech

  • Hard Target — Product · Case study · 8 mentions · first at
    Primary movie discussed in the podcast, analyzed for its themes, production, and cultural impact.
  • Paper Girls — Product · Secondary owned · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as a product one of the hosts is involved with.
    Jason? what do you want to tell people about? I will say that if you haven't started it, it I cannot recommend highly enough the Amazon Prime series Paper Girls.

Concepts & topics

  • The Most Dangerous Game — Concept · Core topic · 4 mentions · first at
    Central theme of the movie 'Hard Target', discussing the concept of hunting humans as sport.
    They actually, it is the most dangerous game of all. And they don't want just any old poor person.

Places & events

  • New Orleans — Place · Setting · 15 mentions · first at
    The city where the movie 'Hard Target' is set and where the podcast episode is being recorded.

Media & podcasts

  • Aliens — Media · Referenced work · 2 mentions · first at
    Referenced in comparison to Lance Hendrickson's performance in 'Hard Target'.
    He also fun to cuz I also recently watched Aliens and he is at the right he understands every time what movie he's in.
  • The Mummy — Media · Referenced work · 2 mentions · first at
    Referenced in relation to an actor's performance in 'Hard Target'.
    Replace him. godamn if Lance Hendrickson isn't just what a performance.

Full transcript with timestamps

The hunt is on for baggy jeans, Aquanet for that long luxurious hair, and a weird cinjun grandpa. WE SAW HARD TARGET, so you know what that means.

[screaming] Baby show control just like every stand alive. They call him a bad ass and he's on the line breaking cuz they cool his eyes cuz the bad kids looking kind of nice. HELLO PEOPLE OF EARTH AND HELLO PEOPLE OF NEW ORLEANS. [screaming] WE ARE LIVE AND WE ARE BACK ON the road to celebrate the 1993 Jean Claude Vanam Classic about the most dangerous game, Hunting Man. That's right. Tonight we will be talking about Lance Hendrickson as Emil Fushon, a man who hunts homeless people. And Jean Claude Vanam, who just kind of falls backwards into figuring out what's going on, all for $100 a day.

It's John Woo's first English language film. And from what I can tell, I did watch it closely. It's the first time you don't see John Claude Vanam's ass. But you see Boo indeed. Indeed. But if mullets were asses, we see a lot of ass. And that's all we're here to do. Talk about mullets. I can't wait to talk to you about this movie. I can't wait to just talk to you about Wilfried Brimley.

When a movie can surprise you at hour and 27 minutes in, I'm like, whoa, there is so much going on here. But I can't break it down alone. I need to break it down with my two co-hosts. Fresh out of the house, out of quarantine. Please welcome Jason Man Zukus.

What's up, JERKS? How are we doing, New Orleans? Oh, and while there's not a balcony, there is a balconyesque AREA. SO, GIVE IT UP FOR THE BALCONY MONSTERS.

These [ __ ] everybody's topless. They are just They have just been living on frozen dairies for a year, so they're ready to go.

These people are sloppy. This city is sloppy. I don't mind saying it. Look at this woman in the front row. is like, "Yeah, [screaming] we're so sloppy. You get me." I am just excited to be in air conditioning. So, and now, help me bring to the stage my other co-host, Miss June Diane Raio.

How are you, Jyn? I'm doing well. How are you, Paul? I'm doing fine. Thank you for asking. Um, hard target June thoughts.

Okay. I I don't know why we're doing this movie on this podcast and not unspooled.

Whoa. Unspooled. I love We have an answer for you, June. It's because we don't do unspoon.

Well, I know we don't. We've never been asked list. We are on the band unspooled unspooled list.

God, but I love this movie. I don't I the no notes really. It's except give me more.

Exactly. It flew by. And Paul, you really prepped me. And I don't know if you were doing a practical joke, but you really warned me it's going to be an hour and 40 minutes. It's going to feel like two.

I just wanted you to be prepared. I don't know where you fall. Sometimes you don't like a John Woo movie, but maybe you do.

I like this John Woo movie. All right. Wow. And by the way, do JCVD perhaps never better.

Never better. Never better. And and a city in which his accent somehow works. The only place French Belgian people here in New Orleans know.

I was like I was like I buy it. He fits here. Also, also two things. Yeah. All of act three, he has no lines.

No problem. This movie, shockingly, no buns. That's what I was saying. Also, this is a bunless JohnClaude Vanam movie.

Also, it takes a really long time for him to strip down into that tank top. You're right. when he finally takes off that billowy

like shirt like a light wash denim shirt it's like a parachute that has been attached to his body I can't get any read on his body the entire time because he like between the hair he feels like he is constantly in some he's almost like a Marty girl

he's also wearing a duster he's wearing like a duster for the first act in the second act he's wearing the shirt the billowy shirt the billowy pants and then it's

always a belt the last five minutes that he comes down to and the camera drinks in his

Well, we've been waiting for it. We've been waiting for it. Maybe maybe John Woo's best movie for his aggressive slow-mo is just John Claude Vanam's body.

Listen, I'll tell you, John Claude Vanam's work in this movie is the, like you said, Jason, the best work he's ever done. There's nothing better. He's restrained.

Well, I think all of his performances are restrained because it feels to me like his grasp on the English language is slight. And I don't say that in a derogatory way.

I just he you are making an edit. Careful. Love him. Love him. But I don't I don't think of him as a broad performer.

Is he here? I do agree with you. I abroad. It seems that he no one ever taught him the word dad in English.

Oh, cuz he loves saying daddy. I'm helping her look for her daddy. Well, I'm going to help you find your daddy.

But him saying the word time. I was like uncomfortable. Why it's so weird is because they're saying like her father was killed and he's like we found your daddy. It's like well hold on

let's just we we're talking about a dead man. We can't call the dead man. It would make sense if if Natalie's character was 11.

Sure. Yeah. No, it was I was like, "Oh, this movie again because they don't try and saddle him with a ordinary man job or a regular Joe kind of." In the other movies, he's like a firefighter. He's like a guy in the world who has to interact with real people. He's just like a vigilante essentially, but he's just a poor person. I mean, that's This movie is about the rich hunting the poor against their knowledge. Really, I have a lot of issues.

We're going to talk about the game of it all. They actually, it is the most dangerous game of all. And they don't want just any old poor person.

No, they want a poor person with a military background, but they're not going to give him

not a worthy competitor. But they don't give the competitor anything except five minutes.

Five minutes. You be like, what are you going to do? like give him a gun. GIVE HIM

I WHAT I kept on wanting to say is like you all have cars. You have a fleet. Like this is not mad.

They have like they were like a literally a hunting party except their dogs are guys on motorcycles and they have you know like um uh Mr. Pick is like the head of the thing. And

by the way, Mr. Pick the Mummy from The Mummy. Oh, I love him. Replace him. godamn if Lance Hendrickson isn't just

what a performance. What a performance. instantly in this movie. Lance Hendrickson is now I think my favorite How Did This Get Made actor. Not because he's bad, it's because no matter what movie, he is amazing.

He also fun to cuz I also recently uh watched uh Aliens and he is at the right he understands every time what movie he's in.

Yes. And adjusts accordingly. You know, like here he's like, "Oh, got it. This is enormous and preposterous. I can do that.

Based in Aliens, he's like, "What's going on?" Okay, I can do that. I mean, he's so understated.

He literally was a fan of John Woo. And was like, "Put me in your movie." John Woo did. And he said the only note he ever got from John Woo, he said, "How do you want me to play my character?" And he goes, "You hunt the weak." He go, "Got it."

Never took another note. And by the way, amazing. unnecessary because he crushes. He's so good in this.

He is so great. I want to talk about one thing. I know I'm bringing up early, but there's a moment in this movie and we won't get to the end, but I just want to talk about Lance

where he is on fire. Yeah. Here's the thing that wasn't supposed to happen. Whoa.

Lance Hendrickson caught fire during the movie. did not break character and they left it all in the film. His jacket caught fire and he's like, "Fuck it. We're going."

And that's why he looks like he did have some like sort of gel on him so he wouldn't like fully ignite. That was not supposed to happen. And John Woo was like, "Yeah, he didn't break character, so he left it all in."

And that I mean, someone should have yelled cut. That's why he says, "What are you guys?" Cuz the other actors, if you watch that scene again, and we don't have it, but if you watch that scene again, he says to the other actors like, "Go get out of here. This is why you're paying money because the other actors were in shock. They're like, "What the [ __ ] is going on? The lead actor of this movie is on fire." And he's and he like gave them an exit like, "Go get out of here." Takes off the jacket.

It was the same thing on Aliens. He wasn't supposed to get ripped in half and he just got ripped in half

and he was like, "Let's roll on it. I'll I'll force my blood to be a milky viscous substance and we'll just do it."

Well, this is the one thing I wanted to talk to you both about. The movie opens up in I mean, it opens up in the French Quarter and no one is on the street. The only time I've seen that is at 8:00 a.m. in the morning. The whole movie, the whole movie, the streets of New Orleans are empty, which is legitimately impossible because there is always either a wasted person or a corpse somewhere on these streets. I've never seen

No, though. When the Well, wait a second, Paul. When the police go on strike, everyone goes home,

right? I forgot the police were on strike. Oh, that's Yeah, really. The police so our detective gets murdered. The police are nowhere to be found.

Well, even before then, their pro I was obsessed with the detective. I thought she was amazing. I was actually really obsessed. She was murdered so early on. But this is where John Woo, I think he he's fantastic. Giving her that little moment of blowing out the birthday candle.

Yeah. So funny though, that she full first puts it lit in a desk. Hilarious. And I was like, "Oh, they're never going to come back to that." I was like,

but what was also like we never get to understand because it looks like her entire force is protesting and on strike outside except for her.

Um, and we don't really understand her position on this union battle that they're in.

Without cops, the city stops, baby. Well, right. But I guess she's like, "No, we should be defunded." Like, we

Without cops, maybe things would be better. Exactly. Without a maybe things would be better.

By the way, I do I want to talk about this opening because you know uh basically Lance Hendrickson is funding this hunt, right? It's very similar to that movie that we did about time travel where they hunt dinosaurs and also apparently an upcoming Mickey Roor movie.

Well, I mean they've done this version of like let's hunt humans, but this one it feels like they really didn't let the humans in on it or at least what we've seen. And I love the guy who's like, "My thing is arrows. I want to hunt with arrows." And

from a rifle arrows were being shot out of a rifle barrel. Now, the poster of this movie, the arrow plays like, "Oh, he's going to be hunted by the arrow guy." That arrow guy is like a side I mean, not even a side character.

Can I confess something? I thought that that customer was Steven Seagal for a long time.

By the way, can I say something? I watched most of Hard Target last night. Okay. Yeah.

I finished it today so it would be fresh. I turned it off. I turned on the TV in my hotel room playing Steven Seagal's Under Siege.

And I was like, "Yes." And I'm now going to say, "We must. We got to use we must." When we play a live show on a naval vessel, we are going to do Steven Seagal's Under Siege.

That's the best one. I mean, Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Buucy. It's next level. And when we play our next train show, we'll play Under Siege 2 with Eric Begoian as the bad guy. So, let's just go back for a second to the the love story between um

Yansy Yansy and Jeancla because I was also expecting it and I felt like oh wow they bailed on it because of her

mouth situation and cuz the mouth situation was tough because it was there in some scenes and it wasn't there in others and

that's the way herpes works. Sometimes it's there. But what's really confusing is like, well, they were probably shooting the movie out of order, so it really does seem to come and go. You know, it's there and then it's not there. But I'm like, oh, he must have

New Orleans. That's true. That's true. But I was like, I guess Jean Claude like just didn't want to make out with her, which I understand

that the cheek kiss now makes way more sense cuz it looks like he's going in for a make out and instead he goes to the side and gives her a cheek. By the way, that cheek kiss is after his friend died. She's like, "Oh, let me kiss him." Like, it wasn't the right time. This movie didn't really understand. Like, it's like, "Oh, your friend just died. Give me those lips.

Give me those big old Belgian lips." Lips or nips? Lips. Okay. I mean, give me those nips works in New Orleans, too. Somebody just gave us these things here.

By the way, I will say this, uh, just before we get off the cop for too long, they do hold on her blowing out the candle for way too long. Like it's like some sort of Eddie Murphy movie where it's like I wish that I run out of words like and I was thinking is this movie about like a cop who's like I wish I got a great case and then that was like cuz like they they really hold on the wish.

Do you think that this movie's plot is her birthday wish? Yes. She's like the department's on strike. I'm at work. I hope I get a good case. She should have honestly I survive.

Yes. Or maybe she did want it to be her last year on Earth. By the way, she There's people over there.

Yeah. By the way, she gets she gets shot seemingly she gets shot in the arm and he's like, "Leave her. She's dead." I'm like "Really?

Really?" You're like, he cut bait on her hard so quick. I thought for sure I thought for sure she was going to come back in in the third act having survived that. But once Wilfrid Brinley showed up, I was like, "Oh, no. It's him now. He's taking the place of like the third person."

I know. It was just shocking cuz I don't think they expected that actress to be so

good and watchable. It's like, "Oh, we really did care about her." And she's been left dead on the

And she and John Claude Vanam had a good chemistry. Like we're partners in solving a crime. Uh Natalie is just along for the ride. Like it would have been smarter to pair them up

a thousand%. And at a certain point I was like, "Why are you still here, Nat?" Like,

who wrote that? What's up? Why is Natalie still here? Daddy is dead. Daddy's dead.

She's got to daddy is daddy. Now, I will say, "Your daddy is daddy." I will say the sex scenes between Emil Fushon and Pic uh that is Lance Henderson and Arnold Vissolu were great. Those are really great that their relationship I love like they do it in Lethal Weapon too where they just call someone by their last name. They're like, "What do you think, Mr. Fushon?" Get like I love like it's like it's the best bad guy way to refer to somebody by their Mr. So and So like you know the best. Yes.

I loved it. I loved all the bad again all the bad guys knew exactly what movie they were in and they did the right thing by minimizing Vanam's dialogue so that he's just a kicking punching shooting machine. No quips, no dialogue, no he doesn't have to carry exposition beyond the first act when he has to interact with the the toughs at the at the diner and that stuff. Beyond that, he really has basically no lines which is

Wow. I guess that's right. I just would have wished they had thought to put his bare butt in it.

But but that was a mistake. What they do do, and I said this in the beginning of the show,

but what they do, but what they do do is give him the best mullet of all time. And I want to pull

his introduction scene. His introduction scene in the diner where they're focusing on the mullet, the eyes, the earring before they give you a full shot of him. Next level.

I mean, we have some clips of his mullet right here. These are some video, some stills of some mullet. Look, here we go. This is how we're introduced to the mullet from behind.

By the way, I don't mind it at all. So far, it looks wet. I thought it was Aquinet. It might be sweat. Then we get this.

Just the humidity of Norland. He's like, I'll have a craw dad. Give me that craw dad.

If if he had a down in the fire, if he had a mullet like this, Nolins, what would his mullet look like? Cuz I feel like it would frizz out. This is a like he would have like almost a full pearl.

I'll say this. My hair is thriving in this thriving. The humidity is gold for these girls. Are you kidding? He looks dynamite. Except this looks sping wet.

But listen, he's just been in like a full-on fight or it's Wow. I got to start wearing my hair like that.

I think I mean the way it caresses. If I really been bold, I would have styled my hair like that for the show.

It's so interesting because at one point I was like, is there hair up there or is it all just back? There is hair up there, but it's so the entire movie. I mean, at one point he's standing on top of a motorcycle.

Yeah, he's a stone cold hunk. By the way, absolutely. You just is gorgeous. By the way,

that's by the way, that's the other thing that I was worried about Paul with um Yansy was I don't know if he felt threatened by her hair.

See, this is a point, you know. Yeah, because this this scene we could talk about for the rest of the night. I I want to get into the snake biting thing, but I want to talk about the hair for one more second because I'm realizing that Lance Hendrickson has done two movies in which he has played the bad guy with mulleted men. And that is Stone Cold and this.

Wow. Two very different mullets, but also Yeah. two very different men. I mean like I mean he's anti-mullet. I guess Lance is the mullet killer or they they're

I wonder if there's a third that we that we might if there's a third that we need to find and do. We need to because that is complete the trilogy.

Yeah. The complete the Lance Hendrickson versus Mulleted Man. I guess you could make a point that Sigourney Weaver kind of has a curly mullet.

So that would be Alien, but he's not against her. He's right. Alien 3. Is he against her? I don't know. Again, I lost. can't express to everybody here how much JCVD's look is accentuated and like um like worshiped by John Woo's slow-mo, you know, like it fetishizes him in a way that is so impactful for the movie. How they'll go to slow-mo arbitrarily just in any way for any motion

paying for gumbo. Yeah, it's true. There were many times there were many times I was like, "Oh, we're in slow-mo like June look alive." And I'd watch the scene and then I'd think, "Huh, I don't know why we I don't know what I was I don't know why we were in because John Woo is primarily known for like gun action and John Claude Vanam is known for like thigh and leg action. And so what I did like was the bridging of the gap which is he like pulls He pulls back his trench coat like a like a cowboy would reveal a six shooter just to reveal his upper thigh.

There's a lot of That was amaz You guys. That was amazing. It's incredible. That was amazing.

You think cuz there are a lot of like um there are a lot of western tropes inside of this like you know and and and it's great and it and I love it. But that's a perfect one because what he's showing off and showcasing isn't his gun. He's like, "When you're ready to go, my leg's ready.

My leg's ready for kicking. My leg is loaded." Locked and loaded. Takes at one point. I feel like somebody else's leg. Oh, he takes the head of somebody. Like, he doesn't even use his own body to beat up two guys. Like, he just holds one guy's head and slams it into another guy's leg. I feel like there's like a moment. There are so many scenes where where Jeanclaude Vanam kicks and punches men in helmets that are meant to survive high impact accidents and that would one man is coming at him on a motorcycle at like I don't know 25 30 mph. JOHN CLAUDE VANAM IS LIKE BAM AND TAKES THE guy out helmet style. John Claude Vanam's shin or whatever would have disintegrated.

He at that speed coming at him, he would have been like kablam and his his entire leg would have been like dust.

Yeah. Well, and he does that at least 10 times in the movie. Yeah. And that's what's interesting about the movie is like we're showcasing different types of weapons, you know, rifles that have arrows in them, actual bow and arrows, guns, machine guns. and grenades and JCBD's thighs. Like, it's they're really set up as JCBD is also he he can wield a shotgun. He can wield a handgun upside down. Well, I was like, "You can't aim this way. No way."

I felt like there was a point in this movie where John Woo gave up and said, "Fuck it. We're going to guns again." Like he was like, "We did your legs. Let's go do what I'm good at." Like, "I got I got you two shots with your legs. Let's let's go guns." Because there are some great gunfights in here. And it is odd because you don't really see JCVD working with guns. I will say this throughout watching this and I know JCBD and he's an attractive man. You said you know him well.

No, I don't know him well. No. Wait. Are you best friends with JCVD? I would ask your daddy.

Uh just am at the point in my notes where I wrote all caps, he keeps using the word daddy.

Don't use daddy. But listen, what I wanted to discuss was um Yansy's fashions because they were really scratching an itch to me. I haven't seen white tights and like seeing white tights and a French braid just really and like a coach bag, brown coach bag for me, it really scratched an itch.

I also love inside of all a lot of the um moments of importance, a lot of the moments of like like fight explosions and and and little montages and stuff. This movie has one of my favorite tropes that we find in our movies, which is searing electric guitar solos over the action.

So, it's like once that fight outside the diner starts, it's like, but it's got like a real bayou vibe here.

Now, speaking of the bayou, yeah, speaking of Yeah. Speaking of Speaking of, no gators in this movie.

No gators, which I was shocked by. Um I I I don't know horses to live in the bayou, but I don't know that they don't also. So that could be

a lot of bayou horses. There are horses in the bayou. Great. But I'm also like the fact that we just accept the information that JCVD grew up in the bayou.

I couldn't tell if that was the case, but my assumption is yes. No, but he says that he says I was raised I mean he grew up

Wilford Brinley is his uncle or just does he refer to his uncle and he was raised in the body.

This is Lance Hendrickson explaining JCVD's background. Silver Star Marine Force Recon.

He joined the merchant service after he got out. His captain was smuggling opium. Incredible.

Joe found out he threw the man overboard. He's been looking for work ever since. He's obviously not someone we should underestimate.

He was raised in the bayus by his uncle. Oh, I think Mr. Budro would make a very interesting quarry. Maybe I should uh pay him a visit.

No, no, no, no, no. Send a couple of lads down there to have a chat with him, won't you, Pat?

Yeah. I love this movie. So good. I love that they're on two couches having this conversation.

They're not looking at each other. John Wu's framing it so you see both of their faces and they're not looking at each other, which is actually so smart because they're great

and they're just talking about this man. How did he get this information? They grew up with his uncle. How would that be on file? How would they get that so quickly? Why is JCVD on the second porch balcony reading a coroner's report standing? It seems uncomfortable to look through photos and read evidence when you can't put anything on a table.

JCVD feels in this moment in this the way this movie cuts together, it's as if he's listening to them.

He feels as though he and and and late in the movie JCVD has a series of flashbacks for scenes he was not in.

Oh, okay. I I know. They do that a lot where he has information or knowledge that we the audience have but he chance

does not. By the way, it's like space balls when they pull up the movie of space balls. So like he has access to hard target the movie. He's like what happened? I need to find out before I do this. Got it. Now I will tell you this. Nate Kylie does all of our research for this and he's amazing. So this movie apparently when delivered was a Lance Hendrickson movie. It was more focused on Lance Hendrickson. Like it was like

the guy who runs the hunt and blah blah blah. And JCVD was like, "Oh, the thorn in my side." And JCVD saw it and was like, "What the [ __ ] I'm JCVD." and he recut the movie to cut Lance down and out or to a smaller role. But I do love that John Woo signed on was like, "You're in the JCVD business. I'm in the Lance Hendrickson business."

Yeah. And it went got released. It's kind of a nice mix because he does carry himself like a lead.

He really does. Yeah. And he's the more compelling. It's the more compelling performance. Here's where when I first was introduced to his character, I was like I He's so fascinating to watch, but it's also like at the end of the day, he is a bad guy, but he's also an entrepreneur.

Yes. And he is doing this. He sees a hole in the market. Yes. And he sees the white space

and he goes to fill it. And I'm like, okay. So, and then as he really is. He is

most people he's a he's a hunting disruptor. most people are out here hunting animals. He's like, "What? Check me." And uh and then he started, "We work."

But then at the end, he's also like creating this fire sale special for all of the past customers to come in.

But he's charging them. Like he got into some [ __ ] He's like, "You you about to pay for this." Like he made them pay. It was great.

He had the whole third act. JCVD kills conservatively four dozen bad guys. They Lance Hendrickson seems to have unlimited bad guys on retainer. All of whom have wild outfits on

honestly I wish we could get Marcus Lamonus on this show from the sell the hunt

from the profit on on MSNBC because um how much of a margin is he making? He was like he's paying off the corner. He's paying pick. He's playing the two motorcycle guys. All of those dogs, all of the heavies must be making.

He's also having to every once in a while pick up his entire operation and move it to a different country, which has to be cutting into his market,

especially if you're taking all those guys. That's food. That's PDM. Well, see, that's where Marcus Lamonus could come in. He could hook them up with Simply Greek. He could hook them up with his sporting good store for all their

weapons. But guys, guys, what you're not realizing is this. The way he cuts the overhead is by shooting them in the face.

That's the way he makes back his money. His gun is a pistol. It's a musket that shoots What's the Some One of these dummies knows that we're in the South. There's a gun nut here.

What? What is he shooting? It's not a shotgun. That's what I wrote, too. But those aren't shotgun.

A musket, right? It's not a musket. It's a pistol that shoots what? So, one of you raise your hand or I will come.

I see somebody there. Hold on. Hold on. I got this person. I'm going to I'm going to give it to you right there. Yes.

It's a It's a contender pistol. It's a single shot break barrel pistol. They sold them in a number of calibers, but that one in particular is a 4570 uh round, which is a giant round they used to use to hunt buffalo. It goes back to like the 1850s. It's a massive bullet.

This guy's our gun guy. Thank you for showing me that gentleman back there. What I and what I thought about it's interesting you say that cuz what I thought about that and I wrote it in my notes is this gun could have been a contender.

Can I just show my favorite scene in the movie? Because again I talked about what makes a great bad guy. We have a moment where Lance Hendrickson is calling uh pick by his last name. This is the scene that brought it home.

And is Pic's last name Van Clee? I believe uh his name is Pic Van Clee. And that is This movie is constantly referencing John Woo is constantly referencing Once Upon a Time in the West.

Yes. He's doing like the closeup of the eyes like the Henry Ford uh shot. He's constantly doing the mullet

call back. Yeah, exactly. He's doing callbacks to to that movie and Lee Van Clee is in that movie. Yes. Henry Ford. Le Van Clee. Yeah. Le

pick Van Clee. Yeah. So, this is the scene. Forget the fact that they're talking about don't contact us on TX. I don't know what the [ __ ] TX is. I understand that. Yes, you shouldn't probably talk about hunting a human on a fax machine, but watching Lance Hendrickson play a piano like he's hard [ __ ] Yeah. And then the best the best part of it is when it cuts back to him and he turns around to tell the guy, "Hey, are you ready to hunt a human being?" The piano is closed. The keyboard is closed. The cover is over the keys. I was like, "Okay, he was done." Here, take a look at You can even hear it in the way he plays.

You'll deposit $500,000 in our account in a bank in the Cayman Islands. Do not refer to our agreement by telling conversations on the phone.

You'll be provided with a guide. So angry and the weapon of your choice. Naturally, we'll dispose of the body and provide you with an out of town airtight alibi. Don't worry, Mr. Zan. All you have to do is point and shoot.

Keyboard open. Oh, and then Oh, we don't it reverses and it's closed anyway. But he is looking at himself in the mirror while playing a piano and he's not looking at the keys. It is like Bishop from Alien doing that knife game like

I feel like it is him [ __ ] yo. Yes. It's like a This is a sex scene for him where he's just like I'm not even going to look at you. I'm going to jump doing my thing.

Yeah. This is the only sex scene in the movie. Yes. And it's the best sex scene I've ever seen.

Oh, that's why Yeah. That's why I had to finish it today. I came in this scene, fell asleep.

I know. And had to get up today and be like, I guess I got to watch the rest of them.

Yeah. I mean, our kids are traveling with us right now, and I was like, "Guys, don't come in. Not not right now."

I have to say this. There is I just want to talk about the game, the the most dangerous game. Um because I guess what I really find odd about this movie is it's so one-sided. Like, it's like, "Hey, do you want me to put like a puppy in front of you and give you a shotgun?" Like like at one point a guy almost starts aiming at the game before the game even starts like, "Hey, hey, put the gun down, buddy."

That guy is like he looks like a dentist from Cleveland and he's wearing just like a regular trench coat and but has like a super high-tech gun. It's like they're off. It's not just people who who were like like trained for this. They just seem to have the money and are like, "Give me a gun and I'll shoot a guy." Well, it also seems like we're all okay with hunting humans hunting other humans. We just wish it were more evenly matched.

Yeah, we I guess like I guess I'm years away from this being a reality. I mean, in my mind, I guess like the thought would be like wouldn't it be fun? No, not for me. But wouldn't it like wouldn't the thing be like, "Oh, you actually have to track this person. You have to do it." It's like they really just cor like I guess maybe that's what hunting is what hunting is the dogs get the they they the dogs get the animals into an area where it's flush them out.

But I think what you're saying though is true which is I it it should be that they are marketing this to skilled hunters and that doesn't seem to be the case. It seems that they are just trying to sell this to people who want to kill people. That is different. Like there's a hunter. They're Yes, they are marketing this to people who like want the thrill of ending a human life, not who want the challenge of hunting the most dangerous.

And and when you see the weapons, you're like, why do they have such good weapons but are such bad hunters? Like there's one hunter who is dressed in like um like striped like Zubaz pants from like the Super Bowl in 1986 and he's hunting while smoking a cigar which is a a surefire way of like they're hunting a human. They can smell that cigar. Like that's not like that's not going to be good for stealth.

They're also and this really I cannot overstate this enough. They are doing it in the city of New Orleans. They're not. They're hunting their hunting party cars. I mean, Lance Hendrickson is in a convertible. The other guys are in a truck. The dogs are on motorcycles. And they're not like out in the bayou. They're not out in the country. They're not chasing people through the bogs and marshes of this area. They are like on Bourbon Street.

Midday. Midday. Midday hunting, blowing people away. And I think the reason that the um the movie introduces the police strike is that it's lawless. The city is just lawless.

But it also is like and no tourism. Like literally there's no one on these streets when they kill that guy. Like didn't you forget to say goodbye to me? Boom. Blows his head off. And then by the way he goes to blow that guy's head off and brings like 12 people with him. Like he had these people are all about unfair advantages. It's like I'm going to just go blow a guy's head off. Can I get like 12 guys just to get my back on this one just in case? Like, and that that guy is my favorite guy. The guy that karate chop in the belly get fat buck

where I'm obsessed with how he sleeps. I've never seen an adult machines big time. Well, first of all, I'm like, is this an was that an afternoon nap or was that because he's sleeping fully clothed with both arms up

and he's sleeping in that bed? For sure. But I do I was fascinated by it cuz I'm like, "Oh, when I used to watch like our our children sleep as babies, you know, lots of times they would put both arms up and it's it's one of the most vulnerable positions you could find yourself." I said the same sentence

when I used to watch your children sleep when they were babies. But is it as It was such an interesting character choice.

Watch your Are you guys leaving? No, there's the bar is open. Oh, okay. Oh, they're out.

We got to go. I love you. They are leaving. Wow. They only gave them We got to go. I love you.

All right. Okay. We love you, too. If two people from the back, two seats just opened up.

Back row. Let's turn on the house lights. Oh wow. They had to go. Wow. They really only

You know what? I totally understand that they have to go and that's fine. We started a little late and but you know what? I really appreciated that he loved us.

And you know what? I'm willing to say I love you back. Thank you. Thank you for leaving babysitters. I get it.

Babysitters dinner reservations. Hour 45. We're out. These guys are understood. Understood.

Now your seat. Now those seats are open. Well, I I will say this that that guy, they cut off his ear. They beat him up a lot. But I do want to talk about two things about that guy. First of all, one of the badass and weird moves to me was Lance Hendrickson washing his hand in his fishbowl, which felt more unsanitary from Lance's side. Like, I'll wash my hand in your fishbowl, you fat [ __ ] Like,

leaves so much evidence at every crime scene. His blood is in the fishbowl. Um, at one point,

well, there's no police, Jason. You have to remember they're on stage. At one point, he takes the bullet casing out of his gun after he shoots a guy in the cemetery and just throws it on the ground

to make sure he touches it before. Yeah. He doesn't shake it out. The other thing that got me is this man who is uh constantly beat up by Lance Hendrickson. He runs um he basically gives people flyers to pass out for uh phone sex lines. But when the wideeyed girl finds it in her dad's like luggage, she look she's so shocked. And I couldn't tell is she shocked that she thinks her dad is doing phone sex,

running a phone sex line. I think she's just shocked by the imagery and the the craziness of it. So much so that someone has to say to her, Chance Budro says to her, "Don't worry, he passed these out for money. This is not

I I uh the one thought I had during this movie cuz they get lost in the bayou at one point and it's the most manicured bayou I've ever seen. Like it is a full trail head and she's like oh my god I can't walk anymore. I'm like you're walking by like the children's museum of New Orleans here. Like this is this is a a paved area. She's like oh god I can't stand the bio. And I was like wouldn't it be great if they were just wearing shorts like Jeanclaude Vanam like short shorts like Magnum shorts would have been great. I would have liked it.

I did love the the the undercurrent storyline which is the homeless are fundamentally ignored. Like the people of this city, the poor people of this city are constantly being victimized and the homeless especially especially when Elijah is being hunted and he's in the middle of I I'm going to say Bourbon Street, but you know that area.

He's in the French Quarter. He's in the French Exactly. That's I'm sorry. That's what I wasn't remembering. and he is there and there's so many people and he's just trying to get them to help and they won't help him. Now in Marin that would happen but not in the French Quarter and then that scene is haunting a thousand times.

That scene is absolutely haunting and so well done. It is a a great scene and you know who's in that scene?

Sam Ramy. Oh, Sam Ramy is a producer on this movie. And I found out from Nate that the Universal Studios was so nervous about John Woo directing an English film that they made Sam Ramy stay on set every day just in case he [ __ ] up.

Oh, that's interesting. Well, was this John Woo's first American movie? Yes. First English language film. So, when I saw that, I kind of

Broken Arrow. Yeah. Then we would do three. Travolta, Christian Slater. Let's do it.

Samantha Matthysse. But loves Samantha Matanthan. Oh, pump up the volume, guys.

One of the best. We'll never do it because it's flawless. Yeah, that's for Unspooled. I guess Paul and Amy will

do to Paul Thomas Anderson about pump up the volume. PT PTA wants to do cuffs. He wants to do Cuffs. Christian Slater's other movie where he's like a a police adjacent.

A real deep cut. Again, we're cutting all of this. um when when um that when when his buddy gets shot in the French Quarter, it's in the mid the everything's happening. It's like you said, it is a beautiful shot and no one seems to worry like because Peek or Pic like just goes up to the bodies like what's going on here and just take this money. The bad guys are not phased at all by the fact that they've committed a murder in broad daylight in the French Quarter where every there's tourists everywhere. I'm assuming because the police are on strike, I guess. Pic walks up with his Spyderco knife and he's like, "That guy gets it." And he's like, "Zip, take the 10 grand. We're walking away." They are New Orleans in this movie and even still today is dot dot dot lawless.

I was really curious about the 10 grand belt and just like oh that's interesting. Is that belt I mean Jason you'll surely have something to say about this but is that was it made for money like a little money belt or

they call it a money belt and there's such a thing as a money belt. Yeah, there's a money belt, but there are not belts.

Money belts. There are belts that have tools in them. Built into the belt, but there's not a belt like that where

gear talk. We are talking to Yeah, because this belt was I was like, "Oh, it must be repurposed as a 10 grand money belt." But there's no way you're making a manufacturer is making a belt that just has pouches all around it for money.

What I think is that it's a belt. Yes, I think you're right. I don't think it is meant to be a giant 10 grand, but I think it is something that has been made to hold to be a

different thing. Doesn't grow before it is c they made it so that it could hold that amount.

Doesn't Charles I don't think they sell it like I don't think you could order it from Amazon to 10.

I mean, I'm curious. Well, you never know. Amazon Basics might have it. Travel does make a tote bag or a kit bag that holds $1 million in US currency.

Wow. Really? But wait, doesn't Charles Groden and Midnight Run have about $10,000 in his money belt?

Yes. So, there you go. It works. No one questions it. Money belts can hold what I mean. It's just a matter of

the denominations. Yeah. If you have Yeah. If you have enough high bills, you can fit more in it.

It wasn't all singles. Now, if it was singles, it would be that would probably be

New Orleans, a city that runs on singles. Um, but here's the thing. You're disgusting.

They're hunting. They're hunting through the bayou. And this is maybe where I mean there's so many things.

I say hunting, they're murdering through the bayou. And JeanClaude Vanam fights a lot of people, but he also fights a [ __ ] snake. Let's take a look at this moment where he fights a snake. This was to me, I did not know about this moment. And again, another jaw-dropper. And this is after the motorcycle scene which we haven't even talked about yet.

Blew my mind especially because of the way he introduces it slowly by saying close your eyes.

You trust me? Of course I trust you. Close your eyes. Why do you want me to trust you with my eyes closed?

Close your eyes. This whole time this thing is right there. He knows it. They're taking their time. Big eyes.

Is he dead? Paul, is there any way we can rewind? What are you doing? I'm leaving a surprise for my friends.

This suggests This suggests he's done this before. He ripped off the rattle part of the snake like ripping off a shrimp tail. It's like a crawfish. He like

I have a I have a question for our gun guy cuz I somehow feel like he'll know. Do you guys have rattlesnakes here?

Okay, cool. Just making sure. Cuz we have them in LA. I see them in in California all the time, but it's a desert climate. So I was like, "Oh, is that a is that?" Yeah. Go ahead. I'm less concerned about the rattlesnake and I'm more concerned about how he saw it because the way the rattlesnake is positioned is he's like, "Close your eyes." And I think the way that we would think is that it's coming down like this, but the snake is coming up her back like peekab-boo peekaboo. But it's like where what is it holding on to? It doesn't a snake doesn't rise up like an elevator like And how would you see?

I assumed it was in the tree above. I thought it was in the tree coming down. It was coming down like

But it's coming ab it's coming over her should it's coming above her shoulder. It's like

Yeah, but they can do that. How? Where's their tail? Hold on, June. What do you know about rattlesnake? Well, I don't know a whole lot, but I feel like isn't that the whole thing about snakes that they're like one giant muscle, so they can kind of like contract?

One giant muscle. Yeah. But it's got to balance on something. Yeah. I think there's a I think the bottom was on a branch somewhere.

I think it's a tree. And then it sort of worked its way, but they're on land. What do you mean?

They are, but I think there's trees behind them somewhere. I think it's coming out of the tree.

Got it. Okay. So, there's a low limb branch. Is it tree snakes? What do you guys think?

What? Hold on. This lady knows. Okay. Okay. June is right. A snake is all muscle.

Yes. Case closed. Yeah. Just like Nolan's cops. No need to investigate further.

She said June's right. Isn't the study of snakes herptology? Well, it came to the right person. That's how they were attracted,

right? Got it. Okay. I maybe that's what happened to Nat. And now I don't know I don't know if when you're I and I do actually want to know. So if anyone has this information, please share when you encounter a snake and intend to kind of subdue it or kill it. Do you you give it a

to like Yeah. Then you punch it and then you punch. Cuz I was like, "Oh, that's interesting. Is he trying to disorient it?

I think he's trying to stun it, not kill it cuz he wants So he couldn't. Right. But I guess my question is like why not only punch?

Oh, cuz it would bite him, I think. Oh, so he slaps it to close it first down. So it's like whoa. Then he's like bonk which makes it I believe unconscious

so that he can set it as a trap for the guys later. It definitely looked like it had been knocked out.

He approaches the fight with the snake the same way that he approaches the fight with Mr.

Absolutely. Absolutely. So, but that's a serious question. Like, is that does that seem accurate?

Do we have any herptologists in the room? Has anyone [ __ ] slapped and then punched a snake in the face? Somebody raised their hand. That's a And that you get on the big gator tours. The good gator tours, you get to do that. The 5h hour ones. real missed opportunity. No gators in this movie

for this area. I was like, for sure we're going to get some gators. Well, I mean, in they spent all their money on the motorcycle budget because as we're talking about the snake scene, we have to talk about this scene where he's on the run. He's on a motorcycle. We have established he doesn't know how to drive, but yet he knows how to [ __ ] drive a motorcycle. I guess he knows how to drive a motorcycle. We'll see in a second. But he's on a chase. The bridge goes out or it's under construction. And this is the moment that I'm really confused at. He takes Yansy and goes, "You stay here." From what I understand in this movie, she would be engulfed in flames at the end of this scene. But he puts her in harm's way and then does this

Heat. Heat. He has to be and Yansancy is engulfed in flames and dead because that truck explodes right where he said stay here. You'll be safe. That he she has no chance of life or surviving after that. My only note on this scene only the only thing I have to say about it is I was bummed that he didn't forward roll over the car.

Yeah. You know there's some tried you think he tried cuz there are some great somersaults in this movie but here I was like

in that closeup he is trying to do the forward fall but the stunt man couldn't do it. Like that's what you're seeing. Like rewind it Beth. Rewind it just a second cuz watch watch just just a little bit. You you see like All right. Watch cuz you'll see he is trying to like that's a forward roll.

He's going into it, right? But then watch a stunt man. Watch this. Okay, so that's forward roll.

He's trying to plant, right? But he's going sideways, by the way. That's That's a [ __ ] nuts. That's enough.

That's an insane stunt. The st I think tried to land on his feet. Oh, wait a second. While we're frozen here, what's his watch doing?

One's a compass. That's a compass. And the other side's a calculator. Like what's what's his watch? Is it compass?

Compass, calculator, and watch. That's what he's got on. Well, I mean, like, honest to God, I'm just noticing this for the first time. It's the first time I'm seeing this on the big screen. It's better. And I'm genuinely like, what's up with this watch?

By the way, rewind it one more time, Beth, cuz you know what? We can keep the show a little bit long. Just rewind this a little bit. I want you to see when you w when you see him go forward, you see another man's face. The other man's face is great. What? It's right about Let's see. Maybe a second before. It's It's the It's right about right before you see his face. Hold on. Yeah, we're we're getting there. We're getting there. Maybe a second. Oh, wait. Yeah. Just try. Okay. Right. So, his face.

This is incredible. Right. Here's his face. You hit play. Let's just see if we can get to it.

Another face. Another face right there. Yeah. If you rewind that, you can get that. You'll see another face fully. It's like a stunt man from Mel Gibson there. Yeah. That guy. That is

It looks like Jay Leno. It looks like Jay Leno denim on denim standing on top of a motorcycle.

Listen, God bless that stunt mouth. Yeah, I do some stunts. I don't use my Tonight Show money. I just do stunts. I use all my stunt money instead.

Spare time. They said they wanted to rent my motorcycles and my trucks. [sighs and gasps]

Oh, well I mean before we get to the audience I need to we got to talk about one other thing which

I mean I have so many more notes but yeah go ahead. Um thank God for Wilfford Brimley.

I wrote in my notes like we're we're so far into the movie and I said where is Wilfford Brimley?

I was actually worried. I'm like you were worried that he might not be in the movie. I was cuz I was so excited when I saw him in the beginning and I was like it was really quite some time till he shows up.

No, this right here, this frame right here highlights something I want to talk about.

Swipe edits. This movie has full swipe edits throughout that are like Star Wars like that are from like Yes. that are from like 30s and 40s cals. It's [ __ ] nuts.

I loved it. when they meet Wilfr Brimley. At first it just looked like an an old man and I will say this what I know about Wilfr Brimley. He's got a very distinctive like kind of the most Americana accent. I'm going to talk I'm going to tell you some [ __ ] and this is it, you know. And it's like and so when he opens his mouth in this movie my jaw

Yeah. It was shocking done dropped. Yeah. Because I don't know what is this creole? Is this French? Is this like some bast? I don't even know. I want to get to the audience what they think of this, too. But I guess it's a Creole accent. Take a listen.

We fix him up good. Put bandage John. Be strong, my boy. Duvet, I've got some people after me.

I know. I can smell them. You still got a six? The one I give you for your birthday?

No, I'll Gatorade it. In and out. But uh out. I still got your shotgun. It will chase after you.

Mad at you for business or pleasure. He We can pause it for a second. He's made a choice and he's regretting it. He's in and out of it. It like I feel like

I want to say something that is completely insane. Yeah. In this movie right here, Wilfford Brimley is 9 years older than me. currently.

Wow. In this movie, that actor is 9 years older than I am currently. What's happening? How wild is that?

Now, how's your Creole accent? Oh, them gong gators. Them gone gators got my craw dad. Oh, them po boys in them gators. And them craw dads.

All right. So Jason and I watch movies and subtitles. June, I know you don't like it, but we're millennials, so I love

I started I've actually started to do a p. Um this is a this is a moment that I saw that I couldn't hear, but it was on the screen. This is Lance Hendrickson uh when he's upset with one of the people when the man is attacked by a snake. This is what I see.

I'll [ __ ] you then I'll eat you. I I heard him say this. Yeah, he said that. I was shocked. I rewound it three times and took a picture of it just because I was like, I'll [ __ ] you and then I'll eat you. Incredible stuff. Incredible. I really feel like that was improvised.

I was just going to say I guarantee that's a Lance Hendrickson improvised line because

why would you do it in that order? [ __ ] you and then I'll eat you. I I like your appetite after [ __ ] you. So I got to chomp chomp eat you.

I mean this is from the guy whose big line in the third act of the movie IS HEY like that. He just yells, "Hey, like like I don't got it." HE DOES IT TWICE. HEY, UH, HEY, HEY, how are you? Like it's it's I guess it's a nice moment of just pure desperation, but he's so eloquent throughout that I would love to have had him yell something else. Like he he runs out of good lines as the movie goes on.

One of my again, I have so few critiques of this movie, so this is really the only one. I did I did wish his death was a little bit better at the end.

Yes. Len Hendrickson. Oh, yes. Sorry. Lens Hendrickson. I I was like the grenade. I don't I want a kick, you know. I want to I I want a

Well, you want a line like I want that grenade to go in his pants and then go nuts.

Well, and okay, like you know, perhaps. And that's what I wanted. I agree with you 100% because here's the thing. Vanam known for his physicality, his kicks, his punches, his that's what he's and so yes, in this movie he's he's got a lot of gunplay, shotgun, handguns, all that stuff. Okay, I'm on board. But the final death, a grenade felt like blunt, too clunky and clumsy to me in a way that I was like, "Uhoh, there's a grenade in my pants."

You wanted him to kick his neck off or something like that. Like you wanted the throat rip equivalent. Like you needed you needed the last leg like the last leg kick.

I wanted JCVD to kick Lance Hendrickson's head off of his body. Yeah. I see a lot of notes, a lot of handwritten notes. I want you to introduce yourself in your best Wilfr Brimley accent and you say, "Hi, my name is this and my question is this." All right, so here we go.

Hi, my name is Caroline. Great. And my question is like three or four times throughout the movie, birds seem to help Jean Claude Vanam.

Okay. Did anyone This is signature John Woo doves and pigeons. This is a This is one of John Woo's artistic signatures, which is slow motion doves and in this case pigeons. Um help and in this case they they are actively helping JohnClaude Vanam find clues, do stuff. It's as if they are his allies in the thing, but it is also part of John Woo's film making if you watch the rest of

But but what's tough about that is like doves are one thing, but pigeons are so disgusting that every time like when that pigeon was sitting on his shoulder, I was like, you need to bathe for one week.

I sent you guys that picture. That was the only picture I took of the screen was the when John rather when John Claude Vanam winks at the pigeon on his shoulder. I was like, they have more chemistry than him and Nat.

True. And the other thing is I do think he [snorts] is able to do bird calls with his uncle because that's their special hi, it's me. Knock knock knock. That's their special signal that it's all clear. But I thought he was actually communicating with the pigeons, like actually communicating through the through calls. Do you think that pigeon

I think you might be right like the pigeons are like his greatest ally until Wilfr Brimley arrives.

I mean the pigeon doing what you just said coming in and helping him find clues is wild.

Listen again the police force is down so someone had to step up. It was it was the pigeons.

There it is. What is your name and your best uh cinjun accent and your question?

Oh, I am George Michael. Uh my question is that um so a Warner Brothers executive said that like Lance Hendrickson and also I believe his name is Arnold Vul.

Yes. He had they had great chemistry if Yeah. And they Yeah. Um they uh the executive said that like the person like they regret not having a movie with them. If you could have a movie with them, would you want them to be a villain like a villain duo that wins in the end or a buddy like cop comedy kind of thing going on.

Got it. I think I see what you mean. For me, I would have loved H. I guess there is a world in which the movie could have existed where this the franchise is them. They kill JCVD at the end of this movie. They win and they go and set up in where were they saying in Eastern Europe they were going to go to next. And the next movie is them in Eastern Europe versus Stallone or them in Eastern Europe versus Nicholas Cage or them in that the franchise is built around the bad guys. Wouldn't that be cool? That's

Well, I love I love that idea. I think I just I still really struggle with the fact that they don't play fair. I mean, we haven't even talked about the opening scene when Daddy dies, but Daddy Daddy does, you know, they set up the rules like if he gets to the river, he wins,

but he got there. Oh, his fingernails on the dock. The sound of his fingernails on the dock was harrowing.

This is a question for everybody, but first to June and Jason. Is the river the dock or the river? Like, is the dock still?

Well, here's the thing, Paul. He says if he gets to the river and he's honestly beyond the river.

He's more than at the river. He's over the river. He's in the river. He's above the river on the dock. So the river is underneath. So he certainly has reached the river's limits and then he falls into the river itself.

Yes. Well guys, we I just wanted you to hear this because this guy's yelled it out four times here. I'm going to come back to it. You yell it out. Okay, here we go. Just yell what you just BEEN YELLING.

HIS FEET FELL THROUGH. He hit the river. Okay, there we go. Okay, Carheart Overalls has that to say.

You have the question. But but no, but I guess the thing is the challenge wasn't submerge your body in the river. It was get to it.

I agree. Once you get to the rivers, once you pass, they don't play by the river. I don't like that. They play dirty.

They play dirty. Wait, hold on. We have a bad guy defender. What do you say? Oh, I'm just saying there's a geography technicality because he starts in the French Quarter. The very next shot he's on the West Bank. There's no way to get there without being in the river.

There it is. He had to be in a river. So, you're saying he he kind of lapped the river like he had been there twice.

There's no way to CROSS THAT [ __ ] OH, I see. Okay. So, you have to know New Orleans geography in order to understand the technicality of the beginning of the movie. I'm so upset.

So, this you're telling me this movie only really works in this city? Well, listen. I think what we're learning or I guess this is my question, you know, does anyone ever get away? I mean, they've been in business for years.

No, I don't think so. Nobody's got 20,000 cuz they play dirty. Although, it did feel like when uh Perry shot that guy,

they didn't seem shocked by it. So, that may happen a few times, too. But I bet you they still take the $10,000 and kill him. Because when Perry killed the hunter, they're like, "Kill him."

They weren't like, "He gets the $10,000." It was like, "Kill him." Yeah. Now it's time for second opinions.

HOT TARGET, A FIVESTAR MOVIE. JCVD kicking with ease. hunting homeless veterans through New Orleans cuz it's a hot target. Hot target.

Amazing. Great work. Great work. My name is Jesse and uh like that guy that left earlier, I also love you guys, but I'm still here.

Thank you, Jesse. You can walk down the stairs. These are five star reviews cold from Amazon. There are uh 3,57 reviews.

Yeah. Wow. Uh 4.6 out of five stars is the average. That's uh 76% are five star, 2% are one star, and these are the weirdest ones compiled by Nate Kylie. All right, so here we go. This one starts off from Gloria back in 2020. My husband loves this movie. He just can't get enough of it, which I find weird. But it's Vanam. Five stars. Best movie of all time.

This one's for the husbands. This one is from Frankie D from 2013. This is one of the best JeanClaude Vanam movies ever because most of his movies are crap. He cannot act and he does the same fight scenes over and over in all of his movies. This was good because it was John Woo. The slow motion style and the two guns and a whole lot of shooting. Vanam was serviceable. He didn't really mesh well with Woo because Vanam likes to do a lot of kicks and Woo likes guns. Overall, it was a good movie. Five stars. One of the best Vanam movies ever.

Just didn't get that was gonna be five stars. Really came in there. Um, this one I like from Evans Frederick from 2017. This is my favorite actor, JCVD. I like this movie so much. I remember when I was 14 years old and that this movie came to a theater close to me. I mean, back home. Five stars. Uh, also this gentleman Scotty kind of missed the point of the review when he goes, "Not exactly a complaint." Well, this is a review section, so not either. But the package I got contained four JeanClaude Vanam movies, not just Hard Target, but it did include Hard Target, so I ain't mad. Five stars.

Can you imagine the joy when you order Hard Target and three other JCVD movies are in the package?

What a delight that that's like a that's Christmas come early. I mean 100%. And this is one that I thought was disturbing

from Dour Thomas. He writes this. I love watching this movie with my mom. I used to reenact the scenes with my toy pop gun. Five stars. I did love that in this movie all bullets seemed to explode with the to the level of

like a like a a a landmine every time they hit. I mean, every bullet fired triggers an a legitimate explosion.

Yeah. During the warehouse scene at the end, there's a container that takes off like a rocket.

It truly from just a single shot. It just is like It goes up though. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

It doesn't even explode. No. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. It like it like jumps up in the air.

But yet this movie does the best stunt man trick of all time. Motorcycles, snake punches, exploding rockets, houses. They have the budget, but they didn't have enough budget to do one scene where they just fly into moving boxes. Just a a wall of like a moving truck and then just moving boxes. Like we crash into the moving boxes. Like that's like when you have no money to do stunts, you fall into moving boxes. I thought that was fun and cheap. Um, some facts from Nate Kylie here. Um,

Banam would insist on having one of the cameras focused on his muscles at all times.

Woo complies, but never use that footage. I need to do I need to make that part of my contract.

Yeah, you got to put that in your writer. I need people to like be I need I need there to be a a extra camera just trained on my bod. Yeah, figure it out. Line producer, work it in the budget. It's not my problem.

Budget $18 million. Opening weekend 10. Domestic gross 32. Worldwide gross 74 million.

It worked wonderful. It comes out the same year as Jurassic Park, Mrs. Dowfire, the Fugitive. It came in 48th. It was beaten by Demolition Man and it beat Super Mario Brothers. Look who's talking now. Surf Ninjas, Mr. Nanny, and Airborne. That's a big how did this get made year. Uh and

what a what a what a great year. What a time to be alive. Great year for film. Yeah.

And the tagline is don't hunt what you can't kill. And that is hard target. Uh New Orleans.

You did it. You did it. Wow. But uh quickly, what do we want to plug Jason? Uh what do you want to tell people about? Um, I will say that if you haven't started it, it I cannot recommend highly enough the Amazon Prime series Paper Girls.

Um, and if you watch it, it's incredible. It's great. It's based on the Brian K. Von and Cliff Chain comic book. And at a certain point, I am in it.

I didn't know that. And I get to be a bad guy. It's fun. I love it. Did you take any lessons from Lance Hendrickson?

Oh boy, I wish I'd seen this movie before this. I would have absolutely taken inspiration from Lance Hendrickson for sure. And June, what do you got?

I'm in this season of Everything is Trash, Phoebe Robinson Show on on Free Form. So, I'm doing a couple of episodes and the the last two that I'm in are coming out in the next few weeks.

And then uh I will quickly just plug what am I going to plug? I have to look at what I put. Oh, yeah. You can listen to Unspooled. Quint Tarantino was on it. And every Thursday night, Rob Hubble and I who actually work with John Claude Vanam, do a show on Twitch totally for free. If you just go to Twitch or YouTube, you can watch it there. And um Star Trek uh Lower Decks season 3 starts next week, which will be great. And um thank you for being with us. This is a massive big show to kick us off. Uh thank you uh to Beth running the tech.

First time out back on the road. Thank you, Beth. Uh thank you everybody here at the Filmore. We're going to take a post.

Thank you everybody who was brave enough to do your second opinion song in front of

Thank you so much. in front of a crowd of judgmental people. Wow. People are getting up and leaving.

They got to go. You know what? You got to get home. I understand. THANK YOU, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU, NEW ORLEANS. THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT. WE LOVE SEEING YOU. NICE WORK, NEW ORLEANS. GO [ __ ] THIS HOUSE.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Hard Target LIVE! (HDTGM Matinee)"?

Paul Scheer (Host), Jason Mantzoukas (Host), June Diane Raphael (Host).

What is "Hard Target LIVE! (HDTGM Matinee)" about?

The discussion centers around the 1993 action film "Hard Target," directed by John Woo and featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme, focusing on its themes of survival and human hunting. The hosts engage in a lively commentary filled with humor, exploring memorable characters, iconic moments, and the film's cultural impact, all while interacting with a live audience.

What is mentioned in this How Did This Get Made? episode?

13 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Hard Target, Jean Claude Van Damme, Lance Hendrickson, New Orleans, John Woo, The Most Dangerous Game. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Hard Target LIVE! (HDTGM Matinee)"?

The episode runs 1 h 17 min; the transcript is about 13,336 words in 342 timestamped sections.

More from How Did This Get Made?

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated February 3, 2026.