DIRECT CONTACT (Danny Lerner, 2008)

[Jox]

Not a sequel to DIRECT ACTION, DIRECT CONTACT, a new project from Nu Image, seems to bet on a cross between "Undisputed" and "The Mechanik" and could well be the movie Dolph's supposed to shoot this spring.

The not so great news is that Danny Lerner (Shark Zone, Rin Tin Tin) is listed as the director, so hopefully if such is the case then they'll both be smart enough to ask Ross Clarkson to shoot it (who just did a supposedly fun "Sharks in Venice" with Lerner)....

I don't know how I feel about this one as a follow up to MM, it's like the same I felt about DD for the first time. The pitch is OK but the title sounds a little lame, and well...

DIRECT CONTACT

Creative
Cast: Dolph Lundgren
Directed by: Danny Lerner
Genre(s): Action, Revenge, Suspense, Thriller
Run Time: min.
Rating: N/A

Synopsis
An American prisoner in a Russian jail is given a chance at freedom if he can rescue a kidnapped American woman.

Check out the teaser poster on http://www.nuimage.net/film_library_detail.asp?fid=8FD087AD-2D6B-4A72-8264-344F3C3A42F7

[Tom]

Sounds like it could be a good one. I'd hope given the setting and the idea, it might be a bigger budget. Plus I think Nu Image are far better than they used to be. I'm sure Dolph will have a big say in the direction of the piece and it wouldn't surprise me if he was producing too. I agree, Ross Clarkson should be a given, as should Ben Cross. Cool poster as well. I don't mind Dolph doing a few of these straight up action gigs amongst his directing work. I think we just have to accept he'll only direct one picture a year because of the effort and time that goes into prepping. I for one would prefer to see 2 Dolph flicks a year, a Dolph's own special and a spec job is probably a good mix. Hopefully the horror that was Diamond Dogs won't happen again. I've got confidence in Nu Image, certainly compared to Sony. Clarkson loves working with them because he can use any equipment he wants. So expect 35mm, dollys, crane coming at the wazoo in this one. I think it all depends on Lerner now, and the other producers. Lerner is a producer in the main and I assume is related to Avi Lerner. I hope they set out to make something decent. It seems that the DTV studios are slowly learning that you can't just poop out crap all the time. Even Seagal's standards have begun improving. They need to spend a bit of money and time on it but given Dolph's last two Nu Image gigs, Direct Action and The Mechanik were both done with a bit of effort into it, signs could be good.

[Jox]

Press release for the European Film Market at the Berlin film festival

http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/080130/0355315.html

Nu Image/Millennium Films Sets Sights on Berlin
Wednesday January 30, 10:01 pm ET

LOS ANGELES, CA--(MARKET WIRE)--Jan 30, 2008 -- Nu Image/Millennium Films will be heading to Berlin for the 2008 European Film Market. They are offering an exciting line-up this year, including: "Righteous Kill" starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson; a thriller titled "The Code" with Morgan Freeman and Antonio Banderas, and directed by Mimi Leader; the action-packed "Direct Contact" starring Dolph Lundgren; "Ninja," the story of a Ninja warrior confronted by a brutal gang of Yakuza assassins; and the recently announced "Conan the Barbarian."

[Tom]

I hope it's action packed. I'd also guess DTV action fans will no doubt see the same prison that was in Undisputed 2 and In Hell, and probably many others. It's a set though and something different for Dolph. Dolph doing prison break mixed with the Mechanik and The Getaway would be pretty cool.

[preacher]

DC sounds good. Nice simple premise.
Though I don´t think we ill see much of inside the jail.
I bet Dolph will be set loose pretty quick to go after the girl.

I wonder what leverage the bad guys has on him. What stops him from just bolting instead of rescuing some girl?

Like the fact that he is a prisoner. Hope they don´t throw the old "innocent good guy" at us. Would be cool if Dolph plays an actual criminal who has not done many good deeds in his life. A reluctant hero if you know what I mean.

My main concern is the director.
Shark Zone, Raging Sharks, Sharks i Venice... wtf?

[The_Canadian]

LOL... Nu Image presents: Danny Lerner's "Ivan Drago meets Jaws!"

No no, this "Direct Contact" sounds pretty cool. It'll be nice to see Dolph in a more "direct" action film (ha ha! DAMN I'm funny!). Hoping for lots of action.

And I agree, he should definitly be an actual criminal, instead of the so cliche "innocent man behind bars"

[Sasha]

I don't like idea Lerner of being director, but synopsis sounds pretty cool. And yes, it goona be nice, if they make Dolph 100% criminal, who just MUST save the girl. Something like "Escape from New York" situation.

[dolphage]

Now you´re speaking my language! "Anti Hero" kind of stuff. The kind of guy you don´t even know if you WANT to root for.

[Geoff]

I just hope its not a step back - It might well be the straw that breaks the camels back given the upword turn of MM.

[Jox]

Tagline
They thought he was dead. They were dead wrong.

[Tom]

[dolphage]

Tagline
They thought he was dead. They were dead wrong.

YES!

[preacher]

Jox wrote:
Tagline
They thought he was dead. They were dead wrong.

Hell yeah!

[Nathan]

Is that the official tagline? If it is..HELL YEAH FOR ME TOO! That's clever and snappy and sounds like a full on action movie! I REEEEEALLLY hope this project happens and that ICARUS also happens. The future looks bright for Dolph after he smashed the rental charts with Missionary Man - by the way Missionary Man is doing great in the UK - despite having a tiny section of DVDs it was in the top 10 in a small WHSmith store - at number 13 in Woolworths now AND it was right up at the top in zavvi (formerly virginmegastores).

[Mosquito]

Tagline? CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESY! But very good.

Dolph = criminal rescuing girl sounds great. I watched Pitch Black and Riddick again and, well, Vin Diesel plays a criminal who (reluctantly) rescues some people (a girl, in the second movie). That kind of setting minus the sci-fi part would be perfect for Dolph, too.