The star of Double Impact has a film at TIFF this year. 

Colin?s already written about it but I?m sure some people are still in disbelief.  Click on this link (note the tiff08.ca domain to authenticate it as real information), read it, and come back to this page.

www.tiff08.ca/filmsandschedules/films/jcvd

Now say to yourself or to the person nearest you, 'The star of Lionheart has a film at TIFF this year.'

In JCVD, Van Damme stars as himself in a story that?s loosely based on his recent years out of the spotlight and the personal and financial troubles that have plagued him.  This isn?t the first time however that Van Damme has played the role of Van Damme.  In 1996, he guest starred on an episode of Friends as himself.  NBC yanks down any and all clips from their shows off of YouTube so I can?t link to a clip but the gist of the appearance (via the surfacing of a long ago buried memory) is that David Schwimmer?s monkey is appearing as the disease carrier in Outbreak 2, which stars the Muscles from Brussels himself.  Courtney Cox has a crush on him, but when she and Jennifer Aniston meet him, JCVD hits on the former Mrs. Brad Pitt rather than poor Courtney.  I don?t remember what happens after that, but I'm pretty sure there wasn't a kumate for Jean-Claude's heart like there should have been. 

I may not appreciate his role in the near destruction of Tsui Hark and Ringo Lam's careers, and haven't see much of his latest output but I have had great times watching the films of Jean-Claude Van Damme.  When I was younger I couldn't get enough.  Bloodsport, Kickboxer, Cyborg, and Lionheart were all thouroughly enjoyed in my basement.  I saw Double Impact at a dollar theatre in Florida when on vacation with my family and loved it. 

Last year, a friend and I sat down to revisit Bloodsport.  To see if it still had the magic for us that it once did.  There was an audio problem with my DVD player and Bloodsport began without sound.  Bloodsport Day had been planned a week or so in advance and we were both short on time to reschedule. 

"Should we just watch it without the sound?"

Neither of us wanted to be the one who said 'yes', so the decision was made without speaking.  We sat there for an hour and a half with a pizza and a couple colas, silently examining the filmmaking, the acting, and the martial arts of Bloodsport.  Once the end credits started to roll, neither of us really knew what to make of the experience but it's one that I hesitantly recommend to you all now.  A warning though.  Beware the bedroom eyes of Jean-Claude Van Damme!  They're intense..

Earlier this year in Cannes when Jean-Claude was in town to promote JCVD at the film market, he put on a show for his fans and the paparazi from his hotel balcony that makes it nearly impossible to deny.his charisma. 

He wasn?t quite as friendly when he was there in 1992 though when he ran into his Universal Soldier co-star, Dolph Lundgren.

JCVD is already one of the most anticipated films at this year's TIFF and if early reviews are to be believed, it's with good reason.

I've got a couple more clips of Jean-Claude to post as we get closer to the opening night of Midnight Madness and the North American Premiere of JCVD.