12 great movies directed by former stunt people you can watch at home

With the release of Netflix, day shift, is stunt coordinator JJ Perry’s directorial debut, but we thought it would be a good idea to see other great films directed by former stunt people. He’s the latest in a row. He’s been promoted from stunt operator to stunt coordinator to second unit director (often tasked with shooting action in movies) and is now a ‘director’ for the first time. increase. Even if you don’t realize it, you probably enjoy his work.Perry did a stunt blade, iron man When django unchainedand film directed action warrior, spyWhen F9: Fast SagaMost of the other names on this list have spent their time in a similar fashion and when they got the chance to direct, they made the most of it.

You might think that stuntmen have an innate eye for good action, which isn’t necessarily true, but these 12 movies help make the case that more stuntmen should be directors. This list does not include stuntmen who were both performers and directors at the same time, so films by Buster Keaton, Jackie Chan, or Sammo Hung are not included here, even if they are legends. . You will also notice a clear shortage of female directors in this regard. Sexism around the existence of the stunt industry is outside the scope of this list, but if you want to dig deeper, I highly recommend checking out the excellent documentary. Stan Woman: The Untold Story of Hollywood, Tubi, Vudu, and Pluto TV for free with ads. To list!

Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

No list of stuntmen turned director would be complete without Hal Needham. Needham emerged through television westerns, spending much of his early career playing the dual roles of Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds.These connections allowed Needham to transition into directing, and the result was smokey and the bandits, which stars Reynolds as a bootlegger, chasing down Jackie Gleason’s sheriff to keep him distracted so his partner can transport beer. Needham fills the film with wall-to-wall car chases and crashes. cannonball runNeedham has become a Hollywood institution like Quentin Tarantino is based in Brad Pitt’s once upon a time in hollywood Character, Cliff Boothmostly about Needham’s friendship with Reynolds.

smokey and the bandits is available to watch on FuboTV and digitally rent or buy on VOD platforms.

Undisputed III: Redemption (2010)

Scott Adkins will face Marko Zaror in the ring at Undisputed 3: Redemption.

Everyone’s Recognition III Director Isaac Florentine cut his teeth after doing stunts in his native Israel. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers After he moved to America. He may not be better than the Florentine when it comes to having an eye for action. Everyone’s Recognition III It’s his masterpiece. Starring the one-of-a-kind Scott Adkins, Florentine pushes the martial arts star and his DTV legend to the limit, emphasizing his gravity-defying kicks like never before. increase. Florence also makes the most of Chilean martial artist Marco Zaror as a villain. The end result is his one of the best 21st century martial arts movies.

Undisputed III: Redemption Available for digital rental or purchase on VOD platforms.

Broken Road (2008)

Johnny Yonbosch prepares to fight with a bloody face at Broken Path

Power Ranger It’s a really brooding farm system when it comes to being a great stunt and battle coordinator. Koichi Sakamoto is probably the best of the outstanding groups.With his team Alpha Stunts, Sakamoto Power Ranger He was the almighty stunt coordinator for the battle scenes drive (1997) (film in which Perry did stunt work).rear driveAs a result of Sakamoto’s challenge to direct, broken road, wall-to-wall battles and spectacular stunts.previous Power Ranger Johnny Yong Bosch is ready to accept whatever Sakamoto can throw at him, and often reaches the level of Jackie Chan’s reckless disregard for his personal safety. broken road It barely works as a movie, but it’s an acclaimed 90-minute demo reel for Alpha Stunts.

broken road You can watch it on YouTube.

John Wick 1-3 (2014-2019)

Hal Needham’s successor, Chad Stahelski, has spent the last decade reinventing the action. Stahelski’s company, his 87eleven Action Design, with his partner his David Leitch, has been wildly successful creating action for everything from the MCU to his low-budget DTV movies. But in 2014, John Wick Arrived as a true calling card.

Combining gunplay and jiu-jitsu moves felt like a breath of fresh air to an action movie that had been stagnated by Bourne-style overediting. In Keanu Reeves, Stahelski found a star willing to put his body on the line, working for the best possible movie. Increased interest in martial arts drivewith Mark Dacascos of raidYayan Ruhian and Sesep Arif Rahman.

john wick, john wick: chapter 2, When John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum All available for digital rental or purchase on VOD platforms.

Revenge (2019)

Scott Adkins Throws Punches in Prison Yard in 'Avengement'

It’s hard not to put more than one Scott Adkins movie on this list because he’s worked with some of the best action directors in the business. I was already a seasoned stunt person when I started. Over the years, Johnson’s films have varied in quality, but he has always shown a true author’s voice. Johnson uses Adkins in a very different way than Florentine, opting for brutal ground action over flying martial arts.Adkins seems to relish the opportunity to fully create the character and do gritty tumbles. Turning into a ya, Adkins proves he’s a multidimensional cinematic fighter in the final pub brawl. everyone admitsBoyka, we’ll have to see what he can do under Johnson’s firm direction.

revenge Available on Netflix.

Blindside: The Game (2018)

Eric Jacobs stands with a stick and dark sunglasses in Blindside: The Game.

It’s a slightly different choice here as this is a 45 minute short film and not a feature film, but if the film is directed by Clayton J. Barber, it should be included. Barber is best known for appearing as his coordinator in Netflix’s season two of Stunts. Iron fist After the reception to Season 1’s fights, we weren’t warm. Season 1’s fights were choppy and flat. , raised them. In doing so, the show improved a lot and he helped turn Jessica Henwick into a star.

for Blindside: The gameBarber teamed up with fellow stuntperson/director Eric Jacobs to tell the story of a blind man with a particular skill set who must help a friend out of trouble with a gang. Zatoichipart Jackie Chan-style comedy, Blindside: The game Thoroughly entertaining with a short running time.

Blindside: The game You can watch it on YouTube.

Angels have fallen (2019)

Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) is pinned to the ground after feigning an attack on the president in the movie Angel Has Fallen.

Not the biggest fan of the Has Fallen movies, especially the first two. london has fallenThe action is pretty sloppy and the politics ambiguous at best.that’s what makes angel fell Such an amazing pleasure.

Director Rick Roman Waugh brings back xenophobia and dials up character work for Gerard Butler’s Mike Banning. Instead of the unstoppable machine that appeared in his first two films, Banning factors in his age and the damage he’s done to his body while repeatedly saving the president. Make no mistake, though, Waugh also brings it to the forefront of the action, including a drone attack that was impressively done to move the plot. It’s framed in a very different way, giving the film a completely different feel than the previous two films.

angel fell Available for digital rental or purchase on VOD platforms.

Action Jackson (1988)

Carl Weathers drives while Vanity touches his face in Action Jackson

Former stuntperson Craig R. Baxley turned director and has three straight outs of the greatest action bangers of all time. action jackson, i come in peaceWhen stone cold. Of the three, action jackson Carl Weathers is my favorite, simply because he finally gets the lead role vehicle he’s deserved after so many years.

Weathers makes the most of it. It’s safe to say that Bucksley gave Weathers perhaps the best introduction in cinema history (trust me, it’s best to watch it without knowing what’s coming), and Weathers took it from there. I’ll take it. Also firing a grenade launcher while shirtless. I’m just saying

Baxley, who worked in an era when stunts were all practical, had Weathers drive a sports car up three flights of stairs. Craig T. Nelson is totally lukewarm as the villain, and the late singer Vanity has great chemistry with Weathers.

action jackson Available for digital rental or purchase on VOD platforms.

Born to Fight (2004)

Perform a flip in front of a missile in Born to Fight.

Panna Rithikrai is a legend in Thai cinema. A stuntman and coordinator, he helped put Thai action cinema on the map. Ong Bak: Muay Thai Warrior When protector.

Litty Cry is also a frequent director, and one of his most unsuccessful films is this 2004 release. When terrorists take over a village, several Thai Olympians must band together to stop them. He doesn’t have Jah’s charisma, but his moves could be even better. Rittikrai pulls out all the tricks in his bag this action. As with Chuphon, the real highlight is the action scenes where every athlete fights back using their particular talents, whether it’s soccer, basketball or something else. It’s the perfect kind of unhinged action with that kind of momentum.

born to fight is available for digital purchase on Apple TV.

Hydra (2019)

A man was walking down a narrow street and another man was standing behind him.

Kensuke Sonomura has become one of Japan’s most in-demand action designers and choreographers, working on video games such as Resident Evil (who worked on both games and animated films) and the third and fourth Devil May Cry games. I do a lot of action design for series. Sonomura is known for over-the-top action, including particularly wild ones. Resident Evil: Vendetta.

With his directorial debut, Sonomura goes a different direction, dialing back the action in favor of a more slice-of-life hangout vibe. Despite the short screening time of 79 minutes, hydra It’s a leisurely pace. That is, until the final action scene where Sonomura engages in hand-to-hand combat that is truly unlike any other action movie. Furiously fast and brutal, it’s a must-see.

hydra Watch on Hi-Yah!, watch for free with your library card on Hoopla, and digitally rent or buy on VOD platforms.