A truly one of a kind filmmaker who left his mark on genre cinema, Bloody Disgusting has learned the sad news this week that cult icon Albert Pyun has passed away at the age of 69.
Deadline reports, “Pyun’s death was announced on social media by his wife, Cynthia Curnan, who said he died in Las Vegas. He had dementia and multiple sclerosis for years.”
A true maverick in the world of independent filmmaking, Albert Pyun leaves behind no shortage of highly unique genre gems that exemplify his singular talents, winning over countless fans of science fiction, horror, and action movies with his wild gusto and DIY charms.
Tackling big concepts with small budgets, Albert Pyun primarily made his mark throughout the 1980s and 1990s, directing a slew of cult films including The Sword and the Sorcerer, Radioactive Dreams, Vicious Lips, Alien from L.A., Cyborg, Captain America, Kickboxer 2: The Road Back, Dollman, Nemesis, Spitfire, Heatseeker, Mean Guns, Postmortem, and Sorcerers.
In more recent years, Pyun directed The Wrecking Crew, Aliens Gone Wild, Left for Dead, Road to Hell, Bulletface, and Cyborg Nemesis: The Dark Rift, his passion for filmmaking never wavering even when his health began to decline. Pyun was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2012, and though he initially retired from filmmaking he quickly found himself back in the trenches. Pyun continued to develop new projects every step along the way, committed to bringing new visions to the screen and never giving up on his filmmaking dreams.
In addition to the over 50 movies he made throughout his career, Pyun was attached to several big properties that never managed to get off the ground. Those include Spider-Man, Masters of the Universe, and Total Recall, with 1989’s Jean-Claude Van Damme-starring Cyborg being quickly put together using costumes and sets from Pyun’s Masters of the Universe sequel that died in pre-production. Pyun reportedly wrote the script for Cyborg in a single weekend and filmed the movie in just 23 days, making last minute movie magic like only he could.
Van Damme tweeted over the weekend, “In great sadness and with a heavy heart, I’ll say goodbye and RIP, Albert Pyun.” There will never be another like him, to say the very least.
In great sadness and with a heavy heart 💔 I’ll say goodbye and RIP, Albert Pyun.
▶️ https://t.co/JLAdNEBCfD#albertpyun #cyborg #jeanclaudevandamme #vandamme #jcvd pic.twitter.com/jZVPasxbh5— Jean-Claude Van Damme (@JCVD) November 27, 2022
Albert Pyun was a go getter. He really was. His movies were so raw and on the edge. He worked hard his entire life. I really enjoyed working with him on Knights. pic.twitter.com/sPiI5AyGff
— Lance Henriksen (@lancehenriksen) November 27, 2022