 HKCinemagic : How long did it took to shoot the movie and especially the two main action scenes (gunfight in the alley and the factory fight)?
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| Bey Logan : Unbelievably, the whole shoot was only six weeks! Both those scenes you mention each took only a few days, which shows what a great team we had in front of and behind the camera. |
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| HKCinemagic :
What involvement Steven Seagal had in the production?
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| B L : Steven was brought in by the late Jimmy Moy, a wonderful man who sadly passed away just after we wrapped the film. He was Steven's partner in a Bangkok-based production company, and they were planning to produce Asian films, with Dragon Squad being the first. You read different things about Steven. All I can say, regarding Dragon Squad, is that he was extremely supportive, and we really appreciate his contribution. |
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| HKCinemagic :
Director Daniel Lee has some very clear ideas about what he wants in a movie. Did you find it difficult to work with him?
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| B L : To be honest, yes, during the production, my relationship with Daniel did become increasingly strained, which I regret. This was more due to business pressures and the kind of on-set politics that can happen when you have too many tigers on one mountain! The night of the premiere, I was so angry with everyone, I pretty much washed my hands of the film. Later, I heard from friends and fans around the world how much they liked the film, so I came back to look at it again. I could see that Daniel had a very clear, personal vision for the film, and he did whatever it took to realise that. Interestingly, I think Dragon Squad was far better received in Europe and the US than in Asia ! |
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| HKCinemagic : Was Chin Kar Lok in complete control of the action or did he have to submit to some other people involved (Daniel Lee of course but maybe yourself or his former mentor Sammo Hung)?
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| B L :
Kar-lok was definitely calling the shots on the action, but working very closely with Daniel. Unlike many other sets I've been on, the director was there for all the action scenes. Sammo Hung had ideas for his scenes, but was not otherwise involved in terms of the action directing. |
Daniel Lee and Chin Kar Lok on the Dragon Squad set
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| HKCinemagic :
Did all these people from so many different countries ( USA , Korea , HK, Mainland , Taiwan ...) alter the shooting in one way or another?
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| B L : I think it was great! It felt like the United Nations sometimes, but that was fun. I've actually seen more confusion and conflict on sets where everyone spoke the same language! The funniest thing was watching Huh Joon-ho, who speaks only Korean, saying something to his interpreter, who spoke only Korean and Cantonese, who then spoke to me in Cantonese and I would translate into English for Michael Biehn, and he would reply to Mr. Huh and the translation would go back round the other way! |
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| HKCinemagic : Michael Biehn is famous for his performances in Terminator or The Abyss, do you think he managed to adapt well to this very new working environment for him that is HK?
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| B L : Very much so. He and Daniel had a great rapport. In retrospect, I think we should perhaps have written and rehearsed the English dialogue scenes as a whole cloth, rather than just translating the Chinese script line by line, sometimes on the set. Some of those scenes seem disjointed, compared to the Cantonese scenes. That aside, Michael was such a trouper, working long hours, often in difficult circumstances, constantly coming up with ideas. We were so lucky to have him. My biggest reward in making this film was that I can now count him as a good friend! |
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| HKCinemagic : Were you satisfied by the involvement of the younger actors in the shooting process?
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| B L : I think we got a mixed bag, to be honest. All of the actors were trying their best. Sometimes dealing with their managers can be a pain, especially with someone who isn't yet a real 'movie' star! Some roles were underwritten, and a couple of performances got lost in the mix.
On set, I thought Lawrence Chou was dynamite, but didn't really come across like that in the finished film. Then you had someone like Maggie Q, who I'm happy to say I brought onto the project, who only shot a few days, but her character really leaves an impression. |
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