 HKCinemagic:
IFD was a very different kind of movie production company compared to the others working in Hong Kong. How did you find yourself involved with them? |
| Jonathan Isgar: I started with Filmark who where in the same building, a lot of the local boys worked for them too. So it was just the network again, a lot of backpackers like myself where doing extra work and agents would come around and take a photo. The shooting day they would come and get you in a van. Once you knew the way of the land and could get a shot in the can in one take you could pretty well get a gig, when they become confident in you. |
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| HKCinemagic: Did you have any script while you were shooting these movies? Was there any input from the director about the way the character should be played? |
| Jonathan Isgar: To be honest I've never seen an IFD or Filmark movie, we knew what they wanted, they would give us an idea how much dialogue and the general gist of the scene and we would work it out. "OK, we shoo." |
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| HKCinemagic:
Was it always Godfrey Ho himself who was directing? |
| Jonathan Isgar: You know I don't know if I ever worked for Godfrey Ho, there where plenty of directors. |
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| HKCinemagic:
Were you aware some Thai movie footage (or any other foreign films) would be inserted in the final product? |
| Jonathan Isgar: Yes, we knew what was going on, sometimes we were asked to have a look at what they had. |
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| HKCinemagic: Did you have a fight choreographer to help you work the action scenes? If yes, what was his name? Were these scenes very challenging for you? |
| Jonathan Isgar: They always had one or two local boys, but one local lad, whose name I can’t remember, was always there. He had come out for a beer with us. They would fill in if it got too much, but when you have the likes of Bruce, Ken, who also speak Chinese, and boys, like Steve who will have a go at anything, shit man I would have a go at anything. Still do, got the scars to prove it (laughing), how do they look ? |
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| HKCinemagic: How was your relationship with Ken Goodman? |
| Jonathan Isgar: Ken Goodman and I got on like a house on fire. Ken really loved what he was doing and would go all out to help anyone. Honestly, he was like a personal trainer on every job, and a very fit disciplined man (military I believe). Bruce used to rib him how he hung his clothes in the wardrobe, everything a hand span apart. I hear he may be in Bangkok. Do you have a contact for him? Just remind me of a thing we did where Ken played my son. I was Dirty old Mel, Ken was funny as fuck. |
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| HKCinemagic: The 2 Catmans were released in two years time. I guess they were in fact shot back to back then released as two different features. Can you confirm you only worked one year (in 1990) on this production? |
| Jonathan Isgar: Catman was a joke. We got all our friends on that. Father Cheevers was my mate Blue (RIP), bloody funny. Alton Cheung came up with that, and laugh when the costume turned up with the facial massager. The bloody thing kept falling off. (laughing) |
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