A Few Words With Albert Pyun on the Recent Cyborg Re-release

With the release of the rediscovered cut of Cyborg, we thought it might be a good idea to catch up with the film's director, indie action director Albert Pyun, and find out a little more about what's going on with this very unexpected release.

ScreenAnarchy: Why did you decide to release this new cut of Cyborg?

Albert Pyun: Mainly due to Tony Riparetti finding the Director's Cut on VHS a few weeks ago in his storage closet. I had thought it was lost back in 1988.

ScreenAnarchy: Did you have easy access to the original materials?

AP: No, wish I did, but I only owned this Director's Cut and the VHS Telecine of it.

ScreenAnarchy: Could you tell our readers about some of the major differences between this cut and the one that was originally shown 20 years ago?

AP: I think the villainy is different, the music score is completely new (from the original composers Tony Riparetti and Jim Saad) and the overall tone is much darker and more pessimistic. I think the characters are better fleshed out and it has a faster pace.

ScreenAnarchy: How is the release of the new cut being handled?

AP: I am self-releasing it via Curnan Pictures (info at HERE) and the music soundtrack CD is available at: Howlin' Wolf Records.

ScreenAnarchy: How would you compare getting funding for a movie like Cyborg back in the 80's with trying to get it made today?

AP: I think the challenges are the same (cast, genre, concept). No real difference except it was much more a theatrical world then. DTV didn't get going strongly until the 90's.

ScreenAnarchy: Do you feel like that period of filmmaking will get its own kind of acknowledgement and revival and celebration the way the grindhouse stuff did?

AP: Yeah, I do. It was a pretty wild period because home video was just taking off and Cable tv was still around the corner. Lots off imaginative B movies. More gonzo and fast and loose. Glad I had the opportunity to live through it!

ScreenAnarchy: Are there any indie action directors that you're into now?

AP:Not many. Much of the indie stuff is derivative which is really where I live and work so no. I do love Tarsem's films alot.

ScreenAnarchy: Do have any plans to revisit some of your other films with re-cut or uncut versions? I, for one, would love to see more of Nemesis.

AP: Yes, next is the Ticker Director's Cut which was just located, then the Director's Cuts of Nemesis or Captain America.

ScreenAnarchy: What else are you working on now?

AP: Still trying to complete Tales of an Ancient Empire so I can move onto finishing Road to Hell with Michael Pare' and Clare Kramer. Shooting a sequel to my one-shot movie Infection (AKA Invasion) next month, then onto Cyborg Legacy: Rise of the Slingers and Red Moon.