Genre filmmaker, Albert Pyun, passed away Saturday, November 26, at 5:50 pm, according to his wife, Cynthia Curnan. Pyun had been battling multiple sclerosis and dementia for the past several years, but through it all, he never quit doing what he loved, making films.
His passing stings me on a deeper level for several reasons. His feature film directorial debut was 1982’s The Sword and the Sorcerer. I distinctly remember watching it with my dad for the first time when I was nine years old on HBO. It has always stuck with me and served as an introduction to fantasy films. Throughout the ’80s and even the ’90s, Pyun was responsible for some of the most entertaining action and sci-fi films hitting the video store shelves, which would be my lifeblood for many years.
Albert Pyun was born on May 19, 1953, in Hawaii. He traveled the world as a child since he was born into a military family and would eventually settle there. I always found it interesting that after viewing one of his short films, legendary actor Toshiro Mifune would bring him along to intern on the Akira Kurosawa classic Dersu Uzala. Pyun would follow Mifune onto his next project and be mentored by Kurosawa’s long-time collaborator Takao Saito, a masterful cinematographer. After working in commercials for several years, he would make his way to Hollywood and helm The Sword and the Sorcerer, which became a theatrical success as well as a pay cable staple.
Albert Pyun would eventually direct successful films for Cannon Films, Charles Band (Empire and Full Moon), and Imperial. Those titles would include Cyborg (1989), Dollman (1991), and Nemesis (1992). The number of classic genre films he directed during the ’80s and ’90s is almost unrivaled. Pyun also directed the 1990 adaptation of Marvel’s Captain America.
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In a career that spanned over forty years, Pyun would direct over fifty films, each unique in its own right. Even when his health began to fail, his love of cinema continued to drive him, to work on projects until he couldn’t do it anymore.
I could sit here and go on and on about why I love Adrenalin: Fear the Rush (1996), Hong Kong 97 (1994), or Knights (1993), but the fact of the matter is, Pyun was an anomaly, and there was nor will be anyone quite like him. He worked independently and for studios, never once losing his voice. There were certain films he chose to tackle in a more experimental manner, such as Road to Hell (2008) and Interstellar Civil War: Shadows of the Empire (2017) which would show how fearless he was as an artist to take risks.
Through Facebook, his wife and partner Cynthia Curnan has kept fans up to date on his deteriorating condition, asking them to leave comments on how his films have affected them, which she would read to him in his final days. It was heartwarming to see the outpouring of love from fans and colleagues and heartbreaking to know the end of his life was inevitable.
We here at Horror Geek Life want to send Cynthia Curnan, their pooches, and everyone close to Albert Pyun our love in this time of mourning. I would say tonight, watch a film in his honor, but I don’t want it to be just tonight. Let’s always honor his legacy, recommend a film to friends, and never forget just how truly unique of a voice he was.
Rest in Peace, Albert Pyun (May 19, 1953 – November 26, 2022).
