Episode 39 - Sonny Sison

Episode 39 - Sonny Sison

Author: Ben Johnson May 20, 2019 Duration: 1:02:39

After watching Thailand's Ong-Bak and Indonesia's The Raid, the producer, stunt coordinator and fight choreographer Sonny Sison had an epiphany. Where were the Filipino action films promoting their indigenous martial arts styles, like Ong-Bak did with Muay Thai, and The Raid with silat? Determined to do the same for his home country, Sonny left Hollywood and boarded the next plane to Manila, taking over 25 years' worth of industry experience with him to a country still developing as a global player in the movie market. Since relocating, he has been on a self-made mission to promote the Filipino martial arts through his fight choreography. In 2018, he worked with director Erik Matti on the non-stop fight fest, BuyBust, and this year sees the arrival of Maria, a Filipino action film directed by Pedring A. Lopez and starring Cristine Reyes, which is available now on Netflix. In this episode, we discuss his upbringing in the Philippines and Hawaii, where he first discovered his love of martial arts through the movies, before his relocation to Hollywood and his work in the entertainment industry. He befriended fellow Hawaiian, Mark Dacascos, and the two started out on their show-business journeys together, with Sonny eventually ploughing his own furrow via Power Rangers, producing, dancing with Michael Jackson and stunt performing on huge Hollywood films like The Rundown, The Green Hornet, Olympus Has Fallen and Godzilla. Sonny worked as the second unit director on Mark Dacascos' directorial debut, Showdown in Manila, and as Sonny explains, he has plans to work with his old friend again. We discuss the rich heritage and cinematic appeal of Filipino martial arts, the challenges of working in the country's film industry, and how you go about training someone with no martial arts background to look like an absolute bad-ass on screen.


LINKS

Follow Sonny on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sonny-Sison-Producer-Action-Director-1720324101578654/

Follow Sonny on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonny.808pride/


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


There's a particular magic in the stories behind the fights, the philosophy woven into the choreography, and the sheer dedication it takes to create martial arts cinema. The Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast is built on those stories, offering a backstage pass to the world of Hong Kong action, classic Shaw Brothers epics, and modern martial arts filmmaking. Host Ben Johnson, who created the extensive kungfumovieguide.com resource, sits down for detailed conversations with the very people who bring these films to life. Each episode features an unscripted, in-depth interview with actors who threw the punches, stunt performers who designed the falls, directors who framed the shots, and choreographers who turned violence into poetry. You'll hear about their career paths, the challenges on set, and the deep, personal passion that fuels their work. This isn't just a surface-level recap of famous movies; it's about the craft, the history, and the human effort behind every iconic scene. For anyone who has ever wondered about the artistry behind a perfectly executed fight sequence or the legacy of a genre that spans decades, this podcast provides a rich, engaging listen. Tune in for genuine insights from the heart of martial arts cinema.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Episode 78 - End of Year Show 2021 with Mike Fury: Part One [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:29
Ho ho ho and happy holidays to all our listeners around the world. Welcome to the first part of our annual, end-of-year wrap-up podcast featuring the Life of Action author, Mike Fury. And, wow, what a year it has been fo…
Episode 77 - Kenji Tanigaki [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:12
What a year it has been for the stunt coordinator, fight choreographer and second unit director, Kenji Tanigaki. Not only did he craft the action on two more 'Rurouni Kenshin' films - called 'Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginni…
Episode 76 - Daniel Bernhardt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:45
Daniel Bernhardt is a true renaissance man; a martial artist from Switzerland who went from being a professional model in Paris to a Hollywood action star. In the 1990s, he was a leading man in low-budget martial arts fi…
Episode 75 - Lee Charles / James Nunn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:24:37
It has taken six years for director James Nunn to bring his one-take, real-time action movie to the screen. During that time, 'one-shot' movies like 'Birdman' and '1917' have not only dominated at the box office, but the…
Episode 74 - Brad Martin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:48
Brad Martin is one of Hollywood’s top stunt coordinators with a string of blockbusters to his name, including the 'Underworld' series, 'Live Free or Die Hard', 'Tropic Thunder', 'Gemini Man', plus the Emmy-nominated 2021…
Episode 73 - Max Huang [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:04
Max Huang's turn as Kung Lao - the deadly, hat-throwing, Shaolin-trained kung fu cousin of Liu Kang - in the 2021 reboot of Mortal Kombat was a delightful surprise; a scene-stealing performance complete with comedy, dram…
Episode 72 - Cynthia Rothrock [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:06
Cynthia Rothrock - the undisputed 'Queen of martial arts movies' - never anticipated a career as an action film star. The Scranton-raised martial artist initially headed west in search of furthering her kung fu knowledge…
Episode 71 - Philip Ng [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:19
When Philip Ng burst onto the scene in his 2014 leading-man debut, 'Once Upon a Time in Shanghai' - co-starring Sammo Hung and with fight choreography by Yuen Woo-ping - followed by his turn as Bruce Lee in the 2016 Holl…
Episode 70 - Brahim Chab [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:35
Over the last 15 years, French stunt performer and martial artist Brahim Chab has jumped, kicked and punched his way into the upper echelons of the fight film business. In 2021, he wrapped on 'Monkey Man' - the directori…
Episode 69 - Ron Van Clief [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:34
Martial arts legend Ron Van Clief never wanted to be a movie star. Known as the 'Black Dragon' - a name originally given to him by Bruce Lee and adopted as his screen persona in a series of Hong Kong kung fu movies in th…