THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 2, 1997 TAG: 9702020109
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 80 lines
For years, students have listened respectfully and obediently as their instructor, world champion kickboxer Curtis Bush, told them never to misuse what he teaches.
On Saturday, they cheered him on as he broke all his own rules.
Wham! Crunch! Snap! Gash! Bush showed no mercy as he exacted revenge against his enemies, dispatching dozens of opponents to eternity in a bloody rampage.
Of course, it was just a movie.
And what a flick. If you like your blood and guts - with a little sex thrown in - and some local flavor, ``Psycho Kickboxer: The Dark Angel'' is the movie you want to see.
A sell-out crowd - with scores of people turned away - were on hand at the Cinema Cafe in Pembroke for the world premiere of Bush's martial arts movie.
``I'm kinda stressed out,'' Bush, 34, said Saturday night as the theater filled to capacity - and a bit beyond. ``After five years, I'm just glad it's done.''
Decked out head to toe in bad-boy black, Bush was the picture of a tough guy. But his attitude was one of both happiness and embarrassment, with a tinge of shyness - not a trait expected of your average movie star.
Indeed, even when told he could let no one else in for the showing, Bush had to turn to his security people to break the news. ``This is terrible. I want everyone to come watch.''
Just before the film, Bush stood before the big screen to thank the sponsors, performers and friends who made the film possible. And he didn't forget real-life opponents whom he said tried to thwart his efforts.
``A lot of people didn't want this movie made, and a lot of people tried to get their sleazy hands on it,'' Bush said in a rare display of emotion. ``Well, they just made me more determined than ever to get it made.''
Then the lights went down and Bush was suddenly bigger - and meaner - than life.
He plays Alex Hunter, a professional kickboxer whose father, the town's chief of police, is about to bust the local crime boss.
What follows is a romp - which Bush considers R-rated - of violence, with the good guy . . . well, no sense spoiling the ending.
``It's blood and guts with a sense of humor,'' Bush said. ``Even though people are getting mutilated and killed, it's a good time.''
Indeed, in the first few minutes of the film, laughter swept the audience when a bad guy - thinking he was sacrificing a finger as punishment for disappointing his boss - got his hand sliced off instead. He's left holding a bony stub of a wrist with blood gushing to his heartbeat.
Laughter changed to horror, however, when a few scenes later the police chief gets a shotgun stuck in his mouth and his head explodes in Technicolor.
Throughout the film, audience members nudged each other and whispered as they saw friends on screen - or themselves - and places familiar to them. The entire production was shot in Hampton Roads.
And when the credits began to roll, the audience exploded in applause.
``He kept talking about it being a low-budget film, but it was really good,'' said David Rosenthal, 33, of Virginia Beach. ``I really liked it,'' his wife, Lisa, 33, said.
Amanda Donathan, 16, one of Bush's students, said she saw a side of the man she never knew before. ``He's usually so shy,'' she said. ``But in the movie, he's not shy. He's violent! In the movie he does everything he tells you not to do.''
Pedro Leal, 18, another Bush student, said he loved the action. So, can he fight as well as his teacher?
``No!'' Leal said with a certain grin. ``No. No.''
Bush hopes that Saturday night's big audience will persuade the powers that be to give his film at least a few more theatrical showings locally.
For now, however, no additional public showings are set. The film will be available on video in stores. MEMO: For information on any future public showings, call 490-3385. ILLUSTRATION: MIKE HEFFNER photo
Framed by the theater door's window, world champion kickboxer Curtis
Bush tries to straighten out ticket problems at the premiere of his
film ``Psycho Kickboxer: The Dark Angel'' at Cinema Cafe in Virginia
Beach Saturday. Bush plays the lead role in the film, which took
five years to complete. The movie, filmed in Hampton Roads and
featuring area actors, played to a full house - guests had to be
turned away from the sold-out show.