The 1990s is a treasure trove of action titles that have stood the test of time. Multi award-winning producer and director Albert Pyun’s 1992 cyberpunk spectacle, Nemesis, is certainly a high mark for anyone who has followed the direct-to-video action genre with a proliferated use of a VHS player in the last three decades.
Host to a dark, dystopian tale of survival the original casts actor and martial artist Olivier Grunner in the role of an LAPD hitman named Alex Raine who finds himself fighting for his own humanity. Actress and bodybuilder succeeded the franchise in Nemesis 2: Nebula, taking on a gender-bending version of the same role with a story set 73 years later when cyborgs have dominated mankind; Price continued onward for the franchise through 1996.
Pyun had still been directing thereafter but ultimately took a turn toward retirement due to health conditions surrounding dementia prior to finishing sci-fi thriller Interstellar Civil War. At any rate this hasn’t halted his own self sustenance as he’s instead serving in an executive producer role next to Jason Bracht for a fifth installment into the franchise for Nemesis 5 which is currently in production.
Price is returning to the franchise once more, joining lead actress Schuylar Craig who reteams with horror director Dustin Ferguson who helms the pic from a script by Mike Reeb. Legendary thesp Mel Novak (Game Of Death, Syndicate Smasher), and actress Dawna Lee Heising (Samurai Cop 2: Deadly Vengeance) round out the current cast.
This much anticipated film takes place in the future. It is the year 2077 and terrorist organization known as The Red Army Hammerheads now dominate the Earth. The fate of humanity now rests in the hands of The New Model, Ari Frost (Schuylar Craig). Trained under the wing of Alex Rain (Sue Price), she must form an army of Cyborg Humans to take down the regime and regain control. After all, 86.5% is still considered human…
Pyun’s film is a landmark direct-to-video action hit. Its successors also fare pretty well depending on who you ask; I’ve only seen the second and third films and as a young lad growing up with video stores within walking distance I didn’t think too critically. That said, Ferguson’s treatment remains to be seen the first official poster below is online as of this week to make the case.
Check it out below courtesy of Williamson Management and tell us what you think.
