Movies & TV / Columns
Jino Kang On Starring In & Directing Hard Redemption, Working With Lou Ferrigno
Image Credit: Jino Kang and Christine Lam
The 411 Interview: Jino Kang
Jino Kang is a writer, director, and actor that has been in the movie business, according to his IMDb page, since at least 2001. Kang has directed and starred in the feature films Blade Warrior (2001), Fist 2 Fist (2011), and Weapon of Choice (aka Fist 2 Fist 2: Weapon of Choice, 2014). Kang is also a real deal martial artist, a Hapkido master, and a 2009 member of the Masters Martial Arts Hall of Fame (Kang has also been teaching Hapkido in San Francisco for decades). Kang’s latest movie in which he stars in and directs is Hard Redemption, where he stars alongside Lou Ferrigno and David Kurzhal. In this interview, Kang talks with this writer about making Hard Redemption, how he decided he wanted it to be his next movie, working with Lou Ferrigno and David Kurzhal, and more.
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Bryan Kristopowitz: How did you decide to make Hard Redemption your next movie as a director and actor?
Jino Kang: The idea was pitched to me by writers david j. moore and Dustin Leimgruber. From there, it turned into a script.
BK: How did you approach your character James Park?
JK: I approached James as someone who hit rock-bottom when he was a juvenile in a gang, and had a change of heart and wanted to better himself and become a better man.
BK: Describe your working relationship with co-director Christine Lam.
JK: We work well as a partners. Christine helped me with my two previous films as line director and I knew how she worked.
BK: Where was Hard Redemption filmed?
JK: In San Francisco, specifically in the Bay Area.
BK: How did you cast Hard Redemption?
JK: Mostly through Casting Networks. We did numerous auditions with follow-up auditions and narrowed down the candidates.
BK: What was it like working with Lou Ferrigno, who plays school security head Rico?
JK: Lou was a true professional. He was easy to work with and he came on the set prepared. We were truly blessed.
BK: What was it like working with David Kurzhal, who plays Goblin gang leader Solomon?
JK: David was a pleasure to work with. He had an easy going attitude and was open to any suggestions. He’s a great martial artist, I might add.
BK: Describe your working relationship with co-writers david j. moore and Dustin Leimgruber.
JK: Both david and Dustin are great to work with and approached the whole process as professionals.
BK: What was the hardest part of making Hard Redemption for you as both a director and an actor? What was the easiest?
JK: The directing is much easier, I believe. I see words as pictures so visualizing the scenes was already done in my head. The acting took some effort and many months of preparation. I wanted my character James to be humble and someone who made it as an honest hardworking person in a troubled society.
BK: How long did it take to make Hard Redemption, from being satisfied with the script to completing post-production?
JK: All together, five years.
BK: How did you approach the various fight scenes in the movie?
JK: I wanted all of the fight scenes to be original and different. Each character would have different weapons that they relied on and James had to figure out how to combat each character and their weapons.
BK: Do you have a favorite scene in Hard Redemption?
JK: Yes, the ninja star throwing fight scene. It was really fun to shoot that scene.
BK: Whatever happened to your short film series Kid Fury?
JK: I’m revisiting the series and will re-cut and re-distribute. It’s in development as a shorter mini-series.
BK: Any upcoming projects?
JK: Blade Fury, a follow up to Weapon of Choice (released as Fist 2 Fist 2). Also, I believe Lou wants to do another movie, perhaps Hard Redemption 2.
BK: What sort of release are you aiming for with Hard Redemption?
JK: I believe we’re looking at a world-wide release of some kind. The film would be streaming everywhere, USA/CAN and then foreign territories.
BK: What do you hopes audiences get out of Hard Redemption?
JK: I would be very happy if people enjoyed the movie. And that’s enough for me.
BK: Any interest in a Hard Redemption 2?
JK: Absolutely.
BK: What did you do with all of those copies of The Count of Monte Cristo once you were done with them?
JK: Ha! They’re all still in boxes. Probably donate them to a school or a library.
BK: Do you think you could take on a martial arts gang by yourself in real life?
JK: Actually, I have. In the eighties. I’ll tell you all about it over a pint. Cheers!
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A very special thanks to Jino Kang for agreeing to participate in this interview and to david j. moore for setting it up.
Check out the official Hard Redemption Facebook page here!
Check out my review of Hard Redemption here!
Check out Jino Kang’s official Instagram page here, official Threads page here, and official YouTube pages here and here!
All images courtesy of Jino Kang and Christine Lam.
