#13: Near Death (1999)

Description

Long believed to be an urban legend, it took over a decade to prove that Near Death really existed. A long lost Jove Brand film, situated perfectly in the unprecedented six year gap between A Beautiful Disaster and A Gentleman’s Play, Sir Collin Prestor’s first foray.

The true tragedy is how bad the film is. On viewing it, there is no secret why Near Death was never widely released. A new Brand, far younger than his predecessors, is called upon to dispatch the villainous General Moon-Tzu, in retribution for the murder of the former Brand. The movie is a slog of endless, repetitive martial arts fight scenes.

The only tension comes not from story, but instead from the insane stunts performed by Ken Allen, who somehow survived the filming. Had the movie been filmed in Europe or the Americas instead of Hong Kong, safety standards would not have allowed the risks Allen took on set. While Allen surely displays courage, he delivers one of the worst performances in film history.

We are proud to have spearheaded the investigation into this making of this cinematic secret. Far more interesting than the film is the story behind it.

First, one must note the regular release schedule of all previous Jove Brand films. Every three years, like clockwork, for thirty-three years. We believe this is the result of a contractual requirement between Calabria Productions and the author Bowman Fletcher, that a Jove Brand film must be released every three years for the Calabrias to retain the film rights to Jove Brand. Near Death was likely a shoestring production in order to fulfill this requirement and thus retain the rights to the Jove Brand franchise.

“Big Don” Calabria had passed away the previous year, leaving the franchise to his younger son, “Kit”, rather than his firstborn, Dina. It is unclear if this was due to previous tensions between father and daughter, as Kit was never involved with the production of previous Brand films, while Dina had worked on the films in some capacity since her teen years.

The production was already short on funds, as investors were skittish about committing to what was perceived as a dead franchise with a neophyte at the helm. Any less-than-legal contacts at "Big Don" Calabria's fingertips retreated into the shadows. Then, in a major blow, the first choice for the new Jove Brand overdosed while filming another project in Eastern Europe.

The production is further mired in tragedy, as shortly after completion, Kit Calabria perished in a plane crash. To this day, his remains have never been recovered. Missy Cazale, one of the most decorated actresses of all time, appears in Near Death, a credit she hid for years, as it was an embarrassing and inauspicious debut. Archival photos show that Miss Cazale may have been in a relationship with Kit Calabria at the time of filming.

Near Death was never released outside of a single weekend release in Hong Kong. For years, only bootleg clips existed, until a print appeared on online piracy sites. Near Death finally found release as part of the Jove Brand 50th anniversary boxed set.

JOVE BRAND IS NEAR DEATH