(Pre) Ask Me a Question: Double Impact & Bloodsport Screening! Los Angeles!

You read that headline and all of those exclamation points right, Dammaged Goods has now moved into Phase II of it's non-planned existence, live events!  Very happy and excited to announce a night of Jean-Claude Van Damme martial arts action classics on the big screen at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles, Double Impact and Bloodsport!  These are prints straight from the vaults of Park Circus/MGM and will screen on Sunday and Monday, May 4th and 5th.  Rambo III and Bloodsport co-writer and Lionheart, Double Impact and Only the Strong director Sheldon Lettich will be appearing, schedule permitting, between films to discuss his career, working with Jean-Claude Van Damme and much much more.  I believe Double Impact last screened in Los Angeles in 2008 and Bloodsport played in 2010 so this is some rare shit, Sonny Grasso style.

The New Beverly Cinema started as a vaudeville theater before being converted into a night club.  In the 50's, the New Bev became a movie theater showing foreign films, pornos and grindhouse features.  In 1978, Sherman Torgan took over the joint and turned it into a repertory revival house with double feature programming.  Sadly, Torgan died in 2007 and the New Bev's fate was in peril as redevelopment firms looked to pounce.  That same year, filmmaker Quentin Tarantino bought the building and essentially became the landlord.  Today, the New Bev is still going strong, showcasing films new and old, familiar and obscure with programming assists from guests ranging from Edgar Wright, Patton Oswalt, Jason Reitman, Walter Hill, Michael Biehn, Thomas Jane and many, many more directors, actors and writers.  Sherman's son Michael has worked at the theater for years and currently runs the operation; curating programs, booking films, selling tickets and whatever else needs to be done in order to keep this piece of film history alive.

More details to come and we'll see you there!