Martial-arts film expert Eric Carson, who directed Chuck Norris octagon and produced the Jean-Claude Van Damme-starring lion heartIs dead. He was 86 years old.
Carson died of natural causes on August 24 while in hospice care in Henderson, Nevada, his brother Gil Carson said. hollywood reporter.
Carson also directed Olivier Gruner in his film debut, angel town (1990), and produced his second film, slavery (1992), and considered French kickboxer Carson as his mentor.
The son of a TV writer, Carson was working for Los Angeles-based American Cinema Productions when he was offered the chance to make his feature directorial debut. octagon (1980).
Written by K Leigh Chapman Dirty Mary Crazy Larry Famous for starting the ninja film craze, the film stars Norris as Scott James, a retired karate champion who takes on a gang of assassins led by his estranged foster brother (Tadashi Yamashita).
At Imperial Entertainment, Carson directed Van Damme black Eagle (1988), then reunited with the Belgian martial artist lion heart (1990), directed by Sheldon Lettich.
With his turn as Léon Gaultier, who leaves the French Foreign Legion and becomes a street fighter to raise money for the family of his murdered brother, Van Damme became a leading man in America.
One of four children, Carson was born on March 5, 1940, in Phoenix. His father was Lee Carson, who created the 1956–59 CBS-ABC program. storm storm show (also known as Oh, Susanna), set on a ship à la The Love Boat; He also wrote for the show restless gun, wagon train And detective. His mother, Mary, was a theater actress turned housewife.
The family moved to LA in the 1950s and lived in the house next door to John Wayne’s on Highland Avenue in Hancock Park.
Carson, who started out as an actor, graduated from Cal State Northridge and began his directing career on commercials and documentaries in Australia. Coming back to LA, he worked for The Peterson Company, a major production house at the time, and also served as VP before getting his big break. octagon.
Carson also directed an action flick opposing force (1986), which starred Lisa Eichhorn and Tom Skerritt, and she appeared on screen as a CIA chief black Eagle and as a doctor lion heart.
Survivors include his brother, a musician, who also worked as a film editor, as well as his other siblings, Lisa and Michael; his wife of two decades, Tara; his nieces, Sylvia and Jackie Lee; and his nephew, Josh.