German film director beats up harshest critics in boxing ring


VANCOUVER (CP) - German cult film director Uwe Boll was so fed up with people bashing his movies that he went postal and knocked out some of his harshest critics in the boxing ring.

The jovial director challenged his detractors - most of whom ripped his movies to shreds in online reviews - to take a swing at him in the ring. Five people were selected.

One fight took place in Malaga, Spain, in September and the other four on Saturday at an outdoor venue in downtown Vancouver.

One by one, Boll knocked out his opponents in the boxing ring amid a glitzy, rock 'n' roll spectacle with loud German techno, heavy metal and hundreds of screaming Boll fans.

Boll's most recent work is a vampire flick based on the video game "BloodRayne" starring Kristanna Loken and Ben Kingsley. He is also well-known for his low-budget zombie movie "House of the Dead."

He said "BloodRayne" was harshly criticized online before it even premiered Jan. 3. An avid gamer, Boll said critics were overreacting to how he translated the game to film. There's even an online petition to get him to stop making movies.

Boll, who was in Vancouver working on a pair of upcoming movies, said he has even received death threats that have prompted him to travel with a bodyguard when he attends film festivals.

So he tried to make the best of a bad situation with a little humour and good old-fashioned fisticuffs.

"I don't get why (the critics) attack me so much," Boll said shortly after he beat up all four opponents in front of an audience of about 600 people.

While he was the first to admit the event was "a great publicity stunt," Boll said the other reason for Saturday's spectacle was to try and get journalists, some who haven't even seen his films, to stop trashing his work.

"If you're making a zombie movie like "House of the Dead," what are people expecting? 'Schindler's List?' It is what it is. It's entertaining."

One of the contenders, journalist Chris Alexander, 31, stunned the crowd when he "psyched out" Boll by spitting out fake blood after a punch to the mouth.

However, after the fight, the radio announcer for "Rue Morgue" magazine sat with his rival like they were old chums, saying he deeply respected the controversial director.

"Nothing will sway my opinion about 'House of the Dead,' 'Alone in the Dark' and 'BloodRayne.' Nothing. But I knew I would develop some kind of sick, twisted admiration for this guy," Alexander said, laughing.

Boll's youngest challenger, 17-year-old kickboxer and self-described Boll-hater Nelson Chance Minter, echoed Alexander's admiration.

"I wasn't a big fan of 'House of The Dead' or 'Alone in the Dark,' but after what he's shown me of 'Seed,' I think it's fantastic," Minter said.

Said Boll: "See what happens when they take a blow to the head? They like my movies."

Richard (Lowtax) Kyanka, who threw in the towel about two minutes into the fight, said he thought Boll punched him too hard.

"I feel great. I feel like a very angry German man punched me in the head repeatedly," said the 30-year-old CEO for the Something Awful website.

"He kept saying it was PR stunt and a joke, but then he comes on just murderizing me. I want to have more kids someday, so I just said, 'I'm not going to stay in here and keep getting punched in the head.' "

Boll said the online critics have changed the way the mainstream media writes about him.

"With real journalists they are writing about me getting bashed. They don't write about 'BloodRayne' the movie anymore. Half of every article is about how I get attacked by the fans."

If someone had thought to shoot the whole boxing tour it might make for the first watchable Bollfilm.

(might)

By far one of Boll's best quotes!

You can watch the fights on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqbVb-W7GqI

Even his fights get low ratings!