Michael Biehn, the rugged soldier who faced off against Arnold Schwarzenegger in the original Terminator and bullied Kurt Russell as a cold-hearted gunslinger in Tombstone, will present The Victim, his grind-house-style directorial debut, tonight at the Roxie Theater.
Biehn, together with co-star, producing partner and wife Jennifer Blanc, will host a special screening of their gritty new thriller as part of the eighth-annual Another Hole in the Head Festival, SF IndieFest’s celebration of the best in blood-curdling entertainment, running through June 17. Tickets are available via the festival’s official site.
The actor, who was allowed to do his own rewrites for frequent collaborator James Cameron and Grindhouse director Robert Rodriguez, credits Rodriguez with prodding him to write and shoot his own feature.
The result? A noir-style adventure, set in the Southern California backwoods, featuring crooked cops, scantily clad damsels in distress – strippers, of course – and a loner, played by Biehn, hoping to distance himself from a mysterious past when trouble comes knocking at his door.
For those eager to immerse themselves in the movie’s cheerfully twisted universe, Biehn has a few words of advice – don’t take it too seriously. “This is supposed to be fun,” he says. “I might make a serious movie someday, but this isn’t it. [The Victim] has sex, it’s got plenty of action, and if that’s your thing, just sit back and have a good time.”
The Victim arrives at the Roxie tonight at 5:20 p.m. For more information, click here.
