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Forty years ago, YK Kim came to America from Korea and built a martial arts empire in Orlando. Now, he offers self-help seminars and martial arts classes to help empower his devoted followers. In 1987, Kim decided to channel his passion for martial arts into filmmaking and recruited his students to be the cast and crew of his amateur action movie,Miami Connection.The film—which follows a taekwondo synth rock band as it battles a gang of drug-dealing motorcycle ninjas—was a flop in the 80s and ultimately left Kim bankrupt. Today, however, it's become cult classic. In the inaugural episode of OUTSIDER, VICE meets Grandmaster YK Kim and investigates the story behind the fall and rise of this unlikely masterpiece.
After several failed attempts to break into the film industry, aspiring actor and screenwriter Laz Rojas decided he would try to catch Hollywood's attention by creating the most ambitious demo reel of all time. It showcased his talents as he played 102 different characters—men, women, children, and aliens—creating a universe populated entirely by himself. He submitted the tape to every producer, studio, and manager he could find, but never received a response. In the latest episode of OUTSIDER, VICE tracks down Rojas, who is now living in unstable conditions in Los Angeles, to uncover the mystery behind the man, his work, and its unlikely rediscovery by cult film fanatics.
Former Marine and boxer David "Rock" Nelson has been making monster films on his camcorder for the past 25 years. His films rarely conform to conventional notions of plot, continuity, or logic; they often star himself, his elderly parents, or his girlfriend; and have garnered him a loyal cult following of film fanatics around the country. In the latest episode of OUTSIDER, host Zack Carlson heads out on a cross-country road trip with Nelson from his home in suburban Illinois to a film festival in Philadelphia honoring his work. Along the way, we learn more about Nelson's lifelong fascination with monster films and witness the same incessant energy and fearless intensity that his DIY movies exude.
After being rejected from the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, Vietnamese software salesman James Nguyen spent a week driving around the festival in a minivan covered fake blood and stuffed eagles guerilla promoting his low-budget 'romantic thriller' Birdemic: Shock and Terror.
