Vance Ang

About Vance Ang

https://mediumblue-gerbil-491410.hostingersite.com

Vance Ang has primarily been professionally published in bodybuilding and fitness since 2005, having written extensively for hardcopy publications such as Australian IRONMAN and FLEX; but also for e-publications such as RAW Muscle and more recently the media platform, The Evolution of Bodybuilding. He is a Melbourne based policy and strategy consultant currently undertaking his post graduate study in Law. In addition to bodybuilding, conservative politics and Savate (French Kickboxing), he has long been a fan of movies and cinema of all genres – subsequently prompting an interest in modern story telling, that being script writing. He is in the process of writing his first horror novel ‘Providence’

Posts by Vance Ang:

“AN UNFOCUSSED BUT UNSETTLING CREATION” – Movie Review: ‘Making Monsters’

Vance Ang

Chris (Tim Loden) and Allison (Alana Elmer) a YouTube couple who have made a name for themselves in concocting realistic prank videos, with the latter serving as a hapless victim to her husband’s schemes. Prompting a career change due to an intended pregnancy, Chris reluctantly agrees to forgo the prankster’s lifestyle and pursue a different path. Like Milos in Srđan Spasojević excellent ‘A SERBIAN FILM’, Chris accepts a foreboding invitation from an old friend Jessie (King Chiu) to stay at his renovated church, only to find himself and his wife spending time with the eccentric David (Jonathan Craig), where a horrific course of events ensue. These include actual monstrous beings, a murderous masked slasher and even a ghost. The Directors Justin Harding and Rob Brunner are commendable in managing Justin Harding’s passable script that has too many elements, though their excellent pacing stops the movie from becoming essentially a watered […]

Trailer Preview: WILDCAT ‘Claws in Captivity’

Vance Ang

Coming courtesy of young Director Jonathan W. Stokes, his new film ‘WILDCAT’ tells the story of a reporter Khadija Young (played by Georgina Campbell of TV series such as ‘Black Mirror’ and ‘Broadchurch’) whose foreign correspondence in the Middle East is unceremoniously cut short when her convoy is ambushed by militants – and taken prisoner. Seemingly derivative, it essentially boils down to the ingenuity of a young reporter, who focusses on out witting her captors. Though the trailer does not reveal any specific twist, the film’s idiosyncratic title perhaps offers a deliberate insight into the true nature of this ambitious reporter. Combining the title and the intense trailer immediately infers that there is ‘more-than-meets-the-eye’ when it comes to the protagonist. Although not necessarily novel or unique, the film does look intriguing thus presenting what would be a tense psychological thriller in a Middle Eastern war setting. As a film about […]

SHOWSTOPPING SHOWREEL: Deconstructing the Indestructable – Oksana Grishina

Vance Ang

Unequivocally, this piece is completely inspired by FCS Founder Lee Golden, whose ‘HIT LIST’ is a comprehensive means of promoting show-stopping talent from around the world. Yet it is within this framework, the term ‘show stopper’ is effectively applied to the talents of IFBB Pro League Fitness Pro, Oksana Grishina. It may seem pertinent to immediately annotate a biography, an origin story of sorts but at this juncture and for the movie pundits that ravenously read this platform such would be redundant. A more salient strategy would instead be to highlight a movie related theme. This four time Ms Olympia winner and 10 time Arnold Classic Fitness titles winner has forged an additional path – making a foray into acting. It is something that hasn’t been explored within the context of mainstream movies, and hence the purpose of this analysis. As someone possessing genuine journalistic pedigree covering this sport for […]

Here’s A Movie Idea: How About THE DEADLIEST MAN ALIVE?

Vance Ang

‘BLOODSPORT’ serves both as guilty pleasure as well as ideal 80s nostalgia. It is the equivalent of cinematic comfort food, and for many this dish served up our first glimpse of the martial arts tour-de-force, Jean Claude Van Damme. The somewhat mystical tournament setting, the great Stan Bush dominated soundtrack and the hilarious inclusion of Donald Gibb (aka Ogre from ‘REVENGE OF THE NERDS’) made this essential viewing back then and still to this day. Although the film is fondly remembered, the basis for the alleged true story has since proven to be largely false. Over the years, the claims made by Frank Dux about his victory in a secretive underground tournament were shown to be exaggerated, as was much of other aspects of his life. Regardless of the fanciful faux extraordinary life of Frank Dux, he is now as much a part of pop culture as he is ongoing […]

PARADISE COVE: Terror In Malibu For Mena Suvari In The Official Trailer

PARADISE COVE Review: Fatal Distraction

Vance Ang

PARADISE COVE tells the story of a handsome young follows a husband and wife Knox and Tracey Bannett (Todd Grinnell and Mena Suvari, respectively) in the throes of renovating a stunning beachfront property, after it has been damaged by fire. However, their home improvement becomes severely derailed by a squatter named Bree (Kristin Bauer van Straten), who will stop at nothing to drive the young couple from their abode. What transpires is essentially a by-the-numbers-thriller, which does seem reminiscent of ‘UNLAWFUL ENTRY’ yet struggles to retain the same intensity as that early 90s offering. Sherry’s Klein’s lackluster script relies on the safety of being formulaic, and therefore lacks any weighty punch. The dialogue was passable, though the characters perhaps too melodramatic thus unsuccessfully forcing audience sympathy. Furthermore, the couple’s fertility was an unfocussed subplot that may have been an attempt at some sort of social commentary – however, this is […]

FALCON & THE WINTER SOLDIER Trailer: The MCU does Starsky & Hutch

Vance Ang

Depicting a post AVENGERS: ENDGAME era, the MCU reintroduces Anthony Mackie (‘Avengers: End Game’, ‘Outside the Wire’) and Sebastian Stan (‘Avengers: End Game’, ‘I, Tonya’, ‘The Martian) reprising their roles in FALCON & THE WINTER SOLDIER for a syndicated TV series. Due for a mid March 2021 release, the two heroes are set to team up against the villainous Flag Smasher group. Daniel Bruhl will appear as the antagonistic Baron Helmut Zemo (‘Captain America: Civil War’, ‘Inglourious Basterds’, ‘The Cloverfield Paradox’) whilst these mismatched heroes acquire some much needed back up in Sharon Carter played by Emily Van Camp (‘The Girl in the Book’, ‘Boundaries’). Undoubtedly these days TV series do have the benefit of larger budgets, and certainly in the case the backing of the MCU monolith presents what is essentially an a larger budget action series. One of the more unique elements of this series, is no doubt […]

FROM SPECIAL K TO BIG BEAR: A word with martial arts fighter and actor, Nick Kara

Vance Ang

For many fans of action and martial arts cinema, the Thai movie Ong Bak was groundbreaking as much as it was bone-breaking. A breakout movie for the impish Tony Jaa, the movie featured actual physical contact with acrobatic stunts that were free from any wirework, prevalent in Hong Kong movies and later seen in Hollywood productions such as The Matrix (which utilized legendary fight choreographer, Yuen Woo Ping). Along with the introduction of a very traditional variation of Muay Thai called Muay Boran, the movie served as a reintroduction to Thai cinema with not so subtle hints littered throughout the movie – all of which were directed at Hollywood heavyweights such as Spielberg. Amongst all of the antagonists in the film, the one opponent that quickly became a fan-favourite was that of ‘Big Bear’, played by Australian martial arts champion, Nick Kara. Known as ‘Special K’, this Aussie appeared to […]

BATTLE IN SPACE: THE ARMADA ATTACKS Review – Science Friction

Vance Ang

Make no mistake, ‘Battle in Space: The Armada Attacks’ (‘BIS’) is a unique take on the science fiction space opera genre, and though it veers into cliché it still manages to stand out amongst its contemporaries not so much in what is shows; but rather how it delivers the story. As an indie film, BIS presents an admirable idiosyncratic format, forgoing a standard long form narrative and instead opting to deliver a set of short stories. The directorial duties are shared by Sanjay F. Sharma, Toby Rawal, Scott Robson, Andrew Jaksch, Lukas Kendall, and Luis Tinoco – and like a box of chocolates, each offers their own unique flavour in storytelling, design and composition. With the exception of the first short Battle In Space: The Armada Attacks (evidently which shares the title of the film) each of the remaining four chapters possesses its own distinct title: The Hermes, The Agamemnon, […]

BOSS LEVEL: Groundhog Slay In The Official Trailer

Vance Ang

US action director Joe Carnahan brings together a dream cast in his upcoming science fiction action film? Boss Level. The film stars Frank Grillo as retired special forces soldier Roy Pulver, who is trapped in a time loop that constantly results in his death. Official synopsis provided below: Trapped in a time loop that constantly repeats the day of his murder, former special forces agent Roy Pulver (Frank Grillo) uncovers clues about a secret government project that could unlock the mystery behind his untimely death. In a race against the clock, Pulver must hunt down Colonel Ventor (Mel Gibson), the powerful head of the government program, while outrunning skilled ruthless assassins determined to keep him from the truth in order to break out of the loop, save his ex-wife (Naomi Watts) and live once again for tomorrow. What transpires seems to be an action packed version of Bill Murray’s classic […]

DOJO WARS: Overview and Review of COBRA KAI Season 3

Vance Ang

To say that Season 3 of COBRA KAI was highly anticipated would be a sheer understatement, as the continuation of this ‘karate saga’ has created incredible momentum since this series was first released in 2018. One of the key strengths of the series is its pacing, and there isn’t a complete reliance on exposition, despite the historical importance of the prior cinematic trilogy. Note some minor spoilers will be presented below: Season 3 commences right after the surprisingly brutal school fight at the end of Season 2. This resulted in numerous injuries, with Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña) copping the short end of the stick – or rather kick, as delivered him by Johnny’s son, Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan) in their confrontation. Miguel’s horrific injuries have left him in a paraplegic state of sorts, and this creates an intense emotional burden for his sensei and surrogate father, Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka). […]

MUSCLE: Get A Little Too Personal With The New Craig Fairbass Thriller This Winter From Dazzler

OBSESSIVE DEVELOPMENT – Movie Review of “MUSCLE”

Vance Ang

‘MUSCLE’ tells the story of Simon Barrett (Cavan Clerkin), an unsuccessful telemarketer (calling himself a Promotional manager) who we become acquainted to, through witnessing his incompetence in sales. He is rather meek and lowly, clearly unsatisfied with his job and in an unhappy relationship with his wife, Sarah (Polly Maberly). Although there are snippets of affection between the two, it is evident that their marriage is falling apart. Simon, for all intents and purposes, is in somewhat of a mid-life crisis, and as he aimlessly wanders he finds a gym called ‘Atlantis’ which piques his interest. The gym becomes a place where he finds some solace from his unhappy existence, but no sooner than a few sessions in, he is introduced to the boorish and aggressive Terry (Craig Fairbrass). Terry immediately chastises Simon, yet also offers to train him all within the initial confronting introduction; and though initially hesitant, Simon […]

‘THE SEDUCTION OF SADISM, BEAUTY IN BLOODSHED: Retrospective of Dario Argento’s DEEP RED’

Vance Ang

In recent years the horror genre has expanded beyond the confines of its original formulaic construct. There are so many well established tropes now, ranging from the very common found footage style (with too many examples to now cite) to the more satirical genre bending narrative of something like ‘THE CABIN IN THE WOODS’ or even ‘THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT’ – the latter of which is a more recent offering that eluded many cinema pundits. Evidently, a good horror film seeks to subvert clear expectations to shock and surprise the audience. Whilst truly exceptional horror succeeds in getting-under-your-skin – provoking that unsettled and lasting fear. Though in recent years countries like the United Kingdom and Japan have managed to achieve the latter, the case could be made for the Italians having achieved this as far back as the mid-late 70s and early 80s. In this writer’s opinion, Italian horror […]

DUEL TO THE DEATH Retrospective: A Refreshing, Indelible Bookmark In Wuxia Cinema

Vance Ang

It may look like just another early 80s period style martial arts film, with a title that immediately denotes the key theme and purpose of the film. Yet, Duel to the Death (referred to in this review as Duel) manages to surprise the audience. Duel has cheesy moments of melodrama (common in many Hong Kong films of this era) but the way the film builds its tension through its bleak narrative makes it more masterful than it initially presents. Personally, these style of films with wire-fu, long gowns and stylized sword play have never been, my choice of a martial arts film. In the 80s and 90s, martial arts cinema preference for me, and no doubt for many of you, was dominated by movies starring Jean Claude Van Damme, Jeff Speakman and Mark Dacascos, and with frequent dives into movies with legends like Bruce Lee or Chuck Norris. There was […]

SERIES THEORIES: What Lies Ahead For COBRA KAI: SEASON THREE?

Vance Ang

Whilst most people were seemingly fixated on Game of Thrones in 2019, I found myself ignoring GoT in favour of the second series of Cobra Kai. The brilliance behind this series is that it was able to respectfully carry the lore of the original film trilogy, without trying to rewrite anything. Therefore it managed to retain the long standing interest in the movie, and help the audience explore real life after and beyond the All-Valley Karate Tournament that created both winners and losers. Much of the following is pure speculation and equal conjecture, as there are numerous Youtube channels now dedicated to Season 3 theories. Many of these channels have not only presented a staggering amount of information, but some have opted to dissect the smallest amount of information (from visual cues) in the new trailer, and finding easter eggs in prior seasons. In doing so, they offer up some […]

STRAW DOGS Retrospective: Sam Peckinpah’s Masterful Character Study On One Of Cinema’s Unlikeliest Heroes

Vance Ang

It remains one of my favourite films, and made me a fan of Sam Peckinpah, prompting that sudden realisation as to why his work is so highly acclaimed in modern cinema. And yet it wasn’t his more famous ‘The Wild Bunch’ that courted my fascination with his work. Rather it was this psychological thriller from 1971 that made me pursue more of his catalogue, and fully realise the extent of his genius. Straw Dogs is an uncompromisingly violent tale of a meek American mathematician named David Sumner, played by the ever reliable, Dustin Hoffman. Sumner and his attractive wife Amy (played by Susan George) relocate to a sleepy English village, where Amy is originally from. Immediately, this sets up a conflict where the locals take a disliking to David and make no secret of their resentment of him. A class structure is established, pitting the more masculine yet boorish locals […]