The Movies That Moved Me: Kinji Fukasaku’s BATTLE ROYALE
Kinji Fukasaku’s last fully completed film launches the start of a new series of articles in which I weigh in on the films that got me here today, as a critic AND a fan.
Editorials
THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER: Out Now on UK DVD, Blu-Ray & 4K- Review
Courtesy of Dazzler Media UK Film fans have the opportunity to support physical media and purchase the latest Horror/Action offering of the Dracula saga “The Last Voyage Of The Demeter” out now on DVD, Blu-Ray and HD. Based on the one chapter 7 in Bram Stoker’s Dracula “Captains Log” tells the story of the cursed ship and it’s passengers who transported the blood thirsty count to Whitby, London. Which is a breath of fresh air, a new story that hasn’t been done before on the screen. I had the opportunity to sit down and watch the film alongside my Horror fan dad and this is what we had to say about it. The opening of the film shows the aftermath of the shipwreck of the Demeter and the finding of the captains log. The cut to a much brighter second scene is somewhat a surprise taken that there […]
Jackie Chan’s Last Dance At Action Comedy With PANDA PLAN Review
On 17th January the Martial Arts action legend Jackie Chan’s final outing in an action comedy film “Panda Plan” hits cinemas in the UK. I was honoured to be invited to the UK Premiere at the Vue West End and here is what I thought of JC’s last dance in action comedy. The film starts out with a bang indulging us with high tempo action sequences which leave you with hopeful thoughts for the remainder of the film. However, your bubble is burst when it is revealed this is just a movie set and Jackie is playing another re- incarnation of himself in the film. The plot is quickly explained in that he is adopting a social media famous Panda, however a rich Arab has other plans and enlists a group of mercenaries to capture the Panda for his own gains. Jackie arrives at the Zoo and has the opportunity to […]
RED ONE – A Streaming Success Review
The latest film fair from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is slightly different to his usual action packed, muscle pumping, adrenaline rushing flicks. Instead, he delivers a festive feature which all the family can enjoy. Released early last month on 6th November in theatres it didn’t go to plan as the studio hoped, with it only making $82 million domestically. I think this was down to a number of factors one – it being too early for a Christmas film and two – the decline in cinema goers which is very sad to see. Either way DJ has been saved by the millions of streamers with the film breaking Amazon prime records with a 50 million streams debut. And I was one of those millions who sat down and enjoyed the Christmas tale with a twist. Here is what I thought of it. J.K. Simmons (Santa Claus) and […]
A Case For Better Action Movies: Bruceploitation, And The (Hopeful) Future Thereof
I spend 64 hours a day online like most people. Being permanently plugged into the Twitter-sphere (or whatever the hell it’s called these days), I’ve been lucky enough to see all types of reactions to Severin Films’ recent The Game of Clones box-set. This has led me to ask the inevitable question – “What’s the ideal audience for Bruceploitation?” Indulge me while I try to explain. Bruceploitation isn’t exactly widely beloved as a sub genre. I know die hard kung fu cinema fans who just can’t stomach the stuff. Why is this? Well, let me suggest something.You see, many people claim they hate the “clones” movies because they take a big, hefty dump on the legacy of Bruce Lee. And that’s fine. They are kind of inherently disrespectful. But then there are people that claim Bruceploitation films are just flat-out terrible. All of ’em. Weirdly, I think that, to an […]
COME AT ME BRO!: A Celebration Of The ‘Rage-Filled Dickheads’ Of Action Cinema
Action heroes don’t always need to be binary. Some can come with the greyest of shadings to add a little nuance and intrigue to any story, and there’s no doubt there are plenty of those in the history of cinema. More prevalently, as is the case with the action genre, it’s always fascinating to see how anti-heroic protagonists redeem themselves. It’s not unfamiliar territory either, which makes it all the more challenging to see how directors manage to craft their films around such characters. Doug Liman’s Road House is a timely example of this as the term elucidated in the headline takes its cues from an introductory scene where Daniela Melchior’s character approaches that of our lead, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, after he escorts a group of thugs he just dismantled to the hospital. As the story reveals, Gyllenhaal’s role, per the titular film’s remake basis on the 1989 hit […]
Happy Birthday, Cynthia Rothrock!
My first exposure to Cynthia Rothrock was the China O’Brien films growing up. Little did I know that my own discovery of Hong Kong cinema in the mid-nineties would eventually lead me to one of the actress’s most rewatchable films of her heyday, Righting Wrongs, also starring Yuen Biao and Melvin Wong. By this point, Jackie Chan’s second crossover with Rumble In The Bronx and my subsequent intake of his other work familiarized me enough with his ilk that Biao became another favorite, and with Righting Wrongs eventually becoming a repeat VHS rental for me in the early two-thousandsies. Mom couldn’t pull me out of the Asian video section fast enough. To this day though, I’ve yet to consume all of Rothrock’s films on both the East and West ends of her career. Suffice it to say that she still remains one of the most potent and celebrated action stars […]
HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS: Feel-Good Comedy And Pandemonium At The IFC Center
I find myself in a slightly more challenging point in my life. By that, I don’t mean that the last several years of my life weren’t full of resistance and strain, indeed they were. To add, it’s why I can only count on one hand how many times I’ve done anything for recreation or fun in the last year and a half: Two. That’s it. Yes, I’m kind of a introvert, and I’m pretty busy with family matters and work, although that’s not really the point. As a journalist with my own independent platform covering genre film, I also find myself forgetting things. Some of this is due to overload. Other times its due to trauma, like that one time six years ago when I got a horrifying email that became the start of one of the longest and most gut-wrenchingly teachable moments ever etched into my brain. Some of […]
Review: Christian Sesma’s LIGHTS OUT Delivers A Knock Out Blow!
Christian Sesma’s latest gritty action packed feature is hitting cinemas, digital platforms and on demand services from 16th February 2024. I was lucky enough to have a sneak preview and here are my thoughts on the film. (Poster courtesy of Quiver Distribution) Starring Frank Grillo, Mekhi Phifer, Jaime King, Dermot Mulroney and British Action Man Scott Adkins. The synopsis of “Lights Out” A homeless veteran, Michael “Duffy” Duffield (Grillo), meets a talkative Ex-Con, Max Bomer (Phifer) who notices Duffy’s skills after he gets into a bar fight and offers him a well-paying “job” competing in underground fight clubs. The pair form an unlikely partnership after their first fight and decide to travel to LA so Duffy can atone for his past and Max can pay back a crime boss, Sage Parker (Mulroney). Duffy enters Sage’s fight club and eventually wins, but it also gets him tied up in the crime […]
XYZ Films Acquires Domestic Distribution Rights To Sci-fi Actioner ‘SKYLINE: WARPATH’ STARRING IKO UWAIS AND SCOTT ADKINS
In Los Angeles, California on 16th January 2024 XYZ Films has acquired all US rights to distribute the martial arts sci-fi action film SKYLINE: WARPATH, written and directed by action mastermind Liam O’Donnell (Beyond Skyline) and starring Iko Uwais (The Raid Franchise) and Scott Adkins (Undisputed), with Louis Mandylor, Randall J. Bacon and Yayan Ruhain rounding out the cast. The film is produced by Matthew Chausse and Evangelo Kioussis. XYZ Films will release the film domestically in early 2025. The rights deal was negotiated by Matthew Chausse on behalf of the filmmakers with Maxime Cottray from XYZ Films. Set within the “Skyline” universe and five years after the events of BEYOND SKYLINE, Sua (Iko Uwais) leads The Resistance against the aliens. When Sua discovers the powerful alien Radial Gauntlet, he must deal with both the corrupt Eric (Scott Adkins) and the army of alien invaders. In a partnership with XYZ Films, the original […]
JOHN WICK: A Brief Lookback At The Best Of The Four-Part Action Saga Ahead Of ‘The Continental’
Today is the day The Continental limited series launches on Peacock in the U.S. and on Prime Video in the U.K.. Reviews are currently out for the John Wick series spin-off which occurs decades before the events of the Keanu Reeves-led franchise and has been a point of hype for fans still reeling from the fourth and latest installment of the film series which opened back in Spring. The series is still a fun revisit with fresh value in its delivery since taking off in 2014, still hitting multitudes of notes for fans of the genre with each their own reasons. Independent filmmaker Josh Fowler sought to express some of his thoughts on the franchise in the wake of director Chad Stahelski’s latest success about the franchise and its lasting legacy on the genre, with spotlights on several key character faves. Enjoy the gallery with the write-ups in the description […]
Unsettled Scores: WARRIOR Season Three – Zing’s Revenge, Leary’s Rise, And O’Hara’s ‘White Mountain’
It’s possible the ends justified the means for San Diego’s finest, Sgt. Bill O’Hara (Kieran Bew). Of course, that all depends on what happens in season three of hit HBO Max series, Warrior, which is set to arrive in June, and while we await the next update, I’m continuing this short series of articles to discuss some of the key arcs that play out in the current two-season run. As noted last week, this series dives into spoiler territory, so if you haven’t seen the show yet since it began its run in 2019, turn back now and feel free to come back to this piece another time. The show’s roaring introduction to the role of Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji) extends further into the first season as the fledgling hatchet man for the Hop Wei’s first brush with the law sees him get thwacked by O’Hara, who has plenty of […]
Unsettled Scores: WARRIOR Season Three – Bitter Reunions, Backdoor Politics, A Bloodbath In Chinatown And Mai Ling’s Betrayal
With the upcoming season three premiere of HBO Max series Warrior launching in June, I spent the last couple of days before publishing this article pondering the events of the first two seasons. In recalling the episodes, my mind started to wander into fan-fiction rabbit holes I thought would be more suitable for another article series, so I figured instead I would highlight some of the key arcs left open-ended in the season two close back in 2020 to help stir the hype. Indeed, this is gonna dive into SPOILER territory. It’s been four years since the show began airing all twenty episodes, and its contents are all pretty much public knowledge by now and so I’ll be going into a more detailed and descriptive layout as I move forward. Otherwise, if you haven’t seen the show yet and want to avoid the enticing twists and turns that I’ll be […]
Review: Michael B. Jordan Lands A Knockout Blow With CREED III
The highly anticipated third instalment to the Creed franchise is hitting cinemas this week on 3rd March. I was lucky enough to check out the film at an early press screening thanks to Warner Bros. Pictures UK in glorious IMAX and I was not disappointed. In the opening sequence we are introduced to a young Adonis Creed sneaking out of his home to hang with his older friend Damian. They head over to a shady night club hosting a boxing show where Damian fights inside the ring winning by spectacular fashion. On the journey home we learn of Damian’s aspirations to become Olympic champion and turn pro and eventually become Heavyweight Champion of the World. Unfortunately these dreams come to a staggering halt and his World comes crashing down when a violent altercation derails any sort of a future for him. Cut to modern day and we find ourselves sharing […]
Happy Birthday, Tony Jaa!
It’s been a bit of a somber weekend for me, but social media reminders nudged me a bit to get on here to pay some respects to another beloved action star many like me have been fond of for about twenty years now: Tony Jaa. We’re only a few years into the new millennium and in the years since Hollywood’s embrace of Hong Kong’s best into its mainstream after crossing over multiple titles in theaters and on home video and eventually DVD, little did martial arts action fans know that it wouldn’t be long before Jaa would flying knee his way into our hearts with style in the incredible Ong Bak. The trailer itself, selling big on the moves, the stunts, and with Jaa front and center as a new leading face of action cinema for Western audiences, would add Jaa’s name to the incredible cadre of martial arts action […]
JOHN WICK: Top Three Fight Scene Faves From The Franchise So Far
Years and years ago I used to be obsessed with what my favorite fight scenes were in movies, and I would gauge this topic on my own time based on the performers, choreography, choreographers, style, and tone of the action, and even sometimes the length of the fight scene. One metric I also factored in was whether or not the fight scene would cut itself in between cuts from other climatic scenes in that film. Nowadays, it’s hard to even draw up a top ten as I’ve seen so many fight scenes, and so whenever I see a random post on social media asking followers what their favorite fight scene is from a film, I instantly pass. All fight scenes – and I mean really good, signature action sequences in a film or a television series – put in some intense effort to tap into the memory cells of their […]
BLACK LOTUS, LAYERS OF LIES, And Eight More Titles To Look Out For In 2023!
Hats off to Mike Garcia for keeping me on my toes with forthcoming titles opening in 2023. I initially congregated with him and a few other members of our group to help accrue a list of titles we can expect or possibly get excited for in the new year and with Todor Chapkanov’s Black Lotus back on my mental radar after breaking a press release for its production earlier this year, I felt inclined to keep it going just a little more – this time with an extra ten. Obviously there are more but I don’t have the bandwidth to map out everything that’s coming in the next 367 days, so…Enjoy the gallery below and watch to your heart’s content!
A CASE FOR BETTER DC MOVIES….And Fandoms
As hard as it is to keep up with superhero lore in movie news, it is also intriguing to observe over time. Updates on development, creative choices, and casting can read as nothing more than “leaked” reports or merely suggest insight from otherwise unnamed “sources” and frankly, it’s all just bullshit to take with a grain of salt until the trade reports are published, the IMDb pages get updated, stills are distributed and a trailer is released. That’s the approach I’ve taken, although I rarely speak on superhero films until I feel like throwing my hat in the ring, and so before we segue into a new year, after one in which we’ve now born witness to some of the most divisive events on a corporate level to ever affect consumers on a massive scale since the sale of Lucasfilm to Disney, I thought I’d chime in. At least before […]
BAD CITY, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3, EVIL DEAD RISE, And More: 40 Titles To Look Out For In 2023!
I have no doubt in my mind that next year will be jam-packed with some enticing film favorites for those of you looking to keep busy at the cinema. I and certainly a few folks among our group at FCSyndicate have a few choice picks of our own and for what it’s worth, we have a list of as many as thirty titles to bookmark in your filmgoing schedule for the year. As such, there were a few prominent favorites along with some honorable mentions I won’t list, and those are The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes which our own Christina Ortega shared with me in the past month is her choice pick for the upcoming November release out of Lionsgate. I’m also throwing my hat in the ring for Project Wolf Hunting with its upcoming disc and streaming release this year out of Well Go USA, […]
Ten Years Later, A Solemn Reminder
It’s only been the first week of December as I’m writing this (published as of a day later), and while toiling away at getting past my writer’s bloc in addition to some sulking over what this year has meant for me, I honestly don’t immediately know what to say… it’s been, well… it’s been that kind of year. Between my own yearlong doctors’ appointments, and having to attend both of the facilities periodically in which my father has been staying after nearly losing his life twice as of late August, “rough” doesn’t exactly describe how things have been for my family and me. I wish I could word it better without going into a full-on, paragraph-long run-on meltdown-of-a-sentence – which is what I did during this draft before revising – but the anger is too immediate for me. The pain, the angst, the disappointment… it becomes a lot to try […]
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