When it comes to YouTube content creators, I have my favourites, the go-to channels that I will frequent with enthusiasm. As the point of interests are so vastly represented, if we focus purely on the entertainment genre my patronage is dedicated to action and pop culture, specifically the great Scott Adkins and his iconic ART OF ACTION interviews; and even more broadly the upcoming brilliance of Viking Samurai, whose productions are so diverse and equally incredible.
When it comes to movie reviews, I venture to Ryan Hollinger’s indepth video essays and addicting Irish accent. By contrast Rossatron’s analysis of films possess a level of focus that is unmatched; a similar high-quality element is evident in the works of Accented Cinema who specializes in movies from the Far East. Let’s not forget Canadian Brandon Tenold, whose reviews of cult movies are done with a supremely sardonic comedy that is always entertaining.
Then there is ofcourse Oliver Harper from the UK, whose output is characteristically British in its design with production of his reviews being sophisticated and thoughtful. Being an Englishman, Oliver Harper presents absolute refinement and clinical precision in his comprehensive video essays. There is a clear structure to each of his reviews, but this a time-honoured format that his viewers (like myself) do appreciate. In fact, his recent production ‘IN SEARCH OF THE LAST ACTION HEROES’ not only features the aforementioned Adkins as well as (but not limited to) action heroes like Phillip Rhee, Cynthia Rothrock and even famed Directors like Paul Veerhoven, Sheldon Lettich and Joey Ansah. In addition to this highly anticipated documentary movie, Harper recently unveiled a trailer for ‘HERE COMES A NEW CHALLENGER’ a documentary focused on the rise of Capcom’s ground breaking ‘STREET FIGHTER 2.’ As with all of Harper’s productions, this one looks to be high quality, well produced and very much in the sights of gamers worldwide. Possessing a clear 90s aesthetic, the trailer brings on a wave of nostalgia whilst pumping the enthusiasm of the audience; quite simply this looks awesome. This project will be crowd funded via Indie Gogo, and the details of which have been included below.
From a critical and more educated standpoint, it is clear that the Japanese developers make the best one-on-one fighting games. The versions of Street Fighter 2 onwards possess a more nuanced tempo, more refined mechanics and a decisive methodology that makes it ideal for the competitive arena – it’s why the best fighting players in the world focus on fighting games birthed in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Although Mortal Kombat deserves praise for a more fleshed out story and character development, the actual game mechanics are far less sophisticated and still clumsy by comparison. Given that the most notable related media for STREET FIGHTER (aside from the iterative updates on the current title) have been seen in Joey Ansah’s phenomenal ‘STREET FIGHTER: ASSASSIN’S FIST’ (2014), undoubtedly Harper’s new documentary will no doubt give the acclaimed juggernaut, the kudos it rightly deserves. As Joey Ansah clearly states in the trailer ‘The (Street Fighter) characters have stood the test of time’ and surely the effort that Harper has put in will further cement the legacy of this pioneering fighting game franchise.
Check out the trailer below, and visit the film’s Indiegogo campaign page for more info!
