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A Case For Better Action Movies: Mark Dacascos’s SHOWDOWN IN MANILA Fights For 80s Ensemble Action Glory, Loses

It is an unmistakable truth that making these kinds of films can be VERY hard, and it is reasonable to believe that Showdown In Manila had its fare share of hurdles in trying to be better than what it has become. That said, it is unclear as of this review just when Dacascos will be directing again if he so chooses to, and hopefully his second outing will see him acquiesce to the standards long-lived and preset by some of today’s strongest, young and hungry cinema creatives. Until then, Showdown In Manila should serve as a lesson on what not to do when it comes to making an action movie. Nevsky’s own career vision is a meaningful one for setting a new, creative precedent with better filmmaking prospects in mind, but that vision is still one that needs to be met with concurrence, even in the name of fandom.

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Olivier Gruner Goes BEYOND THE GAME In The Latest Trailer

If you happen to be noticing a resurgence of B-movie action cinema fandom as of late, no, it’s not all in your head. This is real, and there are several examples out there with titles as far back as 2010 with the release of Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables, and more and more of these films have been rolling out in some capacity ever since.

Clearly the niche hasn’t disappeared long since the 90’s era of B-movie action cinema glory took hold, and its clearly one that Blizhniy Boy (2007) trio, director Erken Lalgashev and writers J. Stephen Maunder and David Mitchell share a lineage in, as well as a shared interest as so expressed in their latest contribution, Beyond The Game. There aren’t any plot details, but the cast itself is littered with a who’s-who of action veterans with actor and martial artist Olivier Gruner as a psychologically-cracked solider in kill mode who becomes the subject of a survivalist reality show that goes all sorts of wrong, and you can pretty guess where it goes from there.

Save for its likely small-screen delivery, this one is definitely for the audience for whom it is intended. Make note of the names and faces in the trailer and behind-the-scenes featurette below and let the nostagia kick you in the face just once more!

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[UPDATED] Meet The Global Cast Of Kazakh-Produced Actioner, THE WHOLE WORLD AT OUR FEET In Its Latest Trailer

Action film production at large is a bit tight and can endure its share of challenges. Such is the case for debut writer and director Salamat Mukhammed-Ali and writer/producer Dauren Mussa‘s long-awaited Kazakh-produced action drama, The Whole World At Our Feet, which wrapped production in 2011 as a milestone achievement for the genre within the region, as rare as it is for action films to be made in many areas of the world while Kazakhstan certainly has its share of titles invested in the genre for fans domestic and abroad, and in that regard, on top of some of the stellar action sequences now seen in the latest trailer, the impressive cast list surely speaks for itself as well.

SYNOPSIS:

Only one lusted glance induced a whole range of events which, like a shot would plunge a young lady ‘Aliya’ into a criminal abyss. But even in that vortex of flame and passion standing on the rocks, at the death’s door she had the only bailout remained which was her true love. It was crucial at that moment to endeavor a lot in order to preserve the honor and dignity and at that point the whole world would be at your feet!

Armand Assante, late actor Peter O’Toole, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa and Michael Madsen all headline the film’s international cast with notable action favorites like Tommy Lister, Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Оlivier Gruner and Bolo Yeung, joining the film’s regional cast roster featuring Russia’s Alexei Frandetti and Kazakh cast members Karlygash Mukhamedzhanova, Nurlan Altayev, Mikhail Tokarev, Serik Bimurzin and Murat Bisenbin. The film is finally set to release theatrically later this week while any and all updates pertaining to its distribution beyond Kazakh borders may be pending, although considering who is starring, I’d say its bound to happen sooner or later. On that note, perhaps this is just the film to help continue putting Kazakhstan’s film industry forward.

Check out the trailer below as well as a behind-the-scenes featurette (no English subs, sadly, but thankfully a dear friend of mine, pennamed Takai, translated the dialogue. I’m not familiar with all of the performers seen below so just feel free to read along).

Female voice: Two years ago, I worked at a casino owned by one very rich man. On a certain day, everything went downhill, beginning with the first hand (of cards).
Man: Just now, you’ve lost a ton of money. [scene change] You’ve given me the right to your life. I will give you the whole world as a gift. I will make you the owner of all this. [scene change] You owe me!
Blond woman: I’ve heard you started working here to find a girl. Bad idea. In this place, people only lose (not find).
[scene change]
Young man: I’ve been searching for you for so long. Where have you been these past two years?!
Male voice: We’ve known each other since childhood, and yet you always push me away.
[guy yelling “I love you”, with text reading “the whole world at your feet”]
[childhood flashback]
Little girl: If I am the queen, does that mean everyone else is my subject?
Little boy: Everyone.
Little girl: Everyone, everyone?
Little boy: Everyone, everyone. And the whole world will be at her feet [talking about the queen].
Male voice: I will not give you up.
Female voice: A completely different life began for me. And there was no room in it for love.
Man: You have a very specific purpose. Take aim, pull the trigger, and… don’t ask unnecessary questions.
[scene change]
Man: Why did you do it?
Male voice: Why him again?
Man: A wolf in love is no longer a predator.
[scene change]
Man: I will show you what a Kazakh is like, you dog. ((not sure about this line, couldn’t hear clearly))
Male voice: Please understand. Freedom and love have more value than money.

H/T: City On Fire

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THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS 2 Gets New DVD Artwork + Release Date

Regardless of whatever feelings you might have about actor, musician and filmmaker RZA‘s 2012 kung fu hip-hopera, The Man With The Iron Fists, the fact is it now has a sequel and as soon as this April, it’s coming home on DVD and Blu-Ray. On that note, we finally have some artwork from the folks over at Universal for The Man With The Iron Fists 2 prior to the film’s release, which you can check out just beneath.

SYNOPSIS:

Thaddeus (RZA) is back in this explosive action adventure inspired by kung fu classics. A reluctant villager joins forces with a mysterious outsider to fight off powerful evil forces, both earthly and otherworldly, in a 19th century Chinese mining town. When a stranger, Thaddeus, is found badly wounded near the village, miner Li Kung (Dustin Nguyen) and his wife Ah Ni (Eugenia Kang) offer him refuge. As he heals, he becomes entrenched in a conflict that pits the townsfolk against the evil Master Ho (Carl Ng), his nefarious Beetle Clan and the terrifying Lord Pi (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa). With Thaddeus at his side, the mild-mannered Kung transforms into a deadly warrior in this martial arts epic.

Michel De Ruyter helmer Roel Reine directs this time around while the film also brings back a few of the original film’s memorable favorites, namely Grace Huang and Andrew Lin as the Yin/Yang twins who met their demise in the first film, so their addition to this film adds further interest to the intrigue. April 14, 2015 is the date, and you can now pre-order your copy at Amazon or wherever movies are sold. For reassurance, however, the trailer below should suffice.

H/T: City On Fire

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Cary Tagawa Will Return As Shang Tsung For The New MORTAL KOMBAT Series

Machinima’s release of the hit webseries, Mortal Kombat Legacy is gearing up for a brand new season filming this month in Los Angeles by way of Warner Bros.’s digital production arm, Blue Ribbon Content. We already have an idea about who will be appearing while an official listing has yet to be made public, although every little bit of news that trickles does help.

That being said, expect actor Cary Tagawa to tweeted his return in the role of aging Outworld sorceror Shang Tsung starting next week on Monday. Tsung emerged briefly in then-director Kevin Tancharoen’s first of two by way of actor Jonathan Phan in the third episode while Tagawa followed suit in season two, reprising a refurbished version of his iconic role from the 1995 feature film adaptation of the original game by Midway.

It is not yet clearly known how the third season will depict its story, although seasoned Hollywood stunt coordinator Garrett Warren (Mortal Kombat Legacy: Season 2, Divergent) is currently taking the helm as per a recent Los Angeles casting call which gave a few clues. Actors Casper Van Dien and Mark Dacascos have confirmed via social media to jump back in the arena for their respective roles as Johnny Cage and Kung Lao, with further updates needed on who else will star, including who will replace S1 and 2 cast member, actor Ian Anthony Dale for the role of vengeful undead ninja, Scorpion.

More to come!

H/T: MKOnline

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A New Threat Looms In The New Second Season Teaser For BLACK: THE SERIES

Filmmaker Frank T. Ziede had a stellar first run last year with season one of his independently-funded online action series, Black, starring 22-year veteran and former Navy SEAL, actor Mikal Vega (Transformers: Age Of Extinction, G.I. Joe: Retaliation) as the leader of a special-ops team created in response to a terrorist attack on American soil.

Since then, the success of season one led to a season two greenlight with much more potential to present a story greater in depth, size and scale to up the ante, and thanks to another victorious fundraiser back in March, Ziede and his team plan to do just that. Of course, what this means is a threat greater than just a few rotten apples. That’s right. Our heroes will now be dealing with a horde of high-level mercenaries led by a criminal cyberterrorism organization aimed at targeting the world’s financial markets from within the U.S..

Needless to say, the stakes are higher as the explosive action and intrigue ensues when the new season debuts early next year!

Vega will be joined by a mix of new and returning cast members that include actors Daniel Betances and John T. Woods, actor and U.S. Army Ranger Hall Of Famer Howard “Mad Max” Mullen, former recon Marine Andre Jackson, former U.S. Navy SEAL Mark Golden, and actor Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa to name a few. Watch the teaser below and subscribe to the channel, and if you have about twenty or so minutes to spare, the full first season is available in the embed just beneath!

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