cecep arif rahman

THE GATE Opens With New Stills And BTS Pics!

With at least one lead role already in the can with a few more on the way, it’s fair to suggest that martial artist and stuntwoman Amy Johnston is well on her way to becoming a bonafide multi-faceted actress. Watch her shorts online and you’ll instantly see a woman with the gravitas and range of a performer who also happens to be very much capable of doing her own stunts. This is also going to be the case with director Kellie Madison‘s The Gate, a proof pitch which just wrapped last month with Johnston in the role of a gifted champion fighter who uses her angelic powers to preserve her own brand of vigilante justice. And as of Saturday, we can now get a glimpse of just what that looks like with stills and behind the scenes photos now surfacing with Madison herself along with Johnston, young actress Chalet Lizette […]

Hey Reseda! Come Train With 'THE RAID 2' Co-Star Cecep Arif Rahman!

Lee B. Golden III

It’s pretty safe to say that actor Cecep Arif Rahman is building quite the fanbase, so I reckon any opportunity that aspiring athletes would have to train with him might be a no-brainer. Take that into consideration between now and next Monday, because a new flyer is circulating for a seminar he’ll be giving at Joining All Movement in Reseda, California: Rahman, who catapulted to cult fame in last year’s sequel hit, The Raid 2 and will soon appear in Ody C. Harahap’s latest, Skakmat, is also up for a role in Kellie Madison’s new series pending, The Gate, opposite actress Amy Johnston, as well as an appearance in Star Wars: The Force Awakens next month.

Your Move! Check Out The New Poster For Indonesian Actioner, SKAKMAT!

Lee B. Golden III

If you thought there was going to be a shortage of Indonesian action any time soon, you needn’t look further than some of this season’s prominent faces. Films and projects like Anggy Umbara’s 3 and currently-developing French action series, O, have several names in common who are now readying for another explosive return to the screen in what reads like a fantastic action thriller to come. For this, we look to Ody C. Harahap‘s latest, Skakmat (a.k.a. Checkmate), from MNC Pictures, led principally by actors Tanta Ginting, The Raid franchise co-stars Donny Alamsyah and Cecep Arif Rahman, along with Halfworlds co-star, actress Hannah Al-Rashid. The synopsis thusfar – a rough translation of the original – reads like an exciting race against time with several players under the eye of an evil pair of manipulative gamemasters, with an array of guns, drugs, stunts and major fisticuffs to add to the mix. The […]

EXCLUSIVE: Cecep Arif Rahman Joins Kellie Madison's THE GATE

Lee B. Golden III

Things are finally underway for the now fully-funded production of The Tank helmer Kellie Madison‘s latest proof-of-concept, The Gate. Fight rehearsals are happening with cameras set to roll later this year with the project stemming from Madison‘s own affinity for action-packed storytelling and prolific appreciation for Indonesian martial arts and film lore. Actress Amy Johnston leads the project in a starring role as an enchanted MMA fighter skilled in Pencak Silat whose tragic past forges her into vigilantism, an act that puts her in the throes of a deadly Indonesian crime organization that wants her dead. The project, with Johnston in the company of actor Yayan Ruhian and martial arts stunt team, EMC Monkeys, was announced at the top of last month, and though unfortunately Ruhian had some issues making it into the U.S. in time for the project. Alas, that hasn’t hindered the project in the very least with […]

This Young Silat Student Is All It Took To Help Sell A Martial Arts Movie

Lee B. Golden III

Pencak Silat is having an amazing moment of prominence in the recent history of Indonesian martial arts action films as of late. So, what better way to sustain it in the mainstream other than a flash mob right in the middle of a busy street in Jakarta? Or even better, with the help of at least one surprise appearance, what better way to help sell a film coming out next month? Perfect timing I’d say.

Gareth Evans's BLISTER Is Still On The Way, Plans To Shoot In Early 2016

Lee B. Golden III

As far as we know, any updates have been off the radar for director Gareth Huw Evans following the above photo signaling the pre-production of his latest film, Blister, back in February. The hype stemming from last year’s electric release of The Raid 2 had settled by then as the latter part of 2014 saw Evans’ cohorts, Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman branch out into other things, and much to the delight of fans with projects like Beyond Skyline, Yakuza Apocalypse and 3, with many more slated to arrive in due time. That said, Blister is still on the way with Evans having moved back home to the U.K. where the film will likely be set. As per his latest tweet, Evans is almost done preparing the script in which earlier hints have described it a contemporary gangster film with nods to The Wild Bunch. The film […]

Watch Two New Trailers For Anggy Umbara's Futuristic Martial Arts Thriller, 3!

Lee B. Golden III

While I would love nothing more than for director Anggy Umbara‘s latest, 3, to get a simulataneous release with other territories overseas, chances are we’re more likely to end up waiting a really long time for that to happen. If it is to happen, I sincerely hope piracy doesn’t affect it, because that would be devastating, and we can never have enough genuine and original action films in this day and age. 3 sports a tremendous cast and a look that will surely appeal some to the sci-fi fan base with actors Cornielio Sunny, Abimana Arysatya and Agus Kuncoro leading the story of three former friends on different sides of the ideological spectrum in a dystopian futuristic millieu where conflict is ultimately imminent. SYNOPSIS: JAKARTA 2036, there have been so many changes. The peace and prosperity has returned to the country after the end of civil war and the slaughtering […]

[UPDATED] Watch The New Trailer For Futuristic Indo Action Thriller, 3!

Lee B. Golden III

Director Anggy Umbara is ready to darken things a bit after going the action comedy route with his latest sequel stint, Comic 8: Casino Kings. His newest endeavor as of the past year or so are now culminating very nicely with a slick new trailer now making the rounds for the new film, 3, pitting futuristic aesthetics with gritty and hardcore storytelling and characters grounded in a millieu of uncertainty, as well as assuring thrills and hard-hitting action. There’s no English synopsis but there’s an Indonesian insert in the descruption of the trailer which also has English subtitles to outline a good idea of what’s happening: longstanding philosophical and ideological differences among bitter friends, mainly. The important thing here is that the action looks appealing and it should be worth checking out once it releases, and hopefully to wider audiences through broader acquisitions. Cornelio Sunny, Abimana Arysatya and Agus Kuncoro […]

Everyone's Ready To Brawl In The First Official Poster For 3: ALIF LAM MIM

Lee B. Golden III

Comic 8 franchise director Anggy Umbara has a new film on the horizon followng its ceremonious announcement in January and subsequent production as of February. The title, 3: Alif Nam Mim bears a distinct underlying reference to the first three letters of the Quran which may by much more decipherable to those knowledgeable of it, but the film it adheres to definitely looks like it will be going to be an exciting martial arts film in some capacity. The next several days of waiting should grant us a trailer by then. Fow now though, we finally have our premiere look at the cast in the first official poster following earlier teaser one-sheets unveiled in tha past year. Actors Cornelio Sunny, Abimanya Aryasatya and Agus Kuncoro lead the cast which, and much to the favor of martial arts fans, also includes actress Prisia Nasution and The Raid franchise co-stars, actors Donny […]

French Action Pilot, O, Stars Cecep Arif Rahman And More In The First Trailer!

Lee B. Golden III

All’s quiet on The Raid front nowadays with Indonesian martial artist and actor Cecep Arif Rahman having granted himself quite the attention after last year’s stellar villainous performance in the sequel cult hit, The Raid 2. Such momentum has granted several of its Indonesian star purveyors some meaty prospects in other territories, especially for Rahman whilst we await confirmation for a certain possible role in an upcoming film this December which may or may not be just a mere rumor. In the meantime, fans can now catch him in the lead role for a brand new pilot installment for upcoming French action series, O: Une Union Pas Comme Les Autres (A Union Like No Other). Filmmaker Christophe Diez wrote and directed the pilot with a story centered on a secret organization bent on combating terrorism and international crime. Much of the data available now is minimal as much as it’s all […]

'The Force Awakens' With THE RAID 2 Actors Joining The Seventh STAR WARS Film

Lee B. Golden III

Well, nobody within a range too distant from the production of J.J. Abrams‘s Star Wars: The Force Awakens saw this coming, but it appears that The Raid 2 principal stars, Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman will have roles of their own in the film when it releases this December. There are no details as of yet, and it also comes as a major, MAJOR fucking surprise since their names were nowhere seen in previous reports. Nonetheless, it’s a big step up from a group that has seen its cult success rise from the recent fanbase grown stemming from the successes of director Gareth Huw Evans whose films have signaled a sizable resurgence for Indonesia’s film industry with the releases of coming-of-age martial arts drama, Merantau, and two of the currently developing Raid Trilogy. It’s also another huge foray further into the mainstream for Uwais and Ruhian, who themselves […]

Meet THE RAID 2 Director And Cast In New York City!

Lee B. Golden III

The upcoming release of the action crime epic, The Raid 2 has the world of martial arts fanfare buzzing this year, and that trend continued its way to SXSW in Texas on Monday just this past week when the film was supposed screen. The screening, hosted by the film’s writer and director Gareth Evans and the cast and crew, evidently was held twice the following day, and only because of a minor glitch during Monday’s attempted screening. So instead, Evans put on a stage show featuring the film’s lead protagonist and villain, played by Iko Uwais and Cecep Arif Rahman, which you can check out below. Earlier screenings and events are still taking place in select territories throughout the globe as the film approaches its New York and Los Angeles release dates on March 28 following its wider release on April 11. As such, if you live in New York […]