five a day

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FIVE-A-DAY ROUND UP XX: Garo: Divine Fang, The Face Of My Genes, Buffalo Boys, Inuyashiki, And Out Of Control!

This was a fun ride. Kind of a strain while being sick and all but I liked putting these fivers together. Here are the last batch to look out for in 2018!…

Readying a January 6 Japan release from Tohokashinsha, writer and director Amemiya Keita is back with a rousing return to the big screen with Garo: Kaminokiba (Garo: Divine Fang). Actor Kuriyama Wataru transitions his character from the original Garo series in 2005 with Ikeda Junya, Aoki Tsunenori and Inoue Masahiro also starring.

Arriving in time to compete with other bustling new titles for its Chinese New Year release, director Guo Degang’s new movie, The Faces Of My Genes looks like an amazing new title to welcome Asian film fans. Star comedian and actor Yue Yunpeng plays a struggling writer who finds himself traveling back in time to consult with a dozen of his ancestors to seek their formula for success. The cast itself is also a pretty big deal listing actor and martial artist Jacky Wu Jing and Taiwanese actress Lin Chi-Ling, The Four franchise actor Wu Xiubo, Monster Hunt 2 star Jing Boran and many, many more!

Hungry as we are for more of what Indonesia has to offer, Buffalo Boys marks another effort this time from director Mike Wiluan, centered on two Javanese descendants seeking revenge against the VOC ruler in 1860. The film is produced by Infinite Frameworks Pte. Ltd. and Zhao Wei Films (I) with Screenplay Production aiming for a Summer release with Yoshi Sudarso, Ario Bayu, Conan Stevens and Headshot star Sunny Pang among the cast. Keep an eye out for a teaser and some images, or follow the movie on Instagram!

Segera! #buffaloboys

A post shared by BUFFALO BOYS (@buffaloboys.movie) on Aug 28, 2017 at 5:08am PDT

Looks like I found another anime to keep myself busy with into the new year and for this, we turn to Inuyashiki, hailing from Sato Shinsuke who also aims to blow minds with his live-action Bleach adaptation from Warner Bros. Japan. Kinashi Noritake and Satoh Takeru lead the cast for a story centered on an old man forced to face a looming threat in the form of a vindictive high school student following an explosion that renders them with extraordinary abilities. Now this is something I can get on board with and the most recent teaser I posted about is pretty motivating.

Aaaand last and far from least, I’m wrapping up this random, unorganized four-week long movie salad with a look at the new action thriller, Out Of Control, which hit the AFM stage last month with Arclight repping. Axel Sand and Richard Lin direct the big scale thriller that sees bittersweet feelings clash between former lovers: an actress unsuspecting of a forthcoming terroristic threat during her attendance at the Berlin Film Festival, and an Interpol agent bent on protecting her at any cost. Toplining is Korean popstar and Commitment star, actor T O.P. (a.k.a. Choi Seung-Hun) with Cecilia Cheung (Shaolin Soccer) and actors Michael Trevino (Vampire Diaries), and U.K. actor and martial artist David Cheung (Now You See Me 2).

And that has been your Five-A-Day Round Up with up to 100 movies to look forward to in 2018. Comment below if there’s a title you hope to see in the new year!

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FIVE-A-DAY ROUND UP XIX: Along With The Gods, Black Water, Wolf Warrior 3, Rendel, Golden Job

Inspired by a 2010 webcomic of the same name, 2018 has already begun looking spiffy with Kim Yong-Hwa poised for the December 22 release of the new movie, Along With The Gods: The Two Worlds. The film is the first of a two-part venture and here with actor Cha Tae-Hyun starring as a firefighter deployed to conquer seven afterlife trials with the guidance of three guardians to seek his right to reincarnation. Also starring are Ha Jung-Woo, Ju Ji-Hoon, Kim Hyang-Gi and Lee Jung-Jae with Well Go USA further extending the film’s big screen availability throughout North America on January 5.

Mysteriously when the production of Black Water commenced, the director’s name was left a total mystery until it was finally revealed to be Pasha Patriki who has lensed and produced a nunber of titles – Allen Ungar’s Gridlocked and Justin McConnell’s Broken Mile to name a few. He now helms the latest pairing of two major action stars who need no introduction, for the story of an imprisoned deep cover operative who pairs up with others to fight his way out of a CIA Blacksite aboard a retrofitted nuclear submarine. No dates have yet been made as of this write up.

Believe it or not, a 2018 date is being targeted at present for Wolf Warrior 3. This is only according to a few sites as this could just be fan anxiety with a 2019 date being the actual mark, but a third one is definitely in tow per the announcement seen in this year’s explosive sequel from action star Jacky Wu Jing. The film led a roaring wave of popular nationalist titles from China scoring a major box office hit, now leaving to question if a third time really is a charm… We’ll see in due time!

Good times, eh? ?

From dream passion project to film festival reality, Jesse Haaja’s milestone Finnish superhero thriller, Rendel, is well on the path toward a wider release that will extend to North America. Rendel, now open in Finalnd, takes place in fictitious Finnish city of Mikkeli, now ground zero for one man’s all-out war against a courrpt powerful drug company, fending off corporate acolytes and mercenaries alike. Actor Kristofer Gummerus leads the cast with Rami Rusinen, Matti Onnismaa, Alina Tomnikov, Bianca Bradley and Sheila Shah also starring for the film’s U.S. rollout early next year.

A reunion of several stars from the Young And Dangerous franchise, director Chin Kar-Lok joins Ekin Cheng, Jordan Chan, Michael Tse and Jerry Lamb for Golden Job. Co-star Eric Tsang is also producing the film which centers on a former mercenary who sets out to get even a year after being double-crossed by one of their own. There’s no release date yet but the film is in post-production.

Tomorrow we reach our last batch of five! Stay tuned!

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FIVE-A-DAY ROUND-UP XVI The Equalizer 2, Acts Of Violence, Den Of Thieves, Mandy, Alita Battle Angel

Antoine Fuqua’s The Equalizer was an explosive hit in 2015, readapting the classic TV show centered on a monastic former government operative who sets the wrong things right. Thus, Fuqua and star Denzel Washington are back at it once more in The Equalizer 2 with Pedro Pascal also thrown in the mix and with a release date set for August 3.

Columbia Pictures

I was going to include Eli Roth’s Death Wish remake, but I gave it some thought and decided a film of that kind still needed further analysis. That said, I’m leaving it to Brett Donowho for his sixth feature film, Acts Of Violence, which promises something a little more promising in both story and substance with Bruce Willis in the role of an uncorruptable cop who finds himself conflicted as three brothers take matters in their own hands to rescue the younger brother’s fiancée. Joining Willis are Cole Hauser and Sophia Bush for Lionsgate Premiere’s theatrical and VoD release on January 12, 2018.

It looks like Snow Ponies isn’t happening anytime soon but there’s a lot to look forward to with actor Gerard Butler. His latest, Den Of Thieves spawns another addition to the raft of gritty crime thriller with this one tackling the story of the intersecting lives of L.A. cops and elite bank robbers in lieu of a seemingly impossible heist job at the Federal Reserve. Christian Gudegast directs for the film’s January 19, 2018 release from STXfilms.

You needn’t look further than The Hollywood Reporter’s debut image of a bloodied Nicholas Cage to see just how grisly you can expect his next film, Mandy, to be upon its release. Director Panos Cosmatos wrote the script with Aaron Stewart-Ahn, seeing Cage in the role of Red, a broken and unhinged man on the hunt for the religious sect that killed his wife. The image pulled me in when when I first saw it but the premise drew me in much closer and I can’t wait to see what this 1980’s set revenge thriller looks like in motion.

Robert Rodriguez may be keen on treading familiar ground with his next project per the low-budget standards he’ll be partaking in with upcoming series, “Rebel Without A Crew”. In the meantime, indeed the man has some money to work with these days with upcoming manga adaptation, Alita: Battle Angel, readying a July 20 release with Rosa Salazar playing a reassembled killing machine on a journey of self-discovery with the help of a doctor who salvaged her parts. Christopher Waltz, Michelle Rodriguez, Mahershala Ali, Jennifer Connelly, Jackie Earle Haley, Eiza Gonzalez, Ed Skrein, Marko Zaror and Jeff Fahey also star… and on that note, here is a trailer I am still trying to get used to. Because holy shit anime face on human body. GTFO.

We’re posting five more tomorrow so stick around!

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FIVE-A-DAY ROUND-UP XIV: Aquaman, Deadpool 2, Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther, Alpha

Veering off of superhero movies for this last one, Kodi Smit-McPhee has an extra mouth to feed in Albert Hughes’s striking new adventure, Alpha. Opening on March 2, the film is set in the last Ice Age where an injured young boy and a wounded wolf abandoned by its pack become unlikely allies as they brave the elements and unrelenting dangers of the wilderness to find their way home. I was compelled by the trailer when I first saw it and best of all, I love stories about animals and humans co-existing together. This is gonna be fun.

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FIVE-A-DAY ROUND-UP XII: Proud Mary, Plan B, Mrs. K, Triple Threat, The Green Ghost

The bold and beautiful Taraji P. Henson leads this one with a look at Proud Mary which stands to gain amply as a milestone effort at the top of the new year, especially since we nary see a black female lead in an action vehicle. London Has Fallen helmer Babak Najafi directs this, the story of a hitwoman who crosses paths with a young boy after a hit job gone awry. January 12 is the date!

We were the first to bring you a North American review of German martial arts action comedy, Plan B: Scheiss Auf Plan A, since its summer release and news of U.S. acquisition still awaits knowing. The film debuts German stunt, film and screenfighting design troupe, Reel Deal Action, center stage for the story of four friends caught in a dangerous game involving the search of an infamous safe hidden somewhere in Berlin. Martial arts action spectacle and feel good comedy and adventure are what lies in store for this, a previous entry in last year’s Five-A-Day editorials so let’s hope 2018 will be it.

For the lot of you, this is a no-brainer, packed with a sick ton of ‘hell yes’s’ and ‘take my money please’s’ as we approach the official release of Well Go USA’s ensemble action extravaganza, Triple Threat. The film centers us on the vengeful story of three mercenaries reluctantly assembled to protect a billionaire’s daughter from a squad of assassins looking to end her anti-crime campaign. Jesse Johnson directs this one with a cast that obviously needs no introduction.

Ho Yuhang’s latest action thriller, Mrs K., has had an immense global run amid the festival scene hailing actress and Shaw Bros. stalwart, Kara Hui’s final bow in the action and screenfighting end of things. The film was released throughout Asia this Fall centered on Hui who fights to save her newfound family life when her violent past comes back causing a ruckus, imploring her to ensue an even bigger, more brutal ruckus. I can’t tell you when this film will get a U.S. release, although it’s a fair deal to conclude North Americans and western audiences alike will get fair platform releases as well, big screen or small.

Michael D. Olmos’s superhero adventure, The Green Ghost, made the rounds at Fantastic Fest in 2015 with two teasers and a poster at the time, as well as a ten-minute look at the project and a new poster that year. The film is the latest stage of evolution for the original brain child of real-life car salesman, actor Charlie Clark who leads the narrative centered on a group of Mexican superheroes reluctantly inclined to assimilate their adopted gringo and help him transform into the hero he is destined to be in order to prevent the Mayan Apocalypse. Marko Zaror, Cain Velasquez and Danny Trejo also star, and with two years in its wake, lets hope that fans keen on seeing Zaror on the screen won’t have to wait much longer.

We’ll pick up on five more tomorrow!

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FIVE-A-DAY ROUND-UP XI: Creed 2, Ready Player One, The Last One, Tomb Raider, X-Men: Dark Phoenix

Lest we stray too far from Stallone, we can’t continue from yesterday without mentioning Creed 2. Ryan Coogler shepherded the 2015 spin-off near perfectly with Michael B. Jordan starring, and host to a bevy of talent as well as a spry and impressive one-take boxing match midway in the film. Stallone and attached filmmaker Stephen Caple Jr. will commence production in Spring next year with Jordan joined once more by Tessa Thompson along with the long-rumored, expected return of Rocky IV antagonist Dolph Lundgren as Ivan Drago, and bearing rumors in mind, an actor slated to play Drago’s son, whoever that is. 

Shooting a commercial with Dolph today… Getting ready for working with the big man in CREED 2

A post shared by Sly Stallone (@officialslystallone) on Dec 14, 2017 at 4:59pm PST

With Ernest Cline’s 2011 publication of Ready Player One.. I never even read the book. All I know really is that the official trailer from earlier this year is as exquisite as one could hope with Tye Sheridan leading the dystopian future tale of a teenager who competes an immersive video game battle for a billionaire fortune and full ownership of the VR world of OASIS at the behest of its late creator. The film opens on March 30 and yes, the teaser trailer, obviously… Peep it.

Director Lee Thongkam is kind of another anomaly. Little is known about his latest independent directorial outing, The Last One, but it does have an official website up with all the trimmings…sans a trailer as there was one prior to its removal. I managed to catch a glimpse of it myself and it has all the more made me curious. The set-up? A band of survivors fight to protect something very precious in the wake of a nasty plague that has wiped the earth of all living humans with O-blood type. The cast? Kim Santiago, Luis Vallardes, Ben Bernard, and Film Combat Syndicate favorites, Felix King and Yadi Nieves. Release? Your guess is as good as mine, but do pay the official website a visit and feel free to pester all you may about this movie. As for footage, here’s a mid-production teaser from a few years ago:

Roar Uthaug still has some pretty big shoes to fill with his latest game adaptation, Tomb Raider. Alicia Vikander is the star this time around with a glimmering and gritty take on the popular IP which now has our heroine obliged to follow the mystery of her father’s death at every harrowing turn. Dominic West, Walton Goggins and Daniel Wu also star for the film’s release on March 16.

Some of the neatest superhero films have been offered to us courtesy of 20th Century Fox’s X-Men film franchise. Not all of the movies were solid, but the studio has covered enough of its bases to move forward with our ensemble of heroes as we now approach Simon Kinberg’s treatment, X-Men: Dark Phoenix with Sophie Turner in the title role for the film’s November 2 release next year. It’s early days so don’t expect any trailer footage for a while longer than required.

Stay tuned for the next five!

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FIVE-A-DAY ROUND-UP VIII: Blood Hunters, The Gate, Black Site, Insight, Vengeance

It took a while to get good grip on what was happening with director, actor and martial artist Vincent Soberano with Blood Hunters: Rise Of The Hybrids. At long last however, Soberano has affirmed his stake in cinema with at least one other project along the way while in the meantime, the aforementioned new action horror already has a first teaser trailer sampling a bit of the narrative inspired by Filipino folklore. Soberano is joined by Sarah Chang, Monsour Del Rosario and Mayling Ng for the story of a tactical unit set to hunt down the Queen of the Aswang. That’s all we have for now while this years first teaser should be enough of a reminder until further notice

I want to believe that The Gate is still a thing that exists. Talk of a feature film still sits on the back of my mind following a rousing directing effort from Kellie Madision whose 2016 proof-of-concept DEFINITELY proved the hell out of itself. It samples the tale of an supernatural MMA fighter who sets out to rescue her sister from the clutches of a dark criminal organization, and with story centric with Pencak and MMA for its blistering fight choreography and performance hosted by Lady Bloodfight star Amy Johnston who leads the project and has since been attached to carry the feature. Folks who’ve seen the short know that none of the public praise shown for it is hyperbole and for that, I sincerly hope The Gate feature film isn’t all wishful thinking at this point.

Speaking of Indonesian-peppered action, I caught up with actress and director Livi Zheng a few months ago who reassured me of a project that initially got the ball rolling last year with a teaser. That project is Insight, marking Zheng’s second narrative thriller since debuting in 2015 with Brush With Danger from which her co-star, actor and martial artist Ken Zheng also joins in with the involvement of The Raid franchise favorite Yayan Ruhian getting in on the action pertinent to the tale of a martial artist and a clarvoiyant solving crimes. Progress has been slow to pass on this one so keep this one on your wishlist and I’ll touch back on it in due time as updates come.

UK film production outlet Evolutionary Films took to the crowd last month at the Urban Action Showcase and Expo where it earned multiple acclaim for director and action film favorite Ross Boyask latest, Vengenace. Eliminators cinematic adversary, the WWE’s Stu Bennett takes point along with action star Gary Daniels for the telling of a former soldier-turned-merc intent on bringing down the arbiters of a deadly conspiracy that involved the death of his best friend. The film won Bests in Actor, Action and Feature Film overall which clearly sends a message to fans looking to add to their collection this year.

Evolutionary Films

Folks looking forward to more UK action this coming year can look toward Redwood helmer Tom Paton in this regard. Currently in post production with upcoming action horror sci-fi, Black Site, the film debuts actress and martial artist Samantha Schnitzler in the role of a soldier and member of a clandestined militarized organization forced to fend off extemist loyalists bearing down on their facility to release their beloved captive: an evil deity that killed her parents during childhood. Mike Beckingham also stars.

Stay tuned for the next five!

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FIVE-A-DAY ROUND-UP VII: Gintama 2, The Monkey King 3, Bleach, Inrang, Laughing Under The Clouds

Going into some more adaptations, I have at least five others in mind worth pointing out, one of which already might be in production given the recent announcement of Gintama 2. Little is known about the project which will have Fukuda Yuichi back at the helm advancing a follow-up to this year’s live-actiom rendition of the Benizakura Arc in his 2017 film starring Oguri Shun, Kahsimoto Hanna and Masaki Suda; Well Go USA is releasing that one in the Spring on DVD and Blu-Ray while we await more info on the sequel and what it entails.

Chinese moviegoers will continue to endure their beloved folklore as seen on the big screen in time for the Chinese New Year release of The Monkey King 3: Kingdom Of Women. Aaron Kwok is back in the title role with William Feng as the monk Tang under director Soi Cheang who shepherds this latest chapter that now sees our heroes mitigating their newfound place in a self-sustaining kingdom of women and its stern leader. February 16, 2018 is the date which might see a day-and-date release with the U.S. as well from Well Go USA. We’ll see.

Kubo Tite’s Bleach saw better days for its 2001 manga and bustling anime early on, although granted, there’s still a fanbase that Warner Bros. Japan still wishes to tap into, even if actor Fukushi Sota is the only name publicly attached to the pic. Here he stars as a high school student gifted with the ability see ghosts, who is further imbued with the abilities of a Soul Reaper when stumbling upon an epic battle between an afterworld warrioress from the Soul Society, and a ghoulsh entity known as a “Hollow”. I love the anime through the Soul Society arc and I’m curious about where this will go. Sato Shinsuke directs. And I’m pretty certain others will star in it too because having Sota all my himself is starting to get pretty damn weird.

Kim Jee-Woon of I Saw The Devil fame is well underway with a feature adaptation of his own with Inrang, taken from the alluring action, drama and suspense seen in Oshii Mamoru’s acclaimed 1998 animated thriller, Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade. This one resets its story in the future where the path to a unified Korea remains fragile due to skirmishes between formalists and radical dissidents. Kang Dong-Won stars along with Han Hyo-Joo, Jung Woo-Sung, Han Ye-Ri and Choi Min-Ho for the film’s expected 2018 release.

I’m not too familiar with the Laughing Under The Clouds manga but the anime is keeping me pacificed at the moment. At any rate, folks can catch this latest precursor to Bleach from Ajin helmer Motohiro Katsuyuki with Fukushi Sota leading the cast of characters for the tale of three brothers entrusted with protecting an ancient shrine in lieu of the Meiji government’s takeover of Japan. The trailer itself has some appeal as well and for that matter, a full cast compared to…well… Sato-san’s Bleach (like seriously, someone needs to get on that, STAT!) Laughing Under The Clouds opens in March in Japan!

Another batch of five arrives tomorrow! Stay tuned!

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FIVE-A-DAY ROUND UP V: 2.0, The Hidden Sword, Soldado, Detective Dee 3, Ant-Man And The Wasp

2010 saw the critical and commercial success of S. Shankar’s multi-award winning blockbuster sci-fi thriller, Robot, now readying an Amazon release next year. That milestone achievement continues next year with 2.0 from Shankar returning to the helm for actor Rajinikanth reprising the role of embattled A.I. robot, Chitti, and his creator Dr. Vaseegaran. Robot is currently available on Netflix for anyone who wants to catch up. For now, here’s a behind the scenes look on the sequel:

With director Stefano Sollima taking on the daunting task of following up Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario, Soldado aims to open up even more on the world the first film immerses you in. Josh Brolin returns along with Benecio Del Toro in the respective roles of DoJ task force handler Matt Graver and underworld hitman Alejandro staving off terrorists crossing the border while squaring away with old foes. Colombia Pictures is setting a June 29 release.

Lionsgate

Filmmaking multihyphenate Xu Haofeng has never let me down with his films. I’m proudly seeing his 2018 martial arts drama, The Hidden Sword, featuring the legendary Chen Kuan Tai as a blacksmith whose private life becomes subject to the publicity of his martial arts techniques centered around a sword he forged which turned the tide against Japan at one point. The film is based on Xu’s own novella, among which many have been a staple for great, concentrated, cerebral martial arts filmmaking with the added dose of fun throughout. Check out the intial teaser from this year and stay tuned for a new trailer.

Mark Chao, Kenny Lin, William Feng and Carina Lau headline the latest installment on the semi-folkloric saga of Detective Dee from director Tsui Hark. Detective Dee And The Four Heavenly Kings sees our hero sleuth now battling a supernatual crime wave arisen during the Tang Dynasty while fending off accusations of wrongdoing from Empress Wu. The film opens in China on July 27!

Folks keen on following the adventures of the Incredible Shrinking Paul Rudd can expect to catch the actor back on screen with actress Evangeline Lilly in Ant-Man And The Wasp. With filming wrapped as of November, July 6 is the date for the new film for anyone keen on more Marvel fandom after Avengers: Infinity War wreaks havoc on the masses in May.

Marvel

Check back on Monday for another five!

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FIVE-A-DAY ROUND-UP: Kill Order, Luc Van Tien, Assassins And The Missing Gold, S.P.L.: Paradox, Big Brother

Going into 2018 and save for any number of major or significant action movie titles we might remember, we’re going to need a bit of a refresher. Thus, we’re topping off our inductory countdown of five-a-day titles a week totaling 100 to make note of through next year, and of course, you are more than welcome to add to the list whatever title in mind you see fit in the comments below or on our fanpage!

Five years in and now rolling out with some unworthy reviews including our own, Canadian stunt and film troupe, Team 2X, is proudly appealing to the masses with their debut effort, Kill Order. Members, stunt coordinator James Mark debuts at the helm with brother Chris Mark starring as the troubled embodiment of a horrific experiment that awakens a set of superhuman fighting skills in time to fend off entire SWAT units and hordes of metahumanoid killers at the behest of evil corporations who want him for their own nefarious ends. Expect this one to arrive in February from Raven Banner.

Luc Van Tien was certainly one film that I wanted to see going into 2017. I haven’t had the opportunity yet for a screener of my own and I haven’t heard much on any kind of U.S. acquisition, which I honestly think it deserves given the talent on hand and the demand for it in the west as far as I can see. The film is directed by Jackie Chan stunt team member Andy Long (Boyka: Undisputed) who makes his own acting debut leading the story of an ancient warrior transplanted into modern day Vietnam in search of his lost love, and he’ll have to fight through a horde of martial arts action and villany to win the day. I had the chance to interview Long before its release and I look forward to discussing the film further as well as other prospects he shares…but I especially want a U.S. release of this movie to be one of them beyond my own wishful thinking.

Director Jeff Lau is preparing to unleash a raft of kung fu fandom going into 2018 and headliner Max Zhang also leads the starpower here. Assassins And The Missing Gold is the name of this one and with respect to the plot, the title pretty much speaks for itself with Ada Choi and Andy On also starring, and with Xiong Xin Xin designating the high octane action that awaits to further propel Zhang into action stardom.

Wilson Yip’s one-off, Paradox, surprisingly didn’t hold onto Max Zhang following initial news on its development. That hasn’t stopped the film reaching critical fruition with largely positive reviews lending good press to the highly popular S.P.L. franchise as well as to actor Louis Koo who shepherds the narrative as a cop on a dark and dangerous search for his missing daughter. Wu Yue, Chris Collins and action star Tony Jaa also appear and in all likelihood will see a North American release via Well Go USA which makes things all the more sweeter.

Of course I couldn’t go into any of these entries without mentioning at least ONE Donnie Yen movie this one speaks to the latest rumblings over Kam Ka-Wai’s forthcoming contribution, Big Brother. The hype is a buzz over this being a return to the smashing MMA form that landed Yen on the map as it did with several films in the last fifteen years (i.e. S.P.L., Flash Point, Special I.D.); this one has Yen playing a high school teacher with unconventional methods and a dark past, with a cast that includes Joe Chen and Yen cohort, actor Yu Kang. Yen is in touch with fans over the film’s progress so look him up on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – whatever suits your fancy.

Ten years later the Flashpoint gang! @kenjitanigaki #raylui #喻亢 #donnieyen #flashpoint #甄子丹 #導火線

A post shared by Donnie Yen (@donnieyenofficial) on Aug 19, 2017 at 4:19am PDT

Stay tuned tomorrow for five more of our picks for 2018!

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FIVE A DAY: A Look Into Some Indie Actioners For 2016

2015 is winding down by the hour as we inch closer to a new year full of new beginnings, and even moreso, new films and even some of those tend to fall into obscurity. Well, I’m here to help try and fix that just a smidget with another list of five titles adding to the ten I’ve already covered; believe you me, if I could cover them all, I certainly would.

There’s at least one other production purely worth mentioning as we approach the new year, and it’s a title I certainly hope sees a 2016 release. The film in question is the upcoming Germany-set martial arts adventure comedy, Plan B, which pits a group of struggling stuntmen and their manager against Berlin’s notorious criminal inner-workings in search of clues to a secret safe when one of their own is held hostage.

The film is a premiere effort for directors Michael Popescu and Ufuk Genc with Can Aydin, Cha-Lee Yoon and Phong Giang headlining the action as per their brand, Reel Deal Action, and to date, the only piece of it that is available to us at the moment are a slew of exclusive HD stills courtesy of the production, and you can check those out and more by CLICKING HERE, as well as a few more details in my interview with Aydin back in April.

That same exact sentiment can be said for director Dennis Ruel in lieu of the long-awaited release of his feature film debut, Unlucky Stars. Having worked his way up for well over a decade from aspiring stuntman to a bonafide acting and action talent, his latest film serves as a milestone achievement with a collection of rising young stars chizzled from years of performing some of the sharpest independent action shorts you’ll find online via YouTube or other – a sentiment that speaks to an even greater tone with respect to Vlad Rimburg who directs the action.

You can read more about this in my review from February, but do keep an eye on this as a hopeful 2016 release approaches.

Rising Tiger Films is definitely another group I’m proud to keep a close eye on as the new year approaches, though their latest feature film efforts may fall into the category of prospects for 2017 moreso than not. But, one can hope! Currently in production is Black Scar Blues which already has some film festival accolades attached with a story that centers on the consequences of greed and lust, and the ultimate test that ensues on the waning bond between two best friends who serve as drug couriers.

Leroy Nguyen and Edmond Shum star along with Queen Suyat and Daniel Sim and the shortfilm itself works absolutely well in its current state. Alas, this project and the journey its taken is much closer to the folks at Rising Tiger as they advance to give it a little something extra in the process in order to show it to the world after carrying it for four years.

Distributorship is pending as of October, and so this is definitely another score for the online independent creatives like Nguyen and Shum who’ve helped spawn the niche we have now.

Continuing our foray here is the upcoming Blu-Ray release of Die Fighting. An official announcement is pending while the film is currently available on various Digital HD and streaming platforms courtesy of Gravitas Ventures as of late 2014, and even though that’s quite a period of time, the film still deserves as much mentioning as possible.

The film, a product of Z-Team Films, the feature film production banner of LA based stunt and film group, Z-Team, centers on an award-winning stunt team caught in a nightmarsh web of death and brutality at the hands of a manipulative “filmmaker”. The movie took several years to complete before finally earning its film festival stripes in the summer of 2014 with co-stars Lohan Buson and director Fabien Garcia pushing the film as much as possible while focusing on other endeavors, and thus far, the film has attained cult hit status among fans. So for all intents and purposes, keep this one on your radar for the new year as well.

And last and far from least, Hong Kong stunt veteran, coordinator and filmmaker Robert Samuels made a name for himself in the 1990’s cutting his teeth as a Hong Kong stuntman under action legend Sammo Hung. Nowadays, you’ll likely find the Don’t Give A Damn and Red Wolf co-star behind the lens with several projects to his roster as producer and director, including his newest production, Beast which finally premiered trailer footage back in November during the Urban Action Showcase and Expo.

Marco “Da Answer” Johnson makes his screen debut as a former soldier home from serving in Afghanistan, now suffering from PTSD and living as a rare survivor of a government-funded experimental serum that gives him special abilities to fight the city’s criminal underbelly. Featuring fight choreography by Manny Ayala, the cast is jam-packed with a number of martial artists and Hong Kong cinema stalwarts including Vincent Lyn and Martial Club’s own Andy Le to name a few among those you will spot when the official trailer releases later this week.

Stay tuned for the next five!

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(Click HERE for the second list)

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FIVE A DAY: Here Are Some Titles To Look Forward To In 2016

As busy as my schedule is, there are a lot of films that I don’t get to see at least right away – hell, as we speak, I’ve prioritized some titles from this year going into 2016 including Bone Tomahawk and The Hateful Eight. That said, there are definitely a few titles that I will be looking into next year for required viewing, and I will average at least five a day between now and New Year’s Day in no specific order:

⚪ To start, there’s no way I’m missing out on John Wick 2. Period. The first film led the way for a terrific revival of R-rated action with just the kind of story that drives action film fanatics to the theaters, centering actor Keanu Reeves back in the limelight as a genuine action star long since winning sci-fi and kung fu fans everywhere with The Matrix Trilogy. It wasn’t too emotive, but the overall delivery was very much driven in what we knew and saw as the film took off with Chad Stahelski and David Leitch at the helm; This time its Stahelski sitting in the directors’ seat with Leitch executive producing, and having met the film’s fight coordinator J.J. Perry a few months ago just days prior to filming, in addition to certain set pics and casting rumors pertaining to a few martial arts star well-knowns, I’m wholly proud to be a part of the demographic amped for this sequel.

⚫ Only time will tell if and when we will get to see The Raid 3 in the next few years. In the meantime, with its franchise helmer Gareth Evans developing other title for an early production start next year, expect things to pick up quite nicely for Indonesian favorite, Iko Uwais, who has slowly been breaking international ground in the last few years. At home though, he’s still as big as ever, and the action is about to get even bigger with the new movie, Headshot, still forthcoming from Killers helmers Timo Tjahjanto and Kimo Stamboel about an amnesiac in the care of a nurse when his violent past catches up. Considering the plot and surely if you’ve seen the 2014 Sundance favorite, Killers, you’ll have a distinct idea where this film will go in its overall tone and delivery. Uwais has been a sheer figure in introducing audiences to some of the most brutal and stylish performances under some of the best martial arts action ever put on display for the big screen, and so Headshot has a chance of delivering the same effect. The film currently has distribution in select territories while a teaser could come as early as this summer, and I have all the faith in the world this is going to be a tremendous hit.

⚪ I can’t really express enough how anxious I am to see what will come of director Xu Haofeng’s latest early 20th century action drama, The Master. Actor Liao Fan leads the film as a Wing Chun master from Canton eager to establish himself in Tianjin when local governing martial politics and a deadly campaign to systematically indoctrinate and miltarize the schools ensues. The film won best action choreography at the Golden Horse Awards prior to its release earlier this month in China and judging by what’s visible in the featurettes, clearly there’s no questioning why. Thankfully, the film is on part for future releases going into the new year and with any luck, it’ll make its way to audiences in the U.S. where I am as it looks to be a hearty follow-up for anyone who has seen Xu’s earlier works, The Sword Identity and Judge Archer.

⭕ Sakaguchi Tak’s new movie, Re:Born, is certainly one that many of us have waited for. It’s been bolstered as the actor’s last film before certainly stepping into retirement following a career that has flourished for more than fifteen years in bringing bona-fide Japanese action fanfare to the local niche and cult fans abroad, with the 2000 action horror, Versus, being one of the most truly notable hits. Stuntman, fight coordinator and filmmaker Shimomura Yuji, who has been by Sakaguchi’s side for a longstanding friendship both on and off set, is in the director’s chair and with a teaser now making the rounds, you can surely rest your heart on the fact that Re:Born is going to make a fine exit for Tak unless otherwise.

⚫ Last and far from least, we now have one other specific bit of comic book fandom to finally look forward to on the screen. He’s been trolling us all Christmas with swords wielding, guns blazing, blood spilling and balls in our faces with both cheecks squeezed in tight red spandex all because Ed Skrein is after his babymomma and now it’s time to get her back, among other things. Yes, its Ryan Reynolds shakin’ that Canadian bacon as the title role in Tim Miller’s Deadpool based on Rob Liefield’s popular comic creation. He’s the Merc With A Mouth and Reynolds has been owning him since 2009 upon debuting him in Gavin Hood’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and with the simple leak of concept footage driving the conversation in the last few years, we finally have the first of what could be at least two Deadpool movies or whatever capacity we can get him in pending Jeff Wadlow’s X-Force film which is still in development. Bearing that in mind, the last few times we had worthy R-rated comic book movies were Karl Urban’s performance in the 2012 release of Dredd and Wadlow’s 2013 Mark Millar adaptation sequel, Kick-Ass 2…and both movies flopped with the latter getting the shitstorm piracy treatment which means the likelihood of a Kick-Ass 3 remains nil.

Piracy kills movies. That is a fact and so for all the brouhaha behind PG-13 action movies, we finally have a Marvel property with a hero that literally spills copious amounts of blood and laughs to boot. The film opens in February, and your asses better go and support this movie.

Stay tuned for my next five!

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