germany

PROJEKT ADLER: DIE ZEIT RENNT: Andy Long Nguyen And Salomon Wise Battle Mafia Goons And Nazi Mercs In The Official Trailer

Four years in the making, and with a crew of just over seventy people during that period, in part, is what it took to manifest what we now know as writer/director Tamim Kaiwani’s new sci-fi action thriller, Projekt Adler: Die Zeit Rennt. I caught wind of this film sometime last year and tried to contact an individual close to it – that is, to no avail – which now leads to this latest catch-up effort on my end with KinoCheck’s exclusive trailer premiere from just a few weeks ago. Of course, the reason why it was on-and-off my radar for so long was due to the attachment of actor and avowed stunt professional and rising star Andy Long Nguyen. He’s been making a killing on both sides of the lens in the last several years since his CZ12 heyday, making headway as an elite member of Jackie Chan’s legendary stunt […]

PLANNING INTO ACTION: An Interview With Actor And Stuntman, Phong Giang

Lee B. Golden III

Click here and you’ll be able to see just how far back I began lending lip service to one of the most anticipated martial arts film titles at the time prior to its ensuing title, Plan B: Scheiss Auf Plan A (click here to read our review). That was in 2015 and it certainly feels like forever looking back as far as then in covering German film and stunt troupe, Reel Deal Action, as much as I have been. It’s brought me in close throes of the biggest and best in the stunt industry, including Can Aydin who has been with the team as early as around 2012; it was later that year when I finally launched the Facebook page for this blog prior to officially writing for it. Aydin leads the cast along with prolific actor and dancer Eugene “U-Gin” Boateng, and fellow Reel Deal Action members Yoon Cha-Lee […]

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BERLIN FALLING: Catch The Teaser And Official Trailer For Ken Duken’s Timely Terrorist Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

There’s no doubt that actor Ken Duken’s latest film marking his directorial debut is immersed in a sea of grim irony; That the new road thriller, Berlin Falling, comes as both inspired by and in the wake of tragic world events is not with a sense of heavy surrealism. It’s an otherwise adventitious setup for the upcoming July screenings being slated in Germany following NFP’s acquisition of the film back in February. Duken also served as one of the producers and helped pen the script which joins him with actor Tom Wlaschiha (Game Of Thrones) which centers on a deadly fight for survival between a man on his way to Berlin, and the backpacker carrying a bomb with plans to detonate it in the city upon arrival. Sans subtitles, a teaser and trailer have since made their way online and you’re more than welcome to check them out below.

PLAN B: SCHEISS AUF PLAN A – Berlin Hails With Hong Kong Action In The First Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Getting a martial arts action picture off the ground these days is not easy. What helps, of course, is the initiative, talent and the necessary support base to further substantiate the demand for such a film and thankfully, it’s the kind of support that the folks over at German martial arts, stunt and film production group, Reel Deal Action, have been able to accumulate in the well over five-year period in which its members have been upscaling in the industry. Thus, having proved their worth in the feature arena (Skyfall, Big Game, Hitman: Agent 47, xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage) and with an array of action-packed shortfilms available online – some of which have earned a fair amount of acclaim among netizens and within the festival circuit (Evil Twin, Behind Every Great Man, Bad Choice), actors Can Aydin, Cha-Lee Yoon and Phong Giang are finally front and center as they […]

AT LONG LAST: An Interview With Andy Long

Lee B. Golden III

2016 has seen its fair share of stumbles for me, particularly in the interview department seeing as how I didn’t get to reach as many people as I wanted to. This was one of the grievances I aired in my year four piece from a few weeks ago, and interestingly enough, things still took quite a turn for me following the teaser announcement of a new reel by a stunt performer and martial artist whose career growth now lends him the prominence that I among dozens of others can truly assert that he deserves. That stated, I was never personally well acquainted with Andy Long until around my first or second year as a writer here at Film Combat Syndicate. However, the work he’s amassed and contributed to the genre and the people of his field makes him one of the most sought after people to date for a guy […]

Reel Deal Martial Arts Adventure, PLAN B Heads To Sitges This October

Lee B. Golden III

Not to be outdone by time, the upcoming German martial arts action comedy, Plan B, has been one of the most hugely anticipated titles to come in our direction in the past few years. I certainly made sure to stay on top of it in one of my five-a-day pieces late last year, while the film remained off radar with any updates while still in post-production and I certainally hoped something would happen this year. Thankfully, it appears to be so which is good news for the folks over at German martial arts stunt training group, Reel Deal Action and filmmakers Ufuk Genc and Michael Popescu as Fall approaches. That means the next installation of Sitges at Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain is near with its schedule set between October 7 and 16, and with announcements slowly and steadily rolling out, you can also expect to see Plan B as part […]

WHERE FANTASY MEETS REALITY: An Interview With Tanay Genco Ulgen

Lee B. Golden III

I’m not a gamer. Point in fact, I haven’t been a gamer in a LONG time and I probably would be if I had the time and conveniences as other gamers do. That said, when I was a gamer, I never played Final Fantasy in any of its iterations and have only heard of the films therein. Interestingly enough, neither has fight choreographer and filmmaker Tanay Genco Ulgen, although it didn’t stop him from contributing to one of Sony’s forthcoming major feature film releases tying into the game franchise, Nozue Takeshi’s Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV. I learned of this in a Facebook post a few months ago and so I found myself at an opportune moment to interview yet another aspiring film professional in the course of my own work in covering independent action as well. Much to my own delight, it just so happens that Ulgen shares membership with […]

Til Schweiger Takes No Prisoners In Christian Alvert's TSCHILLER: OFF DUTY. Watch A Trailer And Clip!

Lee B. Golden III

Germany has a genuine action star in actor Til Schweiger, whose latest, Tschiller: Off Duty, presents the actor in glorious fashion. The film lays out a plot that spins off a character previously emulated in German cop series, Tatort, in which Schweiger now stars in the title role under director Christian Alvert, and a story host in locations such as Hamburg, Berlin and Moscow. SYNOPSIS: Following the events in Hamburg, Firat Astan is sentenced to life in prison in Turkey and Nick is suspended from duty for some time. He uses the time to look after his daughter Lenny. It is not an easy job, as Lenny is not able to cope with her mother’s death. Nick is worried that she may blame him for Isabella’s death. When Lenny doesn’t come home one day, it seems as though she has finally run away. Yalcin, Nick’s partner and friend, manages to […]

Meetings And Greetings: A Night Out With ARCADE KILLERS's Own Slobo And Duy Panouvic

Lee B. Golden III

Photo Courtesy of Duy Panouvic, and as you can see, I was very, very thirsty. A common practice for a lot of folks in the stunt industry outside of working on film sets, is to travel and explore other parts of the globe to acquaint with other stunt professionals – something particularly effective in an age where social media has since played a huge role in networking millions of people. Evidently, this is one area that professional stunt couple, Slobo and Duy Panouvic were keen to act on in the progression of their own careers having already spent quite awhile working their way up between working their native Germany, and in Cape Town, South Africa where they started their own professional team, Arcade Killers back in May of last year. I have written about them a few times in the past year, so it was rather opportune for me that […]

Check Out Ten Exclusive New Official Stills From ONCE UPON A TIME IN BERLIN

Lee B. Golden III

Further updates are still pending as we await the 2015 release of the upcoming martial arts action comedy, Once Upon A Time In Berlin. Debut directors Ufuk Genç and Michael Popescu are spearheading the production as it looks to put Berlin on the map for the genre, thanks in large part to the longstanding efforts of German martial arts film and stunt troupe, Reel Deal Action, whose members, Can Aydin, Cha-Lee Yoon and Phong Giang will also be making their feature acting debuts to accompany their natural screenfighting caliber. Germany itself has been brewing with potential for sometime now, and luckily, Reel Deal Action has become a byproduct of the very support that has taken them this far, from making wonderful online action shorts to stepping it up in feature-length territory. You can learn all about their credentials and happenings via their official website, although rest assured, Reel Deal Action […]

ONCE UPON A TIME IN BERLIN: German Martial Arts Film Group, Reel Deal Action, Sets Their 2015 Feature Debut

Lee B. Golden III

At any other point in time before the new millennium, you may have been right in simply assuming that the martial arts action genre wouldn’t have had much fervor with the internet. Of course, time proved quite the opposite with a vast number of independent groups sprouting online for a community that has evidently gone global. Germany, for one, has surely seen its share of that effect with its own native talents, namely folks like Can Aydin, Phong Giang and award-winning stunt performer Cha-Lee Yoon – just three of the principle stuntmen combining years of experience to form their own team, Reel Deal Action, as of just several years ago. Since then, they’ve continually left a memorable mark in the world of independent action, most recently winning Fight Of The Year over at Martial Arts Movie Junkie for their 2013 hit, The Messenger, prior to going global with their latest award-winning […]

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Watch The Trailer For Chong Seung-Hyun's Shortfilm Debut, STEH AUF (GET UP)

Lee B. Golden III

The 2014 film festival circuit has been and continues to be nothing short of an adventure for actor, writer, producer and director Chong Seung-hyun in lieu of his newest shortfilm, Steh Auf (Get Up). The project is undoubtedly bringing Chong his fair share of accolades, since winning over folks at the Asians On Film Festival back in April, presenting his debut in the form of an all-too real, and likely touching, coming-of-age underdog story about a young man whose seemingly unorthodox path toward boxing is mired by the constant stigma of his mixed heritage. SYNOPSIS: Tae-shik is a 26-years old Korean-German. Despite his Korean upbringing, he cannot quite identify himself as the Korean that his parents had in mind for him. He feels adrift in turmoil, struggling to find his own identity between the two different cultures of Korea and Germany. Nonetheless, he has one thing that brings him passion […]

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Arcade Killers Presents: MR. & MRS. PANOUVIC

Lee B. Golden III

If anything, 2014 has been another great year foreseeing the continued legacy of online independent action. This time, we pan over to independent filmmakers and multifaceted stunt performers Jay Kim, and husband/wife duo Slobo and Duy Panouvic – three members of their newly established team, Arcade Killers. The team recently launched their new experimental test fight short, Mr. & Mrs. Panouvic – slightly more dark in its comedic delivery and very much sillier in its reminiscence of a similar 2005 action flick with stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie; If anything though, it’s a nice little sampling for what may lie ahead in the coming and weeks and months following the team’s launch in May in Cape Town, South Africa. Arcade Killers has since based themselves in their new home in Germany following their sponsorship by the South Africa branch of the popular sportswear company, New Balance. The team has […]

Experimental Filmmaking Goes Action/Sci-Fi For The New Webseries THERE WAS TO BE PEACE

Lee B. Golden III

Sometimes creativity comes in an instant, like a strike of lightining. It certainly came for independent filmmaker and stuntman Hussain Abdullah who bought a Cine Lens one day for his camera and did a test shoot in late July with fellow performer Ümit Demirbas. It had no specific title or premise at the time, but it eventually caught the interest of viewers after it was posted online, mistaken for the start of a new German-language series. Instantly, what was only an experimental test shoot would be reinstalled as a pilot for a mini webseries in the form of There Was To Be Peace – a post apocalyptic tale of a lone warrior who must infiltrate the very gang that nearly killed him to obtain the key materials needed for a scientist’s special device that can save what’s left of mankind before it is too late. It’s all a bit early […]

Shortfilm Review – Reel Deal Action Presents: EVIL TWIN

Lee B. Golden III

The scene is heating up over in Monrovia, California for the upcoming festivities at this year’s tenth annual Action On Film International Film Festival. As such, many shortfilms and other projects that get made beforehand are held exclusively by their originators until they are finished circulating. That standard was since extended to Germany-based cinematic stunt team, Reel Deal Action, who have currently been busy working on a few feature films this year while circulating their newest action short festival favorite, Evil Twin, directed by Epicman Productions founder Christian Pfeil. Evil Twin centers on Reel Deal member, movie stuntman and actor Cha-Lee Yoon, who finds himself at an impasse with his own brother, played by Phong Giang. Upon entering, Yoon discovers his fellow cohort, bound and bloodied by his own evil twin (both played by Can Aydin), following the successful robbery of two technologically advanced stones that grant their owners the […]

Check Out The Kickass Monekymaker Sisters In The New Shortfilm Trailer For BEHIND EVERY GREAT MAN!

Lee B. Golden III

Action films are awesome to watch, especially if the performances are done by trained stunt professionals who know how to act. The case is often made on this site as a platform for stunt professionals who can creating high quality action content, including the professionals over at California-based film and stunt training facility 87 Eleven Action Design who are back to do just that with their newest shortfilm, Behind Every Great Man. Front and center are two of Hollywood’s most respected stuntwomen, sisters Renae and Heidi Moneymaker, who filmed the project about a month or so ago on location in Germany with select members of native martial arts stunt team, Real Deal Action – Can Aydin, Cha-Lee Yoon and Phong Giang. The project is also one of a few that are on the way in the next few weeks with the notable participation of Hollywood stuntman, lensman and Reel Kick […]

Choose Your Fate! Watch One Or Both Versions Of The New Violent Action-Packed Short, HARD BOILED COP

Lee B. Golden III

It was earlier this month that an official trailer was added to the growing push for independent filmmaker, VFX whiz and Flatcoin Productions founder Ulrik Bruchholz‘s newest comprehensive action project, Hard Boiled Cop. Assembled in the course of nearly two-and-a-half years, the project ended up evolving from beyond that period with a few other concepts up to then, and this week, Bruchholz is rolling out the new project in a pretty cool, experimental way. On its face, Hard Boiled Cop invites you into a cold, dystopian future with a city in ruins, where crime runs rampant against the order of a militarized police force. At the center of it all is actor, German martial arts fave Mathis Landwehr leading the way from start to finish with the second half of the story completely loaded with full-on action, including car stunts, wired stunts and ballistic violent chaos, all rounding off Bruchholz‘s […]

The New Shortfilm Trailer For HARD BOILED COP Gives Us Mathis Landwehr, Flamethrowers, Machine Guns And Lots Of Red!

Lee B. Golden III

Independent filmmaker and Flatcoin Productions founder Ulrik Bruchholz has a vision in mind, with German martial artist and actor Mathis Landwehr (Kampfansage: Der Letzte Schüler, Lasko) at the center of it all in the hardcore, violently epic new shortfilm, Hard Boiled Cop. The project took roughly two-and-a-half years to evolve as earlier concepts were developing, and the project is finally getting its day in the sun sometime between now and during August. So, needless to say, the wait continues. However, the good news is you can follow the project right now on its official Facebook page where you can take a look at some extra photos, as well as the teaser and official trailer which you can check out below right now.

Mathis Landwehr Photo Teases A KAMPFANSAGE Reunion

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been a good decade since German martial artist, action actor, stuntman and fight choreographer Mathis Landwehr blew the lid off the country’s brewing martial arts movie industry in director Johannes Jaeger‘s 2003 hit film, Kampfansage: Der letzte Schüler. And in the years since, Landwehr has continued to remain on the map, performing stunts and acting in several films as the eponymous film-to-TV hero, “Lasko” opposite Arnold Vosloo in Im Auftrag Des Vatikans, director James McTiegue’s V For Vendetta, and reuniting once more with Kampfansage co-stars Volkram Zschieche and rising cinema action hero, Reel Deal Action member Mike Moëller’s leading role in last year’s limited release of Arena Of The Street Fighter, to name a few. So considering the significant success action fans have seen from our friends in Germany, in addition to the establishment of individual independent screenfighting filmgroups by other aspiring action actors and stuntmen, what better way […]

SYNDICATE SHOUTOUT: Sefa Demirbas

Lee B. Golden III

Aspiring martial arts athletes from around the world are continuing to put out some of their best work in the hopes of becoming the next in line to help deliver what is now expected in today’s generation of martial arts athleticism and showmanship. And today’s example comes from none other than the sound track of hip hop duo Black Sheep’s 1991 hit, “The Choice Is Yours”, applied to the latest reel from martial artist, stuntman and tricker Sefa Demirbas hailing all the way from Europe by way of dynamic award-winning German martial arts performance and screenfighting troupe TeamBay (meaning Team 7, with Bay translating from Vietnamese). Founded by fellow athlete, actor martial arts performer and independent filmmaker Vi-Dan Tran in 2002, the team has seen its evolution between old and new members while nuturing its audience ever since. Its latest attempt at re-emergence this year has featured some new collaborations […]