gu shang wei

Fantasia Review: Jimmy Henderson’s THE PREY Is A Decent Throwback To 90’s Action Fare

After the last credits rolled and the lights were turned back on, I turned to my friends Sébastien and Debby. They both looked pleased with their latest, respective movie experience, so I ventured: “An honest, decent throwback to 90’s action fare?” The responses were unanimous. Now, don’t get me wrong! The Prey is nothing to write home about (even though I admit to taking pleasure in sharing this review with you), but it is still a decently crafted action yarn; yes, the kind that used to make their way to our Cineplex’s or VCR’s in the early 90s. For instance, picture an independent director/producer attempting to create their own version of something akin to First Blood, but with very little money. You get the idea? The premise behind Jimmy Henderson’s (Jailbreak) The Prey is far from original: An undercover cop in a remote jungle prison is forced to become human […]

THE PREY: Dark Star Acquires Latest From ‘Jailbreak’ Director

Lee B. Golden III

Survival thriller The Prey is making a killing at Fantasia Festival this month before its systemic commercial releases in Cambodia and other territories. The film is especially the latest work of director Jimmy Henderson who left a massive impression in 2017 with Jailbreak, adding it to the pantheon of martial arts action favorites. Bloody Destiny star Gu Shang Wei leads the cast in what would ultimately be his first of two projects with the Hanuman helmer before moving onto their current endeavors with The Guardian which also has Andy On, Charlie Ruedpoknanon and Jailbreak star Jean-Paul Ly. Gu and Henderson have since toured quite a bit with The Prey on the festival circuit and will now pave the way for an October theatrical and VOD release from Dark Star Pictures. Gu stars as an undercover cop swept into a rich man’s hunting game hosted by a maniacal prison warden when […]

Jimmy Henderson’s THE PREY Finds Hunting Ground In The UK

Lee B. Golden III

One of the most thrilling features coming our way comes from the creative auspices of director Jimmy Henderson (Jailbreak) following last year’s festival outing, The Prey, Cambodia’s first $1 million dollar-budgeted action feature. The film premiered at Busan and at BFI in London and is currently in the market for buyers by way of internatonal sales agent, Raven Banner. Among the lot via Deadline, we now have fledgling distro banner Lightbulb Film Distribution stepping up to the plate and picking up for its UK-bound release with a date now pending as of last week at EFM in Berlin. Actor and martial artist Gu Shang Wei, stars in the film as an undercover cop swept away amidst a botched raid, forcibly incarcerated and left to fight for his survival among prisoners hunted for sport in a maniacal warden’s deadly game for rich, affluent huntsmen. Also starring are Vithaya Pansringarm and actress […]

Jimmy Henderson’s THE PREY Rumbles In The Jungle, Lives To Tell The Tale

Lee B. Golden III

There’s no question that last year’s Netflix release, Jailbreak, was a soaring hit that put director Jimmy Henderson on the map for a lot of martial arts fans, especially for folks who never got to see his 2014 directorial debut, Hanuman, but were nonetheless intrigued at the thought of acquainting themselves with another talented filmmaker who knows how to direct action. Bearing this in mind, his 2016 horror fantasy, The Forest Whisperers, was also well-received among viewers – a clear indication that Henderson is much more than just a monolith for action fanboys, which is all well and good. I haven’t seen any film footage from that one save for its trailer, although it looks worth considering as we go forward into covering his latest thriller, The Prey, which definitely seems to carry over some of those more dark, brooding characteristics. The pacing is a bit more slower and concentrated […]

A Chance For Happiness Runs Thin In The New Martial Arts Drama, BLOODY DESTINY. Watch The Teaser And Trailer!

Lee B. Golden III

Tournament martial arts dramas always lend a good bit of lip service to the genre for fans. Keep this in mind with less than a month before director Zang Xichuan‘s latest mainland feature, Bloody Destiny, provides another step forward for the locals and the niche abroad. Gu Shang Wei leads the cast in a story of a former underground fighter whose past comes back to haunt him and the life he wants with his newfound love interest. There aren’t any English plot details as of this write-up, but there is a teaser and trailer that should offer something much more convenient to appease the curiousity. Also starring are Haitao Du and Yun-su Choi, Feng Xinyao, Feng Gang and longstanding thesp Ka-Yan Leung as the villan. Check out both videos below as well as a batch of posters and still. H/T: Filmsmash