THE HIT LIST: September 11, 2017
Peep the teaser and poster below.
joey min
THE HIT LIST: December 19, 2016
The short is just the latest to arrive from Shakesheff in the weeks since the announcement of his latest starring and directorial debut, Kamikaze which is now available on DVD in the U.S. courtesy of Indican Pictures. It’s the first film of its kind to come out of Wales and Shakesheff’s work, stemming from his credits as a bonafide Hollywood stuntman and extended further to online netizens and fans of martial arts action is sure to further put Wales on the map for years to come.
THE HIT LIST: November 7, 2016
Well, I can’t say much about my weekend. Saturday was a 19 hour day and so Doctor Strange had to be put on hold, and my energy level on Monday was about the same as your average everyday housecat. That said, I did get to enjoy a cool Sunday night out with someone who’s been doing stunts for some time now and you can read more about that by clicking here!
On that note, The Hit List has arrived for this week and new stunt and action demo reels are here for your viewing pleasure with the first – a reel from an actress whose work I’ve been dying to share in a Hit List entry ever since I became friends with her on social media in 2014. Hailing all the way from London and fresh off of a stellar box office run thusfar in the U.K. and U.S. in Scott Derrickson’s Doctor Strange is actress and martial artist Katrina Durden with a fantastic new reel now viral, also featuring footage from Street Fighter: Resurrection. Rounding out the playlist is a raft of reels from Brazil’s own Renan Medeiros, Alexa Marcigliano, Steve Legate, Cassie Lee Minick, Donald Tucker, Jordan Sessions, Canada-based Malik Bouabid, and a ferocious new fight choreography reel by Bryan Sloyer who rightly deserves a such a credit on a feature film, and I’m hoping that happens between now and 2017.
Enjoy!
There’s only one trailer this week that I’ve come across for the promotional side of things and it’s from actor and filmmaker Phillip Ray Tommy out of Birmingham in the UK with a modern-day take on the Biblical tale of Cain & Abel. Tommy is joined by actor and martial artist Grant Stevens who dazzled the comic book fanbase as Nightcrawler in Cable: Chronicles Of Hope from directors George and Harry Kirby, and here and now with a project that further aims at showcasing Tommy’s ability to conjure dynamic storytelling, quality and depth in shortform. Of course, the trailer for it also teases some of the slickest action sequences you’ll ever enjoy in martial arts cinema and bullet ballet with Stevens in his element, and I’m sure not many will complain here. It works and I wouldn’t mind this as a feature film myself if the right investors stepped up.
Check it out!
At long last, we’ve arrives at this week’s roster of shortfilm fights and cinematic content that I (…in all caps) KNOW you are going to love.
We begin with the latest from Art School Dropouts where actor and martial artist Joey Min has arrived to demonstrate how to handle the recent spate of random clown incidents throughout the world…and in a drunken stupor no less! Also starring are Stephanie Pham, and your resident clown patrol played by Gee Jay, Andrew Kim and Cheech Vitale. From there, it’s filmmaker Naser Kazmi and his latest contribution to some satirical roleplay in lieu of this week’s presidential election with stunt players Thomas Lorber and Magalie Rouillart in a video aptly titled Hillary Punches Trump In The Face! Sure, it’s pretty far-fetched a spectacle but you can’t deny that it’s fitting of the tone of the election, and let’s just face it…anyone who can perform fight choreo with a B-twist deserves to have it filmed and shared.
Following that is a video that happens to be one of my favorite things this month and it comes from Stephen Vitale, and featuring none other than actress and comedian Anna Akana in a role that just intrigues you to your core in the new Star Wars Fan Film, Hoshino. The opening title is just fabulous, as is the lensing with a story that tells of our young Padawan heroine and the pennance she pays for nearly succumbing to the darkside, and it’s a story that otherwise lends nods to empowerment and endurance with an important life lesson I think almost anyone might agree to. Proceeding from an unsuccessful Indiegogo campaign, it’s rather fortunate that this shortifilm came to pass, and given the result, I think it’s fair to see what could have been done if the right amount of funds were there. Don’t watch this just to spy some stylish and cool lightsaber action. Instead, watch AND enjoy it for its sheer depth and brilliance.
Up after that is a 2014 shortfilm that didn’t come my way until this week thanks to a mention during a chat with fight choreographer and filmmaker Fred Nguyen. He, actor and Temple shortfilm co-star Yue Qi and actress Michelle Jiang star in The Burglar, which tells of what happens when a perpetrator breaks into a home only to find himself pinned down in the dark by its uniquely skilled couple. Indeed, these are not your normal home invasion victims and it’s our title character who gets more than what he bargained for, and in the best, most entertaining way for a kung fu comedy short brimming with terrific physical comedy, wit and action.
Last and far (and I mean FAR) from least, is a shortfilm that has undergone an interesting evolution as a preamble to a much larger project out in Australia. For this, I invite you to read my March 13 interview with none other than Sam Gosper, to learn a little more about the prior history leading up to the current release of his newest shortfilm, Hunt For Hiroshi. The project is just the start for a more grand ensemble of feature film work for Gosper and the good folks over at Resilient Pictures, featuring the stunt stylings of Team 9Lives with a trio actors headlining the compelling action and drama about a ninja who comes out of hiding to settle an old score. Abe Taki stars in the title role opposite David Vuong and Laurent Boiteux who cross barrage of blades, bullets, fisticuffs and big kicks in this festive martial arts showdown between two antiheroes locked into battle with nothing but vengeance, redemption and bloodlust running through their veins.
Hunt For Hiroshi is a project that I am purely glad to have been covering, and that as hard as Gosper is working, more is hopefully in store for this project and I sincerely hope more stems from it. The cast is superb and the action and quality are fantastic, the drama – albeit edited for a tighter and more convenient narrative – is solid as ever. Lo-fi as it may be, this shortfilm deserves to spawn its own feature film franchise and if you love the kind of martial arts action you see in films like Isaac Florentine’s Ninja films and Netflix series Daredevil, or just have a distinct appreciation for the ninja genre dating back to the bustling 1980’s, at just twenty-four minutes in, I think you might even agree.
Watch all the shorts from start to finish, and by all means, enjoy!
If you still have time to spare, last week’s Hit List is all the more entertaining and full of goods to enjoy, so peep it and follow the channels on your own accord. And, as always, if you or someone you know is an aspiring stuntman with a fantastic demo reel, or a filmmaker with a love for action movies and with a trailer or a full-on shortfilm filled to the lid with slick and pulse-pounding action and fight choreography and you think it deserves a place in our weekly Hit List, hit us up at filmcombatsyndicate@gmail.com!
Bueno’s New Webseires Edit Of Tokusatsu Indie, GUN CALIBER, Is Still Locked And Loaded With NSFW Glory
If there’s any inclination in your mind that maverick tokusatsu filmmaker Bueno is watering down his craft, then congratulations! You’re wrong. No, no… have no allusions here about what he’s up to with his currently developing effort, Strega, and you can read more about that by clicking here.
For now, you can still check out a handful of some of his shortfilm and other YouTube space work on his Garage Hero channel where he also stakes his cult fanfare with Strega‘s predecessor, the 2014 all-out red-band suit action comedy affair, Gun Caliber. Featuring fight choreography by Joey Min, Bueno stars and directs a story telling of a dilapidated, lecherous superhero forced to clean his act up and save Tokyo from a rogue’s gallery of monsters led by the evil Skulldier.
You can read my review of the film by clicking here, otherwise you might be keen on his latest edit of the film now in webseries format with the first episode of thirteen now available below. Don’t worry though, all the violence, gore, boobage and all the usual sorts of NSFWish content seen in the film are still in the series starting with the first episode below.
THE HIT LIST – September 26, 2016
Well, as much as I wanted my weekend to be an eventful one, I can’t say it was or I’d have more to discuss this week and share with you all. Hopefully the rest of the year will pan out much better, but it is still bustling in the world of stunts, action and independent content, and if you don’t believe me, well…
…you needn’t look further than this week’s installment of The Hit List for some of the latest action-packed demo reels, trailers and short-form action jewels to keep you in good company! For this, the latest round of stunt and training reels starts off with the newest action reel from former UFC prospect Cung Le whose longstanding career in film continues onward going into the new year, and you can learn a little more about it here. In the meantime, Le has an action reel now available on his YouTube channel with highlights including The Grandmaster, Bodyguards And Assassins, Dragon Eyes, and many more.
Rounding out the playlist stunt demo reels by PeiPei Alena Yuan, Keil Zepernick, Alesha Forche, Nik Pelekai, Kate Angus, Collin Hynes, Helen Steinway Bailey, and montage servings of epic parkour highlights by Alexandr Zhurkov and Ann Grjukach.
Making the promotional rounds this week are two teasers and the first comes courtesy of maverick martial arts action filmmaker Eric Nguyen who has made a killing for himself and fans online over at his indie banner, Lunar Stunts Action Cinema. He’s since taken a hiatus due to working responsibilities as of late, though it appears now that good fortune has taken a turn with Nguyen getting back into the director’s chair very soon for some more Lunar Stunts Action cinema content, further signified by a newly cut teaser for his long-running action experiment series, The Fighting Journey.
Following that is actress, stuntwoman, fight coordinator and filmmaker Cassie Lee Minick who has been a proud mention of the Hit List for a time or several in the last few years. Click here and watch her in a recent epic sci-fi action experiment from CristinaGianinni Films and you’ll see what I mean, while at any rate you would be wise to spot the latest trailer for Marvel Warfare from Fighting Liger Productions and Vagrant Films. Behind the lens is fellow stuntman Jawed El Berni, with Minnick joining a raft of stunt talent (a good portion of whom have been Hit List mentions as well) that includes Max Bojorquez, Lee Chesley, Joel Coryell, Brooks Crouse, Sergei Dmitriev, Yarett Harper, Justice Hedenberg, Duffy McManus, Tim Neff, Josh Rasile and Scott Rosen for what looks to be yet another spectacular shortfilm you can expect to be featured within the next few months or so.
Watch the trailers and subscribe!
Now it’s off to some amazing online fight action, and for this, we get things started with a quick “Firestorm” fight practice interlude from Lunar Stunts, followed b Reel Deal Action’s Tanay Genco Ulgen -currently playing the field in Canada with the local talent, including Keanu Lam and Dimitri Tsoy. Up thereafter are K Dynamique and their poolside antics with Brandon Joseph and Andy Le, Art School Dropouts with their latest nostalgia gaming nod in Punched Out with Joey Min and Gee “Lil Bomb” Jay, Rustic B.’s latest Tekken-themed episode of Cheat Code with action actor Mason Sharrow, Deviant Child Production‘s latest martial arts epic short, Horangi starring Orlando Cruz and director/choreographer Hector Soria, Force Storm Entertainment‘s own Noah Fleder with a rambunctious grouping of children cosplaying another epic battle over influence of The Force in Return Of The Kids, and Dragon Phoenix Entertainment returning once again with the nimble performances of Shaun Charney opposite the ever-talented and graceful PeiPei Alena Yuan once more.
Click the play button and let the hits roll!
Time to wrap this up with a small grouping of some great cinematic shortform content, starting with multi-faceted actress and director Kristine Gerolaga in one of several entries from competing artists of YOMYOMF Interpretations 2.0. The project in question, Hit Or Miss, lands Gerolaga in the role of a female boxer whose training session immerses her deep into an internal battle of wills while mourning the death of her mother.
Voting expires on October 6, 2016 at 11:59pm PST following its open three weeks ago, so enjoy the shortfilm and be sure to head to the page and make your choice among those selected for the top 15 semi-finals.
Next up is a project that took me by delightful surprise from director Derek Pueblo for his latest short, Queens Part IV: Girls Just Wanna Have Fight. Social Media personality IISuperwomanII (a.k.a. Lily Singh) stars alongside the screenfighting prowess of actress and stuntfighter Jade Chynoweth for a little comedic action endeavor about a day in the life of two girls doing girl stuff…including fighting off a small army of sinister men in black.
McAllisterAction pair Braxton & Michaela McAllister (Riot, You May Now Kill The Bride) are the minds behind the brutal and dynamic arsenal that Chynoweth whips out on full display. More epsiodes may come through support of the channel while this Part IV installment marks possibly the first of a series as Michaela informed me last week, so we’ll see, and I’ll definitely be one to keep an eye out until then.
Last and far from least is a project that has long been kept off radar in the years since its 2013 Action On Film Festival. For this, we turn to director Robert Yahnke, hopefully not too far from his own feature debut while we pan over to Sport Karate Hall of Famer, martial artist, actor and stuntman Jessen Noviello in the new action comedy, Blowback, which follows a spy whose relationship woes expose him to an illegal arms dealer who wants him dead.
Also starring are Megan Brotherton and Alexandra Bromstad with action sequences by Steve Lambert (Revenge Of The Ninja, Ninja III: The Domination, Blind Fury).
Press play and enjoy the hits!
The Hit List is a weekly periodical we at Film Combat Syndicate host every Monday evening. You’ll find more like it in the subsequent links like here and therein and discover all you may have missed in the world of stellar independent action and martial arts on film. Check it all out and support the creators on their channels, and for all intents and purposes, if you or someone you know is a creator and performer equally as skilled or better, and has content you think deserves a spot in The Hit List, hit us up at filmcombatsyndicate@gmail.com!
THE HIT LIST – August 17, 2015
Well, Monday night has arrived and I pretty much consider myself well-rested seeing as how I ended up back in blogger-mode on Sunday night. Some days you burn out, and on others you just start clicking…it’s funny, really.
Anyway, with our return to the start of a new week, the Hit List is back just as well, lending nods to a meaty handful of stunt professionals every week in attribution to their hard work shown in reels and shortfilms alike. Alas, the new stunt reel playlist for the week is now up and running with reels by Donovan Sheehan, Boris Martinez, Marco Pancrazi, an awesome action reel by Raze co-star Allene Quincy, Jacob Sebastian Malm‘s latest reel featuring his Turandot stunt team from the summer in an illuminous new fire showreel, and actor David Sakurai in a new Vimeo-exclusive action reel of his own assembled from several of his recent action projects, including Dark Samurai and Echoes Of A Ronin!
David Sakurai Way of the Sword from サクライ on Vimeo.
Now onto more web content with some more specials, and if you were watching the last reel carefully, you may have recognized Andy Le who can also be seen among his principle team members at Martial Club in a new video up and running by Just Kidding Films where they learn all the ins and outs of Tricking. And if you know Just Kidding Films, you know your face is going to hurt plenty by the end. Enjoy in all it’s delightful laughs!
I seldom spot fan videos, although when I do, quite a handful of them present just the right amount of flair attributed to the respective works they acknowledge. It’s a case in no way dissimilar in actress and stuntwoman PeiPei Alena Yuan‘s latest love letter to martial arts action star Donnie Yen by way of the opening B-Boy sequence in Yuen Woo Ping’s 1995 Hong Kong action comedy, Mismatched Couples. Yuan also happens to be a dancer, and her credentials notwithstanding (i.e. Step Up 3D, Battle B-Boy), her talent speaks for itself. Watch and leasrn!
Now let’s get into some more action-oriented material with a nifty handful of trailers – one including some updated and rather crazy cool poster art as of late.
Aside from making other videos, Rising Tiger Films’s latest, Black Scar Blues, has clearly been a more concentrated effort at something larger in scale. The film is directed by Leroy Nguyen who stars along with Edmund Shum and Queen Sayat, and focuses on two drug traffickers whose bond of friendship is slowly eroded through a series of events when personal ambition, lust and greed get in the way.
Nguyen will be presenting the film later this year at the Urban Action Showcase and Expo in New York City for the last of its year-long festival run boasting a slew of laurels and accolades well-earned, including as recently as the past two weekends in California at An Anti-Hero Production Genre Film Festival and The L.A. Neo Noir Film And Script Festival. Hopefully by then, the short will be released on YouTube unless it acquires a decent on-demand or purchase platform beforehand. In the meantime, it’s got a fresh new trailer now running online with an updated poster, and once more, it has a quote. By me! And you’re welcome.
We also have a new behind-the-scenes featurette with Nguyen explaining the four year-long process in working up to the high creative plateau presented for the film’s final fight. Having seen it for myself, I have to say it really does deliver the desired effect.
Other trailers just beneath include the second promo for Dance Nocturnal creative Jyo Carolino’s new action short, I Am Spartan, Tokyo-based action actor Chuck Johnson’s upcoming surreal action comedy short, Fists Of Absinthe, and 3 Strands Of Rope Productions’s Assassin/Darkside, sequelizing actor Calvert David Miles’s 2014 awarded short, Assassin: Origins.
New short action vids are also circulating the web this week, and kicking this next leg off on the Hit List is League Of Legends themed short, Udyr’s School Of Kung Fu, initially released back in May from Art School Dropouts and Fighting Panda Productions. Actor and fight choreographer Joey Min leads this one and its one adding to his resume of years of awesome action shorts and films, which makes it all the more awesome and honoring that he’s now a part time contributor to Film Combat Syndicate to provide his perspective of action on film from time to time.
Check it out below as well as other new action projects this week, including Narayana Cabral’s Spy Vs. Spy with Angela Bend and Danielle Stahl, the long-awaited release, Grave Error featuring Darren Holmquist and the one and only Eric Jacobus, and…well, probably the sickest Mortal Kombat fan short you’ll ever see online..ever. And if you know RackaRacka, you know this ain’t gonna no PG-13 shit. So consider yourself forewarned!
Finally, a few new action shorts have also been unveiled this week in slightly longer duration. Azi Rahman’s cerebral action thriller, Drake is now online starring Cengiz Dervis in the role of a man trapped in his own mind amid spiritual battle with inner-demonic forces. The action is largely fueled by the music for a more dramatic affect so don’t expect any foley effects as the stuntwork is solely visual.
And last but not least, gladly continuing the vision of R-rated superhero fanfare with brutal and gory action sequences is the latest sequel offering from Workhorse Pictures, Storms Of Carnage: The Black Panther Unleashed Part 2. Actor and director D.A. Jackson reprises his role once more opposite K. Jackson in a story of espionage, betrayal and the moral paradox that arises when battling evil, ultimately pitting the Black Panther against opponents on both sides of the spectrum, humans and mutants alike.
Fans familiar with the source material may either love or hate this one depending on the viewer as these things normally tend to be slightly more controversial than intended (see Adi Shankar’s Power/Rangers). For what it’s worth though, this one has quite the admirable traits for something truly worth the enjoyment as it’s full of special effects, explosive action and dramatic intensity to accomodate the epic final fight between our embattled couple.
Twenty minutes and counting, folks. Press play and enjoy!
There is at least another short that I haven’t gotten around to yet as it’s forty minutes long and dated only by about few years, but I will share that one next week. For now though, if you have time to kill then last week’s Hit List may be worth your remaining minutes at the moment. Above all else however, do subscribe to the channels above, and if you or someone you know makes awesome, QUALITY action and stunt reels, films and shorts like these, send them to us at filmcombatsyndicate@gmail.com!
EXPLODING HEADS, TWONKERS AND ONE-LINERS: A Night Of Drinking With New Friends
From L to R: Joey Min, Sunny Smith, Jon Truei, Jon Cross, Eoin Friel, Edward Friel, and myself.
Once again, I’m dead tired after a night of drinking, singing and shitloads of banter with good people, and I haven’t had a wink of sleep either at that. Nonetheless, I’m compelled to write briefly about my evening on Friday, November 7, 2014; I could have went to see Why Don’t You Play In Hell? by Sono Sion, but to be honest though, I really wasn’t up for another solo trip to the movies, plus the people I was with had plans of their own while only in town for a limited time, and so Friday night was played a little loosely. Thankfully, nobody got displaced, and for the most part, we all clicked.
This weekend, writer and journalist Eoin Friel of The Action Elite had flown in from Canada to attend the Urban Action Showcase & Expo as a sponsor with his brother, Edward. Simultaneously, actress Sunny Smith, co-owner of the San Diego-based indie platform, Jabronie Pictures with Fernando Jay Huerto was in town on business as well, although I made the mistake of believing that when she got here about maybe a month ago it was as a permanent resident; I had known of Sunny through her online action shorts and her comedic performances with Huerto since roughly around 2005, and so in addition to meeting Eoin, I also decided to try and plan something for all of us before she left next week. Before we knew it, my friend Jon Truei, also a mutual friend of Sunny, was in the mix as well with fellow indie actioner and photographer Joey Min on THAT evening!
Like I said… a little loosely.
I arrived at The Edison Hotel near Times Square around 9:30 or so where Eoin and Ed were staying, and it turned out the two were at another restaurant just a few blocks away. I decided to wait a bit since I thought we would all meet at Edison, and eventually I would meet up with Sunny, and having only known her online, maybe one phone conversation and a few chats, I can honestly say she is exactly what her name represents! Seriously, batteries not included. She’s got a great personality, an even greater hug, and her energy is freaking fantastic! It was also fortunate in meeting her first and foremost seeing as how I knew she was coming out, and I felt like I needed to get her something. Luckily in my search to find the hotel when I nearly got lost, I found a corner flower shop and bought Sunny a rose, which she gladly accepted.
From there, she and I walked over to a place I had never been (of many, ironically being a New York native, lol) called Brasserie Athenee, a restaurant on 45th street where I finally met up with the Friels‘ where they were already dining with another new face to my growing universe of wonderful people, Jon Cross who contributes to his own site, After Movie Diner. We then struggled a bit to find out where to fit all of us for a total of at least six people which briefly turned into eight when Truei finally arrived with Joey, his son and another friend; I should add that I first learned of Joey through his contributions to Jabronie Pictures as well, along with his own projects hailing from Team FistyleZ then-based in New Jersey. It was pretty delightful to meet him for the first time on Friday. He was very nice and cordial, and we had a few laughs too before he had to leave just a few minutes after getting there.
Afterwards, it was just the two Jons‘, Sunny, the Friels‘ and myself, and we all went barhopping. I didn’t predict this at all and was hoping I had enough on me for the night, which wasn’t much. And as time passed, it was all downhill from there. We drank, talked of drinking, drank some more, we sang (very loud, which was not an issue), a hostess called Truei “sweetie” and we all poked a bit of fun at him there every now and then. Sunny and I ate great food as well – I had a pretty badass pizza at a place called Ironbar while Sunny had a kick-ass slice of brownie cake and a plate of cheesy Garlic Bread at an Irish pub we went to last called Langan’s, and it came with her own sick boat of dressing (ranch, I think); Mind you, I’m not exactly an alcohol connoisseur so I never really know what I’m drinking before I put it in mouth. Hence, I pretty much spent my night drinking Whiskey and a Jack Daniels on the rocks. While at Ironbar, I decided to down the whole thing of Whiskey for the first time in my life. And to say the least, I’m not dead. S’all good! 🙂
VS!!!!!!!
Anyway, throughout all three locations, we each had a good time. We talked films, took pics and video, proudly embarassed ourselves with our awesomely poor singing, Truei spent all night engaging us in Arnie one-liners while he and I sparred a bit for fun which Sunny thought was some form of weird interpretive dance or something, Cross shared some of his most exciting stories in stuntwork, while inventing the slur, “Twonker” in pure portmanteau fashion (to which I helped defining), and by the time it was all over, the majority agrees that Friday night was truly opportune for everyone involved. Eoin, Ed and Joey are some of the nicest fellas I’ve ever met, as well as Cross who happens to be one of the funniest lads anyone would be lucky to share drinking space with. Seriously, I may have lost weight laughing so damn hard…the man is a gem.
Truei was great to see and hang with as usual too with this being our fourth outing together this year, and each time we convene (as he once put it best), it’s always a party, and I am very greatful to have that affect. And last but way, WAY far from least, I can honestly see why Sunny‘s friendship with Huerto has endured so long with their partnership together at Jabronie Pictures, and I could go on for hours about how amazing, refreshing and inviting it feels to have finally met this talented, lovely and kind woman. (She’ll tell you easily, there aren’t enough adjectives to describe how great she is, and I tried. Hard.) She is a walking, talking gift in this world, and anyone who wouldn’t want to be friends with this woman in any capacity needs their head examined, promptly. And I don’t know his name, but kudos to her boyfriend for figuring all this out earlier on. You two have my absolute blessing!
As much as my blog is about film and all things action (or as much as I can keep up with, really), my blog is also a journal of my own personal experience in meeting people who make the very kind of films I like to watch. In turn, I’m glad to say that in part, that for as long as it has taken for me to meet them, these are people I am glad to call friends. And I hope to see more of this progress going into 2015 too, I like it. I really, really do.
On another note, I guess Why Don’t You Play In Hell will have to wait a little longer before I can grant it audience myself, but I can live with that. What can I say though? Luck o’ the Irish I guess!
Wait…what the hell was I doing with my leg?… Ah, nevermind!
GUN CALIBER Gets An Online Re-Release This August!
Soma Kusanagi may be your average miserable Smartball Parlor employee in Tokyo’s Old Town, but when evil rears its ugly ass on the Japanese Metropolis, he transforms into the Gunslinging Superhero, Gun Caliber and fights against the evil organization known as “Skulldier”. A group hell-bent on taking over Japan right after they finish their lunch break.
Growing Pains Pack A Punch In The New Indiegogo Promo For Webseries, FIGHTER'S HIGH
Interestingly enough, Ryons goes on to say a little more about how the latter actor, famously known for his prolific performances under several ‘Ranger’ iterations as the series character, “Tommy Oliver”, saying in part “…At first it was all about his fight scenes. To me, he really brought it in the fight scenes and I thought that he should have been doing martial arts movies back then. I did some research on him and his martial arts background and that kinda nailed it for me as far as studying martial arts and wanting to make fight scenes and such. I forever credit him as the reason ‘Fighter’s High’ was created.”.
Internal Chinese Kung Fu Delivers Artful External Brutality In The New Shortfilm, XING YI QUAN: APPLICATIONS AND TECHNIQUES
It was back in February in the early existence of Film Combat Syndicate that I got to share a dialogue with Hollywood stuntman, action performer and martial artist, Keith Min. A prominent member of LBP Stunts Chicago, much of Min‘s energy in martial arts is spent observing the core, internal philosophies of his teachings as an instructor in Chicago, trained in a variety of disciplines ranging from Baguazhang and Tai Chi, to his preferred style, Xing Yi, which can now be viewed in its cinematic aesthetic in the new kung fu action shortfilm, Xing Yi Quan: Techniques And Applications.
As I interpreted before in my informative and poignant discussion with Min back in February, Min‘s internal principles are what embody his vision to be able to implement his training with students in a simple but effective, and enjoyable manner to students of all types and sizes. Min expanded on the said “internal” benefits of his martial arts training, telling Film Combat Syndicate “Martial arts has really given me a way to condition my body and mind in very unique ways through various exercises, fighting techniques, and chi kung and meditation. I really appreciate the internal styles of kung fu because of how much they emphasize taking care of health. In my life, martial arts have taught me a lot about my outlook on life and how to deal with it.”
During our chat, Min also expressed the foundation of his teachings in Xing Yi, and detailed a little bit more in how he goes about instructing his students, highlighing strength, uniqueness and coordination, among other things. “My classes are Xing Yi which is a very powerful and direct style.” he says. “I teach how to use alignment and body mechanics along with great exercises for health and longevity.” He also added, “There is a big emphasis on full body power and coordination. I like arts like Xing Yi because its concept-based techniques have several applications. But I truly appreciate the way they take care of the body and aim to make it more healthy instead of just building raw strength for power…”
Filmed in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, N.Y. earlier this year back in March, Min earned the opportunity to formulate much of that concept for Xing Yi Quan: Techniques And Applications when he collaborated with New York-based independent filmmaker Jon Truei, and fellow New York stunt actors Kenny Wong and Cinematic Fight Studio’s own Lang Yip, Team FistyleZ’s Joey Min from New Jersey, and fellow action actors Jayson Soto and Matt Healey from Philadelphia and Connecticut, respectively. The new shortfilm is edited entirely in slow-motion, which doesn’t take away at all from the dynamic tone of the choreography and the editing, but augments it in a way that further justifies his credentials as one of the best in his respective fields, as a bonafide stuntman, stunt coordinator, teacher, and purveyor of the spirit in which Kung Fu continues to exist to this day.
Click HERE to read my interview with Keith Min. It is one of my earlier articles, and personally, I am very proud to both begin and end my first year as founder and editor of Film Combat Syndicate with a write-up about Min in a brand new body of work.
In addition, you can learn more about Min in the description of the video where you may subscribe to LBP Stunts Chicago for more awesome content. And also, check out some behind the scenes photos following the brand new shortfilm below.
Oldie/Goodie Review – Fight Clip: NO WAY OUT (2009)
The scene also features an intense soundtrack adding a sense of underlying drama to a clip that looks like its part of a much longer story. And in my opinion, it should have been. Joey is a 20-year practitioner of Shaolin Kung Fu, along with some training in Hyakkuken and Kyokushin Karate. His eight years of professional filmmaking after high school lend him much deserved credit as an action performer, as well as choreographer and director. Combined with David’s talents, in addition to Jon’s own training in Kung Fu, along with 5 years of Tae Kwon Do coupled with his 9 years of experience of independent filmwork, the following clip, although several years old, is exemplary of just how much true fans who love the action genre can generate quality product.