THE LAST SECRET OF THE FIRST EMPEROR: Johnny Tri Nguyen To Star In New Historical Vietnamese Martial Arts Thriller
Nguyen Phan Quang Binh will direct the film which is now selling at Cannes.
Johnny Tri Nguyen
Streaming Sleepers: CLASH, Vietnamese Martial Arts Action Not To Be Forgotten
With Charlie Nguyen’s The Rebel lending a face and renewed movement in Vietnam action cinema following the successes of Tony Jaa, Jet Li, and Jackie Chan in the decade prior, martial arts fans found themselves a new hero or two with Johnny Tri Nguyen and Veronica Ngo. The two burgeoning stars would reunite several years later for Le Thanh Son’s crime thriller, Clash (or Bẫy rồng), starring the two in a story of a mercenary who gathers a ragtag team to perform a series of dangerous tasks in order to reunite with the daughter she’s been restrained from by her boss, played by Hoang Phuc Nguyen. The story and acting both fare amply well for a presentable feature in Clash but the action is of utmost importance. JTN’s choreography is evenly paced and compliments the strengths of all involved, including actor Lam Minh Thang who plays the menacing Cang who […]
THE ART OF ACTION: Scott Adkins Kicks Up Next Week’s Epsiode With Johnny Tri Nguyen
Actor and action star Johnny Tri Nguyen (Da 5 Bloods) is still working in movies, though – and in my view – he’s less prolific than he should be at this stage long since landing hard and heavy fourteen years ago with a lead role in Charlie Nguyen’s The Rebel, and following suit with Thai thriller Power Kids, and Le Thanh Son’s Clash; I know for me the most fascinating turning point was when his 2013 gangster thriller, Cho Lon, got kiboshed by Vietnamese censors, only to end up leaked on the internet in its raw, unfinished form. It’s a shame, frankly. Having seen Indonesia rise to the occasion with a prospective action star in Iko Uwais for barnburners like Merantau, The Raid and The Raid 2 at the time, the momentum in Southeast Asia for trendsetting action on film should’ve been a huge benefit for Nguyen. With a resumè […]
A CASE FOR BETTER ACTION MOVIES – Character Study: Le Van Cuong From THE REBEL (2007)
The following is a version of a segment to a compilation article to which I contributed with other writers over at The Action Elite attributed to the top 60-70 action movie characters of all time, prior to its publication on February 9, 2015. CLICK HERE to read the first of the series to come this week and check back for more entries. Without question, the martial arts action genre has produced some of the most memorable idols and screenfighting personas of all time, with various regions sporting their own celebrities who have grown to accumulate immense starpower for their respective eras. Some are more shorter than others, but even a single standalone film can be a milestone achievement worth noting as a potential starter. Actor and stuntman Johnny Tri Nguyen is a prime example of this, with under a decade of acting stuntwork between Vietnam and America before landing huge […]
THE HIT LIST – January 19, 2015
Well, I finally did it! …Nope, I still ended up gathering a lot of videos. Most of these are reels, but it still makes for quite an ample list entertaining material. It’s amazing, sometimes…it really is. On that note…Ikimashou! Actress Kiki Sukezane has been around for about four years and she now has a few credits in television and film after traveling back and forth between Japan and the States. Of course, with the trade she pursues comes with quite a bit of training in screenfighting and action, even working on her craft for a while with Gun Caliber star/director, filmmaker Bueno who helped her put a demo reel together late last year. Take a look! Actress and stuntwoman Vera Lam has only been doing stuntwork for about a year and she’s already gained some momentum with quite a few previous AND upcoming TV credits. Her training with New York […]
Banned Vietnamese Action Film CHO LON Leaked Online, Investigation Now Underway
In a startling update for the dead-on-arrival Vietnamese martial arts gangster thriller, Bui Doi Cho Lon, Twitchfilm delivered a report this week that the film was briefly leaked online. As if the film being banned by Vietnamese censors wasn’t bad enough, director Charlie Nguyen gave a statement expressing his own sadness for how his film is being treated by online internet users. “Leaving the side the issue of BDCL being banned, or who leaked the film without considering the heavy losses to the filmmakers and the danger they face before the law.” he says. “I was totally shocked and deeply hurt as if someone had killed my child. This is a rough draft, not fully edited in the story, sound, light, color, special effects and composition. It’s a version that I never want anyone to see because it’s food that’s not fully cooked. But now I have to sit here […]
CHO LON Delayed Indefinitely
Twitchfilm is interpreting a recent report from Vietnamese news outlet Zing that the producers for the upcoming film, Bụi đời Chợ Lớn have failed to meet censorship requirements. Consequently, at the behest of the Evaluation Council Film Department, the team responsible for delivering some of the most fruitful martial arts action movies in recent years such as The Rebel and Clash is now forced to put the film’s release on indefinite hold or rewrite and reshoot as much of the film possible, prolonging the already set April 19 release of the upcoming action thriller and frustrating an already hyped fan base. The film’s official Facebook page has been on a serious promotional blitz since trailers started appearing online, displaying several behind the scenes photos, action photos, caricatures, behind the scenes reels and even a photoshoot for Elle Men. “Bụi đời Chợ Lớn” comes from writer/director “Truc” Charlie Nguyen and is […]
New Poster For Charlie Nguyen's CHO LON
Twitch unveiled the latest new and official poster for the upcoming Vietnamese martial arts gangster thriller, Bụi Đời Chợ Lớn (a.k.a. Cho Lon). From the team that brought you Clash and The Rebel, Bụi Đời Chợ Lớn is described as an epic gangster story that takes place in a town in Saigon, depicting the lives of four intersecting main characters played by Johnny Trí Nguyễn (who is also serving as action director), Hoàng Phúc, Long Điền and Hà Hiền in a 24-hour period. The film also stars Huỳnh Bích Phương, Hoàng Phi and Nhung Kate and will see a wide release in Vietnam on April 19, 2013. If you haven’t seen the English trailer yet, you can check it out below. (Click HERE if the embed fails to load).
New Trailer For Charlie Nguyen’s CHO LON Now With English-Subs
A new English-subbed version of the trailer for director Charlie Nguyen’s latest gangster action drama, Bụi Đời Chợ Lớn (a.k.a. Cho Lon) is now available on YouTube. From the team that brought you Clash and The Rebel, Bụi Đời Chợ Lớn is described as an epic gangster story that takes place in a town in Saigon, regarding the events between four main characters played by Johnny Trí Nguyễn (who is also serving as action director), Hoàng Phúc, Long Điền and Hà Hiền in a 24-hour period. The film also stars Huỳnh Bích Phương, Hoàng Phi and Nhung Kate and will see a wide release in Vietnam on April 19, 2013. (View the trailer HERE if the embed doesn’t work)
The New Trailer For Vietnamese Actioner “CHO LON” Is Here
The new trailer for currently titled “Bụi Đời Chợ Lớn” (or Chợ Lớn – formerly titled “Chinatown Gangs”) from the team that brought you “Clash” and “The Rebel”. Produced by Jimmy Pham Nghiem and directed by Charlie Nguyen, Bụi Đời Chợ Lớn is described as an epic gangster story that takes place in a town in Saigon, regarding the complex relationships between four main characters played by Johnny Trí Nguyễn (who is also serving as action director), Hoàng Phúc, Long Điền and Hà Hiền. The film also stars Huỳnh Bích Phương, Hoàng Phi and Nhung Kate and will see a wide release in Vietnam on April 19, 2013. View the trailer below, and stay tuned for an update on the synopsis of the film.