martial arts

Hadokens, Wigs And Hurricane Kicks, And More In The Latest Q & A From STREET FIGHTER: ASSASSIN'S FIST Lead Actor/Creator Christian Howard

Believe it or not, we could very well be days away from the forthcoming online release of director Joey Ansah‘s passioned contribution to Capcom’s famed Street Fighter franchise with the series, Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist. After all, we have been hinted at an April release, so I am sure Ansah and the folks over at Machinima would not go so far as to push the date back at the last minute for any reason. So, indeed, the series is coming. In the meantime, we are now being offered the third in the latest slate of Q and A videos by the series actors and creators, with actor, series co-writer/ creator and action choreographer Christian Howard who stars as Ken Masters in the new series. In the video, Howard intricately answers a long range of questions regarding his training and his love for the original game, as well as the challenges […]

Every Hero Has A Beginning In The Latest Promo Image For RISE OF A LEGEND!

Lee B. Golden III

There are a few classic kung fu movies that are poised to return as remakes, namely director Roy Chow‘s forthcoming reimagining of prolific kung fu master and healer, Wong Fei Hung in the new film, Rise Of The Legend. And on the heels of the film’s recent unveiling at this year’s Hong Kong FilMart, we now have a new promotional image for the upcoming film, this time featuring Unbeatable co-star, lead actor Eddie Ping in the classic role, which you can look at below. Other previous versions have earned their own historical acclaim far and wide in the past century, with names such as Kwan Tak Hing, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Angie Tsang, so Chow‘s version will undoubtedly be a testament to see if a newer version can deliver the goods in a unique way offers a fresher vision for a new generation of kung fu fans. The promo […]

THE RAID 2 Director's Next Martial Arts Movie To Film Back-To-Back With THE RAID 3

Lee B. Golden III

Photo from ClickOnline by Jack McGlynn (2013) Lately it feels like I cannot go a day or a week without talking about writer and director Gareth Huw Evans and his latest film, The Raid 2. Pure hype and excitement, followed growing impatience and total anxiety would be a good way to state how things have been for fans in the last nine months since the film wrapped principal photography and four months since Evans, joined by lead actor Iko Uwais and other select cast and crew members began touring the world over to promote the film. Fortunately after two weeks of limited releases, loyal fans including in North America, the U.K. and abroad will finally get to see the film starting this Friday, with further dates and locations to follow. And with all the praise the film has thusfar received in light of all the talk there has been about […]

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Film Of The Week: MAN OF TAI CHI (2013)

Lee B. Golden III

SYNOPSIS: In bustling Beijing, China, ambitious young “Tiger” Chen Lin-Hu (Tiger Chen) works as a lowly courier; but after work, he is a young martial arts star, rising through the ranks representing the Ling Kong Tai Chi tradition. Though most associate Tai Chi with peaceful, yoga-like movements, Tiger has perfected the ancient art and started to make a name for himself in the prestigious Wulin Wang martial arts championship. Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, police investigator, Suen Jing-Si (Karen Mok), who works for the organized crime unit OCTB, has run into a wall in her pursuit of Donaka Mark (Keanu Reeves). Donaka is a powerful Hong Kong businessmen who runs a secret underground fighting ring, where cold hard cash is made by defeating one’s opponent in a no-holds barred fight privately broadcast to wealthy patrons. Looking for a new “star,” Donaka tries to lure Tiger with the promise of easy money. […]

Share Your #BerandalReaction To Hangout With THE RAID 2 Cast And Crew!

Lee B. Golden III

Writer and director Gareth Huw Evans‘s new smash hit, The Raid 2: Berandal is rolling out very slowly and gracefully since its official kickoff last week on March 28. The film is officially opening nationwide in the North America, the United Kingdom and other parts of the world this Friday, much to the delight of action fans who have been reading more and more upworthy reviews about the film that has garnered the attention of action fans everywhere for an industry in an area of the world thay is just now emerging on a much larger scale. To celebrate this occasion, the cast and crew of the film are hosting a Google Hangout for participants to partake in on the evening of the release. The official instructions are below, as well as the official event page which you can access by CLICKING HERE. And if you need further motivation, the […]

KUNG FU Moves Forward At Universal And Legendary

Lee B. Golden III

Producers Jon Jashni, Scott Mednick, Thomas Tull and Vincent Newman are reportedly looking for a new director to help revamp current efforts to bring the classic martial arts TV series, Kung Fu, to the big screen. The news comes accompanied by reports on Friday that after several years of lingering announcements, Universal Pictures and Legendary Pictures are officially moving forward with the project. The name refers to the original ABC television series that ran from 1972 through 1975 which starred late actor David Carradine as Kwai Chang Kaine, a shaolin monk who initially ventures out to the 18th century old West in search of his brother. The series was then followed by two feature films and a spin-off television show titled Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, co-starring Chris Potter. In an interview last year, Bill Paxton stated he was attached to helm the picture following an announcement in 2011. Friday’s updates […]

GARUDA POWER Presents A Cinematic Look Into Indonesia’s Long Legacy Of Making Kick Ass Movies!

Lee B. Golden III

While developments continue to linger for veteran Indonesian thesps Billy Chong and Barry Prima for the previously announced production of Garuda 7, the two prolific actors will be among a handful featured in Shaya Production’s latest documentary currently in post-production titled Garuda Power. The new documentary comes just off the heels of the spectacular success of director Gareth Evans’ latest thriller, The Raid 2, and aims to further explore the world of Indonesian action cinema, an industry that has produced hundreds of action movies dating back to the 1930’s. Twitchfilm founder and editor and XYZ Films producer Todd Brown forwarded latest detailed press release for the new documentary which is now in post-production under director Bastian Meiresonne and producer Julien Thialo. THE RAID 1 & 2’s success put worldwide spotlight on a largely unknown Asian Cinema country; few people know that there are currently 80 movies produced per year and […]

Baseball Bat Man Beats The Competition In A New Clip From THE RAID 2

Lee B. Golden III

The Raid 2 was one of the best cinematic experiences of my life. And I am seriously not kidding. And with any luck, we will see more of these actors back on the big screen in a much major way, including actor Very Tri Yulisman who steps out to cause his own brand of trouble in the latest new clip from the film. Written, edited and directed by everyone’s favorite filmmaker, Gareth Evans, Yulisman stars alongside actress Julie Estelle who play two lethal, uniquely gifted killers, brother/sister duo Baseball Bat Man and Hammer Girl, out to enact an agenda driven by a notorious gangster who plays an important role in the challenges lead actor Iko Uwais will face as he sets out take down Indonesia’s intense network of mob activity and police corruption. The question remains however. ..does it end there? Well, with a third film on the way, it […]

Japanese Angels Aim High In The New International Poster And Action Promo For HIGH KICK ANGELS

Lee B. Golden III

Writer and producer Nishi Fuyuhiko and director Yokoyama Kazuhiro spent a good amount of time since late last year teasing training footage for a new group of actresses starring in the current production of the latest in High Kick fanfare for Japanese action fans, High Kick Angels. We have have also seen a few photos from the set, as well as a recent Ip Man-dominated promo mashup of footage for film, which had a certain desired affect as a pitch to fans of martial arts cinema, despite still being a teaser of sorts. This week, that all changes with the exclusive presentation of the new international poster and an impressive new action promo with all the High Kick action one could ask for, with an official domestic premiere date set for June 14, 2014. High Kick Angels so far lists actress Ito Risako, along with Karate champion Kanon Miyohara, Kyokushin […]

Fisticuffs, Knives And Hammers Are Weapons Of Choice In The New Short, SmokeCity: BLOODLAND

Lee B. Golden III

For Michael Chin, the only way out is to fight his way out in SecondCity: BLOODLAND! It was just last week that action fans like myself got to witness actor and martial artist Michael Chin in the latest action release from Doghouse 73 Pictures for Malaysian director James Lee’s pilot shortfilm, Second Life. It was an impressive introduction, at least for me as I was just learning about Lee’s new production platform. However, it was also not Chin‘s first stint in cinematic action as his career harkens back just a little earlier with one piece dating back to 2012 in the form of the new shortfilm, SmokeCity: Bloodland, a story of two petty criminals who find themselves way in over their heads when confronted by the men responsible for the crime they are helping commit. The shortfilm was actually aired back in late 2012 after filming in September that year, […]

Darkness Is A Ninja's Ally In The New Shortfilm, ASSASSIN

Lee B. Golden III

Netizens are well on their way to witnessing several independent filmmakers delve into live action production inspired by beloved Japanese classic anime and manga properties, with one of the most popular being Dragon Ball Z. Such is the case with writer and director Mariusz Scislowicz whose work can currently be viewed on his official page for the project HERE. On that note, after kicking off his latest venture into the action genre with a screening earlier this year for his latest experimental martial arts action shortfilm, Assassin, featuring actor David Cheung, Scislowicz recently unveiled the new shortfilm through his YouTube channel below. And if you are into ninja heroics and gritty action capped off with some gruesome kills, then this is a nice little indie gem which should satisfy. Plus, I’ve talked about some of Cheung’s work before, and needless to say, he’s quite talented and worth looking out for […]

Actor Mike Moh Talks Ryu For STREET FIGHTER: ASSASSIN'S FIST

Lee B. Golden III

Action fans and gaming netizens alike drew tons of excitment when the first official teaser aired just a few weeks ago for the upcoming online release of the new webseries, Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist. And with an official announcement still pending for its release date on the multi-programing YouTube platform, Machinima, a new solo Q&A was broadcast to the public featuring lead actor Mike Moh who stars as Ryu, where he talks about the casting process, the challenges he faced to assume Ryu’s physical traits, martial arts skills, and much more. The video is a great follow-up to our own interview hosted by my contributor Eric Watson back in December late last year, as many questions fans have been asking can now be observed with just a pinch of more detail before the series officially releases. As for a few preliminary highlights, Moh gives an epic answer to one question […]

EMC Channels Gareth Evans For The New Fan Fight Short, THE RAID: EMC RENDITION

Lee B. Golden III

In the final hours on the eve of the official limited premiere of acclaimed producing/writing/directing powerhouse Gareth Evans’s new film, The Raid 2, the team over at EMC Monkeys have put out something very special to mark the occasion in the form of their own special independent fan contribution simply titled The Raid: EMC Rendition. Shot in the course of three days, the new short is just one of several, highly popular contributions to Evans’ vision within the last few years, most recently preceded by the stellar efforts of independent filmmaker Vlad Rimburg for his inspired short, Hammer Girl. This time, we are re-introduced to the screenfighting presence of fellow stuntman and action actor, Bryan Sloyer, who has been making some exceptional headway in the world of indie action this year. Sloyer joins longtime EMC member, Tony Sre who choreographed and directed the piece. And what we get is not […]

Watch The New Trailer For TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

Lee B. Golden III

Recent years have illustrated a pretty big, criticism-dominant mixture of reactions by fans toward producer Michael Bay’s latest backing for director Jonathan Liebesman‘s new take on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. And indeed, a lot has happened since the classic characters were initially brought to life in 1990 with a film that remains, for devout fans, the best of the entire original film trilogy. Nearly two decades later, and despite having to overcome a series of push-backs, script issues and fan rage regarding a leak of an original former draft that once saw the turtles as “aliens”, advancements in filmmaking technology through performance capture now grant filmgoers, our heroes are brought to life through a CGI-heavy reimagining that grants fans of the popular franchise a more inclusive, fresher and spectacular look for our heroes. In addition, recent reports also reveal what has been described as a slight revision of the […]

The Hunt Begins In The New Action Shortfilm, SECOND LIFE

Lee B. Golden III

Following a trailer just unveiling last month, filmmaker James Lee unveiled his newest creation in the form of the action packed shortfilm thriller, Second Life. The project is one of several embody the workload highlighting the recent launch of Lee‘s independent film production and entertainment platform, Doghouse 73 Pictures, which already contains an impressive resume of shortfilms and ambitious new works spanning science fiction, romance, horror, and of course, spectactular screenfighting action. Presenting signature stunt coordination and fight choreography by Low Angle Productions, Second Life is Lee‘s latest foray into action, exploring Western-stylized and conventional martial arts choreography after working on the 2012 action flick, The Collector. Here, the format hosts two parallel scenarios illustrating their own elements of mystery, suspense and danger, featuring initial performances by actress Charlene Meng and actor Michael Chen, with actor Michael Chin leading the way for the second act. And on top of the […]

Wanna Know Where And When You Can See THE RAID 2 In America? Look Here!

Lee B. Golden III

(Movie joke alert) I can only imagine how badly filmmaker Gareth Evans wanted to use actor Gary Oldman’s voice for the last tweet at the very bottom. Nonetheless, the action cinema world’s most favorite film director as of late has kindly taken to Twitter to see to it that the rest of us will know when and where we can catch his latest film, The Raid 2. The world is already buzzing about the film, and I’m pretty sure that I’m not alone when I say that our collective patience has reached a fever pitch. So, not to sound monotonous or anything but… I can’t wait to see this fucking movie already! Folks in US… here’s your list of cinemas in NY & LA playing The Raid 2 from March 28th! pic.twitter.com/RHecKeyflB — Gareth Evans (@ghuwevans) March 23, 2014 Then from April 4th – we spread out a little… #TheRaid2 […]

EuropaCorp, Fundemental Team Up For Besson's Next, WARRIOR'S GATE

Lee B. Golden III

Things seem to be cooking for a while now for Luc Besson and his production company Europacorp going into 2014 with a few films releasing this year, including Brick Mansions and the August release of Besson‘s newly completed sci-fi action thriller, Lucy, featuring Scarlett Johansson. The company has also been busy formulating its partnership with Mark Gao Jingdong over at Shanghai-based film production and sales company Fundemental Films, with plans to produce and release a batch of new films, notably including the new Transporter trilogy with actor Ed Skrein that was announced in the summer of last year. The subject of such a partnership came up in an article written as recently as nearly two weeks ago in which Clifford Coonan over at The Hollywood Reporter discussed co-production status as a means for overseas film productions to get access to the mainland and make more money without being hindered by […]

THE RAID 2 Bludgeons The Internet With A New Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

IGN hosted a brand new “internet-exclusive” trailer for anyone and everyone waiting to watch The Raid 2 when it comes out starting in limited releases beginning next week on March 28. There’s some new footage in it that you might not have seen yet unless you’ve been to a film festival or two this year, and probably more than you might be willing to see unless you don’t have an issue spoiling yourself just a teeny bit. Hell, I said it before and I’ll say it again: I can’t wait to see this fucking movie already. SYNOPSIS: He thought it was over. After fighting his way out of a building filled with gangsters and madmen – a fight that left the bodies of police and gangsters alike piled in the halls – rookie Jakarta cop Rama (Iko Uwais) thought it was done and he could resume a normal life. He […]

Christian Paolo Lat Is A One-Man Stickfighting Army In The New Shortfilm Trailer For ESKRIMADOR

Lee B. Golden III

Filipino martial arts have always been a tried and true application to martial arts action cinema, and such happens the case with the latest trailer for independent filmmaker Jelani Kim L. Maniago‘s upcoming dramatic action short, Eskrimador. Starring Chrisrian Paolo Lat, the new project started about a month and a half ago in collaboration with Maniago, as well as stuntfighter, performer and fight choreographer Eulver Presto, and a handful of other students from from the International Academy Of Film & Television near the city of Cebu. Not much is known about the plot here, but based on this week’s new trailer, Eskrimador could very well be one more treat to enjoy from the online action community. One guy armed with two Escrima batons taking on five skilled guys armed with similar knowledge on martial arts weaponry? I’m down with it. And with any luck, we will see more of it […]

Meet THE RAID 2 Director And Cast In New York City!

Lee B. Golden III

The upcoming release of the action crime epic, The Raid 2 has the world of martial arts fanfare buzzing this year, and that trend continued its way to SXSW in Texas on Monday just this past week when the film was supposed screen. The screening, hosted by the film’s writer and director Gareth Evans and the cast and crew, evidently was held twice the following day, and only because of a minor glitch during Monday’s attempted screening. So instead, Evans put on a stage show featuring the film’s lead protagonist and villain, played by Iko Uwais and Cecep Arif Rahman, which you can check out below. Earlier screenings and events are still taking place in select territories throughout the globe as the film approaches its New York and Los Angeles release dates on March 28 following its wider release on April 11. As such, if you live in New York […]