michael chen
Fisticuffs, Knives And Hammers Are Weapons Of Choice In The New Short, SmokeCity: BLOODLAND
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, before ultimately being taken down by its director, Adrian Lai, so he could revamp his channel and remaster the original edit. It was also a new step at the time for action coordinator Chee Hong and his stunt team, Low Angle Productions, who decided that this presented an opportunity to experiment with less flashier techniques to allow for more grittier and violent action sequences. To our delight, the result is what you see below, and it is well worth the eleven minutes of your time and appreciation as an action fan.
Plans for a second installation are already in the works with the hopes of casting female fighters, although it will take some time considering it is an independent production. But with any luck, SmokeCity 2 will see its fair share of brutal cat fights accompanied by some hardcore action design in the months to come.
In the meantime, by way of re-release, enjoy SmokeCity: Bloodland, and stay tuned for more info!
The Hunt Begins In The New Action Shortfilm, SECOND LIFE
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 action, we also see more characters in the mix (including that of the director himself near the end), all of which hint at multiple layers outlining a broader scope for a potentially bigger story than what is seen here.
And so what exactly does all this mean? Well, it could mean a webseries. But that is up to you and how much you will share and support this shortfilm, which you can now check out below.
To read my previous interview with James Lee, CLICK HERE.