reel time

Reel Time: MARINA VORUZ (2014)

More often than not, there’s always the usual shortfall of discovering a page with fundrasing campaign that has already ended for a project that looks like it would have been appealing to talk about had I caught the damn thing in time. That said, I want to help shed some light on something that really blew me away over the weekend. Meet Kyrgyz American actress, fitness model and filmmaker as of late, Marina Voruz whose brewing career in the last ten years here in the states will finally see her on the big screen as of next year. Meanwhile, she has also been busy working on her inspired new shortfilm, Blue Hope, a story about two lovers and assassins, Lana and Jack, who come to a deadly impasse when Lana finally re-emerges following her sudden disappearance long before. The project initially fell short on Kickstarter over the summer. Needless to […]

Reel Time: BRYAN SLOYER

Lee B. Golden III

Follow any number of independent filmmakers and industry stunt performers and you’re bound to come across some amazing gems attributed to action on film. Stuntman Bryan Sloyer is a purveyor of this craft in several facets, now well over a year into his growing career as a stuntman with a knack for Filipino martial arts and a passion for a place both in front, as well as behind the camera. If you haven’t subscribed to his channel yet, than his latest action reel should serve as reason enough. It contains bits from practice fights that are both available on his channel as well as others pending, and they’re all worth checking out at some point before you end up falling too far behind. Enjoy and subscribe!

Reel Time: SHAWN BERNAL

Lee B. Golden III

Actor, martial artist and stuntman Shawn Bernal recently unveiled his newest demo reel ahead of his latest interview with Film Combat Syndicate. A member of LBP Stunts Chicago, Bernal‘s craft is rooted most significantly in the independent film scene, having worked on several conceptual projects, some involving the collaboration of a handful of other teams from around the internet. Bernal discussed all this and much more about his career in his latest interview, which you can check out by CLICKING HERE. In the meantime, his newest stunt reel is now available below. .

Reel Time: DARREN HOLMQUIST (2014)

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I remember a time around ten years ago when MySpace used to be a thing, and I first caught wind of filmmaker Darren Holmquist‘s home videos and shortfilms. A little less than a decade later when I think about it, it still feel like yesteday, although Holmquist has improved his range greatly throughout his contributions to indie filmmaking, from designing sequences and evolving his style of choreography whenever he can, to expanding his performance capabilities with that of other teams and independent filmmakers. Soon as of this writing he will be based in Los Angeles where he’ll continue is craft and maintain his place on the map as a rising figure in the stunt and film business as more and more projects come to pass, including the upcoming Fall release of the new shortfilm, Rope-A-Dope 2. For now, you can subscribe to his current platform on YouTube for Dardrex Productions […]

Reel Time: NATHAN QUATTRINI (2014)

Lee B. Golden III

Independent filmmaker Nathan Quattrini has a brand new work reel now available on his YouTube channel. A purveyor of film and camerawork since 2007, he’s already directed a few shortfilms which have already earned some accolades in the film festival circuit within the last several years, including his 2009 Action On Film Festival award-winning short, Five Minutes Flat. At the moment now, Quattrini‘s main focus is cinematography, and he’s ready to fly out, network and connect with as many people as he can to provide his services, which also include fellow performers and filmmakers in the action industry. He especially attributes his love of Hong Kong action as a major contribution to his experiences and major lessons and motives in film. “After seeing Rumble in the Bronx, I always wanted to make a fight scene.” says Quattrini, “Then when I talked about making a short film with my friends, I […]

Reel Time: CUNG LE (2014)

Lee B. Golden III

While mixed martial artist and actor, Cung Le continues preparing to take on Michael Bisping for the main event this August at UFC Fight Night 48 in Macau, his training hasn’t stopped him from pursuing his prospects in the world of action cinema where he’s already making a name for himself around the world, one film at a time. And as timely as it is, his latest action reel comes off the heels of a recent mid-interview announcement last month regarding a possible return to the set with director Yuen Woo-Ping and action star Donnie Yen for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2: The Green Destiny, and talks for a role in director Patrick Hughes’s remake of the Indonesian 2011 crime epic, The Raid, to name a few. With two decades of film and professional atheticism to his name, Le isn’t one to overlook, but quite the opposite. My own intuition […]

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Reel Time: DON THAI THEERATHADA (2014)

Lee B. Golden III

Stuntman, fight coordinator and choreographer Don Thai Theerathada has been at it professionally for the last twenty-one years, having recently completed work for the upcoming releases of the Leitch/Stahelski co-directorial debut, John Wick, the August 8 release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and this weekend’s release of Transformers: Age Of Extinction. Some of his career highlights can now be seen in a newly cut reel on the official YouTube channel for California-based stunt training studio, 87Eleven, with several cool highlights of his work in recent years, including The Expendables 2 (2012), and alongside award-winning premiere stunt coordinator J.J. Perry for Bullet To The Head (2013) and Haywire (2012). There are other goodies in between, and needless to say, I can’t wait to see what else he adds to his resume. Surprises are aboud! Take a look!

ENSO Productions Presents: CRUEL WORLD

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been a while since we’ve last heard from the official YouTube channel for ENSO Productions as their members have likely been busy growing their respective careers, including independent filmmaker, industry stuntman and fight choreographer Walter Garcia whose work has been written about quite a few times on my site, as well as a handful of others in the last several years. He’s one of the most prolific action designers I know of and his online resume of shortfilms are proof of just how good he is behind the camera, as well as in front of it. You can now check out some of his latest work behind the camera right now in the new online test fight short, Cruel World, with Ryan Robertson and featuring fellow ENSO members Travis Gomez and Isaac Hughes. It’s only a few minutes long, but still makes for another artful presentation of solid fight […]

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Reel Time: KENNY WONG (2014)

Lee B. Golden III

Having first landed my sights on the West coast for all things related to action films and stunts, it’s still pretty cool to know that there are some folks who share my interests here on the upper East, including actor and stuntman, Kenny Wong. And this week, Wong has taken to the internet to showcase his latest reel. So, I spoke to him for a little bit this week, and I asked him what he enjoys most about performing stunts on camera. “I never stop training and learning new things in life,” he says. “I am much more aware about myself and being more assertive to improving myself as a person. And I don’t mean it in just the physical way. I’ve learned so much through the martial way, acrobatics, and stunts that it reflects back to my every day life that it grounds me. Sure it’s fun and I […]

Reel Time: RUSTIC B. (2014)

Lee B. Golden III

If you’re at all familiar with the freerunning scene, you might have heard the name, Rustic Bodomov (or Rustic B. for short). An aspiring athlete since the age of age ten, Bodomov is now an award-winning martial artist and self-taught traceur who has traveled select parts of the world to showcase his skills while also honing in on his craft as an independent filmmmaker. Now, a Hollywood stuntman and up-and-coming director at the age of 23, a there appears to be no sign of him slowing down while continuing to work his way up. Upon collaborating with other stunt and film professionals for the launch of the LA-based production group, Angelo Brothers as of last year, Rustic B. will be further stepping into the foray of film production and and production assistance, doing his best to inspire other ambitious new indie directors. In addition, you can expect to hear more […]

Reel Time: HEIDI MONEYMAKER (2014)

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This week, Film Combat Syndicate has a big treat lined-up for our readers that will feature an exclusive interview with two of the stunt performers involved in one of this Spring’s biggest comic book movie success stories, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It was a film I thoroughly enjoyed and one that our fellow contributor Darren Bailey loved as well, as indicated by his most recent review. Also lending her talents to the big action sequences in the film as one of the key stunt doubles for actress Scarlett Johansson’s character, Black Widow, is Taurus award recipient and stuntwoman Heidi Moneymaker whose latest reel can currently be viewed online, highlighting credits from the film, along with Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Sucker Punch, Street Fighter: The Legend Of Chun Li and plenty more you might be able to recognize if you’re an action fan. And if you’re also a fan […]

Reel Time: MICHAEL LEHR (2014)

Lee B. Golden III

Since the new year started, I’ve written quite a few times on some work recently released online featuring the action performance stylings of stuntman and actor Michael Lehr, a favorite of mine being his most recent test fight for LBP Stunts Chicago with stuntman Alex Hashioka. I’ve personally enjoyed writing about him, and needless to say, he’s got some amazing things in the works this year, particularly for fans of Hong Kong action and MMA, in addition to a few other things I will continue to learn a little more about in further hopeful conversations in due time (even I have to learn certain things in a timely fashion). I will say that I recently had the honor of taking an early look at one fan fight Lehr performed with another stuntman I have written about before, and honest to goodness, I know you will love it too. In the meantime, […]

Reel Time: TARA MACKEN (2014)

Lee B. Golden III

Photo Credit: James Lew, editing by @adoubleleye Back in 2012, long before I began acclimating myself in the stunt community via social networking and not yet learning who actress and stuntwoman Tara Macken was at the time, I got the chance to see director Gary Ross’s theatrical adaptation of the YA novel, The Hunger Games. It was a film that I thoroughly enjoyed and one I am glad to have seen as that particular franchise progresses its next three films, with Macken also credited in its latest sequel, Catching Fire. It is also a film I was happy to experience as an unforeseen precursor to starting my site and ultimately meeting Macken online, whose growing body of work can now be seen in her latest action reel now available on her YouTube channel in the embed below. Namely drawing her inspiration from characters such as Angelina Jolie’s lead role in […]

REEL TIME: LBP Stunts Chicago (2014)

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LBP Stunts Chicago has unveiled their latest reel for the new year. The group, which launched back in 2006, has progressively become one of the foremost leading action cinema purveyors of the independent industry, further credited by its often-occuring collaborations with other elite stunt professionals and newcomers over the years, in addition to its further venture into mainstream television, video games and Hollywood movies. With the team’s upcoming premiere united alongside a vast, prominent cast of performers for the upcoming release of The Stunt People member Dennis Ruel’s directorial debut, Unlucky Stars, rest assured, to simply say of LBP Stunts Chicago that the hits will keep coming would be a severe understatement. Check out their new video in the embed below and stay tuned for more information. You may also visit their official website by clicking HERE.

REEL TIME: Amy Johnston (2014)

Lee B. Golden III

The martial arts cinema community rallied when word got out that actress and Hollywood stuntwoman Amy Johnston landed a lead role in director Chris Nahon‘s upcoming international tournament action thriller, Lady Bloodfight. She fought actress Zoë Bell in Josh Waller’s new thriller, Raze, and is also slated to appear in Captain America: The Winter Soldier doubling for actress Scarlett Johansson, to name a few, and with more surprises to come, we now get to see a new reel this week showcasing Johnston’s latest montage of material from over the last several years. More surprises lurk in the near future action fans between now and this Spring, including Johnston‘s upcoming role in the latest Dragon Ball-inspired project from Robot Underdog, for which a trailer is expected to arrive in the very near future. On that note, check out the ‘Lady’s’ new reel in the following embed below where you may also […]

REEL TIME: Anthony Giovanni Elias (2014)

Lee B. Golden III

Photo: Officer Antonio Morrison Independent filmmaker and multifaceted action director and actor Anthony Giovanni Elias made 2013 his banner year with the launch of his Florida based film and fight choreography group, Team Genesis. And with 2014 here, Elias has a brand new reel to showcase a sampler of some of the work he has done since then. Some recent projects bearing his involvement include Warrenton Maxwell’s indie fantasy webseries, Zeus’ End, Gerald J. Godbout III’s urban action thriller, The Trade, actor and director Danny Vega’s directorial debut, A Dance With The Devil, a prequel webseries following the feature length release of Kelly Weaver’s independent thriller, The Awakening, and director Frank Figueroa’s new crime thriller, Room 236, all of which may arrive this year. Of course however, that won’t be all for Elias, whose potential prospects continue to look upward and beyond the independent level. Wanna know more? Feel free […]

REEL TIME: Hans Wikkeling (2014)

Lee B. Golden III

Time rolls on with a new reel from fellow rising martial arts stunt impressario San Jose, California native, Hans Wikkeling. A member of the multifaceted athletic sports team and brand, Hyper Martial Arts, Wikkeling established his own fan appreciation in the film genre embracing hit stars like Bruce Lee and Jean-Claude Van Damme, and has been a pursuant of martial arts since the age of 7 before spearheading his efforts in 2009 to make martial arts and stunts a career goal. Nowadays, he gets to share the same stage with some of the best in his field, collaborating with the likes of fight choreographer, action cinema expert and author John Kreng and action actress Michelle Lee for a College Humor action comedy skit released last week. In addition, Wikkeling has also spent the last four years in the good graces of stunt coordinator Arnold Chon, including kicking off the start […]