THE HIT LIST: March 19, 2018
Enjoy!
the hit list 2018
THE HIT LIST: March 12, 2018
Starring are Terrell Southwind Bullock and Vanessa Bontea shepherding the villain end of things opposite Raymond Blong with Soria presenting the fight action with Luis Orlando Candelario. Samuel is rejoined by fellow film cohort Robert Jefferson in penning the narrative with Eng Andy, Alan Goldberg, Oso Tayari Casel and Dr. Mark Wiley serving as executive producers.
THE HIT LIST: March 5, 2018
His latest installment with co-host Thy Dinh is already up and running featuring none other than actor and MMA star Cung Le as of February.
THE HIT LIST: February 26, 2018
I managed to wrap Yu Yu Hakusho over the weekend and now I’m wondering what anime should I take up next. For anyone with Crunchyroll or Netflix, you’re more than welcome to throw some suggestions at me via Twitter or on our Facebook page. So…have at it.
THE HIT LIST: February 19, 2018
If you at all enjoyed today’s entries, you can find plenty more by clicking here, and share the Hit List with friends as freely and liberally as you please. And, if you or someone you know has an equally smashing stunt or training demo, practice fight or even a project that needs either promoting or sharing, run it by us via email at filmcombatsyndicate@gmail.com!
THE HIT LIST: February 12, 2018
Welp, I made good use of my weekend with some great anime on top of work and a pair of reviews. Not much else really. Putting together the hit list was a bit weary since I couldn’t find anything in trailers or things of that nature.
L to R (top): Jade Xu, Brian Le, Cynthia Rothrock, Andy Le, Dana Rasmussen
L to R (bottom): Stefan Brysha, Sarah Purdum, Greg Poljacik, Lynn Jung, Jon Alagoa
However…there is still plenty to share in terms if content this week and thus, we have a fresh batch of stunt and demo reels to kick it all off courtesy of World Wushu Champion, actress and martial artist Jade Xu, followed by 3run’s Adam Brashaw, and stunt players Dana Rasmussen, Jackie Chan Stunt Team member Lee Huang, and Storm Freerun’s Lynn Jung with Greg Poljacik, Lana Katz, Matt Kennedy, Mallory Thompson, Stefan Brysha, Sarah Purdum, Jacob Hotovy, Sadiqua Bynum, John Jeffrey Arias and Heather Woods comprising the week’s stunt playlist.
Enjoy!
A lack of promotional bits can be a bit crippling. Here thankfully I have a little something to fill in the gap some, particularly for Cynthia Rothrock fans who might be keen on following her exploits on her official YouTube channel. She’s recently shared a small, albeit lengthy montage of classic action scenes from her career in Hong Kong action cinema with footage from Magic Crystal, Prince Of The Son, The Inspector Wears Skirts and more!
Fight scenery is where it’s at this week and we start with a small batch of CQC concepts led by Jay Kwon over at the Sloyerstunts channel, and German action wunderkind Mike Moeller doling out some sword practice gems while Rachel Star Withers trades blows with Jarvis Garvin in Seneca Jared Robinson’s The Pursuit and Daredrex Productions pits footwork and fightfare with Darren Holmquist and Spidey Turner. Soners Films’s Yakuza: Kiwami delivers the second of a twofer inspired by the popular Yakuza game from director and actor Jon Alagoa, Joseph Roark graces the screen with Chloe Gingold and dancer Johanna Seidel in The Ballerina and The Swordsman, Mickey Arce helms a tale of doomed romance in Pam from Lunar Stunts Action Cinema and Martial Club’s Le Brothers kick it old school in Dance Of The Drunken Mantis.
Last and far, FAR from least is a fantastic little jewel from stuntman and filmmaker Famisa Yusuf Elfajri with Ghaza Akbar as an ex-con out to get even against the men who framed him in Residivis. It’s subtitled as well so there will be plenty to comprehend per the narrative along with the impressive fight action to boot.
Once more, enjoy!
L to R (top): Mallory Thompson, Khai Thach, Lana Katz, Jacob Hotovy, Sadiqua Bynum
The Hit List will be back next week so if you have an equally awesome project or demo reel to share, link us at filmcombatsyndicate@gmail.com, and don’t miss last week’s entries either!
THE HIT LIST: January 29, 2018
My weekend was brutal. Very. Thankfully I managed to muscle through in time with at least one of several reviews and another on the way.
Top (L to R): Marie Marolle, Chris Romrell, Li Jing, Andy Long, Ilana Collins
Bottom (L to R): Alex Lopoka, Max Huang, Sophie Cook, Michael DeCamp, Haga Akihiro
The Hit List, quite the task in and of itself, is still a priority and all for everyone’s enjoyment, as well as my way of showing some of these amazing cats my own appreciation. That includes stuntwoman Marie Marolle out of Montreal and currently based in London or wherever in the world her career takes her next. I had a wee chat with hr lare last week and I’d say she’s pretty much one of the biggest highlights of my month thusfar.
Indeedy, Ms. Marolle goes first in the stunt reel playlist to kick off this week’s installation followed by reels from more of some of today’s amazing and rising stunt talent, including Haga Akigiro, Rad Floria, Ilana Collins, Chris Romrell, Kendall Wells, Megan Hui, Matthew Perry Smith, Jackson Rozario, Rachel Star Withers, Vinny Silva, YouTube food and travel personality Sophie Cook, Sari Sabella, Michael DeCamp, Alice Reitveld, Anton Gurynov, Mam Smith and a riproaring reel of stuntastic proportions out of Canada from UBCP/ACTRA.
Off to promote some gems and for this, we have a new pre-lim poster for upcoming martial arts webseries, Voyeur Killings. Production is expected to move forward as planned this month with director Brian Southers tackling the story of a martial arts master who wages a one-woman war on high-profile rich and powerful men who systemically abuse women, and with none other than actress and stuntwoman Anna Kristina Ranoso wielding her choice as indicated in the fresh new ink below.
As for teasers and trailers, our next playlist kicks off with work from actor/director multihyphenate Lee McGeough who has since sought apply his craft accordingly for the shortfilm proof of concept, Chinatown London. Stu Laurie scripts the narrative centered on McGeough in the role of Sean Brady, a lifetime gangster now seeking a way out of the underworld life when his boss’s son sets out to employ him. The proof of concept short is exclusively available on at Amazon’s UK portal with McGeough reportedly working on a feature film expansion.
The second and last trailer is the latest since the launch of a campaign late last year courtesy of Golden Horde Productions with upcoming webseries, Fatal Blades. Leandro Mayor Martinez and Tatjana Tatar star in the story of a young mobster on a mission to rescue his captive girlfriend from his vicious rival, played by none other than Shirzada himself. Shirzada and Tatar share directing and lensing duties, respectively, for an upcoming 12-episode series with two versions – one each for Chinese online streaming and for YouTube to hopefully start airing this Spring or Summer.
This week welcomes an opportune music break courtesy of hip-hop trio, Migos, whose frontman, Quavos chairs as helmer along with director Sing J. Lee for their newest music video release, Stir Fry. At six-minutes, this one is plentiful in its delivery for Migos fans and kung fu cinema enthusiasts with an ample set-up for an explosive second half brimming with fists and kicks of fury. Also featured among our performers are PeiPei Alena Yuan and Mami Spede Ito with stuntwoman and multi-award winning martial arts master Jing Li and stuntman Michael Lehr who choreographs the fight action next for stunt coordinator Vince Cupone.
Kai Young makes an encore presentation here at the Hit List to kick off the Fights And Films segment, and he’s joined by Alfredo Sanchez just before we hit up Ulrik Bruchholz in a fantastic fight clip he’s since shared freely from an unfinished project called Straight Blast, which probably would have had a little more Mike Moeller had things gone as planned. Mykola Galagan rings in some test fight action out of Ukraine, and out of Russia with a prison-style fight gem from XGST Stunt Team.
Daniel Nelson and Nasri Hashim trade blows in a boxing practice piece of their own before we head out to Texas where Benjamin Redic II and Robert Steven Brown have commenced a decisive light saber battle for the fate of the galaxy, and Jackie Chan stunt team member and noted Bleeding Steel fight coordinator Max Huang emerges with co-star Alex Schmidt circa 2013 with a Wheels On Meals-inspired Jackie Chan fight scene.
Jessica Wake dresses to kill in a late 2017 noir action short from Brandon Champ Robinson which also has Billy R. Smith starring while Anthony Javier suits up as the hero the world needs to defeat Bronson Cameron in the first part of a Kamen Rider-inspired twofer. Hannah D. Scott leads The Rescue in a reupload of an action short from director Federico Berte, Laurent Demianoff helms riveting and brutal fight drama in My First K.O. starring Alex Lopoka and John Medalin with action by Marc David, and Film Combat Syndicate favorite Andy Long loses himself in a fight-loaded trance eight years in the making with independent action auteur Vlad Rimburg and co. in Enter The Vlad.
Rounding it all out is a heavy dose of comedic action with a humble nod to a classic game. Shenmue: Yokosuka Blues engages what Rising Tiger Films and Team Red Productions bring to the table as Mishashi Goro (Leroy Nguyen) fends off the blues, as well as his an uprising from pal Ryo-san’s gang led by none other than Team Red’s own Joseph Le.
Enjoy the hits, folks!
Top (L to R): Rachel Star Withers, Michael Lehr, Joseph Le, PeiPei Alena Yuan, Alice Rietveld
Bottom (L to R): Robert Steven Brown, Kai Young, Vlad Rinburg, Temujin Shirzada, Hannah D. Scott
The Hit List is ready and waiting for you with weekly entries every Monday evening at Eastern Standard Time (U.S.). Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and feel free to connect to last week’s installment for more online gems of indie stunt action. Also, if you or someone you know has an equally badass stunt reel or action short project that needs promoting or presenting, contact us at filmcombatsyndicate@gmail.com!
THE HIT LIST: January 22, 2018
Putting this particular Hit List together became a little more fruitful than expect. Thus, expect this one to finish off deliciously with an explosive finale that will garner much of your respect and fandom.
Top: Dan Carter, Caitlin Hutson, Nik Pelekai, Katie O’Donovan, Felix King
Bottom (L to R): Nicole Marines, Pip Anderson, Mike Carr, Kai Young, Shai DeBroux
To start, as always, we have stunt reels to share to kick off this week’s entries and with none other than Caitlin Hutson straight blasting away followed by the stellar feats of German action actor Felix Fukuyoshi, Coulton Jackson, Katie O’Donovan, Kamen Casey, Nik Pelekai, Jen Bennett, Craig Putnam, Tully Bertorelli, Nicole Marines, Jim Sinclair, Shinji Ishigaki, Judit Szvia, Dallas Hille, Yannick Ghanty, Rochelle Okoye, Reon Van Der Watt, Blake Lindsell, Laura Sutton and Pip Anderson, and Ramazan Bulut’s latest work reel from Bullet Action Design out of Germany!
As far as promotional bits go, all I can tell you so far is that next to working on The Paper Tigers, Mark Poletti has been a busy fellow going into the new year and one project called Jack & Jill caught my attention via Instagram. Any and all nitty gritties are under wraps about this project but several posts on his page and that of actress Julie Zhan reveal quite the beating both characters appear to take in the footage being shot. Check out the stills just beneath this week’s latest look into Headhacker shortfilm helmer Glen Harris’s latest bid in ninja action with revenge thriller, Honour, with Mike Carr starring in footage you can now exclusively view below!
JJ Sneak Peak pt.1 – Just a liiiiiiitle sneak peak of what we’ve been up to for the past month! @dancejujudance ?: @mellylee_ ?: @bowmanmakeup New #Action #Shortfilm #comingsoon ! . . . . . . . #actor #director #actress #martialartist #actionfilm #lensflare #sfxmakeup #johnwick #jackiechan #kungfu #wushu #bjj #kickboxing #framez #Cinematography #Photography #setlife #setphotography #womenwhokickass #sneakpeak #drama #gh5 #djironin #hollywood #indiefilm #actorartistnerd #markpoletti
A post shared by Mark Alexander Poletti (@mark_poletti) on Jan 9, 2018 at 4:52pm PST
JJ Sneak Peak pt2. – This short is my directing debut. I honestly thought the process was going to leave me feeling like this photo… But the truth is – I really #dig it hahahaha ?: @mellylee_ ?: @bowmanmakeup ?: @luke_dejoras . . . . . . #actor #director #writer #framez #lighting #cinematography #mua #sfxmakeup #photography #setphotographer #shortfilm #indiefilm #actionfilm #martialarts #kungfu #boxing #jiujitsu #dowork #stunts #trusttheprocess #storytelling #a7r2 #a7rii #sony #makeup #createcontent #teaser #actorartistnerd #markpoletti
A post shared by Mark Alexander Poletti (@mark_poletti) on Jan 16, 2018 at 3:25am PST
JJ Sneak Peak pt.3 – @dancejujudance stepped up her action game and definitely leveled up since Cactus and #theblockfilm ! #badasswoman And I can’t not give enough kind words to Doug, and can’t wait to show you guys his take as our Villain ? ?: @mellylee_ ?: @luke_dejoras ?: @bowmanmakeup . . . . . . #actor #actionfilm #shortfilm #framez #photography #setphotography #bts #womenwhokickass #womenempowerment #breakingstereotypes #atomicblonde #martialarts #kungfu #bjj #taekwondo #karate #kickboxing #stunts #drama #director #producer #contentcreation #mountainbarproductions #sfxmakeup #colors #Cinematography #actorartistnerd #MarkPoletti
A post shared by Mark Alexander Poletti (@mark_poletti) on Jan 16, 2018 at 1:07pm PST
You should see the other guy. Look out for a new action project coming soon 🙂 Directed by @mark_poletti ?: @mellylee_ ?: @bowmanmakeup ?: @luke_dejoras #jackandjill #action #asskicking #jackiechan #ismydad
A post shared by Julie Zhan (@dancejujudance) on Jan 18, 2018 at 5:09pm PST
It’s time to throwdown something fierce this week and we begin with a plethora of test action demos firstly from Moon Ameen, followed by Daniel Nelson crossing blows with Ebony De La Haye, Dan Carter and James Newman fight for the title role of The Better Swordsman, Matthew D’Aoust and Mathieu St-Pierre tossing up the white stuff in Fight Or Flight, Hannes Pastor sharpening up his craft with a prop knife and stuntfighters Johann Foul and Jan Krauter and Samsul Ibrahim‘s Youtube channel now host to trio of performers amid a delightful Silat display heavily influenced from The Raid.
The playlist continues onward with Gee Lil’ Bomb Jay manning up as Rey for Kamen Ramen‘s most recent ode to Star Wars with Jourdan Barnett, Alex Dell’Aquila and Eric Fuchs, Ruben Maldonado smokin’ it up with Joseph Roark and Felix King, Priscilla Fontanez behind the lens with editor Kai Young throwing his weight in for a group practice action piece, and award-winning Rising Tiger Films in hard-hitting sequel form with Baddest 2.
The RackaRacka‘s Danny and Micahel Philippou square off with Orcs in a brutal pit fight club sponsored by WB Games for Middle Earth: Shadow Of War, actress and cosplayer Erin Haus batters-up in a Harley Quinn-inspired fan piece, Fernando Jay Huerto’s Better Homes And Villains invokes dark comedy about a failing superhero seeking self-improvement, and Bryan Sloyer wreaking absolute havoc on the sense with an action-packed and spiritually momentous tale of deep connection and thought in Capture with Jay Kwon, Kiera O’Connor and Shai DeBroux.
Last and WAY far from least is a John Wick-inspired damn straight kick-ass fan flick from AERI Productions out of Florida. Starring and directed by Steven Quach, Ebullition reads like the first of a series based on its thumbnail art with Chapter 1 as its subtitle, and with Quach starring as an underworld hitman whose life is turned upside down in a single tragic evening, forcing his hand. Bloody and ballistic retribution ensues with Quach also coordinating the action in a highly-energetic uplifting spate of kills and a twist at the end that will leave you curious. I loved this project and I hope Chapter 2 arises in due time.
Enjoy the hits!
Top (L to R): Rochelle Okoye, Leroy Nguyen, Kiera O’Connor, Steven Quach, Laura Sutton
Bottom (L to R): Daniel Nelson, Ruben Maldonado, Shinji Ishigaki, Felix Fukuyoshi, Joseph Roark
Don’t miss last week’s hits! They’re as much a must-see as any of these pieces and you’d be an awesome human being for sharing the Hit List with friends and subscribing to the wonderful and talented creators for your show of support. Also, by all means, if you’ve got a project as cool as these and it needs promoting or sharing, e-mail it straight to us at filmcombatsyndicate@gmail.com!
THE HIT LIST: January 15, 2018
We’ll still have more where that came from next week. Feel free to endulge in last week’s treats in case you’ve missed out and remember to SHARE the Hit List with friends and subscribe to the channels for support. And of course, if you or someone you know makes equally kick-ass content that deserves the eyes and ears of our Hit List audience, hit us up at filmcombatsyndicate@gmail.com!
THE HIT LIST: January 8, 2018
Frankly, I was getting used to being away for so long that I thought about foregoing The Hit List another week into the new year. Then I realized all these reels, practice fights and shorts that were emerging as I was collecting them were piling up on me and…well… I guess now its time to relieve myself some ?.
Top: Tanja Keller, Eric Watson, Sherry Rene, Tanguy Guinchard, Acei Martin
Bottom: Arman Ansari, Ryan Carr, Nathan Peoples, Samantha J. MacDonald, Stephen Koepfer
Alas, it’s 2018 on the evening of Monday, January 8 as of this post, thus, signaling the return of our aforementioned weekly column of said contents giving way to an audience for some of today’s top stunt performers and creatives.
First up is a prime offering of two Vimeo uploads by stunt professionals, actress Tanja Keller and stuntman Paul Varacchi. The stunt hits continue via YouTube playlist starting with Jackie Chan Stunt Team member and founder of his own stunt and film unit, actor and martial artist Andy Long who debuted last year in Vietnam with the action comedy, Luc Van Tien: Tuyet Dinh KungFu.
Stuntman and podcast host Ryan Carr continues this week’s full scale attack followed by reels courtesy of Sherry Rene, Jared Losano, John Nania, Acei Martin, Kent Lloyd, Jared Beaulieu, Taylor Castriota, Jonathan Mercedes, Bridgette Bentley, Stephen Koepfer, Lovel Johnson Jr. and Samantha MacDonald. Closing out the playlist are reels by Australia’s own Bluesanyu Films, Michael Yadvish’s New Jersey-based Yad-Fu Films, Art School Dropouts with a delightful, musical highlight reel of their previous year and Kamen Ramen Studios with an energizing wrap up of their own as well!
Actor and stuntman Aidan Pringle proved quite the hurdle in title form for the protagonist in Sean Kohnke’s 2017 action short, I’m Out Johnny. Not to be outdone by a one-and-done scenario though, Kohnke and writer/producer and cinematographer extraordinare Tanay Genco Ulgen have since already gotten the band back together for a second outing now titled I’m Out Johnny: Volume 2.0, for which he’s granted us a teaser brimming with Yakuza brutality to come.
Following that is an announcement teaser for upcoming action short, Omega Unit: The Last Option, from producing duo, actor and stuntman Jae Greene and director Mark Cheng who previously helped manifest Cheng’s featute debut, Ghost Source Zero. Also on deck is a trailer for Rising Tiger Films’s hotly anticipated Sony game adaptation shortfilm collaboration with Team Red’s Joseph Le for Shenmue: Yokozuka Blues, as well as a gripping teaser for Vanessa Wenzel’s Indiegogo-funded revenge drama, Auryon, from Prairie Kitten Productions, and Anthony Javier over in Winnipeg with a trailer for Kuya from
The Auryon poster is pretty fierce too!
And… at long last, we’ve reached the bottom of the hour with the first of this year’s weekly serving of stunt fights and shorts. FYI: I scrapped up a LOT of these between last month and now, and so I will be rolling them out as steady as I can with each week as the playlists accumulate. Quiet Flame Productions is the first to tune us in with a few seconds of fun from Chuck Johnson and a fellow by the name of Yutaka, followed by I AM WATER Stunts over in Texas with Robert Steven Brown and Benjamin Redic II trading a few blows of their own.
Rustic B. and Eric Shamm Watson keep the pace going with Assassin followed by a montage of fight practice clips hosted by LBP Stunts Chicago, and a pair of Kali-based packages first at Matt Philliben‘s YouTube channel, and second from Lauren Mary Kim’s fourth and newest entry this month in The Kali Diaries this time going head-to-head with Guro Marie Sia. Selwyn Huqueriza and Ed Mecate sharpen and heat things even further with a little knife action just before Spencer Mulligan cools it all off with a stormy new group piece featuring a cameo performance by that miserable bastard over the past week in the Northeastern U.S. known as Snowstorm Grayson.
Rapier Wit Studio is host this week to two practice fight clips out of Toronto before we pivot over to David Conk at Wolf Stunts for The Endangered with some elite performances by Eric Mbanda and Nik Pelekai, and then onto snow-covered scenery in Georgia for some more fight action by Lloyd Pitts and Ruben Maldonado. Following that is the continued work of someone who constantly continues to impress with his work, now adding Hand Over Fist to Bryan Sloyer’s stellar cinematic fight content with Kodaline providing the thematic, emotive musical backdrop.
Capping it all off is a slick, quality half-hour action comedy thriller from Team STAMA in the form of USB Protocol, a story centered on one man’s neck-deep troubles after finding himself in possession of sensitive material. Swiss action actor and stuntman Tanguy Guinchard leads the narrative for this one and you’re definitely going to want to dig into this bit of Swedish badassery.
Enjoy the hits!
Stay tuned for more where these hits came from and look for FCSyndicate on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Also, SHARE the Hit List with friends who love great action and stuntwork, and if you’re a creative or performer with something up your sleeve that deserves an audience, contact us at filmcombatsyndicate@gmail.com!
Top: Jared Losano, Bridgette Bentley, Lloyd Pitts, Taylor Castriota, Eric Mbanda
Bottom: Ruben Maldonado, Joseph V. Oreste, Lauren Mary Kim, Nik Pelekai, Sean Kohnke
Happy New Year everyone!