New Street Fighter: Legend of Chun-Li teaser trailer

Reporting from Buenos Aires, here is the teaser trailer for Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. Looks better than expected. Director Andrzej Bartkowiak has seemingly pulled off another low quality, but still totally rockin' action flick. I'm definitely more excited after seeing this.




Source: AICN

Street Preacher op-ed, 12/24/2008

The Street Preacher makes his way to Buenos Aires

The main reason I've been so busy apart from finals and the holidays in general is that I've been preparing to go to Argentina for a little under a month's time. With that in mind, this blog might temporarily go stagnant, but as always it will be back better than ever; in other words, I won't give up on you!!! (or, rather, probably just myself, but anyway...)

Without further ado, here's a few news pieces I've wanted to touch on but have been too lazy to do so:

First, the cornerstone of this blog--Sylvester Stallone's future project, The Expendables, has confirmed the additions of Forest Whitaker and Randy Couture. Is this going to be one of the greatest action movies ever? I dare say it will. Stallone said the reason he added Couture was to help boost his stock, or rather, make him more famous. And well, as tacky as that may seem, I really hope it pans out. Couture has struggled through a variety of projects from Cradle 2 the Grave, a direct-to-dvd Scorpion King sequel, and the successful third entry in the Command and Conquer: Red Alert series, and it's my opinion that he deserves some recognition as something other than a fighter. He can act competently enough for action standards, and The Expendables will really be his test, if not last chance, at an action movie career. More power to him.

And nothing needs to be said about Forest Whitaker being added except that he's pissin' on us, he's pissin' all over us, and you know what it tastes like? It tastes like piss!

***Update*** But wait, just when you thought it couldn't get any better. A rumor from AICN:

Bullock might be reteaming with Sly for his awesome sounding ensemble action flick THE EXPENDABLES. They hear she's up for the role of a government agent who is partnered with Forest Whitaker in tracking down the hired guns (Sly, Jason Statham, Jet Li and Dolph Lundgren) on a mission to take down a dictator. They say the talks are happening, but it's not a done deal yet.

(Giddy 'OMGs' and untimely excitement) I think I have to catch my breath on this one. This may be the greatest action ensemble ever. The Dirty Dozen? Well that's EXPENDABLE.


Moving on, here's a movie I've been really looking forward to. Steven Seagal's Against the Dark, where he plays 'Commander Tao,' taking on a legion of zombie-vampire werewolves, or something, it doesn't really matter:




Nothing more to say there. So, moving on, one tidbit I wanted to touch on was the original casting of Nicolas Cage in Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler. Now, I haven't seen the film, and I'm not even a fan of Aronofsky, but I'm assuming it's pretty good considering the swell of praise surrounding it. According to almost every review, it hinges on the 'career-reviving' performance of Mickey Rourke, which I'm guessing is just as legit. In some article I read that Nicolas Cage texted Aronofsky or something to reiterate this point immediately after seeing the film. Well, no shit. Nicolas Cage couldn't play that kind of part if he tried. Now, I've learned to tolerate and even love Cage in some contexts, from the good (Raising Arizona, Wild at Heart, Leaving Las Vegas, Adaptation, Matchstick Men, Grindhouse) to the mediocre (Bringing Out the Dead, Gone in 60 Seconds, Lord of War) to the flat-out bad (Con Air, Face/Off, The Wicker Man), but he's rarely if never a 'good' actor. I just can't imagine Cage being washed up and gritty. It just doesn't work. The article also mentioned that the budget would've skyrocketed if Cage had been cast. Ridiculous.

Anyway, since every critic makes their "top-ten lists" or what have you, I thought I should at least join in the fun. The only problem is, unlike '07, I haven't seen like any of the important films this year. So, instead I'm going to make a top three list. A little more managable, eh?

1. The Dark Knight
2. J.C.V.D.
3. The Midnight Meat Train

Honorable Mention: Tropic Thunder

That was predictable enough. The Dark Knight was, is, and will be the cinematic event of the decade. It's going to take a lot to top it. J.C.V.D. is a film about my favorite action star playing himself, so the choice was inevitable. And thirdly, The Midnight Meat Train is the first straight-up 'old-school' horror film I've seen in years. Not even The Descent was as effective as the Meat Train, and if you haven't already I suggest you see it immediately (it might still be on Comcast on Demand, or other cable services, and the DVD will come eventually). Tropic Thunder tried really hard to be the Americanized Hot Fuzz, and even though it didn't quite reach the level, you have to give Stiller and Theroux credit, as well as Robert Downey Jr., Tom Cruise, and even Matthew McConaughey for their simply amazing comedic performances.


A quick note on the YouTube channel: It's coming down to the line whether to upload the videos in some abbreviational code for the blog or to broadcast them openly to ring in potential readers. I've still been amassing videoes behind the scenes, I just can't decide what to do with them, though I'll make up my mind soon enough. In the meantime, be sure to check out my Action Reaction advertisement on the sidebar--YouTube compressed the sound or something so the song sounds kind of hollow (it seems to lack the original bass), but the video still works. I'm very proud of it.

I can't promise the holiday deadline, but I can promise an eventual return. I'm overly swamped as I previously mentioned, so it's gonna have to wait 'til post-Argentina.

Anyway, I might see the new Punisher movie on Christmas for what my friend Cullen calls "a very Punisher Christmas." If I do, a review will soon follow. That's all for now.

~ teh Street Preach out!

Review: J.C.V.D.

Jean-Claude Van Damme stands trial in J.C.V.D.

You can make all the comparisons to Dog Day Afternoon, Being John Malkovich, or whatever else you want, but J.C.V.D. remains quite the original piece of work, and especially for titular, "international action star" Jean-Claude Van Damme. Relative unknown Mabrouk El Mechri, a team of writers, and Van Damme himself craft an incredibly ambitious, definitely uneven and flawed—but ultimately rich film. And if for nothing else, J.C.V.D. should be recognized for what it's really about: Jean-Claude Van Damme and his literally once-in-a-lifetime performance.

The film opens with a ridiculous, one-shot action sequence--ineffective as a parody but ironically remarkable for its action. In a great moment, Van Damme flops onto some of his victims, pretending to be one of them. The title, "J.C.V.D." appears above him, not spectacularly but subtly—a move which accurately sets the tone for the rest of the film. A lot of the humor in the film is either subtle or simply off, making for a disappointing lack of laughs. But where J.C.V.D. succeeds is in its drama—not its tension, per se, but in its down-to-earth old-school emotions, frankly put. Some scenes, from watching Van Damme's daughter testify to him speaking with his mother, are almost hard to sit through, but nothing is forced in our face, and we instead can sit back and watch as Van Damme struggles through a series of very real issues. "I want my fucking money!" he shouts at a bank teller in another tough scene, and well, after this film, he deserves it. The most powerful sequence is Van Damme's already renowned 6-minute monologue, which I won't spoil anything of, but the ending also warrants a lot of praise (I won't spoil this either, obviously).

As to the aesthetics, the seemingly God-awful color palette of the trailers is actually kind of homey, and it wore on me, at least. The non-linear, poor-man's-Tarantino storytelling is not quite perfected, but it works well enough, and one's able to follow it. The camerawork, like the film as a whole, is ambitious—sometimes tacky, but sometimes wondrous—again, I want to hit home the point that even when something doesn't work, it's rarely distracting, and I think the film is endlessly likeable in this respect (a well-done ending can't hurt either). There is a definite lag felt through parts of the film, but, like everything else, I'll forgive it, just like I can forgive Jean-Claude for doing muck like Derailed or Universal Soldier: The Return.

In the end, I wish I could make some epic statement like "J.C.V.D. is a fable of our times" a la The Dark Knight, but the truth is that's it not; it's a down-home tale told through a pseudo-fancy lenses. Van Damme has always (most of the time) tried to act his heart out, whether it be in early flicks like Kickboxer, Lionheart, and Double Impact, or in later entries like In Hell and Until Death, and now, playing himself of all people, he's nailed it. He doesn't need to perform a roundhouse kick or even yell an "AGGHHHHHH!" he just needs to be himself, which he does to perfection, making J.C.V.D. a success.


***1/2 out of ****

~ Patrick Fryberger

Top 10 Action Actresses

It's been awhile since my last top-ten list, which concerned action-movie villain actors. As a sort of a follow-up, I want to briefly recognize some names I missed, or simply neglected in my selections. First and foremost, Gary Busey (a big duh)--even though I mentioned him along with Tommy Lee Jones in Under Siege, I didn't recognize him for his individual accomplishments as an action-villain, which are many. Secondly, the late Brion James, a stalwart character-villain who is sorely missed in that respect and in general. And finally, William Dafoe, Alan Rickman, and Jack Palance are some other names I'd like to drop as great action-villain actors. Anyway, moving on...




Yancy Butler kicking ass as usual

In the spirit of the upcoming Fighter, I present to you the top ten women of action movies. In a genre where the female gender is often told to "stay here," these are the actresses who have struggled through this oppression and, in some cases, broken away from it. Both starring and supporting roles are recognized here, as the ultimate goal is to feature the feminine few who get the most action (filmically speaking, of course). There is a long list of honorable mentions including one fairly noteworthy exemption which I will (try to) explain afterwards.

A quick note-- While checking my six, I stumbled across this absolutely rockin' site called Girls & Guns. Despite its classically-bad title, the site is actually pretty interesting, and I suggest you check it out (I've added it to my links section). So, though I came up with most of the choices on my own, I owe the validity of the list to Girls & Guns, which I plan to resource frequently. But without further ado, here are my top-ten actionesses (actioner-actioness)!:


10. Kelly Hu (The Scorpion King, Cradle 2 the Grave, X2)

The American-Chinese-Filipino-Hawaiian beauty queen hit the action scene running in the early 2000s with supporting roles in Mummy-spinoff Scorpion King, Cradle 2 the Grave, and most notably in the X-Men sequel X2 where she had a conclusive showdown with Wolverine (played by Hugh Jackman). Also, she is starring in the upcoming assassin-flick The Tournament, aside Ving Rhames Robert Carlyle, and Scott Adkins, among others, which The Action Reaction is most looking forward to.

9. Yancy Butler (Hard Target, Drop Zone, "Witchblade," Striking Range)

Fierce, ferocious (see The Ex), and tough to no end, Yancy Butler made her debut in a less intense, damsel-in-distress role in the Van Damme/John Woo collaboration Hard Target. The following year she switched to a much stronger archetype aside Wesley Snipes in the skydiving flick (which also may be the dorkiest action movie ever made, making it the awesomest) Drop Zone. She later hit the big time with the cult TV series "Witchblade," and recently she starred in the low-budget Striking Range, with Lou Diamond Phillips. Her next project is Wolvesbayne, a werewolf vs. Nazi vampires film with Mark Dacascos (need I say more?).

8. Angelina Jolie (Gone in 60 Seconds, Tomb Raider series, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Wanted)

Everyone's favorite humanitarian-hotness got her start in the lowly Cyborg 2, a sequel to the Van Damme original. She made her way in the action scene through the popular Gone in 60 Seconds remake as well as two Tomb Raider adaptations. Since then, she has starred in more alternative action flicks, in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Beowulf, and Wanted, all more or less box-office duds. Irregardless, she’s not letting her reputation as an action girl (even Mr. and Mrs. Smith counts) go away, despite her nobler pursuits.

7. Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element, Resident Evil series, Ultraviolet)

A true action star, Milla Jovovich has existed in the trashy realm of video-game adaptations, horror flicks, and campy cameo appearances. That being said, she's become immensely popular since her Fifth Element debut (action-wise), and continues to be a force in her own right. I'm simply waiting for the day when Uwe Boll and her finally collaborate in the name of pure awesomeness (or the King)!

6. Lucy Liu (Payback, Charlie’s Angels series, Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, Kill Bill series, Domino)

Despite her popularity, Lucy Liu's contributions to the action world have gone largely unnoticed, to the point where you could almost call her 'underrated.' Pre-2000 alone she was featured in Payback, True Crime, and Play it to the Bone, and since then the list just keeps adding up: the Charlie’s Angels series, Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, Cypher, the Kill Bill series, Domino, Lucky Number Slevin, and so on. It seems she’s finally settled down and/or become washed up, taking a role in a throwaway TV series, but I sincerely hope she returns to the action stage because obviously that’s where her home is.

5. Sharon Stone (Above the Law, Total Recall, The Specialist, The Quick and the Dead)

The reigning queen of trashiness (see Casino for the greatest example) could only achieve that title through, what else, action movies! After a forgettable supporting role in Seagal's debut, she went on to make her name through Paul Verhoeven films as well as the Stallone vehicle The Specialist and most significantly through a starring role in the over-the-top western The Quick and the Dead. Recently, despite some earnest performances, she still delved down to do Basic Instinct 2. Oof. More power to her.

4. Sandra Bullock (Demolition Man, Speed series, Miss Congeniality series)

Though she’s since turned away from the action scene, Sandra Bullock was once its to-be-queen. The run of Demolition Man, Speed, and The Net (and Speed 2, but we won’ talk about that) cemented her as one for the books in terms of action ladies. It’s a shame, really, that the second Speed pretty much turned her away from the genre. Nowadays, we only have remnants and references found in the questionable Miss Congeniality movies of her action-inflicted past. I hope she makes it back, like a trout, or something.

3. Linda Hamilton (The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Dante’s Peak)

Where would action actresses be today without Linda Hamilton? That, above all, is the reason she is placed (and so highly) on this list. Despite few action-movie appearances, Linda Hamilton defined toughness in Terminator 2: Judgment Day—as I like to say, Linda Hamilton is not only your mother, but your daddy, and your commanding officer as well (and a pretty hot one at that). Sigourney Weaver (uh-oh) may’ve started the tough-woman image, but Linda Hamilton perfected it, much in the same way that T2 did for the genre as a whole.

2. Pam Grier (Coffy, Foxy Brown, Above the Law, Escape from L.A., Jackie Brown)

From her blaxploitation beginnings, Pam Grier was known as "queen of coolness," and with her revival in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown she escalated to a hall-of-fame likeness. There is a long list of action movies she’s been featured in, but some notable titles include the aforementioned debut of Steven Seagal (Above the Law), and John Carpenter's Escape from L.A, among others. A strong argument could be made to put Grier one ahead on this list, but I think she'll do just fine here.

1. Michelle Yeoh (Police Story/Supercop series, Twin Warriors, Tomorrow Never Dies, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)

Though she may not have the knockout looks of some of the other actresses on this list, Michelle Yeoh is an action goddess. A product of Jackie Chan, Yeoh went on to rival him on the martial arts stage, most famously from her performance in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. She’s worked with Jet Li, Maggie Cheung, and even starred in a Bond movie. There have been many action queens to come out of Asia, but Michelle Yeoh is my choice for the number one action actress of all-time.



Disagree? Well, here's some ammunition for you--Honorable mentions:

First and foremost, Sigourney Weaver was most obviously left out. Why? Because she's not really an "action" actress. Sure, Aliens and Alien: Resurrection could be called action films, but what other than the Alien series has she done in the name of action? Not much. She's never 'taken the dive' to do a truly bad action movie like most of the above actresses have. Either way, feel free to combat me on it. I'll do my best to my hold my ground.

Other names I feel I should mention range from classics (Brigitte Lin, Joanna Cassidy, Maria Conchita Alonzo, Lori Petty, Deborah Van Valkenburgh, Adrienne Barbeau), to middle-of-the pack (Bridget Fonda, Daryl Hannah, Maggie Cheung, Uma Thurman, Halle Berry, Tia Carrere) to up-and-coming (Ziyi Zhang, Kristanna Loken, Michelle Rodriguez). I hope those satisfy your discontent.

If not, feel free to tell me in the comments section below.

Fighter trailer

From Twitch and /Film, a trailer for Natasha Arthy's Fighter, which, based on their descriptions, can best be described as a Danish coming-of-age film with Crouching-Tiger-esque action sequences.




I had never heard of the film until I came across it over on Slash, so I did a little poking around after my initial interest. First and foremost, star Semra Turan is actually a martial arts expert, which is always a plus. The plot addition of a love story is a little disappointing--a straight up, but serious/dramatic take on a martial arts film would be immensely refreshing at this point, and especially one with a female lead. Either way, Fighter looks to be definitely above-grade, and the trailer, which Twitch calls, "misleading but awesome" does look to be about that. I'll keep my eyes out for the DVD release.

Also--here's the poster:

"Man, I don't drop character 'till I done the DVD commentary"

A little late, but definitely worth posting:

Update on action clips

Just to update, I'm currently stockpiling additional action clips for my eventual return to the video-sharing stage. I haven't decided whether to find some alternative host or to take YouTube head on and throw the whole shebang at them. Either way, The Action Reaction will strike back, by the holidays if not earlier. You have my word on this.

Consider it a present.


I'll catch up on some pertinent news pretty soon here, but in the meantime, check this out.


As well as this incredibly hot photo of Yancy Butler:




Now that's what I want for Christmas.

Van Damme and Seagal are "bizarre"

MTV's Josh Horowitz has gathered together his most bizarre interview moments of the last year. Each clip is pretty fun, especially the ones with our two favorite B-actioners. Check it out here:

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

YouTube channel shut down

Well it was bound to happen eventually. My corresponding YouTube page and ultimately the main appeal for this blog has been shut down. I don't know if I'll start up a new one or what. Perhaps I could make it completely in code or just anonymous--I don't know how good or how automated YouTube is at snuffing out videos. Maybe I could switch to an alternative video service. Whatever. I had a bunch of great additions planned for this weekend too! What a waste. I'll figure it out over the next week.




SAYS

FUCK YOU!


I'll be back.

Van Damme talks to FanDamme

This is not really news, but just something which I find pretty 'damme' cool. FanDamme is reporting that Jean-Claude himself has contacted them with praise for their website:

A few days ago a personal friend of Jean-Claude van Damme showed him this website. So Van Damme did try to contact me, as webmaster of this site. Last Monday I called Van Damme, but on that moment he had another phonecall, so I talked only a few little words with his son Kristopher. Yesterday I tried again and now JCVD answered the phone by himself. He appreciated the work that was done to create this site and told me it had a professional look.

Sure, there's lot of official sites that keep in touch with their stars, but there's something to be said when a star reaches out to the 'unofficial' realm like this. J.C.V.D. is coming to my base of operations, Minneapolis, MN, in about a week and though I've been exceptionally lazy with getting out to see films this is one I will surely not pass up! And neither should you!

Photo Credit: Rowthree

Che trailer

Though it's not quite on the level of an action movie, it certainly does look epic, and good. Really good, in fact. It looks like Steven Soderbergh's and Benicio Del Toro's best work since Traffic. Plus it features Franka Potente? I'm guessing this is going to be a must-see. Check the trailer out here:

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li photos

/Film has some new photos from Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. See them here:
















As someone in the Slash comments section noted, I thought the original, JCVD-helmed Street Fighter was actually a lot of fun, despite its bad repuation (and that's not even because I'm a Van Damme fan). And as Peter Sciretta proclaimed, the photos look like they were taken with a cheap camera on a TV set or something. Cheap cheap cheap. And through I'm a sucker for action-movie tool Andrzej Bartkowiak and his films, this just doesn't look promising. I'll probably catch it sometime, but I doubt I'll be paying $8-10 dollars to do it.

Let the awesomeness rock you:

By land, by sea, there will be Speed again!

Coming supposedly from one of their 'sources,' AICN is reporting that a third entry in the Speed franchise might be in the works. The source is quoted as saying, "There's a scriptment floating around that reintroduces Jack Traven. So the studios are hoping to get Keanu back on board." Oddly enough, this is after some news earlier this year about Dennis Hopper (headless, apparently) being set to return for a third Speed.

Well, I'm all for it if they bring back Sandra. Might as well seeing that they're planning on bringing Hopper's Howard Payne back from the dead. Rope in Keanu and we've got a full-fledged reunion on our hands! Maybe Jason Patric can show up too. Personally, I think the film should be called 3-Speed and be about a runaway bicycle. Let Dennis Hopper do his 'crazy' thing, give Keanu a few Bill and Ted's references, and have Sandra hold an M60 on the grounds of pure hotness alone and I'm there, no doubt.

Pure awesomeness:

The Dark Campaign; I Believe in the Dark Knight

Take a few minutes to check this out. Dark Campaign is "an unofficial grassroots effort to support The Dark Knight for the 2008 Academy Awards." Through I hate to use the phrase, many "film snobs" a la Hollywood Elsewhere (not indicting Jeff Wells here) are trying to cut this modest and sincere piece of fandom down. Well, I say forget them. The Dark Knight was and still is the best film of 2008, and is surely in the top ten of the decade among the likes of There Will Be Blood, Children of Men, Traffic, and so on. If, as the Joker says, "All it takes is a little push," then let's give it the push it needs, and make the Oscars something legit for once.




Damn straight.

The Expendables gets another!

I've been really busy the last few days with Thanksgiving and all (check that link, trust me), but this is news better late than never, for those who haven't seen it already.




Sylvester Stallone's upcoming mercenary flick, The Expendables, which already features Jet Li, Jason Statham, as well as Stallone himself, will now have another actioner on board. Old Rocky rival Dolph Lundgren has now officially joined the cast, in what may be the great action ensemble of the new millenium.

My enthusiam for this project is already well known amongst whatever community this blog actually has, but now it's going through the frickin' roof. By casting what are essentially are B+ action stars, there won't be too many ego trips going on, and I feel this cast will gel to perfection. The addition of Lundgren makes sense on so many levels, and the next question is, of course, who else will be expendable? Another rumored is addition is Forest Whitaker, which would be badass in every respect (see this clip). If Wesley Snipes wasn't going to jail, I think he'd be worth something, or maybe someone like Mark Dacascos, I don't know. Either way, I think it's safe to say that we got one helluva action movie on tap for 2010.

Who do you think should be 'expendable?' Leave your comments below.

Photo Credit: Dolph: The Ultimate Guide

Terminator Salvation motion poster(?)

Sony has released a new motion poster for its upcoming Terminator Salvation. A motion poster? Did I miss out on some fad? Seems so, but either way, it's pretty damn cool, and be sure to check it out here.

It's almost too cool to fool.



Gotta have some randomness!

Black Dynamite trailer #2 released!

An even more awesome trailer for Scott Sanders and Michael Jai White's upcoming Black Dynamite has been released! If you never caught the original, you can find it here.




Source: Twitch

New Videos Added, 11/23/2008

New videos have been added to the YouTube page, including clips from the following movies:

The Birth of a Nation
The Bourne Identity
The Bourne Supremacy [blocked]
The Bourne Ultimatum
Fire Down Below
Johnny Mnemonic
Kiss of the Dragon
Lionheart
Lone Wolf McQuade
Mean Guns
Mission: Impossible

Check them out, along with the rest of the collection, and, as always, more on the way!

"This is what happens when the cast of the Dark Knight, meets an inevitable oscar win"

I'm having some trouble posting it directly, but trust me, this is worth checking out.

Found on some forum by the Playlist.

I will repost this if, or rather, when, it comes true.

Street Preacher op-ed, 11/14/2008

Due to the lack of action-worthy news this week, and also because I can't post any videos (my main computer's in the shop), I've decided to start what will probably end up being an infrequent, stop-gap filler feature, much as I am in need of now. So, without further ado, I present to you, the Street Preacher Op-Ed!: a feature in which I reiterate my opinions on varied film news tidbits through the personage of the Street Preacher from Johnny Mnemonic, played by Dolph Lundgren, and for no reason at all! Here goes!






As I usually do, I was jumping around looking for pertinent news on the interwebs and I came across a supposedly 'new' (I didn't know there was even an old) trailer for the upcoming Sam Mendes film Revolutionary Road. Even though, thus so far, I've thought the film had looked pretty mediocre, I gave in decided to watch it anyway, as is the custom in the world of film-wannabes like myself. Oddly enough, I soon learned through some poking around that it was in fact the 'old' international trailer, and that it had been posted in conjunction with a link to the new one. But regardless--let me get to the point--it was more or less an American-Beauty-ish, 1950s marriage troubles movie with the unfit and unbelievable Leo as the befuddled husband of fellow Titanic alum Kate Winslet, who, despite her reasonable talent, seems to be their for the sake of a Titanic reunion and nothing else (okay, I'm getting a little harsh, but think about it). The most interesting thing I found in the trailer, which you can watch here, was funny and almost ironic connection to everybody's new favorite movie The Dark Knight. When Winslet says "We had plans, you had plans," to Leo, I immediately thought of the Joker's second speech, or, the "It's all part of the plan" speech. In it, he says, "The mob has plans, the cops have plans, Gordon's got plans, you know, they're schemers, schemers trying to control their little worlds." Isn't it funny, how the Joker's words could possibly sum up the whole of Revolutionary Road? Not to dump on Sam Mendes, well, actually to dump on Sam Mendes, I turn to the Joker yet again: "You were a schemer, you had plans, and uh, look where that got ya."

On a very loosely-related note, am I the only one who's not excited for the CROTCHMEN (okay, bad joke). I'm really getting sick of the hyper-emo and 'ooooh, we're dark' atmosphere of the trailers. Granted, I haven't read the graphic novel, but I don't read much these days, now I do I? And I'm also not down on director Zack Snyder or his previous 300. Yes, I didn't like 300 and I never will. For me, it was just an allegory for the similarly retarded Ewok victory over the Stormtroopers, complete with the incompetent writing and wtf uncoolness. The Watchmen feels like some strange mashup of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with Fantastic Four, thrown into the world of Sin City to make it legitimately cool. I know that's a low blow, but 'watch me' as I go even lower: I will say now, that Fantastic Four is and will be a better movie than the Watchmen. There, I said it.

Speaking of trailers, a new, full-length edition recently came out for perpetually-delayed Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Less-action packed, less awesomeness, more force-fed epic, more lame. I still have a lot of faith in this film, both relative to the other Potter entries and on its own, but come on, let's not become a muted grey sorrow-pit like every other movie this decade.

Also, Quantum of Solace (or Suantum of Qolace, or Something of Boris?) is coming to a theater near you. I plan to check it out soon, and you should too. I've really fallen for Daniel Craig as Bond, but I still hate the anti-James Bond vibes around him; in other words, he's really not playing James Bond, but James Bourne. Many incoming reviews seem to correlate this, which, as much as I've also fallen for the Bourne films, is fairly disappointing. I guess we'll just have to see, and indeed see the film, sometime soon.

And if I may say one more thing, TWILIGHT WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (Twilight will not be dark enough to trump the Knight, oh no).


Feel free to leave your comments, but just remember that the Street Preacher might break you and help you find Jesus.

New Videos Added, 11/07/2008

New videos have been added to the YouTube page, including clips from the following movies:

Demolition Man
Face/Off
Hard Cash
Kickboxer
The Specialist
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Under Siege

Check them out, along with the rest of the collection. And, as always, more on the way!

Universal Soldier III: A New Beginning(?)

Universal Soldier III (or V, if you count the ultra-trashy TV in-betweens), seems to finally have gotten the green light. In an interview with MTV, Jean-Claude Van Damme says he's "just going to do ten days" and that "I don't know if they want to make it a video release or theatrical." As to the rumored reunion with Dolph Lundgren, Van Damme said, "I told them, guys bring in Dolph! They said there's no more value. I said, 'it will have value with me!'

So it looks like it's going to Van Damme's show (maybe cameo-show), which, while fairly disappointing, makes sense considering that two former Van-Damage directors are on board for the project, Simon Fellows (Second-in-Command, Until Death), and Peter Hyams (Timecop, Sudden Death), who will fill the role of DP, and who, according to Van Damme, is very important to him: "He was the only one who visited me in the clinic when I was there years ago. All the agents and managers who made a fortune with me never came."

If third entries in the Under Siege and Universal Soldier series come out at once, it may just be heaven on earth. The B action stars will have truly risen from the dead in a truly B-action way. My only request is that Lundgren do be brought back, even if it makes no sense in terms of the plot, because how could you have Universal Soldier without two action stars (Universal Soldier: The Return at least had Michael Jai White). Either way, I'm excited at the prospect of having a Van Damage team on board, because they may just get it right.

Your thoughts?

The Expendables brings action stars young and old together for the first time!

Notice the titles, Rambo-War

According THR, Sylvester Stallone will bring Jet Li and Jason Statham together again in a film in which he too will star and even direct, entitled The Expendables. They are, of course, a team of mercenaries sent in to a job that no one else can do, thus being "expendable." The job in this case will be the Rambo-esque mission into a South American country to eliminate the tyrannical government and "liberate" the people. Does it really even matter?

This is the kind of movie I've been waiting for. It's not just a action star pair-up (Tango & Cash, Universal Soldier, Demolition Man, War, etc), but a full-blown three-way! /Film mentioned how it resembles the original goal of Quentin Tarantino's upcoming Inglourious Basterds, but as we've seen he hasn't really followed the route--but I'm glad someone has! I really hope it pays off when it comes around. I'll be keeping tabs on this one for sure.

What do you think? Expendable?

The votes are in!

Election? What election? For the poll, silly! Yes the action-star poll has come to an end. The results:

1st place: Steven Seagal, with 5 votes
2nd place: Sylvester Stallone, with 4 votes
3rd place tie, Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger, with 3 votes

The rest:

Jason Statham, with 2 votes
James Bond actor (Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, Brosnan, Craig), Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Kurt Russell, Wesley Snipes, Jean-Claude Van Damme all with one vote apiece.

It looks like Seagal has taken home the gold. That being said, I didn't get access to the FanDamme forums in time for this, so things could've been different if you know what I mean. Regardless, like the election, we have a winner, and I'll try to get a new poll up with the next few days.

In the meantime, here's one last fun reminder of all the political ads we've had to endure for so long:

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

New Videos Added, 10/30/08

New videos have been added to the YouTube page, including clips from the following movies:

Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Death Warrant
Doom [blocked]
Double Team
Hero
The Legend of the Drunken Master
The Running Man
Undisputed II: Last Man Standing

Check them out, along with the rest of the collection. And, as always, more on the way!


"Bring me a dream, Burke, bring me a dream."

Oldman returning to his villainous roots in The Book of Eli

After a short hiatus (Harry Potter, Batman) from the world of scum and villainy, Gary Oldman is returning to what he does best. Opposite Denzel Washington, Oldman will star in the upcoming The Book of Eli, a post-apocalyptic road movie directed by the Hughes Brothers.

The plot follows Washington as he travels across a 'wasteland' America, escorting a book which contains some sort of saving grace for humanity. Oldman, according to THR, will play "Carnegie, the despot of a small makeshift town deficient of standard necessities, services, and most noticeably, laws." He will presumably be hot on the heels of Washington and his little book.

Cinematical's comparison to the early Van Damme movie Cyborg seems most appropriate, and it makes the project all the more exciting. Combined with the diversely-talented Hughes Brothers, and of course the straight up hero-villain showdown between Washington and Oldman, I think there could be some real promise here, even if only in a glorifed B-movie way. We'll see how it progresses.


Photo Credit: The Leaky Cauldron

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince trailer

Trailers, trailers, trailers, pretty soon there'll be a park of them, and we all know what that means. But anyway, the HP6 International teaser trailer has been released, and like the last film adaptation in the series, it looks to be postively action-packed! And this time there's even a little James Bond-ish humor thrown in, "But I am the chosen one." I can't wait.

Check it out here:

Gran Torino trailer

The first official trailer for Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino has been released. Watch it here:



I'm convinced that Clint Eastwood should start starring in B horror flicks as a Frankenstein-type monster, snarling and rasping his way through groups of brainless teens. "GET OFF MY LAWN." --also the look he gives around the 38 second mark. He kind of looks like Al Davis. This should be fun.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans trailer released

The trailer for the Underworld prequel has been released by Apple. Check it out here:



The series, while incredibly unoriginal, has still been intriguing enough, for my interest at least. Be that as it may, this entry is without director Len Wiseman and star Kate Beckinsale, though I must admit source-of-eternal-hotness Rhona Mitra (see Doomsday) is a perfect replacement (not the same character, but as lead actress, to get technical). I'll probably end up seeing it, at least on DVD.

What do you think? Tell me with your comments.

New Videos Added, 10/23/08

New videos have been added to the YouTube page, including clips from the following movies:

Black Eagle
Cradle 2 the Grave
Hard Boiled
Lawrence of Arabia
The Order
Predator [blocked]
Reservoir Dogs
Romeo Must Die
Speed
X2 [blocked]

Check them out, along with the rest of the collection. And, as always, more on the way!

Top 10 Action-Villain Actors

Gary Busey and Tommy Lee Jones in Under Siege

For every action hero, there has to be a villain, and there are special brand of actors who are known to fill this void. They range from the standard white male, to martial arts specialists, to 'exotic' foreigners, and everything in between, but one thing is certain, their roles are often over-the-top, clichéd, and most of all, thankless, and I want to bring some light to the darker side of the action film. Here are my top-ten action-villain actors:


10. Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Showdown in Little Tokyo, Mortal Kombat, The Art of War)

Getting his start in TV shows such as Star Trek and Miami Vice, as well as Bond and Kickboxer films, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa melded into his villainous ways in the Dolph Lundgren-Brandon Lee buddy-cop action flick Showdown in Little Tokyo. Probably his most famous role came a few years later, starring as Shang Tsung in the video game adaptation of Mortal Kombat opposite Robin Shou and Christopher Lambert. His career has continued in movies such as The Art of War, starring Wesley Snipes, among others, and he has made his mark in the realm of action villains.

9. Mark Hamill (Slipstream, Batman: The Animated Series, Hamilton)

Luke Skywalker has a little more up his sleeve than meets the eye. In recent years he has been recognized for his role as the Joker in the Batman: The Animated Series, as well as its related films and spinoffs. His voice work in general, spanning animated features and video games, is renowned, and he has really reinvented himself after Star Wars. In addition to this, Hamill has starred as the villain in a number of bad action films, including Slipstream and Hamilton, among others. He has said that he loves playing the bad guy, and it really shows.

8. Michael Jai White (Thick as Thieves, Universal Soldier: The Return, Exit Wounds, The Dark Knight)

The martial arts star/stuntman-turned-diabolical antihero has always had a diverse filmography, and has been unafraid to take the role of the villain. He has squared off against the likes of Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, Alec Baldwin, and of course, fellow villain Heath Ledger as the Joker in the Dark Knight. Arguably, his best performance was in the little-known Thick as Thieves, where he plays an off-beat gangster. He was slated to play a small villain in Kill Bill, Vol. 2, and luckily his performance was preserved in a deleted scene which you can find here.

7. Tchéky Karyo (Le Femme Nikita, Bad Boys, Goldeneye, Kiss of the Dragon)

Tchéky Karyo has starred in variety of action films through the years, both foreign and American, and with a diversity of roles. He is probably most famous, however, for his villainous takes, most notably in the Martin Lawrence-Will Smith buddy cop action movie Bad Boys as well as Kiss of the Dragon, opposite Jet Li. His appearance in Goldeneye earned him a video game character in the immensely popular game of the same name, and his role in Luc Besson's Le Femme Nikita got him on the map with American audiences.

6. Tommy Lee Jones (Under Siege, The Fugitive, Batman Forever, Natural Born Killers)

The great Tommy Lee Jones finally made a name for himself in two early 90's Andrew Davis action films--Under Siege opposite Steven Seagal, and The Fugitive opposite Harrison Ford. These two roles have been quintessential action villains ever since, and are how Jones if often remembered as an actor despite his more serious performances. He also starred as the original Two-Face in Batman Forever as well as the crazed prison warden in Natural Born Killers, all within a three-year period. If for nothing else, Jones should be recognized for those two roles--cornerstones in the history of action villains.

5. Bolo Yeung (Enter the Dragon, Bloodsport, Double Impact)

A student of Bruce Lee, Bolo Yeung has been closely associated with all-things-martial arts since his old teacher was a kung fu legend. He was featured in Lee's Enter the Dragon in the role of brutal, villainous fighter. Over a decade later, he starred its spiritual successor, Bloodsport, opposite a fresh-faced Jean-Claude Van Damme, which served to be their mutual Hollywood breakthrough. He reteamed with Van Damme in Double Impact, and has remained friends with the actor ever since. He has also worked with Jackie Chan in My Lucky Stars, as well as with other martial arts greats.

4. Christopher Lee (The Man With the Golden Gun, Lord of the Rings series, Star Wars series)

After being a staple in horror movies for years upon years, Christopher Lee has in recent years continued his legacy in some very big franchises. The first came in the Bond film The Man With the Golden Gun, where he played the title character, Francisco Scaramanga. His second revival came with the Lord of the Rings, starring as Saruman the White, opposite Ian McKellen as Gandalf. And his third and arguably most famous role came in the Star Wars prequels, as the cleverly-named 'Count' Dooku. While he's not exactly an action "star," anyone who's been in a Bond film, Lord of Rings, and Star Wars, and as villains at that, has my vote to be on this list.

3. Gary Oldman (True Romance, Leon the Professional, The Fifth Element, Air Force One)

The endlessly-talented Gary Oldman has often been relegated to villainous roles, but it hasn't really worked against him. His diverse filmography translates even to the action genre, whether he's playing a white pimp, a psychotic DEA agent, a Southern CEO from the future, or a European terrorist; he can do it all, and he makes the most of every role. My favorite of his roles, and my favorite villain in general, is in Leon the Professional, where he plays Norman Stansfield, the completely unhinged, loose cannon of a DEA Agent--squaring off against Jean Reno and a young Natalie Portman.

2. Dennis Hopper (Super Mario Brothers, Speed, Waterworld)

Like Oldman, Dennis Hopper has also been cornered as a prototypical 'villain' actor, and has more or less made his name that way (see Blue Velvet). He starred in a handful of action films in the early '90s, most notably Speed and Waterworld, opposite Keanu Reeves and Kevin Costner, respectively. He's pretty much the embodiment of a villain, and many movie viewers remember him as the varied bad guys he's played.

1. Dolph Lundgren (Rocky V, Universal Soldier, Johnny Mnemonic)

The 'last action villain,' Dolph Lundgren got his start in the James Bond film A View to a Kill being the bodyguard of Grace Jones who also co-starred. He then went on to make the name he has today, taking a variety of roles and openly starring alongside other action stars. In Rocky IV, he took on Sylvester Stallone, in Universal Soldier it was Jean-Claude Van Damme, and in Johnny Mnemonic, Keanu Reeves. Considering that he's also worked with Brandon Lee, John Woo, and Louis Gossett Jr. (and Roger Moore), among others, makes him a worthy candidate for the top spot. An action hero and villain alike.


Agree? Disagree? Someone missing? Drop your comment below.

Ronin headed to TV

According to THR, John Frankenheimer's modern action classic Ronin is slated to hit your televisions sometime in the near future. Along with an adaptation of The French Lieutenant's Woman, Ronin will be adapted into a miniseries by MGM and with the help of the BBC. The projects are supposed to bring "great creative" content from "foreign and domestic" channels alike. It will be produced in London and likely shot around Europe.

I'm a big advocate of Ronin, and because of that I can't help but be at least slightly intrigued by this idea. But at the same time, this will, in all probability, taint the legacy of the movie and unfortunately of the late great John Frankenheimer as well. So, regardless of the TV series, make sure you get out and rent the movie if you haven't already, and if you want a preview you can head on over to the YouTube page for the already-famous car-chase scene.

Photo Credit: IMP

Star Trek photos circulate the interwebs

A variety of sites have featured at least one of the six newly released images from J.J. Abrams's highly-anticipated Star Trek. See them here:




















I'm not particularly into J.J. Abrams or his upcoming Trekkie adventure. The movie will supposedly be under two hours just for the sake of being under two hours. Yeah...that really sounds like someone who loves his Star Trek. I also hate the ultra-pristine look of the bridge--the ultra-pristine look of everything. I don't know, maybe I'll see it for Winona, but that'd be it.

But what do you think? I'm not exactly a Trekkie so I shouldn't say much either way. Feel free to leave your two-cents worth in the comments section.

Quantum of Solace clips released online

MSN and Moviefone have each released respective clips from the upcoming Bond film Quantum of Solace. Even though they're advertised as being 'non-revealing,' I'm going to avoid them on the principle that I'm more or less intrigued by this film. I felt Casino Royale was incredibly frustrating and yet endlessly engaging, if that makes sense. In other words, I was jolted by the divergences from previous Bond entrees but at the same time I couldn't help but love what I was seeing. Either way, I'm hoping for the best with Quantum of Solace, despite it's strange title, and debatable theme song(s).

You can check the videos out here and here. Quantum of Solace will be released Nov. 14th.

Photo Credit: Screenmusings

WoW script being written

Moviehole has a interesting bit of news on the prospectful World of Warcraft movie. Supposedly, a "script is being written but if they say anything more than that they will be shot." The film is set to focus on events a year prior to that of the game, as well as an all-new hero.

To be brutally honest, I've always been a Runescape fan myself, as immensely dorky at that is, but this is intriguing news nonetheless. We'll see where it goes.

Photo Credit: Last Shepard Games

Abel Ferrara lays down the law on a new Bad Lieutenant

Herzog and Ferrara

In a slightly unrelated-but-still-action-oriented bit of news, Jeff Wells has brought attention to a Filmmaker Magazine interview with director Abel Ferrara. The excerpt concerns Werner Herzog's sequel/continuation/something of Ferrara's 1992 film, Bad Lieutenant, originally starring Harvey Keitel, with Nicolas Cage now taking up the reins:

Filmmaker: "What are your feelings about Werner Herzog doing his version of Bad Lieutenant?"

Ferrara: "He can die in hell. I hate these people - they suck. A, he don't know me, couldn't pick me out of a line-up. B, I'm chasing windmills. Well, I'd rather chase windmills than steal other people's ideas. It's lame. I can't believe Nic Cage is trying to play that part. I mean, if the kid needed the money... It's like Harvey Keitel said, 'If the guy needed the money, if he came to us and said, 'My career's on the rocks,' I'd cut him a break.' But to take $2 million - I mean, our film didn't cost half of $2 million. That film was made on blood and guts, man. So I really wish it didn't upset me as much as it does."

Filmmaker: "You're going to be doing the prequel to King of New York soon."

Ferrara: "So I'm ripping off Abel just like that too. [laughs] If I did King of New York, I'm not doing the prequel to Aguirre: the Wrath of God, okay? Let me put it that way."

Filmmaker: "So they're making the film against your will?"

Ferrara: "Absolutely. Nobody asked us to do it. Nobody approached us and said, 'Would you do it?' Give us $8 million, we'll come up with something. They give me twenty grand and say, 'Go fuck yourself.' Gimme a break! They aren't paying Harvey anything, they aren't paying him two cents. Ed Pressman sucks cock in hell, period. You can print that."

Ferrara's harsh words for Herzog and co. probably stemmed from an earlier interview with Defamer in which Herzog claimed to have "no idea" who Ferrara was:

Herzog: "I don't feel like doing an homage to Abel Ferrara because I don't know what he did — I've never seen a film by him. I have no idea who he is. Is he Italian? Is he French? Who is he?"

As famous as Herzog's filmography is, I think his comments are massively arrogant in this context, and regardless of Ferrara's somewhat juvenille attacks over the last year. And besides, Ferrara's got some real guts to go after another filmmaker like this, and more significantly to defend his original material. Bad Lieutenant was a monumental film--a gritty, low budget, no-holds-barred NC-17 view of New York recalling back to the grittiness of '70s N.Y.C. cinema. Much in the vein of the simply unfeasible remaking of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, this is a horrible idea, and as much fun as Nic Cage action flicks can be, I can't stand to see this great material be bastardized and by such a famous director at that.

In other words, I'm with Ferrara one this one. Herzog, Cage, and Pressman can go and "die in hell." Fuck 'em.

Photo credit: Nymag

"Full Love" for J.C.V.D.

It appears that Jean-Claude Van Damme is not going to let his little resurgence be one and done. Following the preemptive success of J.C.V.D., Van Damme is writing, directing, and starring in his next project, entitled Full Love, along with his children. According to Twitch, Van Damme has said the film is "based on a true story, based in another reality" (very Seagal-ish), and that it is "about love, friendship, and dedication." The last film Van Damme directed was The Quest, with very mixed results, but as with J.C.V.D. it seems he's taking his image in another direction, which may or may not turn out to be successful.

I haven't been this excited with film news since the rollicking Dark Knight lead-up and viral campaign. Van Damme is on a roll, by his very ambition alone, and I hope he doesn't let up. I've always thought Van Damme was the most versatile and ambitious of all the major action stars, which is probably why he's my favorite in the first place. From playing villains, to dual roles, to serious films like Legionnaire and In Hell, he's done it all, and without the mainstream success of someone like Arnold. This could easily be argued, however, with the careers of Dolph Lundgren, and Jet Li (among others) in mind, so please feel free to do so in the comments section.

You can see the entire gallery from Full Love here.

Don't Do It

This Funny or die video was featured on /Film as their video of the day, and I thought I'd share it here:

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

J.C.V.D. U.S. Trailer

The American trailer for J.C.V.D. has been released through Yahoo. Check it out here:





Also-- because of some computer issues I may not be able to upload action clips to the Youtube channel this week, but in turn, you can expect a major influx the following week.

That is all.

Lethal Weapon 5 on the fast-track

The old rival to the Die Hard series may be keeping up the fight. Back in August, trackingb announced that writer Shane Black had produced a script for a potential fifth installment in the Lethal Weapon canon. Along with this news, it was also rumored that actor Columbus Short was up for a part in the film. Now, in an interview with Short, IGN is reporting that Lethal Weapon 5 is indeed being "fast-tracked" into production. You can catch the video here.

I've never been a big fan of the Lethal Weapon series, so I won't say much either way. But I will say that it's kind of depressing--as it has been through this entire decade--that much of the news in film in general involves sequels, remakes, adaptations, and even dedicatory pieces like Tarantino's Kill Bill and Grindhouse movies. This is something I've always advocated against, with little success, but such is the way of the world.


Photo Credit: screenrush.co.uk

Nolan on board for third Batman?

Again, this is a few days old, but I gotta get the gears turning somehow.

According to /Film, Batman-on-Film, and a spree of other sites, the new issue of Production Weekly reveals that a third Batman is very early in pre-production, and that series director Christopher Nolan is on board for the film. This is big news considering 1), the success of The Dark Knight and and to a lesser extent Batman Begins, 2), that there wasn't a bigger, more publicized announcement, and 3) the usual mystery-hubbub surrounding Nolan's signing or not signing onto the project.

I will openly say that I was "on board" The Dark Knight train from as early as two summers ago, even before Heath Ledger was cast as the Joker (and then all through the viral campaign, and now, months after, still muttering Joker quotes to myself, "All the old familiar places"). In other words, I hope this oddly-downplayed bit of news comes out to be true, and that Nolan and his gang keep on truckin.' I strongly doubt a third entry would be able to top The Dark Knight, with Ledger's death and Two-Face and the Empire-Strikes-Back feel, but it would be nice to have a series end out well for once, and not fall into the Return-of-the-Jedi/bad threequel syndrome (that's two accidental Star Wars references in one sentence, wow).


Photo Credit: All Movie Photo