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

Steven Seagal to be "Under Siege" Again?

This is a few days old, but you gotta start somewhere.

The poor-man's Diehard series may be getting another look. Casey Ryback himself, a.k.a. Steven Seagal, told MTV there's been "offers" to do a third entry in the Under Siege series, and that he's interested in the prospect. Using adjectives like "modern," "mystical," and "extraterrestrial," Seagal said he wanted to do something other than "the typical," which, with his recent filmography in mind, would be a nice change of pace for the struggling former-star, much like Jean-Claude Van Damme's raved about J.C.V.D..

Under Siege was arguably the height of Seagal's popularity. Directed by Andrew Davis, the film co-starred Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey and was a commercial success, and even supported by such critics as Siskel and Ebert, as seen here on At the Movies. A less-successful sequel was released two years later, and the series ultimately fizzled out, along with Seagal himself. Will this potential return to the screen be in the revitalizing vein of J.C.V.D.? Or will it follow the less successful (critically) franchise reboots such as with Die Hard, Rambo, and Indiana Jones, among others? Here's to it happening, for it'd be nice to see our man Seagal get back on the big screen.

You can catch the video here.

Photo credit: anoli, Unofficial Steven Seagal gallery

Welcome

Hello, and welcome to the Action Reaction: a blog, as I say in the description, "covering the banished and ever-lowly genre of action movies." I have established this to critique and celebrate that genre, reviewing new films and revisiting old ones, from the epic entertainment experiences of Terminator 2 or the recent Dark Knight, to trashy unknowns starring retired football players like Brian Bosworth, and everything in between. From kung-fu, to blaxploitation, to the modern tread of remakes, I hope to cover it all, and expand my own film knowledge in the process. I will post whatever pertinent news I can find, and review as many films as I can, tossing in features--like the new poll, and the Youtube page--with hopefully some frequency. My goal is to post at least once a week, and depending on the 'reaction' from whatever readers I may gain, that goal may fluctuate. Either way, I hope to make this a worthwhile read for anyone who happens to stop by, bringing you a reaction to Action of all kinds.

I'm going to experiment with the poll, keeping it open for a month, we'll see how it goes. But regardless please vote for your favorite action star!--my own is the 'muscles from Brussels'--and hopefully you can find yours in the list. And on that note, to start I want to make a list of both action stars and action directors, just to set the stage. By "star," I obviously mean both male and female, and in both leading and supporting roles--in other words, anyone who stars in a lot of action movies. The same more or less applies to the directors. Here is what I was able to come up with:

Action Stars--

Christian Bale
Antonio Banderas
Kate Beckinsale
Michael Biehn
Charles Bronson
Pierce Brosnan
Nicolas Cage
David Carradine
Jackie Chan
Sonny Chiba
Sean Connery
Kevin Costner
Daniel Craig
Tom Cruise
Mark Dacascos
Timothy Dalton
Matt Damon
Vin Diesel
Kirk Douglas
Michael Douglas
Michael Dudikoff
Clint Eastwood
Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
Brendan Fraser
Bridget Fonda
Harrison Ford
Errol Flynn
Mel Gibson
Summer Glau
Danny Glover
Pam Grier
Gene Hackman
Mark Hamill
Linda Hamilton
Daryl Hannah
Charlton Heston
Samuel L. Jackson
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson
Angelina Jolie
Tommy Lee Jones
Milla Jovovich
Tchéky Karyo
Shia LaBeouf
Christopher Lambert
Lucy Lawless
Brandon Lee
Bruce Lee
Tony Leung
Jet Li
Gordon Liu
Lucy Liu
Dolph Lundgren
Lee Marvin
Steve McQueen
Toshirō Mifune
Ralf Moeller
Roger Moore
Eddie Murphy
Chuck Norris
Clive Owen
Daniel Radcliffe
Christopher Reeve
Keanu Reeves
Jean Reno
Richard Roundtree
Kurt Russell
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Steven Seagal
Robin Shou
Christian Slater
Will Smith
Wesley Snipes
Sylvester Stallone
Jason Statham
Sharon Stone
Kiefer Sutherland
Patrick Swayze
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Uma Thurman
Karl Urban
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jesse Ventura
Denzel Washington
John Wayne
Carl Weathers
Sigourney Weaver
Peter Weller
Michael Jai White
Fred Williamson
Bruce Willis
Michelle Yeoh
Bolo Yeung
Chow Yun-Fat

Action Directors--

Robert Aldrich
Paul W.S. Anderson
John G. Avildsen
John Badham
Michael Bay
Uwe Boll
Jan De Bont
Tim Burton
James Cameron
Martin Campbell
John Carpenter
Rob Cohen
Michael Curtiz
Andrew Davis
Richard Donner
Roland Emmerich
John Frankenheimer
William Friedkin
Antoine Fuqua
Guy Hamilton
Renny Harlin
Howard Hawks
Peter Hyams
Peter Jackson
Akira Kurosawa
Ringo Lam
Mark L. Lester
Doug Liman
George Lucas
McG
John McTiernan
John Milius
George Miller
Jonathan Mostow
Christopher Nolan
Philip Noyce
Brian De Palma
Sam Peckinpah
Wolfgang Petersen
Sam Raimi
Brett Ratner
Robert Rodriguez
Ridley Scott
Tony Scott
Steven Soderbergh
Stephen Sommers
Steven Spielberg
Oliver Stone
Quentin Tarantino
Gore Verbinski
Paul Verhoeven
Larry and Andy Wachowski
William A. Wellman
John Woo
Edgar Wright
Terence Young
Ronny Yu



Check out IMDb for more info on any of them.



I feel I've made a pretty comprehensive list, at least in a mainstream sense, but if you know of more feel free to leave a comment. While I still get this blog together, please take the time to visit the Youtube page, vote in the poll, or visit the links I've listed--especially in the film criticism section. They are a good bunch of websites with particularly valuable news and opinions on film, and I check them daily. You can contact me at the new email address (TheActionReaction@gmail.com) and I will do my best to get back to you. Otherwise, I hope to post again soon. In other words, "I'll be back."