The Action Reaction

A Legacy of Rage: The Films of Brandon Lee

2010-10-03T13:30:00.000-07:00

[part of a greater seres, "The Unexpendables: The Last Action Heroes and their Legacies."]

Following in the footsteps of his father is the only way this discussion could begin. It’s the only way any discussion could, as Lee, son of celebrated martial artist Bruce Lee, was funneled—locked to the legacy of his father. The world’s greatest, after all, forever enshrined by his mysterious, premature death in 1973, there would be no end to the expectations, the comparisons, and the air of nostalgia linked between the two. Even in death—Brandon passed away on March 31st, 1993 under similarly-enigmatic circumstances—the legacy held true. Like his father, the seemingly amiable Lee came to Hollywood with a chip on his shoulder, with something to prove… And he left with a cinematic legacy that transcended life itself.

Like his father, Brandon's ticket into Hollywood turned out to be television. While Bruce travailed alongside The Green Hornet, Brandon landed a role in the TV-movie adaptation of Kung Fu, the popular, '70s serial headlined by David Carradine. Both famous and infamous for its explicit cornball spirit, Brandon brought (finally) some martial arts credibility to the series, even if limited, and gave the otherwise listless vehicle a visceral spark. He was essentially playing a villain, a sidekick (like his father) to the evil Manchu (Mako), but as with Bruce, Brandon overshadowed and ultimately commandeered the spotlight... You could already see the seeds; that fire that Brandon brought to the screen. Kung Fu: The Movie may have been a dud, but Brandon wasn't. He was just getting started.

But Carradine was only the first vet to train him in (Carradine also paired with Sly Stallone and Chuck Norris). Bolo Yeung (who would go on to induct Van Damme two years later) had a hand in Brandon's first theatrical release, Legacy of Rage, a '80s Hong Kong actioner directed by Ronny Yu and co-starring Michael Wong. Competing with the up-and-coming John Woo's, Tsui Hark's, and Ringo Lam's, not to mention Jackie Chan's kinetic Police Story series, Legacy of Rage felt more like standard fare, but was a solid effort nonetheless. Brandon Ma (Lee), a simple waiter, is framed for murder by none other than his best friend (Wong), severing the relationship with his fiancé and ultimately sending him to prison for eight full years. Revenge is in order, of course, cumulating in an epic, shoot 'em up finale on the baddie's estate. But it is earlier when the most interesting scenes take place. Brandon is slapped and mocked by a smalltime gangster (Yeung) at the restaurant where he works. After a drink is thrown in his face, he unexpectedly strikes back—a daring move on many levels. They take it outside, and Bolo, posturing, threatens to knock him out in three seconds (which, given Bolo, is quite believable). A SMACK, WHACK, and a WHAM later, and Brandon snap-points to the next oncoming thug, "How many seconds do you want?" To put it simply, it's an introduction worthy of his father, setting a tone few action heroes can. While the persona echoed Bruce's, it was markedly different; there was a younger intensity to him—still restrained—more harnessed anger than martial arts wisdom. The film, 30% martial arts, 70% gunplay, maybe wasn't the best showcase for the son of Bruce Lee, but it was a start. And, as we will see, the balance may have hindered him in his venture to the Hollywood action scene.

Brandon's next film, Laser Mission, was a lowly, very-B espionage-actioner featuring Ernest Borgnine in a small role. More than a joke, Mission is the stuff of K-Mart bargain bins and action four-packs, and is only made available due to the legacy of Lee himself. That said, it's worth a laugh. "Ha-ha, they're going to cut off your head, mañana," has made the rounds amongst lovers of bad movies everywhere, as has the nonsensical action and a slow car chase, and hopefully, it will continue to. Snowballing, badness led to more badness but on a bigger scale, with Mark L. Lester's Showdown in Little Tokyo (not to be confused with Big Trouble in Little China). Continuing in the collaborative spirit, Dolph Lundgren took Lee under his arm for the buddy-cop vehicle set in Los Angeles, involving a local wave of incoming Yakuza. Both young in their careers, Lundgren and Lee's chemistry wasn't always on, but the martial arts combo more than made up for it: the brute force of Lundgren teamed with the scrappy Lee made for some genuinely inventive sequences, especially in an early scene where they take on some henchmen at a club. Clocking in at 77 minutes, it's actually a lot of fun, rounded out with a great action cast in Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Tia Carrere, and Philip Tan. But the son of Bruce Lee would only be a sidekick so long. With Rapid Fire, Brandon got his first legitimate release (and first true lead since Legacy of Rage), as well as the martial arts showcase we'd all been waiting for.

In Rapid Fire, Brandon plays Jake Lo (Bruce played "Billy Lo" in Game of Death), the son of a famous Chinese activist (go figure) studying abroad in Los Angeles. With his reputation, political groups on campus pressure him to join the cause, but as with Rage, he's just a normal kid and wants nothing of his father's legacy. Tricked into appearing at a fundraiser, the mix-up soon leads to a more perilous one: gangsters on the scene, talking drugs in a dark office with a shotgun. Jake witnesses a murder—the gangsters witnessing him—spiraling in a brutal cat-and-mouse chase jet-setting to Chicago. Truthfully, it all gets a bit silly, but with action sequence after action sequence after action sequence, Rapid Fire lives up to its otherwise senseless name. Director Dwight H. Little (Mark L. Lester's eternal rival) proves competent in giving Lee a proper vehicle... the weak film is bolstered by the strength of its action and martial arts. Lee plows through baddies with unremitting endurance; primal and boyish, he keeps Legacy's mean streak alive and doesn't let up. And, working with a recognizable cast, Lee holds his own with fine-tuned charisma—a characteristic that would be maximized in The Crow. Mr. "Unarmed and Extremely Dangerous" had finally made a name for himself... a name that would become iconic all too soon.

With an obscure comic-book source at their disposal, a first-time Hollywood director, two lowly screenwriters, and the son of Bruce Lee came together for a movie, and the result was, of course, The Crow. Hitting the zeitgeist of the early '90s, the dark, comic-book blockbuster—the first real successor to Tim Burton's Batman—came into being with an aura of death; Brandon Lee was killed in an on-set accident involving a weapon malfunction, for lack of a better phrase. Premature and every way unfortunate, all eyes turned to The Crow. With blessings from Lee's family, the already troubled production forged ahead, and it was released wide on May 11th, 1994. This was the stage that Lee had yearned for, that he had earned—not just for martial arts, but one for legitimate performance. And a performance he gave. From the pre-transformation rock star, to the gnarly manifestation itself, Lee was on fire—that electric allure young stars possess at that one special point in their career—the material matching his energy. A story of vengeance, we follow Eric Draven (Lee) as he loses his love and his life and then resurrects, hunting down each and every one involved and without mercy. More avenger than superhero, Draven prowls the night streets, without the public trust of a Batman, or the noble cause of Blade. A fitting icon for Detroit Rock City, he is the darkest of dark knights, but perhaps with more humanity. Death is everywhere in The Crow: Poe, German expressionism , those soulless, wisecracking, fashionable villains straight outta the '90s, thugs quoting Milton for Christ sake... you could almost say the film is a brief resurrection of Lee himself, a last-gasp look into a wealth of artistic talent. But there is also plenty of life in Draven's relationships with a young goth teenager (Rochelle Davis), a common patrolman (Ernie Hudson), and, of course, his love and partner, Shelly (Sofia Shinas). Most of all, it's Lee himself, simply—a shining star in the dark night. Brandon Lee's swan song both helped him break away from the legacy of his father, and join the ranks. His father would've been proud.

In the end, Brandon Lee's is a legacy cut short. Like his father, the potential was heaped high—more than any given action or kung-fu star of the time. More importantly, at age 27, he was a young man coming into himself, his marriage, his ideology, his career... Whenever I think of either father or son, I then think of their wife and mother, Linda Lee, who, quite sincerely, must be the saddest women in the world. Not to mention Brandon's to-be wife, Eliza Hutton...I simply can't imagine. To close, I leave you with a quote from Paul Bowles's The Sheltering Sky, which Lee had planned to include in his wedding invitations and ultimately became his epitaph:

"Because we do not know when we will die, we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well. And yet everything happens only a certain number of times, and a very small number really. How many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood, an afternoon that is so deeply a part of your being that you cannot conceive of your life without it? Perhaps four, or five times more? Perhaps not even that. How many more times will you watch the full moon rise? Perhaps twenty. And yet it all seems limitless..."

~ Patrick D. Fryberger

Van Damaged: The Films of Jean-Claude Van Damme

2010-09-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

[part of a greater series, "The Unexpendables: The Last Action Heroes and their Legacies"]

Jean-Claude Van Damme, the aptly-nicknamed “muscles from Brussels” started out as anything but. A scrawny kid with something to prove, Jean-Claude took that mentality with him throughout his career, giving way to what has been termed his “vulnerability” as an action star. This all accumulated in 2008 with the release of J.C.V.D., a soulful, bare-all look into the actor-martial artist’s troubled life. The film not only marked a keystone in Van Damme’s career, but in the action world as a whole; for once, an ‘action hero’ was shown the capacity of respect…and a stage on which to earn it. But the seeds went back much further than that. The damaged and sometimes damaging legacy of Jean-Claude Van Damme will be discussed at length here, as will his influence on the genre.

Van Damme's early roles are about as eclectic as it gets. He had a bit part in a breakdancing movie. He worked as Chuck Norris's stunt double. He was billed, quite literally, as "Gay Karate Man" in Monaco Forever...not to mention as an extra in an ultraviolent French film. There was squaring off against Shô Kosugi, headlining an Albert Pyun film (originally conceived as a black and white, silent opera, mind you), and, of course, his infamous falling out on the set of Predator. Throw in a book-end part as a Russian villain (a rite of passage for any Euro action star), and Jean-Claude had seen his share. Like they say, it's a long way to the top if you want to kick ass. But kick ass he did with the arrival of Bloodsport, Newt Arnold's martial arts throwback based on the supposed misadventures of real-life martial artist Frank Dux. Combining the simple, Enter the Dragon tournament format with a great heavy (both literally and figuratively) in Bolo Yeung, the film soon became a hit and introduced a fresh-faced Van Damme to the world. Its formulaic elements were overshadowed by the strong martial arts showcase from Van Damme, Bolo, and co., and looking back, the smalltime '80s actioner could even be seen as respectable. It was a great start, and with the '90s, newly-enshrined "international" action hero Jean-Claude Van Damme hit the road running.

As he progressed, there were the projects that Jean-Claude put his heart in (Kickboxer, Lionheart, Double Impact), and the ones where it was noticeably absent (Death Warrant, Universal Soldier, Nowhere to Run). That said, it was the peak of his career, and quality entertainment was abound. Whether in the raw emotion of the again-formulaic but fun Kickboxer, or the balls to the wall Death Warrant with its iconic, boiler room end showdown, this was Van Damage at its best. Perhaps, his finest hour was in Lionheart, which preserved the Van Damme formula (most notably: black sidekick/big heavy/beaten to a pulp only to persevere) but brought a wholehearted, genuine set of emotions and with it an authenticity to the stakes making an action movie so much more. A deserter, pimped out, turned away by his very family, literally fights his way out of the hole he's in, ending up with nothing more than the love of his family and friends. Knowing or not, obviously, there was some representation going on here, as well as acute foreshadowing of a certain role that would come some twenty years later.

But who was going to Van Damme movies for emotions? There was Universal Soldier—essentially a poor man's Terminator 2—which featured the now-LEGENDARY pairing of Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren (more on that later). There was Nowhere to Run, the best cast Van Damme film, and probably the best shot as well although with the first of Van Damme's sleepwalk performances. And, at the very peak, there was the Peter Hyams double bill of Timecop and Sudden Death: one, the most critically reputable of Van Damme's career, the other, one of the most laughable. Another Die Hard ripoff (Die Hard at the Stanley Cup Finals), we move from a fight with a mascot to hotwiring a stadium to the man playing goalie himself... All played straight. It's a hoot and a half.

But nothing was as significant as Van Damme's 'Chinese connection'. Somewhere between Quentin Tarantino, The Killer, and Van Damme himself, people began to take notice of Hong Kong director John Woo. This all came to a boil when Van Damme beckoned him to Hollywood—a since-controversial move that, in my eyes, both supercharged the director's talent, and subsequently quashed it for the next fifteen or so years. The brief firework was, of course, Hard Target, a modern refashioning of The Most Dangerous Game and, simply put, one of the greatest action movies of our time. The film featured a new, mullet-and-stubble version of Van Damme, playing "born on the bayou" homeless veteran Chance Boudreaux in down and out New Orleans. Meaner, macho, more zero than hero, Van Damme was on an uneasy autopilot with Woo unleashing him like a trained wolverine. The fusion of Woo's gunplay and Van Damme's raw power was like nothing seen before; two arsenals coming together in a slow-mo, rollicking cataclysm—the mid-movie chase through the city remains one of the best. And with a cast rounded out by Lance Henriksen, Arnold Vosloo, Wilford Brimley, and a young Yancy Butler, Hard Target remains the action highlight of Van Damme's career. Since then, Van Damme's 'marrying in' of Asian directors such as Tsui Hark and Ringo Lam has become somewhat of a punchline, and it is on that note that we will segue into the dark ages—the dreaded descent into direct-to-DVD—of J.C.V.D.'s career.

With the advent of video-game adaptations, Van Damme was being courted for two, high-profile arcade classics. Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat continued their rivalry on the big screen, and, as a result, left a trail of tears in their wake. For whatever reason, Street Fighter got the brunter end of the stick, and Van Damme with it. The film's reputation has snowballed in recent years; it's actually not that bad, and goes more or less toe for toe with Kombat. The finale is particularly enjoyable—a 45 minute action sequence of melodramatic showdowns and cornball speeches ("I'm gonna get on my boat"). Either way, the stage was set, and the lights were dim. Like Seagal, Van Damme put the nail in the coffin with his transition to directing. The Quest—a second and final collaboration with Frank Dux—was a listless Bloodsport retread that even made Sir Roger Moore uninteresting. Jean-Claude's rampant alcoholism and revolving door of marriages weren't helping, either. Trying to rebound, Van Damme imported the talented Ringo Lam from Hong Kong, with whom he made three films. The first, Maximum Risk, was a solid, watchable thriller—but not much else—co-starring Natasha Henstridge. Next up, Tsui Hark, and the frenetic, bubble-gum action of Double Team and Knock Off, matched only in their flamboyance by the Charlie's Angels movies. When an admirable, more personal project (Legionnaire) with big producers involved never made it to theaters, the darkest hours set in. The belated Universal Soldier sequel and a blasphemous Yojimbo remake damned Jean-Claude to the DTD realm, going right along with his third-gen contemporaries Steven Seagal, Wesley Snipes, and Dolph Lundgren. Personal problems continued to spiral and by the time of the new millennium, Jean-Claude had hit an all-time low.

Yet, in 2001, it was Ringo to the rescue, reteaming with Van Damme for Replicant and In Hell, two of his best performances and all-around films. In the former, Jean-Claude played his third (of four) double-role—a serial killer and a clone designed to think like him... Spotty sci-fi, yes, but spotty sci-fi done well, proving that Lam would not suffer the fate of Woo and Hark and that Van Damme was more than just a beefcake. In fact, it was the first real performance that Van Damme had given; there's a tragic essence to the brothers... the aforementioned "vulnerability" of Van Damme as a hero. He's not a hero here; in both cases, he's a child never given the chance. It's a legitimate film, overlooked primarily for its derivative title, the Van Damme brand, and DTD status. Such is the case also with In Hell, the prison movie/fighting tourney mix popularized by the Undisputed series. Far grittier than anything in the genre, In Hell lives up to its name, feeling like the end-all for prison movies everywhere. A French-American working in Russia (how's that for cross-cultural? Van Damme's ethnicity has always led to interesting setups) avenges his wife's death and is sent to a most brutal prison, where, again, Van Damme is forced to fight. But these are not the back alleys, parking garages, and upper-end estates of Lionheart. This is prison, and prison in Russia at that. Through fighting, torture, and isolation, Kyle (Van Damme) is transformed into a near-animal, a monster, ravaging others past the point of survival—consumed entirely by fear. The vulnerability-raw power dichotomy is on full display here, as Kyle then fights to rebirth his humanity under the worst of worst circumstances. It's not exactly Death Warrant, and it features a surprisingly-strong supporting turn from former NFL-star Lawrence Taylor. If anything, what I hope J.C.V.D. and Universal Soldier: Regeneration can do is shine a light on these great collaborations between Van Damme and Lam, and even more so, inspire the two to work together again.

The Order was light fun—Jean-Claude actually seemed to be having a good time—with an expected cameo from the legendary Charlton Heston. Derailed, well, was exactly as it sounds—an Under Siege ripoff of a Die Hard ripoff edited with utter disregard and incompetence... Without Lam, it seemed Van Damme was meandering, and with Lam's abrupt backing out of Wake of Death, things were set back even further. Second in Command and The Hard Corps brought more sleepwalking, listless action (save a great moment where Jean-Claude readily admits, "That fuckin' hurt."). The Hard to Kill-Bad Lieutenant hybrid Until Death gave Van Damme another chance to flex his acting chops, but in another lowly vehicle. The Shepherd: Border Patrol finally introduced legitimate hope with its great showdown between Van Damme and the up-and-coming Scott Adkins—a fan of the man himself growing up. But it was not until J.C.V.D., self-titled, if you will, that true respect was warranted. The film marked Van Damme's return to the theatrical realm, even if limited, and provided him an out from the suffocating grind of DTD.

From the opening, virtuoso-action sequence, to the fanciful monologue, to its bittersweet conclusion...even from the opening Gaumont logo, you knew this was going to be something special. Jean-Claude Van Damme (playing himself) returns to his Belgian stomping grounds with his career in the tank and his family disintegrating. But instead of finding solace, he's dropped smack in the middle of a bank heist, where he's soon exploited and announced as the poster child. From there, the effective, Dog Day Afternoon-Being John Malkovich mix begins to take form with plenty of unexpected surprises along the way. The biggest one, of course, being Jean-Claude himself. The film admittedly misses some of its marks: Mabrouk El Mechri's direction falls a bit flat (he's not exactly Sidney Lumet), and the color palette stands out like a sore thumb. The pretentious title cards, a flimsy narrative, and the cast and humor surrounding Van Damme doesn't exactly ignite, either. But it's Van Damme that triumphs, going through the motions, an eroded soul, ultimately letting the real heroes do their job. The film's theme, Baby Huey's "Hard Times," feels like an anthem not only for Van Damme but for action heroes everywhere. And J.C.V.D., its flaws aside, has set the bar for this 'revival of the fittest' in the action genre. And for that, we can credit Van Damme, the "muscles from Brussels" gone full circle.

In the end, Jean-Claude Van Damme may've found solace in his career. For many, the slow, DTD death is insurmountable, but as always, Jean-Claude stuck it out, he took it like a man...striking back with one helluva kick. His recent decision to turn down Sly Stallone's The Expendables may come as a shock to some, but not to me. With Universal Soldier: Regeneration, both Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren have made another hallmark genre piece that, its DTD status withstanding, will surely garner respect in coming years—the implications of which will be discussed at another time. In other words, Van Damme's on a roll. He's doing his own thing and doing it well. It's a shame he won't be there for the party, but then again, he's the one who made it possible in the first place.

~ Patrick D. Fryberger

The Action Reaction is like a Nuclear Reactor, only not

2010-09-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY NOTICED, things have been slowing down here at The Action Reaction here, oh, for about a year now. I've converted to Tumblrism and now run a blog (or two) over there, letting this little thing wither away.

That said, I'm still going to try to go out with a bang, albeit a very slow, longwinded one. Earlier this year, in anticipation for The Expendables, I had started writing a series on who I consider to be the twelve biggest action heroes of the modern era. Though I've only officially completed two essays (which includes watching all one of one's filmography, mind you), I still plan to finish them all someday, and post them here. I'll be sharing the first of the pieces--on Jean-Claude Van Damme--pretty shortly here followed up with one on Brandon Lee. From there, I guess I'll be posting 'em when I got 'em, hopefully to your reading pleasure.

Though this blog may be on its way out, my love for the genre and the people who make it happen is most certainly not, and I will continue to support them in any way I can. I feel the best way I can accomplish such is to celebrate them on a stage usually reserved for the most prestigious... honest-to-God film criticism and anaylsis. My essays will offer genuine insights in the actors' careers--past, present, and future--and hopefully shine some respect on the men and women and the genre as a whole.

So, I guess that's it. Quit my putsyin' around. Without further adieu, may I present to you, THE UNEXPENDABLES: The Last Action Heroes and their Legacies:

Thank you and goodnight.

~ Patrick D. Fryberger

Quickie Review: Machete

2010-09-03T02:56:00.000-07:00

Sloppy taco goodness (and yummy M-Rod goodness)

In a year dominated mostly by trash, it's fitting that a low-aiming, Grindhouse fake-trailer-spinoff movie may very well be the best. Wildly inconsistent but never too ambitious Robert Rodriguez provides us an ultraviolent, politically charged, actor-revival extravaganza, which carries a little weight, a little grit, and even gives Steven Seagal his transcendental, J.C.V.D. moment. As the man says, "Back the fuck up and watch." You might just enjoy yourself.

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

~ Patrick Fryberger

Quickie review: The Expendables

2010-08-14T15:31:00.000-07:00

Looks like Van Damme got the last laugh...

Writer-director-star Stallone not only should've handed over the camera, but he should've let somebody have a go at the script, and even more important, he should've secured the rest of the gang (Van Damme, Seagal, Snipes), even if it took waiting a year or begging them on his hands and knees. The Expendables is a messy, watchable movie that could have been so much more. Cheap production value doesn't help either. You don't just throw something like this together on a whim.

** out of ****

~ Patrick Fryberger

Quickie Review: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

2010-08-14T00:49:00.000-07:00

Broad and self-evident video-game referencing surprisingly doesn't spoil the show

Self-assured, confident direction saves what could've been a hollow or uneven exercise. Edgar Wright's frenetic-kinetic dazzlement sparks up early and often; it's innovative and not afraid to make mistakes, making such all but disappear. Cera doesn't fall into parody, and Wright proves he can do more than just make them. Above all, is the supporting cast: Kieran Culkin, Alison Pill, and Jason Schwartzman steal the show, among others.

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

~ Patrick Fryberger

I'd play it

2010-08-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

Gets it right

2010-07-31T19:43:00.000-07:00

Great reactions:

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Great yarn

2010-07-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

The theater experience: memorable movie nights from a dozen or so critics. A great, worthwhile read. Check it out.

"Back the fuck up and watch"

2010-07-23T10:09:00.000-07:00

A literally 'red' band trailer for Machete. No Lohan billing OR Don Johnson? LAME.

Still going to be there opening night.

More on Inception

2010-07-16T19:46:00.000-07:00

Inception is showing the critics’ true colors. It’s a smart film for smart people, not a genius for geniuses, but smart nonetheless. Like a good ol’ healthy math equation, bringing our eloquent, cinematic authority back down to Earth. If you scan Rotten Tomatoes or even Metacritic, the lack of a coherent assessment is alarming, yay or nay. Judgment day, folks, judgment day.

But then again, maybe it’s not their fault. Maybe Inception’s one of those films that transcend the medium itself. More puzzle then cinema.

Either way, I’m impressed, Christopher Nolan. Bravo.

Quickie Review: Inception

2010-07-16T01:32:00.000-07:00

It's all on a plane...of reality

A sense of inherent dorkiness runs through Inception, but frankly, it doesn’t give a damn. For once, the spectacle is in the smarts, and the at times underwhelming, other times ludicrous action pieces somehow gel within the mesh of it all. It’s intellectualism paced to perfection. Simply put, Christopher Nolan is keeping mainstream, Hollywood cinema alive. A joy to behold.

**** out of ****

~ Patrick Fryberger

Expendablettes?

2010-07-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

This really got me thinking. I agree with a lot of the list, actually, but I haven't had the time to fully construct my own. Very cool stuff.

Check it out here.

Source: Bidonica

New Machete trailer

2010-07-10T11:06:00.000-07:00

Saw this at the theater last night... pretty slick trailer, better than the first, and better than what I was seeing/Rodriguez's other summer effort, Predators.

"Introducing Don Johnson" never fails to make me laugh... I love how Seagal gets second-billing--let's hope the part lives up to that. No Lohan with the big controversy, a shame. I love the flashes of villiany around the :40 mark. De Niro, Johnson, Seagal, and don't forget Jeff Fahey. Some of the best villains come in ensembles... RoboCop, Kill Bill, even The Dark Knight, and this looks to be one helluva example. And M-Rod is so ridiculously hot I don't even know what to say. Should be fun.

Who received the best Machete exclusives?

2010-07-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: WE HAVE A NEW WINNER.

SUPER CLOSE, but I had to choose one. The answer.

And the runner-up.

Operation: Endgame

2010-07-07T09:42:00.000-07:00

I remember hearing about this way back, putting it on some list of action titles to look forward to or whatever. Well, fortunately, I can still say I'm looking forward to it, though not by any leaps and bounds. It's teetering between 'it could be better than it looks' and buriable-DTD status. Check it out:

Source: /Film

Quickie Review: The Human Centipede

2010-06-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

...had me laughing out of fear in the best way possible

An almost classy, end-all sendoff to the torture porn genre, Human Centipede has that great, B-horror quality (stupid characters/dialogue) mixed with some semi-heady ideas and a concept that is pure gold. It's a wonderfully visceral time at the movies... audience members clawing and clasping for the person next to them. If you can't at least recognize it for it's worth, then you don't love movies. That said, I can't say I'll be seeing it again.

*** out of ****

~ Patrick Fryberger

Quickie Review: Knight and Day

2010-06-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

Risky business: Summer escapist fun... can it still be done?

I was reminded of Roman Holiday while watching Knight and Day. Light, breezy, summer escapist fun with a bit of classic Bond thrown in for good measure. Two Hollywood stars, all but discarded in this day and age, prove that they can still get the job done. I even enjoyed the stock European score, I'll be honest. A lightweight that knew its place.

*** out of ****

~ Patrick Fryberger

The Highlander rides again

2010-06-28T12:03:00.000-07:00

Great article on Christopher Lambert from the Guardian... Found on IMDb... gotta love the guy.

Check it out here.

Bring it

2010-06-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

Source: /Film

Agree completely

2010-06-25T16:17:00.000-07:00

From IFC:

"I was reminded of all this while watching the fine Steven Seagal film "Marked For Death," currently available on Netflix Instant. This is the 1990 follow-up to "Hard To Kill," which briefly took time out for Kelly LeBrock to put on her most low-cut dress and sleep with our ponytailed hero. The poster, attendantly, has her to Seagal's left, clutching his arm and looking all "THIS IS MY MAN."

The poster for "Marked For Death," in contrast, gives us two Seagals -- one in silhouette with a gun, and a full face glowering humorlessly, an accurate summary of what happens in the movie. Seagal shares all of three scenes with Joanna Pacula, who attempts to seduce him (flattering him by telling him it's rare to meet a man like him who isn't married, gay or "trying to find himself"), but he simply gets the information he needs and is on his way. Pacula is never seen again; after the final shooting, the movie's simply over.

This is not, perhaps, the most socially responsible attitude to take, but it is, nonetheless, preferable to the deep-breathing and worrying of, say, Jessica Biel. The sogginess of most action romances, in fact, is nothing more than a way to pad the running time without actually providing real chemistry or banter. Here's wishing they would either make those roles less token and cynical and more fleshed-out (unlikely), or drop them entirely."

Would you really want to see a female action hero with a man holding her down? No. The same applies for men. Unless it is vitally integral to the story, axe 'em. The best action movies are lean & mean; not an ounce of fat.

And I don't want to see no more goddamn bitches rescued. I'd much rather see her carry her weight if not the save the day all together.

Source: IMDb

Whoa surprise

2010-06-23T22:11:00.000-07:00

Fun?

Harry Potter and the Western Front

2010-06-22T22:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Variety is reporting that Daniel Radcliffe will star in a remake of All Quiet on the Western Front... While I'm certainly not a fan of remakes, I am a fan of Radcliffe, and I hope this is the out Danny boy has been waiting for.

In other words, a dark future lies ahead. Just look at Mark Hamill (whom I love), or even Elijah Wood. If this doesn't work for him, he should start prepping for a career of Euro-villain roles in action movies... I think he'd be great in a Mission: Impossible or Bond film. Either way, best of luck to him.

Source: Mugglenet

WHERE IN THE FUCKING HELL DID THIS COME FROM?

2010-06-08T19:30:00.000-07:00

I'M IN:

Source: Movieline

Predators poster

2010-06-08T18:49:00.000-07:00

Nice:

Writing on the wall

2010-05-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

All the Hopper pieces and dedications were posted weeks ago... Still, it feels strange. What a legacy:

"I'd call that a tie."

2010-05-28T11:32:00.000-07:00

WHY is Lundgren billed after Couture? I have nothing against Randy, but that's a disgrace:

Source: Hollywood Elsewhere

Kung Fu Pandas

2010-05-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

Just a quickie:

Jean-Claude Van Damme AND Michelle Yeoh have been cast in the Kung Fu Panda sequel, the Kaboom of Doom. That means Jackie Chan, J.C.V.D., and Michelle Yeoh will ALL be in a movie together.

PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE, BABY.

Source: /Film

Wonderchild

2010-05-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

Source: /Film

Respectable

2010-05-16T15:54:00.000-07:00

Shia on Indiana Jones:

"I feel like I dropped the ball on the legacy that people loved and cherished...If I was going to do it twice [Wall Street], my career was over. So this was fight-or-flight for me."

"You get to monkey-swinging and things like that and you can blame it on the writer and you can blame it on Steven [Spielberg, who directed]. But the actor's job is to make it come alive and make it work, and I couldn't do it. So that's my fault. Simple."

"I think the audience is pretty intelligent. I think they know when you've made ... . And I think if you don't acknowledge it, then why do they trust you the next time you're promoting a movie...We [Harrison Ford and LaBeouf] had major discussions. He wasn't happy with it either. Look, the movie could have been updated. There was a reason it wasn't universally accepted."

"We need to be able to satiate the appetite...I think we just misinterpreted what we were trying to satiate."

"I'll probably get a call. But he needs to hear this. I love him. I love Steven. I have a relationship with Steven that supersedes our business work. And believe me, I talk to him often enough to know that I'm not out of line. And I would never disrespect the man. I think he's a genius, and he's given me my whole life. He's done so much great work that there's no need for him to feel vulnerable about one film. But when you drop the ball you drop the ball."

Via: LA Times, /Film

"I think I've found a way home"

2010-05-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

UPDATED: With better quality.

Christopher Nolan has, at least. Check it:

It's all coming down to this, man. Biggest film of the year. Must not disappoint.

Got my attention

2010-05-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

While I've been interested all along, this is the first poster that's got my attention:

Very nice.

Missy Pariah

2010-05-06T21:27:00.000-07:00

So, apparently, I found out today Sean Young has a YouTube Channel. There’s only a few videos so far—some great, behind the scenes looks (Dune, Blue Ice, Ace Ventura), and some splices of her personal life. It’s really well put together, and while I’m sure she has help, she’s actually communicating with fans openly—very down to earth but well spoken just the same. I for one am definitely going to follow her progress. I’ve always been a fan…she always had that face of a star, maybe not the greatest actress, but underappreciated nonetheless. And yeah, FUCK SCHNABEL. What a tremendously overrated artsy-fartsy cunt weasel.

Check it out.

"Introducing..."

2010-05-05T12:46:00.000-07:00

Two words: DON JOHNSON.

Two more words: STEVEN SEAGAL.

And a special message: "TO ARIZONA."

De Niro looks like a hoot, Lindsay Lohan was BORN to wear that outfit/gun, I LOVE how he heavily incorporated the original fake trailer--the stock music is a great touch too. And I almost made a mess of myself when M-Rod straddled the man himself. HOT DAMN! 2010 is the year of the Rodriguez!

Source: Hollywood Elsewhere

Paul W.S. "Cameron"... all he ever needed was some good C.G.I.

2010-04-03T16:47:00.000-07:00

Skipped posting the new pics out of laziness, but I simply cannot pass this up:

Isn't saying much, but this could be the best of the series! GOD-DAMN!

Source: Quiet Earth

Brace yourself

2010-04-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

The masochistic side of me wants to watch this.

Source: Quiet Earth

"He loves playing in the jungle."

2010-03-31T13:58:00.000-07:00

I'm too tired right now to actually digest the insta-controversy over the blatantly-spoiled cameos, but hey, I thought it was awesome. The thing that bugged me the most: not enough Dolph. I'll be there either way, obviously.

Young Scarface

2010-03-31T06:39:00.000-07:00

The sister is my favorite:

Scarface School Play - Watch more Funny Videos

So much fun! Where/how/who put this together?

Knight and Day trailer 2

2010-03-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

Still interested:

"Next time, we don't date the girl with..."

2010-03-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

Still not 100% on this one... a full trailer might clear that up, but I'm still excited. If you want to make a movie like a video game, don't actually make it like a video game, but just make it awesome, a la Kill Bill, Vol. 1. That's really my main concern at this point. We'll see how it progresses.

Oh, and the boyfriend-villains better be fucking awesome. If they are all half-assed, I will officially be disappointed.

Killer

2010-03-22T06:46:00.000-07:00

EMBED-Rolled-Up Magazine Self Defense - Watch more free videos
Source: Dangerous Minds

Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-CHERRYBOMB!

2010-03-20T17:10:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note: The Runaways is easily the best release of 2010 so far. It's an old school, wholesome, professional, well-done, 100% throwback of a rock 'n roll biopic. They don't make 'em like this anymore. Seriously, they don't.

Dakota actually carries the film, K-Stew nails Jett, Michael Shannon is pitch-perfect and a hoot to boot...man, everybody just did what they were supposed to do and in the end, came out with one helluva product.

If you scan the negative reviews, you can see the passive-aggressiveness seeping through: Conventional? Of course. Cliched? It's rock 'n roll. Predictable? DURRRRRRRRRRR... And anyone who says the story isn't worth telling should go find a new career. Fuck's sake.

I hate to rely on Rotten Tomatoes, but let's face it, these days, they're just that rotten! I'll take conventionality any day over remakes, reboots, sequels, adaptations, reboot sequels, reboot reboots, reboot sequel spin-offs...what have you.

My favorite blurb, from Andrew O'Hehir: "Sometimes mind-blowing power isn't available, and a rollercoaster ride of stardom and depravity will just have to do."

Rock 'n roll.

*** out of ****

Review: Shinjuku Incident

2010-03-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

Pan-Asian? How 'bout Chan-Asian: bringing 'em all together...to fight.

Shinjuku Incident could go down as something of an incident itself. The pan-Asian ensemble crime thriller, headed by international superstar Jackie Chan, is the actor's first real dive into 'gritty' material (New Police Story withstanding). It's also something of a paradox, as Chan (at this point in his career) seemingly has no place in such a film but even then—as it is—Shinjuku Incident would not work any other way.

Chan plays Steelhead (could there ever be a better name?), an everyman Chinese farmer washed ashore in Japan during the wave of illegal immigration in the '90s. Searching for a former fling, he holes up with old friends and neighbors and fellow aliens in Tokyo's Shinjuku district (hence the title). Going from shit-job to shit-job, to run-ins with the police and Yakuza, Steelhead finally gives into a life of crime... In other words, Chan's persona finally gives into the darker side of things. He quickly becomes an effectual leader, his no-bull approach bringing steady, modest prosperity. This further complicates things, however, as he is deeper-ensnared within the Yakuza: nasty scraps with the Taiwanese and even a fellow Chinese. Between the Yakuza, his girlfriend(s), and the causalities of gang war, the only thing that keeps him sane is an ongoing relationship with a detective (Naoto Takenaka), a man of stand-up, old-school honor.

And old-school really is the name of the game with Shinjuku, as writer-director Derek Yee and co. make genre mistakes that are near-inexcusable by today's standards. Crime naiveté, if you will. That said, these missteps are more of the 'unintentional laugh' variety than a frustrating one and ultimately don't detract from the material. Why? Because, after all, it is a Jackie Chan movie, and our humble, oftentimes naive hero makes these bumps in the road seem natural. Maybe an unfair gimme, but a gimme nonetheless. Plus, all the familiar faces are there, giving it that homey, pre-USA Jackie-Chan-movie feel. They may be a little past their prime (Police Story was twenty-five years ago...twenty-five! No more raw intensity, no more wonderfully-choreographed action sequences, etc.), but they still know how to get the job done. Entertainment-wise, at least.

Dramatic acting is not necessarily Jackie's strong suit...he looks confused half the time, more so that he's in the movie to begin with. The long, convoluted story loses weight (and a little blood) with each new twist, and kind of falls flat at some indeterminable time. The filmmaking doesn't help, either; whip-pans are fun, but it's not enough to be called engaging, sorry. The score's inconsistent, if not all out random. And speaking of randomness—random acts of violence—I don't know what's more distressing, the brutality or the sporadicness of it. Seeing Jackie Chan shoot someone in the face was enough for me.

The lost-in-translation ending shows what Shinjuku Incident is all about: the cinematic gathering, albeit a clunky one, of the Asian continent. Showing that Chan, his Americanization and political associations aside, can still bring it all home. Pan-Asian? Nah, this is Chan-Asian.

*** out of ****

~ Patrick Fryberger

Quantum of Date

2010-03-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

Choose your weapon

2010-03-18T20:24:00.000-07:00

Can somebody say "DAMN!"

Source: Hollywood Elsewhere

Predators trailer

2010-03-18T20:21:00.000-07:00

The full trailer is a little stagey/trying too hard, but that doesn't mean I'm not excited. Alice Braga is on her way to one-upping Michelle Rodriguez. Okay, maybe not one-upping, but at least achieving her rank. In other words, Alice Braga = HOT.

Predators Movie Trailer - Trailer

Everybody looks cool! I can't deny it. Yes, even Topher!

Source: IGN

"Vengeance, is the mission."

2010-03-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

Trailer for The Mechanic remake. Well cast (Statham, Foster, and Sutherland), looks somewhat gritty, pretty good, might see it.

Source: Quiet Earth

Finally

2010-03-13T06:37:00.000-08:00

Something from the Rodriguez summer double-bill of Predators and Machete... This looks like a lot of fun. Now he should do one for Machete.

Source: Hollywood Elsewhere

Morning After

2010-03-08T10:52:00.000-08:00

Still Up in the Air...the Academy proves once again to be completely out of touch.

I'll get it right to it: my biggest reaction, without question, was the undeserved spanking of Jason Reitman's Up in the Air. I've never really liked the guy, either, but you can't take away the fact that he made what I would say was the second best film of the year. We all knew District 9 was going to get skunked, but Up in the Air? Jesus. Jason Reitman, you got fucking gipped... I feel for you and your team.

Jeff Wells sums up the situation--blogosphere reactions and all--pretty nicely here. Check it out.

My second most prominent reaction? Simple: the show was terrible. Unfunny, disjointed/clunky, with a mediocrity of nominees stinking to high heaven... Just ugly all around. How could you go wrong with Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin? You can't, you just can't, but after last night, apparently anything is possible. I walked out around the dance routine.. in fact, I walked out a few times earlier than that. Whatever pressure I felt to watch the show was quickly dissolved.

Other, dime-a-dozen reactions:

--TEH SANDRA! Totally was shamelessly on the Bullocks bandwagon. Okay, maybe there was tinsy-weensy bit of shame, but that's it.
--Harry Potter should've won cinematography, seriously... Bruno Delbonnel raised the series to new heights, seriously.

--Speeches were pretty good/I was impressed, but of course, balance was restored to the force when the already infamous Kanyegate Pt. 2 happened, God, what a mess.

--The 'actors' generally had nice things to say about the 'actresses,' though Whitaker seemed a little out of place.
--The mashups, the dedications, even the little video blurbs... DID SOMEONE NOT HIRE A FUCKING EDITOR? This was embarrassingly bad, I'm sorry. No excuses--with all the YouTube-grade talent out there, they could've found somebody who knew what the bloody hell they were doing. Just embarrassing.
--Ben Stiller = hilarious.

--The Hurt Locker, original writing? WHAT ABOUT THE WHOLE, YOU KNOW, CONTROVERSY GOING ON? Please...at least they could've given it to A Serious Man... In general, it seems that the Academy was over-generous before it truly goes down in history as a BOMB. What a joke.

--Doesn't that really say it all? What a joke? Don't we say that every year?

Get a writer, get a whiff of culture, go back to the editing room.

What a joke.

Review: Brooklyn's Finest

2010-03-05T17:52:00.000-08:00

Say whaa? Wesley Snipes is back?

If this is Brooklyn's Finest, then the rest of the burroughs are in trouble. Overlong, intense, and woozy, its watchability is earned on pure potential, with a letdown that's constantly in the works/woodwork. In sum, forgivable badness shall not be forgiven. I.A. should've been all over this shit.

THREE TALES, loosely interwoven if not connected by default: Suicidal, whiskey-in-the-morning, prostitute-lovin' beat cop (Richard Gere), meets can't-pay-the-bills, sporadically murderous, poor-excuse-for-an-Italian cop (Hawke), meets undercover-too-long, wants to get out, conflicted by multiple loyalities to-be detective who happens to live in a Manhattan penthouse (Cheadle). If you're clichéd out by this point, then you should just get out. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. When the going gets rough, well... Admittedly, it's kind of neat how we 'ooze' between the trio, but "oozing" could just as well be interpreted as "clunky" with a complete lack of narrative transition on all levels. Flat-tire, ca-lump, ca-lump, ca-lump, but driving really fast. You can practically hear it in that relentlessly-stock score.

A tale of casting: Ethan Hawke, miscast, Richard Gere, miscast, Don Cheadle, typecast, Wesley Snipes, finally cast, director Antoine Fuqua, under-cast, writer Michael C. Martin, not cast. Elsewhere, Ellen Barkin chews up scenery like she'd been starved of it (more or less true). In fact, she may have gone ahead and eaten Lili Taylor's seeing that her fellow veteran actress gets just about none. Vincent D'Onofrio's opening cameo wouldn't have been spoiled if he didn't get shot in the face...whoops, spoiler. And that homeless guy from The Road just can't escape being that homeless guy from The Road. I'm sorry, Michael K. Williams, I really am.

If there's one thing to take away from Brooklyn, it's got to be the valiant return of Wesley Snipes. The part is wonderfully tailor-made: after an eight-year prison sentence, humbled and everyman drug-dealer "Caz" (full name Cassanova, no joke) wants to get out altogether—still street-smart through—giving a great little speech about ethnicity-specific modes of torture. He's just great. So cool.

Somewhere, at some point, there's some mentioning of the word "Tact." The irony of this goes without saying... tactful, perhaps? Great moments are tied down by the block of melodrama that is Martin's amateur-hour script... Literally, imagine for a moment Brooklyn's Finest as a piece of spandex, and then drop a concrete block in the middle of it... naturally, being spandex, it's not going to break, but it's going to bend, alright, ooh, it's gonna get real bent out of shape. I don't care who you cast, or who you have shoot it...Brooklyn's Finest already shot themselves, and it's a damn shame they did.

*1/2 out of ****

~ Patrick Fryberger

How could I not post this?

2010-03-02T17:41:00.001-08:00

Jeez:

Source: Just about everywhere

Just in case you got lost on Pandora

2010-02-28T16:56:00.000-08:00

"Let's put a smile on that face." ...my obligatory, every-few-months TDK post:

Still the greatest example of super-spectacle-filmmaking ever. Can somebody say EPIC ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCE?

Just saw her

2010-02-26T14:28:00.000-08:00

YANCY BUTLER. If you're unfamiliar with that name then you should get off my blog right now. Get. Get out.

I walked right by/made eye contact with/heard that deep, raspy, sexy voice of... She even held the door open for me. All I could manage was a firm, confident, "Thanks..." Otherwise, terms such as "manage" and "confidence" were nowhere to be found in my supposedly rich vocabulary (though 'firm' was certainly in the mix). I practically stopped mid-doorway as she stood there saying thanks to the clerks and holding the goddamn-motherfrickin' door for me...she was with some girlfriends, at that... Ah! Too much to take on a simple trip to La Salsa. God I would marry that ~~woman~~ goddess.

This goddess:

Yeah, you're jealous. I know.

Imagine

2010-02-24T16:58:00.001-08:00

Imagine, for a moment, if you will, if roles had been reversed, and James Cameron directed The Hurt Locker, resulting in a tightly-wrapped spectacle, realism without the tack-on doc-style, star power instead of appetizer-cameos, fear laced with more than just a simple thesis and some nihilism.

And then—with Avatar, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, some brains meshed into the lush, ripe-for-the-picking world. Adult sci-fi—like the best of Star Wars—a head for a heart, a head for the soul of the Na'vi, in particular the great character/performance of Neytiri.

Whatever. District 9 trumps all. It should win/it won't. Up in the Air would be great... If it gets beat out by Inglourious Basterds, I won't know what to think. I'd rather see The Blind Side go all the way...like a wide receiver, get it?

The Dark Knight, for what it's worth, shook things up, a la its malevolent Joker. Still waiting on that "ace in the hole," though. Still waiting.

Reactions: Shutter Island and Give 'Em Hell Malone

2010-02-21T13:37:00.001-08:00

My reaction to Shutter Island was... pretty good. A little meandrous around the middle, with a big enough plot twist(s) to throw the rest of the picture into question/under scrutiny. Leo and Mark Ruffalo = pretty good. Max von Sydow = great. Lots of great faces popping up here and there throughout. Good atmospherics—good enough, at least. Flashbacks and dream sequences were actually really interesting. Loved the ending, not the final shot, however—should've cut it off one before and smash-cued to the great omnious score.

The most glaring problem for me was Scorsese not fully embracing the material's B-ness, a la Cape Fear. In other words, whereas Cape Fear was balls-to-the-wall B, Shutter Island ends up as a placid B+, making for an overlong, half-ass thinking man's thriller. Horror? Not really. Psychological? Sometimes. B? Certainly not enough.

But if something did live up to that delicious B-pedigree it had to be good ol' Ted Levine. Playing nothing more than a bit part, Levine gets one little speech in before the third act, and man, is it killer. For all intensive purposes, it shall go down as the "violence speech." After being pigeonholed into boring-as-heck 'Chief' roles for the past eternity, it's nice to see him get his crazy on again. Reminded me of how great he was in Nowhere to Run (and of course Silence of the Lambs). What an actor.

...

Secondly, my personally-much anticipated Give 'Em Hell Malone, with which I'll be short. A complete disappointment. Seriously, just watch the great trailer again and call it a day (as with Black Dynamite, flawless advertising doomed a far inferior film). Completely deserving of its DTD status. Live and let it die.

Money Never Sleeps, and it always sells

2010-02-19T12:50:00.000-08:00

Did Stone and Douglas actually pull this one off? Shia, too?

Dammit, I think they did. This looks like the first genuinely-wholesome throwback in awhile. That is, if Shutter Island stinks as much as the reviews that are coming in. I'll probably catch it this weekend.

Source: Hollywood Elsewhere

Joy

2010-02-15T06:43:00.000-08:00

Source: /Film

Special Review: Universal Soldier: Regeneration

2010-02-13T13:41:00.000-08:00

Note: After skipping Legion and From Paris With Love on account of their particularly atrocious reviews, and having to sit through the sequelized-mediocrity of District B13: Ultimatum, I'll admit I'd become a little disillusioned with the action genre of the new year. The standard fare of Daybreakers and The Book of Eli didn't help either, and even DTD releases like The Tournament were more of a relative letdown than not. But lo and behold, as title of the previous post states, sometimes you gotta put in the veterans if you want it done right. Universal Soldier: Regeneration is not only done right, but it's done on a sophisticated, adult level—not only surpassing the iconic original—but it's infinitely more deserving of a theatrical release than anything so far this year; the best thing I've seen since District 9 (Up in the Air, Avatar, and others, included). Anyway...

Soulless but soulful Van Damme meets his existential equal in Universal Soldier: Regeneration

From the opening shot, the opening closeup of John and Peter Hyams' (son and father, director and d.p., respectively) Universal Soldier: Regeneration, I knew this was going to be more than a new model, if you'll excuse the very review-y pun. There was a confidence in the direction, in the filmmaking, and most importantly, in the material, which obviously hadn't touched the lowly series before but even rarely surfaces in the (sci-fi action) genre as a whole... If you took the head of Solyaris, and put it on the body of Children of Men or District 9, then you'd have a frame of reference to go from: this is modern, adult, science-fiction art with two presupposed meatheads coming back for what was technically a fifth sequel. I went in with modest expectations; I wanted to be entertained, and entertained I was. But what I did not expect, was to be challenged. And challenged, I most certainly was.

CHERNOBYL. The son and daughter of the Prime Minister are kidnapped in a swift, brutal strike outside of an art gallery. This act of terrorism is only part of the picture, however, as the insurgents proceed to commandeer the nuclear power plant and site of the infamous 1986 disaster. With a stolen Uni-Sol (Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski), or Universal Soldier, on their side, and a scientist who knows how to use him, the ransom and the stakes are simply too high for the Prime Minister not to meet their demands. But there are more sinister forces at play. The Ameri-Russian forces reactivate their own remaining Uni-Sols, including rehabilitating Luc Deveraux (Jean-Claude Van Damme). Power struggles within the compound continue to complicate matters as does the closet resurrection of unstable Uni-Sol Andrew Scott (Dolph Lundgren).

Deveraux is introduced as living anything but a normal life—he is monitored and tutored daily by Dr. Sandra Flemming (Emily Joyce), stowed away in small-town Switzerland. Scott, on the other hand, is introduced as something of a Frankenstein monster: Upon defrostation, Scott questions his plight by not answering questions per protocol, an act which leaves his wily maker Dr. Colin (Kerry Shale) a little unnerved. The subtleties of these two introductions are simply beyond words; taking these two iconic characters (and actors) and the lowly original material in which exist, and somehow making it legitimate, is a joy to see. Fresh off J.C.V.D., Van Damme is at his best; soulless, soulful, and soul-searching, wit's end and then some, he carries the picture effortlessly. And Lundgren, practically stealing the show, affirms his real-life high IQ with his respect towards the character and the small role; he comes and goes as quickly as the villainous-version of HAL. His third-act speech, makes the movie. It's what Universal Soldier is all about.

Many have said that Regeneration, as a sequel, breaks away from its predecessors and thus can be seen as its own entity. I beg, beg, beg to disagree. The biggest part of the film's effectiveness is in its genius reframing of the original's material. It's the seeds, it's the childhood to adulthood that makes one appreciate the full transformation. It's not embarrassed by its past, but rather learns from it, and uses that framework to construct something that much greater and more spectacular.

In the end, who woulda thunk it? Universal Soldier: Regeneration blew me away...the biggest WTF in the DTD market quite possibly ever. There's so much going on, so many great ideas, coupled with visceral, flawlessly-executed set pieces and a setting that's shot to perfection. More art than entertainment, Regeneration is more in the line of the aforementioned Solyaris than anything in its supposed genre. A thinking man's action movie? Yes, yes, believe it so. Both Van Damme and Lundgren have been known to attempt such, but now it can be certified as truth. Much like its characters, Regeneration is a machine coming awake, coming into conscious, combining the best of both worlds of the cinematic medium... Actions speak louder than words, and so do action movies.

**** out of ****

~ Patrick Fryberger

"I guess you gotta reach out to some of the old guys"

2010-02-12T17:37:00.000-08:00

Really great interview with Dolph from i09, primarily concerning Universal Soldier: Regeneration, which is coming in my Netflix tomorrow(!).

Source: i09

Centurion trailer

2010-02-12T14:05:00.000-08:00

Neil Marshall bringing the kick-ass right on schedule:

Source: Quiet Earth

Made my morning

2010-02-10T12:30:00.000-08:00

He's the man:

Dammit, I liked it

2010-02-08T13:01:00.001-08:00

Love the 8 Mile music at the beginning. All in all, it's good, enough.

the films of the 2000s from Paul Proulx on Vimeo.

Source: /Film

Sorry...

2010-01-27T17:59:00.000-08:00

Things have obviously slowed here at the Action Reaction. Personal stuff.

Just like at the cinema, January is usually a stinker--just look at last year.

Either way, I'll try and be back up at full power by February.

Until then, here's a John Woo-directed Lost in Space pilot, via i09...embedding not available, depressingly enough.

Be back soon.

Review: The Book of Eli

2010-01-15T13:41:00.000-08:00

"I won't tell you again, she's too hot to be in the movie!"

Post apocalyptica has nearly run its course. The end of the end of the world, is coming soon, but not to a theater near you. Fortunately for us, by opening the Hughes Brothers' The Book of Eli, we may be putting a cap on the genre. A greatest hits of sorts, Eli learns from the mistakes of others and ends the world right—and righteously, at that.

Some 30 years from "the war," Bible-wielding, martial artist and weapons expert Eli (a stalwart Denzel Washington) traverses across the barren U.S. of A with a simple, sole purpose in mind: to "go West." After slaughtering a band of road warriors with his macabre machete, Eli almost haphazardly comes upon a small town, headed by shrewd-thinking Carnegie (Gary Oldman) who has a blind mistress, Claudia (Jennifer Beals), who has a downright babe of a daughter played by Mila Kunis, in Solara (not to be confused with the Toyota luxury coupe). The Bible which Eli holds is a special one, in that it's (probably) the last one on Earth, or at least in the U.S., or at least on the path Eli is taking. Either way, Carnegie wants that shit, and he's going to get it at any cost.

Standing tall in the pocket, Denzel steers the ship with experienced, deliberate charisma. The repetitiveness of his '90s performances has all but faded, and now, well into the new millennium, he just keeps getting better and better. And, trained by Dan the man (Inosanto), he's looking pretty fly out there at 55+. After dabbling in a spree of familial, light-side supporting roles, it's nice to see Gary Oldman back in the fold as the film's main villain. Other than his name, Carnegie's really not much of a character, but as always, Oldman effortlessly rises above generics. Everybody fits—from our biblical hero and crafty villain, to the wily second-in-command (Ray Stevenson) and blind supporting female (Jennifer Beals), to the freakish road warriors, to great cameos by Michael Gambon and Tom Waits, all except Mila, of course, who had my mind firmly elsewhere.

The Washington-Oldman showdowns are easily some of the best moments of the film. Bar none, these two professionals know how to do it; hero actor meets villain actor and the fireworks fly. The Old Western-style standoff feels more like 'Clint Eastwood vs. the Stormtroopers' in terms of gun-slinging capability, but the latter, third-act raid on the house more than makes up for it. Voyeuristic and fun, the Hughes Brothers give special effects a good name. Perhaps, the most ingenius moment of the film is when Eli's name is revealed visually—a portal into his past, if you will—but only for a moment. For this alone, Hughes Brothers, I salute you.

In the end, there is some sunshine in The Book of Eli, which, despite an conventional-yet-unconventional third-act breakdown, manages to come out alright. It's The Road with a plot, it's Terminator: Salvation with a director(s), hell, it's even Children of Men with some humor, and hopefully it's the last of its kind for a long, long time. With that in mind, I only have one question: Who's ready for The Book of Solara?

**1/2 out of ****

~ Patrick Fryberger

Van Damme does Stallone

2010-01-11T13:21:00.000-08:00

Priceless:

Source: Kung Fu Cinema

Jackie Chan: The Musical

2010-01-11T12:53:00.000-08:00

Tell me you're not excited.

A preview?

Review: Daybreakers

2010-01-08T14:55:00.000-08:00

Ethan Hawke wants YOU to see his new movie

Throwback red titles and eerie opening credits perhaps set the bar a little too high for Daybreakers, an ambitious, bloody mixed bag of new tricks, some of which work, and some that don't. It's an original concept thrown into the worlds of Blade, Blade Runner, and 28 Days Later... In other words, it's thrown to the dogs, but some pretty well-trained and likable ones at that.

It's 2019, and obviously, things are bad (where's my utopian "a few years from now" future?). Vampires have taken the stage and humans are hunted and farmed in processing plants that somehow fit in skyscrapers. Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke) just so happens to be the Chief Hermatologist of Bromley-and-something, the central harvesting organization headed by sleazy-creepster Charles Bromley (Sam Neill). Enter a chance encounter with a Toyota—ironically driven by people who are still human—and Dalton finally acts on his feelings, helping the humans with vampires while they help him become human again. Yeah, yeah, it's all nice.

There's a lot of easy-lay casting going on here...Ethan Hawke as the hero who questions his futuristic plight (Gattaca), William Dafoe as the all-American rebel underdog (okay, no example, but the glove fits too tight, especially the crossbow), and, of course, B-movie showman Sam Neill (Event Horizon) as the big creepy boss with familial issues. The new bro's on the block (twins too), the Spierig Brothers, are definitely raw talents, with emphasis on the raw. Their direction is at times refreshingly unconventional (aforementioned credits) and others strictly anything but. There are so many little brilliant moments—almost too many to remember—but the weak, shortchanged script compliments those moments will countless eye-rollers; at some point in the middle it was literally back and forth: whoa, eye-roll, whoa, eye roll, eye roll, eye-roll, eye-roll, whoa.

For a movie about a lack of blood, there's sure plenty of it to go around on-screen—there were stretches I felt I was in a permanent cringe and that my back or neck was going to suffer for it. And visually, that was really the only thing Daybreakers had going for it: the Spierig's need to get hooked up with ILM or at least in cahoots with James Cameron or Lucas because their special effects are straight outta 1997, where even something like Spawn looks better. It's the kind of bad C.G.I. we've been trained on, but shit, man, it's 2010 and Avatar already happened. Get with the program.

Somewhere near the pivotal, third-act plot twist, someone in the audience muttered, in melodramatic tenor, "The Daybreakers," and I couldn't help but laugh. That sentiment is exactly the problem with this film, it's an A movie's mind stuck in a B movie's body, and stuck in a thick, jammy-jelly sort of way, thrashing about while it can until ultimately embracing its lower bar. But if there were three words that could properly summarize my experience, they would be these: So much blood. Extra half-star for effort.

**1/2 out of ****

~ Patrick Fryberger

Reaction Action Roundup: Doing my job for me...

2010-01-07T21:55:00.001-08:00

I want YOU to keep doing my job for me...photo courtesy of AOBG.

AGAIN...is Kung Fu Cinema, kicking ass and taking names and providing a thorough preview of this month's upcoming action releases. Check it out.

Jim Emerson letting Jeff Wells be Jeff Wells = Priceless.

Steven Sodorbergh brings back the cast of Traffic for Gina Carrano to Knockout. I'm in.

The House Next Door has another one of their epically-long "Conversations," this time on what probably remains my favorite Cronenberg (Scanners and Videodrome close), the wonderfully off-key Crash.

A great image I remember first stumbling upon at Bloody Disgusting and now again at Theater of Mine...snapped from The Violent Kind, dirty dirty:

Like the above image, WTF or FTW? You tell me. DANGEROUS MINDS ONLY... Just kidding.

A little off-topic, but very much essential in my eyes: May I present to you, the Gran Turismo 5 cover art.

And finally, the 11 Worst Action Movies of the Decade, according to All Outta Bubble Gum. Infinitely arguable.

And, well,

...

Getting excited

2010-01-06T18:54:00.000-08:00

I had taken peeks at this every few months or so, but I'll admit I wasn't really interested. Now, the more and more I look at it, I'm realizing that these are the kinds of movies that need to be made. This is the kind of movie that I would love to make. What was I thinking (Edgar Wright at the helm, a supremely cool premise, a movie with "vs." in the title, what more could I ask for)? Scott Pilgrim takes on the world in '10. Be there.

Source: /Film

In pictures

2010-01-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

2000

Traffic

Runner up: Best in Show
Runner up: Battle Royale

2001

Gosford Park

Runner up: Donnie Darko
Runner up: The Royal Tenenbaums

2002

Undisputed

Runner up: Adaptation
Runner up: Whale Rider

2003

Kill Bill, Vol. 1

Runner up: X2: X-Men United
Runner up: Gozu

2004

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Runner up: Collateral
Runner up: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

2005

Brick

Runner up: Red Eye
Runner up: Broken Flowers

2006

Children of Men

Runner up: Inside Man
Runner up: Idiocracy

2007

Hot Fuzz

Runner up: Ballast
Runner up: There Will Be Blood

2008

The Dark Knight

Runner up: J.C.V.D.
Runner up: Che

2009

District 9

Runner up: Up in the Air
Runner up: Pandorum

Ten More That Deserved More (chronological):

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Girlfight
In the Mood for Love
Memento
Mulholland Dr.
Training Day
28 Days Later
A Scanner Darkly
Wristcutters: A Love Story
Rachel Getting Married

Write-ups unfinished, maybe to come soon...back home with family and friends, obviously taking priority.

In anticipation for my best of the decade list...

2009-12-29T06:30:00.000-08:00

David Wain's Middle 10 Neither Best Nor Worst Movies of the Decade:

10. The Mexican
9. Insomnia
8. The Terminal
7. Charlie Wilson's War
6. Music & Lyrics
5. 3:10 to Yuma
3. TIE: Runaway Jury & Baba Mama
2. Blue Crush
1. Changing Lanes

As one commentor noted, "the banality of these picks are outstanding!"

I think I found this at /Film. Me thinks.

2009, Year of the Blart

2009-12-28T17:22:00.000-08:00

One of the most fun articles I've read in many a moon. Some excerpts:

""Paul Blart"'s a movie for the recession economy, filmed in a world full of crap being protected by people who can't afford to buy any of it."

"...everyone here is fat, out-of-shape, working a minimum-wage job with no prospects for advancement and deeply pissed off about it"

"It's unapologetically suburban (filmed in Massachusetts, set in New Jersey) and absolutely marginalized. Its main locales are functional: Blart's mess of a home, the bank within the mall where checks are deposited, and the horrific T.G.I. Friday's type restaurant the holiday party takes place at. It is, in short, incredibly depressing and zero fun whatsoever."

I remember catching Paul Blart on a plane, sans sound. You could tell it was terrible beyond belief, but even then it still had that uber-bad intrigue to it, like Freddy Got Fingered or Highlander 2: The Quickening, two movies I love. Maybe I'll have to give it another go! Por que no?

IFC, you made my day. Thank you much.

BRING IT

2009-12-27T17:48:00.000-08:00

This Spring, it's David vs. Goliath and the small guy (8 ft. vs. 10 ft., maybe?) already got the first punch in, punched 'em right in the mouth, and our so-called "King of the World" just never quite recovered.

A big WHOAAAA vs. a hotpocket of blitzkrieg. Who's side are you on? Feel free to leave your two cents. Or three.

Photo snatched from a decent article by the Guardian on the sci-fi of 2009 and into 2010.

Again!??

2009-12-24T20:11:00.000-08:00

Yeah, it's that time of year again.

Happy Holidays.

'But only a fool gets killed for a heart transplant.'

2009-12-24T06:31:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: According to AICN, it's definitely not a remake, but let's be honest, it's not exactly easy to shake such an iconic title, either.

This looks like a positively inspired new twist on the original material, if not a completely new twist altogether:

I love Repo Man, but Repo Men could be pretty kick-ass as well. We'll keep you posted.

Source: Quiet Earth

"I'm the guy"

2009-12-22T15:13:00.000-08:00

He's the man:

Originally caught this in front of Avatar, and the crowd loved it. It looks a little subpar, but I can't say I didn't laugh. Hopefully star-power will prevail and the laughs will make it past the teaser. See we shall...

"Okay, you cunts"

2009-12-22T14:26:00.001-08:00

This is looking like a goddamn R-rated Mystery Men. Or maybe just a 'kick-ass' Mystery Men? You tell me:

It seriously might be the best thing 2010 has to offer. Though the Expendables and Machete aren't far behind. I can't wait!

Source: Quiet Earth

Brittany Murphy, yikes

2009-12-20T11:56:00.001-08:00

...was my first reaction. They're just being swept away, it seems. It's nuts.

"DANCES WITH WOLVES IN SPACE"

2009-12-18T21:42:00.001-08:00

...a good friend texted me this evening.

So true, so so true.

Review: Avatar

2009-12-18T03:08:00.000-08:00

Hot through the pixels—is Zoe Saldana hot, or is James Cameron? BOTH.

I had this spiel I would give, for a few weeks now, on why Avatar might fail to live up to the hype. What this primarily concerned, was director James Cameron's multifaceted ambition—most notably, to break into the frontier of 3D, to achieve an unparalleled pinnacle of C.G.I., and all the while creating a whole new universe just as epic as your Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. Well, guess what, he did all that, and while I wouldn't say my expectations were 'blown away,' I will say they were met. High expectations met with high rewards.

Salvaged from the wreckage of Terminator: Salvation, budding star Sam Worthington heads the epic entertainment experience as Jake Sully, a paraplegic marine thrust into action on the Earth-like Pandora—a lush, vibrantly-exotic world populated by freakish creatures and a humanoid, hunter-gatherer species known as the Na'vi. Yet, this is no ordinary tour of duty. Sully is sent to the science department instead of the kick-ass one, headed by everybody's favorite Biology teacher, Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver, resurrected-again!), where he is instituted into the Avatar program. Fusing the DNA of humans and the native Na'vi, Sully is given the means to control another physical body—a fully replicated Na'vi—called an Avatar. The program is meant to facilitate a "diplomatic solution," as explained by supreme-corporate-sleazeball Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi, playing Paul Reiser's Aliens part on steroids), for the purpose of uncovering some macguffin mineral named Uber-tanium or something. The other option, is war, represented by literally-scarred head of security Colonel Miles Quaritch (a showstopping Stephen Lang). And that's just the beginning, folks.

Shot in 3D, this lavish and complex world comes to life off-screen, but not really on it, if that makes sense. The 3D does seem to detract from the core material; half the time I was so awestruck that I found myself losing track of what was actually happening, almost an alienating (no pun-intended) feeling. And for as smart as a filmmaker (and person) James Cameron is, the world of Avatar seemed a bit slim, not to mention having a simply weak/weakly simple story. Everything was an evident distortion of something we already know; there were no "Whoa" Keanu Reeves-Matrix moments even with the C.G.I. and 3D in mind. It was more of a steady stream of awe. More of an experience than a movie.

The Na'vi, conveniently (i.e. embarrassingly) made up of a bunch of non-white actors (Zoe Saldana, Wes Studi, Laz Alonzo, CCH Pounder) are nonetheless played well, and surprisingly played period. This is where Cameron's delusions of grandeur come strictly into focus. The C.G.I. is like no other, and the performances are there and they're real and they're simply a joy to watch. Worthington effectively holds his own in the lead and doesn't mess it up, not letting the grand scale of the picture get away from him. It's nice to see Sigourney again—never has a role been so tailor-made—she fits it perfectly. As I mentioned, Lang practically steals the show as the main villain, but is kept at bay long enough not to overwhelm it. Ribisi is hammed up to the extreme but at least worth a laugh. Michelle Rodriguez's part feels vastly underwritten; a plot device and nothing more. But it's Zoe Saldana who really comes through. She's the heart and soul of this sometimes soulless epic, and I genuinely think she's worth a supporting look come awards time.

With all the technology, the preparation, the money, the hype, the expectations, everything, James Cameron has really done something special, making his case not only for best of the year, but for the best of the decade, as well. With District 9 still making waves, the ultimate sci-fi showdown since Star Wars v. Star Trek should come to a head this Spring, and I've got my popcorn ready. Each end-of-the-decade entry has changed the cinema as we know it, taking the rest of the genres by the hand and crossing them over into a new frontier. Either way, Cameron's has done it; he's changed things in the biggest and best way imaginable. Colonel Quaritch was right. We're not in Kansas anymore. We're in Avatar territory now.

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

~ Patrick Fryberger

Reaction Action Roundup: "Been over this all before..."

2009-12-17T21:16:00.000-08:00

...with the trailer, and probably the movie as a whole as well, but you have to admit, Dolph Lundgren is still pretty badass:

And this is new trailer, by the way. Supposedly.

In other news, "I told you, you weren't going to get that back." [I'm starting to laugh each time I see/hear this in the theater...when it finally comes out, I may have to be put down]. Poster's pretty rockin' though:

In reboot/remake/sequel/adaptation news, some legit grit is finally added to this pussyfest. Got me a little excited. Just a little (my boy Nimrod got the hookups!).

Shit man I know where the money is (look to see where the money is).

And finally, tonight's the night...probably not as big as The Dark Knight, but it should be something. Something or another. Review to follow.

"Awesome destructive power"

2009-12-16T23:13:00.000-08:00

What an article. Other than the original Bad Boys, I still don't think I can come to appreciate his films on really any level, but if I were to be convinced, this might just do the trick. Obviously--again--it's Matt Zoeller Seitz, who sometimes seems to practically write this blog for me.

Source: The House Next Door

Very Dark Knight

2009-12-15T12:55:00.000-08:00

Almost too much so:

The font is nice, but it needs an accompaniment. Skyscrapers = uninteresting; something else should be happening in the sky. And the Nolan 'fro has just got to go. Just kidding.

Source: /Film

Too significant not to post

2009-12-14T17:42:00.000-08:00

What a speech, or rather a series of them.

With all the buzz, this has that air around it--something monumental--something that could actually inspire some sense of change in this fear-driven industry.

I can't say enough how comforting, how refreshing, and how just plain great it is to hear someone speak like this, even if, after all, she is a critic. Go Manohla.

The original article: Women in the Seats but Not Behind the Camera

Source: Movieline

Kind of badass

2009-12-14T13:32:00.001-08:00

Just a little.

Source: Kung Fu Cinema

Review: Armored

2009-12-09T19:02:00.000-08:00

Watching Armored with blank indifference...

Somewhere between the legacies of Reservoir Dogs and RoboCop is Armored, though more 'middling' than in the middle. A simplistic heist makes for a simplistic movie, unfortunately, and instead of going for the gold, writer James Simpson goes for silver and ends up with such: what could've been B+ material ends up being strictly B, nothing more, nothing less.

A young, decorated Iraq war veteran (Columbus Short) returns home to support his only remaining family, in an artistic brother named Jimmy (Andre Kinney). His only other tie, Godfather Mike Cochrone (Matt Dillon), gets him a job as an armored-truck driver, amongst a colorful cast of co-workers (Laurence Fishburne, Jean Reno, Skeet Ulrich, Amaury Nolasco, and an underutilized Fred Ward). After a souful, very blue-collar first act, the group eventually embarks on a self-heist of sorts for a lofty $42 million—which is the first of many mistakes that Armored makes—you couldn't imagine these guys having anywhere near that much money. They should've shot for something smaller, just like in the yarn Mike preaches to inspire the others to get on board.

As the lead, Short stumbles through awkward dialogue stretches the best he can. Dillon tries to hold down the fort but maybe tries a little too hard and ends up coming off bland. Fishburne is not given enough to work with as the most unpredictable of the bunch. Amaury Nolasco's character is near-embarrassing in its execution, simply because, again, what worthwhile character was there to begin with? Jean Reno, get an agent, and Skeet Ulrich, well, he was cool to see again but for no real reason. This throwback cast is a welcome gesture, but it's left to die by an incredibly underwritten script with little or no sense of heist ingenuity.

For once, it's the writer that ruins perfectly good direction, instead of the other way around. Director Nimród (what a name) Antal definitely has talent, but can't fuse the uneven sections. His little visual flourishes and expertise with a modern color palette make me excited for his future projects (i.e. Predators). He's one to watch.

In the end, Armored has little going on under its titular shield. It even feels bottled-up, like they backed off a bunch of things that could've been included to make it more interesting. A few, sporadic moments of wonder ("All you gotta do is open the door," the villain's second wind, the ending) can't hold the picture, and ultimately Armored fails to meet its already-low expectations. The soul of the picture doesn't last long, but one thing the opening gets right is this: The bad economy is everywhere; it almost seems natural/expected now. The last thing we need are bad movies to go with it.

** out of ****

~ Patrick Fryberger

Restless

2009-12-08T00:04:00.000-08:00

IFC keenly listens in on my apartment

I was practically having this exact same discussion just a few hours ago. IT'S SO FRUSTRATING. I want some guts in my movies, and not just guts for the sake of guts but guts that stand for something. 1989 had guts. 1999 had...a lot, maybe not always guts but it had a lot. 2009? What? In terms of the mainstream, we got, District 9, maybe? At least it was something fresh. And just not fucking Rotten Tomatoes fresh but actually fresh, something new, a chance at change, stir up the pot a little. Fucking crock pot if you ask me, nothin's cookin.'

Shit man what happened to the '90s? I ask myself this question every day!

Time to go to bed!

Source: The House Next Door

A reason to see it

2009-12-07T08:19:00.000-08:00

We can't take filmmakers like this for granted, at least anymore:

Cameron décrypte son film Avatar [cine] TPS 061209
by peanutsie

Source: Hollywood Elsewhere

"You really don't stand a chance..."

2009-12-06T20:05:00.000-08:00

I'm ready.

Dh Preview One - For more funny movies, click here

Bloody Emma Watson with a wand. OMG DROOL.

Source: Mugglenet

Good poster

2009-12-05T12:21:00.000-08:00

I hadn't come across this one before... Very nice:

I'll be seeing it either today or at the very latest Monday. Review to follow.

So true

2009-12-05T12:04:00.000-08:00

"Will Girly Running Impede Steven Seagal's Lawman Debut?"

I love the guy, but you can't deny he looks a little strange on his feet.

Nabbed a few days late from Movieline. Don't know how I missed it!

Goddamn you, Jason Reitman

2009-12-04T19:30:00.000-08:00

...for maturing so fast in your career. Faster than Paul Thomas Anderson, that's for sure. With each film, that trademark, annoying, indie-hipster vibe backs off a little bit more, and the emotionally-ripe meat flows in. I still think you can't direct worth shit (you and that Chris Nolan guy), but you can tell a story, and write dialogue when it matters most.

And not only that, but you've got, no doubt, the best performance out of George Clooney ever. You got a performance out of George Clooney period. Easily his best since Three Kings and even better. I think he should take home the fucking award. It's a genuine, fully-fledged performance that carries a whole lot of weight, rising above the 'effective Clooney' and into something we've never really seen before...

Many questioned when Vera Farminga was cast in The Departed, and at the time she did feel a little out of place with all that * power around her, but she's proven herself to be one helluva contender, putting many of her contemporaries to shame. Go Vera.

And man, Anna Kendrick...halfway through I thought she had stole the movie. And if it wasn't for the damn good ending(s), she would've. The other supporters...J.K. Simmons, Zach Galifianakis, Amy Morton (though, I must note, sleazy Bateman and wise Sam Elliott have been done before), and the real American people, goddammit, how'd you do it? I don't even want to know...

So, in sum, Mr. Reitman, I doubt we'd ever get along, see eye-to-eye on movies or even share an effective, casual joke, but man, whoever compared you to Billy Wilder was right, for now. You've captured a zeitgeist and ran with it, having fun (a lil' bit of wit) but staying tough just as expertly as the man himself. You're now officially on that path. Don't mess it up.

~ Patrick Fryberger

Brooklyn's Finest trailer

2009-12-04T14:51:00.000-08:00

I've been waiting a long time for this one, and I'm glad to say it looks worthwhile, at least on a Street Kings type level. Have a look:

It may not be Antoine Fuqua's return to form (i.e. Training Day), but hopefully it's a step in the right direction. We'll keep you posted.

Source: /Film

More Clint

2009-12-04T14:49:00.001-08:00

I agreed a lot more with this section:

Source: The House Next Door

It's time, homie

2009-12-02T13:50:00.001-08:00

Sorry, but it is.

"Hell Rode With Him"

2009-12-02T12:22:00.000-08:00

I've never really been one for Clint Eastwood, but I would agree his work is worthy of discussion, and especially when it's coming from MZS!:

Source: The House Next Door

Review: Red Cliff

2009-12-01T16:35:00.000-08:00

Tony Leung looking for something more to blow up in Red Cliff.

Note: This is a review of the American release.

Beginning with a mind-numbingly dumb voiceover and frequent subtitle-aids, Red Cliff seems doomed from the start by its embarrassingly-outdated Americanization. Throw in director John Woo's inability to handle drama (evidenced as early as A Better Tomorrow II and Hard Boiled), and you've got yourself one helluva shaky start. I almost walked out, actually, planning on holding for the original, two-part epic. But, fortunately, I remembered the golden rule of any given Woo film: you've got to wait, and then you've got wait some more. As they say, 'good things come'... and in the case of Red Cliff, great things come, very great things.

The story, so mashed and rushed out the door, is nonetheless compelling, especially once you escape the muddy opening. The setup is more or less this: in 208 AD, a war-mongering Prime Minister (and his puppet Emperor) in the North looks to further his power, taking the fight to two clans in the South—one a perennial loser, the other never having fought a battle. Naturally, they come to be allies, and from there, we're off into an adventurous, larger-than-life world of spectacular battle sequences and genuinely memorable characters. Woo veteran Tony Leung proves he's still got that leading-man swagger, carrying the film brilliantly as Viceroy Zhou Yu, while newcomer (at least to my American eyes) Takeshi Kaneshiro has a great role as the wily military strategist, Zhuge Liang. The baddie, Minister Cao Cao (Fengyi Zhang) is kinda lame, but stays classy and doesn't detract from the picture. Also worthy of note is the supporting role of Wei Zhao, in a Miranda Otto-LOTR kind of role that is just strappingly badass.

The John Wooziness (quick fades/dissolves, choppy slow mo, doves) is on full display here, making his valiant return to China a greatest hits of sorts but which nonetheless goes for broke. The action is simply amazing, full of the raw, unhinged energy that made his Hard Boiled-Hard Target peak so invigorating. The contrived battle tactics seem cheesy at first, but after seeing the "turtle formation," you will be hooked, and waiting for what's to come next. This is where Cliff breaks away from Lord of the Rings material and goes above and beyond, really finding its niche in the legacy of the cinematic battlefield. The finale takes on the classical 'Ewoks vs. Empire' mold, but unlike 300, Woo actually makes it believable, cumulating in a solid 45 minutes of EXPLOSIONS AND DEATH with so much aflame that yelling "Fire!" in the theater would not be unwarranted!

Someone should shoot me for saying this, but there's something to be said but cutting out the fluff. Just as the allied forces pack themselves into a turtle, the action packs itself into the condensed material, capitalizing on an iconic director's strengths and ultimately putting on a really good show. I still plan on seeing the full version, hoping for a Ran-like scope, but for now, this pure-concentrated-epic version will have to do. Pure-concentrated-awesome.

*** out of ****

~ Patrick Fryberger

I miss NY

2009-11-30T16:48:00.000-08:00

Source: Scanners, Goodie Bag

Review: Ninja Assassin

2009-11-29T20:10:00.000-08:00

Take it from Shô Kosugi, no, really, that's Shô Kosugi

Even more bland of a title than Fight Club, Ninja Assassin fails to rise above but surely doesn't make any plans to, either. Hearkening back to the '80s and with the modern, stylistic flashes of the Wachowski's, Assassin is shameless B-action to the core, and core is really the right word seeing anything left hanging is cut out and off—for good and for the better.

Cute-faced, international superstar RAIN takes up the titular reigns as Raizo, an ultra-hardcore murdering machine and a man of a few words. A ninja from the cradle, Raizo searches out his tyrannical teacher and Ninjutsu master, marking the vailiant return of Shô Kosugi in Ozunu. Along the way, he finds a partner in strangely-American Interpol Agent Mika (Naomie Harris) as well as a rival in Takeshi (Rick Yune), all the while cutting and slicing everyone and everything in sight. Much like Punisher: War Zone, this over-reliance on ultraviolence eventually becomes numbing, flattening the action sequences to little more than some laughs for the few, actually-excessive moments of gore. But it's the meat of the material (that is, what's still on the body) which makes the movie work. From the opening sequence on, we are plunged headfirst into dangerously cheesy territory (the whole "special heart" running gag is beyond ridiculous), and, fortunately, we're never given a chance to come back up.

Dropping a non-martial artist into this kind of setup is almost appropriate—this is Americanized crap to the Nth degree, but in a very good way—so it is with this that Rain succeeds with flying colors (mostly consisting of a runny, shimmering red). The aforementioned Kosugi is right on the mark as the film's central villain, even having his own little Apocalypse Now-Colonel Kurtz moment in the end. Naomie Harris is great, mostly because how goddamn hot she is (which is even mentioned! Genius!) Action-baddie vet Rick Yune feels underused, though I doubt if that's actually a valid concern. The characters and their cast are a snug fit, showing just how much these simple premises are missed.

In the finale, a great 'Ninja holocaust' takes place, giving the title and the film an entirely new meaning. And, in a way, Ninja Assassin proves to be the swan song of the genre, a true throwback to the cookie-cutter scripts and plot templates that made the B material so much fun. The Wachowski's prove once again that they have something left in the tank, and that the Ninja genre—so lowly and ever-banished—isn't dead, either. Pirates go home.

*** out of ****

~ Patrick Fryberger

Ninja on Ninja Action

2009-11-29T20:00:00.000-08:00

This guy always gets me. Hilarious:

Review to follow.

Source: /Film