My thoughts exactly...

Also-- the YouTube channel is well on its way. I'm about a little under halfway done after two days or so of straight uploading. I'll give the lowdown when it's all said and done.


Source: /Film

Superbowl spots

After a sad day in the football world (it's like if McCain won the election, or something), I can at least post some of the action-jam-fucking-packed trailers we saw in the interim. G.I. Joe, Transformers 2, Fast & Furious, and a clever little commercial which you may or may not have noticed, are featured below. Check 'em out.














And don't forget,





Note: I'm finally planning on uploading the action videos this week. The bullshitting and procrastinating is over. It may take me a good week (or two), but I'll get on it. I've also got a lot planned for the next month or so, so we'll see where that goes.

That is all, for now.

Review: Taken

Liam Neeson makes a formidable action hero in Taken

Taken is nothing we have haven't seen before; other Luc Besson-produced action features, i.e. especially Kiss of the Dragon, follow the relatively similar plot of somebody going to France (or already being there) and getting in a whole bunch of shit, simply put. But also, as with Luc Besson's filmography, Taken is well-shot, well-acted, and generally well-written action piece making for an experience that feels both fresh and positively old-school at the same time, mostly on part to the hunter-killer performance of Liam Neeson.

The action, serving as a point of contention and debate, is evidently the meat of the film. The meddling first act has some unrealistically smooth dialogue and full-out stock sequences, as when Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) awakes from a flashback/home-video sequence. But once Mills goes into CIA/Spy/OO-Agent or, as he calls it, "preventer" mode (transitioned by a clunky, but admittedly memorable speech), is when Taken really 'takes' us for the ride we've been waiting for. The action, while overtly remisincent to the modern Bourne/Bond/Batman archetype, still feels innovative, invigorating. The sequences have a Rambo-esque length to them and seem to take us up and down and all around Paris locales. Mills chops, shoots, and barks his way through a faceless labyrinth of baddies, outsmarting and outmaneuvering even those aiding him. The most effective scenes are the instances where he gets truly nasty (the best of which I will surely not spoil), to the point where we want him to go even further (the torture sequence, pictured above, feels a relative letdown compared to the spontaneous viscerality he displays at other points in the film).

Neeson's Mills is more machine than human, and this is the struggle that drapes the entire film. In the beginning, we see him trying to come closer to his daughter (Maggie Grace), and after her brutish kidnapping, we see him revert to the Machiavellian machine he really is. This is where Taken works, though necessarily bookended by a passable beginning and by-the-numbers touching finish. Director Pierre Morel and Besson craft another seemingly 'alternative' action flick, which may just be a little more familiar than we realize. Yet, above all, it is the usually monotonous Neeson—a quality which works to his advantage here—who commandeers the action with his strangely real performance.


*** out of ****

~ Patrick Fryberger

Two new video game trailers

Here are some new trailers for the Command and Conquer Red Alert 3 expansion Uprising and for the new Batman game, Batman: Arkham Asylum. The former expands on the already great cast of the first game by adding Malcolm McDowell and wrestler Ric Flair, among others, while Arkham features Batman Hall-of-Famers Mark Hamill playing the Joker and Kevin Conroy playing the caped crusader. It's nice to see C&C continue its long tradition of hiring Hollywood talent (albeit 'B' Hollywood talent) and for Mark Hamill to continue cranking out the Joker.

Wolvesbayne trailer, Tournament photos

Yancy Butler, Mark Dacascos, vampires, and cheesy special effects. I'm there:


Wolvesbayne Trailer from Leigh Scott on Vimeo.


And, with another movie I'm looking forward to-- The Tournament, I've gathered up some photos courtesy of Kung Fu Cinema (they are like a century old, but better late than never). The film features a picture-perfect cast including Scott Adkins, Kelly Hu, Ving Rhames, Robert Carlyle, Ian Somerhalder, and Sebastien Foucan, among others. It's almost hard not to be excited for this one:

















Also-- I just got back from Buenos Aires and I am just about ready to make a move on the action clip situation. More to come soon.

"I am Sheba, the reincarnation of Shirley Booth!"

Reporting again from Buenos Aires, John Lichman of Spout has thrown together his favorite Jeffrey Wells moments of the past year. Being a Hollywood Elsewhere addict (I really couldn't tell you why), I thought this was hilarious. Check it out--and if you don't know what I'm talking about--check out the link to Wells's blog at the top of the 'actual film criticism' links section (a very questionable placement).

Armond White is always worth a look as well, even if, most of the time, he's completely off-the-fucking-rocker (in the least, he seems to have a strong affection for action movies, maybe just because they don't get ambitious and he has nothing to criticize, I don't know).

And if you haven't already guessed, Jeff Wells likes Armond White (go figure).

Now, where do I fit into all this?

New Street Fighter: Legend of Chun-Li teaser trailer

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




Source: AICN

Street Preacher op-ed, 12/24/2008

The Street Preacher makes his way to Buenos Aires

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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




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

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

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

Honorable Mention: Tropic Thunder

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


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

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

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

~ teh Street Preach out!

Review: J.C.V.D.

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

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

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

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

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


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

~ Patrick Fryberger

Top 10 Action Actresses

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




Yancy Butler kicking ass as usual

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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