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"Game over, man. Game over!"
HOW TO TELL . . .
Are you a
FREAK
or just a FAN?
Action Movie Fans can watch
other genres in comfort.
Action Movie FREAKS will start shifting in their seats 10 minutes into a movie
where nothing has crashed
or been blown up yet . . .
Action Movie Fans can quote
a few one-liners from a few
popular action movies.
"I'll be back!"
"Make My Day!"
Action Movie FREAKS
try to work
their favorite quotes into
conversation all the time!
"God has his tricks, but getting
[paper jams out of copiers],
that's one of mine.*"
Action Movie Fans have watched their favorite action movies
a handful of times.
Action Movie FREAKS can recite
the entire opening scene
word-for-word from at least 2 movies
they're obsessed with!
"The Hovitos are near, the poison is still fresh—3 days, they're following us . . . "
"They are an army, unlike any other, crusading across the stars
toward . . . "
And if you can easily finish
this
entire quote:
"I know what you're thinking,
did he fire
6 shots,
or only 5 . . . "
just admit it now,
you're an
Action Movie FREAK!
(That quote should be required memorization if you're
going to call yourself
an
Action Movie FREAK!)
Action Movie Fans can stomach
most movie violence.
Action Movie FREAKS
will clap when the action reaches its gross-out best!
Remember the incredible opening of Ninja Assassin . . .
What's that? You didn't see "Ninja Assassin"?
Then you're an
Action Movie Fan.
Let's start again.
Remember the incredible opening of
Ninja Assassin, which ended when the blood splatter becomes
the title

you knew it was coming, but you clapped anyway!
(Yes, true
Action Movie FREAKS
clap when the violence is really good
like horror movie fans laugh when it gets really gross)
If, right about now, you're shaking your head or laughing, you're an
Action Movie fan.
If you're all fired up . . .
"HELL YEAH!"
"Welcome
to the Jungle!"
You're an
Action Movie
FREAK!
*from
CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK
"God has his tricks, but gettin' outta places
no one else can, that's one of mine."
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May 17
follow production of
SKYFALL
jamesbond007
is the YouTube channel for videos from the making of Skyfall. One
of the videos show the artwork for the
50th
Anniversary of Bond.

May 10
Starship Troopers showing

Oh, to live in Hollywood tonight!
Casper Van Dien posted on
his FB page
that tonight is the 15th Anniversary of Starship Troopers, and
according to
Nuke the Fridge there will be an "unprecedented cast & crew
reunion screening at the Arclight Cinema in Hollywood." This was a
short-notice event but there was a
link given
for tickets ($17.50).
He's off to Germany, so lucky fans who attend FedCon (May17-20) might
get a chance to see him (he's on a panel twice).

May 3
The Avengers: "Suit Up!"
Lucky Me! I got the day off from work to go
to the Ultimate Marvel Marathon: 6 movies staring at 11:30 AM,
beginning with Iron Man (2 May 2008), then The Incredible Hulk
(13 Jun 2008), Iron Man 2 (7 May 2010), Thor (6 May 2011),
Captain America: The First Avenger (22 July 2011), and ending with
The Avengers (4 May 2012), at 12:01 AM.
The Avengers exceeded everyone's expectations and definitely
delivered
your money's worth and then some in entertainment value.
It might have been
the Tony Stark show except that Hulk dominated ALL. The one
liners were great, and there were jokes throughout. The Gallaga
joke was really good. The name calling, "Point Break", was
too good! There was a flying battleship! I don't want to give anything
else away, just go see it: "Suit up!"
here
CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 2
May 2
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
The
Call of Duty:
Black Ops
II reveal features the Quadrotor that was previously seen on the
FPS Russia Show .
. . OH YEAH!
![Chronicles of Riddick: Dead Man Stalking]()
Apr 30
Riddick (3) News, plus . . .
Vin
Diesel's Facebook page offered this news of the untitled
Chronicles of Riddick (3)
and possible future movies!
"The studio said the earliest they could release
the new "Riddick" is in January... was hoping for 2012... but, it's on
the horizon. /smile P.S. I think they are liking what they are
seeing... haha, cause they asked when both Underverse and Furya would be
ready to make and release... haha... now that's a ways in the future but
it is exciting."
Apr 28
Prometheus screencaps
WOW! This YouTube video from
Prometheus6812's channel was so revealing, I had to make
some
screencaps (on my FB page)—I said I wasn't going to watch any more
trailers but I couldn't look away!

Apr 27
SAFE was . . .
"Everything I expected", 27 April 2012 (10 out
of 10 stars)
Author: stbsolo
from United States (off
IMDB site)
"It's strange to rate this a 10,
but I do believe those of you who like Statham movies will find this
movie to exceed your expectations. This isn't really a 10 as compared to
all other deserving 10s out there, it's [a 10] for people who like
movies like this.
You'll love it! ... Great chemistry, great villains, great action, and
awesome plot. It also gets a 10 because it, unlike all of the other
action movies I've looked forward to only to be disappointed with,
actually delivered much more than the trailers and ads promised. So, my
10 isn't the sign of a cinematic masterpiece, but it's a sign of
enjoyment, met expectations, and those who enjoy vegging out and
watching action movies of Statham's brand will probably agree."
I do agree! And since stbsolo said it so well, I quoted it
here. I will see the movie again and write more in detail just HOW much I
liked it but for now, GO SEE IT! You'll be so glad you did.
Apr 25
After Dark ACTION

Apr
21
The Raid:
Redemption
THE RAID
I finally got to see The Raid. SO MUCH anticipation. I had
seen the preview but I didn't read any reviews because I wanted to enjoy it
as much as possible. [I loved seeing Iko Uwais in Merantau,
where his (and everyone else's but especially
Mad Koudal's) fighting
skills were top notch.] I expected there to be some fighting, and with the
SWAT team, more gun play and killing, so I was surprised how quickly things
turned to shit in the plot, and that most of the team's weapons were taken
out of the equation. Also, although it was a 30-story building, the story
played out mainly on the 7th and 15th floors—kind of misrepresenting to me,
numbers wise. Considering the unknown enemy numbers, I was surprised they
went in with only 20 men. We needed some build up for these "20
Elite Cops". Let us in on the plan (have a plan!). The more bad ass you
make them, the greater/scarier it is for us when they are defeated.
THE FIGHTING
My
favorite line in the movie had to be the warning about the character "Mad
Dog" as "a wall of fists and feet" (and elbows and knees). Enter
Yayan Ruhian! This photo is from what I called "the 7th floor
beatdown" of Joe Taslim by Yayan Ruhian. Yayan* and Iko are credited
with the Stunt Choreography, and it's excellent. I would say this is
the best fight, and I also liked the hallway fight with Iko against two men
shot from above (it reminded me of the ax fight in
The Transporter).
The final fight of two on one was a little long. I think the brother took
too much of a beating to be that fresh and have that much left in him, also,
they both had way too much spring in their step when it was over. That
takes away from the reality of it. At one point (in the fight in the
room with chemicals), the choreography really showed for me when Iko was
going through the motions like a dance he was sick of doing. It's
probably hard to know when to stop if you're a perfectionist, and while the
moves may be perfect, maybe the emotion in the scene suffers from over
rehearsal. In the final fight, it was noticeable only a couple times—that's
incredible given the duration and complexity! That scene was worth the whole
movie. Any fault I find is just nitpicking because so much of it is at the
100% level, the 85% stands out more (know what I mean?).

There were plenty of
gnarly kills. The knife through the neck, the flip (shown above)
with the throat landing on the jagged edge of a broken door, a couple
back-breaking stair/balcony falls. The final fight that become a blood bath.
I loved the fist to the back of the neck about midway through—that looked
like it really hurt. There was lots of close-range shooting and head
smashing, etc. The movie was mainly machetes and hand-to-hand, but there was
lots of creative beatings and escapes as well. Action Movie Freaks, however,
want the
Super Cop movies to pull out all the stops on weapons. I liked the
improvisation (like with the propane in the refrigerator with a grenade) but
where were the rest of the grenades, etc? They had no bag of tricks.
If Iko hadn't shot a hole in the floor, the movie would have ended very
quickly.
It was a great waste of investing me emotionally in the movie to make the
plot linear. After I found out about the brother, I kept thinking, "What
if?" . . .
THE BROTHER
What if Iko's wife wasn't quite so pregnant, but had just come
from the doctor telling her it's a boy. If they discussed names and Iko got
emotional saying he always wanted to name a boy after his brother, that
could bring up that the brother is missing. Now that Iko's wife is that far
along in her pregnancy, maybe they could decide it's time to tell their
families. Iko's character could then have called home to tell his parents
the good news, and they could tell him that his missing brother had been
spotted somewhere in the city, and urge him to keep trying to find him.
Then, he could go in for the briefing on this big mission and see the photo
he mentions (but they did not have a scene for) showing his brother as one
of the two sidekicks for the henchman they were going in after (rather than
have it be a surprise). This would really have made The Raid have added
danger and meaning for Iko, and we would be on edge wondering if and when
the brother would turn up, and whether they would be enemies, or reunite to
get out alive. If they had flashback of some bad deed and tied it in
with the brother's defining changing moment, maybe a payoff on a behavior
pattern that he breaks?
Like
Merantau, there was a bit of the theme of someone's who's changed who can't
go back home, but we want to know why not.
REDEMPTION
With what little we find out about why the Brother chooses to stay, the
"redemption" element was missing. If he had done something bad/illegal and
had fallen in with the wrong crowd, he could have redeemed himself by saving
Iko and the others. Instead, he chose to stay. So why was he there and
where was the redemption? And where was the cause for the 'Chief' to
mount this attack himself? I got it that he thought taking out the bad
guy might bring him something reward/recognition, but all hope of that was
obliterated.
Other than my suggested change above to invest me in the story (other than
hoping a rookie gets back to his pregnant wife), I have only one observation
that seemed an obvious oversight (?). If the armored car the squad arrived
in wasn't bulletproof, why would the two SWAT team members stationed to
remain outside just sit there like they're safe, when they are raiding the
most dangerous criminal's building/home in the city? That just seemed
dumb.
ALL BEEF, NO BUN
Overall, I enjoyed it but it really was not what I expected in spite of
trying not to expect anything. I guess I did just based on there being a
heavily-armed SWAT team, 30 floors, and the bad guy speaking over the P.A.
Just that led me to believe all of it would be a little more organized (the
attack and the defense) and not so random or sparsely populated on each
floor. The capture of the crime boss so easily by the 'Chief' was
anti-climactic. Considering how it was handled, it's a miracle any of the
SWAT team came out alive, and there was no idea of what was going to happen
with the internal corruption/power plays?! Don't get me wrong, there's
plenty of great fighting, but it seemed like a collection of bad-ass fights
too loosely woven together and capped by a beginning and ending that were
insufficient to make it work as a great movie. Maybe they shot scenes
to emotionally invest us but then cut them? Merantau was so good at
making us root for Iko Uwais' character that this movie surprised me by
being so emotionally un-engaging. You can beat people up all day long,
but it's not satisfying unless they have it coming and we weren't given that
hook. Nobody learned a lesson here. Pity. If you agree,
check out my
Action Movie Essentials.
_______________________________
*Yayan (pictured above) also played 2 roles in Merantau.
Apr 15
ActionFest 2012 Awards
Yesterday was Day 2 of ActionFest. I saw the Trailblazing
Stuntmen PANEL and the first part of the STUNT SHOW. I had to
leave the Stunt Show early to see True Romance be introduced by
Gina Carano. (Gina said she loves the fight scene in the movie. the I
think every girl loves that Patricia Arquette takes a beating and
wins in the end. It's a primal, powerful scene.) I also saw The Art of
Fight on Film PANEL, Headhunters, and all of the AWARDS SHOW,
which made me late for Dragon Eyes.
So, who got Awards?
Read more . . .
Apr 14
Helping Young Talent
At the screening of Sinners & Saints it was announced that ActionFest
wanted to promote young talent (like Director William Kaufman).
These two guys emailed me last week to put something on the site for them, so in
the spirit of helping young talent who want to make action movies, here is
Brett O. Walker and Chris Coffel's
appeal. Good luck guys!
A post during ActionFest is probably the most exposure I could ever give you.
Hope to see one of your films :30 second, :20 minute, or feature someday at
ActionFest. I'm not saying I would do this for everybody but their teaser
really had a spirit of fun and their love of Action shined through.
Apr 14
Free Stunt Show, Movie, & Panels
Today's the best day to come out to @Actionfest!
They offer 2 free PANELS (Trailblazing Stuntmen at 12:30 and The
Art of Fight on Film at 5:00 PM), a free STUNT SHOW at 2:00 PM, and you
can stay to watch TRUE ROMANCE for free at 3:00 PM. Gina Carano will
be introducing the movie (it's her favorite Action Movie). Hear
behind-the-scenes stories and get insight into Action Movie making from:

Lifetime Achievement Award honoree
Mickey Gilbert
(that was him doubling Robert Redford to make the real high jump into the
river that took our breath away in
Butch Cassidy and the
Sundance Kid)

"Man of Action" Award honoree
Jack Gill
(that was him doing the driving that made Nicolas Cage look like a bad ass
in the yellow Ferrari in
The Rock,
and fighting for Stuntwork to be recognized by the Academy Awards—an
omission that signifies an ongoing prejudice on their part not shared by
audience$!)

Fight Director of the Year Award honoree
J. J. Perry
(that was his fight choreography that made you so impressed with Gina Carano
decimating the male cast of
Haywire! His career
is on fire, he's just finished
Safe (Jason Statham),
Get the Gringo
(Mel Gibson), and Bullet
to the Head (Sylvester Stallone)!

"Chick" Norris Best Female Action Star Award honoree
Gina Carano
(that was her making all the men look weak in Haywire—about
time! Loved her in Blood and Bone "Call me". And she played
herself in Ring Girls! How bad ass was that?!)

Rising Action Star Award honoree
Cung Le
("that was him" you'll be able to say you saw first THIS YEAR at ActionFest
in the Art of Fight on Film panel and in
Dragon Eyes
showing at 9:15 PM—Buy
your tickets early because it's sure to sell out with Cung Le in
attendance!)

Apr 13
ActionFest Begins . . .
OH: "Dude, man, what was that? That was so loud. Rocket
Maaaaan. No way! That's way cool!" Last night, downtown Asheville heard
@ActionFest knocking with the Rocket Man's entrance . . . in a
tux! The site of this year's festival opener . . .
Read more.
Apr 7
ActionFest Brotherhood
Already impressed with the first wave of announced films, now it's
paroxysms of excitement over the full line up, plus the panels, (plus
the Stunt Show, of course), plus the yet-to-come surprises,
plus
the appearances by the Festival creators, jury, stars, and honorees.
Everyone associated with ActionFest is extraordinarily nice. It's a
little intimidating to be a hobby blogger in a sea of film professionals,
but I learn SO MUCH! It's great to see/share how happy it makes
Aaron Norris to be able to recognize those he respects who make the
Action genre what it is and what we love. For just a few days,
watching the Stunt Show, at the Panels, or at the Awards, just by being
there as witness, you feel like a part of their brotherhood—plus
you get to watch Action movies 14 hours a day for 3 days/4 nights.
Apr 6
ACTIONFEST Full
Film List is Up!
Ooo-eee
I almost wish I wasn't getting new tires on my truck first thing in the
morning so I could put the full film list up, but I need them tires to drive
to Asheville! So I'll have to do it later in the day. Can't wait to
watch the previews. My friends Ty and Brenton at
allouttabubblegum.com are
going to be SO SORRY (so sorry) (so so so sorry) they are not going as
True Romance is being shown and it's Gina Carano's FAVORITE movie AND
she is going to introduce it. I think we should have a suicide watch
for Ty. Dude!!!!!!! And WAY MORE exciting news but
read it there for yourself. And
get off the fence about going. You should go! If you go for even a part of
it, I guarantee you won't miss want to miss a minute of it the next year.
It's coming at you: bam-ACTIONFEST! (did that hurt?)
Check out AshevilleNetwork.net
for fun stuff to do in Asheville leading up to ActionFest, and it's a
nice blog for area information :)

Apr 3
Wrestlemania XXVIII
Finally!
Being in the nosebleed seats didn't dampen anyone's enthusiasm for this
event: 78,363 a record-breaking crowd, was cheering from the moment I got
there. First "Uuuuuuuu" (for University of Miami), then alternating
cheers for The Rock, and for (or against) John Cena. Apparently Miami loves
Randy Orten and doesn't care much for Diddy. The match between The
Undertaker (HUGE crowd response when he entered) and Triple H was more
emotional and engaging than the title match. It really was good to see
The Rock back in the ring but I prefer him in Action Movies. There was no
way he wasn't going to win. You could tell just by the response he got when
he walked out on the runway . . . The cheapest tickets were $25.
Advance parking $35 (day of $40). T-shirts went for $30. It surprised me how
many people bought the 'toy' belts.
  
The most fun part of the night was the musical number featuring Brodus Clay
and
"Momma Clay and The Bridge Club".
Mar 31
Tomorrow!
Wrestlemania XXVIII
Mar 30
Born To Fight
Gina Carano
Gina seems like she could become as big a star as The Rock. I would
love to see her movie career blossom. She's a great fighter.
Love the slow mo miss at 12:56.
Mar 25
I
Wanna Be
Andrea James Lui

Image taken from interview who got it courtesy of Bob Mulrenin
www.wrestlingfigs.com
It can't be easy to steal the show from Trish Stratus,
but
Andrea James Lui did last year it at
Actionfest
2011 in her limited-space (bathroom) fight scene against Boomer
Phillips in
Bail Enforcers. (And yes, she was there!) This interview from
3/23/12 with Andrea by
canada.com's MMA Crossfire is really interesting for her insight
and perspective on many areas behind the scenes in film, as well as hearing
about her incredibly well-rounded (and then some) career path. The article
really conveys what it's like to be an Action actress—the life of an actor
and KICK-ASS CHICK. It mentions
Systema and the fight
below . . . Great read about a Superwoman!
Mar 19
21 JUMP STREET
I
laughed all the way through. It captured the dynamic of their "cool
kid/nerd" relationship transformation so perfectly.
Even the Action was funny. They made up for the strange no explosions with
one spectacular one. (Creative low budget workaround!? LOL) I would
have like to see a little more interaction with the rest of the characters
who were undercover in other schools (it was limited to gloating), but
that's a good thing because it means I liked it so much I wanted more. They
were both really good in it. Channing Tatum more so for the
bewildered awakening he experienced being uncool for the first time. I
expected
Jonah Hill to be good (he's everyone's favorite after Super Bad)
but I didn't expect Channing would be that good (like Award good!).
The brother relationship was very well written, and acted. They came off as
so in tune, you forget it isn't real. The best scene in the film for
me was when Jonah was trying to talk to a girl on the phone, and
Channing came into the room and just started torturing him—love the giraffe
(it was wordless and just perfect)! As a comedy team they worked as well
together as any famous comedy team. I think a lot of the credit has to
go to the material as well, but as a Buddy Action comedy, the acting
was superb and they hit all the sweet spots :D!
Mar 10
JOHN CARTER

I enjoyed it so much more than Avatar. It was
fun to watch all the way through. I forgot there were special effects—when I
wasn't being amazed by the whole the look of it! I wasn't pulled out
of the fantasy even once. It's the kind of feel-good Saturday-afternoon
Adventure film you hope to see. I loved the 'dog'! How could you not? The
acting was good across the board. Loved Willem Dafoe in it!
The costumes and sets were beautifully designed and creatively detailed. The
ships, the weapons, and the planet . . . the whole thing gave me an original
Star Trek TV series feel, like Capt. Kirk had been beamed down on a
planet to fight strange creatures until the ship figured out how to get him
back, but in the meantime he shows them how wise he is and saves everyone.
That kind of good-feeling fun. I think this
concept art by Phil Saunders really captures that feeling.

Mar 7
ACTION MOVIE FREAK:
The Book!
ActionFlickChick.com's
Katrina Hill (@ActionChick) is the author of Action Movie
Freak.
Pre-order it now at amazon.com for just $15.63! (it's a perfect gift
for your Action Freak friends).
Krause Publications also did
Horror Movie Freak which covered all your favorites and came with a
Night of the Living Dead (watchable
online now) DVD. (Follow @HorrorFreakNews).
Mar 5
ACT OF VALOR:
What Do You Fight For?
I love this movie so much and apparently, this guy does too!
He's on
YouTube,
Facebook, [FPS Russia
(OFFICIAL)] and twitter
@FPSrussia) I've seen Act of Valor three times and I
know I'll see it at least once more. I finally finished writing about it:
Read more
. . .
Mar 4
RAMPART
There was zero promotion on this . . . I was just looking for
a movie to go to and found it that way. I liked the creative camera
work and the look of it (color/filters? a little "Instamatic-y"). It echoed
Woody Harrelson's character's mental state. The club scene was
incredible—Reminded me of Spike Lee's upside drug addicts floating. The way
it ended was like he just got spit out or thrown up.
It really is a stellar performance by Woody. At the end, despite all
his flaws, you feel for him. The script revealed a intelligent yet ignorant
man, that you wanted to dislike, but, because he realized he blew it, you
couldn't help but care as you watched his heart break. I like the ending
because, really, where do you go from there? I enjoyed the
performances by Sigourney Weaver, Jon Bernthal, Ice Cube, and
especially Brie Larson.

Feb 27
RIDDICK: The Animal Side
A contemplative Vin Diesel reflects on Acting on his Facebook page
through of the passing of a fan who became a friend.
Read more
. . .
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Feb 25
ACT OF VALOR:
The Real Deal
You have to
see this movie if you're an Action Movie Freak,
if you loved
Predator,
if you love the whole SOLDIER-movie concept, or if you're crazy
about military 'toys'. Just Go! You'll love it. Grown men
cried both times I saw it.

JOURNEY 2: The Mysterious Island
I had to go and give The Rock my $11; not $17 for the evening show
in IMAX 3D, but . . . the big kid in me wanted to see it—a throw
back to Swiss Family Robinson. I love Luis Guzman
(ever since Q & A). I am sure Disney is only
casting who they cast for the greatest profitability based on
popularity, but I wish The Rock would just do Action Movies. It was
fun but really obvious most of the time:
The payoff for him not liking lizards, "Only a fool trades his
life for money", etc. The set details were great: Atlantis, the Nautilus, the attic with the model planes, etc.
There were the fun Rock moments too: the "Thunder Cookie",
the "pec pop of love". Bottom line: it's an
adventure movie for kids (I'd put the age at 8, maybe up to 13).
Feb 24
ACT OF VALOR starts tonight!
You GOTTA see it!
And . . .
LaRon Landry as
"Augustus Cole"

From
this article "LaRon Landry is big. 'Incredible Hulk'
big..." by Chris Chase (NFL
Shutdown Corner
sports blog), where he mentions The Avengers, I see
Gears of War. With Batista as Marcus Fenix
(scroll down), THIS is the kind of Action Hero we want to see. This
is what is missing in today's Action Movies from what we loved about
the Awesome 80s era of Action. Action Movie Freaks want this
eye-popping largenesss that looks too big to be true (you know,
like Arnold-in-Predator big). That article led me to this one:
An interesting perspective on
black characters in gaming history.

Feb 19
The Devil Himself Wants This Boy
GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE is
visually stunning, from the overall look of it with the intense
colors, creative cut outs, collages, and camera angles, to the
details like the absolutely bad-ass wardrobe of worn leather, to the
stunts like Idris Elba's slow-mo fall backwards while
shooting (as often as we've seen that original
Dar Robinson
move, it was a stand out, and delivered not only, surprisingly,
SURPRISE, but impact—it says a lot that they made this move fresh,
and that it was so bad ass, that it's
still bad ass). I saw the movie in 2D thinking that if I
didn't think 3D would have added anything, I would have been smart
and saved the difference in the price of admission, but if it seemed
like it would have been good in 3D then I could always pay to see it
again. And will I! It delivered beyond my expectations on
every level.
SCRIPT . . .
The set up was right up front where it should be: "Bring
us the boy and we will lift your curse." Thank you.
No :45 minutes of wondering where it's going. I love when you know
what's at stake for the character so you can be invested in what
he's trying to do and give a damn whether or not he gets there,
hoping all the while for a few twists and turns even when it's
predictable. Check and check.

CAGE-INESS . . .
This scene alone, where Cage is riding while his face morphs in and
out of being the Rider, is seriously worth the price of admission.
Cage fans will be Oh So Satisfied. The flame-thrower
peeing scene from the preview was even better in the movie (how
often does that happen?!). It was a father-son/guy/penis
bonding moment that made me wonder about the fact that there
probably is, sadly, no female equivalent, and which was classic
Cage. I am a huge
Nicolas Cage fan. There is no one as entertaining to watch.
If anything, I would have loved more Cage. It was strangely
fascinating to watch his moves in the The Rider scenes and to
see Cage come through. In one scene he's kind of dancing as
only he can. If you don't appreciate what only Nicolas Cage can
bring to a role like this, you're missing out.

SPECIAL EFFECTS . . .
Even though this is the second movie, the novelty of the flames
and the skull on fire didn't get old for me. Excellent job
to whoever managed to make fire as fascinating as it really is. This
spitting bullets moment from the preview, still satisfied.
Love it when the preview doesn't ruin it for you. Even though
they showed this, and you knew it was coming, it was still
incredible to watch. And when The Rider cranks up the giant
digging machine (HOLY HELL!), it's jaw dropping, and if it wasn't
for you, it should be. I loved that he's un-killable and how he
smokes when hurt. The special effects are seamless. Even
though I know we are suspending disbelief, I never felt pulled out
of the story because the effects fell down. The sound of the
motorcycle engine was exciting and strangely satisfying. Overall I
loved the sound effects. My only tiny criticism is that
the music should have dominated more when the Rider operated the
digging machine. I feel the song was a good choice and it would have
punctuated it more than the real scene sounds that competed with and
drowned out the music too often. It felt a little like someone
wanted real sounds and someone wanted the song, and this was a
compromise that didn't work as well as the song would have.
ACTION MOVIE FREAK-INESS . . .
• with a side order of cheese, please.
Cheesy
one-liners were sprinkled throughout, and sometimes came in
visual form, like Jerry Springer, the twinkie, and yet another
surprise: Christopher Lambert. They cleverly worked in
"fire wall"
and "road kill". Loved "The apple doesn't rot far from
the tree." Classic Cage attitude: "So, that happened",
and "These guys are gonna lift my curse? They don't even have
shoes." "Did we win? I'm gonna say yes. Hell yes!"
• It is my opinion that Action Movies that
deliver the most satisfying experience do so when there are
lessons to be taught or learned. This movie was a perfect
example of that. "This power that we have comes from a dark
place, but it's not who we are." The religious tones gave depth
and meaning. Cage's character is a little Christ like. "Where you
go now, I cannot follow." We love a bad guy who fights for the
right reasons. Without spoiling the ending, I thought the movie was
obviously headed in one direction but then they turned it around.
Although I could still see it coming, I still appreciated that they
didn't go the obvious route and it happened late enough that it kept
my interest right up until the end.
• Gnarly Kills—there were so many. The ways in which people
die are interesting. The chain kills are really wicked. The most
satisfying kill for me was another surprise. When the mother plays
the typical weak female to her advantage and throws a knife at a bad
guy with a guy, you and the bad guy think "how lame" and let your
guard down. Turns out she had a gun the whole time and it was just
an (effective) distraction. (Brought to mind the scene where Indiana
Jones shoots the guy with the big knife rather than use the whip.)
Although the mother has one all-too-typical weak female scene where
after she is beaten she lays on the ground too long, writhing,
mouth open seductively (As a female I have to say "Eew! why?"), they
redeem it later when she is a bad Mamma Jamma using a sniper rifle.
• Car Chases and Stunts—There were lots of great car chases
and crashes. And, there were two great payoffs for whatever The
Rider drives also bursts into flames.
Everything happened so fast,
I think you really should see this movie twice to appreciate
it all. I know I won't have to twist Cage-fans' arms. The pacing
reminded me of Crank in the best way. So get out your Action
Movie checklist and go see it. You'll want seconds. (This is
your brain on Ghost Rider 2 . . . )

Feb 6
Chronicles of Riddick
Fight Choreography
Exciting
News!
Dave Bautista
is going to be in the new Chronicles of Riddick movie! I wrote
the paragraph below about the big fight scene in 2004's
The
Chronicles of Riddick, but I wonder how much of the credit I
give to
Vin Diesel might belong to Troy Robinson (yes,
Dar Robinson's son) or to Troy Connelly?
Nonetheless, all are gifted! What I'd really like to know
is who came up with the flying two-fisted decapitation move?
From the credits on IMDB, it's hard to tell:
Stunts
Bradley James Allan .... stunt fight coordinator
Bob Brown .... stunt coordinator (as Robert Francis Brown)
Dean Choe .... stunt coordinator
Marny Eng .... stunt coordinator: second unit
Paul Lazenby .... fight instructor
Paul Rapovski .... fight coordinator: Kali de Leon
Troy Robinson .... stunt double: Vin Diesel (as Troy Jess
Robinson)
Tim Connolly .... fight double: Vin Diesel
BALLET OF DEATH
Fight scenes . . . what we live for when we watch a really good
action movie. Think about how many there have been and you
begin to appreciate how hard it must be to deliver when the time
comes for one. Director David Twohy said if we'd seen it before
he didn't want to use it. To the credit of everyone who helped
to make it seem so: This fight scene is Vin Vin Vin. It's a
ballet of death, dished out with double blades wielded with
efficiency and lightning speed. The animal side takes over and
it seems he knows what to handle first and how. Sure it's
choreographed, but it had to be thought up, and it had to be
played just right by everyone so it looks like it's real.
And it looks real mainly because Vin is selling it. And how!
It takes more than athletic prowess, ass-kicking strength, and
fierce determination to pull this off. You have to be gifted. An
actor could rehearse over and over, but to make it look this
effortless, it's a gift. He decimates the ranks and with
his double blades in hand, pulls off a flying two-fisted
decapitation on one soldier, and then lands both blades into
the chest of another! And then he faces Lord Vaako. Vaako has
one back-cracking kill and a spiraling jump from a prone
position that exceed all expectations. For me, the whole movie
is a wind-up to this one incredible non-stop all-out fight
scene. How it ends is creative and calls into play the mark of
the rage of the entire Furyan race.
"Aaah, the Riddick [Fight Choreography]!"
Feb 5
The Evolution of Action Movies
What makes an Action Movie GOOD ?
Recently,
HAYWIRE, ACT OF VALOR,
and a video from
ACTIONFEST,
came together for me with comments by
ActionFest
co-Founder Aaron Norris.
•
HAYWIRE
I had great hopes that HAYWIRE would be a breakthrough Action
Movie
that would bring women out to see a truly physically strong
woman in a lead role, and awaken that sleeping-giant market.
It had all the right elements . . . or did it?
It
had a
good Director, big-name male stars (lots), a
simple-but-intriguing story line, and, most importantly, the
lead character was played by a
real-life powerhouse female. Shouldn't that be enough? So
what happened?
From an Action junkie's perspective bad movie happened. The Director
was not an Action Director, and it showed. Plus, there was
no
Second Unit Director.1
Fight Choreographer J.J. Perry did a great job but the
big-name male stars either were slow in the fight scenes (sorry
guys) or were filmed before they were ready. And, the
storyline was tortured. Maybe I was just tired when I watched
it, but the plot was confusing and seemed intentionally obfuscated
to ill effect (sorry
Lem Dobbs). There were too many characters and no
meat. By the time I got to the end and realized Mallory was
talking about Ewan McGregor's character (He's
"Kenneth"?!
What?!), I realized I had already stopped caring after she
explained all that stuff in the car to her 'hostage'—they got caught
anyway, so what was the point of telling him all that? As a plot
device,
telling a story while driving
in an
Action Movie is, well . . . Zzzzzz.
HAYWIRE made me realize that
the things that make an average movie good are NOT what make an
Action Movie good.
It also made me see that if you want to make a really good Action
Movie, it helps to have people who
know and value Action and the importance of its place in the movie.
Maybe this movie was intended to be more Thriller than Action, but
if that was the case, it was hurt ($-wise2)
by a huge missed opportunity! I know my criticism may seem
harsh to those who worked so hard on this film, and, no, I
have never tried to do what they did, however, I am an Action Movie
Freak and I'd like to think I
know what Action Fans are looking for.
•
ACT OF VALOR
Speaking of what Action Fans are looking for . . . if you've seen
the preview for
ACT OF VALOR, you were probably as blown away as I was. Watch
below if you haven't seen it yet before you read further. It, too,
is possibly a breakthrough
Action Movie.
The Directors of ACT OF VALOR—and I am quoting
from
Aaron Norris
(who would know better?!) on the
Actionfest Blog—are "STUNTMEN!
Mike 'Mouse' McCoy and
Scott Waugh . . . the real deal." This movie
looks like what Action Movie Freaks worship Rambo and
Predator
for. It's a
SOLDIER movie of the best kind.
What will put it over the top is if the storyline makes us care. The
'Actors' are
"Active Duty Navy Seals". How interesting that they used
'Actors' who know what they are doing. "The story is fictional
but the weapons and tactics are real." I'm afraid to say it, but
"How can this fail?" Acting in Action Movies is both overrated and
underappreciated. By that I mean Action Movies where the
acting is bad but the Action is awesome still satisfy, and Actors
and Stuntmen (and others) in Action Movies never get any recognition
by the Oscars. [Best Assistant Director (considered below the
2nd Unit3)
was given only in 1933-37, and as a Proposed Category Best Stunt
Coordination was rejected in 1999 and again in 2005.]
•
STUNTWORK
Action Movies are evolving. While
Motion Capture Actors also
suffer the same snubbing as Stuntmen, CGI will never replace the wow
factor of real stunt work. There's no comparing a man really
being on fire to a CGI version of that.
This is where
ActionFest comes in. Being at ActionFest and
the thrill of seeing a man set on fire makes you realize
real stunt work has no equal.
This video brought to mind the real driving stunts from
The Transporter as compared to the recent
Ghost Protocol glove/climbing scene which
underestimated the intelligence of its audience by abusing the
suspension of disbelief. We want to think an Actor did a stunt even
if he didn't, but as long as somebody does it, it still works.
When it's faked or completely unbelievable, it takes us out of the
moment and back to reality.
From their site: "ActionFest is the first
film festival in the world devoted exclusively to action film.
And ActionFest is the only film festival in the world that
honors the stuntmen and stuntwomen
who take the punches, falls and crashes that make ordinary actors
appear superhuman on screen. Historically the film industry has
refused to recognize the stuntmen and stuntwomen, the stunt
coordinators, and the 2nd unit directors, and their
contribution to
filmmaking. That was before ActionFest. At ActionFest we recognize,
honor and appreciate the remarkable efforts of these amazing people
who risk their lives every day to make big Hollywood films look
exciting and great. ActionFest’s mission is two-fold: to honor these
unsung heroes of Hollywood; and to show the best action films from
around the world."
[Aside:
If you love Action Movies, ActionFest is over the legal limit on
fun. Spending 3 days and 4 nights mainlining Action Movies is so
worth the price of admission! Ask now for time off to
visit Asheville, April 12-15, 2012 and experience it for
yourself. An all-inclusive VIP pass is under $100 (prices
have not been announced yet but I'm basing it on the last 2
years), or be a big shot and
become a Sponsor.
[pictured are
Larnell Stovall
and
Michael Jai White in the
ActionFest 2011
Panel: Modern Fight Directors
]
•
Directors vs
Action Directors
I became aware of the value of a good Second Unit Director
after I saw
Final Destination 2 (2003, not considered "Action"), because
it was only the second movie
David R. Ellis
directed. I remember thinking how awesome that such a big-career
Second Unit Director got to direct! (His film list is beyond
impressive.) The car crash scenes are so crazy good (the movie
is good all around!!), how could you not become a David Ellis Fan?
Yes! I thought, more Second Unit Directors should get to direct,
however, stupidly, the importance of whether or not a Director had
an Action background or experience in Action Movies never mattered
to me until I saw HAYWIRE.
Of course, there are great Directors who are
known for Action Movies who are also great at other genres, but it
all came together for me that Action Movies need Action-minded
Directors after reading these remarks by
Aaron Norris:
"Studios will give a writer, a Director of
Photography, an Editor, or Special Effects person a directorial.
Just about anyone other than
[emphasis added] stuntmen get chances at directorial debuts.
They will hire a person who shot one or two commercials and give
them a $50 million picture. Give me a break! Stuntmen and
Stuntwomen who Stunt Coordinate and 2nd Unit Direct have been
making directors look good since the invention of film."
FINAL DESTINATION 2 CRASHES
•
Actors vs Stuntmen
In HAYWIRE, even if the story sucked but the Action was good I might
have been happy, but the choreography in the Action scenes was so obviously
showing. People waiting for someone else to make their movie, standing
still and not reacting, etc. It looked to me like 99% of it was not because of
Gina, but because of everyone else. The men fought like they didn't want to hurt
her. She came off as the only one who looked like she knew what she was doing
(except the stuntman in the hallway fight scene). She's an MMA Fighter and an
American Gladiator, she knows how to fight. Even so, they needed more
rehearsing. It seems like they went to print before they were ready, and it
left me wondering about the Director. Could he just not see that the fight
scenes weren't good enough (I mean the practice, not the creation, of the moves)
or did he think it didn't matter? In this kind of movie (selling a
stronger female), the fight scenes
have to work. They were already halfway there because Gina
was physically believable, but then they put her against
Michael Fassbender
and it was a joke. He looks like a soft smoker. It might as well
have been Jeremy Irons. Channing Tatum was a bigger disappointment.
It sure looked like he held back. His seeming less-than-all performance made
Gina look bad.
HAYWIRE and ACT OF VALOR really emphasized the
value of using real stuntmen versus Actors, and the value of having
an Action-minded Director. Before, I thought what makes an Action
Movie good were mainly
these things: Now I feel a great Action Movie
needs as much of that as possible, but even more: It needs an
Action-minded Director and 'Actors' who can sell the Action. I
think CGI has made it too easy for non-Action minded Directors to
think they/anyone can make an really good Action Movie. So not
true. It's exciting to me that HAYWIRE using Gina (and an
ex-military fight choreographer), and ACT OF VALOR using Navy Seals
(with Stuntmen directing), might be the beginning of a NEW ERA
for ACTION—One where those in the know shine at what they do,
and outshine those who only think they do. Where audiences begin to
appreciate the elements that make Action Movies the most popular
genre on the planet, and not attribute their success to a big-name
Director or Actor alone. And best of all, a new era with lots of
Kick-Ass Action Movies starring Stuntmen and truly strong
women! As an Action Movie Freak, I'm not buying it anymore
that we need a big-name Actor/star who can't do these things. Those
days are gone. I want to see the men and women who can! You just
know there are more Stuntmen who can act than Actors who could do
their own stunts. It's a Action Revolution, baby!
________________________________
1
FROM IMDB's CREDITS for HAYWIRE:
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director:
Second Assistant Directors
Catherine Dunne,
Jody Spilkoman
Stunts:
Fight Choreographers
Jonathan Eusebio,
J.J. Perry
(link to Actionfest interview),
Jon Valera
.... co-fight choreographer
Don Tai ....
fight choreographer: additional scenes Stunt Coordinators
Clay Cullen,
R.A. Rondell,
Don Tai
.... stunt coordinator: additional photography and
additional stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Donal O'Farrell
.... assistant stunt coordinator: Ireland (uncredited)
2
Budget $23,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend
$8,425,370 (USA) 22
January
2012 on 2,439
Screens
Gross 22
January 2012
$8,425,370 (USA) +
29 January 2012
$15,281,962 (USA) = $23,707,332
3
IMDB's glossary offers these minimal and seeming minimizing
definitions:
Second Unit A
small, subordinate
crew responsible for filming
shots of
less importance, such as
inserts,
crowds, scenery, etc.
Second Unit Director
The
director
of the
second unit.
Excerpted From Wikipedia: [In
film, the SECOND UNIT is a team that shoots
subsidiary footage for a motion picture. Its work is
distinct from that of the first unit, which shoots all scenes
involving principal actors. In addition to shooting
establishing shots, close-ups, inserts, and cutaways, second units
also film in locations too expensive or dangerous
to send the first unit to. Often this involves stunts and
close-ups with body doubles . . .. The second unit has its own
director and cinematographer.
The SECOND UNIT DIRECTOR is
. . . considered
above the post of Assistant Director. As Second units oversee
many
dialogue-free scenes with stunts and special effects in
action movies, the job of stunt coordinator is often combined
with that of second unit director. As a result, many
second unit directors are former stunt coordinators.
Jan 20
The next Chronicles of Riddick is filming!
Vin
Diesel shared this photo on his
Facebook page. Made my
day! Can't wait for the story to continue . . . Follow him for
updates on the movie. He posts regularly and it seems like it's
really him.
Also follow Director
David Twohy's blog
for rare posts that may, hopefully, pick up (if he has time) now
that they are filming. "7 DAYS AND COUNTING January 15,
2012 A lot of you already know how close we are to rolling camera on
RIDDICK."

At Last!! Here comes a truly
powerful woman kicking ass. I'm not saying all women have
to or should look like the American Gladiator powerhouses here,
but this is the kind of woman women want to see more of on
screen. Women like: the real deal strength-wise Valerie "Siren" Waugaman (second from left) my pick for Red Sonja (see
Seeing Red Over Sonja) over
someone selected to please men like Rose McGowan; and like the
star of HAYWIRE (third from left) Gina "Crush" Carano.
It's out!
AllOuttaBubbleGum.com's
2nd annual list of the
Top 100 Action Movies
was posted today, and here are the results (condensed).
Looks like the combination of John Woo and Chow Yun
Fat is best, holding the first spot and tied for the second.
If you LOVE this, listen to like-minded fun on
their podcast.
The list is a little Western heavy (I can't argue they are
not great movies though with great Action and definitive
Bad-Ass
characters.) Rambo is the only series where ALL the movies
made the list. To celebrate that is the best tribute video
EVER (at the bottom)!
1. HARD BOILED (1992)
2. - 4. The Killer (1989)
Predator
(1987)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
5. Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)
6. A Better Tomorrow (1986)
7. - 8. Die Hard (1988)
Indiana
Jones And The Last Crusade (1989)
9. Total Recall (1990)
10. - 11. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The Terminator (1984)
12. - 15. Commando (1985)
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly (1966)
Lone Wolf And Cub: Sword Of Vengeance (1972)
True Lies (1994)
16. Rambo (2008)
17. RoboCop (1987)
18. Police Story (1985)
19. Fist Of Legend 1994) 20. Eastern Condors
(1987)
21. - 22. Aliens (1986)
The Matrix
(1999)
23. Red Cliff (2008-09)
24. Bullet In The Head (1990)
25. - 26. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
The Wild Bunch (1969)
27. Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)
28. - 31. Django (1966)
Lone Wolf And Cub: Baby Cart At The River Styx (1972)
A Fistful Of Dollars (1964)
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
32. - 34. HEAT(1995)
The Professional (1994)
For A Few Dollars More (1965)
35. - 36. The Legend Of Drunken Master
(1994)
Lethal Weapon (1987)
37. Braveheart (1995)
38. - 43. A Bittersweet Life (2005)
First Blood (1982)
Lone Wolf And Cub: Baby Cart In Peril (1972)
Snake In The Eagle’s Shadow (1978)
Sanjuro (1962)
Above The Law / Righting Wrongs (1986)
44. Project A (1983)
45. The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001)
46. - 48. Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
The 36th Chamber Of The Shaolin (1978)
Let's Kill, Companions (1970)
49. Escape From New York (1981)
50. - 51. Death Wish 3 (1985)
A Better Tomorrow II (1987)
52. - 57. Casino Royale (2006)
Conan The Barbarian (1982)
Dillinger (1973)
The Great Escape (1963)
The Siege Of Firebase Gloria (1989)
They Live (1988)
58. - 60. On Her Majesty’s
Secret Service (1969)
Starship Troopers (1997)
The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
61. The Crow (1994)
62. - 66. Black Dynamite (2009)
Jackie Chan’s First Strike (1996)
A Fistful Of Dynamite (1971)
Stone Cold (1991)
The Untouchables (1987)
67. Die Hard: With A Vengeance (1995)
68. The Getaway (1972)
69. THE LAST BOY SCOUT (1991)
70. - 74. Battle Royale (2000)
Enter The Dragon (1973)
Face/Off (1997)
GoldenEye (1995)
The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008)
75. - 77. Die Hard 2 (1990)
Rambo: First Blood Part II
(1985)
The
Expendables
(2010)
78. - 80. Blade II (2002)
From Russia With Love (1963)
Watchmen (2009)
81. Inception (2010)
82. - 88. Wheels On Meals (1984)
Rambo
III
(1988)
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi
(1983)
Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles (1990)
The Blues Brothers (1980)
The Driver (1978)
Ip Man (2008)
89. - 91. Hard Target (1993)
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
Under Siege (1992)
92 – 94. Shanghai Express (1986)
Highlander (1986)
To Live And Die In L.A. (1985)
95. Licence To Kill (1989)
96. - 99. The Street Fighter (1974)
Return Of The Dragon (1972)
Mr. Majestyk (1974)
Taken (2008)
100. Dirty Harry (1971)
Marked For Death
(1990)
No Retreat, No
Surrender 2: Raging Thunder (1987)

Happy New Year!
Wishing you a happy new year and the time off
and money to go to
Actionfest 2012
, April 12-15 in Asheville,
North Carolina. Asheville is in full bloom at that time and
couldn't be more beautiful.

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