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Everything you love about ACTION MOVIES!
The
Good and Bad Action Movies, plus your favorite Action Figures. The Essentials that make a great Action Movie.
The gotta-have-it
Trash Talking of the Action Movie BAD ASS.

Looking for something specific? It's on the
Hit List, and . . .
WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE! Instagram


Aliens starring Bill Paxton as Private Hudson in Game Over moment after landing craft crashes
"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 . . . "


.44 magnum 

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 
 Ninja Assassin blood splatter 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."

 

Aliens one of the greatest ever Action Movies

michael jai white action movie actor and director

Dina Meyer as Dizzy Flores from Starship Troopers bad ass action movie chick

The Terminator one of the greatest ever Action Movies

Doomsday warrior girl bad ass action movie chick

Chris Hemsworth as Thor comic book action movie

Action Movie Bad Ass Chick Jennette Goldstein as Vasquez in Aliens

Terminator Salvation Action Movie Sequel

bad ass action movie chick Kate Nauta in Transporter 2

Rambo one of the greatest ever Action Movies

Andrea James Lui bad ass action movie chick in close space fight in Bail Enforcers

Robocop Action Movie Classic

Milla Jovovich as Alice in Resident Evil Apocalypse bad ass action movie chick

Dolph Lundgren Universal Soldier Action Movie Classic

Olga Kurylenko as Etain from Centurion bad ass action movie chick

Die Hard one of the greatest ever Action Movies

Bad Ass Action Movie character Sarah Connor

Mission:Impossible III starring Tom Cruise

Michelle Yeoh action movie actress from Tomorrow Never Dies

arnold in predator

chocolate kick to the head

Steven Seagal holding a machette in Above the Law

Gina Carano in Haywire

Scott Adkins as Boyka

 

The Raid 2: Berandal Trailer
Dec 31, 2013

[They later changed the title to The Raid: Redemption] I can't think of a more fitting way to close out 2013 than with this promising trailer for The Raid 2: Berandal. After a year of disappointments . . . I know that sounds harsh but it was like a huge buffet where all the food needed salt. I didn't feel really satisfied after so many Action Movies.  Sure, there was a lot there, but . .  . There wasn't the feeling I got from The A-Team's perfect 'amuse bouche' intro—the perfect bite of Action, followed by a really solid Action Movie.  So—high hopes for this movie to engage me more than the first one did (no one can complain about the amount of Action in The Raid but I was really not invested in the leading character or the villain because I didn't know enough about them up front.) Here's hoping the STELLAR fighting skills of Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian will be IN YOUR FACE for 2 hours and 28 minutes (loving that)! Gotta add Yayan to the Bad Ass list. He's just indescribably incredible! Weaken-your-bowels vicious as "Mad Dog". Don't f--k with Yayan!

 

Dhoom 3 NOW SHOWING! and
burning up the Box Office

 


@ActionFix Interview with @PhilipSilvera
Dec 23, 2013

STUNTWORK! Here is Action Academy's interview with Fight Coordinator Phil Silvera at the Just Cause facility [Phil's tweets are protected but maybe he will change that ;) and share more of his world with his fans.]
 


 


Expendables 3 Teaser Trailer
Dec 19, 2013

LOCKED and LOADED! with Action Stars

 


What makes an Action Movie?
Dec 8, 2013

There are many different kinds of Action Movies. I have my own list of subgenres . . .  (it's a work in progress)
 

 

ADVENTURE |  ALL FOR LOVE  |  ARNOLD  |  BOND  |  BUDDY  |  CHASE
FIGHT
 |  GRRRL POWER  |  HEIST  |  MARTIAL ARTS  |  REVENGE
SUPER COP
  SUPERHERO  |  SUPER SOLDIER


. . . and there are elements I call Action Movie Essentials (click to see what they are) that must be present for it to really satisfy. You know, the things movie critics who look down their nose at Action Movies call "clichés". The same things moviemakers forget when they cast Adrien Brody instead of someone like Arnold in Predators.

 

 

One of my favorite versions of the Action Movie Essentials is the "Action Movie Breakdown" Checklist from AllOuttaBubbleGum.com. (The hilarity and comments are all them!)  In their words, these are the "necessary components that make or break Action cinema: (the whole list is a quote)

  • Athlete(s) Turned “Actor” Cast member who once made their living by way of athletics

  • Clinging to the Outside of a Moving Vehicle 1-200mph, as long as someone is holdin' on

  • Crotch Attack Punching/Kicking/Kneeing/Racking, etc.

crotch kick in Robocop

  • Dialogue Telling Us How Bad-Assthe Main Character(s) Is/Are Verbal dick sucking

  • Ending Featuring an Ambulance, Blanket, or Towel Within 10 minutes of the credits

  • Factory/Warehouse/Castle Did a scene take place in one?

  • Giant Explosion(s) Buildings/Vehicles/Cities, etc.

Commando Explosions

  • Heavy Artillery Cannon/Grenade/Flame Thrower/Missile/Rocket, etc.

  • Improvised Weapon(s) Bottle/Chair/Frying Pan, etc.

  • Macho Mode(s) of Transportation Helicopter/Horse/Motorcycle, etc.

  • Main Character Sports Facial Accessory(s) Bandana/Mask/Sunglasses, Toothpick, etc.

  • Manly Embrace(s) Fist Pound/Hand-Grasp/High-Five, etc.

  • Notorious Stuntman Sighting Al Leong/Sven-Ole Thorsen, etc.

  • Passage(s) of Time Via Montage Forming A Plan/Lock-&-Load/Training, etc.

  • Politically Fueled Plot Point(s) Privacy/Race/War, etc.

  • Senseless Destruction Of Property Gratuitous or unnecessary set/prop damage

  • Shoot Out(s) and/or Sword Fight(s) Two or more with guns/swords fighting one another

  • Slow-Motion Finishing Move(s)/Death(s) Was time altered to accentuate awesomeness?

  • Stupid Authoritative Figure(s) Chief/Superior Officer/Governor, etc.

  • Substance Usage and/or Abuse Drinking/Smoking/Drugs

  • 'Tis The Season Holiday=Christmas/Independence Day, etc.

  • Torture Sequence(s) Electrocution, Appendage Breaking, Water Boarding, etc.

  • Unnecessary Sequel Official or Unofficial (Remakes Count)

  • Vehicle Chase(s) Boats/Cars/Carriages/Planes, etc.

  • Vigilante Justice Does someone break the law in the name of justice?"

Their Breakdown Format accompanies their Checklist, and gives great insight into what we want and why we watch (this is their first version, they have a newer one but I like this one best):

  • "THE CHALK OUTLINE The Title, Year, and a Basic 1-to-2-Sentence Plot Description

  • THE EXECUTION What's It About, How Was It and Was It Worth It?

  • HOW BAD ASS is/are THE MAIN CHARACTER(S)? Did The Hero(s) Pump My Nads?

  • THE BODY COUNT Who, How, and How Many Died?

  • MOST SATISFYING DEATH/ASS-KICKING Which Beat-Down or Kill Was My Favorite?

  • DUDESWEAT and MACHISMO How Manly (GAY) Was It?

  • EXPLOITATION and MISOGYNY How Anti-Vagina Was It?

  • EPIC MOMENT and
     BEST ONE-LINER
    My Favorite/Most Horrifying Moment And Witticism.

  • THE MORAL OF THE STORY What Did I Learn From Watching The Movie?"

I knew I had met kindred souls in site owners Kain and Rantbo (and Rutledal (and their moderator). In defining the common ground I wanted to get to the core of what makes it enjoyable to watch an Action Movie.  What can't we get enough of?

If an Action Movie has all the elements they list, the more the better, but to really satisfy, I think what an Action Movie needs most is a HERO who talks the talk (which makes him a BAD ASS) and walks the walk (which makes him the BIG DOG).  A big, strong hero. It can't be an "Ender" or a guy in a wheelchair (no offense intended to slender kids and the disabled). It's all about being in perfect physical shape and not letting anyone or anything stop you from doing what is right. Also, it helps to rub it in their face when you beat them. I chose Ender's Game and Avatar because they are examples of movies that seem to be anti-Action Movies. In both movies, the strong guy is a jerk and violence is not the answer. What?!

Larger-than-life Action Heroes magnify the triumph of the human spirit. We want to see ourselves in the characters, and maybe that's where Hollywood goes astray with Action Movies. Maybe James Cameron was thinking mainstream audiences would embrace or relate to a guy in a wheelchair, and that audiences would like making the big strong military guy be the bad guy—well, not Action Movie Freaks. Maybe Ender's Game is supposed to be relatable—for kids. Action Movie Freaks want the BIG DOG! We see ourselves in Arnold and Sly (yes, even girls do too). This makes us feel all-powerful. We want to see our ultimate fantasy of who we could be.

Jason Statham fight scene in garage The Transporter

In the end, Jackie Chan puts his finger on it: "A genuine Action Movie is marked by real stunts."  And for real stunts you need real Men (which includes Women)! The believability has to be high. Yes, give us outrageous stunts, as long as the person doing them is buff. The Transporter movies are the perfect example. The things Jason Statham is doing may be over the top, but, physically, he looks like he could do anything. If you're thinking: he/she couldn't do that, it ruins the experience. And that is why a scrawny Wonder Woman will never satisfy. And why The Expendables 3 will be so completely bad ass! Believability.

 


Wonder Woman is a twig :(
That's Not What Women Really Want
in a Female Superhero

Dec 4, 2013

(hanging my head)
Su•per•hero:  a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers.
As in not the super skinny person. So, this is who they cast as Wonder Woman: Gal Gadot. She's beautiful, but she looks like a model, not like a Superhero. She may as well be Keira Knightley!

Women have waited sooooooo long for this. I guess the wait will continue until women make a Wonder Woman movie, so they cast a truly strong woman and not a male fantasy figure.

In my search for acceptable Wonder Woman comic images, it was surprisingly hard to find shots that weren't all boobs and/or crotch shots.  I tried to pick the ones I thought she looked truly physically strong in.  So, what does a Superhero look like?  Like this . . .

wonder woman comic

wonder woman comic

wonder woman comic

wonder woman comic

wonder woman comic

  Felicia Romero Valerie Waugaman aka Siren American Gladiator Women

 American Gladiators Women

I was relieved they did not choose Megan Fox. She's incredibly beautiful but . . . 
I would have been very happy with Gina Carano. She could have redeemed some of what she suffered with how The Rock treated her in Fast 6.  (I went into that thinking what a great team they would make and how she'd be his 'equal'. Wrong!)

What I was really hoping for with Wonder Woman was someone who was incredibly fit. Superhero fit. Like weightlifter Felicia Romero, or Valeria "Siren" Waugaman (American Gladiator) fit!

Someday, I hope to see real ACTION FIGURES again like Sly and Arnold. That's what we want in a SUPERHERO! Yes, even in a female Superhero. True physical strength. Women will turn out to see truly strong women kick men's asses in droves. Just a matter of time before we make these movies ourselves. Wonder what that subgenre will be called . . .

Payback Movies! You heard it here first.

(2010 Anti-Scrawny Rant)

 


Paul Walker dies in a car accident
Nov 30, 2013

Woke up this morning (Dec. 1st) to the sad news that Paul Walker was killed in a fiery car crash. He was not the driver, but the driver was also killed. It happened after a charity event he was attending. Was the friend attending also or did they come to pick him up? You have to wonder when someone doesn't drive if were they drinking, so they wanted someone else to drive? None of the articles mentions the name of the driver friend but they know the make and model of the car and that it belonged to the friend. I wonder why they were not able to look up the record. I think if two people die they should mention the name of the other person. This photo was a real "Oh my God" moment. Clearly nobody could have survived this crash, fire or no fire. It's so sad to see the tarp there when you remember his spirit. We can only hope they didn't suffer.  Reports said high speed was involved, so it's just a matter of time and human nature before the sick jokes start. I guess it's our coping mechanism. For now, my heart aches for his loved ones. This is a high price to pay for a small amount of fun. Sure hope the last quarter of a mile was the most fun of his life! He was just 40.

Rest in peace, Paul Walker. Thanks for all the fun you gave us!

 


Homefront's fight scenes satisfy!
Nov 26, 2013

The story of Homefront is painted in broad strokes, and the Action stands out in bold color. It delivers the fight scenes you are hoping for, and by that I mean Jason Statham's character beats the shit out of everybody.  Even his daughter fights. In an increasing trend in movies, girls are fighting.

"Think it's good idea teaching your little girl to fight?"
"No. Defend herself?—Yeah."

What Jason Statham's character and his daughter have to defend themselves against is a family of set-in-their-ways, backwater, drug-addled white trash, with a biker gang bent on revenge thrown in. Sure, there are cliches but, like I said, broad strokes; it gets you there faster. . . like a car battery to the head! Read more . . .

 


Keanu Reeves impresses with
 
Man of Tai Chi
Nov 3, 2013

From the opening credits, this movie's direction is creative and new. As Keanu Reeves' directorial debut, it was above and beyond a first effort, or any effort. The transitions and cuts were unusual and often "wow" moments. I loved the unusual music. It's killer-cool! Keanu Reeves has a style all his own (it reminded me of Brian de Palma, but only in how de Palma also had a creative and visually cool style.)

Tiger Chen kicks ass in Man of Tai Chi

Action Movie Freaks will LOVE every moment as this movie hits all the right notes. Speaking of which, the music is so different and how it's used heightens the fever pitch of the seemingly non-stop fights. There is even some trademark Action Movie humor to the fight scenes :D, and what a Jon Valera fight choreographer of Man of Tai Chivariety of fight scenes there are! Different physiques, different fight styles, it's really impressive how every fight scene is really good. There is no filler!

Woo-Ping Yuen is "Action Director" but the credits list Jon Valera as "Fight Choreographer" (pictured at right). Kudos to both! Woo-Ping Yuen is an Action Movie God and Jon Valera is a total  Bad Ass.

Tiger Hu Chen is amazing in fight after fight after fight (gotta add him to the Regular Joes list!).

Action Movie Freaks should not miss this movie. It will not disappoint in any way. A really impressive first movie, or any movie. The cars are incredibly cool and Keanu Reeve's wardrobe is slick—he makes a great morally-corrupt-rich-guy-with-demons villain. Loved the scream!  Reall

I could go on and on but . . . "Action" alone is the genre. Enough said.

Keanu Reeves at TIFF

 


Ender's Game a solid Sci-Fi movie
Nov 3, 2013

aramis knight

 

Going in to Ender's Game, I didn't know anything about the book. I went to see it for the visual effects in IMAX, and for Harrison Ford. The movie was about striking a balance between compassion and violence, but compassion wins in the end. The visuals are flawless. Especially n IMAX, it's just incredible what they can do. So many 'moving parts' and it all just looks real!

I really liked the soldiers-in-training/Academy concept (goes back to my love of Starship Troopers and Soldier).

Everyone in the movie is good but two standouts for me were Aramis Knight as "Bean" and Nonso Anozie as "Sergeant Dap".

You might recognize Nonso Anozie from RocknRolla, Conan the Barbarian, or The Grey. He's of Nigerian descent but English born. In this movie, he sounded like he was from New Zealand to me but my recognition of accents isn't all that. 

Aramis Knight played "Bean" and was adorable. I hope to see Aramis in more Action Movies as he grows up. He's got a lot of charm and personality and was really likeable as this character.

If the lead actor wasn't the poster child for the 98-pound weakling, I might have enjoyed it more but then he might not have seemed like such a kid, which was pivotal to the plot. In fact, if all the 'kids' were just a tiny bit older, or the villain "Bonzo Madrid" played by Moises Arias not quite so laughably short to be such a big-mouthed jackass.

It might be easily accepted by the Ender-aged audience that in the future we might rely on video-game trained children to defend us from giant bugs via a simulation that is [spoiler alert] really real life, but it was a bit silly to me. A child's fantasy. And as such, not a true Action movie, although it's billed as Action/Adventure/SciFi. In fact, the movie seemed like an anti-Action Movie because the kid with the skills and the cocky attitude was a jerk, and in the end, the hero was a pacifist. I'd rather spend my movie dollars watching some ass-kicking loudmouth. I guess movies with nice sweet kids as the lead, just don't satisfy the Action Movie Freak in me. Where's the beef jerk-y?

 


Ambushed: An Action-Star Trifecta!
Nov 3, 2013

Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, and Vinnie Jones in one movie? I'll see that! It's already available on amazon instant video and coming out on Blu-ray and DVD on November 12th. Worth it for the fight scenes alone but really hoping for the cheesy one-liners and some rubbing it in their face!

 

 


Chinese Zodiac is not Jackie Chan's Farewell
Oct 27, 2013

Despite the closing credits that seemed to say goodbye, Jackie Chan says that Chinese Zodiac is not his farewell to Action Movies.  Apparently not,  since he will be back in full force in Police Story 2013 . . .

 


Chinese Zodiac is Jackie Chan's Farewell (maybe?)
Oct 25, 2013

Jackie Chan in Chinese Zodiac sliding down an escalator railing

Jackie Chan has given us SO MUCH entertainment, there really is no one like him.  As skilled as he is, you had to wonder just how many times did he risk his life?! He was always innovating and using what was in the room—shopping carts, ladders, umbrellas, you name it. He more than pushed the envelope, he created his own brand of Action Movie. As they put it in the goodbye: "We can never do what he does."  

What Jackie did was not only be the Good Guy on screen and off, but he never forgot what we bought the movie ticket for: To feel good. He made us laugh while we were in awe, and taught us what was the right thing to do. Too many movies forget we want our Action Figures to be Heroes.

He continually did the unexpected, hid in plain sight, took our breath away, and did Free Running moves before there was such a thing. Although he always made it look like it was easy (for him), the Outtakes that were his signature closing (and this movie was no exception) showed us just how real it all was. We saw him get hurt over and over again. I will never forget seeing him fall onto the ice from a helicopter. We can NEVER do what he did. The only idiots who try are "Jackass", and the only one who comes close is Tony Jaa. All Action Movies should show the Stunts at the end. It's what Action Movie Freaks crave. Let us get to know the Stuntmen and Stunt/Fight Choreographers this way. The outtakes are often the best part of a great movie.

Part of why Jackie Chan has not received as much attention as he should have has to be his humility.  I love him for the values he promoted in his movies, but also for his love of life. Have you ever seen him not smiling?  This movie, Chinese Zodiac, was Jackie to the nth degree. Always taking it to another level, with silliness thrown in. Loved the bee stings. It's really enjoyable and worth it for the closing alone, but the rest of the movie is very entertaining! If you're an Action Movie Freak, you won't be disappointed and the closing will make you all nostalgic and really glad you went.

Jackie Chan in Chinese Zodiac

 


Escape Plan: "Say Cheese" "Sheeze!"
Oct 21, 2013

We were anxious to see Stallone and Schwarzenegger together and Escape Plan looked like it would be really cool, but it took a looonnng time to get going. The dialog was so bad at times I grimaced, and even after the Action started, it just wasn't enough.

I would put it on a level with Deep Rising, but I enjoyed that movie much more and have watched it countless times. I would not watch this again. Both these Action Figures can do so much better. Sometimes, when a movie is not going well, you think a great ending could save it, but the ending was implausible to downright ridiculous.

The Writers were Miles Chapman and Jason Keller, and I'm picturing Beavis and Butthead laughing at their own jokes, but what I'm wondering is, how did they get these two titans to make their movie? I thought with Jim Caviezel and Vincent D'Onofrio as supporting actors it would add depth (talk about acting talent!), but D'Onofrio's part was too small and the character's depth amounted to the use of hand sanitizer. And while Jim Caviezel did something with his role as an evil Warden, it was too shallow. 

I truly loved seeing Stallone and Schwarzenegger together, and that saved the experience for me, but there were so many stupid moments, like:

  • Stallone saying "You get me that piece of metal and I might be able to get you out of here" right in front of a guard;

  • The head guard having to ask what was being said in the Solitary Cell (how do they not have speakers in there?!);

  • When the camera malfunctioned, why didn't they just check his cell?;

  • They never pat them down, never do searches;

  • How is Stallone scratching into metal and with what, and how do they not see that?;

  • They don't check him when he falls on medical supplies?;

  • They say they are going to break Stallone but then they just stop?;

  • Stallone knows how to shut down a super tanker?;

  • He can hold his breath for a ridiculously long time and just happens to surface on the side and end of the super tanker where the helicopter just happens to be passing and as big as the tanker and the ocean is, he is still spotted!?;

  • And, really?: Stallone has his own plan to get off a beach half way around the world with no phone, no vehicle, and his team having no way of knowing where he is, just so he doesn't take a lift from Schwarzenegger?

Escape Plan movie

First they called it The Tomb, which was a cool name, but then the mundane Escape Plan. Escape Proof would have been cooler. Stallone has a family back story/tragedy but there's nothing at stake for him except coming back to his partner/girlfriend's bad cooking? Why he's doing it was just not reasonable. Also, please give us some back story on the Warden so we can hate him.  Greed and butterflies  doesn't cut it for me, even with super close ups. 

. . . You know what this movie is: It's an ugly girl in a pretty dress. Well, clothes do not make the man. The man makes the clothes. As pretty a dress-up as Stallone and Schwarzenegger make for any Action Movie, a dog is a dog.

It had them, explosions, a high killcount, and that was about it. Fortunately, I'd watch them watching grass grown. We (Action Movie Freaks) have so much love for these two men that we're entertained regardless, but even that can't make it a good movie. I have this saying: "If you can't say it's a good movie, does that mean it's bad?"  Yes. Yes, it's a bad movie.

 


Ava Snow Battles Death KickStarter is up!
Oct 7, 2013

I gave to the "Ava Snow Battles Death" kickstarter drive.  It feels great to support people who seem to be fellow Action Movie Freaks. What could be more fun than watching—making your own movie, of course! I need an excuse to sew that long black Nehru collared coat that Neo wears so well . . . "I know Kung Fu." Kick ass Ava Snow!  Help them too if you can; it feels good :).

Ava Snow Battles Death

 


Ava Snow Battles Death KickStarter
Oct 4, 2013

I love to hear from anyone either just starting out or trying to get a project off the ground. That can-do spirit is so what Action Movies are all about, and their enthusiasm is really contagious and enjoyable to watch. Tomorrow is the start of the "Ava Snow Battles Death" kickstarter drive.  It's a web series with a female lead and lots of Action. 

Here is their press release to tell you more:

The Web series “Ava Snow Battles Death” is set to launch its Kickstarter fundraising campaign in four days, the evening of Saturday, Oct. 5. The series is a fantasy-horror-comedy about a knife-throwing heroine named Ava Snow and the overlords from another dimension who want to steal her soul.

“We're asking for five thousand, which is enough to make our pilot,” said Zack Drisko, one of the series creators, “but we're hoping to achieve some of our stretch goals and make the entire five-episode series we have planned. We have a great story to tell that we'd love to share with people.”

“Ava Snow Battles Death” was created by Drisko and Arielle Davidsohn. They premiered four sneak peek clips on YouTube and Vimeo last Friday, Sept. 20, which have been met by positive reactions.

“We were really fortunate to have a great team,” Davidsohn said. “They were the ones who made our ideas possible.”

Stuntman Steve Rizzo

The cast and crew includes people such as Daniel Scruggs, a VFX artist from Game of Thrones, Russ Glasgow, promo editor for Tron: Legacy and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Steve Rizzo (pictured above), stuntman from The Dark Knight Rises and No Country for Old Men, Andrew Parkhurst, director of photography for Ridley Scott's Prophets of Science Fiction, Robert C. Jackson, sound designer on 50/50 and The Expendables, Christopher Jenkins Holmes (pictured below), who had a recurring role on 90210, and YouTube star Sam Proof.

Christopher Jenkins Holmes

Cassiano LaureanoArielle Davidsohn (pictured below),  who stars as the title character Ava Snow, underwent extreme training to pull off the fight scenes. Davidsohn trained mixed martial arts with professional fighter Cassiano Laureano (pictured at right), who trained at Kings MMA and Werdum Combat Team, home to UFC fighters such as Anderson Silva, Fabricio Werdum, Wanderlei Silva, and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Davidsohn also trained knife-throwing with world champion Carl Geddes.

“I was never athletic or coordinated, so learning how to fight Muay Thai and throw knives almost killed me,” Davidsohn said. “Even though I still have a long way to go until I'm pleased with my skills, I feel proud of how far I was able to come and look forward to honing my skills as the project continues.”

More information on Ava Snow Battles Death is available on their website.

Arielle Max Davidsohn

Make a contribution to their kickstarter program and stayed tuned for more . . .
Follow @Ava_Snow on twitter.  Like Ava Snow Battles Death on Facebook.
Read more about their Team.
 


HOMEFRONT starring Jason Statham
Sep 15, 2013

"Whatcha gonna do about it?" When your father is Jason Statham, plenty, and it's gonna hurt.  Aah, the Ameican South, taking another hit on the jaw. According to the movies, small rural Southern towns are super unfriendly.  A how-not-to-be example.  

On the credits of Homefront, Sylvester Stallone is listed as Writer, and as one of the Producers. He and Jason must be great friends in real life after making The Expendables together. They're a hell of a dynamic duo.

Sylvester Stallone play punching Jason Statham on the jaw

Statham's Stunt Double is Jace Jeanes. What a great name. He also doubled for Tom Hardy in Warrior—Impressive. He's going to be Statham's double again in the remake of Heat, and in The Expendables 3.  Other movies he's been a Stunt Performer in are Olympus has Fallen, Jack Reacher, Bullet to the Head, Get the Gringo, Warrior, Beatdown, and Star Trek.

stuntman Jace Jeanes

Statham plays an ex-DEA Agent named Phil Broker (a character from a series of crime novels by Chuck Logan) who moves to a rural town with his daughter after the death of his wife. It was filmed in Louisiana. According to Matt McDaniel on Movie Talk at Yahoo! Movies, Stallone wrote the script 10 years ago, then offered it to Statham when they were doing The Expendables 2

It seems like every article about the movie online is talking about James Franco's acting ability to play the villain. It bugs me, because what do they think Jason has been doing in all his movies? Just because movies are Action Movies doesn't mean there's no acting. It means there's acting PLUS the physical. Action Movie Actors should be doubly respected instead of ignored by Hollywood like Action Movies are when it comes to awards.

I'm hoping it will be the kind of Super Cop movie that's a classic Action Movie subgenre.  Seemingly a mild mannered Dad until you cross him, then HOLY HELL! It's so rewarding to watch the bad guys (and girls) get their comeuppance. Few Action Movie Actors deliver a beatdown like Statham (and apparently, Jace Jeanes). So, mark your calendar for Homefront opening November 27th. Also in the movie is Kate Bosworth and Winona Ryder

Statham and Stallone: that's a formula for success to me.

 

 



 

VIKINGDOM starring Dominic Purcell
Sep 15, 2013

As a big Prison Break fan, I'm excited to see Dominic Purcell in a Action Movie! In theatres October 4th.

 

 

 

NINJA: Shadow Of A Tear
Sep 13, 2013

This looks so awesomely Chuck Norris, I got weepy. What could be better than a throwback to that kind of movie where the lead is a one-man Army, and that one man is Scott Adkins? For Action Movie Freaks, nothing! This trailer is so full of fighting, and so much of it fast paced, it looks like they will probably start slow and then have a big finish, but I am hoping it will be at least half the movie, with an assault, like Commando, where he enters an armed camp and kicks the shit out of everyone.  (Gary Oldman scream "Ev-ry-one!")  (Release Date: December 31, 2013)  He's paired, once again with Ninja, and Undisputed II and III Director Isaac Florentine, and the Stunt (and Fight) Coordinator is Tim Man, whose background looks like all hard-hitting Action (he was a stunt performer in Ong bak 2).



Grudge Match
Sep 12, 2013

How perfect is this?  Rocky vs. Raging Bull: the golden years.  There's nothing funnier than a grudge match. So much emotion!  It's comedy gold for sure, but just in case, throw in Kevin Hart.  This video popped up on YouTube last night like Christmas came early (Release Date is December 25, 2013).  Alan Arkin, Kim Basinger, Jon Bernthal, Paul Ben-VIctor, (IMDB lists Rex Baker but that's either wrong or he's impersonating) LL Cool J, Barry Primus, Vicent Pastore, and a "Tranny Hooker".

The Director is Peter Segel. What a perfect storm of movies for Action and Comedy:

2008 Get Smart
2005 The Longest Yard
2004 50 First Dates
2003 Anger Management
2000 Nutty Professor II: The Klumps
1996 My Fellow Americans
1995 Tommy Boy
1994 Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult
1993 The Jackie Thomas Show (TV Series) (2 episodes)
- Aloha, Io-wahu (1993)
- Write This Way (1993)
1993 Tom Arnold: The Naked Truth 3 (TV Movie)
1992 The Road Warriors (TV Movie)
1992 Tom Arnold: The Naked Truth 2 (TV Movie)
1991 Tom Arnold: The Naked Truth .

You've got to be excited about this one!  I hope there are lots of cheesy one liners. We Action Movie Freaks love the rub-it-in-their-face insults, and bragging. I see there's a play on the Rocky-punching-the-ribs scene. Is it too much to hope Robert De Niro will say "sawzeetch"?

 



The Fall Guy starring @TheRock . . .
Sep 12, 2013

Today, The Rock tweeted: "The unknown stuntman who moonlights as a bounty hunter . . . Fired up to play the role. Cool, bad ass & fun #TheFallGuy http://bit.ly/16nNuhG". That sounds like fun. Here's the intro from the '80s TV show starring Lee Majors.

 



Bounty Killer
Sep 7, 2013

Top executives escape with the world's wealth, so Bounty Killers emerge and "compete for body count, fame, and a fat stack of cash . . . ending the plague of corporate greed, and providing the survivors of the apocalypse with retribution." (IMDB plot summary) Sounded like fun, and it was—for the VISUALS. Less than a movie, more than an extended YouTube video, it was kind of like a bad TV movie with great graphics and campy special effects. 

Hilariously bloody—the killcount is massive—this movie has more than its share of gnarly kills. That kind of kept it going, plus the fact that the character of Mary Death is adorable, and the gimmick of the Gun Caddy is great fun. What's a Gun Caddy you ask? Some schlub/groupie wants to hang around the cool Bounty Killer so he offers to caddy his guns. Yep, that means he carries the Bounty Killer's guns around in a golf bag and hands them to him as needed. Towards the end, it's really quite spectacular (the audience cheered).

At times, it seems like the Direction to the characters must have been to scream all the dialogue. Maybe that's because the lines are not as clever as they think they are (Gunther Aristotle Stone = G.A.S. = gas = only funny on paper). I couldn't help but wonder what it cost to make. The cast has quite a few big supporting names, and Gary Busey is in this movie (of course he is).

It was very bloody, and sometimes the special effects were downright awful, sometimes they were awesomely downright awful.  All the credit in the world to the person who came up with the creative gnarly kills. The STOP sign axe was inspired but I think I've seen it before (not sure where, Zombieland?)

There were cuts to a map over and over again, but no frame of reference. Seemed like filler. The graphics in this movie were plentiful and the mix added a unique feel, although at times it seemed a little like Sucker Punch, Sin City, From Dusk Til Dawn, even Bunraku.

I love Eve but her fight scene was terrible. It seemed like the biggest wrong note in the movie. She was fine when she was interrogating the prisoners but later . . . it was cringeworthy. There were some cool things. The Mad Max-style chase scene was equally cheesy bad and wicked good. I loved Mary Death's character until the end when she comes unglued and start bawling. WTH?!

I think Peter Sobczynski of RogerEbert.com sums it up: "It has been made with enough energy and enthusiasm to suggest that the people responsible for it may one day make something worth watching."

 

 


Riddick Disappoints
Sep 6, 2013

If it wasn't for the fact that they repeated so much stuff changing it only a little, I would have wondered if they had seen either Pitch Black or The Chronicles of Riddick. Leaving a movie where a 'bad' man has just gained the throne to a conquering culture on their way to someplace called the Underverse was so intriguing but they totally ruined that with a convenient throwaway explanation/storyline.  Riddick had none of the majesty of The Chronicle of Riddick, and none of the suspense or morality of Pitch Black

It was like 2 movies, the first half good with survival skills and a dog; the second truly awful when the Mercs show up. Mercs are stupid, scream a lot, and punch stuff. If it weren't for the gnarly kills, the movie would have been a total waste.  I have to put it on the bad list. One of the worst sequels because the fall was so great.

riddick 2013 with dog

 


Getaway: Runaway Action, Stalled Plot
Sep 2, 2013

I went to see it for the car crashes, and wow! just how many police cars did that city have? I'd watch it again just to count how many wrecks there were. (IMDB lists 130 ) This movie kind of proves that Action Movie Freaks really only care about the Action, but . . . it's so much better when we care about the story, too, when they spend some time making us dislike the bad guy and root for the good guy to win, or, at least give us some character arc to measure the progress of the protagonist. It didn't come up until mid movie. Supposedly he quit driving but he jumps right in and it doesn't seem like he has any problems with it. As a movie there's hardly anything to it but Action. 

There is some subplot with Selena Gomez's character. It seems nowadays movie makers expect us to believe anyone young is some kind of computer whiz. She knew an implausible amount.  There was no set up for that either. 

The direction was pretty spectacular on illustrating the excitement of the driving. It was like almost the entire movie was one chase after another intercut with close ups of Jon Voight's whiskers. I wanted it to be better. I think Ethan Hawke was a bad choice. He's a good actor but when you think of Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw in The Getaway, the cool factor just doesn't compare. Why does it have to? It doesn't but, a huge part of the Action Movie draw is the Bad Ass. Ethan Hawke's more the preppy/edgy dad type. Selena Gomez may seem like a rich daddy's little girl, but she's no Cobra driver. There are so many WOMEN who could have played this role. She's just too china/baby doll.

 


JAWS: Back at the Miracle Theatre
Aug 21, 2013

Robert Shaw relaxing on the set of Jaws

If you're old enough to remember when The Miracle Theatre showed movies, you will remember many of the blockbusters of the 1970s played at the then enormous single auditorium with 3 sections of seating downstairs plus a balcony!  Movies like "1776" (1972), "Jesus Christ Superstar" (1973), "The Towering Inferno", "Airport 1975", and  "Earthquake" (1974), and of course, "Jaws" (1975). ["Halloween" (1978), and "A Force of One" played there in 1979]. At some point they divided it up because I remember the balcony became a smaller theater (can't remember if it was one or two . . . ).

Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre presents the new . . .
Rediscover the Miracle Community Film Series

Here is their press release:  CORAL GABLES, Florida (July 30, 2013) Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre is proud to announce the new Rediscover the Miracle Community Film Series that will premiere with Steven Spielberg's blockbuster thriller Jaws on August 31 and September 1, 2013. The free series is designed to connect the Miracle Theatre's beloved cinema past with its present state as a performing arts center. The schedule will include movies that directly relate to Actors' Playhouse's 2013-2014 Mainstage Season, along with a few cult classics bonus films.

“This is a very exciting new program we are initiating to generate new audiences to the Miracle Theatre, a performing arts facility presenting live Mainstage and Children's Theatre since 1995," said Executive Producing Director Barbara S. Stein. "The films were chosen to create interesting similarities to our season play selections, with a few special extras like Jaws. With our late night screenings on Saturdays, we will offer an entertainment outlet for the younger generation, while our Sunday evening performances will appeal to all ages.”

FILM SCHEDULE:

Jaws (1975)
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Steven Spielberg
Screenings: Saturday, August 31, 2013 at 11: 30 p.m. and
                        Sunday, September 1, 2013 at 5 p.m.

Premiered at the Miracle Theatre in 1975

 

The Bad Seed (1956)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Mervyn LeRoy
Screenings: Saturday, September 21, 2013 at 11: 30 p.m. and
                        Sunday, September 22, 2013 at 5 p.m.

In conjunction with Ruthless! The Musical


 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: Jim Sharman
Screening: Saturday, October 26, 2013 at Midnight

Halloween Special



Annie Hall (1977)
Studio: United Artists
Director: Woody Allen
Screenings: Saturday, November 23, 2013 at 11: 30 p.m. and
                        Sunday, November 24, 2013 at 5 p.m.

In conjunction with Making God Laugh



 

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Jeremiah Chechik
Screening: Saturday, December 21, 2013 at 11: 30 p.m.

Christmas comedy treat

 


A Star is Born (1954)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: George Cukor
Screenings: Saturday, January 25, 2014 at 11: 30 p.m. and
                        Sunday, January 26, 2014 at 7 p.m.

In conjunction with End of the Rainbow



Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Studio: EMI Films
Director: Terry Gilliam
Screenings: Saturday, March 15, 2014 at 11: 30 p.m. and
                        Sunday, March 16, 2014 at 7 p.m.

In conjunction with Monty Python's SPAMALOT

 



Midnight in Paris (2011)
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
Director: Woody Allen
Screenings: Saturday, April 19, 2014 at 11: 30 p.m. and
                        Sunday, April 20, 2014 at 5 p.m.

In conjunction with Scott and Hem in the Garden of Allah

The Great Gatsby (2013)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Screenings: Saturday, May 17, 2014 at 11: 30 p.m. and
                        Sunday, May 18, 2014 at 5 p.m.

In conjunction with Scott and Hem in the Garden of Allah

 



Something's Gotta Give (2003)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Nancy Meyers
Screenings: Saturday, June 28, 2014 at 11: 30 p.m. and
                        Sunday, June 29, 2014 at 5 p.m.

In conjunction with MID-LIFE 2! (The Crisis Continues)



For reservations, visit www.actorsplayhouse.org. Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre is located at 280 Miracle Mile in Coral Gables (map), Florida 33134. Box Office: 305/444.9293.

Seating limited to theatre capacity (600-ish) and issued on a first come-first served basis. Films and schedules subject to change without notice.

About Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre
Founded in 1988, Actors' Playhouse is the nonprofit resident theatre company and managing agent of the historic Miracle Theatre on Miracle Mile in Coral Gables. Actors' Playhouse, which has brought home 77 regional Carbonell Awards for artistic excellence, is a Florida Presenting Cultural Organization and one of 22 major cultural institutions in Miami-Dade County. In addition to its Mainstage Season, Actors' Playhouse offers a year-round season of Musical Theatre for Young Audiences, a National Children's Theatre Festival, a Theatre Conservatory and Summer Camp Program, as well as educational arts outreach programs for underserved youth, and has initiated a Young Talent Big Dreams Contest for children in partnership with The Children's Trust.

 

NEWS RELEASE CONTACT:

Brooke Noble,
PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER
Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre
305-444-9293, ext. 604 | pr@actorsplayhouse.org
 

 

Actors' Playhouse Coral Gables, formerly the MIRACLE movie theather

 


The Grandmaster: Incomparable Fight Movie
Aug 20, 2013

If you have watched any of the other Ip Man movies, or are a Bruce Lee fan, you need no convincing to watch The Grandmaster. If you do need convincing, this trailer should do it for you.  For me, no convincing needed if Woo-ping Yuen is involved. It irks me to no end that I had to submit an edit to add "Stunt Coordinator Woo-ping Yuen" to the Wikipedia page on "The Grandmaster (film)" (maybe you did too). Movies about Action Movie legends like The Grandmaster aka Ip Man aka Ye Wen need a legendary Stunt Coordinator like the Action Movie God Woo-ping Yuen aka Yuen Woo-ping. To not list him is just crazy, Darren Leung (lead Wing Chun trainer) should be listed as well. The second unit never gets the credit they deserve!

The fighting looks so real (the highest compliment) and it's so visually beautiful that it could have been subtitled: the Art of Fighting. The use of the elements like fire (Ninja Assassin) and rain (here) adds a visceral feeling of survival. The rain here echoes the blow like so many glittering exclamation points. I love the use of slow motion in the trailer. The sound effects are really satisfying. Cannot wait to see this movie.  [ It will not be in Miami until 8/30/2013, but opens in other places on the 23rd.]


 

Call of Duty: 10 Years
Aug 17, 2013

LOVE this video and can't help but love the fact that it ends with a woman!
 


 

2 Guns: It's a Ride Along (wink)
Aug 14, 2013

Mark Wahlberg tears up the screen in 2 Guns. He was incredibly good in Pain & Gain and he does it again in this movie. No small feat next to great performances by Denzel Washington and Bill Paxton. Wise cracking his way through every situation—you've gotta love his confidence—Wahlberg steals nearly every scene.  Even though they are Super Cops, this is a Buddy movie because what makes it most enjoyable is their interaction, their camaraderie and fight for dominance. "Come on man, ebony and ivory." Each thinking the other is

 a criminal and both turning out to be good guys.  Read more . . .

 


 

The Wolverine: All Jacked Up!
Aug 2, 2013

Hugh Jackman is so good as "The Wolverine" that he brings the excitement of the comic book character to life. As far as "comic book movies" go, this is what Action Movie Freaks want. We want someone who looks the part—who's ripped to the point of exaggeration. We want those dramatic comic-book camera angles and creative #popyacolor color palettes, and this movie give us all that. Read more . . .
 

 Hugh Jackman as The Wolverine


 


 

Red 2: Old-School ACTION and Camaraderie makes the Sequel Better than the Original
July 21, 2013

Red 2 is an excellent old-school Action Movie, surpassing the original. Bruce Willis is the lynch pin of a great ensemble cast: Actors of this stature having fun in the best film genre: Win win!

In this movie (compared to the first), it really doesn't matter how old they are (except for the humor).  Unlike the first movie where John Malkovich's hands shook but he still managed to 'thread the needle' and Helen Mirren had too much gun to handle believably, in this movie they changed that and it wasn't about them being old anymore.  Sure, the 'gimmick' of the title is still there "R.E.D. Retired: Extremely Dangerous" but the novelty is gone and now they're just super experienced. We have accepted their history, credentials, and experience, and can now just enjoy watching them in action.

The first spot of Action is a car bomb (a fake death for John Malcovich's character). Bruce Willis shows up at his funeral as stylishly dressed as he's ever been.  I'll have to look up who did his suits (Victoria Taylor . . . but Armani?) but he was best dressed in this movie (or any of his movies)—Very Bond-ish, which you have to admit is super cool at his age (yeah, he's a Bad Ass). Yes, he was that suave that I have to mention it, and not just once but twice in two different suits.

The movie did improvised weapons well, and every other kind.  After all they are 'extremely dangerous' and that takes toys, lots and lots of toys. I loved this exchange:  

You gave her a gun?"
"It is America, Frank." 
"You don't give fire to a kitten."

With several "wow" moments in the Action, I have to say you completely forget they're 'old' and are just enjoying their dynamic. The movie jumps from Action Sequence to Action Sequence like stepping stones at a full sprint, with no time to catch your breath.

Byung-hun Lee is impressive in his solo performances as he makes the most of a refrigerator door (while handcuffed to it) and a tears the shit out of everything in his way with an General Dynamics GAU-17/A (Air Force version of the M134 Minigun—nothing mini about it).  Yeah, that even got a "wow" out of 'Mrs. Rambo' (my Mom).

Thanks to Internet Movie Firearms Database for identifying that weapon (and where I got these 2 photos).  Check out just how many different guns they used (sometimes 2 at a time). Helen Mirren is a TOTAL Bad Ass in this movie. All that was missing was for her to predatorily grab some sugar from Bhung-hun Lee, whose character seemed suitably impressed. This scene is the best in the movie but there are so many great scenes. I would buy it and watch it again and again.

The surprise was Mary-Louise Parker who was new at 'the game' but jumped in, representing our desire to be one of their gang.  They had great fun with her character and abilities and the situational humor was a credit to her acting ability and the script.  Bruce gets kudos for his reactions, too.  Really enjoyable movie!
 


The Heat: Getting the Buddy Action Movie Right
July 16, 2013

I almost didn't go see this movie. Can't believe I said that, but the trailer made it look so bad.  Then I came to my senses. It's Sandra Bullock and Meghan McCarthy! Sandra Bullock is funny, period. Meghan McCarthy is a comic genius. Her delivery and timing are impeccable. The two of them, in this movie, play off each other in the hilarious tradition of classic Buddy (Cop) Action Movies like 48 Hrs. and Rush Hour where the 'partners' don't get along. They introduce us to each of them and then we get to watch them clash. McCarthy breaks the door down from the get go but she really gathers steam halfway through the movie and becomes a one-liner semi-automatic weapon. They make the most of situational comedy and just let these two work on a pretty funny script. There are takeaways in the one liners—I love that!

 


Pacific Rim: The Shat-terdome
July 11, 2013

Wow! WOw! WOWWWWwwwa! Okay. That was not an Action Movie.

Two bright moments:  Ron Perlman, and Idris Elba rocking the suit.

First, like in Prometheus, the totally amazing Idris Elba was completely wasted, they used him mainly to talk and look sad. He filled the suit out like a Superhero but it was just depressing that he was dying. Action Movies need an invincible cocky bad ass. That should have been him.

Second, I felt they cheated on the Golden Gate bridge scene destruction in the opening. There should have been more shown. I know there was plenty of destruction throughout the movie, but it seemed really incomplete.

Last, Meh. Too many characters, too little caring about them. The nerd duo . . . Emergherd. Kill them!!!! So overacted and annoying. And a weepy chick, ooiiieee, chicks hate that.

All that totally amazing CGI for nothing . . . it's like bad sex, and when it's that awful you get no points for being super hot.

 


Action Movies and Trailer Overexposure:
How TMI is killing the buzz and hurting attendance

July 7, 2013

FINALLY, repercussions for overexposure in movie trailers*! So who's in charge within the studios with regard to promotion?  It seems that there must be companies or individuals who get money for making all these trailer and 'spots' to promote movies, and therefore advise studios to create more, more, more. Bad advice. Prometheus was the nth degree of overexposure until Pacific Rim came along. Overexposure has gotten so bad that if I really want to enjoy a movie, I don't watch the trailer at all. If anyone who makes movies is reading this, please STOP. All you need to do is tease us a little. DO NOT GIVE AWAY MAJOR PLOT POINTS like in the Prometheus trailer did: "We were so wrong." Also, please do not show the major Action moments (Fast 6 you're guilty!). 

the climactic moment in Fast 6

If you would only realize that you are destroying the buzz.  If you don't show us everything we will be so excited to see it that we will tell all our friends that they have to go. Now, if we like a movie and we tell them how great a scene was, their answer is, "Yeah, I saw that in the trailer."  And even sadder is that often the trailer is more enjoyable as a mini movie. Kudos to the trailer makers but they have done the COMPLETE OPPOSITE of their jobs. The trailer should not compete with or replace the movie. FAIL. MAJOR fail.

*This article: "How Legendary is Trying to Turn Around Troubling Tracking for ‘Pacific Rim'" reveals, NO SURPRISE, that interest is waning. The Pacific Rim people should NEVER have shown us the robots OR the monsters.  People want to see this stuff—It's not hard to sell us on giant robots and any kind of Godzilla-ish creatures, but they've effectively ruined the movie experience by showing us what the robots and monsters look like ahead of time. YES, ruined. That was what we wanted to see and if anyone was dumb enough to watch the trailers, then they already know, so why go!?!  I remember back to before they revealed ANYTHING, they were so tight on keeping the lid on it. That really added to our desire to see it. What happened to that tactic?  It was working!!!  Remember when you were a kid and you were the first to see a movie. You got to tell your friends who hadn't been to the movie yet, how cool it was because they didn't know what the monsters looked like, and the only way to see them was to go!? 

monster from Pacific Rim

I am happy to say that despite everything they're done to promote Pacific Rim, I am really looking forward to watching it because I haven't seen the trailers. Despite my very great efforts not to see, however, as you can tell by that article link above, it's almost impossible because of the sheer volume of coverage not to have seen something.  What I've been unable to avoid seeing includes:   I know the giant robots have a round motor-looking thing in their chests, I know what the pilot suits look like, and I know that a giant lizard/axe-blade-head looking monster (above, or some other monster) attacks the Golden Gate bridge. Also,the lines I have heard (it's harder to block the soundtrack of a trailer than it is the visuals when you are at a movie theater) sound really stupid. I hate that. The one line I've heard Idris Elba say and a couple others do not bode well for the rest of the dialog/one-liners (and there had better be some that are better than the ones in the trailer!).

Riddick 2013 movie poster

This is a rant to be sure, but in closing I have to say that my friends take great delight in telling me shit about Riddick. Another movie I am super looking forward to and that I don't want to know anything about. Despite my efforts to not watch the trailer or hear anything, three people have told me that he has nothing to do with the Necromongers. SIGH! The one thing I didn't want to have revealed beforehand. Thanks. And how do my friends know this? The trailer! WHY movie makers, WHY?!  You have to stop. You're hurting yourselves in the wallet. You're spending money to make people go see the movie, but it's having the opposite effect! Trailers are making the movie-watching experience MUCH less enjoyable and therefore, no buzz. 

Think of it this way:

Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?

 


R.I.P. Jim Kelly
June 30, 2013

Michael Jai White: "My world stopped this morning when I learned of the passing of Jim Kelly. He was a pioneer, our first black representation of what a black martial artist is to this world. His look, swagger, martial arts prowess has been an inspiration myself as well as countless others." Count me in those others.

Here is a great tribute video:


Action Movie Star Jim Kelly

Jim Kelly with Fred Williamson and Jim Brown in Three The Hard Way
 

Here he is with Fred Williamson and Jim Brown in Three The Hard Way.

 


 

Jamie Foxx and Channing Tatum dancing on a blow-up of the Presidential seal to promote White House Down

White House Down
June 29, 2013

What is all the fuss about White House Down? I thought it was 'cute'. I really enjoyed it. I loved Jamie Foxx as President. I thought he was believable. He and Channing Tatum were fun to watch, and I wished there was more screen time for their camaraderie and them acting as a team and less of Channing running around by himself. You know, more of a Buddy Movie. That's what I went for, That, plus the scenes of the White House and Capitol Building. It was fun. I think people are really being overly hard on this movie. The payoffs were good, but there were too many characters. Three major bad guys—pick one and make us hate him so it feels good when they kill him. They did that two times, but it watered the experience down. I loved Jamie Foxx, I just wished there was more of him and no little girl. The Tour Guide would have made a great Whiner”. If you don't get why the photo above with them dancing on the Presidential seal is so cool, then you probably didn't like this movie. Your loss.

World War Z

In a word, World War Z is intense—Not your typical zombie movie in the traditional vein in terms of an all-out gross-fest of gore (although the zombies are truly disgusting and terrifyingly fast and vicious), but more of a taut, emotional journey of the lead character to save the world. It wasn't until Brad Pitt decimated a zombie and they didn't show it, that it hit me, hard, that I missed seeing it. YEAH! Goosh that head in. Let some zombie brains fly up in your face. Get your hands bloody up to the elbows. Sure, Brad  gets zombie blood in his mouth, but I was really surprised they didn't show the gnarly kill. Can a not-so-gorey zombie movie still be really good if it's not bloody disgusting? Yeah, it can. Read more . . .

zombies attack a helicopter over Israel in World War Z

 


E3: What looked good to me
June 13, 2013

I've been on 'staycation' and slacking, but I emerged to find these game trailers from E3.  They're Xbox so . . . not so happy about that considering events lately. Microsoft seems to have crossed a line on 'control'. In my opinion they were already greedy, but the sharing issue is a huge mistake. Was thinking of switching to PlayStation or using my PC anyway.

The 1st thing I loved the look of was Ryse: Son of Rome. If brutal vicious gnarly violence is your thing . . . Ryse: Son of Rome is the shit! Love the swagger @ 6:38. The armor is beautiful and the sound of it clancking and jingling as they march really makes it come alive. It's described as single-player hack and slash. This game is exclusively for the Xbox One. I'm thinking they are going to sell very few of those. Regardless, this game is supposed to be released at the Xbox One launch.

Ryse:Son of Rome game with gladiator killing an enemy


The 2nd was Titanfall #iwanttogotothere

Here is the info from WIkipedia: "Titanfall is a mecha first-person shooter video game developed by Respawn Entertainment @Respawn and published by Electronic Arts @EA for the @Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. It is Respawn's first game, and is scheduled for release in 2014.

mecha walker Titan robot from Titanfall

Players fight either on foot as free-running 'pilots' [á la Pacific Rim] or inside agile mech-style walkers called 'Titans' to complete team-based objectives. The game is multiplayer-only, but injects single-player elements such as plot, character chatter, and non-player characters into its matches."  The difference in scale is cool between scenes with the Titans and scenes with just the men.

green alienware computerThird, I've been intrigued with Alienware since I first noticed them in the late 1990s, partly because of their unique look, but then partly because the fact that they were local (The Hammocks) to my neighborhood (Kendall) was just too cool.  I really wanted this model. Some people I know like gaming better on a PC. Nowadays there are  so many more options to have a better experience (not just bigger monitors). I would ideally like a projector (working on it).

Alienware is the kind of thing you could buy if money were no object . . . Back then it would have been cool to take one to a LAN party (not that I ever got invited to participate in a LAN party but still, I did visit one in progress once).

Alienware did a short intro and then let attendees play. Must be nice. I noticed on Wikipedia that they have the Alienware headquarters photo as its own page. When you scroll down it lists Janet Reno and O.J. Simpson as notable residents, but O.J. was in Pinecrest (big difference!). Kendall is an international working class area. Pinecrest is 90% "white" and most all the homes are on at least an acre (zoning).  But I digress . . .


Donnie Yen's The Iceman: Action++
June 3, 2013

This trailer will surprise you.  I haven't seen anything that impressed me this much with wildly creative Action since Kung Fu Hustle (which I liked) and Shoot 'Em Up (which I didn't).

 



Something Greater for Action Movie Heroines
June 1, 2013

"What if a child dreamed of being something other than what society had intended? What if a child aspired to something greater?"

Those words from the Man of Steel trailer 3 resonate with women as much as men. After all, he does not say "What if a boy . . . " Therefore, more than half of the rest of the world hears:

"What if a girl dreamed of being something other than what society had intended? What if a girl aspired to something greater?"

images of the bad and the good Heroine

These words together with the recent mention of Transformers 4 having a "high school girl" as the main character, and the fact that @TheSlyStallone tweeted the question "A young Sigourney Weaver anywhere out there?", all worked together for me to mark a turning point for Action Movie Heroines.

There are two kinds of Action Movie Heroines:

1) The type of male fantasy Bimbo so scantily clad and big-breastedy prevalent in comic books, video games, and Action Movies (hopefully soon-to-be of the past)

and

2) People.

Yes, women are people too.

Don't think that doesn't need to be said. 

Dances With Wolves was the big apologetic "Indians Are People Too" movie that Hollywood embraced, but there has yet to be such a movie for Women! And, judging by Seth MacFarlane's ridiculous anti-women sense of comedy at the Academy Awards last year, it's still, sadly, a ways away. However, I think we can get there with Action Movies.

If you search Google images for terms like "action movie female lead", "female action movie hero", "strong heroine," and "female hero", the results are a depressing display of exploitation and male fantasy. The only way this will change is if women change it by creating more positive role models and not bending to the pressure to be 'attractive' to men.

In real life, women want to be (and are) heroic, too, regardless of how they look, what they wear, and especially regardless of whether or not men find them attractive. 

The plot of Aliens took the most basic female instinct, motherhood, and put in into an epicly heroic situation.  Women in Action Movies don't need to be mothers but nor do they need to be bimbos, they just need to be taken seriously, and to do that, they cannot be scantily clad.

Part of what makes Alien and Aliens so popular is Ripley's competence and bravery. Yes, in both movies they show her in her underwear, but in Aliens they show everyone else in theirs too, and in Alien, it is in the context of cryosleep and serves to heighten the horror of vulnerability.  Thank goodness Sigourney Weaver is fairly flat chested or that would have made this scene completely different, especially this camera angle, which was completely unnecessary.

Ripley in Alien gratuitous boob shot

 I asked a male friend: "At what point, meaning how big, does a man feel ridiculous going out with a woman with enormous breasts?  Would Christina Hendricks be a good example of being over the line? Is there is a line1.?"  Anyway, it kind of makes my point about Action Movie Heroines in general. A movie that seemed to get it right was The Expendables 22. For example:

the expendables 2 cast

Nan Yu's character "Maggie" fits in with this ultra Boys Club. She's not in shorts showing her legs, and she doesn't have on anything low cut.  She appears to be just another soldier. That's how it should be.

 In real life, Female Soldiers dress just like the men (see Album here). If you do a search Google images of "women warriors" (probably the most offensive results of all) it's all bimbos. The second, third, and fourth result are bare-breasted and two are naked with a sword. These are male fantasies. These are not people. The last thing a woman wants to feel in battle is vulnerable or sexual. The same might not be true for men who seem to like being turned on while being violent, maybe it makes them feel powerful. I don't know.

I do know what a woman feels. Rage. I see it everywhere. The rise of Ronda Rousey and women's MMA fighting brings the possibility of true equality through physicality. No, we can't beat all men, but we can beat some, and if they are beating us, we should fight back.  Amateur Boxing Coach Hal Adonis's remark "Half of our girls have been molested, half of our girls are gay" is a wake up call and a turning point. We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore.

To succeed in life and to have respect, women have to stop buckling under pressure to appear desirable. Yes, the world knows you want someone to mate with you, women can't help that, that's biological, but women can still be sexy, clothed. Women who live their lives as man-pleasing bimbos, and who dress that way, harm other women.  I am really hoping that with the rise of role models of strong women being fighters, like Gina Carano and Ronda Rousey, girls will stop accepting being told "women can't . . . (fill in the blank)." 

To women everywhere, but especially to Gina and Ronda:  Please stop appearing in images like this. Being scantily dressed trivializes every achievement you make, and puts you back 'in your place' as just a dumb woman who cares more about having sex than anything else. These types of images say: Yes, she can fight, but she's still a dumb bimbo that wants you to fuck her. Like it or not, that's the message you're sending. So Gina, and Ronda, please don't do this . . .

Gina Carano sexy pose  Ronda Rousey sexy pose

Why not? Because too many women are being treated as objects, with deadly consequences. Because you are more than just one woman who wants to be found attractive. Because there are more important things for women to be, that being 'attractive' invalidates. Because you are the hope that we can be treated like people, you are exception to the rules of a male-minority-dominated society. Because you have achieved something that 25 years ago was inconceivable. Because when I was a little girl there was no one like you to look up to and say "I can."  The Man of Steel trailer says it best:

"You will give the [women] of Earth an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall, but, in time, they will join you in the sun. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders."

"You believe your [daughters are] safe?" 

They are not. Look around you at the world. At countries where women are shrouded, mutilated, raped, beaten, and killed. At this country where innocent little girls and teenagers are abducted, used, tortured, killed, and discarded like trash. Don't be afraid to be strong. Just strong. Not strong and sexy. Strong is sexy.

"My father believed if the world found out who I really was, it would reject me. He was convinced that the world wasn't ready.  What do you think?"

I think the world is ready (women are more than ready) for a female hero who is a person first and who commands and deserves respect. Female Action Movie Stars need to step up in strength and play women who are people. Action Movies are the perfect vehicle for women to find true equality. Real-life Female Heroes have an obligation to be heroic onscreen and off for the sake of all women. Change the costume and change the rules. Aspire to SOMETHING GREATER:  Which of these images of Wonder Woman would you want your daughter to aspire to?

Wonder Woman collage

_________

1 What I mean by that is that women who are well endowed and scantily dressed are not seen as intelligent, therefore a man being seen with a woman like that is perceived to be with her for the sex. How ridiculous can the sex toy get before he feels it will reflect badly instead of well on him?

2 The dialog in the village where they stopped in the abandoned building a was a tiny bit weird. It was actually well written because how the various men treated Maggie revealed a little about them. It was like they were okay with having her be one of them, but at the same time had to act out and prove they were men by showing they found her attractive. It also set up that she likes Barney Ross but he turns her down. As a hero, he's more concerned for her than about her. It goes against the sleep-with-them-all stereotype and you've got to like Stallone for that.

 


 

Fast 6: No Assembly Required
May 23, 2013

"Let's go for a little ride."  

Holy crap there's a lot of moving parts to this movie, and while it has a lot of characters, we know them so well that it runs like a well-oiled machine. Sorry about that cliche. I am sure I have used it before, but it fits, and here's another: The Rock bursts onto the screen like a blazing comet.  He's so damn big . . . said the girl next to me. As I look back at watching it, it's like a series of scenes joined together by the comet trail of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. He bursts into a scene and he blazes out again. The story's just connecting the dots until he pops back in. When he's not onscreen, the glow of the burn is still there LOL.  It seems to me they shot him just a little too close to the camera and just a little under his nose, so that he towers a lot. You feel like he's in your face. (The character is SO in-our-face.)  You'll see.  It's awesome, and plays to his comedic and other strengths.  

There are so many funny moments. When The Rock is not eclipsing the movie, Tyrese Gibson is cutting up. His dynamic with Ludacris is the BEST! That is a DUO that could easily hold up a Buddy Movie!  The situational humor is perfectly played. So much of what he says and does is just so true to character that it's hilarious. Tyrese really nails this performance. Can't say enough about how enjoyable he is in this movie.

Along for the Ride
I was especially hopeful for Gina Carano's part. To be sure, the fight scenes (there's more than one, yay!) were intense and she goes all out with [SPOILER but you knew already . . . ] Michelle Rodriguez.  I think she's holding back a little though (compared to what I saw in Haywire) because she's a powerhouse and Michelle is more of a reed.  When Gina's in a scene with The Rock, sometimes it seems like he's so big, she's just trying not to be stepped on.  I don't want to give away any dialog but he's soo large-and-in-charge, the way he speaks to her isn't really conversational. He's really talking at her or about her. You have to think this is all intentional for the sake of the humor in the portrayal of the character of Hobbs.

Another really enjoyable thing is the friction between the two titans of The Rock and Vin Diesel. Vin's nobody's bitch and he doesn't yield a fraction. Again, don't want to give anything away, but what happens between them is more satisfying than I expected. Like they didn't go the predictable route and instead went the in-a-perfect-world route (kind of like in the last movie!). While The Rock is shooting through the scenes, Vin is the calming influence. The real 'rock' of the team. His is a quiet strength but with so much sexuality, it crackles when he's just standing still.

The movie could be summed up in this quote: "Show me how you drive, I'll show you who you are." There are so many great quotes in this movie.  I'm really excited about writing about it more in depth. I just wanted to recommend it in the HIGHEST possible terms. If you have any doubts about the movie, put them away and go see it. It more than delivers in Action sequences!  There are many more spectacular chase scenes, and shoot outs, and fight scenes, and explosions than you even imagine. They keep the plot moving from point to point so there's always a reason for the Action and a goal in mind.  Like Gina with The Rock, we're just along for the ride.

Overall, the movie has a very romantic undertone. Not just about Dominic and Letty, but for the Team as family as they contrast them to their "evil twins."

The head villain, Shaw, more than holds his own against The Rock intimidation and scariness-wise, and Vin Diesel for the sexuality. I hope this movie makes the world take more notice of Luke Evans. I'd love to see more of him! He seemed more wiry than strong in other scenes, but he's 6 feet tall and when he stood toe to toe with The Rock, he looked big.

And now, the cars. This movie is so satisfying in the twists and the quirks that make it a "Fast and Furious" movie, like them getting all the equipment they need for a job, like the reason they need old-school style cars, etc. For me, this movie was less about the skankapalooza that is so prominent in earlier movies and more about the sexiness of the cars and the appeal of big machines. We're all a little in love with the machines. I find it hilarious to hear all the souped-up cars revving their engines as they leave the movie theater parking garage after the movie. We were all, all jacked up.  As I say in my "Action Movie Essentials" list in closing: A really GOOD Action Movie must make you leave the theater feeling PUMPED UP! That's what we go for. The RUSH!!

So, go get some.

 


 

Star Trek Into Darkness: Going Boldly!
May 16, 2013

"You don't respect the Chair, and you know why?
  Because you're not ready for it."
 

Owch! Star Trek Into Darkness starts out with the same relational conflict and performance angst that the first movie did. And this movie, like the last one, does a stellar job of capturing the dynamic of the crew from the original TV Series.  This is what we crave in Star Trek. The various characters are all brought to life in the same quirky ways: The supremely confident Captain, the infuriatingly logical and belligerent Science Officer, the mother-hen cantankerous Medical Officer, and the drama queen pull-a-rabbit-out-of-a-hat Engineer. They have their ways that get on each other's nerves, but they have mutual respect because are all incredibly good at what they do.  Getting this right is essential because it's not Star Trek without it.  Read more . . .

Spock and Uhura from Star Trek Into Darkness

 


The Genius of
Peter Stormare
May 12, 2013

You know how something can kind of creep up on you (like love), or when your reaction to something is visceral (like hate), well, I have this love/hate admiration for Peter Stormare. One word: Fargo and you understand the love. Now for the 'hate' (not really). He does all these really weird characters, and when he shows up onscreen I've gotten to the point of a "This-Guy-Again?!" reaction that is not meant to be unflattering—it's more like utter amazement. He's so confoundedly original that it kind of brings me out of the movie as I watch in horror and fascination at what he does with a part. Almost like Nicolas Cage but in concentrated form. Where the hell is he from, I wonder. His fucked-up accents* are sometimes amusing, and sometimes unintelligible and uber amusing. So, who IS this guy?

Turns out he's Swedish. That means nothing to me. [My only sense of being Swedish comes from Sesame Street's Swedish Chef.] 

He has played:
• a German, The Big Lebowski (1998),
• a Frenchman Chocolat (2000),
• 2 Russians Bad Boys II (2003), Armageddon (1998),
• an Italian "Prison Break" (2005),
• a Dane Echo (2007),
• a Norwegian Switch (2007/I),
• a Swede Minority Report (2002).   -from IMDB

Most recently, he's been in
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013), and
The Last Stand (2013)
Pain & Gain (2013)

He's classically trained (this quote also from IMDB). He "began his acting career at the Royal [Dramatic] Theatre of Sweden, performing for eleven years. In 1990 he became the Associate Artistic Director at the Tokyo Globe Theatre and directed productions of many Shakespeare plays, including 'Hamlet'. In 1993 he moved to New York, where he appeared in English productions."  Well, that explains it all a bit more. Impressive credentials!

It's like when he appears onscreen, nothing before him was as entertaining, and you know nothing after will be, and you feel a little like "What was that?!" when it's over (in a good way). I consistently find myself shaking my head and thinking "Oh my God" every time he appears. That's a gift. I guess it's only just crept up on me now, this cumulative appreciation, since I just watched Pain & Gain a second time.

So, I'm just taking a moment to recognize a unique talent who has the movie by the balls every time he's up, and who lets go when he feels like it. Think of how he held this scene by just sitting there.

____________________________________

*Maybe his accents are dead on and I'm just not familiar enough to identify them.

 


 

MoviePilot.com offers a Huge List of Upcoming 'Awesome*', I mean Action Movies
May 11, 2013

Been wowed twice today. Once when I discovered Movie Pilot—and found out about tons of movies I didn't know were coming. One that really jumped out at me was Destroyer, thinking it was a Battleship sequel, but it wasn't. Still, it sounds very cool.  I added two that I didn't find there (remakes of Burt Reynolds movies).  (See list below video)

My second wow was when I read this slam of Michael Bay in a review of The Great Gatsby; "there's a lot more filmmakers can do with 3D than have Optimus Prime fly at the screen." The most eye-popping 3D final :45 minutes of a movie in history and this is the respect it gets. Insulting Action Movies doesn't make you look smart. Some people just don't get it. So I am posting the lesson "*Shut up and Eat Your Awesome" once again with a look back at Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Michael Bay's "Master Class" to school them.
 


Movie Name

Release Date

Genre

Empire State

19 March 2013 (GIFF)

Action | Drama

Tai Chi Hero

26 April 2013 (NY)

Action | Adventure

Java Heat (limited release)

17 May 2013 (Carolina Asheville)

Action | Crime | Drama

After Earth (Will Smith)

31 May 2013

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

The Colony (Paxton!)

13 June 2013 (Hungary)

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Man of Steel

14 June 2013

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

World War Z (Brad Pitt)

21 June 2013

Action | Drama | Horror

White House Down (Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx)

28 June 2013

Action | Drama | Thriller

Pacific Rim (Guillermo del Toro)

12 July 2013

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Red 2 (Bruce Willis)

19 July 2013

Action | Comedy | Crime

• Only God Forgives (Ryan Gosling)

19 July 2013

Crime | Drama | Thriller

R.I.P.D.

19 July 2013

Action | Comedy | Crime

The Wolverine (Hugh Jackman)

26 July 2013

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

2 Guns (Mark Wahlberg & Denzel)

2 August 2013

Action | Crime | Drama

300: Rise of an Empire

2 August 2013

Action | Drama

Kick-Ass 2 (Jim Carrey)

16 August 2013

Action | Comedy | Crime

The Grandmaster

22 August 2013

Action | Drama

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

23 August 2013

Action | Adventure | Drama

Closed Circuit

28 August 2013

Thriller

Riddick (Vin Diesel)

6 September 2013

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Machete Kills

13 September 2013

Action | Crime | Thriller

Unforgiven

13 September 2013

Action | Crime | Drama

Last Days on Mars

19 September 2013 (UK)

Sci-Fi | Thriller

Rush

20 September 2013

Action | Biography | Drama

Gravity  (Sandra Bullock)

4 October 2013

Sci-Fi | Thriller

Escape Plan (was “The Tomb” Stallone & Schwarzenegger)

18 October 2013

Action | Thriller

Ender's Game (Harrison Ford)

1 November 2013

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Thor: The Dark World (Chris Hemsworth)

8 November 2013

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

22 November 2013

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Outcast (rumored Nicolas Cage)

 

Action

The Jungle

2013 (Australia)

Thriller

Hummingbird (Jason Statham)

2013

Action | Thriller

Reach Me (Stallone)

2013

Drama

Three Days to Kill (Luc Besson)

2013

Action | Drama | Thriller

Gallowwalkers (Wesley Snipes) NOT TO BE MISSED!

2013

Action | Fantasy | Horror

Lone Survivor

2013

Action | Drama | Thriller

Man of Tai Chi (Keanu Reeves)

2013

Action

Snowpiercer (Chris Evans)

2013

Action | Drama | Sci-Fi

Vehicle 19 (Paul Walker)

2013

Thriller

• Jeepers Creepers 3: Cathedral (same Writer?Director)

2013

Horror | Mystery |Thriller

• Go Like Hell

2013

Action

Grudge Match (Stallone, De Niro, Bernthal)

10 January 2014

Comedy | Sort

Ten (Schwarzenegger)

24 January 2014

Action | Drama | Thriller

RoboCop (Joel Kinnaman)

7 February 2014

Action | Sci-Fi

The Lego Movie

7 February 2014

Animation | Action | Comedy

• Captain America: The Winter Soldier

4 April 2014

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

• Stretch Armstrong

11 April 2014

Action

• Godzilla

16 May 2014

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

• Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

23 May 2014

Action | Drama | Sci-Fi

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

6 June 2014

Animation | Action | Adventure

• 21 Jump Street 2

13 June 2014

Action | Comedy

• Left Behind (Nicolas Cage)

19 June 2014

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

• How to Train Your Dragon 2

20 June 2014

Animation | Action | Adventure

Untitled Transformers Sequel (4)

27 June 2014

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

• Fast & Furious 7

11 July 2014

Action | Crime | Thriller

• Fury (Brad Pitt)

14 November 2014

Action | Drama | War

• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1

21 November 2014

Action | Adventure | Drama

• Tomorrowland (Brad Bird)

19 December 2014

Sci-Fi

• Iceman (Donnie Yen)

2014

Action | Comedy | History

• Heat (Jason Statham)

2014

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Taking Gotham (Olivier Megaton)

2014

Action | Thriller

Tokarev

2014

Action | Crime | Thriller

• Zorro Reborn

2014

Action | Adventure

• Scarface

2014

Crime | Drama | Thriller

• Mad Max: Fury Road (Tom Hardy, Nicholas Hoult)

2014

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

• For the Dogs

2014

Action | Thriller

• Overdrive

2014

Action | Thriller

• Jane Got a Gun (Natalie Portman)

2014

Action | Drama | Western

• Sharky's Machine

No Date

Action | Crime | Thriller

• The Machine

No Date

Action | Comedy

• Logan's Run (Nicolas Winding Refn)

No Date

Action | Adventure | Drama

• Mortal Kombat

No Date

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

• Bloodsport

No Date

Action | Drama

• Stan Lee's Mighty 7

No Date

Couldn't find on IMDB

• 24

No Date

Action | Crime | Drama

• The Creed of Violence (Christian Bale)

No Date

Action | Crime | Drama

• Safari

No Date

Couldn't find on IMDB

• The Count of Monte Cristo

No Date

Couldn't find on IMDB

• The Crow (Luke Evans)

No Date

Action | Crime | Fantasy

• American Sniper (Steven Spielberg, Bradley Cooper)

2015

Action

 


Sharing a Love of Action Movies
May 6, 2013

Now and again I get sent something from someone who just wants to share their love of Action Movies with a like-minded Action Movie Freak. Sometimes, it's from someone just starting out or maybe they're launching something new.  It always makes me happy to watch whatever they send because their enthusiasm shines through, and that really fuels my love for the genre. They are so obviously having too much fun doing what they do! It's great. Watch and see . . .

Here are three Action Movie Freaks you will enjoy:

1  Brady Romberg's Action Academy @ActionFix

Stuntman Brady Romberg"A Brain Child of Hollywood Stuntman Brady Romberg, ACTION ACADEMY offers action junkies unique look behind some of the biggest and best action in the world.

Hollywood, CA · facebook.com/TheActionAcademy

bradyromberg.com

You just HAVE TO watch this video. Of course Brady gets it, he lives and breathes it! This is so awesome, I posted it on the ActionFest Facebook page because it's what I love about @ActionFest and why we go! Visit his YouTube channel or his website to see more of him in action.

Follow @ActionFix and Like Action Academy on Facebook. (His posts are awesome and will keep you pumped up!) Here is his Stunt Reel:

 

 

Joey Corpora2  Meet @JoeyCorpora

"Filmmaker, martial artist, co-founder of Platypus Underground, Ltd. 

Easton, PA"

who sent me this tweet with the so fun video below (now "private" and unavailable on YouTube):

"SINS OF THE DRAGON, the new independent kung fu flick hitting festivals this summer"

   

3 From Director Carlos Aldana comes the web show "Bionique"Director Carlos Aldana

"In the spirit of 24 and Heroes, Bionique is an action packed sci-fi show made for the web that follows a group of computer savvy orphans in their early twenties who become human targets when it's discovered that they were part of an experimental HIV treatment in their childhood. The treatment worked, but it also left them with very unusual side effects… superpowers."

Genre: Science fiction / Action Drama
Season: 12 episodes
Running time: 8 – 15 minutes per episode
Cast: Carlos Peña (winner – Latin American Idol) + TBD
Production Company: Kinetic Portal in association with Fallout Entertainment
Creator / Director: Carlos Aldana
Writer: Jason Chase Tyrell
Executive Producer: Bill Fishman

Click to watch the trailer (I cannot embed it) and if you like what you see, subscribe by email and Like them on Facebook.

 


Lots of Action Movie News
May 6, 2013

»So much Action Movie news today!  Electronic Arts @EA was given the deal to make Star Wars games.  Seems people are passionate about that one way or the other. There are a lot of people who seem to hate the idea (as usual). I would reserve judgment until I see their first Star Wars game. You can't please everybody, and when something is as iconic as Star Wars, I think it's best to keep an open mind.

»@TomCruise officially signed on for Mission: Impossible 5 via @Variety.

»@TheRock and @mark_wahlberg will star in a new @HBO Sports Dramedy set in Miami and directed by Peter Berg. I love Peter Berg! (I'm a huge fan of The Rundown and Battleship.) The description of the show says it "will follow the lives of athletes, both retired and still active".  I'm thinking The Real Husbands of Hollywood . . . There is plenty of comedy gold in Miami.

»And . . . Finally, a tiny bit of news about a @GearsofWar movie via @Variety Take that!

Gears of War Marcus Fenix uses Lancer chainsaw gun

 


@IRON_MAN 3 is so good-SO good!
Apr 28, 2013

It didn't hit me how much anticipation there was for Iron Man 3 until I approached the ticket window and noticed there were only 3 movies playing in the 24-auditorium theater:  Iron Man 3 2D, Iron Man 3 3D, and Iron Man 3D IMAX. It was surreal. Empire magazine cover with Iron Man 3All Iron Man, all night.

The crowd was pumped up too for every trailer beforehand, and they showed all the good ones. I was surprised that Thor: The Dark World got the biggest overall cheers, then Star Wars Into Darkness.  Then Fast & Furious 6—That got the most murmuring, and the loudest reaction at the end.  It is just so much fun to be in a full theater when the crowd is really excited to be there.

When I heard the criticism that there was too much trash talking in Iron Man 3, it just made me want to see it all the more. Yes! That's what we want!! Ladies and Gentlemen: Robert Downey, Jr. So many great moments in this movie. I saw it in 2D (I'm poor) but it was so much to look at, I can't even squeeze into my brain how it would have been in IMAX 3D. It didn't need it, let's put it that way.

You have to see it. It has everything Action Movie Freaks want (the Action Movie Essentials), except a big, beefy guy, but Iron Man is the stand in for that and Robert Downey Jr. has the rest in spades. I am adding him to the Bad Ass list tonight under Regular Joes (check it out). It's so funny how over confident he is and how much we can't get enough of it. We all want to be the benevolent, unbreakable hero, or as he puts in The Avengers, a "Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."

The script is great, the visuals are all beyond belief. I was expecting the house crumbling in the preview to be the biggest and most destructive part, but that is just a fraction. So much happens but none of it is confusing at any time. It manages to be straight forward yet a little mysterious, and still delivers the surprises here and there that satisfy, even if you knew they had to show up.

I have no idea how they do what they do with the suit. They 'kicked it up to notches unknown' as Emeril liked to say. How do you act like you are getting hit by flying pieces of the suit and have it be so seamless? It's mind boggling all the stuff that goes on in the finale. I had no idea what this wire screen (below) was about—Trust me, it's edge-of-your-seat stuff! Everything looks so real. You know the scene with all the Iron Men showing up? You know it's coming, but it still delivers! They are lots of neat little payoffs, too. Does movie making get any better than this? Not for my entertainment dollar! Most importantly for an Action Movie, it gave you that pumped up feeling at the end. You're supposed to feel like this at the end of an Action Movie. It's what we go for. You'll be so glad you saw it on the big screen . . . And don't forget to stay until the end :)

I saw it in Miami. We all cheered when they announced [[SPOILER]] the bad guy was in Miami. Where else is he gonna be? "Make way for the bad guy! The bad guy's coming through.*" Miami looked great (it always does—it's all that water). So did the Villa Vizcaya. What a beautiful property that is. So cute to see Iron Man walking down the steps there. I will never be able to go there now without thinking of it. Ben Kingsley's character wasn't as annoying as I thought he would be. The twist is very funny. The audience really loves Jon Favreau.  I think after his character's disastrous series of phone calls in Swingers, we feel like we know him. He's relatable, and naturally entertaining/funny. Don Cheadle is good as Iron Man's sidekick (although Ty Simpkinss as Harley, the kid, steals the show). Don's character makes you feel like you could get to wear the suit and  be Iron Man. But really, what you're going for is the scene with so many Iron Men suits. You'll leave happy, trust me.

Iron Man 3 many suits flying

* quote from Scarface.


Getting ready for Elysium:
This is
Neill Blomkamp . . ..
Apr 28, 2013

 

You've probably already seen that video:  "In 2007, Blomkamp directed a trilogy of live-action short films (known collectively as Landfall) set in the Halo universe, to promote the release of Halo 3." (-Wikipedia) "On October 26, 2007, all three films were edited together into one seven-minute mini-movie, and were released simultaneously on Bungie.net and Xbox Live Marketplace. The mini-movie is titled Halo: Landfall."
(-halo.wikia.com))

That video alone should make any Action Movie Freak a Neill Blomkamp fan, even before you saw District 9. Maybe, like me, you didn't get to see District 9 on the big screen. If you haven't seen it yet, click to watch: right-click to pop out—it won't start unless you do. It's slow to start for us restless Freaks but it adds so much to the story that you get to know the lead character, so be patient. The real payoff is the alien weapons. A Holy-Mother-of-God powerful assortment of the kind of guns you wish they had in Starship Troopers—man, were those stupid ineffective pulse rifles annoying. They more than make up for that in District 9. Killing humans and aliens, wait, killing is not exactly the right word . . . they explode! You'll see . . . or saw. Awesome, right? Love a Gnarly Kill! With those two movies to his credit, expectations for Elysium are sky high for me. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It makes the payoff even sweeter.

variety of weapons from District 9 movie

This is the synopsis from IMDB: "Set in the year 2154, where the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth, a man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds." Watching the trailer and looking into the concept of "Elysium" on Wikipedia, it really sets the stage for this upcoming dystopian society Action/Drama/SciFi Movie. I don't know why, maybe it's the intensity, but Action/SciFi/Horror is my favorite subgenre combination. A close second, which these next three examples are, is Action/Adventure/SciFi. And, when the storyline is set in a dystopian society, so much the better.  The Matrix is the best example I can think of, and The Chronicles of Riddick. Places where the lead character doesn't fit in and something is really wrong with the way things are. In a way, Aliens is like that too because the evil Corporation has caused a catastrophe and the aliens have t

Elysium seems like that but also it brings to mind the 99%. Looking at the trailer, it seems just an exaggeration of the way things already are. Once the gap between rich and poor gets this wide, there's bound to be revolution. I am wondering, and I am really glad they haven't given it away, what the mission Matt Damon is on entails.  I think he's perfect for the role for exactly the reasons I write about on why we love him as an Average Joe. Matt's humanity will no doubt be used in some interesting dramatic way, judging by Sharlto Copley's performance in District 9. I like it that the lead character is a bit beefier this time.

Matt Damon with weapon from Elysium

The whole look of the movie is just too cool. Can't wait to see the vehicles and what the suit does. Looks like the rich have robot bodyguards too.  Just hope there's some carnage, or maybe we need a word for robot destruction like "wipe", or, making some up: TRM (total robot massacre). Between Elysium and Pacific Rim, there better be some TRAK (total robot ass kicking).

robot from Elysium
 


Pain & Gain: Mark Wahlberg Shreds It!
Apr 26, 2013

Pain & Gain trio in the gym

No matter what you're expecting from @PainGainMovie, you'll be more than satisified. The intensity of Mark Wahlberg's performance is relentless. He holds your attention to the point where you are sometimes holding your breath. The characters are crazy, of course, and everyone in the movie is really great. @TheRock is a stand out for sure. For Mark Wahlberg to hold his own against the quirkiness and stature/screen presence of Dwayne Johnson's character is really saying something. You might have thought it would have been cast the other way around, but it wouldn't have worked that way. @TheRock has so much in real life, it works really well to take some things away and make him a 'loser'. The script is really good and there are funny lines throughout to keep you laughing. A lot of times—when you're not cringing—you're already laughing at the situational humor. An ensemble cast hasn't been this cohesive for me since The Matrix.

Pain & Gain trio count money on a tanning bedI will definitely buy this movie and chuckle as I watch it over and over for years to come. I think it will be highly quotable, and hope to see it a couple more times in the theater before it goes away.  Gotta go again just to write down some of the lines—It's a Classic Action/Comedy/Crime!  As an Action Movie subgenre, I'd categorize it as a Heist Movie. The relationships are too many and too complex to say it's a Buddy Movie.

It's a wildly colored "Crime Does NOT Pay" poster child. The only miss in it was the scene from the trailer when Mark Wahlberg's character decides he needs a pump and The Rock encourages him. When you see that in context it's funnier the way it was presented in trailer. They add another layer of what The Rock is saying, and it's too much. Still funny, but funnier the first way/simpler way in the trailer. You'll see.

I hope Michael Bay is proud of it (all the talk about Armageddon lately is so dumb). I wish non-Bay-fans would just "Shut up and Eat their Awesome." @S4TE Michael Bay is an Action Movie God!

Pain & Gain red carpet with Anthony Mackie Michael Bay Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson

 


Patrick Hughes to direct Expendables 3
Apr 23, 2013

Truly exciting news today from @TheSlyStallone. He is giving a new Writer/Director the chance of a lifetime. Patrick Hughes, an Australian, will get to direct the best of the best.  So damn exciting. It's got to be so rewarding to share what you know and pass it on to someone you feel is worthy.  Judging by Mr. Hughes' full-length feature Red Hill, he not only knows what he's doing, he's great at dialogue and creating tension. It's on Netflix or you can watch it on Amazon. It's categorized on IMDB as a Thriller/Western and delivers on both. There are some great lines and nicely framed shots (like these two). I would (and will) watch it again.  The music by Dmitri Golovko has a cool edge that reminds me of classic spaghetti Westerns (heavy trumpets, solemn beat)..

 


Pain & Gain Premier in Miami:
New Times Good Time

Apr 20, 2013

You may have something like the "alternative weekly" Miami New Times where you live. It's a local newspaper/website that has all the nightclub information, singles personal ads like crazy, and local stories/features that are a little wacked (like Mugshot Fridays), or that hit the pulse/crystalize the moment. In Miami that's usually a heaping helping of political corruption, art and cultural events and/or local personalities, weirdos, and whatever's controversial. Where did someone get their face eaten off? Where else. And remember when Kim Kardashian posed in W magazine in silver paint, well, of course a guy in Miami had to do his version. Like that.

Don't get me wrong, we all love it. While it's the Miami New Times, we just call it the New Times. The editing is creative, the writing's great, and it's always fun to read. They know what's "hot" and everything that's going on. Their covers are always attention-getting.

The New Times published the original, true life story the movie Pain & Gain is based on. If you want to read it, the installments are here.

Their video from the Pain & Gain Miami Premier on April 12th is priceless. The New Times reporter tries to have fun with the cast, and the way they all react says a lot about them. Ed Harris takes himself WAY too seriously (but then you already knew that if you've ever watched the outtakes from The Rock .) Good times!

 


Super-good Man of Steel Trailer #3
Apr 18, 2013

This trailer makes me happy, and I am trying not to bring expectations to this film, so I watched it. For the pure enjoyment of Action Movies, which is the most important thing, I am working on not bringing anything into seeing an Action Movie. I prefer to just enjoy it as a movie. What makes me even happier is that it is 2 hours and 28 minutes!  Based on @GraceRandolph's take on it, I wonder if it will end with Superman becoming Clark Kent, setting it up for the next movie and making you hungry for that aspect. It's clearly a journey of self-discovery, and whose journey could be more action-packed than Superman's?! After seeing this trailer, I love the "Man of Steel" aspect/name and maybe I can stop calling it Superman by mistake all the time. LOL  Enjoy:

   


The Action Elite aka @Action Elite
Apr 15, 2013

The Action Elite posted this on their Facebook page. Eoin posts awesome stuff all the time, but you probably already know that. This looks like what if the men had won in Predator. Then they could have strutted to the chopper. Still wish they had show them making old-school survival type traps in Predators. I'd watch a back-to-the jungle-with-weapons movie anytime. 

Speaking of which: "CRASH BANDITS follows two rival treasure hunters who specialize in salvaging plane wrecks and who end up in a race against each other to claim a top haul in the Amazon jungle." I couldn't find this movie on IMDB (except here), but I'm excited about it cause  I smell cheese (and cheese is good). The bigger and buffer these two are and the more shit they talk, the better this movie will be.

 


Full Metal Jacket at @OCINEMA Wynwood
Apr 9, 20133

A great movie will always be a great movie. I was totally enraptured with Full Metal Jacket. Even though I know parts of it by heart, it's still so in-your-face intense that you have to marvel as if it's all new again—It's fascinating. For me, it's hard to separate the movie from the experience of living at the time of the Vietnam War and remembering the gap until they started making films about it and what those films said or meant in context.

a photo of Stanley Kubrick filming Full Metal Jacket during the Vietnam part of the film

@OCINEMA is doing a Stanley Kubrick Retrospective this week and there are still plenty of films too see.  This showing was followed by a phone conversation with @MatthewModine (whose girlfirend, Pam, was in the audience).  He was incredibly down to earth and gracious and answered questions (good questions) for about an hour.  Part of the experience was finding out that he has a book and an ipad app "Matthew Modine's Full Metal Jacket Diary". Wish I could get a copy.  Apparently it was a $29.99 limited edition and he says copies are going for big bucks on ebay (found a damaged copy for $82.97). 

a page from Matthew Modine's Full Metal Jacket Diary book and app showing a photo of Vincent D'Onofrio

I will be sure to write up what I wrote about watching. It had been a while since the last time I watched, and I was more delighted than surprised that seeing it again was as impactful as it was.  R. Lee Ermey is tour de force (the audience ate it up), and I'm a huge fan of Vincent D'Onofrio The look of the book and the app is really neat. As a graphic designer, I loved what they did with it..

 


No ActionFest in 2013—or just bigger, better, later, and in MIAMI?
Apr 6, 2013

Yeah, I'm starting that rumor. There's a very nice letter on the front page of ActionFest.com that says there will be no ActionFest in April. There were rumors last year that they might move the festival to Texas. I can dream that it would be in Miami!  Hey, the weather's always great here, so any time of year would be good. "The season" (December through March) would have the most people in town (like Art Basel time). That's when a lot of stars are here anyway. My brother works for Museo Vault  (they do a lot of the installation of the artwork for Art Basel) and he heard a very distinctive voice one day pre-opening, which he realized was Sylvester Stallone (who, is an artist himself, and who, apparently, they let in to see everything before the crowds arrive). There's still plenty of available warehouse space in and around Midtown, Wynwood, and El Portal. Hell, "ActionFest Industries" could build their own giant all-Action movie theatre (yeah, that's my dream). They could probably get several blocks of property, make ActionFest a destination event right in the heart of where all the young and creative people are. Like I said, I can dream. Let me tell you though, the international flavorr of Miami is a BIG Action Movie fan base. Just go to a Fast & Furious movie here. They could do the 4-D thing. There's money to be made! Think of the launch and the franchise possibilities.

Actionfest Industries Miami

I couldn't afford to go to ActionFest right now anyway, so, thank you God for that. Maybe I will be able to later in the year wherever they hold it (if they hold it).  I just hope they don't stop having it even if they skip a year.

So, what will the future of ActionFest look like?  I would really like to see them get Action Movies and IMDB to list credits for specific stunts. We always want to know that. Like who was the Driver(s) in The Last Stand? I think that Action Movies should step up to acknowledge Stuntmen and Stunt/Action/Fight Coordinators and always show their faces or clips in the credits.  Show the people who choreographed the fight actually instructing the fighters. Show the driver doing the actual driving. Action Movie fans and Freaks would eat that up.  Just the way that we loved the outtakes in Smokey and The Bandit II and Cannonball Run, or at the end of Jackie Chan movies.  WE WANT TO SEE THAT!  How much more fun would G.I. Joe: Retaliation have been with outtakes or "stunt shorts"...

Jackie Chane helicopter fall onto ice stunt

Somewhere in the future, maybe the Stuntmen can be the stars/Actors too, like in Act of Valor.  Now that women are fighting more, that opens up all kinds of possibilities. I keep imagining a version of Scarface with role reversals.  LOL I just long for truly strong women, not bimbos, to really kick some ass.  I already wrote about the all-female Expendables here.

So, if anyone's reading this: I would love to oversee the world's first all-Action movie theater here in Miami even though I've only ever sold tickets as a cashier in a movie theater. I went to all three years of ActionFest. I have two years of Hotel & Restaurant Management training, and, as I often say "eight years of college and no degree". I'm a graphic designer, social media maven (junkie), but mainly, I have passion for Action Movies, (no one goes to the movies more than me). I understand all the Action Movie Essentials. I'm a hard worker (ask anyone), and am as honest as the day is long.   . . . Santa, baby?


Hey, RYAN GOSLING and BRADLEY COOPER we're talking to you . . .
Apr 6, 2013

If you liked Drive, you'll love this Only God Forgives trailer. 

Described as Art movie + Action Movie = "Artion"by @danieltanure, Only God Forgives looks intense. It's considered Crime/Drama/Thriller by IMDB, and coming on the heels of The Place Beyond the Pines (Crime/Drama also starring Bradley Cooper), it occurred to me that Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper are our new Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. Mostly because of their standout talent and their role choices, but also because of their 'cool guy' relatability and popularity.
 

 



OBLIVION: Skytower production video
Mar 31, 2013

If you want to know how to do marketing and social media right for a movie, look no further than at Team @TomCruise. They are so ahead of the game, they are inventing the game.  Of course, @OblivionMovie (they put the twitter account name as #OBLIVION the hashtag—the first I've seen to do that) has a YouTube channel (OblivionTheMovie) and they are sharing just what we want to see: behind the scenes of movie making. We would all like to be there on the set (and in the movie), nothing makes it seem cooler than a peek behind the curtain.


 

2 GUNS Trailer: Mark Wahlberg and Denzel!

At first this looked like part of No Country For Old Men, but then it has a big twist. I love a good Heist  Action Movie, but this definitely looks like a Buddy Action Movie with a heist in it. The ending takes me back to " . . . a little thunder, a little lightning . . ." (lol The Rundown

 



 

OBLIVION: Extended Trailer
Mar 29, 2013

Love the look of this movie. Really glad it's coming out soon: April 19th, 2013.  Feeling Action Adventure Sci Fi withdrawal.

 



G.I. Joe: Retaliation: SFC 3D!
Mar 28, 2013

Roadblock with the 50 caliber gun

The 3D in this movie is SFC (seriously fucking cool) and it's nonstop. It seems like it's going to be a great Buddy Movie until [SPOILER ALERT] Channing Tatum is killed. If you love military-themed Action Movies, this is a Super Soldier extravaganza!

Read more . . .
 


Riddick: Teaser
Mar 22, 2013

I'm not watching it (hope I posted the right one LOL). I loved The Chronicles of Riddick SO MUCH that I want to see this one with fresh eyes.  No spoilers! I didn't get to see TCoR on the big screen, so I am that much more excited about this movie. 

 



Olympus Has Fallen: All Hail Gerard Butler!
Mar 21, 2013

Snarky shitheads and detail-manic critics will have a field day with Olympus Has Fallen, but . . .
it satisfies.  The Action Movie Essentials are there, and much more solidly than most of what I've seen in a while (The Expendables 2 excepted, of course).  Yes, you're going to say "Wait, what?" or wonder why they are doing something you thought a few minutes ago was impossible a few too many times, but the Action is relentless and it really won't matter.  You're going to enjoy this movie.

From the opening sequence that goes on and on (that's a good thing), the movie has a brief breather and then POW!  I want to cut this movie up a little, but it's so not worth complaining about the details.  No matter what you hate about it, you just can't fault the special effects, the pacing of the Action, or the quantity and quality. So, if the little things will ruin it for you, wait a minute and the Action will bring you back in—until the next thing—and the next, and the next . . .

Here we go: 

• At least one BIG, beefy, good looking HERO . . .  (check)
• Who's on the Right Side . . . (check)
• With Skills . . . (check to the nth degree)
• Explosions and Vehicle Chases . . . (check)
• Boy Toys:  Gadgets, Vehicles, Weapon . . .  (wowza!)
• A High Killcount . . .  (oh, yeah! It's relentless and in many forms)
• The Gnarly Kill . . . (owch!)

• Camaradie and Dominance . . . (you'll LOVE it!))))
• Trash Talking . . .  (check, and more than a wee bit o' rubbing your face in it, Scottish style)
• The Whiner . . .  (not unless you count the Villain—who's really good!)
and
• The RUSH . . . You'll have mixed feelings at the end, but it's supposed to pump you up and give you that "America, Fuck Yeah" feeling.  It's a little hard to feel pumped up when you just saw the White House shot to shit and the country on its knees for 2 hours.  What saves it is Gerard Butler. [[SPOILER]] Yes, he lives. He's back where he belongs: "I want back in. Desk job's killing me." His character arc is the heart and soul of this movie. So, go, enjoy!

While the Story may be painted in broad strokes, the Action is a work of Art! 

 


Great First-Person ACTION in this Biting Elbows' Bad MotherFucker music video!
Mar 20, 2013

Stupid cover photo. No, not that kind of Action. This is a music video for the song "Bad Motherfucker" by the band "Biting Elbows" (described as indie punk from Moscow).  It's also a part two video of "Insane Office Escape" by filmmakers Ilya Naishuller and Sergey Valyaev. Watch for the shadow of the camera on his head. The tube part must be on a hoist.  It's too cool! Found on twitch via Google Alert.

 

 

CHUCK NORRIS' Birthday Wish
Mar 15, 2013

Chuck Norris' birthday was March 10th.  He posted this on his Facebook Page:

"I want to thank each of you for your birthday wishes, cards & gifts. They are all special to me. Every year, many of you email me, my friends or business team, asking what type of birthday gifts I might like and where to mail them to. What I would really like is for you to make a donation to our Kickstart Kids Foundation instead. That is a Birthday present that will not only mean a lot to me, but to also to the great kids (future leaders) enrolled in our Kickstart programs. I thank you in advance for your consideration . . ..

 -Chuck"

 

Yes! Future Leaderss and future Action Movies Heroes. Being heroic is something that everyone should aspire to, and we owe much to Chuck Norris for his part in helping popularize 'the good guy', on screen and in real life. Happy Birthday Mr. Norris!

[ I made a small donation :) You can too. All those individual donations add up, so never think your voice does not count. Heroes are as heroes do. ]

 


Kick-Ass 2 Trailer Looks Great!
Mar 13, 2013

"Kick Ass isn't a costume, it's who you really are."

 If you're here reading this, it's you!  The trailer looks amazing. I admit I was so bored in Kick-Ass, I walked out.  I never do that.  But, I'm psyched for this movie!  I'm a huge Jim Carrey fan. What's the worst that could happen? It could be a Comedy. (yay!) Even the promise of Nicolas Cage couldn't keep me in my seat on the first one.  Someday I guess I'll have to go back and watch it.  It's not at the top of my list but at least now it's on the list.

The graveyard scene brought to mind Terminator 3. I also thought of My Super Ex-Girlfriend with the out the window thing, but it all looks good.

I love the "Act like a bitch, get slapped like a bitch" line!  This movie plus Ronda Rousey should  do more for women than anything since Susan B. Anthony!

Jim Carrey's character's name is hilarous: "Colonel Stars and Stripes reporting for duty."  Makes me think of Colonel Miles Quaritch, who was the best thing in Avatar. Avatar. Too bad they got it wrong: Quaritch is the kind of guy who comes to the rescue, not the villain.

Colonel Miles Quaritch and Colonel Stars and Stripes

Just have to wait until August 16, 2013.

 


 

J.J. ABRAMS' Stellar Future
Feb 27, 2013

Star Trek Into Darkness COMING SOON: May 17th, 2013.  I broke down and finally watched this trailer.  I am glad it doesn't seem to give too much away.  The tone is also in keeping with the kind of lofty themes of the original TV show (which I loved, of course).  I think Chris Pine makes a great Capt. Kirk, without being a copy of the King of the Pregnant Pause . . . William Shatner.  Looks like another great movie for J.J. Abrams whose upcoming next two years are Sci-Fi packed:  He is the Producer of all these movies, and the Director of Star Wars: Episode VII.

2015 Mission: Impossible 5 (producer) (announced) 
Where will this one take place? On the moon?  What cool location is there left for Tom Cruise to climb to the top of?  Will Tom let someone else take the lead role? Introduce a new Agent. A woman, maybe?  Will it be an updated version of Moonraker? (I can dream.) A moon station??  (Christopher McQuarrie to direct?)

moon base

Date? Half-Life (producer) (announced) 
Based on the video game . . . Love me a secret underground research facility! It's like a fantasy ultimate basement.  You know you wish you had a secret identity and a double life. This movie should be nerdiness at its best (based on the game concept/story) and should have an intelligent script (otherwise it will surely disappoint like Doomm did).

Date?? Portal (producer) (announced) 
I'll admit if I ever heard of this (vaguely familiar) I forgot the context.  If Half-Life seems nerdy, this is nerd to the nth degree by the description.  Probably be one of those movies where you have no idea what's going on.  It seems like if they try to stay too true to the source material, the movie-ness will suffer. 

Date? Star Trek 3 (producer) (announced)
Bring it on!  There has been a serious shortage of Sci-Fi that is not superhero based. Love strange planets, dogfights in space, and freaky looking aliens.

Date? Untitled Cloverfield Sequel (producer) (announced) 
Why? LOL I am not a fan of the kind of shaky-cam, reality, Blair-Witch-Projectr-Witch-Project -(which I saw)-type thing. It's annoying to watch. I actually want to see what's going on more than imagine it. Seldom works for me (what they don't show you) as well as it did in Jaws. I didn't see Cloverfield, or District 9. The closest I got was Battle: Los Angeles, which was good, but could have been better. I probably won't see this either . . . #justsaying

2015 Star Wars: Episode VII (producer) (pre-production) 
The HOLY GRAIL of directing. J.J. Abrams can die happy. I always thought Spielberg and Lucas would team up to do this, but I am glad they are giving someone else a chance. 

J.J. Abrams without glassesI don't really have a clear concept of J.J. Abrams' style of directing. Funny, I guess that's a compliment.  I did see and love Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek, and Super 8. I would say it's a very great compliment if all you are left with is "great movie".  I loved "Lost".

If I could have chosen the director for Episode VII, I definitely would have considered someone outside the Sci-Fi box (not that J.J. Abrams is in that box, if anything, he would be standing on top of it).  My appreciation of and respect for Tony Scott'ss talents as a Director grew in leaps and bounds just before his death. I think he really understood Action Movies, and could have made a different and more explosive, less childish, less fairy tale, more grown-up version with more violence.  Not to criticize those films in the least, just to take a different direction. And, as much as I love the original characters, I don't want to see them old and back as those characters, unless it's just as grandparents.

How incredible that Abrams gets to direct (maybe) two Star Trek movies, Star Wars: Episode VII, and maybe two? Mission: Impossible movies! I really liked Mission: Impossible IIII (he directed and wrote the script—I think it was way ahead of its time).  I hope all these movies have stellar scripts so they will be unforgettable.  They should shoot for the movies to be Classics every time, otherwise, why bother.  Must be hard to satisfy with movies from material with such a big fan base. The "e" word: Expectations. That said, all I expect from J.J. Abrams is Excellence!

 


 

DANA WHITE gives the UFC 157's milestone Women's Title Match historical perspective
Feb 24, 2013

Last night Ronda Rousey won the (Ultimate Fighting Championship) UFC 157 Title Fight [Women's Bantamweight 126 to 135 lb (57 to 61 kg) match], and made all Women winners! UFC President Dana Whitee gives the Main Event its proper historic due in this "post-fight scrum" interview. This should be mandatory viewing for all women, it would be great for all men as well LOL.  It's a 33:16 video but it's so worth watching. Here are the salient points:

  • From the get go, Dana White set the tone: "I never felt the need to be vindicated." The fact that he would say that is the most important mind set to have! He's behind Women's Fighting 100%. It's not a second-class event in any respect in his mind.

  • "Everybody was saying that the Henderson-Machida fight should have been the Main Event. Right, and nothing against those two. That would have stunk the place out. Imagine if that was the last fight of the night—people would have left here pissed. You're always going to have idiots on the internet who say stupid shit."  He just called the people who said that Women should not have been the Main Event idiots!

  • "This thing's rolllin'. This thing's movin'. We're already goin'. This was the biggest, the most successful fight everr, in the history of Women's fighting. Christy Martin, Christy Martin v. Laila AliLaila Ali, um, you know, all the girls that have fought. This was a big night for Women. Um, you know, like we were talking about before this fight, all these talented Women that are out there that are in judo and all these other things. Believe me, just like I've always told you guys, when we go into a new market, and shit just explodes in these new markets, and people start training—That's what's going to happen now in this Women's Division." I'm calling it:  This fight, this interview, marks the beginning of the switch in the modern world's fight for Women's Rights and Equality, which I believe will take place simultaneously on two fronts: In the repressed countries and in Women's Fighting.

  • "Because that's the way I am with all the divisions."  When asked a question about this Women's weight-class strategy, he answers that it's no different.

  • When someone asks him "What can you do for an encore with her though, after such a great build up . . . (laughing like the build up was the reason for the success as if it was overhyped and that there's nothing they can do) you know, it seems like . . . "  I hate questions like that. After something is successful, they put it off like it's a fluke. Dana shuts it down with this: "Well, there's other real tough girls out there too for her to fight. Listen, Ronda's a star, man. Listen, whether people want to admit it or not, or people don't like it or not, too fuckin' bad. The girl's a star, man, people love her, and people want to see her. And she's fun to watch fight. I mean . . . There was no bigger naysayer than me. I was the one. I was like this ain't gonna happen—I was the one who was making the decision. It ain't gonna happen here—better wait til I retire or die, it ain't happenin' in this company. And then I started watchin' fights. Educated myself. And . . . and now, there's a lot of good women in that division, and there's a lot of good fights for her. In  other words it's not a one-time thing andd naysayers should educate themselves. That someone in his position admits he did a 180 so vehemently and talks about it like you should do it too, is priceless!!!

  • When asked if he had the names of the other women who were signed, he says they were all there tonight. Of course they were. He's promoting his business by emphasizing that, but the fact is, it's important enough that he feels the need to promote the fact.

  • Ronda Rousey v. Liz CarmoucheThere's a question if Ronda will be a Main Event next time.  Dana answers if there's another title fight that night, Ronda will be the "Co-Main Event". We get past another 'this is a fluke' hurdle. His answer gives the Women's Match the billing it deserves, and in other words, it's here to stay in an equal footing.

  • When asked about building a weight class up, and star power, he says the biggest most important piece of marketing a fighter is that they go out and deliver in the fights. "We do a pretty good job of gettin' out there and lettin' people know who the fighters are. When we put together a good piece on somebody, the biggest, most important part is that they go out and deliver in the fights. You know what I mean, and what was cool is, I think, hands down, this one was one of the best Primetimes ever done.  Top Two. You know? Cause i really love B.J. [Penn] and [Georges] St. Pierre, too, that one that we did on B.J. and St. Pierre. And then when you  go out and deliver the way that they did. Like, the world was watching tonight. Fucking Sports Center kept tweeting this thing all night. They got, like, 7 million followers. They've never tweetedanything about the UFC, ever. You know? So tonight was a big night, on a lotta levels."  They and we have arrived!  Women and the UFC: an unlikely pairing? I think it's the perfect pairing because the UFC was such a man-centric tough brand. Now they have doubled their audience and their capacity . . . Smart move! This UFC poster with men to the side is epic.

  • When asked about this event building the UFC brand, whether this has helped them in some circles, Dana decries the hard-core fans for their negative reaction. That disapproval is huge!  "The thing that was really shocking to me was the hardcore fans. Their response to it was disgusting, Number One. Number Two, the fans, I mean, the media's response to it was awesome. I didn't expect that. I didn't expect the mainstream . . . There wasn't one bad story. No 'freak show'. No, you know what I mean? And these prominent media sources:  The front page the L.A. Times, the front page of USA Today, CNN on their website: the front page yesterday, HBO Sports, you know, all these different outlets that would never cover us before, or would never give us that type of placement.  It was awesome, man, I  just . . .  "  The inclusion of women is elevating his business' legitimacy. That's something powerful.

  • He continues . . . "It was really cool moment for me to see the way that the media handled this fight. And I always felt like, you know, Ronda, because of her, you know, where she came from, and who she is, it really was cool, and the media agrees and they covered it. I just loved it man. I can't tell you how much I really respected the way the media covered this fight—Really cool." The wide acceptance and popularity of this one female-dominated event has turned fighting, and the UFC image, from the testosterone male-only group into a fighting brand. It's all about fighting. Just about fighting.... No matter who you are. That's so huge for them. Dana White is clearly a guy's guy. A real cool guy—Hell, just look at the job he has! For him to say all this really sets the tone and can hopefully reduce some of the hate. He respects women enough to incorporate them into his business.

  • "Everyone here is the A-Team."

Every important point that could be made for Women, he makes in the best possible way. Especially the fact that 1) He's a man, and 2) That he was not a fan at first, and did that radical 180! 

Rousey vs Carmouche Making History posterWhat success in Fighting means for all Women is that Men can no longer dismiss you as objects. All the centuries of being judged on looks alone, on your mate-ability, and putting up with the seemingly endless competition to be the most attractive dick accessory will be put on the back burner where it belongs. Being a Victoria's Secret Angel is not the ultimate thing a girl can aspire to.  Through fighting, Women will finally have the respect of Men and other Women as People first. There is no bigger goal for all Women. Knowing there are strong women out there will help girls who need role models to fight back in situations where they are insulted, denigrated, repressed, abused, raped, mutilated, tortured, and killed. If you don't think there's an ongoing war against women, you are blind to the overwhelming numbers on all these crimes of hate.  We will never be safe until we can defend ourselves. We teach our sons to fight but our daughters need to learn self protection more. Women in fighting helps women see you can fight back. FIGHT BACK! It's the only thing that kind of mind understands.

Now, how soon can we put her in Action Movies???

 

 


 

Snitch Review
Feb 22, 2013

The movie brings to life in sharp, clear focus just how dangerous the war on drugs is. The movie is a look at both sides of the coin: The law's and the criminals'. Both are compelling. Read more . . .

Dwayne The Rock Johnson in the movie Snitch 2013

 


 

A Good Day Gone Bad . . .
Feb 14, 2013

A Good Day to Die Hard . . . Hated it!

I relegated it to the Bad Action Movies list. [So did RedCarpetCrash.] Here's why . . .

You call this shit a Die Hard movie?

 


 

Scott Adkins' Facebook Fan Page
Feb 9, 2013

. . . is looking for an Admin willing to spend a hour a day on the page.

Action Movie Freaks love him. Wish they would give him more starring roles.  He was in Zero Dark Thirty for a few seconds, and he was great (awesome accent/amazing skills) in the few minutes he was in The Expendables 2.  I haven't watched Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning yet. It's been described as more Horror than Action, but the fights look incredible.

Re-Kill was released in the U.K. on the 31st of December, 2012.  It looks a little gorey-zombie-overkill-awesome, but some of the acting is not good—That will only make it more entertaining when they die badly. I wonder if we will be getting it here in the U.S.? IMDB shows that they might change the name to Dead Ahead.. It looks more lie a movie for the die-hard Action Fan, than for the mainstream. Would be great to see this first, before World War Z.

Coming up in 2013, he's starring in Ninja II (Action), and Tomb of the Dragon (Action Adventure).

 

 

 

 

Bullet to the Head Review
Feb 1, 2013

Starting with “I got your old guy right here”, Sylvester Stallone wisecracked, shot, stabbed, punched, and drank his way through Bullet to the Head.  

 The movie was a little Transporter-ish and like Parker, and like Statham's characters Stallone's character James Bonomo aka “Jimmy Bobo” has rules. .

We get to see those rules in action from the get go. The movie also features a gnarly kill near the beginning as Stallone gives someone the Final Destination treatment.

Read more . . .

 


 

fast six countdown on instagram 3 daysFast Six Trailer in 3 Days!
Storyline Revealed
Jan 31, 2013

@fastandfuriousmovieis counting down on @instagram to the reveal of their trailer. I thought they were doing a good job of using social media (twitter @FastFurious and official Facebook Fast & Furiouss) without the extreme overkill like Prometheus did/is still doing, or like A Good Day to Die Hard seems to be. But I spoke too soon. 

If you want to know the storyline, it was revealed today on iamrogue.com. The article mentions they will start pushing the movie after the trailer debuts during the 2/3 Super Bowl.  They use the word "floodgates".  It also says they don't know the final name of the movie, but IMDB has it as ";Fast & Furious 6".  I'm going to not watch the trailer. Been closing my eyes for A Good Day to Die Hard because I want to enjoy the movie, and the trailer seems longer and longer. I'd rather see everything for the first time during the movie and be surprised.

Fast & Furious 6 banner

Let me get off the trailers-reveal-too-much soapbox, and say how pumped I am that @ginacarano will be in this movie! Women really need strong role models and not just bimbos in cosplay......

I just hope she's a real Vasquez-type of tough chick and not just another 'sexy' skank-type role. She plays a cop, so maybe that will help.  Will she get to shoot anyone? Will she get to drive? Will she be in a fistfight? or two or three? She has skills, so I hope they use them.  Watch that kick!

Tyrese Gibson with a tank and a Mustang from Fast & Furious 6The movie seems a little in danger of having too many characters. It has all the cool Action actors the way the Oceans movies had the Hollywood cool set. 

The Rock and Gina Carano from Fast & Furious 6If they focus on The Rock versus Vin Diesel, Action Movie Freaks will be satisfied. Cars, fights, motorcycles, explosions, a tank (more cool photos here), etc. etc. won't hurt! All of the cars they have shown on @instagram are amazing...

One last thought about trailers. If they kept the good stuff out of the trailer, it would pay off exponentially with word of mouth because there would be SO MUCH MORE to talk to your friends about after you see the movie.

But what do I know? I've just been obsessed with Action Movies since before there were Action Movies. Was just thinking today how hungry we were for Action Movies watching kung fun movies in college, and then along came Chuck Norris.  He really not only gave us what we wanted, he spiked the ball.

I have no doubt Fast & Furious 6 will be great, whatever they end up calling it.  And what do they call this?  Ladies and Gentlemen . . . the "Plymouth (Road Runner) Superbird".

burgundy colored Plymouth Superbird from Fast & Furious 6

 

 


Trailers for
Olympus Has Fallen
and Dead Man Down
Jan 27, 2013

Before they showed Parker, there was a preview for Dead Man Down, tagline: "Blood Demands Blood" starring Colin Farrell. So he's taking another shot at Action . . . I think as far as acting goes, he's unequalled, but he didn't seem like he can be a convincing Bad Ass Action Figure after Total Recall. Still, it looks like a hell of a ride. I imagine between him and Noomi Rapace, the acting will be phenomenal, but the Academy won't notice . . . It's labeled Action/Crime/Drama, and I think there are equal parts Action and Drama so I have high hopes to be edge-of-the-seat wildly entertained!  It seemed like an elevated version of what would have once been just another "Mel Gibson movie."

 

There was also a trailer for Olympus Has Fallen (22 Mar 2013). I was wondering what the name would be as I watched it, and "3 Zero 9er" really clicked, but they went with "Olympus Has Fallen". Too lofty. Looks like Gerard Butler's got the Action Figure role down pat here. After 300, he's all good for me.
 

Olympus Has Fallen movie poster White House Taken movie poster White House Down movie poster


Apparently the movie was once called "White House Taken" Ooof! Talk about bad titles.  [This tidbit came from allouttabubblegum.com (back in June 2012).] I guess they had to change the title because there is a movie called "White House Down" starring Channing Tatum due out June 28th, 2013. 

 

 



 

"Parker" Review
Jan 24, 2013

I love a good Heist movie, so, I'm hoping Parker delivers.  It opens tomorrows (they had a midnight showing tonight). I did a search for images and JLo is in most every one. What I'm really hoping for is Statham being a smart ass. 

I saw it and really enjoyed it!  Here's my take on this Taylor Hackford takedown.

 


"Blade Runner 2"
Jan 23, 2013

Are you obsessed with Blade Runner? So is SciFi Movies Network, who is keeping track of Blade Runner 2 news, like this description of a scene by Ridley Scott.  The original article appeared on Collider.com. Below is Blade Runner tribute artwork by a very cool artist, Pavel Elagin.



 

The Last Stand Corvette

"The Last Stand" should be called 'Over The Line'
Jan 22, 2013

I went to see The Last Stand Thursday, January 17th before it officially opened. Couldn't wait to see Arnold back in Action Movies in a leading role. For the most part, I liked a lot about it (I will pay to see it again). The driving was astounding! I couldn't believe how good the stunt driver(s) must be. At one point I was wondering "How did they do that!?"  If the stunts are great, enough shit blows up, stuff crashes, guns are huge, well, you get the picture . . . I'm happy. Read more . . .

 


 

"The Last Stand" opens tonight!
Jan 17, 2013

Sonny Landham is in it!  Got my ticket :) "There's something out there . . . "

 


Who is the Biggest BIKER BAD ASS?
courtesy of: BikeBandit.com

Jan 16, 2013

This cool infographic is from BikeBandit.com "The Web's Largest Powersports Store".

They have After Market & OEM parts for many brands, Riding Gear, Clothes & Accessories, and an online Community with Blogs, Videos, Race Results, well, you name it . . . they probably got it covered, cause they are BAD ASS themselves.

 infographic of Who is Hollywood's Biggest Biker Badass? from BikeBandit.com

Special thanks to BikeBandit.com for sharing this infographic.

Here are the Sources mentioned above in grey:

"The 15 Coolest Motorcycles From Sons of Anarchy"

1950 Harley-Davidson FL Panhead Hydra Glide Review from Just Bikes | Australia

Sons of Anarchy wiki | Jackson "Jax" Teller

"Mad Max and Post-Apocalyptic Motorcycles" | AllAboutBikes.com magazine
 
"The TT Special 650 Triumph from The Great Escape" | Steve McQueen online

mbike.com | Encyclopedia. Community. Map.

 


 

”World

"World War Z" Trailer
Jan 13, 2013

They have kicked up the zombie notch another level from fast to numerous. Will the sheer volume of ravenous zombies be enough? Not for an Action Movie unless the blow them away in equally large numbers and lots of creative, gnarly ways. Yeah, carnage. That's what we want!

 

 


Trailer for Thor Heyerdahl's "KON-TIKI"
Jan 9, 2013

There are books you read at an impressionable age that stay with you for life. For me, Kon-Tiki was one of those books.

Another was Erich Von Daniken's Chariots of the Gods.

They were almost required reading for children of the '70s and '80s. Certainly they created an unquenchable thirst for adventure in my soul, and sparked my imagination. These two book covers (1968 paperback of Chariots and 1960 version of Kon-Tiki) are the versions I read (picked up at garage sales). The adventure and bravery in Kon-Tiki is astounding. You're going to watch the trailer and think they're crazy, but yes, they really did all that.

The  real life story is fascinating not only for the academic theory and the journey, but also as a triumph of the human spirit.  There was a movie made in 1950 about the 1947 journey of the Kon-Tiki (the book was first printed in 1948), but now they have remade it. It was released in the U.S. on January 5th, 2013 to a Film Society of Lincoln Center audience. It cannot be found on amctheatres.com yet.  I hope it comes to Miami. 

 


Attend the premiere of "The Last Stand"
Jan 9, 2013

The premiere of Arnold's newest film The Last Stand will be on Monday, January 14th at 7:30PM at Grauman's Chinese theater in Hollywood. The first 100 attendees in line will also get to be placed into the fan pits on the red carpet. This is a first-come, first-served event so arrive early, and good luck!

Go to www.gofobo.com/RSVP and use the code ACTIONYYRR to download your tickets.

Grauman's Chinese Theater
6925 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Synopsis: Action icon Arnold Schwarzenegger makes his much-anticipated return to the big screen in Korean director Kim Jee-Woon's hard-hitting U.S. directorial debut, The Last Stand. After leaving his LAPD Narcotics post following a bungled operation that left him wracked with remorse and regret, Sheriff Ray Owens (Schwarzenegger) moved out of Los Angeles and settled into a life fighting what little crime takes place in sleepy border town "Sommerton Junction". That peaceful existence is shattered when Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega), the most notorious, wanted drug kingpin in the western hemisphere, makes a deadly yet spectacular escape from an FBI prisoner convoy. With the help of a fierce band of lawless mercenaries led by the icy Burrell (Peter Stormare), Cortez begins racing towards the US-Mexico border at 250 mph in a specially-outfitted Corvette ZR1 with a hostage in tow. Cortez' path: straight through "Junction, where the whole of the U.S. law enforcement, including Agent John Bannister (Forest Whitaker) will have their final opportunity to intercept him before the violent fugitive slips across the border forever. At first reluctant to become involved, and then counted out because of the perceived ineptitude of his small town force, Owens ultimately rallies his team and takes the matter into his own hands, setting the stage for a classic showdown.

 


Instagram is 'back'!
Jan 6, 2013

Good news! @instagram changed their mind about profiting off our pictures. I was wondering about the copyright issues it would raise with celebrities and movies. I re-joined (I had deleted my account in protest), and since actionmoviefreak was not available, the new name on the account is actionmoviefreakdotcom.

Follow fastandfuriousmovie for photos from the filming of The Fast and the Furious 6.

 

 


 

"They Live" at Alamo Drafthouse tonight!
Jan 5, 2013

If you live near Austin, Texas, you can see They Live tonight @10PM—Wish they'd open an Alamo @drafthouse in Miami near @FIU!

 


 

New Year's Action Movie Resolutions
Jan 4, 2013

1. Can't believe I'm saying this but, even though I will post trailers when I find out about them, I am not going to watch trailers for Action Movies I'm really excited about anymore. Here's why: Trailer Overload—Too Much of a Good Thing?!  I think Prometheus was the breaking point. They did too much exposure for that movie and the trailer gave away EVERYTHING plot-wise ("We were so wrong" (@2:10) removed ALL suspense, and the ship crashing should not have been shown). Don't know that I would have liked it any better, but at least I would have enjoyed watching it more. If you feel the same, I'd love to hear which trailer ruined the movie for you: ripley@actionmoviefreak.com.

 

2. I'm having fun participating in AllOuttaBubbleGum.com's 3rd Annual Action 100 List. Each year, they let us submit our Top 100 Action Movies, then they compile them, and we all rate the movies on the compiled list on a scale of 1-10. If you're an Action Movie Freak, it's a great opportunity to find gems you've never watched. This year, I resolve to watch 5 movies from the list that I've never seen (high-rated movies of course) by the end of January, and to watch the rest of them before next year (! yikes).

Check out their Top 100 Action Movie lists from 2010 and 2011.

You know you would!  AllOuttaBubbleGum.com is a very cool site.
They're on YouTube and twitter as well @AllOuttaBG and @Kain424.
And join the FORUMS so you can submit your Top Action 100 next year.
You know you want to . . .

I have moved all the blog posts from this year to another page, but I left this list from last year so you could see results . . .

AllOuttaBubbleGum.com's
2nd Annual
TOP 100 ACTION MOVIES
January 1, 2013

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 definitiveive Bad-Ass characters.) Rambo is the only series where ALL the movies made the list! To celebrate that is the best Stallone 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)


 

@TheScottAdkins just posted this on his FB page. Love @TomCruise but I think Scott would've been great too in @OblivionMovie. More Scott Adkins!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which characters will be in the #JusticeLeague movie via @Machinima_com 
Luv me some #AQUAMAN "swim & fight"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Previous

POSTS

2013

 




Fellow Freaks 
 

87Eleven Action Design | Chad Stahelski + David Leitch
The Action Elite  Eoin Friel
Action Fanatix
ActionFest  (please bring it back . . . ) | Aaron Norris, Bill Banowsky, Dennis Berman
ActionFlix
Action Reloaded  | Jeff Turner
Alex in Wonderland | Female Action Films/Girls WIth Guns list
AvP Central
AllOuttaBubbleGum  | Brenton Haysom + Tyler Hanson
  Artemis Women in Action Film Festival
Black Ops | Toys
  City on Fire
Exploding Helicopter
Explosive Action
Headquarters 10 | Matthew Kiernan
  Herve Attia
IMCDb Internet Movie Cars Database
IMFDb Internet Movie Firearms Database
IMPDb Internet Movie Plane Database
Iron Dragon TV Action Fest
John J. Rambo
Kain's Korner/Kain's Quest | Brenton Haysom
The London Action Festival  Year 2: June 21-25, 2023
Magnolia Pictures
Man In Hat  | Peter Kaplowski
 
Fandango Movie Clips
Outlaw Vern
Poisonous Monkeys
Predator The Hunted
Rantbo's Repository Ty Guy on Letterboxd | Ty Hanson
Ric Meyers
The Riddick Archive
Screen Junkies
Stallone Zone
The Stunt Pod

Xombie Dirge
Star Store
zeroplate at CHUD


  

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