by Sebastian Suchecki, Feb 10 2011 // 10:30 AM
Being a fan of film, you get tired of seeing the same Hollywood tricks and stories retold over and over. There are only so many Adam Sandler or Ben Stiller canned comedies that one can take before becoming jaded. Then a film like Bunraku comes along to shake everything up.
Said to be the stylistic cousin of Sin City, this Russian-made, Romanian-shot, American-cast film sounds about as crazy as the synopsis can write it.
In a world where firearms have been outlawed, and hand-to-hand combat and swordplay have made a comeback, two drifters; a cowboy (Josh Hartnett), and a sword-less samurai (Gackt) wander into a town ruled by warlord Nicola (Ron Perlman) and his chief henchman Killer No. 2 (Kevin McKidd). Both have a score to settle, and are aided by a bartender (Woody Harrelson) with ties to Nicola’s lover (Demi Moore).
It’s films like these, or 2009′s Shoot ‘Em Up that give independent filmmakers hope. If they have a compelling enough script, they can literally get anyone to star in their crazy film. Don’t believe us? Check out the trailer after the jump and judge for yourself.
No word on a release date just yet, but you can expect this film to pick up a considerable amount of momentum next month at South by SouthWest.
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Posted in: Action · Casting · Drama · Indie · Movies · News · Sci-Fi · Trailers · Video
Tagged: Bunraku, Demi Moore, GACKT, Josh Hartnett, Kevin McKidd, Kung Fu, Ron Perlman, Samurai, woody harrelson
by Sebastian Suchecki, Dec 3 2010 // 9:00 AM
While we may still be getting films like Warrior’s Way here in the states, there are still plenty of mind-blowing martial arts films being made across the world. One of those films is the first in the Ip Man franchise. Now that list may get slightly larger as the first trailer for Ip Man 2: Legend of the Grandmaster has arrived. From the official press release.
After escaping the Japanese occupation of his hometown of Foshan, China, Ip Man and his family have arrived in Hong Kong, which is living under the iron fist of British colonial rule.
Ip wants to support his family by opening up a martial arts academy to teach his unique Wing Chun style. But a corrupt cabal of Hong Kong martial arts masters, led by Hung Chun-nam (the legendary Sammo Hung), refuses to allow Ip to teach until he proves himself – and prove himself he does, in an intense series of fights against the masters showcasing a dazzling variety of martial arts styles, culminating in a highly anticipated brawl between Ip and Hung atop a rickety table.
But even after gaining the respect of the masters, Ip’s troubles are far from over. Hong Kong under British rule is a world of corruption, and when a Western-style boxer named Taylor “Twister” Milos comes to town to entertain the British upper-class, and insults both Chinese martial arts and the native citizens in a horrifically violent way, Ip must step up and fight for the honor of both his kung fu and the Chinese people.
Yes, the film has been seen in many parts of the world by now, but we’re getting the original, un-dubbed international version that was released in Asia, and it’s hitting major theaters in both the US and Canada on January 28th. Check out the first full teaser trailer after the jump.
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Posted in: Action · Drama · Filmmaking · Foreign Films · Martial Arts · Movies · News · Trailers · Video
Tagged: Donnie Yen, Ip Man, Ip Man 2: Legend of the Grandmaster, Kung Fu, Sammo Hung
by Shannon Hood, Aug 13 2010 // 8:00 AM
It’s difficult to do justice to Scott Pilgrim vs. The World in a review because the movie defies any sort of label. Bouncing merrily from genre to genre, the film is part romance, part comic book caper, part martial-arts action flick, part video game, and part musical. All those parts add up to a sweet, funny, and satisfying experience.
The last time I had a grin plastered to my face for the entire running time of a movie was when I saw 500 Days of Summer. The two films don’t share any subject matter, but in a lot of ways I found them similar. Both are wildly original, quirky, and an utter blast to sit through. 500 Days was released almost exactly a year ago, and quickly became one of my favorite movies of the year.
It looks like Scott Pilgrim will follow the same trajectory. It was all I could do not to skip out of the theater.
Michael Cera plays Scott Pilgrim, a twenty-something slacker who plays guitar in a Toronto band called Sex-Bob-Omb and hangs out with his friends a lot. With a lanky frame, a high pitched voice, and a mop of hair that refuses to obey his wishes, Pilgrim is hardly a lady killer. But, you know, he’s in a band, so he’s got that going for him.
He opts for a chaste relationship with an adoring high-school cutie instead of pursuing anything real or messy. One night he spies a girl across the club from him sporting violet locks and a goth/punk vibe. POW! It’s game over for Pilgrim, who is hopelessly enamored of the captivating girl.
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Posted in: Action · Adaptation · Comedy · Comics · Movies · Reviews · Romance · Universal Pictures
Tagged: Action, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, brandon routh, Chris Evans, Comedy, Edgar Wright, Ellen Wong, Graphic NovelMary Elizabeth Winstead, Jason Schwartzman, Kieran Culkin, Kung Fu, Mae Whitman, Michael Cera, Romance, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
by Matt Raub, May 19 2010 // 9:00 AM
For the longest time, the world of rap music and Kung Fu cinema were as separate as one would think they could be. A bridge was then formed by the popular group Wu-Tang Clan, and more specifically, The RZA.
Wu-Tang showed appreciation for all-things Kung Fu in their music, their wardrobe, and even their name, which derives from a fictional martial arts sect, known as the Wudang. They even produced a few Kung Fu-style music videos.
Later, The RZA teamed up with Quentin Tarantino to score his epic homage to Asian cinema in Kill Bill Vol. 1. That’s when RZA first got his taste of big-budget films. Since then, he has gone on to compose for other action films such as War, Smokin’ Aces and composing just about everything to do with Afro Samurai.
Now, RZA is stepping behind the camera, with two brand new projects. His first, entitled The Man with the Iron Fist, is said to be a brand new martial arts-action, starring RZA, and is set to shoot later this year. The other film, is an impressive looking send-up to classic Shaw Bros. films in Wu-Tang Vs. The Golden Phoenix.
There are some parts of the trailer that may come across as campy to the untrained eye, but rest assured that they are most definitely RZA’s way of paying homage to some classic Kung Fu films. Check out the trailer after the jump, and be sure to keep an eye out for Wu-Tang Vs. The Golden Phoenix, as it’s planning to be released later this year, as celebration for RZA’s 20th Anniversary in the music business.
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Posted in: Action · Casting · Cult Cinema · Fandom · Foreign Films · Movies · Music · News · Sci-Fi · Video
Tagged: Afro Samurai, Kill Bill, Kung Fu, Man with the Iron Fist, Quentin Tarantino, RZA, Shaw Brothers, Smokin' Aces, War, Wu-Tang Clan, Wu-Tang Vs. The Golden Phoenix
by Chris Ullrich, Feb 24 2010 // 7:00 AM
It may come as a suprise to some of you but in addition to kicking lots of butt and being a martial arts genius, Jackie Chan can actually act — at least judging from the new trailer for the upcoming reboot of Karate Kid. In the trailer, Chan instructs his student, played by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s progeny Jaden, in the ways of Kung-Fu and reminds him that “Everything is Kung-Fu.”
Watching Chan deliver his lines, and this one in particular, actually makes me believe his character and what he feels. In short, it’s just good acting. I’m not saying Chan is ready for an Oscar just yet, but if this trailer is any indication of his conviction and effort in this movie, I may have to rethink my stance on this whole remake. Well, maybe.
Click through to see the trailer in SD or head over to Yahoo for the HD vesion. Karate Kid sweeps the leg once again on June 11.
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Posted in: Action · Movies · News · Trailers · Video
Tagged: Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith, Karate Kid, Kung Fu, Martial Arts, Movies, Trailers
by Matt Raub, Jun 4 2009 // 9:20 AM
According to the Associated Press, actor David Carradine, most known for his role of Caine in Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, was found in his Bangkok hotel room, hanged, and was believed to have committed suicide.
A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy, Michael Turner, confirmed the death of the 72-year-old actor. The Web site of the Thai newspaper The Nation cited unidentified police sources as saying Carradine was found Thursday hanged in his luxury hotel room. It said Carradine was in Bangkok to shoot a movie and had been staying at the hotel since Tuesday.
It said a preliminary police investigation found that he had hanged himself with a cord used with the room’s curtains. It cited police as saying he had been dead at least 12 hours and there was no sign that he had been assaulted.
A police officer at Bangkok’s Lumpini precinct station would not confirm the identity of the dead man to The Associated Press, but said the luxury Swissotel Nai Lert Park hotel had reported that a male guest killed himself there.
Carradine had been in and out of the spotlight for decades with the Kung Fu franchise and then when Quintin Tarantino approached him for the titular role in the Kill Bill films. Carradine also comes from a family of actors, son of legendary actor John Carradine, brother to Robert and Keith Carradine, and uncle to Martha Plimpton. He can be seen most recently in Crank 2: High Voltage.
Posted in: Movies · News · TV
Tagged: Crank 2, David Carradine, David Carradine Dead, Kill Bill, Kung Fu