The Junkie’s Top 10 Martial Arts Action Sequences – In Honour of The Raid: Redemption (Kirk Haviland)

With the fantastic “The Raid: Redemption” being released in theaters I thought I would compile a list of my Favorite Action Sequences in honor of the film and in particular its stellar staircase sequence near the beginning of the film. I will say this is a personal list and is likely to start debate over its inclusions and exclusions, this is good. Hopefully there are a few new discoveries on this list for you.

#10

Final Fight in Five Deadly Venoms

A very personal pick as the Venoms was the first Shaw brothers film I ever saw and for me it’s still the best. This was the film that got me hooked on the Martial Arts genre and the clip features 5 of the 6 actors who would go on to be known as “The Venoms Crew”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2GH-OBg4o0

#9

Way of the Dragon – Bruce vs Chuck

Bruce Lee is the godfather of Modern Kung Fu film and Enter the Dragon is his masterpiece. Yet my favorite fight of his comes from Way of the Dragon mainly due to the caliber of his opponent, Chuck Norris. Chuck may be a punchline nowadays, but when this was filmed he was a Karate world champion. The fight scene was choreographed between the two of them, and you can tell they both wanted it to be perfect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYHZEu7Y7DU

#8

The Opening Sequence of JCVD

The fact that a nearly 50 year old Jean Claude Van Damme pulls off this scene is brilliant. A continuous sequence of Jean Claude fighting his way through a war torn setting, taking out multitudes along the way, only to finish and be told he needs to go again by a spoiled film director who “forgot” to watch.  The fact that JCVD is actually a really good movie helps as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jTWjdjGjDA

#7

Jet Li vs an entire Japanese Dojo in Fist of Legend

Jet Li playing the classic character of Chen Zhen, walks into a Japanese Dojo and proceeds to kick everyone’s ass in sight. Jet Li at his absolute best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYLv-2RHJN4

#6

Final Fight – Chocolate

The man behind Tony Jaa’s first 2 films brings us the female counterpart in JeeJa Yanin. In the film she plays an autistic girl who learns muay thai from movies and watching fighters in a local gym, then when her mother becomes ill (a former mob enforcer), she decides to go collect on her mother’s old debts to afford the medical attention she requires. Great film, seek it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhD7fZgdmmA

#5

Dragons Forever – Final fight in warehouse

The first fight scene from the “Three Brothers” (Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung) on this list is one of the last times they were all on the screen together. It features the three fighting all over a  nondescript warehouse with the highlights being the rematch between Benny “the jet” Urquidez and Jackie Chan (their first battle may also end up on here) and the cigar chomping, scene stealing of Yuen Wah.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq6T9u9LReg

#4

Ong Bak – The Kick

Tony Jaa’s debut came with so much hype attached that he would be the new savior of Martial Arts film making that it comes as quite a surprise that he does no fighting for almost the entire first half of the film. Director Prachya Pinkaew builds this tension til Jaa’s Ting is thrust into the ring, and answers any questions in mere seconds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVOQX56a9oQ

#3

Wheels on Meals – Final Fight Sequence

The Second “Three Brothers” sequence on the list features Sammo at his comedic best and Yuen Biao’s lightning quick hands and feet being displayed as well as his fencing ability!?! But the real gem here is Jackie Chan vs Benny “the jet” Urquidez in what is still arguably the best one on one fight sequences of all time. And yes those candles are real and that was not faked.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrlxwlCHFXY

#2

Jackie Chan vs the Axe Gang – Drunken Master 2

Known in North America as Legend of the Drunken Master, DM2 may be the best overall film of Jackie’s entire catalog, and also features a killer end fight between Jackie and his real life bodyguard. But this manic ballet of violence in which Jackie takes on and defeats over 100 men who just keep coming is the essence of what makes Jackie great. The use of environment and acrobatics as well as comedy has become his trademark, and nowhere else is it done better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F85KoecJotw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LGY68ppqVk&feature=watch_response

And the controversial #1….

Alley Fight from SPL aka Killzone

…is only controversial if you’ve never seen it. This is one great film, if you haven’t seen it you need to. Donnie Yen and newcomer Wu Jing , also known as Jackie Wu,  choreographed this sequence between themselves, and rumor has it they spent little time setting moves and worried more about the blocking and hitting the camera marks so they could go all out with each other. A brutal, intense scene that works so well due to rawness of the fight, this fight definitely takes my #1 spot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6U5bvnxgCnk

Honorable Mentions: The aforementioned final fight from Drunken Master 2, The Staircase sequence from Tom Yum Goong (The Protector) – very hard to leave that one off, the underground fight from Enter The Dragon, the Axe Gang fight from Kung Fu Hustle and many more I sure I’ve missed and am betting I will be told about. So let the debate begin, how good/bad do you think I did?

Movie Junkie TO

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The Trip Review (Matt Hodgson) – Movies I Missed

The Trip (2011)

Starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon

Directed by Michael Winterbottom

How? How did I miss this one? Back in late 2011 I was sitting in my apartment, the entire night ahead of me and I was considering leaving my warm living room to brave the cold streets in order to check out The Trip at a local Rep cinema. Well, the warm apartment won out and it’s taken me this long to actually see the film; I’m kicking myself. First a brief synopsis and then I’ll explain why I’m in love with The Trip.

The Trip follows Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, who play themselves, as they embark on a road trip in England in which they will be stopping at fine restaurants and sleeping in cozy inns. This entire trip is completely free of charge as Coogan has been asked by The Observer to write about his experience. Coogan was supposed to bring his young and attractive girlfriend, but she has backed out at the last minute. After trying a multitude of people he settles on inviting Brydon, who accepts. This turns out to be an unwise choice for Coogan as Brydon fills most of the silence in between courses with a plethora of impressions. Behind his annoyance with Brydon lies more serious problems for Coogan, he’s getting older and hasn’t settled down; the family oriented Brydon seems like his complete opposite.

The subject matter of The Trip is not the most dramatic and certainly not the most serious. In fact, as a narrative The Trip is not very strong at all, but the narrative (mostly improvisation from what I understand) is not why I enjoyed The Trip so immensely. Depending on our interests we all have real life individuals that we would love to listen to in an everyday context, when the lights, cameras, or whatever are not focused on them. I’m not saying that I’m a lifelong fan of Coogan or Brydon, but I do have a huge interest in film, and it was amazing to feel like an unnoticed third member at their dinner table as they joked, bickered, and spoke to each other with candor. On top of that, the film is filled with impressions by the two stars, many of which are quite good, but even the bad ones are hysterical to witness.

If the conversations between Coogan and Brydon were played out in front of a large audience, The Trip would feel empty. It’s the intimate locations at dinner tables across the beautiful English countryside that makes the viewer feel like they have a VIP ticket for a meal with two incredibly funny actors. If you require a dramatic storyline or a fast moving film, look elsewhere. On the other hand, if you would like to witness something very different and incredibly entertaining for what it is, under no circumstances should you miss The Trip.

 

The Hunger Games Review (Kirk Haviland)

Hunger Games (2012)

Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Wes Bently, Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland.

Written by Suzanne Collins, Billy Ray and Gary Ross

Directed by Gary Ross

 

Hello All,

Let me preface this by explaining I am a big fan of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy of books. I want to put that straight up front, because as much of a fan of this film I may be I cannot tell how this will play to someone uninitiated. There are parts of the film that rely heavily on the viewer’s knowledge of the books in the name of streamlining the story a bit to keep it moving at a solid pace. That said I may now proceed to gush over the things they did oh so well.

The Hunger Games is set in a dystopian alternate future where the nation of Panem is divided into 12 Districts, each of them ruled over by the extremely rich and powerful Capitol. 75 years prior to our setting there were 13 districts that all tried to revolt against the Capitol and failed. As a way of keeping the districts in check and dissuade any ideas of further rebellion, The Hunger Games were created. The Games pit two “tributes”, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18, from each district in a fight to the death where only one survivor is to be named victor.  As we open the film it is the 74th Hunger Games and the day of the “Reaping” where the Capitol sends their representatives to pick the two tributes from each district for the games.

Our Heroine is 16 year old Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence), a skilled hunter due to her frequent excursions into the forbidden zone to hunt wild animals to provide food for her mother and sister after the death of her father. Her best friend Gale (Hemsworth) often accompanies Katniss into the forbidden zone to provide for his family. Katniss has her name entered over 20 times for the reaping this year, Gale over 40. Katniss’ younger sister Primrose aka Prim (Willow Shields) has turned 12 and will be entered for the first time, and beyond all odds Prim’s name is the one chosen. Katniss, determined to protect Prim at all costs, volunteers to take her place. In the spot of the male tribute Peeta Mellark (Hutcherson), another 16 year old classmate of Katniss’ is chosen. After a brief family visitation they are whisked aboard a train off to the Capital to prepare for the games. Along the way they meet their representative/publicist Effie Trinket (Banks) and former Hunger Games victor from District 12 and their mentor, the constantly drunk Haymitch Abernathy (Harrelson). Once arriving the tributes are scrubbed down and prepared for their exhibition to the masses of the Capitol. Katniss develops a special relationship with her designer Cinna (Lenny Kravitz in a role changed drastically from the book) who helps her gain the “sponsors” desperately needed to survive. They are interviewed by Caesar Flickerman (Tucci, brilliant as usual) on live television the evening before the start of the games where Peeta drops a bombshell. After a tearful goodbye with Cinna, Katniss is thrust into the Games where all the rules are off and she truly is alone, or is she…

Director Ross does an excellent job at keeping a very brisk pace going because there is a lot of ground to cover here. Lawrence is pitch perfect as Katniss, though she looks much older than 16 and knowing this the filmmakers are very savvy to only mention her and Peeta’s age in passing just once allowing for some ambiguity with the viewers. Hemsworth has very little to do, and his character really doesn’t become a major player until the third book anyways, but Thor’s little brother proves he can emote well enough to get the character’s feelings across. Banks, Harrelson, Tucci, Sutherland (as President Snow), Bentley (Seneca Crane) and Toby Jones in a small role that will become much larger in the following films, perform extremely well, especially Tucci and Bentley. Alexander Ludwig comes off strong as the District 2 heavy Cato and Isabelle Furhman is phenomenally creepy and menacing as Clove.

There are some minor missteps, and I do mean minor, with the most glaring coming in the form of Peeta. I’m not sure the fault lies entirely with Hutcherson, as it may also have been the way director Ross had wanted it to be, but the movie Peeta is nowhere as engaging and personable as he is on the page. He is described as a pure charmer in front of a crowd and while we see glimpses of this they are small glimpses only. Also, Peeta’s character losses a lot of dialogue/screen time with the streamlining of the “love triangle” story within the movie, which may have been a factor. However, the decision to streamline this aspect of the story also helps the film tremendously. Also, as expected, some characters from the book and things are left out with the translation to the screen, but this was to be expected.

The biggest concern going in for most was would they play down the violence (they did, but it’s still effective) and ramp up the love story, targeting it directly to the “Twilight” crowd. I am VERY happy to say this is NOT the case. The Hunger Games manages to keep its grit and intensity and does not stray to the sappy melodrama permeated in the Twilight films. And while I have no idea why anybody wants Miss Bella Swan, let alone two suitors, I have no doubt why two males would be determined to win Katniss’ affection, in fact I wonder why there are not more.

In the end The Hunger Games the film is a great success, definitely worth your money. I will be more than happy to pay to see this again. Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to the first Blockbuster of 2012. And may the odds be ever in your favor.

Til Next Time

Movie Junkie TO

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Little Terrors Volume 8, Hidden Worlds Review – The Projection Booth in Toronto (Kirk Haviland)

Little Terrors 8 – Hidden Worlds, March 6th 2012, at the Projection Booth in Toronto

Hosted and Curated by Justin McConnell

Hello All,

I promised a while back I would be talking about this series that Justin McConnell hosts (in the Goon review) and here I am finally following up and keeping my word. Little Terrors is a monthly collection of Genre based short films from around the world put together in a themed event by Justin. This month’s entries rallied around the concept of “Hidden Worlds” and all the things that may entail.

Good Morning, Beautiful

Starring David Tufford and Catherine Campion

Written and Directed by Todd Cobery

Good Morning, Beautiful centers around a couple (Tufford and Campion) who has just lost their newborn baby. The events of the loss are told through a masterful opening credits montage that reminds me of the emotional heft of Pixar’s Up “Death of Ellie” sequence. But things take a much darker turn as the grief and lack of sleep suffered by Dave is taking him further into a delusional state where reality starts to blur. Strong performances from the leads carry this story with solid direction from Mr. Cobery. A festival fave, this is one to look out for.

Crabs in the Dollhouse

Narrated by Annika Schlesinger

Written and Directed by Carrie Juenger

Next up is the most surreal and avant-garde piece of the evening. Is it an allegory for murder/suicide? A take on Cannibalism?  Random crabs dumped in blood puddles for no apparent reason? Whatever it may be, it was the most discussed and debated movie of the evening and had many more questions than answers at the end. So, in those regards it’s a complete success, but it leaves me completely incapable of summarizing it for you here. You’ll need to see it for yourself to decide.

Within

Starring Raizelle Aspilla

Written by Adam Kenneth Wilson

Directed by Raha Shirazi

After that we get Within, a short film entirely based on mood and atmosphere. The audience is seeing the context from a lady who is apparently been in a struggle, as we see evidence on this all around, and  we follow her until we are interrupted by something unexpected which reveals the entire scene to be more than what it seems. While I can admire and appreciate the style and craftsmanship that went in to this, unfortunately the “payoff” does not work for me in the context of the short. However, it does have excellent technical work, and a very captivating lead performance.

Prick

Starring Ian Batt and Sarah Mitich

Written and Directed by Colin Berry

What can I say about Prick. It won me over with its visual flair and technical wizardry when I saw it back at TAD in October and was really looking forward to seeing it again. It’s a day in the life of a very disturbed man, a serial killer by trade. When something enters his world that has meaning, we see how it changes his perceptions and motivations to protect it. Excellent lead performance from Batt in this and a repeat viewing does nothing to diminish the film’s impact. Highly recommended and I will be keeping tabs on what Mr. Berry may be up to in the future, and Mr. Batt as well.

Cold Sore

Starring Saskia Burmeister and Henry Nixon

Written and Directed by Matt Bird

After a short intermission, in which Crabs in a Dollhouse was a major topic of discussion, we resumed the program with Aussie import Cold Sore. Jenna (Burmeister) sits alone in a club, apparently stood up on a date. Guy (Nixon) see this and moves in to strike a conversation, also claiming to have been stood up. The two hit it off. As the end of the night draws near, Jenna invites Guy over to her place, he unfortunately has to decline, but takes a rain check. The next morning Jenna notices a cold sore on her lip has formed. What type of person is Guy? What type of person is Jenna for that matter? Solid script and acting highlight another Festival Fave on the bill. Interesting twist on the one night stand scenario doesn’t really surprise or break new ground, but it is an effective entry.

Prey

Starring Casey Clark and Marla Johansson

Written and Directed by Adam Mason

From back in 2003 we get our next short, Prey. Spun off from true events, we get a creepy firsthand account from John ‘Bub’ Morris as he stalks his prey, all told through narration, and his prey happens to be women. We see and hear his thoughts through stills and moving pictures as he stalks and kills one of his recent prey. An effective film that shows the potential Mason would see come to fruition years later in his highly underrated feature film, Devil’s Chair.

Based on the horrific true life exploits of Alaska’s most notorious serial killer Robert Hanson.

Skhiz

Starring Jeff Sinasac

Written and Directed by Krzysztof Pospieszynski

Our second to last short featured our cast attendee of the evening as Jeff Sinasac was on hand to provide some feedback and answer a question or two after the screening. Both funny and disturbing and the same time, Skhiz is the only “living” member of a Zombie infested world who has grown so lonely and deluded that he uses former townsfolk, now zombified, to reenact daily conversations and activities. Eventually the townsfolk literally “start talking” as we see them through Skhiz’s perceptions. Ultra low budget production gets point for creativity and an effective lead performance.

Opstandelsen

Starring Roxanne Tirkov, Mads Althoff and Jonas Bjorn-Andersen

Written and Directed by Casper Haugegaard

Clocking in at 50 minutes, Opstandelsen (Resurrected) is somewhere between feature and short. It closes off our evening with a tale of zombie apocalypse set in the underbelly of a Danish church. Three siblings are trapped in the basement of said church after zombies crash the funeral of their other sibling, Simon. Ruth (Tirkov), Peter (Althoff), and Johannes (Bjorn-Anderson) must find a way out of the labyrinth like surroundings in hopes of escaping from the zombie horde, which now includes their own family, all while finding a way to get over their own squabbling and fighting. The tension in Opstandelsen doesn’t let up, and at 50 minutes it has very little “padding” in the script, just action. The leads do an amiable job, managing to keep you engaged throughout. The setting is inspired, even though the “basement” is completely out of proportion with the rest of the building, seemingly going on forever in parts. Some interesting character choices and a bleak ending solidify the film and make it all the more satisfying in the end. Opstandelsen manages to elevate itself from a lot of the zombie crowd, which is filled with so much crap, and produce an effective thrill ride.

So that’s a wrap on Little Terrors 8 – Hidden Worlds. Justin McConnell has done another excellent job in finding and curating some of the most interesting short films around. I would urge any aspiring filmmakers and just fans of film to get out to the next Little Terrors in April. It’s always a fun night and you get to see what else is out there from the rest of the world genre-wise. Follow Little Terrors on Facebook to keep up to date with the next lineup and screening date announcements.

Til Next Time

Movie Junkie TO aka Kirk Haviland

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