Month: August 2017

Released: January 2017

Rated R

Run Time: 160 Minutes

Director: Martin Scorsese

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Genre: Historical Drama

Cast:
Andrew Garfield: Rodrigues
Adam Driver: Garrupe
Liam Neeson: Ferreira
Ciaran Hinds: Father Valignano
Tadanobu Asano: Interpreter

Movies are an absolutely wonderful way of telling stories.  Whether it’s an action film or a comedy, seeing stuff happen on the screen is something that many people tend to take for granted.  Most people go see movies to be entertained.  However, there have been movies over the decades that are truly great movies, but they’re not necessarily entertaining.  A movie does not have to entertain to be compelling.  Take war movies like Saving Private Ryan, for example.  That’s a movie that starts out with one of the most disturbing war sequences ever put to film.  It’s not entertaining to watch something that is historically accurate like that.  It’s compelling because it doesn’t shy away from the horror of the situation.  You’ve also got dramas like Abduction of Eden, which deal with the very real problem of human trafficking, and it’s represented in a way that’s horrifying.  We, as a species, are compelled to seek out stories that have meaning.  Be it books, video games, or movies, story-telling is extremely important, and it’s also important to understand that some stories aren’t all sunshine and rainbows.  Legendary film-maker Martin Scorsese comes at us with a movie called Silence.

Silence begins as we witness several Catholic priests being strung up to wooden posts and having boiling water poured over them.  Father Ferreira is forced to watch as his colleagues are tortured by the Japanese.  Later, two young Jesuit priests, Garrupe and Rodrigues, are read a letter from Ferreira saying that he had denounced the Church and its teachings.  Refusing to believe that Ferreira abandoned his faith, the two priests head to Japan to discover the truth.  The story that I have described is set in 17th century Japan during the Shimabara Rebellion.  Christianity at that point was completely outlawed in Japan, and Christians were severely persecuted for their beliefs until the mid-19th century.  The story takes a look at a couple of Jesuit priests and how they try to maintain their faith in the face of tremendous adversity.  It’s a surprisingly complex story that examines faith, belief and the time and places of such things.  It’s never a simple thing when you’re dealing the subject of faith and belief.  It’s an extraordinarily compelling story that kind of rips your guts out at times.

Martin Scorsese is truly a master of his craft, and Silence is one of his most impressive movies to date.  It runs at a little over two and a half hours long, but it doesn’t feel like it.  You can thank the actors and the crew of the film for that.  The acting in this film is astounding on every level.  Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver throw themselves into their respective roles and just hammer it home.  We see Garfield’s character start out as this kind of naive priest thinking that he can spread the word of God, while trying to find Ferreira.  Adam Driver’s character starts out the same way, but he begins to doubt things the longer he’s in Japan.  We see Rodrigues go from an optimistic priest to someone who is broken spiritually.  It’s incredibly amazing to see that transformation happen throughout the film.  Liam Neeson turns in probably the strongest performance he’s had in years as Ferreira, despite the fact that he’s not in the film for very long.  You can see the suffering in his eyes when the film opens.  It’s tragic and absolutely phenomenal.  The Japanese cast does a great job as well.  At first, some of the Japanese come across as villains, but over the course of the film, you begin to understand where the Japanese are coming from.  In the 17th century, they viewed Christianity as a threat to their way of life, and considering the stuff that Church has done over the years, you know that the Japanese weren’t wrong, even though their methods were brutal.

Despite the fact that the film was shot on small sets, Silence is one of the most visually striking movies that I’ve seen in years.  We do get some really great shots of the environment, but a lot of it is close-quarters.  The editing is as perfect as you can get.  The sound design is extraordinary.  The music is surprisingly minimalistic with no overbearing orchestra in the background.  I really like that, because it allows you to hear the conversations and everything else in between.  It is an incredibly well-made film that really draws you in with visuals and sound.  Considering the subject matter involved here, there are some scenes that many would consider to be disturbing, even though they are not overly graphic.  There’s this one character who was forced to denounce Christianity, but while he did, his family did not, and they were burned alive.  It’s not really a pleasant movie to sit through.

I would argue that Silence isn’t necessarily an indictment of faith or religion, but rather the arrogance of thinking everybody is simply going to accept the word of God.  It clearly wasn’t the case in 17th century Japan, and it definitely isn’t the case now.  But if you take Silence simply as a drama, there’s a lot to love about this movie.  The performances are more than Oscar-worthy.  Andrew Garfield has proven yet again, that he can be one of the greatest actors of his generation and it’s the same thing with Adam Driver.  Liam Neeson is…well…Liam Neeson.  He’s one of my favorite actors of all time, and he’s proven it yet again in Silence.  Overall, This is a film that everyone should see.  Anyone who is a fan of Martin Scorsese has already seen this film and already owns it on DVD/Blu-Ray.  Silence is easily one of the most compelling experiences of the year.

Final Recommendation:  10/10.

Released:
Bloodfist: September 1989
Bloodfist II: October 1990

Rated R

Director: Terence H. Winkless(Bloodfist), Andy Blumenthal(Bloodfist II)

Run Time: 85 Minutes(Bloodfist, Bloodfist II)

Distributor: New Concorde

Genre: Action/Martial Arts

Cast(Bloodfist):
Don “The Dragon” Wilson: Jake Raye
Joe Mari Avellana: Kwong
Billy Blanks: Black Rose
Michael Shaner: Baby Davies
Riley Bowman: Nancy

Cast(Bloodfist II):
Don “The Dragon” Wilson: Jake Raye
Rina Reyes: Mariella
Joe Mari Avellana: Su
Robert Marius: Dieter
Maurice Smith: Vinny Petrello
Tim Baker: Sal Taylor

Legendary film-maker Roger Corman has had an incredibly prolific career.  As a producer, the man has over 400 titles to his name, even though many of them are un-credited.  This guy is responsible for producing films like Death Race 2000, Piranha, Galaxy of Terror,  and Battle Beyond The Stars.  While a great many of his movies really aren’t that good, I would argue, there is no denying that Mr. Corman has had a major influence on the industry in general.  He’s influenced film-makers like James Cameron, Joe Dante, Martin Scorsese, and Ron Howard.  He is also responsible for putting many actors on the map such as Jack Nicholson, Peter Fonda, Charles Bronson, Robert De Niro, and David Carradine.  Say what you will about Mr. Corman as a film-maker, but you can’t deny the influence and innovation that he has brought to the entire film industry.  Roger Corman is also responsible for putting 11-time world kickboxing champion Don “The Dragon” Wilson on the map as an actor.  In 1989, Don “The Dragon” Wilson would star in the first Bloodfist which would go on to spawn 8 more films in the series.

The film’s story begins with former boxer Jake Raye as he gets a phone call from the Philippines, saying that his brother has been killed.  Jake flies to Manila to recover his brother’s body and to find the person responsible for killing him.  As he learns that his brother’s killer may be participating in a local martial arts tournament, Jake comes across an artist who trains Jake as a kickboxer so he can enter the tournament.  In 1989, even this setup with a tournament had been done to death, with the likes of Enter The Dragon and Bloodsport.  So, the story is kinda there just to push things along.  It also features a twist which you can see coming a mile away, so you really shouldn’t be surprised at what happens.  The story is ultimately predictable, and there’s not really a whole lot of tension to be found.

Unfortunately, it’s not just the story that brings the film down.  There’s a number of issues that, for me, don’t work.  The majority of the characters are…..not great.  Baby is by far one of the most irritating characters that I’ve come across in a movie of this sort.  I know he was supposed to be some kind of comic relief, but he comes across as whiny and ungrateful.  Riley Bowman’s Nancy fares a bit better, but she’s there just to be a pretty face and someone that Jake can hook up with.  Kwong is one of my biggest gripes with this movie.  The moment you meet the character, you’re already going to know that he has an ulterior motive for training Jake.  The real saving grace of the film is Don Wilson.  His character is quite likable and is someone that you can relate to.  This is the role that put Mr. Wilson on the map, and it’s not hard to see why.  He’s got these eyes that give off a real intensity.  He’s obviously physically capable of doing his own fighting, because Mr. Wilson was still actively competing.  The other guy that Bloodfist draws attention to is Billy Blanks.  His character doesn’t really come across as a villain, but rather, just an opponent.  An obstacle for Mr. Wilson’s character.  But there’s something about Billy Blanks that you tend to pay attention to.

Unfortunately, the action in the film isn’t quite where I think it needs to be.  It’s also been dealt a blow by some camera-work that feels really inept at times.  Some of the action that you can see is actually not bad.  The fight between Mr. Wilson and Billy Blanks is probably one of the biggest highlights of the film, as is the final fight between Jake and Kwong(Spoiler Alert! Kwong’s a bad guy!)  Overall, the action is hit and miss.  Don’t get me wrong, Don Wilson gives it his all, as does Billy Blanks, but they’ve been dealt a disservice by some questionable film-making.  So, what Bloodfist has going for it is decent acting by Don Wilson, Billy Blanks and some decent fight scenes.  I definitely understand that this is a real low-budget movie, but I can’t say that’s an excuse for a film that really could have been a lot better.  That being said, it did give us “The Dragon” and it also opened up for more movies.  Thankfully, the follow-up film is really good.

Final Recommendation for Bloodfist: It’s worth checking out to see how Don Wilson fared in his first lead role.  Aside from that, the film is kinda….meh.  6.5/10

Bloodfist 2:

While the first Bloodfist was quite underwhelming for me, I can’t blame Don Wilson for that.  That was a result of some questionable decisions on the part of the director and producer.  It did give us one hell of a new lead actor, though.  While Bloodfist wasn’t as good as it could’ve been, the follow-up film, Bloodfist II not only gets everything right, it does so with gusto.

Don “The Dragon” Wilson returns as Jake Raye in Bloodfist II, as he takes on a competitor at the beginning of the film.  Jake inadvertently kills his opponent, and as a result gives up his title and walks away from the sport.  Some time later, Jake gets a call from an old friend, Vinny, who says that he’s in trouble with a gangster by the name of Su.  Flying out to Manila in the Philippines, Jake is ambushed and kidnapped.  He, along with a number of other fighters, have been taken to an island off the coast of the Philippines where they are forced to fight to the death.  Like the first film, the story here is nothing that we haven’t seen before, but it’s enough to get from one fight scene to another.  In a film like this, that’s really all you need.  This isn’t Citizen Kane.  If you want Citizen Kane, then go watch Citizen Kane.  But if you want to see people get kicked in the face a lot, there is definitely something of value here.

I have to come right out and say it:  Bloodfist II is one of the most underrated action films of 1990.  I mean, yeah, Don Wilson didn’t get the exposure that Jean-Claude Van Damme did, but this movie, I think, is somewhat better in many ways than movies like Bloodsport.  I loved Bloodsport, but there’s something about Bloodfist II, that had me on the edge of my seat.  Most of the problems that I had with the previous film have been rectified for this entry.  The camera-work is infinitely better.  The direction is somewhat inspired and the performances are decent.  Don Wilson gets the edge here as Jake Raye, who is having to deal with the death of an opponent in the ring.  I’m a sucker for a good redemption story, and there’s definitely one at the heart of this movie.  The leading lady, played by Rina Reyes, is not a damsel in distress.  She can hold her own against Su’s thugs.  Joe Avellana is given a full-blown role as a villain, and he’s not too bad.  The villain that inadvertently steals the show is Dieter.  He’s kind of an over-the-top character, but I found him to be very bizarre.  The actor’s clearly having fun.

The action in Bloodfist II is not only multiple steps above the first movie, but the fights and choreography rival that of a lot of the bigger budget action movies that were released that year.  The camera allows us to see what’s actually happening, and it looks like a lot of the punches and kicks are landing.  Often, the opening of a film can really determine what the rest will be like.  Bloodfist II opens with an awesome match between Jake and his opponent.  I got hooked the moment the film started.  It’s also not very long before the next action sequence.  While Bloodfist put Don Wilson on the map, it’s Bloodfist II that allows him to really tear things up, and I have to say this:  Why the hell didn’t I see this movie years ago?  This is awesome!  Not do we get to see Mr. Wilson’s phenomenal skills, the other guys that are part of the scene get to show off too.  We’ve got a guy that’s an expert in Shotokan Karate, a guy who is a military combat instructor, a Greco-Roman wrestler, a Tae Kwon Do expert and a boxer.  Each of these guys get their moment to shine, mostly because the actors are legitimate experts in their specific art.  THAT is what I love to see in movies like this.  It’s Don’s show, through and through, but allowing these other guys to strut their stuff, makes the film more expansive.

If there’s a nitpick that I can honestly say that I have with Bloodfist II, is that the DVD is out-of-print.  You have to buy it used.  It’s too bad, I would love to see these movies in high definition.  Overall, Bloodfist II is a hell of a good time.  It’s non-stop action, with solid performances from Don Wilson, Miss Reyes, and Joe Avellana.  Bloodfist has become something of a cult phenomenon.  There are currently nine Bloodfist films.  Don Wilson stars in eight of them.  I’ve seen Bloodfist 2050, which wasn’t that good, but I’m really curious about the other ones.  Obviously, Mr. Wilson has done more than just the Bloodfist movies, so I’m also looking forward to checking out his non-Bloodfist movies.  My final conclusion is that while Bloodfist I put “The Dragon” on the map, it’s the second film that sets him loose.  I don’t think I can recommend Bloodfist II enough.  It’s that much fun.

Final Recommendation(Bloodfist II): 9/10

Released: February 2011

Director: Jino Kang

Run Time: 92 Minutes

Rated R

Distributor: Screen Media

Genre: Action/Martial Arts

Cast:
Jino Kang: Ken
Bill Duff: Tokyo Joe
Michael Bauld: Erik
Gina Beratta: Anita
Peter Woodrow: Jim
Melissa Tan: Mimi

As someone who watches a LOT of martial arts flicks, it’s rare for me to see a newcomer show up and take the genre by storm, especially in this day and age.  Tony Jaa, Scott Adkins, and even Tiger Schroff from India have made their mark on the genre over the past decade.  It’s really awesome to see new people come on up and show what they can do.  Some are more successful than others, but I’ve always felt that it’s for the best to let them try.  Sometimes it takes more than one movie to really get going.  It’s even harder in the indie film scene to really make a mark.  Master Jino Kang is one of those actors and film makers that people really need to start paying attention to.  While Master Kang’s filmography is pretty small, according to IMDB, what I have seen from this guy has been nothing less than impressive.  With films like Fist 2 Fist, Weapon of Choice, and Kid Fury, Master Kang has quickly become one of my favorite indie film makers.

Fist 2 Fist begins as we see a man named Ken and another person infiltrate a chop-shop and take on the shop’s owners.  Sometime later, we see a young drug addict try to take on Ken, but is totally out-matched.  It seems the kid was bait by a criminal known as Tokyo Joe to find Ken.  It seems that Ken and Tokyo Joe have a very sordid history, that involved a robbery that went wrong years ago.  Ken had turned Joe into the authorities, and now Joe is on the warpath.  The overall plot is nothing new.  It’s been done and seen a million times before.  It’s not a bad setup, far from it.  What separates Fist 2 Fist and Weapon of Choice from other martial arts flicks is the amount of introspection that Master Kang brings to his characters and story.  There is a thoughtfulness and hesitation with Ken getting back back into fighting.  His character would rather find a more peaceful solution until he’s forced to fight.  While the character’s students are a little more hotheaded, it’s awesome to see a character that’s far more level-headed.

Even if you may not be impressed with the overall story, the action in the film is astounding.  Not only did Master Kang write and direct Fist 2 Fist, he also choreographed the film’s fight scenes.  I have to say, these were some of the best fight scenes I’ve seen in years.  They even rival fight scenes from some of the more mainstream and big-budget films.  There’s no wire-fu going on here.  Master Kang takes an old-fashioned approach to the fights that is far compelling than something like The Matrix.  I love it when fights are grounded in reality.  Not only does the film feature the use of Hapkido, of which Master Kang is a 7th Degree Black Belt, it also features the use of Tae Kwon Do, and various forms of mixed martial arts.  The fights are varied and mostly well-shot.  I say mostly, because there are some fights where the camera gets in a little too close for my taste.  Even so, the fights are easy to see and are thrilling to watch.  I also love the fact that the main character is not invincible.  He gets shot at, slashed, stabbed and almost gets crushed by a car.  This movie had me on the edge of my seat.

One of the things that’s very surprising about movies like Fist 2 Fist, is when the lead actor takes on so many different of the film’s production.  Not only does Master Kang direct, choreograph and produce the film, he also has the added challenge of starring as main lead in the film.  That’s NOT an easy thing to do, and a lot of film makers that have attempted to do so, have not been successful.  Master Kang not only manages to do all that, he also turns in a very compelling performance as Ken, a man who is haunted by his past and is trying to atone for his past sins.  The kid that plays Jim, the character that tries to rob Ken at the beginning of the film is not only appropriately hot-headed at times,  but gives a convincing level of inner conflict when certain truths come to light.  Melissa Tan plays Mimi, Ken’s wife.  While Melissa’s performance was fine, I felt that the character was not as supportive of Ken as she probably could’ve been.  That’s a personal nitpick of mine, though.  The one thing I did have an issue with though, was the character of Speed.  The guy that plays speed is clearly a martial artist and his performance, again, was fine, but my issue here was the way the character was written.  When he started doing his Bruce Lee thing, that kind of took me out of it, a little bit.  Bill Duff gets to be pretty intimidating as Tokyo Joe, and is surprisingly not as sadistic as a lot of the villains that I’ve seen over the years.  Joe has a target in mind and he definitely goes for.  I like the fact that Duff doesn’t overdo it.  The character is not totally over-the-top.  I really do appreciate it when actors that play villains exercise a bit of restraint…..mostly.

Overall, I have to say that I’m really impressed with Fist 2 Fist.  Not only does it feature some of the best martial arts sequences I’ve ever seen, it also manages to have a story that feels both personal and engaging.  The performances are really good across the board, with Master Kang stealing the show.  If you’re a fan of martial arts movies, action movies, or even independent films, you owe it to yourself to check out Fist 2 Fist.  I recently did an interview with Master Kang, so you can check out the interview by hitting the Interviews tab at the top of the page.  It’s pretty informative and entertaining.  Master Jino Kang is one to keep an eye on in the future.  I know I will.  I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.

Final Recommendation: Never mess with a Hapkido master, he may drop a car on you.  9/10

Welcome, fellow Space Cadets!  We have another interview for you today.  This time, we have an interview with Jino Kang, the man behind Fist 2 Fist, Weapon of Choice, and the short film, Kid Fury.  In advance I would like to thank Master Kang for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer a few of our questions.  Master Kang holds a 7th degree blackbelt in Hapkido as well as black belts in Tae Kwon Do, Kyokoshinkai Karate, and Gracie Jiu-jitsu.  Let’s have a chat with Master Kang!

Q:   I would like to start with your background in martial arts.  If I recall, the art that you have the most experience in is Hapkido.  But you’ve also trained in Tae Kwon Do, Kyokoshinkai Karate, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and USA Judo.  How has studying the martial arts influence your decision to start making movies? 

A: Well, I noticed that in action films, whenever martial arts were choreographed, the action was usually one or two styles.  For example, Steven Seagal’s movies utilized Aikido and some Wing Chun moves.  The more pronounced Kung Fu films from China was just Kung Fu.  Nowadays, films like John Wick franchise films, utilize BJJ and Judo while Bourne Franchise incorporate Kali and MMA.  Since I trained in so many styles, it opened my eyes to various styles that can be utilized for entertaining choreography.  Also, in my films, I welcome all different martial arts to shine and showoff their styles.

Q:  Who has been your biggest influence in the martial arts?

A:  Bruce Lee, of course as well as Toshiro Mifune.  My late father Myung S. Kang was the driving force that kept me moving forward too and never stop learning.  He never pushed me but always there for support.

Q: For Weapon of Choice, how did you become involved in the project and how much has your martial arts experience influence the direction of the film’s production?

A: Weapon of Choice came about when I met Tony Urgo who was the editor for Fist 2 Fist.  We talked about doing another film but not an MMA film, which was dominating the market at the time.  I wrote first 70 pages and created all the characters, Tony finished the final 30 pages and polished the script.  The rest just fell in to place.  We knew we had a great script and everything else just lined up – like magic.

Q: You wrote and directed Weapon of Choice.  What was the biggest challenge in getting the film from concept to the final picture?

A:  The money, of course.  It’s always about the funding.  We didn’t quite have everything that I wanted to bring in to the picture like name talents and locations.  But it worked out in the end.  You make the best as you can with what you’ve got.

Q: Since making a film is largely a very collaborative effort, how much input did you receive from the actors and crew as for how they should approach a particular scene?

A:  I’m not the micro-manager type.  I look at the auditions and if I see that they have potential to bring that character live and make me believe it, that’s all I need.  Since it’s all in the script, the actors need to be able to decipher what’s written and what’s not written, read between the lines, and bring it during the shoot is all that matters.  The actors may ask to have a few line changes to flow better, than it’s all right with me as long as the context is true to the story we are telling.

Q:  Was there a point during filming or post-production were you got frustrated with the process and how did you overcome that particular challenge?

A:  Again, it’s about the money.  Because of budget constraint, we don’t have enough time to shoot at that particular location.  For instance, I wish I had 15 more days to shoot, then I believe the film would have been perfect.  I heard films like “RAID” had six months to shoot and we shot Weapon of Choice in 30 days.

Q: When it comes to critiquing a film, I try to be as fair and open as possible.  How do you respond to negative criticisms of your films?

A: I usually have a punching bag nearby when I read a new review.  Ha, Ha, just kidding.  Luckily the reviews have been great.  I’d say 90 percent positive reviews.  But all kidding aside, what irks me the most is some guy in Dubai or Bulgaria (not blaming all those folks) who probably pirated our film because I know we didn’t sell to those territories, saw first two minutes of our film and first to criticize on imdb.  The intro credits haven’t even finished rolling.  Whatever, take a deep breath and move on.  Sometimes rolling in BJJ really helps, those poor students.  Just kidding, again.  No, not really.

Q: For Kid Fury, how did you come across Timothy Mah and how impressed were you with him in general?

A: Would you believe Timothy started in Hapkido with me when he was five years old?  Yep, now he’s a young man with a bright future in whatever he tackles.  He’s third degree black belt trained over ten years.  My, how time flies.  He’s first love is Guitar/Musician but I think he has a huge potential as an action star too.

Q: Is there any martial arts actor that you would really like to work with in the future and why?

A:  For sure, like Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White and JCVD.  Because these guys are truly talented and driven, they represent role models for future generations to come.

Q:  I absolutely had to ask this question for sure:  What is your favorite martial arts movie and why?

A:  Well, that’s a tough one, because I have a few.  Seven Samurai, Chinese Connection (aka Fist of Fury), Once upon a Time in the West and Yojimbo!  I’ll talk about Yojimbo, if you don’t mind.  The story is compelling and shot exquisitely in black and white.   I love that Toshiro Mifune’s character is morally ambiguous but you know he’s a good guy.  Standing in smack dab in the middle of two evil sides he ingeniously negotiate to eliminate each other.  The sword fighting is entertaining but the story telling is absolutely phenomenal.

Q: Again, thank you for your time for answering these questions and I’m really looking forward to what you’ve got planned in the future.

A: Thanks so much for the interview.   All my best, Jino

As you can see, Master Jino Kang not only understands the ins and outs of indie film making, he also manages to have a sense of humor about some of the processes.  It has been absolutely fantastic asking Master Kang these questions.  As I said in the interview, I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us.  If you want to learn more about Master Jino Kang, please check out his website here: http://jinokang.com/index.html.  If you would like to check out the stuff that he’s done, here are the trailers for Fist 2 Fist, Weapon of Choice, and Kid Fury: