There are so many martial arts films out these days. It seems that every country has finally woken up to the wonders of one of the best genre of films ever produced.
And here we have the UK's first entry which I am happy to report ROCKS HARDER THAN OZZIE ON SPEED.
I caught this film at a special screening in Cannes about 2 weeks ago and was surprised by the quality of acting and the speed and pace of the action. It's a low-budget Digital movie. That much is true. But the scope is simply amazing making US action films seem like they have been neutered.
The story is a simple revenge stick. Williams, an assassin for crime lord Kincaid, is betrayed and Left For Dead, by his erstwhile colleagues. Keslo, a promising kick boxer, has his career cut short after refusing to throw a fight for Kincaid's men. Together they must team up to take down the criminal empire that holds their city in a vice like grip.
With a cast of relative unknowns (Salvage has been in several UK films but none that have made it across the pond) The pace of this film is break neck it never stops to take a breath which means that by the end you are totally exhausted.
Leads Salvage & Prior cut a dynamic team (although with one it's obvious by the weight fluctuations that the film was shot over a long period of time!!!) and really kick butt. The villains are evil, the women double crossing and the big bad is a very scary man.
Something else that shocked me was the simply superb humor than ran throughout the film. It was that right balance so that it didn't seem out of place.
But its the action that counts and thats what this film has... smashing up a car? Check. A 20 min opening assault with guns, knives, baseball bats (one of the films most shocking moments involves Foiadelli's unhinged 'Taylor' getting medieval on a bad guy with a bat) and insane stunts? Check. A huge finale? Check.
In lost count of the death toll (over 50 in the first 10 mins) but the producer/director team of Hobden/Boyask never stopped coming up with new and inventive deaths. Special note must go to the middle Dojo fight which see's a perfect kill Bill inspired moment and another 30 people bite the dust (kincaid must have a clone factory producing all these disposable henchmen).
God I loved this film. This is the sort of film that 80's genre legends like Avedon, Rothrock and Hues used to make. A Proper No Retreat No Surrender type film with a film Noir edge and that gritty British streak that made films like Get Carter (the original) so god damn great.
I haven't seen a film that made me this excited in years... yes it has it's faults. Yes it's far from perfect in places. The quality of the digital transfer is occasionally shaky. And a couple of the support cast seem misplaced. But it didn't matter. The film entertained.
Okay, yes I'm slightly biased because I love martial arts films... But god damn didn't you hear me NONE OF THAT MATTERS.
The screening room laughed, booed, cheered and broke out in a cold sweat as the twists came thick and fast. A (over) packed screening house of 75 people gave the production team a standing ovation at the end. When does that ever happen? On a side note the music to this film is superb. It's like a Sergio Leonne cross with 28 Days Later. It also has music by a host of break through US and UK Hip Hop Artists. I'm told the CD will not be released which is a shame as the music really lifted the film.
It's out in the US on DVD through York entertainment in August. Catch it. Watch it. Buy it.
JUST SEE IT!!! NOW!!! No really... why are you still reading this. Go out and get this film.
And here we have the UK's first entry which I am happy to report ROCKS HARDER THAN OZZIE ON SPEED.
I caught this film at a special screening in Cannes about 2 weeks ago and was surprised by the quality of acting and the speed and pace of the action. It's a low-budget Digital movie. That much is true. But the scope is simply amazing making US action films seem like they have been neutered.
The story is a simple revenge stick. Williams, an assassin for crime lord Kincaid, is betrayed and Left For Dead, by his erstwhile colleagues. Keslo, a promising kick boxer, has his career cut short after refusing to throw a fight for Kincaid's men. Together they must team up to take down the criminal empire that holds their city in a vice like grip.
With a cast of relative unknowns (Salvage has been in several UK films but none that have made it across the pond) The pace of this film is break neck it never stops to take a breath which means that by the end you are totally exhausted.
Leads Salvage & Prior cut a dynamic team (although with one it's obvious by the weight fluctuations that the film was shot over a long period of time!!!) and really kick butt. The villains are evil, the women double crossing and the big bad is a very scary man.
Something else that shocked me was the simply superb humor than ran throughout the film. It was that right balance so that it didn't seem out of place.
But its the action that counts and thats what this film has... smashing up a car? Check. A 20 min opening assault with guns, knives, baseball bats (one of the films most shocking moments involves Foiadelli's unhinged 'Taylor' getting medieval on a bad guy with a bat) and insane stunts? Check. A huge finale? Check.
In lost count of the death toll (over 50 in the first 10 mins) but the producer/director team of Hobden/Boyask never stopped coming up with new and inventive deaths. Special note must go to the middle Dojo fight which see's a perfect kill Bill inspired moment and another 30 people bite the dust (kincaid must have a clone factory producing all these disposable henchmen).
God I loved this film. This is the sort of film that 80's genre legends like Avedon, Rothrock and Hues used to make. A Proper No Retreat No Surrender type film with a film Noir edge and that gritty British streak that made films like Get Carter (the original) so god damn great.
I haven't seen a film that made me this excited in years... yes it has it's faults. Yes it's far from perfect in places. The quality of the digital transfer is occasionally shaky. And a couple of the support cast seem misplaced. But it didn't matter. The film entertained.
Okay, yes I'm slightly biased because I love martial arts films... But god damn didn't you hear me NONE OF THAT MATTERS.
The screening room laughed, booed, cheered and broke out in a cold sweat as the twists came thick and fast. A (over) packed screening house of 75 people gave the production team a standing ovation at the end. When does that ever happen? On a side note the music to this film is superb. It's like a Sergio Leonne cross with 28 Days Later. It also has music by a host of break through US and UK Hip Hop Artists. I'm told the CD will not be released which is a shame as the music really lifted the film.
It's out in the US on DVD through York entertainment in August. Catch it. Watch it. Buy it.
JUST SEE IT!!! NOW!!! No really... why are you still reading this. Go out and get this film.