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LIONHEART: JCVD Classic Gets a Blu-ray With Heart
MVD Rewind Collection Packs Out its Release of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s ROCKY
Without Lionheart, Jean-Claude Van Damme never becomes the household name he is to this day. Among his earlier starring roles, it’s perhaps the case that Bloodsport has become the most enduring of the bunch. But Lionheart is where Van Damme becomes noticed by the American studios and charts his course to becoming a headliner and a leading man. And deservedly so. Lionheart is a fantastic piece of entertainment, and Van Damme himself gives a charismatic performance proving he’s not only got the goods for martial arts action, but can also hold his own with drama.
Lionheart was co-written by Van Damme and first-time director Sheldon Lettich. Lettich already had a history with Van Damme in writing Bloodsport, and the two of them have collaborated on many projects since. I adore the film and find that it really succeeds at what it’s going for, which is combining an underground fighting tournament with a pressing family drama that tugs at the heartstrings. It’s all about heart, making it a risky proposition at this early stage of Van Damme’s career. If it had fallen flat it could have strayed over into a kind of self parody. But Lionheart’s cast is filled top to bottom with real pros that stick the landing and make it so effective as a melodrama that it’s easy to make the comparison that this is Van Damme’s Rocky.
Van Damme plays Leon Gautier, a legionnaire who escapes across the sea to America to try to help his brother, who’s been badly burned by some gangsters he’d fallen in with. With some soldiers from the foreign legion on his tail, he tries to reconnect with his sister-in-law and niece (Lisa Pelikan as Helene and the precocious and charming child actress Ashley Johnson absolutely stealing the show as Nicole). Helene sees Leon as an absentee and believes her recently deceased husband went down the wrong path because of Leon’s influence, so she’s not having any of his help. Leon is undeterred, however, and utilizes his street hustler fight manager Joshua (Harrison Page in one of the film’s most standout roles) to both rise in the ranks of the underground fighting ring, and to funnel money secretly to Helene and Nicole. Finally you have Deborah Rennard chewing the scenery as the breathy, leggy, femme fatale of a villain Cynthia, who rules the underground fighting circuit and wants a piece of Leon in more ways than one.
While Bloodsport is clearly the more iconic of the two films, Lionheart is actually a fantastic fight film in its own right. As Leon rises through the ranks of the underground fighting ring, he fights a Street Fighter II-esque rogues gallery of characters in a wide array of settings. Lionheart would make a killer 2D fighting game on home video game consoles. You’ve got the kilted guy (in a garage surrounded by cars), the Capoeira guy (in an empty pool), the redneck dude (in a racketball court?), and the final boss Attila (who looks exactly like one of the guys you had to fight a hundred times in the Final Fight video games). These kinds of details aren’t exactly indicators of storytelling acumen, but it does help keep the film visually interesting. And Lettich and Van Damme really perfected their shooting and editing style here in such a way that makes each fight clear, stylish, and exciting. That gimmick where you see a single JCVD spin kick delivered multiple times in an editing burst? That’s used to perfection here.
And the screenplay legitimately does a good job of amping up the drama and tightening the noose around Leon and Joshua. I’ll admit feeling incredulity at producer Erik Karson (who directed Van Damme in Black Eagle and is prominently featured in bonus features on this disc) suggesting Lionheart is a movie unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. This is hilarious because in multiple ways it is EXACTLY like Bloodsport. It just so happens that the devices employed in the screenplays of each film both work like gangbusters. In both films Van Damme beats the odds in an underground fight tournament. In both films he’s AWOL and being pursued by officers tasked with apprehending him. In both films the odds stack against our hero increasingly, tensions rise, and the best man prevails in the end. Lionheart ups the stakes with the desperate grieving family and stands out as a heart-on-its-sleeve melodrama as a result. The cast also heightens the drama across the board in a way not achieved in Bloodsport.
America was hungry for good-guy-on-the-ropes action hero tales like Lionheart in 1990, and Van Damme broke through to a much wider audience with this film. Soon to follow would be big budget studio fare like Universal Soldier, Hard Target, and Street Fighter. Van Damme was a mainstay at the multiplex as I was growing up and I more or less took that for granted among a plethora of ripped and shredded leading men headlining massive action epics. Those times are largely gone now, and the sincere effort, charisma, and ego that it must have really taken to get Van Damme to the heights of his career now merits a lot more respect and appreciation. Lionheart is an excellent piece of popcorn entertainment that maximized its resources and hit a cultural sweet spot, and still works today as an underdog crowd pleaser that might even getting you clapping as the end credits roll.
The Package
I’m having a blast watching MVD Rewind Collection come into their own with their Blu-ray releases. Only the 8th title in this new line, we’ve already gotten two Van Damme collector’s editions and I couldn’t be more thrilled to live in this world. Packed top to bottom with interviews featuring all the major cast members (including Van Damme himself), there are literally hours of bonus features and brand new content on this disc. I watched all that stuff first before revisiting the movie itself as I’ve basically memorized this film. It’s all really great supplemental content. Sheldon Lettich comes off as quite sincere and intelligent, and has many wild stories about connections that led to, say, current-mega-producer and Tarantino-collaborator Lawrence Bender appearing in Lionheart in a small speaking role as a rich douchebag that Van Damme gets to threaten.
MVD Rewind Collection is still a little scrappy, and these home video releases aren’t necessarily polished in the way a Criterion disc would be. But none of that matters because they’re putting genuine love and effort into movies that I care about. This is the definitive home video release of Van Damme’s entire filmography at this point. With both the theatrical cut (which looks fantastic) and an extended cut (in which the extended pieces aren’t quite the same HD quality), and both a Blu-ray and a DVD, MVD is clearly offering a product that will make all other versions of this film obsolete. Hours of bonus content, multiple cuts, a commentary track, and even the fun retro slipcover that MVD includes on all their releases all stack up to make Lionheart a must-own for Van Damme fans. One of my most anticipated home video releases of this year, I’m thrilled that this disc lived up to all my expectations and will become one of my most cherished discs in my collection.
And I’m Out.
Lionheart is now available on Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack from MVD Rewind Collection
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NINJA III: THE DOMINATION — Blu-ray Screen Comparisons
See how Shout Factory’s new 4K restored Collector’s Edition Blu-ray stacks up against their 2013 release
This article contains several comparisons which contrast the older Blu-ray’s transfer with the new restoration. The frames aren’t necessarily exact matches, but should give a solid indication of the visual differences.
Shout! Factory previously released Ninja III to Blu-ray in 2013 but has newly upgraded the cult favorite to “Collector’s Editon” status with a new transfer, bonus features, and artwork.
Looking at the transfers specifically, there are a few generalizations the hold true throughout –
- Overall, the clearest upgrade (literally) with the new version is that the grain looks much finer and less chunky — likely the direct benefit of working from a 4K scan.
- The new picture is generally brighter and of higher contrast, which is not necessarily a good or bad thing.
- The picture is now slightly cropped, introducing thin black mattes on the top and bottom. It’s a very small loss, but as the image is no wider than before, a seemingly unnecessary one.
Additionally, a couple other notes before jumping into the comparisons —
- Colors and vividness are often a matter of personal preference. There are definite variances here, but as the screens indicate, no particular identifiable sweeping changes — some shots are warmer, others cooler. Some more vivid, others less so.
- I think it’s fun to compare transfers and meaningful for people to see the differences — but in the long run these are things most viewers, myself included, would never notice under normal viewing circumstances. It’s only in direct comparison that most of these differences are evident, and you shouldn’t let small differences in a transfer hamper your enjoyment of this film on any disc.
The Comparisons
Besides being noticeably less gritty, This first shot from the opening credits demonstrates a cooler palette and a stronger contrast.
Top: Old // Bottom: New Conversely, here the newer image is less vivid and more filmlike. It’s also evident that the grain is much finer now.
Top: Old // Bottom: New Here’s perhaps the least impressive shot I pulled from the new transfer. Comparing the sky in these shots, the old disc retains color information while the new release washes out to white. And just generally speaking this scene looks kind of harsh now – the older shot is clearly favorable.
Top: Old // Bottom: New Here’s a spot where the colors appear more muted now…
Top: Old // Bottom: New …but then again we also see the opposite. In this comparison, the new transfer is much more vivid, so much so that the sword resembles a lightsaber. It also seems a bit murkier and less defined.
Top: Old // Bottom: New Here’s another look at how much finer the grain presentation is. Whether from a lower resolution scan or from digital compression, the old transfer has a much more “marbley” structure.
Top: Old // Bottom: New Coloration appears richer and more lifelike in the new transfer below.
Top: Old // Bottom: New Here’s another instance of how the brighter, higher contrast image introduces some white-out in the patches of sky that peek through the trees.
Top: Old // Bottom: New I don’t have any particular observations on this last comparison, I just love James Hong.
Top: Old // Bottom: New
Conclusion
Comparing the two transfers, I don’t have a clear favorite. The new transfer has a much cleaner and finer appearance, but I think in terms of color representation, I prefer the older transfer which is overall more natural looking (though as I noted, this varies scene to scene). If you own or plan to buy a large-screen TV, the finer grain structure and clarity will have a more meaningful impact on your viewing. If that’s not a concern, then the old transfer may actually be preferable.
Besides a new 4K-sourced transfer, the new Collector’s Edition also boasts several new special features. The transfer alone isn’t a slam-dunk upgrade, but these additional features make the new disc the definitive version for fans to own.
- NEW Interview With Actress Lucinda Dickey
- NEW Interview With Actor Jordan Bennett
- NEW Interview With Producer And Stuntman Alan Amiel
- NEW Audio Interviews With Production Designer Elliot Ellentuck And Co-Composer Misha Segal Featuring Isolated Tracks From The Original Score
- Theatrical Trailer (In HD) With Optional Trailers From Hell Commentary With Screenwriter Josh Olson
- Audio Commentary By Director Sam Firstenberg And Stunt Coordinator Steve Lambert
Get it at Amazon:
Except where noted, all 16:9 screen images in this review are direct captures from the disc(s) in question with no editing applied, but may have compression or resizing inherent to file formats and Medium’s image system. All package photography was taken by the reviewer.
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ABOMINABLE: REAR WINDOW Meets Man In Suit Monster Movie
Writer/Director Ryan Schifrin Takes A Bite Out Of Bigfoot [MVD Rewind Collection Blu Review]
Jimmy Stewart leers out of his window, immobilized, and possibly witnesses something horrible happen. What should he do? What CAN he do? Should he have witnessed in in the first place? Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window has inspired dozens of filmmakers to take these tropes and spin them their own way. Just this past year I saw a South African take on the formula called Number 37 from up and coming female filmmaker Nosipho Dumisa. D.J. Caruso took his turn in 2007 with Disturbia. In 2006, however, writer/director Ryan Schifrin (son of legendary Hollywood composer Lalo Schifrin, who did the score here) posited the following take on the formula: What if Rear Window, only Bigfoot?!
What came out of that filmmaking process is a fun experiment known as Abominable. The recently paralyzed Preston Rogers (Matt McCoy doing his best updated Jimmy Stewart) returns to his mountain cabin with a physical caretaker he can’t stand (Oscar nominee for best make up in Passion Of The Christ Christien Tinsley as Otis). Attempting to face his fears, grieve the loss of his wife in the accident that paralyzed him, and generally move forward as best he can, Preston soon finds himself observing a gaggle of young ladies partying in the cabin near his. Soon one of them is seemingly captured by a mysterious shadowy figure. It becomes clear that Bigfoot is on the loose, and Preston (trapped in his home and generally encumbered by his disability) must rise to the occasion and try to save the day before the malevolent creature makes a meal of everyone on the mountain.
When it comes to creature design and execution, Abominable really can’t be beat. A lumbering “man in suit” style creation, Bigfoot looks absolutely fantastic in this film, and generates quite a few kills done with practical gore effects that are charming and bloody. And in a fairly unprecedented move, this new scan and HD release actually redoes the few computerized effects that were in the original film, digitally enhancing the creatures eyes to make them glow and more closely match what the director had always intended. That’s not the only thing updated for this edition. The entire HD scan was re-edited from scratch (to match the original) and re-color timed as well. So MVD Rewind Collection’s loving release on Blu-ray of Abominable really is a totally different experience of the film than one might have gotten on DVD.
None of that means the film is perfect. The leering gaze and questionable ethics behind Jimmy Stewart’s plight in Rear Window is more or less absent here as the mythical creature begins wreaking havoc on our nubile young ladies. Those ladies also feel a little dated. Almost nothing more than a meal for Bigfoot, they’re hollow characters for us to observe through binoculars as they’re killed off in clever gore gags. Perhaps if made today the lead character could be a female, which would add a level of complexity that isn’t quite present here. The film nerd in me also can’t help but observe some of the “cheats” used to make the film tick. It is clear that sets and strategic cutting were used to make it feel like Preston really could see all the action we see from a couple of different windows in his cabin. Those tricks are effective enough and laudable for a low budget feature, but they were noticeable and feel a little cheap. The same goes for the sequence in a cave featuring some “name” actors in Lance Henriksen and Jeffrey Combs. Henriksen’s scene, almost totally detached from Preston’s story arc, and filmed later on in production, feels exactly like the kind of classic low budget scene devised solely to get a name like Henriksen’s on the cast roster and pad out the brief runtime.
But all those nits being picked, Ryan Schifrin does a good job of calling in every favor he could and creating one of the best Bigfoot movies of the entire subgenre. From a Drew Struzan poster to a Lalo Schifrin score, not to mention appearances by Henriksen, Combs, and Dee Wallace Stone, there’s a certain buy-in that those involved in the film gave and it adds to the long term appeal of the project. Christien Tinsley’s practical effects are a blast top to bottom, from the creature design and execution, to the gore gags that rival the best slasher films of all time. Abominable thrives when its monster is front and center. And at a tight 92 minutes, the Rear Window riff never overstays its welcome.
The Package
MVD Rewind Collection’s most exciting package yet, Abominable really gets the treatment it deserves with this Blu-ray release. Including an intro and commentary track, as well as archival SD bonus features from the original 2006 release (not to mention the original Drew Struzan artwork intact on the cover), there’s a lot of supplemental content that really draws out some of the special elements found in the film. Then there’s the aforementioned guerilla-style upgrade that Schifrin undertook to bring Abominable into the high definition age. It’s just charming to see a creative team come together with a distributor and lovingly restore a film that might have otherwise gotten lost to the ravages of insanely fast technological shifts.
Watching Abominable on this release actually improves the overall experience of the film, something simply not possible via streaming or VOD. From the packaging to the generous bonus features, this love letter to Abominable is so endearing it makes you look past some of the film’s shortcomings and celebrate its new life here on Blu-ray.
And I’m Out.
Abominable is available June 12th, 2018 on Blu-ray + DVD from MVD Rewind Collection.
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Two Cents Rocks Out with A BAND CALLED DEATH
Two Cents is an original column akin to a book club for films. The Cinapse team will program films and contribute our best, most insightful, or most creative thoughts on each film using a maximum of 200 words each. Guest writers and fan comments are encouraged, as are suggestions for future entries to the column. Join us as we share our two cents on films we love, films we are curious about, and films we believe merit some discussion.
The Pick
The history of art, in any of the myriad forms it takes, is littered with almosts. The director with an incredible vision who couldn’t bankroll the projects they wanted, or who were shut out of the system because of their gender or ethnicity. The brilliant writer who just couldn’t get published. The painter who got swallowed alive by their demons before they had a chance to blossom.
And, in perhaps the most American permutation of this phenomenon, there’s the garage band that never quite made it out of the garage, even when the talent is there. Culturally speaking, we tend to focus only on the one-in-a-million shots that eventually yielded success. Failures, even noble ones, just don’t play as well.
Which brings us to Death. A Band Called Death. The band was formed by the three Hackney brothers, who came of age in Detroit during the ‘60s and ‘70s, the sons of a Baptist preacher. But whereas the record labels were nigh-on printing money with Motown hits, the Hackney brothers, led by visionary brother David, chased a far different sound.
A Band Called Death, from directors Mark Christopher Covino and Jeff Howlett, examines a musical revolution that wasn’t meant to be. Decades later, surviving brothers Bobby and Dannis and their family reflect on the close-shaves they had with stardom. Bad luck, bad decisions, and a sonic landscape that just didn’t have a place for them resulted in Death’s sound being snuffed out before it even had a chance to be heard.
But A Band Called Death, which celebrates its fifth anniversary this month, worked to rectify that, with even acclaimed rockers like Alice Cooper and Jack White exalting the brothers for being decades ahead of the culture. It may not be the traditional route you take to stardom, but you never know just how someone will find their way free of being an ‘almost’.
Next Week’s Pick:
In a cinema landscape littered with blockbuster juggernauts and carefully polished awards bait, Lady Bird came out of nowhere last year to be a sleeper hit. While many in the indie fold knew Greta Gerwig for her luminous screen presence and terrific screenwriting, it’s fair to say that her directorial debut launched her and leading ladies Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf into a whole new stratosphere.
Lady Bird is available to stream on Amazon Prime.
Would you like to be a guest in next week’s Two Cents column? Simply watch and send your under-200-word review on any MCU film to twocents(at)cinapse.co anytime before midnight on Thursday!
The Team
There are three kinds of documentaries I enjoy. The first type includes documentaries that explore and/or celebrate things I am interested in — like favorite bands, filmmakers, or interesting true crime stories. The second includes documentaries that are so well done they make something I didn’t think I cared about into something I’m very intrigued by. But it’s the third type that really has the chance to leave the deepest impression on me.
Take a topic I care about and tell the story in a way that makes it unforgettable. In other words, combine types 1 and 2. And, A Band Called Death does just that.
As soon as you tell me that I’m about the learn about a proto-punk garage rock act that I’ve never heard of, I’m in. Combine that with incredible direction and an amazingly constructed bit of storytelling and you have the formula for one of my all time favorite documentaries.
Amazing music and a compelling tale make this the stuff that true legends are made of. (@ThePaintedMan)
A Band Called Death’s secret weapon is the music from the titular band. There are many (many many many many many) versions of this story littering both fiction and non-fiction, and to be honest, each telling lives and dies on how good the actual art (be it a film, a book, or music) being created actually is. If you invest a ton of energy into establishing how ‘important’ or ‘special’ a particular artwork or artist is, and then it doesn’t live up to what you’ve established, you’re left with…well…Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.
Luckily, the music Death conjured up is exactly as good as Alice Cooper promises (proving, once again, that Alice Cooper cannot lie), and that earns your ticket for the tempestuous ride that the brothers Hackney embark on as they try, and fail, to bring their sound to the national stage.
The directors are wise enough to back off and let the brothers and their family and friends tell their own stories, trusting that their chemistry and charisma will be enough. It is, and A Band Called Death is stronger for the sincerity this approach allows. (@theTrueBrendanF)
This was more bittersweet and hauntingly touching than I’d expected it to be. I guess I thought I “knew the story” before watching it, but the subjects here are as compelling as the overarching “plot” of the band’s rediscovery. These brothers from Detroit are the stars. Long live Death. (@ed_travis)
No doubt the promise of the untold origin of punk before punk is the big draw of this story, and to that end it does not disappoint. The music of Death is both incredible and groundbreaking. But watching A Band Called Death, it’s the family that takes the spotlight, eventually unwinding into a saga spanning the next generation of the Hackney family.
Death is not only the name of the band and critical conceptual basis for elder brother David’s vision, but an intrinsic component of the story in a way that no one in the band could ever have anticipated, an irony that is lost on them, nor the filmmakers. It’s ultimately devotion to God and each other that helps them battle demons and weather trials.
Thankfully the documentary itself is also very well made. Directors Mark Covino and Jeff Howlett get to the heart of the story and let the brothers do the talking, editing to achieve a comfortable flow and structure and infusing the story with impressive motion graphics that keep things interesting visually and bring photographs to life.
I originally watched this film in its Drafthouse theatrical run and cried freely throughout. When the lights came on, I immediately declared it my favorite film of 2013, which it remains. Revisiting it again five years later, none of its incredible power has dissipated. (@VforVashaw)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuwTUhLR6Jk
Get it at Amazon:
Next week’s pick:
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THE RETURN OF SWAMP THING: Self-Aware Swamp Romp
MVD Rewind Collection Brings A Campy Comic Book Film To High Definition
For such a bizarre character, Swamp Thing has seen a lot of primetime adaptation. And for someone who’s never read a single Swamp Thing comic book… I’ve seen a whole lot of Swamp Thing in my day. It seems bizarre to think of now, but in my childhood I spent a whole lot of time watching shows on the USA network, and Swamp Thing was right up there on heavy rotation. That show, my first exposure to the character and property, was actually pretty dark and brooding. It felt seedy and dangerous; each episode reminding you to “beware the wrath of Swamp Thing”.
It wasn’t until much later that I experienced the films. Viewing Wes Craven’s 1982 Swamp Thing feature felt really jarring. Dick Durock’s first (?) donning of the swamp suit is a legitimately terrible onscreen look for the character. Running around like a giant green condom, I’ve never quite been able to get past this key element. I might be open to arguments of the film’s quality, but as of now, not even Adrienne Barbeau could convince me to be a fan.
At some point in my youth I must have also seen the sequel in bits and pieces on television, because Heather Locklear has always been wrapped up in the Swamp Thing lore in my brain. But taking a deep dive into Jim Wynorski’s 1989 film The Return Of Swamp Thing was a very fun home video experience and now handily tops all of the Swamp Thing entertainment I recall taking in over my life.
Knowing exactly what it wants to achieve and setting out to do just that, The Return Of Swamp Thing is a humorous and oddly sweet action adventure that wants nothing more than to entertain you with its quirkiness from start to finish, and deliver the mutated, Spanish-moss-ridden, sweaty swamp goods. Louis Jourdan chews the scenery as the villainous Dr. Arcane (returning from the first film), who will stop at nothing to… mutate creatures and… somehow gain eternal life? Dick Durock (who legendarily played Swamp Thing in both films and all 74 episodes of the USA tv show) gets a major upgrade into a suit that looks virtually identical to the one used in the show. The suit functions perfectly in making Swamp Thing look both heroic/menacing, and monstrously freakish. Perhaps most importantly, Heather Locklear stars as the romantic lead. Yes, that’s right, Heather Locklear has eyes for Swamp Thing, and that plays out as amazingly as you’d think it might.
Locklear’s Abby Arcane enters the picture as the villainous Dr. Arcane’s innocent step daughter, who has a somewhat spiritual connection to plants and wants to learn what happened to her mother, long since disappeared without explanation from Dr. Arcane. Locklear isn’t what one might call “good” in the movie, but she’s certainly a willing champ, spouting out humorous dialog and convincingly communicating such a pure and gonzo spirit that falling in love with a plant monster fits right into the bizarre milieu of this world. There are even some comic relief kids who are trying to get a picture of Swamp Thing with their dad’s camera to make a quick buck. This kind of thing can go either way, but these kids are charming and so very late 1980s. Derek Spencer and Grant Morris wrote a movie with a tongue in cheek tone that clicks together to make this comic book adventure feel just right.
The Return Of Swamp Thing is having fun at all times. The comedic elements are all there, whether you like them or not, but the 1980s mutant craze is on full display as well, with tons of bizarre creatures created with practical in-camera effects like the leech man, the roach-faced dude, and my personal favorite, the guy with the elephant growing out of the side of his head. There’s also a bunch of “man in suit” fights and a big “siege the compound” climax that feels straight out of pretty much every 1980s action film.
I’m not going to sit here and tell you The Return Of Swamp Thing is high art. But it is a successful film that achieves all that it sets out to accomplish. Giving the audience all kinds of weird sights, sounds, laughs, explosions, mutants, and even human-on-Swamp-Thing love scenes, it would be virtually impossible not to get a kick out of this fun swamp romp.
The Package
The MVD Rewind Collection is really having a great time with their roster of releases, retro packaging, and bonus features. The discs aren’t this super polished, ultra slick product like you get from major studios. There were navigation hiccups in their Black Eagle release. And the discs are adorned with a simple white label. But featuring retro packaging on the slip cover, and reversible art work, as well as a fantastic line up of titles thus far (Return Of Swamp Thing is spine number 5), MVD Rewind is quickly becoming a home video boutique to keep an eye on.
This disc in particular actually does look fantastic, featuring an all-new HD transfer of the movie, and is packed with bonus features. Wynorski has literally over 100 directorial credits to his name (though “his name” is very often a pseudonym) and he’s all over this release with interviews, commentaries, etc. It seems it was easy to bring together a bunch of the talent for interviews on this release since they’re all good friends and have worked together on seemingly dozens of projects. The bonus features are nothing to write home about as individual elements… but as a whole you get a great sense of the humor and family that was behind the creation of this weird monster movie.
And I’m Out.
The Return Of Swamp Thing is now available on Blu-ray/DVD Combo pack from MVD Rewind Collection.
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THE DEBT COLLECTOR: Two Bit Hoods, Top Notch Crime Film
The Scott Adkins & Jesse V. Johnson Collaboration Hits New Heights
I became aware of The Debt Collector’s writer/director Jesse V. Johnson through my rabid Scott Adkins fandom. Now, after Adkins/Johnson collaborations Savage Dog, Accident Man, and The Debt Collector in just a short 2 years, I have fully boarded the Jesse V. Johnson train, loaded up my Netflix queue with half a dozen of his previous directorial works, and am ready to sing the man’s praises all over this land. With decades of experience as a stuntman, Johnson came up the hard way and earned his stripes. Now with 50 stunt credits, 10 writing credits, and 17 directing credits to his IMDb profile, it’s time for Jesse V. Johnson to be a household name, especially among action aficionados.
What Adkins and Johnson have going with this rapid fire collaboration is something truly special, as together they seem to be elevating one anothers’ craft and utilizing one anothers’ skill sets in a spectacular way. Both are able to stretch themselves and push their agendas to make films that far exceed the standard expectations of the DTV action genre they are a part of. While with Accident Man Scott Adkins was able to write, produce, and star, Johnson was able to both write and direct Savage Dog and The Debt Collector. And while I enjoyed all three of those films immensely, it actually does feel like each of the three got progressively better than the last, leaving one quite excited about the future prospects of this collaboration.
The Debt Collector finds Adkins starring in a genuine buddy film, sharing the spotlight with co-star Louis Mandylor (also a mainstay in DTV action cinema, and who turns in his absolute best work here). They play French and Sue, respectively, with French being the new guy on the debt collection beat (struggling to pay the bills on his dojo… classic), and Sue being the drunk and washed up pro who’s been low level enforcing for decades. Ahhh, did you hear that? “Low level”. It’s impossible to stress how refreshing it is that The Debt Collector takes us deep into a sleazy world where the stakes may be high for our characters, but nothing earth shattering is going down. This isn’t some massive scale alien invasion, but rather an intimate tale about a few two bit hoods; and in those scenarios, character counts.
Most DTV action films aren’t created for the big screen, and likely wouldn’t thrive as a wide release. Times have simply changed. If you ask me, though, The Debt Collector would have fit right into a big screen wide release. Straight off the bat the camera work is skilled and the script (co-written by Johnson and Accident Man co-writer Stu Small) crackles with one-liners and insults that feel right at home among Shane Black-style buddy action comedies. Adkins gets to use his British accent as French and between that and his growing comfort with Johnson as director, he gives his absolute best and most loose performance as an actor thus far in his career. Yuri Boyka of the Undisputed franchise probably remains the character Adkins was born to play, but French is his most fully realized and fantastically showcases his physical abilities and stretches his comic and dramatic potential as well. Mandylor is somewhat of a revelation as Sue, taking French under his wing with a steady stream of verbal abuse, but slowly revealing a shell of a soul still underneath the drunken exterior.
Taking place over a single weekend, French gets financially desperate enough to tap an underworld connection he has in “Mad Alex” (Streets Of Fire’s Michael Pare), a student at his dojo and himself a part of Tommy’s (Vladimir Kulich) debt collection operation. Tommy pairs French with Sue, and they’re off together on their first day. The low stakes action sequences in the earlier part of the film are great fun, allowing the leads to establish a system for their shakedowns, give Adkins a showcase for his incredible physical skill, and cement the character dynamic between our leads. As the weekend progresses, stakes become higher as Tommy sends French and Sue on a job for notorious crime boss Barbosa (The Candyman himself, Tony Todd). You just know things are going to go south with Barbosa, but the hows and whys are all surprising and escalate to a remarkably gritty and even emotional climax that can only be achieved through strong writing, performances, and direction in a character-based film such as this one.
I adore The Debt Collector. It nails the sleazy underground world of Los Angeles, looks fantastic (far better than most films of this type), and perhaps most importantly achieves what it sets out for both as a buddy comedy and as a throwback to gritty 1970s crime films. The script is propulsive, the stakes ever deepening, and it never skimps on action even as it does the hard work of fleshing out and developing our characters. Adkins and Mandylor have remarkable chemistry and manage to make a real connection between their characters that changes both of their fates in the course of one weekend. And while I’ll spoil nothing about the barn-burner of an ending, it’s a risky and refreshing conclusion that honors its 1970s roots and takes chances that you’d absolutely never see in the latest four quadrant Hollywood blockbuster. Action fans should rush to see The Debt Collector at their first possible opportunity. It’s not a grand, sweeping narrative, and it’s all the better for it. Get in the Cadillac (but watch the whitewalls) with French and Sue, take a ride with them, and you’ll find an absolutely top tier crime/action/comedy/drama that’ll leave no bone unbroken.
And I’m Out.
The Debt Collector hits DVD and Digital June 5th from Archstone Distribution via Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
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THE BIRTH OF A NATION: Racist Lies of 1915 Shed Light on Racist Lies of 2018
A Cinematic Masterwork Does Irreparable Harm [Twilight Time Blu-ray Review]
“The Ku Klux Klan, the organization that saved the South from the anarchy of black rule” — Title Card from The Birth Of A Nation by D.W. Griffith, 1915
“Our ancestors trounced an empire, tamed a continent, and triumphed over the worst evils in history… We are not going to apologize for America. We are going to stand up for America.” — Donald J. Trump, President of the United States Of America, May 25th, 2018
While it’s clear that D.W. Griffith’s The Birth Of A Nation is a seminal work of narrative filmmaking and will forever live in infamy as a result (being seen by new eyes generation after generation) that doesn’t mean one can’t wish it were never made. And how I do wish it were never made. This is something I’ve rarely, if ever, said about a film. But then again, I’ve really never seen anything like The Birth Of A Nation.
Far from a silent film aficionado, I believe this is the very first silent feature film I’ve ever seen aside from Melies’ A Trip To The Moon. (I confess this to my great shame). The format has always felt like a challenge for me, so far back in the historical filmmaking tool kit as to play clunkily. But Griffith does manage to craft an engaging (if overwrought) tale that relatively quickly attenuated this newcomer’s film watching rhythms to those of the silent era. Again, as a total novice I find it odd that actors are speaking to one another as shots and scenes play out, watching their mouths move and not knowing what they’re saying. Relying on title cards to fill in details, context, and dialog was an oddity that I thought would prove too much for me, but which I actually adjusted to with a surprising quickness. Experiencing the 3 hour silent epic has opened me further to exploring films of this era, despite having a violent reaction to the messaging of the film itself.
I’ve long understood D.W. Griffith’s film to be a titan of early cinema, blazing a trail so unexplored that almost all of the storytelling tropes we know and love today have at least some of their origin in Griffith. Such concepts as cross cutting between scenes that are happening simultaneously, as well as tracking shots, close ups, and massively staged battle sequences are often credited to Griffith as their innovator. I will say that personally I found the experience of this story to be quite fascinating and surprisingly accessible. Storytelling techniques utilized here felt very familiar and shockingly modern. For example, Griffith obviously has grandiosity in mind with the title of his film. But he wisely seeks to tell the story of a nation through the perspectives of two families: The Stonemans of the North, and the Camerons of the South. Old chums ravaged by the Civil War (and doing some ravaging of their own). This is highly effective and hearkens to the huge roster of key players we’re required to get to know intimately if we’re to follow such modern epics as Game Of Thrones or The Lord Of The Rings.
As the first half of The Birth Of A Nation races on, a pre-war visit between the two families plants the seeds for high melodrama as the younger sons soon die at one another’s hands on the battlefield. Dramatizations of key battles play out with technical marvel and Abraham Lincoln is portrayed as a fair victor who will deal magnanimously with the defeated south. The first half of the film comes to an end with a dramatized sequence of Lincoln’s assassination and it’s quite compelling. In fact, while the first half of The Birth Of A Nation depicts much in the way of institutional racism, propagating the concept of the “happy slave” among other ills, there’s nothing quite so willfully ignorant and lie-filled as the coming second half of the film.
After Lincoln’s assassination, Griffith’s film takes a much less grand historical approach and instead adapts a novel by Thomas Dixon called The Clansman. In this half of the film, the northern Stoneman family become radical abolitionists hellbent on putting the noble south under the boot heels of the vengeful black armies flexing their new power after the abolition of slavery. The noble Camerons have no choice but to found the Ku Klux Klan to deliver the south from these rage-filled carpetbaggers and marauding black soldiers. Ultimately attempting to vaunt an anti-war message, Griffith depicts a south so shattered by war and the ascendant black man (empowered by politicians hellbent on punishing the confederate states) that former Union and Confederate soldiers will band together under the white hoods of the Klan in order to valiantly fight against the soldiers who would pursue the South’s white women and defile the Aryan race.
Truly, explicitly vile and fanciful to boot, The Birth Of A Nation can be misconstrued as nothing less than revisionist propaganda portraying a noble South blessed by whiteness and a savage animalistic horde of black soldiers and carpetbaggers who’ll stop at nothing to destroy the plantation way of life and defile the sacred bloodlines of the former slave owners. Wildly popular on a scale previously unseen at the time of release, The Birth Of A Nation toured the country at a time when a narrative like this was ripe to plant seeds into people’s minds. Often credited for reinvigorating a dying KKK, there’s no doubt in my mind that the technical brilliance of The Birth Of A Nation made a hateful and false grand narrative palpable for wide audiences and fomented an utterly sinful worldview that requires whites to own none of their culpability in the slave trade and failed reconstruction. It’s impossible to know just how fully this objectively false narrative infected the thinking of citizens all across the south who experienced this film as a modern, technical marvel unlike anything they had ever seen before.
Perhaps most egregiously, watching The Birth Of A Nation today, in 2018, under the scourge of Donald J. Trump’s embarrassing presidency, one can almost trace a direct line from the popularized hate of The Birth Of A Nation to the lies and racism our sitting president used to inflame his base and grasp power through division, falsehood, and grand conspiratorial narratives that appease the ignorant and promote a singular, decidedly white, redemption narrative.
The great modern embarrassment of Donald Trump was indeed the impetus behind my desire to watch the film, and no doubt on the minds of the good folks at Twilight Time who are releasing this restored film amid such fraught times. Grateful to have had the opportunity to experience this seminal film preserved with care from over 100 year ago (twice as long since the film was released in 1915 as it was removed from the actual Civil War), I nonetheless personally renounce not only the hurtful narrative Griffith chose to tell, but also the campaign to sanitize and soften the impact of that choice. Griffith himself seemed to believe in his own story, and also claim that it was not explicitly racist. It is.
The mere fact that the triumphant climax of the Cameron family saga is a horde of white-hooded Klansman riding to the rescue of a town assaulted by evil freed slaves makes explicit the propagandistic nature of the film, and it turns my stomach. That many today use the same kind of propagandistic techniques to weave a tale of noble whites and opportunistic blacks and foreigners and refugees is equally cringe inducing and demands full on repentance.
That, as a nation, we’ve refused to own, wrestle with, and grieve the institution of slavery and the injustice done to all African American and Native people has resulted in the the current state of disarray and hate we are experiencing. May lies and propaganda like D.W. Griffith’s The Birth Of A Nation and self-serving narratives spun by our great modern demagogue be silenced. And may we do the work necessary as a nation to own our culpability, sharing with all peoples the onus of leadership and community going forward.
And I’m Out.
The Package
Disc 1:
- The Feature Film (191 Minutes) Restored by Patrick Stanbury With the Original Joseph Carl Briel Score, conducted by John Lanchbery in Both 5.1 and 2.0 Audio
- 1930 Sound Reissue Prologue D.W. Griffith in conversation with Walter Huston, star of his 1930 sound film Abraham Lincoln.
- 1930 Sound Reissue Intermission and Introduction to Act 2 Huston recites sections from Woodrow Wilson’s A History of the American People.
Disc 2:
- Outtakes and Original Camera Tests
- Stills and Collections Gallery
- Silent Feature: The Coward (1915 ~ Produced by Thomas H. Ince, Directed by Reginald Barker)
- Silent Short: The Rose of Kentucky (1911 ~ Directed by D.W. Griffith)
- Silent Short: Stolen Glory (1912 ~ Directed by Mack Sennett)
- Silent Short: The Drummer of the 8th Original Edit, The Drummer of the 8th 2015 Re-Edit (1913 ~ Produced by Thomas H. Ince, Directed by Jay Hunt)
- The Birth of a Nation Score Recording Sessions in 5.1 Audio
- D.W. Griffith on Lux Radio Theater with Cecil B. DeMille
- The Birth of a Nation: The Legacy Directed, Written and Edited by John McCarty
- The Clansman: From Stage to Screen Directed and Edited by Daniel Griffith
- Text Essay: We Can Never Censor the Past by Kevin Brownlow
The Birth Of A Nation is now available on limited edition Blu-ray from Twilight Time
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Two Cents Remembers FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL
The out-of-nowhere comedy that explored relationships, surprised audiences, and brought back The Muppets
Two Cents is an original column akin to a book club for films. The Cinapse team will program films and contribute our best, most insightful, or most creative thoughts on each film using a maximum of 200 words each. Guest writers and fan comments are encouraged, as are suggestions for future entries to the column. Join us as we share our two cents on films we love, films we are curious about, and films we believe merit some discussion.
The Pick
Recently celebrating its 10th Anniversary, Forgetting Sarah Marshall first appeared to audiences as yet another raunchy “R in the theater, Unrated on DVD” comedy of the era, but as this week’s responses clear show, the film has earned a reputation as a heartfelt exploration of the ups and downs of relationships. Recently dumped by his famous celebrity girlfriend, deeply depressed Peter (Jason Segel) goes to Hawaii to try to forget his troubles — only to find his ex (Kristen Bell) is staying at the same hotel with her new beau, a pop music superstar (Russell Brand). But love is a strange thing, and Peter unexpectedly connects with the hotel’s cheery hostess (Mila Kunis) — a relationship that may be doomed from the start by the reality that besets any vacation romance.
Besides being a great film, Forgetting Sarah Marshall has also proved to be a showcase for both contemporary and up-and-coming comedy stars, with supporting turns that include Jack McBrayer, Paul Rudd, Bill Hader, Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig, and others — plus some surprise cameos.
Speaking of surprises, it’s also clearly the launchpad for the most recent cinematic revival of The Muppets, and you can see here the fusion of Segel and Stoller’s hilarious yet empathetic storytelling with musical puppetry.
Next Week’s Pick:
We’re beyond thrilled by the most excellent announcement that beloved rock & roll loving, time-traveling duo Bill and Ted, last seen on the big screen in 1991’s Bogus Journey, will be returning for a long awaited second sequel, Bill and Ted Face The Music.
https://cinapse.co/bill-teds-most-excellent-collection-is-a-triumphant-video-on-blu-ray-c30f32d34e89
We can only hope that the scene-stealing, fan-favorite Grim Reaper himself, Death (the great William Sadler) will also return, not unlike a band called Death was discovered by listeners decades after essentially creating punk rock. OK, the connection’s a little thin but in honor of the rock & roll spirit of Bill and Ted, we’re watching my favorite film of 2013, the incredible and inspiring true story of A Band Called Death!
A Band Called Death is available to stream on Vudu (ad-supported).
Would you like to be a guest in next week’s Two Cents column? Simply watch and send your under-200-word review to twocents(at)cinapse.co anytime before midnight on Thursday!
Our Guests
I am in awe of this film. It’s a rare modern comedy that doesn’t feel like it’s built on riffs. There’s a tendency in modern comedy to point a camera at a couple characters and just have them improvise funny things, then cut and move on to the next scene.
Instead, Forgetting Sarah Marshall’s best comedy comes from character. A great example of this is when the main four characters end up having an incredibly awkward dinner together. You understand where each of them is coming from, and their interaction drives the hilarity. “Take my eyes but not the shirt” is only as hilarious as it is because you understand why he hates the shirt, and how that affects Sarah as she remembers her relationship with Peter. Then, of course, there’s the subsequent sex-off.
If you’re trying to make a comedy, watch Forgetting Sarah Marshall first and learn how it’s done.
The Team
Forgetting Sarah Marshall is simultaneously the best and worst of the Apatowian approach to comedy that briefly conquered the world somewhere in the Aughts. It’s often hilarious, packed to the breaking point with comedy utility players like Jack MacBrayer and Bill Hader, and there is in general a spirit of warmth and generosity to all the characters within the story that makes Sarah Marshall just a pleasant movie to watch, even in the moments when the laughs get thin.
But Sarah Marshall stretches that goodwill at times. The Apatow directed and/or produced films were and are known for being shaggy, but Sarah Marshall is too laconic for its own good. It often doesn’t have scenes so much as set-ups, allowing Segel and whoever is scene partner is to chitchat aimlessly. When Segel is paired with a really strong improviser, like Brand or Hill, a scene can really pop, but there are times when Sarah Marshall starts to feel downright sluggish.
And while the gender politics of the film are lightyears ahead of similar films from the 90’s and 80’s, in a post-“the cool girl speech from Gone Girl” it’s hard not to look askance at a film where Mila Kunis is the ‘good’ girl because she loves and accepts the schlubby guy as is, while Kristen Bell is somehow the villain because she got fed up with him being a slovenly couch potato. Bell’s Sarah Marshall starts out as empathetically portrayed as everyone else, but she makes a sharp heel turn in the film’s last act that is so unmotivated and jarring it kinda spoils a lot of what came before.
I’ll never not laugh at Segel’s dong, though. (@theTrueBrendanF)
My wife and I have counted this among our favorite movies since we first saw it in a theater a decade ago. It’s extremely fun and witty, also having so much heart. The cast is stellar and the writing is on point. It honestly can’t be overstated just how much I love this film.
While it’s certain that this film wouldn’t shine the way it does without the stellar performances from Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, and Russell Brand, the supporting cast needs to get credit too. Paul Rudd, Bill Hader, and Jack McBrayer are hilarious virtually every time any of them are on screen. But, one of the lesser heralded supporters in this one is the guy who really struck me most this go around.
Da’Vone McDonald plays Dwayne the bartender. His scenes are all incredible. As a transplant from South Central LA, Dwayne is one of the people in the film that’s most happy to be in his new life in Hawaii. He lights up the screen with joy and laughter… and lines like “He’s like Gandhi, only better, because he loves puppets!”
So with that, I encourage everyone to really pay attention to the background players next time they watch. They add so much to this film.
“Snuffleupagus fucks my shit up!” (@ThePaintedMan)
I initially ignored Forgetting Sarah Marshall, dismissing it as the sort of raunchy comedy that isn’t really my thing. But after reading an effusive analysis of the script, it was clear to me I needed to check it out. I’m forever thankful for that, because I adore this film. A lesser approach would’ve just made this about a schlubby loser and his stalkery sense of loss, but the story explores all four characters in this love quadrilateral, giving each of them a sense of perspective and even pairing off the men and women for awkward but revelatory conversations outside the primary relationships. Protagonist Peter doesn’t simply get a pass, either — his flaws are explored and he’s clearly identified as the architect of his own ruin.
Beyond that, this is a hilarious movie with a lot of big laughs. As Husain points out, they aren’t just from solid riffing or slapstick either. Most of the humor comes from a deep place of understanding and sympathy for the characters and their situations — even the “raunchy” stuff like the honeymoon frustrations of nerdy honeymooner Jack McBrayer as a new husband unsure of how to please his new bride in the bedroom.
But to put my feelings succinctly, I really can’t think of another film that makes me both laugh and cry as fervidly as Forgetting Sarah Marshall. (@VforVashaw)
Trailer:
Get it at Amazon:
https://cinapse.co/bill-teds-most-excellent-collection-is-a-triumphant-video-on-blu-ray-c30f32d34e89
Watch it on Netflix:
https://cinapse.co/bill-teds-most-excellent-collection-is-a-triumphant-video-on-blu-ray-c30f32d34e89
Next week’s pick:
https://cinapse.co/bill-teds-most-excellent-collection-is-a-triumphant-video-on-blu-ray-c30f32d34e89
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Two Cents Fires Two Guns Whilst Jumping Through the Air with John Woo’s MANHUNT
Two Cents is an original column akin to a book club for films. The Cinapse team will program films and contribute our best, most insightful, or most creative thoughts on each film using a maximum of 200 words each. Guest writers and fan comments are encouraged, as are suggestions for future entries to the column. Join us as we share our two cents on films we love, films we are curious about, and films we believe merit some discussion.
The Pick
It’s not like John Woo ever really lost it.
Sure, his somewhat-misbegotten time in Hollywood fizzled out with limp efforts like Paycheck and Windtalkers, but since returning to Asian cinema, Woo has been at the helm of widely-acclaimed historical epics like Red Cliff. Unlike many masters who keep trying to recreate their former magic long after their prime, Woo didn’t so much miss a step as shift into a new, distinctive phase in his style and career. While different from his earlier work, it was nevertheless every bit as accomplished.
But even so, it was easy to miss the wild days of Hard Boiled, The Killer, or even the banana bonanzas like Hard Target and Face/Off. For fans of that particular brand of John Woo, this year’s Manhunt arrived like a luminescent dove flying in slow motion through a gunfight.
Adapted from a Japanese novel and film, Manhunt is the story of Du Qiu (Zhang Hanyu) a Chinese-born lawyer living in Japan, wealthy and pampered thanks to his career representing a major pharmaceutical company. But Du Qiu’s life is thrown into a chaos when he wakes up bleary one morning after a party and discovers a dead woman in his bed. Du Qiu goes on the run, doggedly pursued by cocksure cop Detective Satoshi Yamura (Masaharu Fukuyama).
But these two seeming enemies will need to see past their differences if they intend to unravel the conspiracy around Du Qiu’s throat, and survive the onslaught of assassins that are hot on their trail (including Ha Ji-won and Woo’s daughter, Angeles Woo, as a team of hitwomen).
So, was this a return to form for the original maestro of balletic gun battles, or is Woo stuck playing overly-familiar hits?
Next Week’s Pick:
It’s hard to believe that Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a decade old, but there was indeed a time when Jason Segel, Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Russell Brand were considered unknown quantities on the big screen.
FSM sprang into public awareness thanks to the infamous opening scene where Bell’s Sarah Marshall dumps Segel while he is clad only in his birthday suit, a flaccid full-court press for attention that worked like gangbusters. But ten years on, are there still laughs to be had in this Apatow-produced concoction?
Forgetting Sarah Marshall is available to stream on Netflix Instant.
Would you like to be a guest in next week’s Two Cents column? Simply watch and send your under-200-word review on any MCU film to twocents(at)cinapse.co anytime before midnight on Thursday!
Our Guests
Ryan Bisasky:
Manhunt does at times play like John Woo’s greatest hits but unlike a lot of older directors when they go back to their roots, it never feels forced. Sure the story is a bit overly complicated , and when the characters speak English, it comes off as stiff and or broken, as if they don’t know the language & have to go with cue cards or learning it phonetically. The same thing also happens in Shin Godzilla. This is a very entertaining flick and gives me hope for Woo’s upcoming The Killer remake. Also keep an eye out for the doves! (@TheChewDefense)
Brendan Agnew (The Norman Nerd):
Hot damn, but I missed this John Woo.
Not to say that Woo’s been off the edge of the map the past decade — the full 4+ hour international of his Three Kingdoms epic Red Cliff is a masterpiece — but it really is a damn shame that we haven’t had a good old fashioned Heroic Bloodshed romp from him in so long. Which is why I approached Manhunt with as much trepidation as excitement, but was overjoyed to discover that the granddaddy of gun-fu action melodrama still very much has the goods. Woo’s latest starts off like The Fugitive stumbled into a “lady assassins” conspiracy thriller, evolves into a buddy cop film, and by the end has flown right off the rails into full comic book/video game movie territory — complete with a Final Boss.
And. It. RULES.
The digital photography may rob the proceedings of some of the tactile grit that imbued The Killer and Hard Boiled with such satisfactory tangibility, and no one here quite matches the legendary swagger of Chow Yun-Fat, but the leading men have legit chemistry, the set pieces still sing (there’s one in a farm house that packs in as many awesome gags as the finale of most action films), the ladies get to be way more involved in the proceedings this time around (and they *crush it*, particularly Angeles Woo), and the master delivers arguably his two best riffs on his signature dove gag in the space of 10 seconds.
The John Wicks of the world have been doing a fine job of carrying the banner recently, but there really is no substitute. Woo still not only has the action chops, but a mix of earnest theatricality and wistful melancholy that is still uniquely his own, even after decades of influencing the genre. And it’s good to see him prove it. (@BLCAgnew)
The Team
It’s impossible to quantify the purity of my joy as a brand new heroic bloodshed film from John Woo played out before my eyes on a streaming service in my home. I came in with hesitance based on the long gap since a truly great Woo film (Red Cliff was good but I don’t remember much beyond that). But that made the creeping smile across my face feel all the sweeter as I found myself adoring Manhunt. I guess I understand those who don’t like it. It feels like a time machine back to the early 1990s and Woo uses all his same signature moves. I theorize, however, that many who claim to love Woo don’t quite remember the depth of the melodrama and silliness that comes with even his most classic and highly regarded ’80s and ’90s films. He’s full Woo here, with soapy melodrama and SPRY action set pieces that absolutely recapture the magic of Woo’s heyday. Doves, motorcycles, cheesy jazz, cheesier dialog, freeze frames, and glorious balletic handgun violence are all in full display here at the hands of an undisputed master having all the fun I could ever ask for. (@Ed_Travis)
I have one complaint, and one complaint only. As the other Brendan noted, the digital photography robs the film of the sort of grit and texture that were a hugely important factor in why the gunfights in Hard Boiled and The Killer worked so well. Without that Manhunt often looks somewhat cheap, like a talented DTV director taking homage from John Woo films, rather than a full-blooded new entry from the master himself.
And that really is too bad because in pretty much every other respect, Manhunt is a delight. Woo does not possess an ironic bone in his body, and so while it would have been easy for this to be a cynical replication of his early hits, or a winking self-parody that lol’d at its own excess and melodrama, Woo and his cast commit to the madness. You’re goddamn right there are going to be doves, and the way Woo uses them in this picture made me want to stand up and cheer.
The narrative starts off keyed to Hitchcockian paranoia, but soon Woo has shifted tones and we enter Hard Boiled-land, and by the last act the whole enterprise has launched into the kind of loopy live-action cartoon territory of a Face/Off. It works in large part because Woo’s leading men are both charismatic and bounce well off each other as rivals/reluctant partners/soul mates, and because the whole thing is such a daffy good time you’d have to be at least kind of an asshole not to get a kick out of the crazy turns and amped up action (no offense to anyone this week who didn’t like it). So, yeah, I’d say Manhunt gets a thumbs up from me.(@theTrueBrendanF)
Trailer:
Watch it on Netflix:
https://www.netflix.com/title/80209866
Next week’s pick:
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Top 15 New Action Films Now Streaming
FIELD OF STREAMS recommends some of the best new action cinema now streaming
Welcome to Field of Streams, Cinapse’s weekly guide of what’s playing on your favorite streaming services. What’s new on Netflix and Amazon Prime? What do we recommend on Kanopy, Fandor, and Shudder? We’ve got it all. From monthly roundups, to curated top 5 lists, to reviews of our favorites available now… it’s here. We built it for you, so come and join us in the Field of Streams.
Cinapse is all about cinematic discovery and discussion. We review all different kinds of films, but a defining factor at Cinapse is that the whole team presses into what we’re most passionate about. As our resident action movie junkie, I wanted to take the opportunity to highlight a few of the best action titles from the past few years that are both available on major streaming services and that you may not have seen or heard of. No use recommending the fantastic Wonder Woman or Logan, for instance, as you’ve all seen those. So without further ado, here are some of the very best action films you can stream directly into your eye sockets right now!
Top 15 Recent Action Films On Netflix
BOYKA: UNDISPUTED 1) BOYKA: UNDISPUTED (Netflix)
The most complete fighter in the world, Scott Adkins’ Yuri Boyka is the most iconic action anti-hero in the current DTV action market, and Boyka aka Undisputed IV is probably the best DTV action film of Adkins’ legendary career thus far. This is pure fight film heaven.
2) BAAHUBALI (Netflix)
I’m extremely naive about Indian and Telugu cinema, but I know a pulse pounding, game-changing, thunderous epic when I see one. The 6 hour, 2-part Baahubali films are some of the most incredible experiences of pure discovery I’ve ever had. Don’t let the run time scare you. Think of it as binging a new series. 6 hours has never moved so quickly or been so action packed.
3) LADY BLOODFIGHT (Netflix)
Amy Johnston’s physical ability and star power combined with the “all-female Bloodsport” formula results in a classic 1980s fight film resurrected for a new era. Johnston is a bonafide action superstar in the making and this film is her calling card.
BUSHWICK 4) BUSHWICK (Netflix)
Dave Bautista continues to surprise with a depth and range no one would have predicted. Bushwick is a high concept film shot in “long take” style following Bautista and Brittany Snow through the streets of Bushwick during a Red Dawn style ground invasion of the United States. It’s a gritty combat thriller that can’t be missed (and has a phenomenal score, too).
5) WHEELMAN (Netflix)
One of the only Netflix Original films on this list, Frank Grillo anchors this high concept action film about a driver fighting for the safety of his daughter while almost never leaving the drivers seat for the entire film. A fresh new filmmaker, a cool concept, and a full on badass of a leading man come together for a tight ride.
6) KILL ZONE 2 (Netflix)
Action cinema is alive and well in Asia, with Thailand, Japan, mainland China & Hong Kong, and even Indonesia all cranking out amazing, boundary-pushing stuff. Kill Zone 2 feels like the future, pairing the best of Thailand and China together in a rip-roaring fight film starring Wu Jing and Tony Jaa.
MANHUNT 7) MANHUNT (Netflix)
John Woo is back and crafting some of the most balletic and hyper-melodramatic action in no less than the history of cinema. Woo is a master and though this film is divisive and may even drift into self-parody territory, nobody does action like John Woo and Manhunt features dozens of jaw dropping set pieces and action beats that prove Woo still reigns.
8) BEYOND SKYLINE (Netflix)
Frank Grillo and Iko Uwais stab-punching aliens in a sci-fi action epic so ambitious it boggles the mind.
9) KICKBOXER: RETALIATION (Netflix)
Vastly superior to its predecessor Kickboxer: Vengeance (itself a reboot of the JCVD-starring franchise), Retaliation lets its freak flag fly and features physical comedy, musical numbers, stunt casting galore (Game Of Thrones’ The Mountain and Mike Tyson), and excellent/grueling fight sequences.
10) SAVAGE DOG (Netflix)
Scott Adkins makes his second appearance on this list (but really, see any of his movies on Netflix) with a film that lives up to its title. Director Jesse V. Johnson unleashes the beast and lets Adkins tear through a revenge epic period film set in the jungle where absolutely no one will come out unscathed.
The Villainess Top 5 Recent Action Films On Amazon Prime and/or Hulu
1: Creed (Amazon Prime Video)
2: Green Room (Amazon Prime Video)
3: The Villainess (Hulu)
4: Brawl In Cell Block 99 (Amazon Prime Video)
5: xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage (Hulu & Amazon Prime Video)And I’m Out.
