State Of Emergency Movie Review

Above Pic: Poster for State Of Emergency


State Of Emergency is a tale of an chemical explosion then an outbreak in Montgomery County. Rather than focusing on the wide scale, State Of Emergency zeros in on the lives of a few individuals and their personal plight with the zombies. Harkening back to old school films, this film relies on the build up, rather than the overt blood and gore of typical zombie films.

State of Emergency opens with the lead Jim (Jay Hayden) watching the outbreak unfold in front of his TV. Eventually Jim tries to get out of town, flagging down the passing military helicopters. They fly on by, but he gets a phone call from another individual holed up in a well stocked warehouse.

Above Pic: An infected gets a whack on the back, to no effect.


The chemicals turn the infected into monsters, beings with central nervous system infections. These creatures are not only able to run, they have fighting ability, as they are not dead turned to life, but disease ridden. Sadly the makeup on the few who were infected is sparse, but seems to be enough to distinguish them from the "normal" folk.

As much as I enjoyed the premise and build-up, State Of Emergency is more of a study on personal relationships, rather than a true zombie nightmare, and the intensity level seems a bit dialed down. Because the outbreak is in a rural area it is believable that only a few infected persons would be around.

The acting in State Of Emergency is decent, nothing amazing, but nothing to detract from the story. There is a lot of dialogue in the film considering they type of movie it is and for the most part, the rather inexperienced cast seems to pull it off, however, more of a sense of urgency would probably have heightened the film's pacing.

The action in the last 30 minutes of State of Emergency picks-up. I liked the character development, and plot direction in the film, and with a few more dollars, I  envision writer/directorTurner Clay, would have been able to add a few more elements, characters, and accoutrements to the State Of Emergency.

State of Emergency rates a 6 out of 10, a definite rent, worthy of a watch.

For more info check out the official site @  http://www.soemovie.com

Upcoming exclusive on Dan's Movie Report: Actress Mercedes Brito Interview!

Interview has Posted 1-10-13! Click the link!  http://dansmoviereport.blogspot.com/2013/01/actress-mercedes-brito-interview.html

Above Pic: Mercedes Brito! Left click the picture to increase in size, Right Click the increased sized pic, and select view image, and you have a Dan's Movie Report Wallpaper! Happy New Year!

2012 has been an amazing year for Dan's Movie Report, I would like to thank all my readers worldwide. In December of 2011 Dan's Movie Report passed the 50,000 view mark, December of 2012, the 400,000 view plateau! Amazing! The entire site is my creation, text, layout, and promotion. My reviews and interviews are mainly driven by you, my readers! Any film recommendations are encouraged, my email is at the right of the page.

2013 Will be amazing, first up on the interview slate is Actress Mercedes Brito, an intelligent and talented beauty, who stepped outside her comfort zone to play the ruthless Catalina in Cartel War. Mercedes Chats at Length about her film work, Cartel War, and her hobbies outside the film realm. Also, as requested by my fans, hi-res exclusive photos, of Mercedes Brito!

In the mean time, familiarize yourself with Mercedes on these relevant sites:

Her official Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/mercedesbrito

Official Site @ http://www.mercedesbrito.com/

Twitter @ https://twitter.com/MercedesBrito

Youtube @ http://www.youtube.com/user/mercedesbrito555

Split Vision Entertainment @ http://www.splitvisionent.com/sve.html

Bye Bye Blondie Movie Review

Above Pic: DVD cover of Bye Bye Blondie


It is no secret that I have a special place in my heart for unusual French films. Movies that push the envelope, heighten senses, and with salacious undertones. Breaking the chains of at times tepid U.S. counterparts the French seem to seize the passion and intensity of real life, instead of the glitz and glamor. Twelve years ago Writer/director Virginia Despentes pushed the envelope to the extreme with Baise-Moi, a film about two women who are pissed off at life, the world and men as they were raped in the beginning of the film. Ultimately they go on a terrible rampage, sodomizing and killing their victims. Not only does the film not have a happy ending, one of the lead actresses Karen Lancaume took her own life in January of 2005.

Fast Forward to 2012, Virginia Despentes is back with a new blast of aggressive punk filled energy called Bye Bye Blondie. The film about two women who go through a generation of emotion, including love, anger and happiness. Emmanuelle Béart portrays Francis, she has a successful career as a TV Host and a marriage to a guy who in all actuality has little emotional attachment to her Béatrice Dalle as Gloria is a down and out artist, street punk, with a salacious heart.

What makes Bye Bye Blondie a treat to watch is the emotion a the characters display. Two younger actresses play teenaged versions of the two ladies, and we see their angst and energy. Soko is the younger Gloria, she is a rebel, listening to punk music and just throwing tantrums, eventually she lands in a mental hospital, thus meeting the younger Francis Clara Ponsot who is in the facility for amneisa.

The film is aggressive, but never too much, and mostly a drama-comedy about  life, love, and friendship. Virgina's directing hand is solid as the four leads, deliver their lines in a succinct manner. The experince of the older actresses Beart and Dalle really shines here. The two have down to earth demeanor and display a realness to their respective characters.

As great as Bye Bye Blondie is, it may never find a wide audience, due to the subject matter, even though it is lighthearted compared to Baise-Moi. Bye Bye Blondie is an exploratory film about relationships, and how they change, and people grow apart. The fact that Bye Bye Blondie actually shows the two characters as younger people, after they adult characters are established, how the met, the problems they go through, makes the film rather unique and enjoyable.

Technically the film is of course in French, I viewed the version with subtitles. The lighting, background, and other various film aspects add a perspective to the stark differences between the two leads as one lives in a virtual warehouse and the other in an opulent multi-level place.

Overall, I enjoyed the film, the talented and innovative Virginia Despentes has another notch on her film belt. I recommend a buy,buy! on Bye Bye Blondie, the film rates a 7 out of 10.

To all of my French Speaking Readers the Bye Bye Blondie book is available on Amazon: Also the film is available @ amazon.fr

Jim Cirile and Aaron Pope Interview for LIBERATOR! (Exclusive!)

Merry Christmas! The year of action official comes to a close, with a big interview of the creators of the new Lou Ferrigno film LIBERATOR. Jim Cirile and Aaron Pope chat at length about how they secured funds and big named stars for their short film. Watch for more interviews and exclusives from this fantastic film in 2013! Enough of my ramblings, on to the chat!

How did you come up with the idea for Liberator?

Jim Cirile: Lou Ferrigno is a friend of the family, and I’ve known him and seen him at gatherings for years. I mean, how could you not? I remember it was 12 years ago, my birthday party in my crappy little apartment, and in marches Lou with my brother-in-law. The dude stole the show, signing autographs, telling stories and doing chin-ups on my doorway chin-up bar, which was barely up to his navel!

I always thought, here’s this cool guy who is world-famous, but is really underused. But he’s always been an inspiration to me. I started thinking about what life would be like for a hero like Superman or Captain America, someone closely associated with Americana, if that person were to live through the political climate of the last decade or so -- where the maniacs are in charge of the asylum. It dawned on me that they would use him, abuse him, then throw him under the bus when he was no longer useful to them for propaganda purposes. And then bam, it all just coalesced in my head one day – aging superhero who truly believes the American dream, and who was exploited and then discarded. What would it do to that guy? You know, literally from hero to zero. One day you’re the golden boy, the next you’re OJ. You’d be pretty frickin’ pissed off, right? And now suppose you couldn’t tell anybody the truth because of NDAs and even your own family thinks you’re a piece of shit. And suddenly I had my perfect role for Lou – a pissed-off, washed-up, disgraced, aging superhero who was screwed over big-time.

Now suppose that guy says enough is enough, and he decides to talk?

Did you work with Lou from the beginning? If not, how did he become involved initially, if so has he helped with the story?

Aaron Pope: We knew we wanted Lou for this part, but we spent some time developing the script before sending it his way. We wanted it to be perfect. But eventually we knew it was good to go so we sent it Lou's way and he responded to it immediately. He wanted to play this role as much as we wanted him to do so, and what we found out almost immediately after he got attached was how big of a fanbase he has out there. Everyone we told we were bringing Lou back in a superhero role was totally geeked out by it.

How did you get the financing for the Liberator project?

JC: I dug deep into my pocket! Seriously, originally this thing was supposed to cost ten grand. But as we developed the script we realized we needed to bring the super. Of course, part of it was me as producer wanting all these amazing genre names, so you know, the budget climbed pretty quickly. We had enough dough to shoot five days of principal, and then I ran out of cash. But then we had a Kickstarter campaign where we raised another $26K for two more days of green screen and fight stuff, which really made the difference. I wish we had another 20K to put towards the VFX, but you know, you go to war with the army you’ve got, as some miserable douche-bag once said.

Did you always want Liberator to be a short test film or did you at first want to do a full feature length?

AP: We've always wanted Liberator to be bigger, whether it's in feature form or as a TV series. So when we wrote the short version, it was always with an eye toward setting up something that people will want to see more of.

How about casting, how did you secure the services of Michael Dorn, Peta Wilson and the other stars?

JC: It all started with Lou of course. He was our first and only choice to play this role. Now I will tell you that we did have interest from one other well-known actor, who had starred in an action/adventure TV show, who wanted to do it. But Aaron and I knew Lou was the one we wanted for this role. I always knew he had a great performance in him and he nailed it here. I Love You, Man cinched it for me.

As for the others, I’d worked with Ed Asner a few times. I’ve directed some political commercials that he did the voice-overs on. So I contacted his assistant and after literally months of trying to find a hole in Ed’s schedule, we got a call – Ed has about 4 hours free on Memorial Day. Can you come over to the house and shoot him there? And so we all canceled our barbecues, and we did exactly that! Once we had Ed, it was pretty easy to get the rest of the cast. An Emmy-winning actor who is the former president of SAG? Yeah, once Ed committed we simply called up the agents of our first choice actors – Michael Dorn and Peta Wilson – and locked them down pretty quick.

How has social media and the internet helped Liberator secure a wider audience?

AP: It's just the nature of things these days. If you don't have a social media presence, you're D.O.A. It's the way people find out about things. So we set up our website, Liberatormovie.com, right off the bat, as well as a Facebook page and a Twitter page, and we integrated all of those things into our Kickstarter campaign, and it all just seems to build on itself. Like I said earlier, there's a huge groundswell of support out there for Lou so once word got out that he was coming back to the superhero world, the news spread over those social media outlets in a hurry.

Do you feel that Liberator would make a better stand alone feature film or a TV series?

JC: Yes. (laughs.) We have both versions – a 1-hr TV pilot and a feature script (actually three.) We’re talking to people now. The best part is, the feature(s) does not preclude TV. Just the opposite in fact.

If you had to change something about Liberator what would you do if you obtained full funding for a TV Series or feature film?

JC: We have this whole elaborate mythology worked out, so whichever form Liberator takes in the future will likely differ from the short in certain ways, but will always be internally consistent. By that I mean we had to really condense the story to make it fit in 18 minutes. So while it may seem like Act 1 of a movie, in reality, a movie Act 1 would be structured rather differently. But all of those scenes and moments would all likely wind up in there in one way or another. However, certain characters will be greatly expanded, such as new Gaia & Sidewinder, as well as original Gaia and Liberator’s ex-wife Ginnie. There is also a new Super called Nucleus…

Do you have future scripts written in the Liberator "universe"? Future villains?

AP: Absolutely, we've developed the full Liberator Trilogy. There are plenty of new villains to come in the sequels, though there's always a political center that these characters emanate from, and that political center has connective tissue that runs throughout the entire of the Liberator storyline.

With a long focus on Liberator, do you have time for any other projects in the works?

JC: You bet. We’re shooting a horror film this year called Twisted, directed by Aaron and written by Liberator second unit camera Tanya Klein and me. We have a last plane-in-the-sky-during-nuclear-Armageddon thriller called Fallout which we’re hoping to make as well, but we’ll need larger financing for that one. And we have a couple new action/thriller spec scripts hitting the market next year. Aaron is also directing a horror movie called Cropsy, and we both continue to develop screenplays for both Hollywood prodcos and individual clients through my company www.coverageink.com. Crazy-busy, but that’s always good. You know, in Hollywood, anything that is an absolutely, 100% guaranteed, sure thing is at best a remote possibility. So one needs to have as many plates spinning as possible!

How does it feel now that Liberator is scooping up awards?

AP: Well, my hats don't fit anymore. No, seriously, it's gratifying. We didn't get into this for the sake of awards though. We're just a couple of guys who are into superhero flicks and who didn't buy into the idea that they could only be done at the studio level. We wanted to do an indie superhero movie, and most importantly, we wanted to do a movie we'd want to see. And that's exactly what we did. But now it's gotten out there and started to pick up a few awards (the Award of Excellence at IndieFest and Best Narrative at CalShorts) and it's just great to see that there are other people like us out there that think you can tell this kind of story without brand names and big budgets.

To be totally honest though, it's not the awards that really make me happy so much as that huge response we always seem to get when our first fight scene ends. The first time it screened, the audience broke into spontaneous applause at that point, and it was then that I knew we'd made Liberator what we'd always wanted it to be... a fun ride. 

Thanks so much for the chat, Ho, Ho, Ho!

For more info on Liberator muscle your browsers to http://liberatormovie.com/

Kill 'em All Movie Review

Above Pic: Blu-Ray Cover for Kill 'em All



The 2012 year of action on Dan's Movie Report comes to a crashing close with an action blast called Kill 'em All. Starring Chia Hui Liu the fantastic martial artist (Gordon Liu) the late kickboxing legend Joe Lewis and the sultry Chocolate star Ammara Siripong

Before beginning this review, I will warn all potential viewers, this is an martial arts action film, ALL the way through, there is very little set up backstory etc... That fact aside Kill 'em All thanks to the mind blowing fight choreographer Tim Man, who also stars in the film as "The Kid"

The film opens with all eight combatants being drugged, kidnapped, and taken into a Saw style torture chamber known as The Killing Chamber. These 8 were hand selected by Scorpion as they are the top killers in the world. One will survive.

The contestants are initially given metal balls with numbers, the lowest two numbers are to fight first. The fights are to the death, though in some cases, the strikes did not appear to be deadly. The winner of the first match was allowed into a special weapons chamber to choose one weapon. Non compliance by the contestants was cause for knockout gas to be released.

Tim Man gives the thug the Phil Collins treatment, "I can feel it coming in the air tonight!" woohoo! Yeah I went there! (C) 2012 Epic Pictures Dan's Movie Report Screen


With minimal set up, sparse set dressing, the fights take center stage. More often than not, true action flicks seem to get lost in background accoutrements. I wanted to like The Man With The Iron Fists, but sadly, could not, had flash but no grit. Kill 'em All was no flash all grit. The fights were amazing, long and for the most part well planned out. The camera knew were to be and Tim Man and Ammara Siripong were on point with the action.

This is a film only for action purists, non-Hollywood polish. There is very little dialogue, as the fighting takes center stage. My only small complaint is that some final fight finishing moves were a bit on the calm side compared to the actual fight. That fact aside, it is obvious, that the fight choreography was well planned out, and that the actors themselves had some input to accentuate their individual fighting style.

Above Pic: Joe Lewis gets his sword on, while bodies lie piled in the back in Kill 'em All (C) 2012 Epic Pictures Dan's movie Report Screen.


Discussing the acting, sadly, Kill 'em All is Joe Lewis's final film, but he goes out with a bang as his character The Carpenter is snarly and aggressive. By the end of Kill Em All, the few characters that are left have some depth as more story is added. Yeah, I am sure with more cash, everything would have a more polished look, and maybe more exotic local.  I am waiting for Tim Man to do fight choreography work on the new Scott Adkins film, Ninja 2.

Gordon Liu plays the bad guy Snakehead with a maniacal calm, the final fight he has is very long and a well worthy Christmas treat, haha. His calm demeanor work well as a silent, enemy.

Above Pic: Ammara prepares a solid steel explanation of her anger, and does so in a belly shirt, ok ok, yeah so what. (C) 2012 Epic Pictures Dan's Movie Report Screen


Although it has been years since Chocolate, Ammara Siripong has a second breakout role in Kill 'em All. The film showcases her talent as an action actress and her willingness to work hard to sell the fighting is impressive. Ammara has to mix it up with the boys, and she has no problem, being the most dangerous one in the room haha. She has vivacity, and enough mystery in her character to keep the audience guessing as to her full potential. Hopefully directors will watch Kill Em All and allow Ammara to work in more feature films.

Director Raimund Huber keeps the action flowing in Kill 'Em All as the body count piles up. I rate Kill 'em All a Metallica, (title of their first LP) worthy blast of insanity, an 8 out of 10. Bring on the negative anonymous comments, go on,  I dare you hahahaha Happy Holidays.

Watch for more exclusives in 2013 from Kill 'em All on Dan's Movie Report! Amazon has this for only 13.99 on Blu-Ray! Buy it!

For more info on Gordon Liu go to his Facebook Fan page, has a huge collection of info @ https://www.facebook.com/GordonLiuFanPage

Clash Of The Empires Movie Review

Above Pic: Poster for Clash of The Empires


Someone asked me, why do you watch so many low budget films. My response was, because I am always interested on what film writers, directors, and actors can come up with on a limited scale. Mock The Asylum all you want, but as a production company, their business model is actually quite sound. With a principal photography shooting time of only a couple of weeks and barely a year turnaround from concept to DVD release, they have churned out a lot of product without much cost. The latest blast of insanity from The Asylum is Clash Of The Empires, originally titled Age Of The Hobbits, which the film is nothing like The Hobbit, and I am not even sure why they named it.

Let me cut to the chase on this one, I must say, I am really disappointed in Clash Of The Empires. The tribal people in the film are supposed to be hobbit like, and many of the dubbed voices, of children supposed to be adults and woefully bad CGI make this film very hard to watch.

Above Pic: Sweet Bai Ling in skimpy threads, complete with a spear and a scowl. (C) 2012 The Asylum

There are lizards, spiders, and various sundry atrocities as the group wanders through the tropical wilderness looking for the lair of the evil one, but the movie has no flow. The action has no impact, and the characters are so shallow. The main reason I watched Clash Of The Empires is for Bai Ling. Even though she is one of the main characters, dressed in cave woman attire, Bai's charater a female warrior/explorer is so poorly written that her impact on the film is severely dimished.

The Asylum has put out a few good titles over the past couple of years, Clash Of The Empires, is unfortunately one to avoid, and rates a 3 out of 10.

Movie Production Report: In The Blood filming in Puerto Rico

Above Pic: Gina playfully choking Yvette Yates on the set of In The Blood in Puerto Rico. Pic Credit:  Yvette Yates Facebook Page.


Actress Yvette Yates reports is that she is currently working on a new action film called In The Blood her character is Leta. The film also stars MMA star Gina Carano and veteran actor Danny Trejo.

For more info:

The IMDB link for In the Blood @  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2101570/

For more info on Yvette go to her official facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/YvetteYatesOfficial

Twitter @ https://twitter.com/YvetteYates

Dead Season To Premiere on SyFy! 12-15-12 at 9pm EST!

 PRESS RELEASE: DEAD SEASON HITS SYFY FOR BROADCAST PREMIERE
 

LOS ANGELES, DECEMBER 13, 2012 – The indie zombie film DEAD SEASON will see its American broadcast premiere this Saturday, December 15th on the Syfy network at 9pm EST.

DEAD SEASON (Two survivors flee to a remote island after a worldwide zombie outbreak) was released in August 2012 in the US, Germany, the UK, France, Canada and Japan.  DEAD SEASON’s VOD has enjoyed over 25,000 buys in its first week alone and its DVD release sold out at retailers.

Weeks after charting as the second most streamed feature on Netflix ‘Instant Watch’, Dead Season will now be available to all CATV viewers subscribed to SyFy.  “Dead Season has excelled in all ancillary markets and we’re excited for our US broadcast premiere.  Syfy is a great home for this film,” said producer/writer Loren Semmens.  

Syfy has entered a broadcast licensing deal with Image Entertainment for the title for a three year term.  “The online community has really responded to Dead Season,” said Adam Deyoe the film’s director. “We’re excited to see our film connect with the viewers that enjoy their horror through more traditional channels and Syfy is a perfect fit.”

DEAD SEASON is also available on Netflix Instant Watch, Amazon Instant Video, iTunes, and DVD.  For more information, please visit www.deadseasonmovie.com.    

Read my exclusive  Interview with Marissa Merrill @ http://dansmoviereport.blogspot.com/2012/07/actress-marissa-merrill-interview.html


Read my exclusive interview with Corsica Wilson @ http://dansmoviereport.blogspot.com/2012/06/corsica-wilson-interview-c-2012.html

Check out my Dead Season movie Review @ http://dansmoviereport.blogspot.com/2012/06/dead-season-movie-review.html 

About Flynn Forest Productions
Flynn Forest Productions is an independent feature film production company headquartered in Los Angeles, CA.  Flynn Forest is in pre-production on a slate of three horror-suspense films and a WWII drama, all slated for principal photography in 2013.
Loren Semmens produced DEAD SEASON and Sundance favorite THE WOMAN.  Adam Deyoe recently wrapped on his latest feature 1 CHANCE 2 DANCE.

Breaking The Girls Movie Review

Above Pic: Poster for Breaking The Girls (C) 2012 Myriad Pictures


In a reverse story of revenge, Breaking The Girls tells the wild story of two college girls making a pact to exact revenge on their enemies. Agnes Bruckner portrays Sara Ryan, a law student, who has her world crumble around her when her enemies get her fired from her night job, and then has her scholarship revoked. She meets Alex Layton (Madeline Zima) and  the two begin a torrid relationship.

The clever script plays out like a Mean Girls with a violent revenge twist. The two ladies play a dangerous game of deceit, mostly with Alex initiating, she makes a pact with Sara to murder their two rivals Nina Layton (Kate Levering) and Brook Potter (Shana Collins).

The best part about this film is the dialogue, as the action and such seems to happen off screen. Maybe I watched an edited copy, but this film could have had a  bit more action, and intensity, especially considering the subject matter.

Above Pic: Alex (Madeline Zima) and Sara (Agnes Bruckner) plot love and revenge in Breaking The Girls. (C) 2012 Myriad Pictures, Dan's Movie Report Screen.

The acting on the other hand, especially by the two leads is fantastic, both women work hard at their roles. Agnes Bruckner is definitely one to watch in the future, she has talent, and obviously takes the time to delve deeper into her character than the words on the script. Breaking The Girls is a defining role for her. Alex Layton portrays the devious bad girl with vim and vivacity.

A story with female leads, centering on young people, is sure to play well with the younger audiences, Breaking The Girls delivers the girl meets girl, girl loves girl and girl plots revenge story. Director Jamie Babbit, and screenwriters Guinevere Turner and Mark Distefano take time to develop a clever tale, tantalizing the audience, and making viewers care about the characters, even though the entire film runs under 90 minutes.

Even with the mostly off screen action, implied romance, (no nudity, sorry kiddies) I rate Breaking The Girls a solid 7 out of 10, a very good story worthy of a watch.

Check the IMDB page @ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1510686/

Agnes Bruckner, who is also in The Baytown Outlaws  has an official Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Agnes-Bruckner/317678918304842

Avex Rising Angels (ARA) Release New Music Video!!

Above Pic: Group Shot of ARA.


Avex Rising Angels (ARA) release their first official music video to Youtube. Their first song is Make My Dreams Come True, and the music video can be seen with this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JzzoiSMAgk

Above Pic: Emily Kaiho in the studio for ARA recording session. Click link for Dan's Movie Report exclusive interview with Emily!

http://dansmoviereport.blogspot.com/2012/07/actress-emily-kaiho-interview-exclusive.html


On their official Youtube Channel, which you can subscribe, ARA have cool behind the scenes videos, where you can see the ladies rehearsing and performing  Check the ARA official Channel @ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnsl1XFhCUCZSy5xJ0X0uRQ/videos

Like their Official Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/avexARA?ref=ts&fref=ts

Follow Emily on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/EmilyKaiho

Cartel War Movie Review

Update 01-10-13:  Cartel War Actress, Mercedes Brito Interview with exclusive pics! Click Link for more info. http://dansmoviereport.blogspot.com/2013/01/actress-mercedes-brito-interview.html

Before I begin this review, I found out Cartel War was originally called Disrupt/Dismantle and was filmed in 2010. Although shot on a very low budget, Cartel War spins a torrid tale of deceptiveness, drugs and absolution.

Lying is often the way a drug gang is infiltrated by the police, and Cartel war tells a story loosely based on a Mexican Drug Cartel of a detective with a personal axe to grind with the drug dealer trying to take him down.

In Cartel War the gang is led by Catalina (Mercedes Brito) and Antonio Vega (Roberto Sanchez), a ruthless brother and sister team.  Hot on their trail is a police veteran Mike Marino (Jack Lucarelli) Sandra Carolina portrays Gina Cassidy, she volunteers to be sent in to take down the gang.

Now the players are established, the well thought out Miami Vice (the film) style drama unfolds. Sexy women, fast cars, drugs, all wrapped up into a surprisingly slick 93 minute package. Cartel War keeps up the pace, as more bodies show up dead. Even though the plot has no real mystery aspect, the action and quality acting makes up for it.

Above pic: Sandra Carolina as Gina, learning about Antoio Vega's  (Roberto Sanchez) drug operation, while Vega is blinded by her beauty.


While all the acting is quite good, honestly, the ladies steal the show here. Mercedes Brito, steams up the screen with her come hither sultry bad girl persona, not to be out-done, Sandra Carolina has a panache with her mannerisms aggressive yet, at times surprisingly reserve and passive. Crime drama's that have a strong balance of female lead characters are not only far more entertaining to watch, but also allow for further interpersonal character development.

Above Pic: Mercedes Brito as Catalina on a yacht none the less, is hell bent on shrinking her operational payroll, and doing it in a skin tight bikini!


Technically Cartel War is expertly filmed and edited, the movie smoothly transitions from action heavy scene to dialogue heavy scene. Directors Troy L. Price, and Jack Lucarelli (who is also the lead actor Mike Marino) have a firm grasp when to use the action to tell the story, and when to use words to convey his message. In addition Mr. Lucarelli and Mr. Price took their time and make sure the actors have the right facial and body expressions for the specific scene. A great achievement for a film with only a reported 200,000 dollar budget.

Rather than go on and on about this film, spoiling plot points with other asundry ramblings, if you like violent crime dramas watch Cartel War. I rate this movie a solid 7 out of 10, worthy of multiple viewings.

Hot Holiday 2013 CONTESTS! 400,000 views! Exclusive Photos!

New Contest for November 2013! Please Click the link to win Hot Hunger Games Merch! http://dansmoviereport.blogspot.com/2013/11/hunger-games-catching-fire-contest-open.html Hurry Contest Ends November 22nd!


Greetings valued Dan's Movie Report readers! The biggest film of the year opens November 22nd! You guessed it! Hunger Games: Catching Fire! Well then it is time for a swag giveaway, for all things Hunger Games Related!

The contest is opening to U.S. Residents 18 years old or older, and the one (1)winner will receive the following:

CATCHING FIRE Prize Pack,

 T-shirt, 

movie poster

iPhone cleaner

iPhone dot and wristbands.

Making this really easy, nothing too complicated, tell me why you need these items! This contest runs for a very limited time, only until November 22nd! Post your reason below, with email address, "will remain private", be a fan, and be creative! 

ALL POSTS WILL BE PRIVATE! AS I Judge the entries, I will not post your email or info or entry! SO far I have 10 people wanting it! as of 11-17-13! 

Watch for New Contest in December 2013!


The 2012 Contest Below has Ended!

In Celebration of the 2013 New Year, I have several contests! Please choose the appropriate contest for your region. For my new French Readers, check out this great new film called Bye Bye Blondie. http://dansmoviereport.blogspot.com/2012/12/bye-bye-blondie-movie-review.html

Before I start this contest, I would like to thank everyone who has supported Dan's Movie Report in the past three years! I would also like to thank all of the individuals who have taken the time to conduct interviews. To all of the fantastic photographers who have allowed me to use their exclusive photos, thanks, wait till you see what will happen in 2013! Without any more of my blustering BS, lets get to the goodies!

This first contest is open Only to ALL residents of the US. One winner will receive these goodies:

1 8X10 Actress Krystal Vee Autographed Photo.

1 8X10 Actress Marissa Merrill Autographed Photo

Yes! these are the actual photos! So Click accordingly!

The second contest is Sponsored by Rena Riffel!

Directly from Rena, the winner will receive an autographed Showgirls 2: Penny's From Heaven DVD and an 8X10 photo personalized and sent directly from her to you! http://www.showgirls2movie.com/

The  third contest is ONLY open to residents OUTSIDE the US.

1 4X6 Krystal Vee Autographed Photo
1 5X7 Marissa Merrill Autographed photo
1 4X6 Almen Wong (Her Name is Cat lead actress) Autographed photo.


What do I have to do to win these goodies you might ask, give up my first born? haha no! Walk a mile in the snow through broken glass? haha No.

Just tell me, why you want the prizes, and what you love or hate about Dan's Movie Report? Email, twitter, or on this post with your email address!

My twitter handle is @templegod1

Watch for Mercedes Brito interview soon, click this link for the info:  http://www.dansmoviereport.blogspot.com/2012/12/upcoming-exclusive-on-dans-movie-report.html

Movie Boozer infuses Alcohol While Watching Movies!

I checked my Twitter account today and saw a new follower Movie Boozer https://twitter.com/MovieBoozer  These people, are a riot and review films on the basis of drinking games. The watch for parts of the movie to drink to and point them out, also, the movie reviews are actually very entertaining. Why you ask am I promoting other sites, well, I like these guys (and girls) they have an extreme sense of humor, and are rather cool with their opinions! I also like the layout of the site. Great work!

Check out their site and have a drink on them, also they watch The Asylum films!

http://www.movieboozer.com

Daisy Diamond Movie Review

Daisy Diamond is a sombre, sordid, and ultra depressing story of a young woman raped by her boyfriend and then forced to live a life of a single mother named Anna portrayed by Noomi Rapace, with a constantly crying baby named Daisy. She has lofty dreams, goals, that are hopelessly hampered, by her baby getting in the way.

Anna is thwarted at every turn by the many casting agents and directors turning her down, even going so far as to insult her. Daisy Diamond falls in the epic tragedy category, so mind-blowing and confounding, disturbing, dastardly, and excruciatingly beautiful to watch. Even with the loquacious monologues by Noomi's character, Daisy Diamond manages to unfold into movie that dares and forces the viewer not to look away. No subject is taboo in Daisy Diamond.

Noomi gives a inimitable performance, worthy of an academy award, except the subject matter is so bruising, that I am sure no member of the academy would ever watch, or if they did would be scared to admit it. Noomi is in every scene bearing her body and soul in more ways than one in Daisy Diamond. This is perhaps the finest performance of any actress in the last decade, sadly, few will ever see it.

Noomi states, that Daisy Diamond is her favorite film to act in, as it was so challenging. This is not Prometheus, nor The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. I warn ALL potential viewers of Daisy Diamond, it will offend and shock you. Noomi's character is raw emotion, pent up sexual tension, rage, undying love, and sadness rolled into a rather disheveled, five foot three inch package. Daisy Diamond is highly original, and deserves a wide release in the US, but sadly due to the subject matter it will never arrive.

Still reading my review? I recommend to all potential viewers to watch a film such as In My Skin, Baise Moi, or Irreversible BEFORE watching this. If these films bother you or offend, don't even bother, cause Daisy Diamond is worse. If you have small children or are one of those parents, cooing all the time about your cute kids, I will be honest, don't watch, you will hate Daisy Diamond, and probably want to beat up Noomi.

I am very used to watching European films, and for me Daisy Diamond is an undulating masterpiece, a crowning achievement in film, simplistic in approach, yet seething with energy. Daisy Diamond rates a 10 out of 10, a perfect score, because the film accomplished exactly what it set out to do, disturb the viewer, not just with shocking individual scenes, but with a concise, all be a very dysmorphic story.

Amazon has the DVD as a Region 2 disc

The Baytown Outlaws Movie Review

Above Pic: Poster for The Baytown Outlaws

CLICK for Holiday Contest! http://www.dansmoviereport.blogspot.com/2012/12/sexy-santa-hot-holiday-contests-400000.html

Yes! Time for a bit of grindhouse style fun. Bringing home the old school pulp cinema wildness, is The Baytown Outlaws. The film follows a group of no good rebels named the Oodie brothers, a gang of misfits, who are murderers, thieves, and general bad dudes. This film has the stamp of a Tarantino production, fast paced, ultra-violent, and sarcastic.

Above Pic: Sultry Eva Longoria hires the gang (C) 2012 Universal Pictures


The film opens up with a wild shootout and flails out from there. Watch for sultry Eva Longoria as Celeste wants to hire the gang to get her godson back. Also in the mix is drug dealer Carlos portrayed by a smart ass talking Billy Bob Thorton. Billy Bob has the best lines in the film, such as how come nobody uses finesse anymore right before the

Of course things are more confounded than they seem because the brothers have to go through Billy Bob's gang to get her Godson back. After a massive shootout, the rest of the film is full of revenge and violence.

In the mix is a sarcastic police sheriff Millard, who could actually care less about justice. Millard, (Andre Braugher) looks a blind eye to the gang. Even helping the gang to rid the streets of criminals by using the gang's services.

Above Pic: Sexy and dangerous Zoë Bell out of the brothel, straight into the violence! (C) 2012 Universal Pictures

Adding some spice added to the mix is an ultra sexy and ruthlessly violent group of thugs. A motorcycle gang to rival Sons of Anarchy, except far better looking, sorry Ron haha! This group of biker umm.. ladies,  actually more like salacious vixens, are lead by a dark haired Zoë Bell as Rose. These sweet girls do Carlos's dirty work, supposedly by diving and conquering. Carlos sends the ladies to destroy the Oodie Brothers gang. Carlos calls Celeste and states: "I sent some really awful bitches to handle the situation." Billy Bob then threatens "Once they track down your fella's it is not gonna be a bloodbath it is gonna get fuckin' sexy." Just as side review comment, where do these gangs of sexy ladies hang out, can they be rented, from, say a Redbox hahah? Ms Bell and her ladies deliver the sex, the violence, and most importantly the overly tight lingerie hahahah!

Above Pic: Billy Bob as Carlos calls in a favor. (C) 2012 Universal Pictures


The acting is solid, the guys are supposed to be rebels, and as an audience we are thrust into their world complete with sepia tones, redneck dialogue, and off kilter actions. Billy Bob is back on top with his attitude and mannerisms. His sardonic tone is a perfect mix in The Baytown Outlaws.

The Baytown Outlaws is a fast paced ride; full of bad attitude, curse words, crude behavior, and violence. It is highly entertaining. Do not expect polished art, but worthy of a purchase, I rate this over the top coolness an 8 out of 10. Buy it!

Amazon has it right now! Makes a wonderful Christmas gift!

Anchor Bay Entertainment Delivers The Package February 19th 2013!

Above Pic: Blu-Ray cover for The Package (C) 2012 Anchor Bay Entertainment


Action, Action Action! If it is action and violence that is desired, Anchor Bay Entertainment will deliver The Package starring Steve Austin and Dolph Lundgren on February  19th 2013! Jesse Johnson directs The Package, so expect copious amounts of attitude and violence.

Austin plays Tommy and all he has to do is simply deliver a package to "The German" played by Lundgren. Things get a bit wild when other people want the package and are willing to kill Tommy to get it!

Above Pic: Monique Ganderton in The Package (C) 2012 Anchor Bay Entertainment


Watch for sultry actress Monique Ganderton as "Monique" turning up the heat and danger as well! For more info on Monique check out her exclusive interview on Dan's Movie Report http://dansmoviereport.blogspot.com/2012/01/monique-ganderton-interview-c-2012-dans.html

Check out The Package trailer on Youtube @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SabAhpNb4Y

For Steve Austin point your weapon to his official site @  http://www.brokenskullranch.com

For Anchor Bay Entertainment, blast your browsers to: http://www.anchorbayentertainment.com

Actress Rena Riffel Interview (Exclusive Photos!)

(All photos of Rena Riffel in this interview are EXCLUSIVE, provided directly from Rena, and can be made into desktop wallpaper by clicking, Enjoy!)

As 2012 comes to a close, it is time to unleash a new feature on Dan's Movie Report: Interviews with independent producers and directors who take the plunge and make their own film. Forging their own path, at times the road is bumpy, but the journey is NEVER dull, these risk-takers often reap rewards far beyond their dreams. Rena Riffel has been acting for two decades, but recently decided to take on the task of furthering her own character in Showgirls "Penny". Rena has a great attitude, tinged with a salacious sense of humor and sexuality, and she brings her own views on the production of her film Showgirls 2: Penny's From Heaven exclusively to Dan's Movie Report.

Chat about your background, when  did you get involved with acting?

 In highschool, I was determined to be a dancer and choreographer.  I moved to "Hollywood" and began auditioning and got on a dance scholarship.  But, then began taking acting class and became an actress.  I always wanted to make my own films, but it seemed too hard.  My friend and I began videotaping what I thought would be a web series, but then I kept filming and turned it into a feature film.  After I made it though the production process, I realized that I can produce films.  I had taken a few courses on making films, but I learned the most from being on sets working with such great directors and producers during my career.   

  

How did you come up with the idea to continue Showgirls, concept, story?

Well, Paul Verhoeven had suggested to me that he it would be fun to do a movie all about Penny, back in 95.  Of course, I got very excited about the idea.  I kept waiting for years and years, and then realized that I would have to make it happen if it was ever going to happen.  I wrote my first script, titled "Stardancer" and sent it to Paul.  But, Paul wasn't interested in directing it, but wished me luck with the project.  I admire him so much.  My story idea was based on things I have experienced in Hollywood, and when I came up with the plot, it was very free-flow writing.. I didn't know where I was going with it, it kind of wrote itself.. but, I wrote many different endings, I think I have about 7 different endings.. and I wrote 28 different drafts, they all were emphasizing different characters. I wrote with a bigger budget in mind, which I had to scale down when I began shooting. 

What was the time frame from concept to pre-production then shooting schedule of Penny's From Heaven?

I began writing the first draft back in 2004, but couldn't make up my mind on the tone.. if it should be a campy comedy or drama, what theme to go with, etc.  When I completed the script, I began working with my girlfriend to raise millions of dollars, and another friend in Los Angeles were trying to raise 8.5 million.  After a year went by and no finance was raised, I realized I should just shoot it the way I shot Trasharella (Trasharella Ultra Vixen), my Micro-Budget movie I made, almost a No-Budget film.  I know how to make movies for micro-budget, so that's what I did.  There wasn't much pre-production, I pretty much was in pre-production and shooting at the same time.  It was hard to plan things in advance on a micro-budget.  I had a loose shooting schedule, and followed it pretty closely when I looked back at my filming calendar, the shoot actually went very smooth.  We shot 28 days over a 4 month time, and we filmed mostly for only a few hours a day.  A few days were longer towards the end, trying to get this movie in the can. 

What roadblocks did you run into, resistance from others etc?

I needed a castle, this was the hardest location to find.  I couldn't find a castle to rent.  And the day of the castle shoot, we thought we would shoot just a quick scene outside of a castle in Beverly Hills which is a public park.  We all walked up in big fancy gowns and immediately the guard told us we have to leave and we were not aloud to film there, he wasn't very happy about our guerrilla style ideas and had no sense of humor.  We were later kicked off the sidewalk in front of my apartment, and eventually made a castle set inside my apartment.  That was the only location we tried the gorilla style, and it didn't work out.  At the Motel Room scene we also ran into an upset motel front-office attendee, we were accused of being real prostitutes as we were outside the room in the parking lot, we had to explain to him we were dressed in fur coats, high heels, and mini skirts because these were our costumes and we were only playing prostitutes in the movie we had told him we were shooting there.  We couldn't shoot in the motel parking lot any longer.  

We had so many wonderful people help with the production and assist in many ways.  Tim Taylor really got the ball rolling by locking down the first location for the first 4 days of filming, and it snow balled after that.  Oh, side note, after we finished shooting, I finally found a castle I could have rented in Hollywood.  

There were some other problems that came up, post production challenges, wrong codecs, continuity problems which made editing difficult, and some other emotional draining things happened, along with some heartbreaking tragedies.  But, I am trying to block that out and look at the silver lining.  I learned a lot on this film, what not to do and what to do better next time, and what worked.  But, I am lucky I had my great Producers and the crew and actors, they were all so great, talented, and amazing. 

Two and a half hours is long for an indie film, do you feel David Lynch influences, Paul V Influences? Was this a story you felt needed to be told in 2 1/2 hours as opposed to the 90 minute time frame?

Yes, the actual movie is 3 hours long.  I cut 35 minutes of scenes, I cut out the sub-plot.. the sub-plot is still mentioned in the film, but these were the scenes that actually show the human trafficking and fairy tale pagan rituals.  I wanted the movie to be a melodramatic epic saga, more like "Gone With The Wind" opposed to the 90 minute formula.  At one time I was considering making it a Part 1 and Part 2, or having a formal Intermission during the ballet lesson scene.  I was worried about the long length of the film, but in my opinion, I think the film moves very fast, and lots of films are 2 and a half hours long or longer.

How about additional casting, friends, or was this an casting call looking for specific people?

All the actors are my friends, or friends of my friends.  I had many talented friends who fit the roles, and if they didn't exactly fit the character description, it was actually more interesting to see what they brought to the character.  I am very happy with the casting.

Are you happy with the final product (I love it) If you had to change something what would it be? If given a 20 mil budget how would the film change, more costumes, lavish sets?

I am very happy with the final product.  I worry that if it would have gotten a 40 million budget, it may have not turned out as funny.  The financiers (who never came through with finance) had told me they wanted to have a big star-name actress, Reese Witherspoon, to play "Penny Slot" and bring in a big Hollywood director, like Michael Bay.  But, I refused the offer (it was just a suggestion, anyways, no money on the table)... it didn't make sense to me, I wanted to make my movie, not sell off my script.  

Something very magical happened with this film, I didn't plan it to be exactly as it is, but instead, I let it unfold before my eyes.  I trusted the process as we were filming, instead of fighting what I couldn't control.  I think it could have gone either way, one way being a very serious intense drama, and the other being a comedy of errors.  I saw "The Room" after "Showgirls 2" was completed, and I love "The Room", it's hilarious.  I think "Showgirls 2" has some of "The Room" going on in it, "so bad, it's good", but I do love my script and think my story to tell is very worthy.  

The only thing I would change is the dialogue sound quality.  Robert Rodriguez's movie, "El Mariachi", was released with a bad temp sound mix and after he got a big distribution deal, he could afford to go back in and fix the sound, syncing up sound files, ect.  I am hoping I will get the same opportunity.  

We have the perfected sound files, but I ran out of time and money to do anymore post production.  But, I love the sets, I think the locations we got are lavish and perfect, and I think the film is shot beautifully.  I wanted the shots to be very simple like film noir, nothing fancy and no shaky camera.  

I love the fashion and costumes in the film.  Most are actual vintage 90's dance costumes, some are right out of "Showgirls", since I supplied my own wardrobe on "Showgirls".  And Shelley Michelle (Katya) had amazing boas and feathered costumes, she has her own clothing line.  Paula Labaredas(Maria) had very cute skimpy sexy costumes, very campy couture.  Peter Stickles (Godhardt) had great costumes, we wore matching sailor outfits, mine is a vintage Gaultier.  And Glenn Plummer's (Jimmy) T-shirt and hoodie business was actually designed by Mark Gray, he paints on the fabric and adds tons of swarovski crystals and silver, skulls, very edgy and cool. I love the over the top show girl make up, too.  Oh, one thing I wish I would have had if I had a bigger budget is more technical help in post, an art director, more production assistants to help carry things, make phone calls, scheduling, ect., this is important to a production, and someone to do craft service other than me, lol.. I was busy with too much.  But, that's indie film making.. there is also something great about just DIY, it's empowering and as they say, if you want something done right, and you can't get someone else to do it right, do it yourself.  That's how it feels when you put your heart and soul into making a movie.

What are some of your future film goals either acting and producing?

I have written a lot of scripts over this last year. I want to produce them. I have the sequel to "Showgirls 2: Penny's From Heaven" written, and would love to make that very soon. I might be doing a Kickstarter to raise money for it and offer a DVD of the 35 minutes worth of deleted scenes along with the short film "Showgirl" and possibly Penny Slot dance action figures, ect... I also would like to film my "Marie Antoinette" script, it needs a bigger budget, so that is always challenging to get off the ground.  And I want to continue as an actress, I would love to work with Paul Verhoeven and David Lynch again. I would like to work with a great team and work on great projects that I am inspired by and that inspire others.  Basically, the same dream I have always had. I hope this dream can come true.  

I will end this Q and A with a few special inspirational quotes from "Showgirls 2 Penny's From Heaven".  "There's a price to pay for success, dues to be paid, sacrifices to be made  at every imaginable level, and it all come down to how bad you want it?" ... "I'm a dancer!"..... "Goddess power!"... "I know I got an F in economics, but this doesn't add up very well."..... "Dancing keeps me sane in this insane world".... "Next time we'll get the penthouse."... "Here's bubbles!".... "I don't know what's worse, your dancing or your camel toe.".... "There can only be one Star Dancer.".... "You used to call me your love sponge, now all you call me is a good cook!"... "Tell me, how did you win it.. a wife beater soak in beer, a bikini, or topless?"... "Topless."... "See darlin', you are a star f*@$er."... "Have ever considered becoming a male stripper?"..... "I need to face the music, the real music."...."snuff, I know what it is, cowboys sniff it like chew.".... "Frickin' A!"... "It's hard out there.  Everyone's got AIDS and shit, H1N1 and all kinds of shit, Swine flu.. bitch, I'm dancin' with you the best way I can.. got arthritis, my knees are bad.. dancing don't pay no rent!"... "Fire that bimbo!"...."I'm just some kind of jungle animal now.  Which one?  A cougar, Helga!".... "They've called the asylum to take me away!"..."Tonight, I want you to teach me to be the whore"... "You're much more than a whore, you're Goddess.  But I'll teach you anything you want." ... "Keep going.  The end of the rainbow, Helga"... "Red hot magic heat!"... It's actually a story of overcoming obstacles by having faith, but being led down the wrong path, but then finding your way out of the dark hole, only to get on a path again.. let's see if she now finds her way to the end of the rainbow, or once again, gets lost.

Thanks Rena, great work! For further information on Rena point your browsers to http://www.showgirls2movie.com/

Facebook @  https://www.facebook.com/pages/SHOWGIRLS-2-Pennys-From-Heaven/173631142702651?fref=ts