Saturday, May 19, 2018

The Assassin's Apprentice Hot New Exclusive Photos! From Innomagic Productions!

Get Ready as The Assassin's Apprentice is now making the festival rounds and for comic conventions world wide! The film stars the amazing stunt action pro Tarah Paige and Star Trek vets Robert Picardo and Marina Sirtis!

For up to the minute festival info blast the Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/taamovie/

For the first review worldwide please point your browsers to:  https://dansmoviereport.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-assassins-apprentice-2018-movie.html

Watch for more exclusives coming in 2018, on your home for dynamic films, Dan's Movie Report

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Amy Johnston: How To Stunt In Hollywood (Kindle Book) 2018



How to Stunt in Hollywood: Insight and Advice from World Class Stunt Professionals Kindle Edition



Amy Johnston- How To Stunt in Hollywood (Kindle Book) 2018

Always upbeat and ready for action Amy Johnston unleashes a unique book culling on the experiences of stunt and action professionals she looks up to and coordinators like Luke LaFontaine and directors like Jesse V. Johnson who she worked with on Accident Man. Rather than going into a long diatribe about herself Amy chooses the interview route asking pertinent questions, to allow the audience a guide inside their dreams and aspirations. Having recently lost her dad, who taught her the martial arts, Amy looks deep inside and understands how to collect her thoughts to make everyone around her better.

I love the final statement in her book “Rest in peace dad, thank you for pushing me to be better than I was yesterday, to always be the best version of myself, to never stop” In my eyes, I look at this book as a tribute to her father and a message to herself to keep striving for greatness, yet never to forget those who came before her. Amy is a great young talent and deserves to be at the top of the Hollywood heap in acting and in stunts as she puts it many people have tried to bring her down but she keeps fighting to stay on top.

Watch for more exclusives and giveaways later in 2018 and 2019 with Amy and your home of exclusives, Dan's Movie Report.


Check out the cool BTS shout out to Dan's Movie Report on YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=g7cN8sAkwJM


Follow Amy on her various social media outlets:


Stay strong Amy! Get ready world, a new action force has arisen!

The Assassin's Apprentice (2018) Movie Review

Above Pic: Poster for 'The Assassin's Apprentice'


Full Disclosure: I did donate to the Kickstarter campaign but am not involved in the production of this film, thus this review represents my honest opinion.

Having followed Russ Emanuel's career for almost a decade and a half his latest directorial effort with Paul Hickman penning the script and producing represents a huge step forward. The 15 minute short is an action slice of hopefully things to come.

Stunt veteran Tarah Paige http://www.tarahpaige.com/ plays a hired assassin Kaylee, yet green around the edges, adept at free running, and being slightly awkward in heels ha! She has to pass one final test prior to becoming fully trained. Tarah has a likable quality a mix between the amazing Heidi Moneymaker and the tremendously talented Amy Johnston. Tarah moves well and I enjoyed the free running scenes with the drone. Tarah's fighting skills are decent not top level but perfect for 'The Assassins Apprentice' as her character is more a finesse assassin and is sent to actually poison her target.

Star Trek veterans Marina Sirtis as Miranda and Robert Picardo as Pete serve as a type of tech and informational support and teacher respectfully. Though their roles are somewhat limited I am sure when this gets made into a feature their characters whoever is playing them will be expanded. Marina is a likable lady off screen and her personality shows through in all her work. Mr Picardo is a consummate professional actor and seems to be in character, as soon as required.

I must give special recognition to the cinematography of Ray Karwel. His tight camera work allows the audience to get in the scene. The action flows clean and the close quarters dialogue is full of expression and gravitas. Drone camera work is quite good, especially for a short film. Steve Overstreet is listed as the drone operator and he did a precise job of capturing Tarah as she is running though the film.

Another highlight to 'The Assassins Apprentice', which is often overlooked on many films, is the tremendous musical scoring by Vasillis Milesis the music belays action yet does not overpower the film. The opening and closing themes remind me of big budget Hollywood action films.

Overall the action is damn good, and actually a bit different, as fighting is not really used, except for one scene and it is minimal. I am sure a feature version which according to Russ is already written will expand scenes and up the ante in fighting and perhaps gun play.

Very minor quips arise in the transitions between Marina Sirtis's character talking and the action. May have been better to have her either interact with another character, almost liked piped in music in a store when she was on screen it was fine, but was awkward, at times. Picardo's character meets with Tarah Paige maybe at least a meeting or something would have made the film flow perfectly. Again this is minor, but worth noting. Also I am not a proponent of slow motion action scenes as was done when Tarah was running over the bench, I think it would have looked cool at full speed, as a stunt perhaps a still screen at the end of the jump or have her run into more objects. Again minor gripes, but as an action guy, these jump out, I am sure with a feature film and more cash it will be much better, as more time can be taken to film and the scenes themselves will be longer.

Currently, 'The Assassins Apprentice' is making festival rounds. Definitely worth a watch. Very high quality film that rates an 8 out of 10.

For More information on the film, jump your browsers to the official Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/taamovie
Official Home Page: https://www.taamovie.com/

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

The Debt Collector (2018) Movie Review

Above: The Debt Collector USA DVD cover.

Above Pay Day, the German Blu-Ray edition!



Following the rise of Jesse V. Johnson's career for the past decade and a half, watching the progression of his films is a case study in persistence and fortitude. Jesse has weathered the storm of indie film trials and tribulations as good as any man. Jesse breathes life into his characters and breathes fire into the film business. Unabashed and honest, Jesse lays out truths. If you suck, he will let you know! If you kick ass, not only will he tell you, Jesse will make sure that your name is known. Honorable and resolute Jesse will rise and the people who work with him will as well.

With several films releasing in the last few years, Jesse has made his mark on independent cinema. The black and white version of 'The Beautiful Ones' is my personal favorite, until they decided to colorize it, UGH! Now Jesse finally has his masterpiece, 'The Debt Collector' represents a HUGE step forward in Jesse's film making. The movie flows, as the audience sees Scott Adkins cruising in his classic car and not just beating up thugs but really putting in the work to make the audience delve deep into his character French. Issues arise of course and some are solved by talking things out and some haha are solved by means of displacing another human through a solid object.

Perhaps Jesse's finest moment comes in his tight direction of the expressions of the actors, a particular scene involving Selina Lo was gritty and showed a side of her I had not expected. She is intense, seething under, she curses and spits, and of course the obligatory nut shot kick. Selina can mix it up with anyone, nice to see her kicking some ass now in 'Boss Level'. Read Selina's older interview she did with me back when Scorpion King 3 came out: http://dansmoviereport.blogspot.com/2012/01/selina-lo-interview-c-2012-dans-movie.html she put in the work and now, reaps the rewards! Just took someone like Jesse V. Johnson to bring her personality out, and give her a push!

Jesse is a rare action guy who expects the ladies in his films not to be just wall flowers but get into the action, and he picks ladies who will, a prime example is Amy Johnston in Accident Man! Amazing film. He directed the amazing Monique Ganderton in The Package as she took many swings at Stone Cold Steve Austin tied to a chair! Now Monique is the stunt coordinator on the 300 mil dollar Avenger series films! Again Jesse will give you the push, depends how motivated you are to take it!

The stunts, and action are finely crafted once again by Luke LaFontaine, as he works in detail with the actors strengths. Luke also crafted the action fights with 'Savage Dog' and Sword work with the new 'Blindsided: The Game' film.Watch for Tony Todd, to grace the screen with his magnanimous presence! Louis Mandylor is stellar as the character Sue, yeah I know odd name ha! 

The Debt Collector represents a culmination of hard work, sweat, and extreme passion for truculent and vituperative subject matter undulating with a bit of sardonic humor. We all know Selina can just kick all of their asses hahahaha. I am not going to be one of those reviewers who details the whole plot going into a ridiculously long soliloquy breaking down each scene, thus trying to show how erudite they are, in the process spoiling the film UGH! Just buy the damn film, do not download it, 'The Debt Collector' Drops hard in the USA June 5th! on Sony Home Entertainment~ The film rates a solid 9 out of 10, and has a repeat watch-ability factor!

I got mine! Both German Blu and USA now on order! Go hard or go home and support indie films http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Debt-Collector-Blu-ray/198593/

Amazon had the DVD for 10 dollars! What is that, two large coffees?  Come on, order it!

Like Jesse V. on his official Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/actionjessevjohnson/

Facebook Page for The Debt Collector: https://www.facebook.com/The-Debt-Collector

Watch for more as soon 'Triple Threat' will fall out of the sky from Thailand! Hah!


The Debt Collector has a limited theatrical Release starting on the 5th June, 2018.
Laemmle Monica Film Center.
1332 2nd Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-478-3836