Greetings
valued Dan's Movie Report readers, as you know, blazing a trail, a
path less traveled, makes for far more interesting material that I feel fortunate to obtain.
Yes, I could spend my days copying other sites, I chose however, to support the
fine people who allow me an exclusive look inside their project.
My
readers are a discerning bunch of creatives and passionate people who
already get the news from bigger sites but want to go inside the
story. I applaud all indie sites, even the ones who do share news, as
much research work is involved. The biggest thrill for me however, is to see
passionate people do amazing things like Choice Skinner has done with
Black Lightning: Tobias's Revenge. I mean check out the Cannes Film
Fest screening info, mind you this is a fan
film!http://sub.festival-cannes.fr/SfcCatalogue/MovieDetail/a5db613b-65bd-474f-9d4f-d38d1467cf14
WOW!
and
HollyShorts in the same year for a FAN film that is I shall say it
FX%ing Mind boggling! On this special post I present exclusive photos
from the HollyShorts Film Festival at the Chinese Theater in
Hollywood, YEAH that is the one, incidentally the fest is Academy
Award certified so films that win are eligible for Oscar contention!
ALL photos are EXCLUSIVE to Dan's Movie Report and were provided to me by
Choice Skinner and Sachiko Ishida, Brandon Moten has taken some of
the photos and his name is watermarked into the ones he took. Watch
for more exclusives early next week on www.action-flix.com
as well!
Black Lightning- Tobias’s Revenge will screen Saturday August
18th at the 2018 Michigan Comic Con taking place at Cobo Center (Hall
C)1 Washington Blvd Detroit, MI 48226! If you’re going check it out. It
screens at 5:30 PM in room 337!!! This is our film’s last Comic Con
appearance. It’s been real ya’ll!! #michigancomiccon
Greetings
valued Dan's Movie Report readers. In keeping with my promise of
course to support actors, directors, and action professionals who
have taken time out of their hectic schedule to conduct an interview
with me, just had to see the newest film starring Natassia Malthe,
Alpha. Actually Natassia told me about this film back when it was
called 'Solutrean' which actually is a tool making style during the
time of the film, which takes place appx 20,000 years ago.
http://dansmoviereport.blogspot.com/2016/06/actress-natassa-malthe-in-solutrean-as.html
Interestingly
enough, Natassia and I have conducted 3 interviews as well, I find
her enlightening and honest every single time, and it was exhilarating
to see her on the big screen again. Please check out our older
interviews-
As
for 'Alpha', it is a very moving visceral feast for the eyes. Rugged
landscapes, dangerous slopes, and hunting with weapons constructed
out of stone and wood, permeate the film. Essentially we have a
singular story on how man first domesticated the wolf and began to
live in harmony for the good of the hunt and the pack. Alpha is so
much more than that. Layers upon layers of hierarchy with the human
tribe mirroring the wolf tribe. Tau, played deftly by Johannes Haukur
Johannesson, portrays the tribes leader and father to Keda. Tau
teaches the tribe youth how to properly make the stone spear heads if
they pass then they are included in the hunt. The process is
unforgiving, and those who do not pass, are not treated with respect.
We
witness the hunt, Keda, Kodi
Smit-McPhee is virtually in every scene and in the initial hunt,
without spoiling it let us just say things do not go as planned. In
fact they go horribly wrong, essentially this is the main focal point
of the movie, his long, arduous, treacherous journey. How he has to
learn to make fire, find shelter, and ultimately learn that survival
alone is not as easy as survival in a pack. Even if that pack is just
a lone wolf.
The
action tide ebbs and flows in 'Alpha' ranging from calm, to downright
scary in a cave. Although the dialogue, all not in English is sparse,
the emotions from all of the characters are palpable. The pain of the
father losing his boy on the hunt, the grief, to the tribe members
trying to comfort him. Natassia Malthe plays Rho, the boy's mother.
Natassia showed her range with her somber face, and caring emotion
first when she learned of her son's apparent death.
'Alpha'
is a film which requires work from the audience. First of all, if one
is not used to reading subtitles, then perhaps, watch a film with
subtitles prior, I would say to train your eyes. Secondly, because
there is so little dialogue, the audience is forced to pay attention
to the character movements, facial and body expressions, and
landscape location. Essentially director Albert Hughes tells the
story through eyes of the characters in it rather than explaining it
to his viewers.
Again,
for the well educated film attendee, 'Alpha' is a really interesting
ride, and quite possibly the way we did involve ourselves with wolves
as in reality a pack of wolves and a pack of humans would almost
invariably be in conflict, but with two wounded souls, the only
option is to band together for survival. Again, the wolf is let known
his place in the hierarchy order. Always eating after Keda. That
said, they protect each other and since the wolves already hunt in
packs, with the beta female and males often driving the prey to the
alpha, it makes perfect sense that the two of them would team up to
survive.
Watch for an appearance by Leonor Varela as the tribe's Shaman. The thing is due to the fact this film takes place long before the birth of modern religion or organization, many times a healer relied on medicine derived from various plants and animals and of course praying to the stars and heavens. Leonor is a great actress, was interesting to see her in this role
I
opted for the 2D version at a regular theater as the museum near me
decided not to show it in IMAX format. I do like to view films in 2D
first, especially ones with subtitles. Even in 2D the print was
pretty crisp, with vibrant sound and color. Obviously much of the
movie was actually filmed outside, and it allowed for more massive
scope and creative use of the camera. The running time at 97 minutes
felt about right, that said, would have been interesting to have 5-10
minutes more of the tribe prior to the hunt. Alpha is definitely a
film to see in the theater.
Interestingly
enough 'Alpha' is rated PG-13. Seems the producers wanted teenagers
and kids to watch this film with their parents. Sort of like a
history lesson. History this early could have been portrayed much
more brutally, yet we know what happens, and at times the over use of
blood, and gore is just not needed, especially in this case.
Special
congrats go to the animal trainer, who trained the 'wolf dog' for
this film, if ever an academy award was needed for best acting for an
animal, this is it! The dog matches shot for shot the actors moods and intensity.
Above: My ticket to 'Alpha' Support films - go to the damn movies!
Overall 'Alpha' is a great film, very watchable, and actually has the intrinsic
“I have to watch again” factor. 'Alpha' rates a very strong 8 out
of 10. I am very interested in seeing if additional footage is on
the Blu-Ray, as seems even more of a story was told, thus this is a
def buy on home video.
Greetings valued Dan's Movie Report readers, without further fanfare I present the winners for the IDTV Action Fest below. As an important note, there is no distinction between short film and feature film at this festival with regards to awards, it is simply the best actor overall (Male or Female) same with the other categories.
"Our programming this year was beyond anything we could have imagined.
THANK YOU to all the filmmakers who submitted your films, we are
humbled by the decision to submit to our festival. Without further ado
we are honored to announce the WINNERS of IDTV Action Fest 2018."
Best Action Actor: Bryan Larkin - Dead End
Best Action Sequence: Deviants
Best Action Choreography: Kowloon Killers Best Action Team: Blindsided 2: The Game Best Action Film: I Am White Tiger Best Action Script: Finding Alexandria by Sayem Huq Martial Arts Spirit Award: Dom Fred (director)
Greetings
valued readers of Action-Flix and Dan's Movie Report! Once again we
have teamed up to do a giveaway! Keep Checking back with both sites for details! One Blu-Ray per site will be given away.
After
hitting a massive home run with this year's action-packed drama The
Foreigner, martial arts and action icon Jackie Chan is back with
another exciting new import which is the Sci-Fi Action Spectacular Bleeding
Steel.
The film is currently playing in select cinemas and is
available to rent on all Digital Platforms but the film is primed
and ready to be released this August from Lionsgate Home
Entertainment. Check out the official Blu-Ray box art and trailer
below!
A
special force agent is assigned to protect a scientist and his
creation from a sinister gang in Bleeding Steel, arriving on
Blu-ray™ (plus Digital), DVD, and Digital August 21 from
Lionsgate. This film is currently available On Demand.
Honorary
2016 Academy Award® recipient Jackie Chan plays Hong Kong
police inspector Lin Dong, who learns that a biochemical invention
has been surgically implanted into his missing daughter. With help
from a hacker, Lin tries to connect the dots between the device, a
sinister army, and a strange phenomenon called “Bleeding Steel.”
Packed with nonstop action and thrills, the Bleeding
SteelBlu-ray and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price
of $21.99 and $19.98, respectively.
OFFICIAL
SYNOPSIS
In
an action-packed drama reminiscent of ‘80s techno-sci-fi thrillers,
Jackie Chan stars as Lin, a police inspector in modern Hong Kong.
While tracking down a deranged, mech-enhanced villain, Lin discovers
that a geneticist’s lost biochemical invention has been surgically
implanted into his missing daughter. With the help of a young hacker,
Lin connects the dots between the device that haunts his daughter,
his enemy’s sinister army, and a strange cultural phenomenon called
“Bleeding Steel.”
CAST
Jackie
Chan (Rush Hour, Jackie Chan’s Who Am I?, ShanghaiNoon), Show
Lo (Hi My Sweetheart, Journey to the West), Nana Ou-Yang (To the
Fore, Mission Milano, Beijing Love Story), Callan Mulvey (Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, 300:
Rise of an Empire) and Tess Haubrich (The Wolverine, Alien: Covenant,
Infini)
Exclusive
2018 Update: Roel in Vancouver working on two episodes of brand new
Netflix Series Wu Assassins!
Roel has completed work on the period action film Redbad. It has had some screenings in Europe, watch for new exclusive interview soon on your home for detailed interviews, Dan's Movie Report! https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6155374/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_2
Above: Roel with the IMAX camera for Marvel's Inhumans!
DT:
How much time was spent on principle photography in the open spaces
in Hard Target 2.
RR:
I shot the whole movie in 20 or 21 days. (20 days, wow , incredible)
That is the nature of the beast when you are doing low budget action
movies. The budget was 4 million USD, and we shot all over Thailand.
Mainly in the north around Chiang Mai, it was a blast. Wait no haha,
that was where we shot 'Man With the Iron Fist' there. We shot Hard
Target 2 in and around Bangkok. We shot in a place a few hours south
of Bangkok, there we shot all the jungles. If I remember correctly we
spent 2 and a half weeks shooting in the jungle and we spent a week
and a half shooting in Bangkok for the Thai city scenes, the fights,
and the opening, and that material.
To
give you an idea, the opening fight in Hard Target 2 (The Arena) I
shot that in one day! (Ed Note, I was astonished, I asked for
clarification) (Yes one day, and Scott (Adkins) he is just an
incredible actor and fighter, he designed the whole opening fight
sequence in the arena. He was a real trooper, of course for me I am
running around with the camera it is tough, but for him it is even
harder (tough) because he has to do every fucking thing and the
acting and the fighting as well. He (Scott) was just an incredible
person to work with.
DT:
Speaking of casting, your Hard Target 2 had something unique to a
Scott Adkins film, a women with heart and soul. I loved the casting
of Ann Truong as the local village lady, I felt she added heart to
the film without a clunky love story. How did you manage to wrap a
heartfelt story around so much action.?
RR:
Yes, having a script that works is so important, and having an actor
(Ann) that knows performance, and it is easy to focus on that. I
must say that of all my movies, my focus is always the story itself,
the drama, and the human interaction. It is really never the action
for me as a focal point, the action is easy, the drama and the story
telling is the tough part. That is the reason I enjoy my films
watching them and making them, as the drama is the focus, and they
work on that level. A lot of the action scenes I design myself, in
the script it says there is a fight or a chase etc... Then together
with the local stunt team in the case of Hard Target 2 the amazing
Seng Stunt Team coordinator, I will decide on the design of the fight
based on locations, things I think that is “cool” and based on
things that a particular actor is good at. If you work with Scott,
you know what he is good at, so it is advantageous to use that.
Especially shooting in Thailand, I always use Seng Stunt Team. His
team are real pros and they are behind the Ong Bak series. He is one
of the best stunt co-odinators I have ever worked with anywhere in
the world.
With
him we just go creative and see 'what can we do here what can we do
there' then we design it. What I always do and that is why I can
complete principal photography in such a short time 20 days Hard
Target 2. It is important to do a lot of prep before hand, prep is
the most important thing.
DT:
Mentioning prep, how much time did you have for preparation before
the start of principal photography?
RR:
We had five weeks, it is rather short but if you are really thorough,
and also Scott is, he came in two or three weeks before shooting. He
started rehearsing on the fights. In the prep I will make all the
decisions, then when you hit the set, we are ready. I also chose
specific sets where I can do the drama, story, and emotion. I also
chose the sets where I can have the action on location. This allows
me to split the set, (Have two teams) Between action and drama. We
will set up an action scene, example it will take the team two hours
to build the shot, or to build some complicated explosion or stunt
rigging. Wile that set up is going on I will go to the drama side of
the location shoot that dramatic scene with two or three cameras,
then I leave one or two cameras with the action people to set up a
complicated shot. When they (The action team) are ready to begin
shooting I bring the other two cameras from the drama set, shooting
with all four cameras in the action piece, and tell them how to reset
it. This process takes about an hour or two to reset, during that
time I go back to the drama, so it is a continual process.
DT:
Wow, what an amazing insight, really saving time. Basically you
answered my next question, now we move to one of my favorite scenes
in Hard Target 2, a real guilty pleasure. The fight on the train with
the sultry Ann Truong and the dangerous Rhona Mitra. Discuss the set
up and execution of the fight, with regards to set up time and
filming conditions.
RR:
With these scenes especially when dealing with actors who are not
seasoned and trained fighters like Scott is. Ann and Rhona are not
'trained' fighters (Ed Note- Roel was also talking about screen
fighting, Ann knows how to fight, but this is different dynamic) What
you had was two doubles that were Synchronizing and mirroring the
fights. The actors in turn look at the doubles and mirror the fights
from the doubles. That is how I shot that sequence. I recall that we
shot the sequence in only one day, it was pretty tough as it was so
hot (nearing or exceeding 100 degrees) Both actresses were real
troupers and gave it their all. They went for it hard. For a few of
the spot gags (stunts like falling off the train and between the
train) because when Rhona Mitra's character is kicked between the
train it is a really dangerous sequence. Actually that is a stunt guy
double actually bending into that position. It was a very dangerous
stunt.
DT:
Speaking of the fights in Hard Target 2, there is a girl on guy
fight, a tricky fight sequence with Rhona and Scott Adkins. Describe
the dynamic of the cunning vs brawn fight, girl vs guy type fight.
RR:
The good thing about Scott Adkins is he then runs that moment. He is
the one telling Rhona to really hit me full on as hard as you can. He
was really pushing her to use her full power. There was full contact,
that is what made the fight believable. Yeah that was really cool, as
it made Rhona aware of what she could do, she was also daring Scott
to come closer and fight and do the same thing. It was really a team
effort between the two of them to make it really look good. My job as
a director on that sequence was relatively easy just to point the
camera haha, because it is them doing this. The only thing I could do
is come up with a cool ending where Scott kicks her through some wood
planks. The fight though is completely managed by Scott and Rhona
themselves. The choreography was executed by Seng and his team, they
designed the fight but ultimately as with any fight it is up to the
two actors to make it believable. It was up to them to make it work
and they did, they both really went for it.
DT:
The went for it and it was damn brutal. Speaking of action, chat
about working with Jeeja and doing the final fight on the bridge in
Hard Target 2. Must have been amazing to work with great action
people for the climactic fight in the film.
RR:
For me it was an absolute blast, Jeeja is such a famous star in
Thailand. I really liked her films. Chocolate was amazing. Seng and
her know each other. In one of the rehearsals that Scott was there
she came to the rehearsal and I met her and said I was a big fan and
kind of like a joke I said hey do you want to come to the movie and
do a little thing, some action. She was like 'yeah why not' . So that
was kind of how it went. (Ed Note: That is amazing and proves, ask
for what you want, who knows you may get it) Lets put her in the
action and lets go for it. That fight Katsu is also a fight
choreographer he is the guy who 'dances' with her during the fight,
the two of them are also in one of the Thai films (Chocolate) Since
they worked together previously, they both came up with some unique
moves, then Seng and Scott came up with some ideas, so it was a real
collaboration on the final fight sequence designing that part of the
fight.
DT:
The fight was amazing but so was the location, chat about the bridge
location for the final fight.
RR:
I remember I really wanted to do this whole ending on the roof of
this building in Bangkok, and we actually designed it for that. We
then lost the location, which was at the time a real bummer. The
local producer Chris Lowenstien, said hey know this really cool
bridge, he showed me pictures, then I went scouting with him to the
bridge. When I saw the bridge I thought wow it is spectacular.
I
thought the bridge was huge gave a massive scope to the ending.
Probably never would have realized that on the rooftop location.
Exactly,
of course.
DT:
Thanks for the incredible insight to Hard Target 2. Wow! My mind is
blown, seems someone is ready for A list action! Give this man 100mil
and haha, the movie theater just might topple over!
This
concludes part one of the massive interview! Get ready kids, more
hard knowledge is gonna be dropped your way soon!
Now
as your teacher in action, I humbly submit your homework
assignment: drive, fly crawl, or run to a real museum to watch
Marvel's Inhumans! The first two episodes were shot on dual Alexa
65mm 4k museum cameras! Phase two of this massive interview will drop
from the sky in September! When you want to unleash hell, don't talk
about it, go and do it!
Finally,
special thanks go to the ladies Ann and Katrina, for pointing out
this spectacular film, and having the heart and mind to prove that
film is truly worldwide! To Roel, um, seems you sir have unleashed
hell, just hope the IMAX can take it! Keep Reading Dan's Movie Report!
Katrina
Durden blasted across the big screen in Doctor Strange, and her
intense performance, along with the intricate movie, warranted an
detailed interview. After watching Doctor Strange three times in the
theater, and of course buying a Blonde Zealot Funko toy, haha, I
knew the time is right to go in hard and fast to interview this
talented and humble lady, discussing Doctor Strange, her role in the
new Street Fighter series and of course her extensive action
training. Katrina is wonderfully inspiring young and talented lady,
ready to work hard in the action world, get ready folks, a worldwide
exclusive interview with the BLONDE ZEALOT: Katrina Durden!
Update August 2018: Katrina Durden is training for new project with stunt action specialist Tara Macken! Keep reading Dan's Movie Report for more details soon! Check out this bad ass new video! Incidentally Tara Macken has been featured on my site numerous times including a massive interview: http://dansmoviereport.blogspot.com/2013/04/tara-macken-interview-exclusive-dans.html
Chat
about your childhood. and how you caught the action bug so to speak,
was there a person in your life when you were a child that had a
profound impact on your life?
My
parents were creatives so I was left to my on devices. I became
fascinated with films, cartoons, comic books and video games, their
stories and characters; particularly the strong female ones. Their
abilities and self confidence, something an awkward kid that never
really felt like she fit in aspired to have. At the same time, I was
a bit of a tom boy, and back when kids still payed outside, the only
kids that made me feel at home were largely boys with their simple
philosophy and rough and tumble way of handling things. It made sense
to me. Then slowly I was exposed to the likes of Jackie Chan, Bruce
Lee, 80's and early 90's action films and was of course, like pretty
much everyone you must speak to, was fascinated.
What
can you remember one of your early Sensei's teaching you that still
sticks in your mind today?
Its
not really a particular lesson, but the discipline and diligence
that's instilled from being involved in martial arts, and sport as a
whole really, is so important. I would never say I'm particularly
innately talented. But I'm super passionate about what I do and will
put everything I have in to improving and developing, and supporting
others on their quest around me - I think paying it forward is one of
the most important things we can do.
Chat
about your acting training ,and what made you decide that you wanted
to be in front of the camera?
I've
been performing, off my own back, since I was circa 13, whether it be
dance, amateur dramatics, poetry or music. I studied at school and
did two years of performing arts at college, did summer schools and
workshops at places like Sylvia Young's and Moscow Arts Theater, was
part of a theater company and was lucky to do a placement at a
theater in Paris. During this time, my dad passed away which put my
future into a bit of a tail spin. Performing had to be put to one
side as I attempted to build a viable career in Sports Science and
Human Performance to support myself and my family. But that itch
wouldn't go away. Fast forward a couple of years, and a few more
experiences, and I met some incredible people in the world of
film-making and action who reignited and helped me add fuel to the
the flame and made me realize that itch was there for a reason. If I
didn't give myself a shot, if I didn't know, I would forever wonder
"what if". So I got to work studying anywhere and with
anyone I could. My uncle is a film, TV, theater and ex Royal
Shakespeare Company actor, and also sat on the admissions board at
the Central School of Speech and Drama so he coached and mentored me,
as did actor and film maker, Joey Ansah. Life is a people experience,
and this is a people industry and I've been so lucky to have met and
learned from some great ones. Other than that I still take classes
and seek to learn continuously; I'll always be a student of my
passions.
I
noticed that your area of study is Human Performance, describe to my
audience the training and classes you have to undertake in that
curriculum, how also does it make you a better actress, and more well
rounded person?
When
I originally decided to study sport and human performance, it was
almost as a response to what had happened in my life. What was the
closest thing to the things I loved? Performance, action, martial
arts, human ability. It seemed the smart choice. Again, from my early
influences, I was fascinated by the human body and its capabilities,
and elite sports people and movement artists, are an example of the
closest thing we have to super humans. I had also studied psychology
in college because I was also fascinated by human behavior and the
human mind and how far it could go. It was a close toss up. But
studying sports science gave me a clear understanding of the
functions of the human form, how to improve performance and fuel and
look after oneself physically. That's an important part of training,
of action and indeed of the modern industry. But I think, like
anything really, its another page in my story, another chapter in my
book to draw on and I think the art of acting is also developed in
the art of living life, experiencing different situations, vocations,
meeting people on all different paths and listening to their stories
and adding to your emotional intelligence. I've spent time as a
trainer, a coach, a kids teacher, a journalist and so on, and I've
learned from all of those experiences and the people I've met along
the way.
Chat
about the audition process, if there was one, or how you were
selected for Doctor Strange.
I
was recommended to the casting director, Reg Poerscout-Edgarton, by a
friend of mine who knew and had worked with him previously, one of my
closest friends and fellow actors. I went in, did the audition, and
then came out not thinking too much of my efforts. About 4 weeks
later, I get a call to come in for a stunt assessment and then
training began, about a month after that I was confirmed for the
role.
Once
you landed the role, did you undergo a lengthy training process? What
are some of the things you had to learn for your Zealot part?
We
spent a good few months training under the most awesome Jojo Eusebio
and Vincent Wang in a mixture of martial arts styles, including
Silat, Cali, JKD and Kung Fu, and of course the choreography itself.
We spent a lot of time previzing the action sequences. We had a lot
of wire work to do so we spent lots of time rehearsing and getting
comfortable with the stuff we were going to do on screen - the whole
thing was a lot of fun - a lot of hard work, but an incredible
learning experience.
Above Katrina Durden as The Blonde Zealot in Doctor Strange
Curious
when you started filming, what some of the instructions were for you
to get in character, did they give you the menacing stare directive,
and how did you approach your character, did you sit with the script
and act it out?
The
script had it all - it was our bible. It showed us our place in this
Strange universe. And Mads was such an incredible commander, and
Scott Derrickson, our general. They led, we followed.
Share
a strange ahaha, and or unusual story from the set of 'Doctor
Strange'
So
many! We had so much fun on those sets - from magic tricks, to dance
battles and general douchebaggery - it was just incredible to be part
of the wild ride. Wouldn't even know where to start. I will say that
one of the hardest things I've had to do is try to keep a straight
face standing in front of Benedict Wong as he's chuckling himself at
the end of the Hong Kong section.
Chat
about working with your friends Scott Adkins and Zara Phythian, does
it make things easier when mates are on set?
Ah
most definitely. The dream is and has always been to do what you love
with the people you love and respect. And I've been so lucky to have
done that. Both Zara and Scott are such talented performers, both in
action and drama, and had been an inspiration early on as pioneers of
the UK in the action industry, so again, getting to work with people
you really respect as people and professionals is always great.
Particularly when they're mates.
What
are your thoughts on the film, I am sure that you liked it, but
curious if you watched it and are thinking if you did this and this
differently etc...?
The
film is phenomenal, a real visual masterpiece and a testament to the
team that made it happen. I don't think I'd ever be presumptuous
enough to think id change anything, but I guess, with a great story
and so many great characters it would have been awesome to just see
more of it all.
Above: Katrina Durden as Decapre in Street Fighter: Resurrection
Shifting
gears, chat about Street Fighter: Resurrection and your bad ass
character Decapre, what is her origin and her strengths, judging from
your reel, she is a relentless bad girl.
Decapre
is a character that was first made playable in SFIV and she is one of
Bison's personally programmed female army, The Dolls. Her appearance
resembles that of Cammy, however her face is scarred from the
experimentation done to her by M Bison. This is a sore spot for
Decapre and reason for her wearing her trademark mask, and also the
reason for her intense hatred of Cammy, although raised as sisters.
Her programming, some say was too good, bringing about certain
robotic mannerisms and way of speaking, however it had also left her
volatile. Calm, then berserka style rage when provoked - made her
such an interesting character to step into. And I'm such a fan of
Street Fighter, that getting to be part of that universe was also a
dream come true.
Do
you like playing the antagonistic characters, you are such a kind
lady so this is acting?
Ah,
thanks man! I think it's always great playing bad girls. People are
an interesting mix of light and dark and exploring the darkness in an
appropriate setting is always fun. Especially when antagonists are
multi layered. For example, Decapre was doing the bidding of her
chief and commander, M. Bison, a man that then abandoned her and bid
her to die as if disposable, bringing about a different mix of
emotions which was great to explore.
Who
are some of the directors, producers and actors you would like to be
given the opportunity to work with in the future
There
are so many, I could be here forever. There are so many actors,
directors and producers that inspire me constantly I almost don't
want to limit my answer. I just love working with passionate,
talented people and I've been lucky in having done that so far, I
hope to be fortunate enough to continue to do so.
Speaking
of the future what are some of the projects you have coming that you
can discuss?
Well,
Street Fighter: Resurrection should be getting a wider release very
soon and as for upcoming work, I'm hoping 2018 will continue to be a bright
year... ;-)
Katrina
in 10 years is, A. acting, B. Producing, C. Teaching or D. A
combination, what are your long term goals?
Hopefully
all of the above. Film making fascinates me. But for sure, longevity.
To survive and create. First and foremost I want to be the greatest
actress I can be, and I am always learning. But the more and more I
grow within this industry the more I would like to expand into
directing and writing given the experience and opportunity.
Advice
to young people wanting a career in the entertainment field?
Do
it. With all your heart and everything you have. And love the
process. The destination is less important than the path itself,
enjoy its twists and turns. And invest in good people. They will make
the journey amazing.
Above Katrina Durden interviewed for Dan's Movie Report a video!!!
Check out this Exclusive video for Dan's Movie Report featuring Kagtrina Durden and Lee Charles!! Live at a Doctor Strange Screening!
Final
thoughts:
Thank
you for having me Danny :-) always a pleasure and thank you for your
support!
For
More information on the amazing Katrina Durden blast your browsers to
her official Social Media Pages @
Greetings
valued Dan's Movie Report Readers. Special thanks go to Los Angeles
Overnight Star Ashley Park, for letting me know about the film and
the fact that it is available free to watch for Amazon Prime Members!
Every
so often a indie flick comes along with some really amazing dialogue,
that makes the viewer pay attention to detail and allows for
introspection inside the minds of the intersecting characters.
Getting right into it, Writer/Producer Guy J. Jackson really has
created a noir crime thriller. Hard to compare it to any other film,
maybe in theory to Pulp Fiction, but unlike Pulp Fiction the main
focus is not on the main criminals and the fact that Priscilla
(Arielle Brachfeld) is more forced into the stealing due to her
inability to make ends meet as an actress.
The
cool thing here is the actors all had a chance to shine and share in
the meaty dialogue. Legendary actress Sally Kirkland portrays Miss
Chantilly a woman dead set on opening a high class club in NYC, and
recruiting young waitress/actresses to staff it. Her scenes are
lavishly embellished with a side of sarcasm and crazy. Ms Kirkland
always lights up the screen. I do wish she had more screen time, but
the film had a tight running time of 93 minutes, obviously things
were cut out, but I do feel the film could have used 10 more minutes
of run time to make the characters more developed.
Ashley
Park portrays Abelie, with a quiet yet dangerous intensity. Her
character is seemingly innocent at first until we find out her true
intentions, quite ruthless. I do hope to see Ashley in more roles
like this where she has a chance to get in some intellectual
dialogue, with colorful character development
Being
that this is the first feature film from director Michael
Chrisoulakis, I was rather astonished he pulled of such a great debut
film as it is a tough road often for a director to make the jump from
short films to features. He did a great job with the actors, and
handled the copious dialogue, by allowing his actors to show their
particular strengths.
All
of the behind camera accoutrements including lighting and sound are clear
and easy to see the and hear the dialogue. Again showing the
importance of good A.D.R. (Ed note: Additional Dialogue Recording) people.
With many of the scenes shot outside, it would be very easy to
overlook the variety in volume, and thus even in bigger budget films
some of the outside dialogue can be harder to hear.
Plot
wise the story is entertaining, actually has repeat watch factor, I
do hope Amazon makes the film eventually available on Blu-Ray with
extra footage etc..., and commentary track. It would be very
interesting to hear Guy and Michael's though processes on each
character and actor portraying them.
Overall
Los Angeles Overnight is a very good film, surprisingly intellectual,
and full of witty, sometimes truculent, sordid dialogue. Although the
dialogue from actors can be a bit loquacious at times, things move
fast, and it is on to the next person dropping his or her own
ruminations in a vocal setting! Los Angeles Overnight rates a very
strong 8 out of 10, a must own!
Greetings valued Dan's Movie Report
readers. The initial U.S. screening of the action film Re: Born took place Friday August 10th in Austin
Texas at the IDTV Action Fest. Since this is a really early review
and no other U.S. Outlet has seen the movie, I have decided that this
will be a more concise description of the film, with no plot
spoilers, nor any really detailed information.
Reborn represents an achievement in
action and tone. To me it has a bit of the tonality of the original
movie The Crow. Reborn is dark, brooding, yet with a glimmer of hope.
The actors move through the scenes, like a silent glider on a stream
of air, yet when the time is right to touchdown, the landing
sometimes can be a bit rough! The violence in Reborn is very
stealthy, fighters approach with little fanfare and in a flash they
are dispatched.
Tak Sakaguchi wears many hats in
Re:Born, as he wrote, starred in, and choreographed the action. Tak
is in expert in action, and seems to allow other actors their time to
shine as well! The action is ultra violent and probably the in the TV
MA or hard R rating. Also in some ways this film can be considered a
supernatural horror film, as the character is literally named Ghost
and moves like one.
In fact on that site, fans can view the
entire production process, many photos, full cast information as
well.
Although the one man vs an army plot
has been used in several films, in Re:Born however, the fighting is
followed by calm moments, almost like a reluctant hero, yet with
honor and purpose. A couple of scenes stand out, for action. We see a
calm placement of a dinner in a microwave, as many thugs approach
quietly inside a small store. One by one thugs are dispatched using
various items in the store. What is cool is it is not a melee, more
of an appear then disheartening act to remove the next thug, each in
creative ways. One thug breaks a bottle for a weapon, yet the bottom
of the bottle is eventually how he meets his demise! Another cool
scene is in a phone booth, he is calling Sachi and is calmly
speaking, and up walks a seemingly innocent school girl, except haha,
she has a knife and there is a struggle, let us just say it was
rather creative, and as soon as things are wrapped up so to speak he
completes his call! Again, creative action, clever dialogue, a zen
feeling wrapped up with the dichotomy of action!
Minor gripes about the lighting in the
film as it is pretty dark, I think some corner lighting and a small
overhead light would have illuminated the action a bit better. The
action is fast, and crazy yet, Would have liked to see some more
creative camera angles, maybe more overhead or slightly to the side
over, Again this is really nit picking as fantastic as the film is.
Above: RE: Born autographs from the official Facebook page of the film.
Remember this is a subtitled film, not
dubbed, thankfully. Although I only speak English, well somewhat ha, I
feel that always watching a film in it's original language is
important to get the vocal inflection. When a character is angry,
sad, happy, or pensive, the audience can feel their conveyed ideas.
Re: Born has a good amount of dialogue including one of the
characters in a wheelchair so, we can witness his pain and suffering,
yet a glimmer of hope, all through sound of voice.
Re: Born is a film that pushes the
envelope, yet seals the same envelope in a solid package. I am
interested to see how the rest of the World and of course a U.S.
Audience will enjoy it. Re:Born rates a 7.5 out of 10, a must
purchase! The film unleashes to the USA September 24th!
