Above Image: Poster for 'Death Count' (C) 2022 All rights reserved, image used for promotional purposes only, not monetized.
Greetings
valued Dan's Movie report readers. Across my desk today comes a brand
new horror film called 'Death Count'. The movie is in the tradition
of the 'Saw' franchise in that several people are locked in a cell,
and have to perform various tests and tasks to survive. The twist
here is each person is locked in their own cell and have a collar
attached to them and an explosive implanted at the base of their
neck.
Costas
Mandylor plays Warden, the one in charge of the game of torture. He
provides each of the contestants with a tool box full of weapons for
them to do self harm, thus gaining cyber likes, people are watching
the game and evaluating each of the contestants. The rules are harsh,
the warden makes all of them and if they are not followed heads
explode, literally.
'Death
Count' is ultra bloody, excruciatingly violent, and more of a gore
fest than horror. Of course the audience will cringe at several
scenes including, minor spoiler, one where a lady has to pry off her
own fingernail. Kind of like a gruesome car wreck, it is hard to look
at, yet compelling and hard to look away.
Though
the movie is really violent and several people meet their demise, I
feel that we learned very little of the characters, except their
basic profession, and other minor traits. When one of the characters
dies, I just am not really emotionally invested, that said, 'Death
Count' does what it sets out to do and that is show people's fear and
has creative ways to torture.
Acting
is surprisingly decent for a horror film, no one goes all over the
top, thus ruining the scares. Actress Sarah French seems to get the
bulk of the screen time, she is enticing and talented. I actually
felt sorry for her and her situation,she does an amazing job of selling the terror, anger, and confusion she has at various parts of the film. Actress Devanny Pinn though
with a smaller role has a particularly crazy scene, she sells the
scream queen role, and seems to revel in being scared and sexy at the
same time.
Michael
Madsen as Detective Casey and Costas as Warden are given the bare
minimum fodder for acting, with Costas being shrouded in a half face
covering. Once again I am assuming that the idea of the Warden
character is a faceless man who is there just to torment the
contestants and it does not really matter much who he is or his
situation.
Behind
the scenes 'Death Count' delivers a well filmed effort, the scenes
are clear and even the dimly lit ones are easy to make out and see.
Sound is clear, all of the actors emote their lines and sounds
clearly having impact when they are in pain or worse. The setting is
a basic prison, with little in the way of additional scenery save for
a video camera in each room. Drab, and foreboding is the key to
'Death Count' and I am sure it is done on purpose.
'Death
Count' movies at a brisk pace, no wasted time. The 81 minute film
directed by Michael Su, is just entertaining enough to warrant a
recommendation, Violent and reprehensible, 'Death Count' should keep
hard core gore horror fans entertained, and casual horror fans engagingly interested.
The film comes out July 19th on various streaming platforms, and rates a 6.5 out of 10.
Above Image (C) 2022 IFC= All rights reserved, image used for promotional purposes only, not monetized
Anyone who knows me realizes how much I enjoy watching two genres of films besides action, Science Fiction and Horror. Well, seems like the new film on now available from IFC on as a pay extra on Amazon Prime, among other streaming outlets, makes an attempt at delivering, sadly though, 'Rubikon', tries to be intelligent, but kind of ends up as a boring, rather drab discussion on a sad future where the world is run by corporations and many millions have apparently died by some unknown fog.
Director Magdalena Lauritsch who is also one of the films writers, tries to cram elements of story into 'Rubikon', my issue is there is just not many plot developments, and when they happen, the audience is thrust right back into the mundane story. The entire film is basically three people stuck on a space station. Eventually they try to make it back to Earth. The attempt is unsuccessful, to be honest, I would have liked to see them actually make it back to Earth to view the consequences of Human action.
The science behind the toxic fog, and this weird living algae mass, that is sustaining them on the space station is never fully explained. I am assuming it has contaminated the world as it is stated that rich people live in a dome that allows for consistent fresh air and food, again not entirely explained.
I actually had to finish the movie over a few sittings, actually the acting is rather good, yet, just not enough going on to warrant a recommendation. Actress Julia Franz Richter worked very hard on the physical and emotional aspects of her character, and she had a lot of dialogue and actions. The other two leads Mark Ivanir as Dimitri and George Blagden as Gavin essentially make up the entire main cast, and the interplay between the three leads to various situations and confrontations. I really wanted to like this film, the premise is quite interesting, I just do not think the film makers had the proper budget nor script consultant to allow for a more entertaining film. I will have to say 'Rubikon' is a pass from me, and rates a tepid 4 out of 10
Above Photo: (C) 2022 Infraction Media EXCLUSIVE all rights reserved!
Greetings
valued Dan's Movie Report readers, today I chat with rising star Asha Annais, she has a wide variety of experience in the film and martial
arts world, and shares her knowledge and desire to rise up in the
business. Her most recent feature is 'Honorable Sins', which is
currently for sale or rent @
https://www.infractionmedia.com/watch-nowAsha is quite an engaging and
talented young lady. Asha is amazing and is ready to unleash her
diverse talents, enough of my babbling, on to the interview.
Chat
about your childhood, who are some of your influences in acting and
action? Chat about your first acting gig in the short film
'Evolution'
First
influences were DC / Marvel characters such as Iron, Zatana and
Wonder Woman. My first acting role was before 'Evolution' and I did an
advert for a Sound Conference and an Engineering company. I just
enjoyed experiencing being in a different reality pretending to be
another person.
Growing
into your teen years Asha, were there events or situations in life
that made you ultimately decide to pursue acting and martial arts,
any negative experiences or positive?
I
grew up doing martial arts, when I saw 'Boyka Undisputed' it was one of
my favorite films and I decided I wanted to try to expand my martial
arts. I started doing my own stunts in the movies I have been
involved with. I have been kicked, bruised and punched on set. I
always try to ensure that the martial artists are very experienced
and above all are able to fully control their fight action.
Above Photo: (C) 2022 Infraction Media EXCLUSIVE all rights reserved!
Chat
about the film 'Future Shift' did that film really cement your desire
to act and work in film full time?
I
think Replecan was the turning point. The script was great, the cast
were amazing. At the time I was 15 years old when I was filming that.
I was living in an adult world of film and I found it an amazing
experience. I have always admired British actors and I am fortunate
to be able to work on a new project in the next few months whilst
here in the UK.
I
noticed you do stunts on 'Replecan' and 'Honorable Sins', have you
ever thought about pushing to be a Stunt Performer for Hollywood big
budget films, or do you like working independently?
I
do not want to pursue stunts, but if the opportunity arose and it was
an offer I couldn’t refuse then of course I would be excited to do
it. Acting is my first love, along with martial arts so any
opportunities to further my career I will jump at. I love Indie
movies and have built my career working in Indies, however I think
many actors like myself hope for larger budgets and more recognition.
Same
question with regards to make-up artist, I noticed you were the
Make-Up Artist for those films as well, ever thought about doing that
for Hollywood, films?
If
the opportunity arose I would for sure love to do that. Every role
takes a lot of effort so I find myself focusing on the roles I want
to do the most.
Above Photo: (C) 2022 Infraction Media EXCLUSIVE all rights reserved!
I
am curious how working in Canada compares to the USA or U.K. It
seems like the Canadian Government is more supportive of independent
filmmakers.
The
Canadian government is generous for tax credits, however small Indie
films with a diverse cast such as ours are often overlooked. Our
biggest supporters are in the US and the UK. Working in the US is
fantastic, there is an amazing energy that emanates from everyone.
The UK is buzzing with filmmakers and it has a great atmosphere.
Do
you feel that there is still a long way to go for women as directors
or producers, question also for Suza... I ask this because it seems
after the whole Harvey Weinstien situation, ladies are finally rising
up.
Asha:
I think it is difficult to comment on, I don’t know too much about
the numbers of how many women are getting to direct but it looks as
though there are becoming more women directors.
Suza:
It appears that there might be more women producers than directors
(don’t have the figures at all) I think there are now persons
identifying as women also in the category of what was the
traditional category of ‘women filmmakers ‘so the actual numbers
of women could have gone up or down I don’t have an answer. The
real numbers are hidden. Women Of Color Action Directors are pretty
slim on the ground. There is no one is running around looking for
them at all.
What
are some of the goals you have in the future five years from now
My
5 year goals is to be in bigger projects, and also to star in a
marvel movie one day.
Moving
on to Martial Arts, lets chat about some of your training in action?
I
started around 4 doing TKO and then took an interest in boxing. At
one point I wanted to be a boxer but had a few knee injuries and
decided against that. I have always admired martial artists and I
always tried to learn moves I saw on screen.
Do
you feel as a martial artist that training has changed in the past 10
years?
I
am not really sure, my training has changed as I now learn as much
screen fight action as traditional boxing and TKD. They are two
completely different techniques with different qualities for each.
Who
are some of your martial artist influences?
My
biggest influences are Jackie Chan, Scott Adkins (Undisputed), Van
Helsing is my favorite movie which is packed with action. I also love
Cynthia Rothrock and Don the Dragon Wilson, who are amazing people
and great role models.
I
am am curious if your watch UFC or MMA events, have you ever thought
to compete, I see they had MMA competitions on UFC Tuff Enough.
Yes
I have seen WWE live and loved it. There was a time I seriously
considered pursuing WWE but due to my knee injury I had to rethink. I
love MMA but have never wanted to compete in it.
Wrapping
up the interview chat about some advice you would give your younger
self if you could go back 10 years, things to look out for, bad or
good.
I
would say try new things, go for the audition and don’t be shy.
Even though you might doubt yourself there might be a film role that
is ideal for you and you don’t know unless you go after that.
Above Video (C) 2022 Infraction Media Shout of from Asha to Dan's Movie Report!!
What
advice do you have for young actors and martial artists growing up,
and do you have a motto to live by?
Go
to as many different martial art classes as possible. It will give
you a better grounding. I don’t have a motto but I believe that if
you want to be an actor try to act along with the characters you are
watching. It helps you generate the emotion required for the scene.
For further information
please connect with Asha on her official pages:
Greetings
valued Dan's Movie Report readers. Across my desk today comes a film
that actually was filmed a decade ago, but I actually knew very
little about. Thanks to lead actress and Executive Producer Saye
Yabandeh, I was given the opportunity to view this very powerful and
thought provoking film. Although this film apparently is available to
watch on Plex, I feel that the film is important enough to review and
actually should enjoy a second resurgence in 2022 in light of the
recent events.
---Image at Left: (C) 2011 Leo Entertainment, all rights reserved image used for promotional purposes only image not monetized.
Lead
actress Sayé Yabandeh portrays a
woman in crises, yet her situation gets far worse when she is (Minor
Spoiler) raped and then eventually shot, these events happen early in
the film but what
happens next is a master class in character study
on the possibilities of turning on your attacker or turning them in.
The 122 minute film seems to run a trifle long, yet it weaves and
intricate tale of what ifs. '5th and Alameda' was the
address where she was shot and the robbery took place, yet her life
and the back drop of a culture of the middle east that is severely
limiting towards women, make for a purposeful and erudite production
that will stay with the audience far after the final credits role.
Sayé
Yabandeh's Sara
is an empathetic character full of conflicting emotions. Throughout
'5th
& Alameda' we see her with shards of memory from the rape and
shooting, but she never quite remembers everything, the physical and
emotional pain stay with her throughout the film. Her acting is on
point here, ranging from scared and demure to raging and fighting
back, I really liked the change and her eventually standing up for
herself. I hope in 2022, women stand up for themselves in November,
and for the foreseeable future or more rights will probably be taken
away, but that is not my place to comment, I am obviously not a
women.
As
an American citizen, I have no ideas the horrors someone like Sayé
Yabandeh
has faced being born in Iran, especially as a creative thoughtful
person. Being a female producer is hard enough and '5th
and Alameda' is a monumental achievement in important programming.
Actor Corey
Sevier as Derek and Mario Van Peebles as Trevor, are both well
cast and have the emotional investment to handle a film such as this.
Director Richard
Friedman and writer Corey
Druskin weave a solid tale and never allow the audience or the
actors to stray far from the dire and sorrowful subject matter, '5th
and Alameda' is not a happy film, yet maybe it will change people's
mind about the creativity of Iranian artists.
Sara
eventually turns on her attacker and the plot thickens so to say, and
I will not spoil it. Saye the actress seems strong and self assured,
so I am believing she could turn the tables on her attacker if need
be! The attacker gives her the choice and she makes it, trust me
watch the movie as it unfolds to see the results!
I
enjoyed the various settings and camera work as well from '5th
and Alameda' time was taken obviously to frame the shots, to have the
actors either look angry, scared, remorseful, relieved,... Actually
nearly every human emotion is on display in this film, much time was
taken to learn about the characters thoughts and motivations even
with the story being told through at times a series of flashbacks.
This can be explained as only partial memory of the event from Saye's
character is occurring.
Overall,
because I watch many indie and foreign films, I am used to this, I
rate the film a very strong 8.5 out of 10, a must watch for fans of
foreign and indie thought provoking films. I am assuming the target
audience is not 100million dollar USA summer block busters, with
little plot, thus my rating is based on the scope and scale of an
indie production. Respect to all involved, hopefully later in 2022 I
can interview Saye and get her thoughts on this film and her
humanitarian work.
Above Image: The Prey Legend of Karnoctus official poster: All Rights reserved to the original owners, image used for promotional purposes only, not monetized.
Greetings
valued Dan's Movie Report readers. Across my desk today comes a
thriller in the vein of Predator but has the claustrophobic fear of
the original Alien film. Synopsis: Synopsis: In the Afghanistan
desert, a group of mercenaries out for treasure complete their
greatest heist. Seeking refuge from the hunting Taliban in a nearby
cave, they are soon joined by retreating US soldiers, and both groups
are trapped within by a rocket explosion at the cave’s entrance.
The newly joined parties need to work together to find an escape
through the labyrinth but soon realize they’re being tracked by a
deadly beast that local legend calls Karnoctus; and they have become…
the prey.
The
film has a killer opening scene, then pans to a firefight. I kind of
hoped the pace of the film would stay rapid, Actually 'The Prey' just
ends up as a cat and mouse game between the soldiers and a monster in
very dim light. Here is the issue I had, we see the monster far too
early in my opinion to establish fear, more like gore scenes, if that
is your thing. The soldiers have hallucinations as well, although I
am not entirely sure how and why they came from and not everyone has
them.
Incidentally
the acting itself is decent enough, no one is just phoning it in, and
the actors seem to show genuine fear when the monster is near. Since
they are in a cave lighting is not the best, and that is to be
expected, when we see the views from the vision of the monster it is
more like a visual representation of heat, which separates it from
the view the soldiers have. Costuming is sandy, distressed military,
so that base is covered, again, nothing to detract. Respectable
behind the camera work, given the limited budget.
Musically
though I am not a fan of rap music which is prevalent, I thought that
the music and sounds used when the monster was approaching set the
tone. I probably should not even comment on the music in the film,
but I feel that if you do like rap, you will like it more. OK, enough
about that, the dialogue though is quite clear and easy to
understand, the actors project their voice fine, and if ADR was used
it is barely noticeable.
The
soldiers move through the cave as the original opening was caved in
by an explosion. The middle hour of the film is kind of slow, but the
last 15 minutes are full of action, Almost makes up for the slow
parts, actually would have been cool not to see the monster until the
end, but I guess the filmmakers wanted to establish that the monster,
which looks like a big-foot, is actually chasing the soldiers.
Just
be warned, although Danny Trejo is in the film it is nothing more
than a very small opening cameo. That said, if anyone in my reading
audience likes low budget monster films, 'The Prey: Legend of
Karnoctus' is not that bad, campy and they tried their best.
Directors Cire
Hensman and Matthew
Hensman do their best with the limited budget, and they even
tease that a second film is coming, so perhaps with a higher budget
things will take off. Overall, though I wanted to like 'The Prey:
Legend of Karnoctus', the film is average though, perhaps a rating of
5.5 out of 10. I did like the ending trailer showing some behind the
scenes, including some story-boarding, so obviously with a bigger
budget, they are ready for a part two, I will state that I am looking
forward to what the Hensmans come up with next!
Film
is available beginning July 7th on various digital platforms, including iTunes, Prime Video, Vudu, and Google
Play. The action-adventure monster movie is now available nationwide
on all major Cable, Satellite and Telco platforms, including Comcast,
Charter, DirecTV, Cox, Verizon Fios, Dish, Sling and AT&T
U-verse.
Above Image: Poster for 'Hot Seat' (C) 2022 LIONSGATE All rights reserved, image not monetized
Greetings
valued Dan's Movie Report readers, across my desk comes a new
thriller from LIONSGATE entitled 'Hot Seat'. The title explains the
movie as a computer hacker is trapped in his office chair with a bomb
under his seat. He has to hack into a secure vault area for a
deranged madman who is basically just a voice over a loudspeaker, growling instructions and threatening his family.
'Hot
Seat' is a taught cyber thriller, never wavering much from the
central plot of a hacker and his manipulator going through the
various tasks that he is supposed to perform. Slight of hand and a
mis direction play a big part in this film, but to be honest, I had a
suspicion what was going on, yet it was well disguised. No spoilers,
but the ending is quite entertaining. Unlike the Sandra Bullock mess
'The Net', this film has teeth, and actions have real consequences!
Veteran
actor Mel Gibson plays an aging bomb tech named Wallace Reed,
although not very agile, has his mental prowess in tact. His partner
is is young, always challenging him, yet has respect for him.
Although 30 years passed his Lethal Weapon days, Mel is always quite
engaging to watch on screen, sardonic, sarcastic and seemingly always
ready for action.
Actress
Shannen Doherty plays a chief of police named Pam Connelly. Actually
it is very cool to see her acting, as going through cancer treatments
and health challenges is so hard. She did what she could in a
limited, non action role.
The
other acting is decent, yet I did not care much for actress Katy
Katzman as Ava, actually I do not think it is her fault. The writers
made her like the dumb blonde, which is really unbelievable
considering she works in the management of a building with security
clearance. In my opinion her character is superfluous to the main
story even though she is kind of inserted into the room with the
chair bomb. She does help somewhat, so all is not lost, but I kind of
wish the writers just made her with above average intellect, rather than a stereo type..
Going
back to the story, complaints aside, did grab my attention especially
the final 30 minutes. Simple story, basic office backdrop, nothing
too far out of the ordinary, but an astute eye will kind of
see what is going on. The film hits a breakneck pace with a twist, especially when the action
finally moves outside the office, again no spoilers.
The
behind the scenes aspects of the film are solid, well lit, decent
tense music, creative camera angles make this a slightly above
average thriller. Worthy of a streaming watch, 'Hot Seat' drops on
various platforms on July 1st. I am on the fence about
rating, the ending bumps it up to a 7 out of 10 though.
Above Image: Official Poster (C) 2022 Gravitas Ventures All Rights Reserved, image not monetized
Greetings
valued Dan's Movie Report readers. Across my desk today comes 'Green
Ghost and the Masters of the Stone'. Thanks to Marko Zaror, I heard
about this film. 'Green Ghost' as I will call it for the remainder of
my review has a quite interesting plot: In a Texas border town, car
salesman Charlie Clark, plays 'Charlie Clark' and he moonlights as masked
Lucha libre wrestler 'Green Ghost' When assailants arrive
seeking an otherworldly emerald, Charlie discovers that he has super
powers that he must harness to save humanity. (Source: IMDB)
In the
wake of the copious amount of superhero movies and TV shows over the
past few years 'Green Ghost' takes aim at the indie market and a
humorous vibe. Make no mistake 'Green Ghost' is a low budget film,
but has some quite entertaining action and humor. Danny Trejo plays a
drunken master named 'Master Gin' hahaha! Nice to see a superhero
film not taking itself seriously. Although much of the action and
dialogue is lighthearted, the movie has copious amounts of action,
fights and intrigue.
Marko
plays a legendary master named Drake, constantly training and
envisioning the power he possesses. He has a quest to squire the
Emerald. On the light side is Charlie we see a training montage in
which a Spanish Language cover of 'Eye of the Tiger' is played.
Marko's
Drake character of course has some evil Hench people! The talented
Arnold Chon, who serves as the film's stunt coordinator plays Kwan
Tak. He is ultra fast and diabolical hell bent on serving Drake.
Talented and stunning Michelle C. Lee plays Song Shijin, in addition
to her cat like martial arts prowess she has supreme mental
abilities, ahh just like in real life! Nice to see villains who have
real skill not just dumb henchmen or women!
The
amazing Danny Trejo. He has a fun quote “The power is like alcohol,
'drink it angry you fight' 'drink it happy, you make love' hah!
Everything he is in has an instant watch fun factor, as he puts heart
into his roles whatever the size and scope. Trejo's drunk character
works well here, “Machete I don't need no stinkin Machete” he
says about 2/3 into the movie!
Andy
Cheng who is quite an accomplished stunt artist and fight
coordinator, plays Master Hung, he has a great fight with Marko.
Speaking of Marko, he also serves as the film's fight coordinator
along with Arnold Chon. Make no mistake about 'Green Ghost' this is a
top notch fighting flick.
Of
course the quest turns into a massive multiple attacker fight near
the end here, and it is spectacular. They do cut back and forth
between the action of the three main fights but enough time is spent
on each one to have the impact necessary to see and feel the action.
Literally
the final 20 minutes of 'Green ghost' is one massive action fight
sequence, including regular fighting and super powers. The fights
are precise and the action is rapid and punches and kicks never seem
to be weak. The action is well lit, and well filmed, no shaky camera,
a few slow-motion scenes are for added dramatic effect, but never
seems to get in the way of the action. My favorite fight outside of
the massive final fight with three vs Marko's Drake character is the
fight between Michelle Lee and Sophie Pernas hey the girls really get
down and brutal!
Special
effects and other behind the scenes aspects of 'Green Ghost' are on
par with high quality indie films. Fun flick all the way around.
Director Michael
D. Olmos son of Edward James Olmos does an excellent job of
wrangling the talented martial arts oriented cast, getting them
acting and action focused.
Overall
I really enjoyed 'Green Ghost', the film rates a strong 8 out of 10,
quite entertaining way to spend 81 fast moving minutes! Well worth a rent or purchase to support indie film!
Above Image: 'Scarlett Cross: Agents Of D.E.A.T.H. banner (C) 2022 Pentagram Pictures Production
Greetings
valued Dan's Movie Report readers, FINALLY 'Scarlett Cross: Agents of
D.E.A.T.H. Is on the cusp of releasing through 'Troma Now'!! Troma
Now is a service available on the website and as apps in Apple,
Amazon Prime, Google Play Store, and Roku. The service costs $4.99
per month with the first 30 days free. https://watch.troma.com/
is the main website and it can be watched anywhere by
the month or $50 dollars per year, saving 10 dollars after the first
free month.
'Scarlett
Cross' opens rather salaciously with a truly bizarre, literally
titillating, yet oddly engaging fight sequence, not for the children.
In fact this movie if rated would probably be an NC:17, lots of
violence and copious opening nudity. Notwithstanding is the
creativeness of Writer/Director Dean Meadows in combining a horror,
action, and thriller film all in 90 minutes. Actually Scarlett Cross
is broken down into four distinct parts yet by the end they merge
together at some point.
Focusing
on chapter 2, 'Asylum 13' which opens with actress Tayah Kansik as
Joanna Smyth, the bodyguard! We see three men chasing one man in the
Forrest and the action flails out from there. Kansik gets the
intensity and acting down, along with extreme action. She has a
sequence with a daytime Ninja, yeah they do exist haha! I liked that
the choreography on her fight was clear and easy to see in broad
daylight, and the moves were fluid and entertaining. More action and
fights ensue when she takes the professor back to the safe house,
again no spoilers!
Actress
Kat Clatworthy as Jennifer Stone has a short but fun fight with
actress Hannah Farmer as Sakura Nagasawa. Sword play and blood, what
is not to like haha! Seriously though the indie movie moves along at
a decent pace, never a dull moment.
The
sheer variety of kills in 'Scarlett Cross' make it one for slasher
fans as well. For example there is a particularly brutal scene with a
nun in a church, no spoilers, but let us just say things are not as
they seem. Other parts of the film have sword kills, gun kills and
even some other surprises! Dean Williams as stunt coordinator worked
with the actors to make the majority of the action seamless.
Dean
Meadows in addition to writing and directing 'Scarlett Cross' pulls
quadruple duty as Cinematographer and Editor for the film! Often a
first feature length film sees the director handle multiple roles,
here is hoping by dipping his feet in all aspects of 'Scarlett
Cross', that Meadows' career will ascend to higher levels beyond
2022.
The
technical aspects of the film are solid, some minor audio issues with
regards to ADR, but overall a solid effort. The camera work by Kevin
McDonagh captures the essence of action in 'Scarlett Cross'. The
musical score is appropriate for the story and never obtrusive,
always enhancing the action and laying the foundation for the drama,
in 'Scarlett Cross'. Lighting on the film made it very easy to see
the action as the subjects were well lit for their fight sequences.
Given the tight budget, 'Scarlett Cross; was pretty entertaining.
Overall, this is an ultra low
budget film, virtually made for a Troma type audience. Perhaps it
means that regular action viewers or thriller viewers may find some
of the subject matter a bit off-putting. For me however, I quite
liked what Dean Meadows and his crew were going for here and rate
'Scarlett Cross: Agents of D.E.A.T.H. A solid 8 out of 10.
Greetings valued Dan's Movie Report
readers. I felt the need to delve deeper into the amazing 'White
Elephant' film, Today I am chatting with the multi-talented Jessica
Medina. Jessica worked on 'White Elephant' as Olga Kurylenko's stunt
double and had the opportunity to work on the upcoming 'Black Adam'
film. Jessica chats about working on 'White Elephant' teases 'Black
Adam', and chats about her directorial debut short film 'La Oasis'
(The Oasis). Unwind, grab some tea, time for Jessica to drop some
action knowledge!
Danny
Templegod: Since this is a hot new film on AMC+ chat about working as
Olga Kurylenko's double on 'White Elephant'.
Jessica
Medina: Doubling Olga on 'White Elephant' was Such amazing
experience. I was so grateful and thankful the Luke Lafountaine
trust me and called me to double Olga Kurylenko.
She
was awesome and always ready to do her action. I was there to help
with everything when she need it. I was ready to step in to do a
dangerous stunt if the situation called for it.
DT: I
know she can do the majority of her own stunts, but did you and Luke
go through the stunt sequences prior?
JM: In
some instances we didn’t have time to rehearse, we walked through
the stunt step-by-step on set several times and worked out the timing,
We discussed what was going to happen and the stunt sequence. Luke
and I took her (Olga) Step by step throughout the actual sequence and I
stayed by her side for anything she may need during the stunt Pad Props
etc...
DT:
Without spoiling too much, describe one of the sequences and set up
you did for the stunts in 'White Elephant'.
JM: I
had to step in and double her near the final sequence. During the
Olga shoot out at the character's house I have to step in in to
double her when her car gets shot up. The police vehicle car was
rigged with several large pyrotechnics to blow out the windows. An
explosion also blew out one of the tires and as well multiple Zircs.
DT:
Please let my audience know about the term 'Zircs'.
JM:
Zircs are the special effects sparks that are shot out of a paintball
gun. This makes it look like bullet hits on metal.
Above Image (C) 2021 Jessica Medina All rights reserved, image not monetized.
DT:
Thank you for that informative clarification. I noticed you worked in
Ben Ramsey's 'Interface' a cool short film! Chat about working on
that project, Ben is a creative guy with some solid sci-fi concepts.
JM:
Working for Ben Ramzey it’s always been an amazing experience just
working with somebody so creative and talented we can create magic.
He is a mentor and a personal friend and he is just awesome.
Above photo: (C) 2022 Bridgette Bentley and Jessica Medina
DT: I
am always interested in short films, chat about your short 'La Oasis'
the concept, plot and ideas you had for the film.
JM: My
short film 'The Oasis' was such an amazing experience just bring in
my ideas to reality and show my views and just jumping into the
directors chair was an amazing experience. the story
about two sisters that they lost their parents and they took over a
business hotel and everything went down south .and the story they
have a visitor the creates mayhem.
DT: I
realize 'Black Adam' is not out, but chat about working with The Rock
and his work ethic, seems to be a honest, positive guy,.
JM:
Working on 'Black Adam' and working with The Rock was one of the
pinch me moments in my career as a stunt performer. I always admire
The Rock and love his movies, he’s just an amazing person and has
an incredible work ethic. It was inspiring just to see that. I am
very thankful for my involvement and Black Adam. I am so thankful for
Tommy Harper and Chris Brewster for believing in me and calling me to
do that amazing job .
DT:
You are very active in stunts and acting, chat about if you have a
desire to transition more to acting or do you enjoy the thrill of a
kick ass stunt?
JM: I
love and I’m very proud on my stunt career. I am seriously
transitioning to focus on my acting career, bringing my decade of
action experience in. With the addition of over a decade of acting training to build my
repertoire on interesting and diverse characters. I am determined to
establish myself as a leading lady of action.
Above Image: (C) 2022 AMC+ All Rights Reserved, image used for promotional purposes only, not monetized.
Greetings
valued Dan's Movie Report readers. It is time to
unleash a brand new interview with the man behind the action of the
spectacular new film on AMC+ 'White Elephant' Luke LaFontaine is a
man of distinction, crafting intricate action sequences, allowing for
the actors and stunt personal he works with to reach beyond their
limits. Luke is a hard working honest guy, willing to let you know
exactly where he stands. In this 2022 'White Elephant' interview Luke
stops by to chat about working with director Jesse V. Johnson, Olga
Kurylenko, and Michael Rooker. Enough of my babbling on, time for the
textual ass kicking from Luke!
Danny
Templegod: Luke my first question is the pre-production for setting
up the action on 'White Elephant' chat about some of the work you
were able to do with the stunt people prior to shooting, did you have
an extended prep time due to the budget?
Luke
Lafontaine: I didn't have a lot of extended prep time, even w the
larger budget. I had about a week to get everything done, I prevised
all the fights and and meeting with Jesse and Michael rooker. My LA
stunt peeps really helped w Previs and Atlanta stunt performers went
extra mile on location.
DT: I
have massive respect for Olga Kurylenko as an actress and in action,
she always gives 110% and, she has had a solid amount of action
training, chat about working with her, and some of the new action
tips you imparted on her for 'White Elephant'.
LL:
Olga is fantastic , she gives 200% Olga told me she doesn't retain
her training in her mind because its too much, so she lets it go
after every movie. So I had to take her back thru firearms and
fights, she hadn't done CQB knife fights, so that was new. Tip I
imparted to her was to Breath during fights. She would hold her
breath which was a lot harder. Olga is Amazing , her dedication,and
attention to detail are incredible as well as her memorizing Choreo!!
I loved working w her.
DT:
Curious how long of a time prior to shooting the film you had to work
with her as she was a central character.
LL: We
actually had very little time to train, she was held up because of
travel restrictions and US visa so we had 2 hours morning of shooting
to go thru all firearms work, and a few 20 min sessions during week.
I took her thru knife combat in an hour and ran her knife fight for
about 20 mins before we had to shoot! Shes amazing at learning and
performing fight choreo!!
DT:
This is important to me, chat about the seriousness of having a
proper armorer on set, one that is knowledgeable of the weapons used.
LL: It
is of paramount importance to have an experienced professional
Armorer on set!! Always! Firearms and guns that have been modified
for blanks are always to be given full attention to safety, Zero
exceptions!
DMR:
Were there any stunts or action that was kind of left on the cutting
room floor for runtime, curious, as I know action films often shoot
for a possible extended cut down the road?
LL:
There were a couple of action pieces that had to be trimmed. Vadhirs
fight at Russians had to be trimmed in edit in order to cut between
Michael action upstairs. There was also short Aikijutsu grapple w big
baddie and Michael that had to be excised for time.
DT:
Chat about the mixture of old-school and new-school guns and weaponry
in 'White Elephant'.
LL:
We mixed old school firearms and new. Jesse likes interesting guns in
his films. Using old and new gives personality and different sounds
and muzzle flashes.
DT: I
hate spoilers, but chat a bit about the final house scene, how long
did you have to set that up and shoot it?
LL: We
shot interior of house raid on one day and exterior of gun battle the
next day. It was a lot of action to get thru with 15 stunt guys,
Olga, her double and Michael.
DT:
Must have been a week of work crammed into those two days! I really
enjoyed the motel scene with Olga as well, first of all it was well
lit, second of all, I am sure Jesse chatted with you about action
beats and specifics, but I am curious to get your perspective on
working on this complicated sequence, looked like Olga did most of
her own action here.
LL:
Jesse laid out how he wanted the action, we has briefly discussed a 2
level fight but it wound up being motel with no 2nd floor. Blocked
the action to feel real and hectic, with Olga taking on shooters from
all directions. Olga did 90% of her action w Her stunt double Jessica
Medina doing a long run and gun and the dive into mustang.
Above: Jessica Medina and Luke (C) 2022 Jessica Medina
DT:
Perhaps share a couple of amusing or crazy stories on set with an
action sequence, that either had to be re-shot or worked out even
better than planned.
LL:
The action in final house battle got a little crazy w Michael ad
libbing fight moves when rubber gun was knocked out of his hand.
Thank goodness Michael is such a pro and nice guy and didn't hurt any
of the stunt guys!!
DT:
Chat about working with the amazing Michael Rooker, what are some of
the action concepts you discussed with Jesse for him in the film.
LL:
Michael Rooker is an incredible actor and physical performer. Most
people don't know he’s a full instructor in Aikijutsu and kyoku
shinkai karate. Hes been studying for decades! Very strong dangerous
guy if he wants to be,as well as a loyal friend and defender. Love
him to death, and I am humbled to have gotten to work with him so
closely.
Above Image: Esteban Cueto and Luke (C) 2022 Jessica Medina
DMR: I
really liked Rooker's character in 'White Elephant and him as an
actor, moving on... I know your specialty is bladed weapons, chat
about the knife action towards the end of 'White Elephant', military
and covertly used, old school technique, I am assuming.
LL:
Knife fights all came from real techniques. Both Olga and Michael had
small knife engagements. Fights had to be short and brutal, because
that's what real knife fights are.
Above Image: Jesse V. Johnson and Luke (C) 2022 Jessica Medina
DT:
Good point about the knife fighting, rarely in real life are they
long. Chat about crafting the action with Jesse in 'White Elephant'
what I really enjoyed was the action was NOT nonstop, and when it
came it had impact and meaning. I am assuming this is by design, from
your perspective, chat about the importance giving the audience time
to breathe between the action.
LL:
Jesse wrote the 'White Elephant' script a while ago and in his
developing story. It was a honor and life shifting story. A dramatic
thriller about an aging warrior and choices he had to make to sleep
at night and keep his honor. The action had to convey the weight and
risk. No popcorn, filler nonsense action. The pacing is different but
all the intensity is still there.
DT: I
agree, 'White Elephant' has no time for a shoehorned in love story.
Wrapping up, I know it has been a long time since we chatted, curious
if any films or TV shows you have watched for action made you stand
up and take notice, saying ok, that is cool, I thought I read you
likes 'The Northman'.
Above Image: Vadhir Derbez, Luke and double Jason Triplett on set of "White Elephant' (C) 2022 Jessica Medina
LL:
Yes , there have been some movies ive taken notice of , I love the
action In NORTHMAN and the action design in TOPGUN: Maverick was
really impressive!
DT:
Finally chat about advice to stunt people just starting out in the
business, when you work with the director to hire a stunt team what
are some of the qualities you look for?
LL: Up
and comers, Stay safe and HUMBLE!! It’s not about you. The honor
code of the un-named stunt performer making movie stars look good
should endure. Why would you want to steal your movie stars thunder
by posting yourself on Facebook and Instagram??? Try to uphold a
code: safe, loyal, humble, Tough!!
Greetings
valued Dan's Movie Report readers, it is hard to believe that nearly
18 years ago in Vengeance Magazine, I reviewed Jesse V. Johnson's
'Pit Fighter', wow! What can I say, Jesse always strives for
entertaining action films, yet with a dialogue rising far above the
norm. Jesse always told me he strives to work with the best possible
people in all genres of films, not just acting or behind the camera
talent, but the type of people he works with is just as important.
For Jesse, movies allow him to be creative, in 'White Elephant',
Jesse is the director and worked as one of the writers along with
Erik
Martinez and additional dialogue by Katharine
Lee McEwan At times when multiple writers are listed for a film,
it can spell trouble, but in 'White Elephant' the story is enhanced
by each writer working together as a cohesive, collaborative team.
Jesse has once again leveled up!
I
really do not like reviews that spoil plots, so I will get the basic
plot culled from AMC+ website “A ruthless crime boss orders an
ex-Marine turned mob enforcer to eliminate two witnesses. “
I will
say that in one of his final roles, and his first released role since
announcing retirement, Bruce Willis gives a solid performance, as the
ruthless crime boss, he tries his best, given the circumstances. For
me as a film fan, anytime he and John Malkovich are in films, they
add an air of celluloid, well now digital, royalty.
'White
Elephant' is an action crime drama, yes, but there is a copious
amount of dialogue, which normally I do not like, but with Jesse's
films in general, the dialogue is important to forwarding the story.
Michael Rooker really shines here as Gabriel, a complex and
conflicted character, I enjoyed the way he adjust to the variety of
emotions that his Gabriel has to have during the film.
What
more can be said about the fantastic Olga Kurylenko, usually
relegated to antagonist characters in her films, Olga shines Vanessa,
a detective with a military background and a tortured past. Olga is
given much to work with in 'White Elephant', and I really look
forward to her next outing with Jesse V. Johnson directing
'Boudica'. Ms Kurylenko is a really fantastic actress, check out
'The Water Divener' and 'The Room' to watch her in non action roles,
very talented and nuanced.
One of
the aspects I really liked about 'White Elephant' was that when the
action happened it was memorable, rather than non-stop crazy action,
the film had impact, allowing for a slow build for the first 30-40
minutes, yes there is an opening action sequence, but the action felt
integrated into the story rather than driving the story.
Speaking
of action, once again Jesse V. Johnson's stunt coordinator Luke
LaFontaine wrangles a bunch of action sequences together, securing
the set, allowing for excellent action and the utmost safety for the
crew. Luke is a pro and is a wiz at hand to hand combat and weapons . In light
of recent events, I cannot stress the importance of the armorer in a
film such as 'White Elephant' there are so many guns and weapons
used, I am sure that between Luke and armorer Taye Olsen the actors and stunt
people were well versed on how to properly use and hold them. Director Jesse states that two other armorers were brought in for the MG42.
There
is kind of a twist near the final 1/3 of the film, which is quite
interesting, no spoilers! The final gun battle is rather epic,
allowing a mixture of high tech and old fashion merged into one.
Dialogue
in Jesse's films pays homage to the filmmakers he respects, ha in one
scene an assassin can be seen putting on sunglasses and saying
'terminate this bitch' haha! Jesse, is never one to shy away from
adding humor into what can be a serious toned film. He also showcases
Olga Kurylenko in a dichotomous role, sometimes a bad ass, sometimes
vulnerable. By allowing her character to be vulnerable, 'White
Elephant' adds a sympathetic human element. Honestly I thought she
was going to be this gung ho, bad ass detective all the way through,
yet, she is not!
Minor
gripe is that Olga's detective partner who witnesses the initial
crime, (minor spoiler) is easily killed, That said, much of the
department was a bit crooked, but the veteran probably would have
taken some precaution. Sadly she had to have this motivation, as she
figures out quickly that she is next. An extra 10 minutes added to
the 92 minute film might have allowed for a fleshing out of his
character.
Everything
else is polished, musical scoring builds tension, yet is never
obtrusive. I loved the fact that the entire film was well lit and
action was easy to see, even at night, some far away shots were used
which I am sure were for the stunt doubles, yet never did I feel I
was not a part of the action. Action star and martial artist Lee
Charles had the opportunity to work very closely with Olga for 'The
Courier',thus allowing her to learn detailed hand to hand and action
movements. 'White Elephant' gives Olga a chance to use some of those
skills, yet expounds upon this by adding a variety of weaponry.
Speaking of weaponry, a mix of old and new, added for an entertaining
final sequence!
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