Above Photo: (C) 2023 MassBrothers, all rights reserved, image used for promotional purposes only
A
crushing throwback, hearkening to old school martial arts films of the
70s, 80s and 90s. This retro short film 'Dragon Cop' from the
creative team MassBrothers. The film opens with an illicit deal going
down, a substance which will make the user have far beyond human
strength. The deal goes south, of course it does, and there is a
whirlwind of action and fun, campy dialogue. This film brought me
back to a simpler time of watching movies.
Humor
infused with madness and mayhem, the entire team delivers an
entertaining 20 minute short film. Two cops are hot on the tail of
the bad guys, and trust me, this is sheer French film insanity. Fists
and bullets fly fast, boxes and pallets are used, faces are smashed!
Ok! No spoilers, watch it!!
Special
thanks to actress Line Phe' for letting me know about this film she
portrays one of the officers, Cynthia!
Description
of the team from their Kickstarter:
The
indie collective MASEBROTHERS has been in existence for seven years
with its own YouTube channel, creating videos and tributes to the pop
culture of the 80s and 90s, including retro movies, gaming,
television, and even toys from our childhood.
Mathieu
CAILLIERE and Jérémy VAZZOLI, the creators of DRAGON'S REVENGE,
have backgrounds in audiovisual and graphic design and serve as the
driving force behind the MaseBrothers collective. They both work in
video production, editing, motion design, and graphic design.
The
team plans a larger, more involved film called 'Dragon's Revenge' on
Kickstarter, please follow the links below:
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.
DRAGON
COP (Official Movie US) (FR & ES subs)
Support
the sequel to the film on Kickstarter /
