Saturday, July 26, 2014

High School Of Zombie Movie Review



It has to be the Zombies! Coming straight out of the twisted mind of Minchul Kim and the action team K-Tigers, comes this fantastic 4 minute blast of zombie killing madness! I am on a real short film tear recently and am just amazed at the quality of the films being released. Definitely the "big Studios" could learn something! From Korean Director Minchul Kim comes a 4 minute whirlwind of violent insanity, High School Of Zombie, is in the vein of Resident Evil, and features a very cute, but extremely brutal Tae-Mi she is just earth shattering vicious as the zombie killer. She is armed with a gilded Kama and knows how to wield it.

The setting in High School of Zombie, is of course an actual high school. Producer/Writer/Director Minchul Kim makes great use of natural light shining through the huge windows, and also does a masterful job at color correcting for the final film. At the end of the short he split screens the action shot with the finished project, to allow views to see the original, and the difficult work with post production. More behind the scenes will be added in the coming weeks so watch on YouTube.

Tae-Mi is so amazing as an action actress, she is fast, has lightning crisp moves, and emotive facial expressions. Tae-Mi is ready to take the next step into feature film and her work in action has really paid off In High School Of Zombie! Watch for more from her on Dan's Movie Report!

I cannot wait to see more from Minchul and his concepts, and from the K-Tigers Team, they are creative, and amazing, creating a masterful fight sequence for the film. High School Of Zombie, is fantastic, a must watch, and should be made into a feature film or web series, I rate this gory, brutal, zombie film at a 9 out of 10!

Watch the film online on YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikKDwRwXQE0

For more information on High School Of Zombie go to the following websites @

Minchul Kim YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyz-AyqiP_56OykGtr1X3Lw
Tae-Mi Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/ktigerstaemi
K-Tigers YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/user/Ktigerstkd
K-Tigers Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/koreantigers

Friday, July 25, 2014

The Martial Arts Kid Trailer Drops Online!



Officially premiering at the San Diego Comicon, The Martial Arts Kid Trailer has made it's way to Youtube @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGZDqaUoPkc&feature=share

Watch for more exclusives, later in 2014, on your home for action, Dan's Movie Report!

Facebook Page @ https://www.facebook.com/MAKMovie2014

Get Ready for Maniacal Zombie Killing in "High School of Zombie"!



What can I say, I am a sucker for Zombies and all things Zombies! Makes me see RED! What else can I do except state that I am looking forward to the release of High School of Zombie, the new film from K-Tigers and Woonsa Studio. Below is all of the info, watch for more on Dan's Movie Report! 

Trailer @ 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFgCuYo-Lmc

[Summer Special] Tae-mi`s High School of Zombie Teaser!! 
Release on July 26 at youtube

Present by K-Tigers & Woonsa Studio

K-Tigers Official Youtube : www.youtube.com/ktigerstkd
Woonsa Studio : www.youtube.com/unsa1018
Tae-mi Official Facebook : www.facebook.com/ktigerstaemi
— with 태미태미.

https://www.facebook.com/koreantigers   K-Tigers Facebook page

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Actor Ron Smoorenburg Interview (Exclusive) (C) 2014 Danny Shamon Dan's Movie Report

Update 12-15-14: New Action reel for Ron @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBYnVFCDVKQ&feature=youtu.be

Bursting on the action film scene with a role in Jackie Chan's Who Am I, Ron Smoorenburg has carved his path to success with years of hard work and dozens of full force action films, including the 2015 Tekken film. Ron chats exclusively with Dan's Movie Report, directly from the Thailand set of his upcoming film Reflex. 3-2-1- GO, another exclusive interview!


Greetings Ron, please chat about preparations for reflex.

First of all Danny nice to do an interview with you. If I have to describe a preparation day for Reflex. I always meet with Dean quite early, and we talk about what we love to do, what kind of fight moves we love to do. We study a lot of fight scenes as well and we make our own variations for the scene we are shooting. We put our own moves in. We try to work it out, if things don't work out we do it again. It has to flow, and be powerful, fast, there needs to be fire in there. We just keep going until it is perfect, and I can tell from Dean he is a perfectionist. We won't do the action if it is not good.

Describe working with Dean and Daniel, and do you have a favorite scene in Reflex.

If I have to describe an amazing scene or experience working with Dean and Daniel I would have to say it is all of the movie. In Reflex all of the team on Reflex were selected and they are people with passion. Comparing it to art, all of the people who create, do it for the art. Dean and Daniel are very very good at optimizing the people they have in there films, so they will make you look as good as you can, and people feel that. When they work for Daniel and Dean they go for it, what happens in Reflex is really some amazing moments, some magic moments, some people call the money shots, which came out of nowhere. The script and fights are already good, but even on top of that we had some moments like wow, we did not expect that, because everybody goes for it. That is a skill, and what needs to be created, and Dean and Daniel have that.

Chat about working with Selina Lo on Reflex, and your thoughts on action women in films.

Selina is perfect to work with. If you use women in a movie, of course they need to be skillful like Selina. They have to be quite tough as well. You have to make sure it is belivable. That is what we do in Reflex.

Shifting to the filming location in Reflex, talk about working in Thailand and compare it to working in Europe.

In Thailand, the local teams work super, super hard. I almost compare it to people from the pit stop (in a car race.) If I have a project in Europe it feels slow, the way they set up things, do each scene, etc.. Here in Thailand, even with the heat, it is very hot in Thailand, they are very, very fast, and work very hard. That is what makes Thailand interesting. For the film budget, you not only get nice locations, and cheaper labor compared to Europe, of course, but they also work faster. It is not 50 percent better, it is 75 percent better. Thai people are not the type to complain quickly, they just go for it and you don't have so many issues. You can set up your stuff, you work good, good working ethics, and discipline, very important. I love Thailand, really, this is the place to film, and they have the experience with Hollywood movies being filmed here also.

Compare working with actors on a fight scene as opposed to trained fighters.

Good question to compare those who have actual fighting experience, and actors who don't have that experience. Movie fighting is action and reaction. If the reaction part is missing, or the action part is not good, then you only have half of the product. If the actor cannot react right, even though you make a nice punch, then you don't look powerful. We make the actor look good, by giving good reactions. The actor himself cannot make you *the trained fighter) look that good. In addition you have to be careful with the actor as well. Very good stuntmen can go full *swings hand in punching motion) if he does not duck, he can still adjust. Mostly is is a kind of compromise. I recommend to train with the actors weeks before the shoot, and do workshops. In the long run this will save the production money, these are the things I recommend.

Chat about your involvement in Tekken 2.

Of course the movie is not released yet, so I cannot give to many details about Tekken 2. I can tell you that the fight scenes will be very sharp, good action good matches. I have some inside news already that the fight scenes turned out great. That is an example of a project that was very well prepared, good workshops. Amazing people on that film, and I really look forward to Tekken 2.

Chat about working with Jackie Chan on Who Am I, and how it has shaped your career path since the film.

Jackie Chan's Who Am I was my first movie and, was actually very tough, but I think I needed that, it showed reality. The movie business is not an easy business, and that is why not many people are in there. It was tough, but every movie after Who Am I was relatively easy. What I learned from Who Am I, is that I have to plan my career very carefully. I wanted to build up my career step by step. I want to build a good foundation, do many action movies, get the experience. They told me, literally, if you have more experience, you can make it very big. I took the time to do that. Between stunts and acting, I have about 70 credits now. I have worked with Scott Adkins, Tony Jaa, Van Damme etc... Sometimes I get beaten up, sometimes I have a nice fight scene as well, that is what I needed. Now I think I have this package together. I believe that is why in Reflex I had a bigger part, bigger fight scenes, but this comes after that period. I do not only love the end goal, but the way and path to the goal, it is fantastic, and I enjoy it everyday.

Wrapping up Ron, do you have a favorite moment in your film career.

It may sound strange, but it is when I think about my training. I like being on film sets, but when I think about epic stuff I am thinking of the moment I was training to get to that point, the path. I was thinking of kicking leaves in the street, putting on “Eye Of The Tiger' and doing section kicks, with the dream to do those things as a young man. I felt so strongly connected to that dream and reality, that I believe in it for real and live it. Now that I am actually doing it, I think back to when I was young doing the splits, kicks and that kind of bridges the dream to today's reality, that is why I try to motivate others. Life is quite precious, I look at my son and his life power, and try to motivate others, because I feel very sad to see talent wasted.



Thank you Ron for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat about Reflex and other tidbits of info. Watch for more on Ron later in 2014 on your number one independent home for exclusives on the internet, Dan's Movie Report!

Like on FB @ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ron-Smoorenburg-FC-%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%99-

Official Website @ http://www.ron-smoorenburg.com/

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Actor/Producer Dean Alexandrou Interview Exclusive! (C) 2014 Danny Shamon- Dan's Movie Report



The mark of a good action film is how active the main characters are. Running, fighting, falling, diving or shooting, Dean Alexandrou has put out some of the finest independent short action films ever made. His abilities of free running mixed with stunts and fighting are mind blowing, and mesmerizing to behold. Dean takes a short break from filming his new film Reflex for a short chat about the project, oh and yes that is him on the 27th floor ledge 3-2-1- GO!

Hi Dean how are you, where are you for the interview?

Hi there Dan, I am on rhe 27th floor on top of a Bangkok skyscraper with Ron Smoorenberg where we are shooting Reflex.



How did you develop the conceptual idea for Reflex?

The concept for Reflex arose because I love Philip K. Dick books. I love these stories about false realities, is the world around you real. Films like Total Recall, Scanner Darkly, Minority Report, Patriot Games, The Truman Show, Vanilla Sky, etc... These films are inspired by Philip K. Dick stories. Of course I love action movies, and I love Jackie Chan. It is a combination of those two.

Chat about selecting the cast and crew for Reflex.

They have to be enthusiastic, they have to be passionate. If, in addition to that, I can find people that are also skillful, then that is who I want to work with. The very, very first requirement is, that they are nice to work with. I don't want to spend months of my life with people that are hard to work with. I try very hard to structure this as much like a family as I can. If you are making a family and you can pick the people who can be in it you want people you can trust, people that care about you, people that work hard, people that look out for the good of the entire family. Everyone working on Reflex fits this criteria.




Chat about the stunt teams.

Since I arrived in Thailand awhile ago there are two stunt teams. On reflex I have worked with Jaika Stunts https://www.facebook.com/jaikastuntsteam They are both hard working teams, very skillful and very talented. I owe them a lot, they have helped me out, and we have worked on many projects together.

You have worked with the talented actress/martial artist Selina Lo on several projects, discuss what makes her special to work with.

Selina has an amazing work ethic, an amazing attitude, and how she approaches her work, and the way she treats people around her. Selina is always respectful, she is genuinely kind, she is a joy to be around and to have on a set.

One more view from the 27th floor Dean...




Here you go and it is a long way down! That's it, thanks for the chat.

Like Dean on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/deanalexandrou?ref=br_tf IMDB - http://imdb.me/dean
Homepage - http://deanalexandrou.com/
Keep reading Dan's Movie Report for updates on Dean and Reflex later in 2014!

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Mercenaries! On V.O.D. August 5th from The Asylum! Get Ready for P.M.S. From Hell!




Good morning valued Dan's Movie Report readers, the first trailer for The Asylum/s new action thriller Mercenaries is up. The full force action in Mercenaries is female driven including Cynthia Rothrock,  Brigitte Neilson, Vivica A. Fox, Zoë Bell and Kristanna Loken. 




The girls are violent mercenaries for hire and are let out of prison to do their job. Finding a secret Russian Military compound and of course destroying it to rescue the agent captured! 




Damn it where are these girls when you need them! Here is what you need hot action  chicks kicking ass, any questions?  Count me in, way in! 3-2-1- Go! Check out this trailer on Youtube @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiE18U7to0M Film drops August 5th on VOD!

Check out the official Asylum page at http://www.theasylum.cc/product.php?id=257 

Follow the actresses on their official twitter accounts!

Z Bell- https://twitter.com/TheRealZoeBell
Kristanna Loken - https://twitter.com/LokenKristanna
Vivica A Fox @ https://twitter.com/MsVivicaFox

Like Cynthia Rothrock on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cynthia-Rothrock-fan-page/314336318675

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Actress Courtney Hope Exclusive Interview (C) 2014 Danny Shamon and Dan's Movie Report!



Hard to believe it is almost 5 years since the fantastic monster film Prowl came out. In that film, a beautiful 19 year of Courtney Hope burst onto the scene with her portrayal of a violent, yet protective, feral character named Amber. Displaying seething energy and life to the violent film. Fast forward to 2014, and Courtney has expanded her horizons, she is currently a producer on a cool new sci-fi film called Displacement, and is one of the stars of the new film Swelter. Courtney has great intellect, creativity, and cool stories to tell, so enough of my rambling, unless I want to get, my ass kicked!, Wait ,I do, haha! Time to go inside the mind of Coutney Hope, exclusively on your home for all things awesome, Dan's Movie Report -3-2-1 GO!

Looking back on that film since it has been a few years, has there been any chatter about a sequel, a return to the "horror" looking for Veronica?

I know initially after the film premiered, they were throwing around ideas of potential sequels. Now it’s just for fun, coming up with possibilities, nothing that will actually happen though.
 
Filming in Bulgaria, the stark reality, did it add to the terror?

It was definitely an experience filming there. There are beautiful parts with rolling hills, especially around Sofia where we were staying. We filmed the second half of the film in an actual steel mill, so, yes, it added to the reality. The surroundings were creepy in themselves, on top of the fact we shot the whole end of the movie at night. Going to the bathroom alone became a quest at the end of the shoot. Plus the creatures all spoke Bulgarian and were in full make-up the whole time… so that was terrifying. 

Covered in stage blood, what was the make-up process like?

Well the make-up process surprisingly got easier and quicker. By the end of the movie, my whole face and body was completely bloody with so much real dirt and metal dust from the factory that we’d accumulate throughout the day. At that point the make-up artists just had to worry about those two factors. The question was more of what can we do to eliminate skin tones.

Share a weird or bizarre story from the set of 'Prowl'. perhaps a funny one also something odd about shooting in Bulgaria.

When I got my fangs fitted, they didn’t have time to do it before we started filming since it was so quick to production, so I ended up having to go to a dentist there. The dentist was in someone’s apartment in downtown Sofia, in a separate room they had made into an office. My dad was with me at the time (since he saw “Taken” before I left to film and decided I wasn’t going alone being a 19 year old girl... not that he has Liam Neeson skills) and I remember sitting into the chair looking at him thinking if this turns into some Frankenstein madness please tell everyone I love them. No one spoke English, not even really our driver/translator, and my dad and I just looked at each other and busted out laughing. One of those moments that will never happen again of slight apprehension, confusion, but more than anything, intrigue.


Quite an interesting tale in Prowl you are a Kick ass Vampire/protector.
Share some ass kicking tips, to protect someone from the monsters in Prowl.

Running, fighting, flying. If you can master those three things you are safe..er. ...

Yeah Courtney, you can do all of those things, haha! Shifting gears to
Swelter, the film is kind of in the vein of QT and Lynch. How did you get the part of Halle? 

I have worked with Keith, the director, on a few other films of his before, and when he wrote Halle he called me up and said he had this great part he would love me to play. I still went through the audition process, because there are so many factors that go into a selection of a role. I was fortunate enough to land it in the end. 

In the film '
Swelter', all the characters in the movie were a bit off kilter, chat about the filming, and more about your character. 

Keith is a brilliant director and writer. His stories and characters are always a bit out of the ordinary and he loves to cast against type which is always fun to see. Filming Swelter was a lot of fun, the cast was so wonderful to work with. Having the opportunity to watch and work with such brilliant actors like Lennie James, Alfred Molina, Grant Bowler, and all the others was very inspiring and educational.  

Halle has had a hard past, and finds a peace and comfort-ability in Baker. She has finally found acceptance and love for who she is, especially from Ronnie. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to see their love story develop more, but her home is that diner and she would do anything to keep her adopted family in the town safe.
 




Shifting to 'Displacement', time travel, time shifting, how did you become involved with the production?

I worked with Ken Mader years ago when he put together a demo reel for me when I was around 16. He wrote this script and reached out to me about playing Cassie. I read the script and fell in love with the story and the character. I found myself really relating to Cassie, and I could not wait to start working on it. Ken is such a phenomenal director, his skills are immeasurable and go way beyond the camera. His knowledge is so inspiring, and I am very fortunate to have had such a great experience. 


Chat a bit about your character on Displacement, background, story etc…


Cassie is a very complex character. She is an extremely intelligent physics student with a lot of pressure on her from her father to live up to her potential of being a world renowned physicist. She struggles with this wise/intelligent persona that she feels she needs to live up to because that is what everyone around her sees, yet she is still so young and afraid to allow herself to make mistakes, take blame, and potentially fail. 




She has spent so long diving into her work and in a sense neglecting the love that is surrounding her because she is so headstrong in making her dreams come true. After losing her boyfriend and mother, she has a major awakening to the true meaning of life and where her priorities should lie. She fights with guilt, regret, love, maturity, and the tic of time, as she confronts her own demons on a mission to fix what she has broken. 




Back to
prowl, you had to display such a huge variety of emotions, chat how you got ready for each one, fear, anger, sadness, elation. Is there a process you went through? Has it changed today?

My process has definitely expanded. I still use a similar process now, just with a deeper understanding. Growing as a person as well as an artist, I understand my instrument (myself) a lot better than I did then. Also, I was only 19 when I did Prowl, so I found myself growing and experimenting in parallel to Amber. Sharing that same innocence that Amber had was a blessing, there is no way I could play it the same today. 


Quite a good observation, expounding on that, chat about feeding off other actors in a scene, in the diner scenes in Swelter, you seemed to be reading the room, more observing, and feeling the flow and energy. Do you feel more of a charge in a scene with multiple characters, or the one “alone” with the camera scenes?

Having other actors there adds a deeper element to any scene. To be able to play off of someone, unsure of what they are going to throw at you is a huge part of the fun. It’s always fun to me to observe what other people do and then take my reactions and interactions from there because that is life. You never know what is going to happen or how you are going to say something even if you rehearse it 10 billion times. It becomes an actors playground the more heads you put together, so yes it is definitely more of a charge. 


Actors, Directors, people you would enjoy working with in the future?

I would hands down love to continue to work with these brilliant directors I have had the opportunity to work with so far, because they have so much to offer and have become a part of my family. As far as other directors, oh there are so many: Steven Spielberg, David Fincher, Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Darren Aronofsky, Spike Jonze, John Wells, David O. Russel, Peter Jackson.. the list goes on. Anyone with a clearcut vision who longs to tell a character driven story to be remembered.

Please give a mention to the
charities you support, names, and websites.

I am supporting Saveourbeaches.org Project Mermaids charity at the momenthttp://www.projectmermaids.com  My dreams came true being able to shoot as a mermaid underwater and at the beach for a table book they have coming out next year. Save our beaches supports safer ocean life and clean beaches.

I am a part of the Paul Sorvino Asthma Foundation https://www.facebook.com/PaulSorvinoAsthmaFoundation. I have battled asthma since I was 8, and this foundation has been wonderful and helped me immensely. Founded by actor Paul Sorvino, his breathing techniques are so helpful and his passion behind it is very inspiring. I am very fortunate to be a part of such a life saving charity.

I am also currently searching out other charities to be involved in with children and animals. I’ve been looking into Red Eye Inc., which I have a few friends that are members that rave about the organization, so that may be added to the list in the near future. I am also a huge animal lover and I find myself being drawn in that direction, as well. I also support a few groups at my church in Los Angeles ‘Mosaic’.


Future goals, behind the camera, see a producer credit on Displacement... more to follow?

I really am yearning to start directing. I love the producing aspect, but ultimately directing is where I want to head. I am in the midst of writing some treatments and moving in that direction as we speak. In time, acting, writing, directing and editing are the four things I want to embrace. Who knows what the future holds. I just know what I love to do, and whatever way I can make that happen that is what I shall do. 


Thanks for your valuable time

Thank you for reaching out, it was a pleasure speaking with you!

Courtney, thank you so much, Prowl was freaking wild, you were so convincing to watch and kind of scary in a cool way haha, and I am sure your star is on the rise!

Follow Courtney Hope on Twitter, as not only is it her posting, she is pretty active on it! https://twitter.com/CourtneyyHopee  Keep reading Dan's Movie Report as this page will be updated with new photos and info in the coming months!

Check out her official website @ http://www.courtney-hope.com/