Thursday, August 7, 2014

Actress Amy Johnston Interview (C) 2014 Danny Shamon A Dan's Movie Report Exclusive!

Above Photo: Teaser Poster for Lady Bloodfight! 

Thanks to Tony at Kung Fu Femmes, three years ago I was lucky enough to have my first taste of the amazing Amy Johnston. Fast forward to 2014, Amy is poised for world domination in action, from doubling actresses like Scarlett Johanson to staring in amazing action films from Thousand Pounds and the talented Vlad Rimburg, to epic motion capture work, she has emerged as the new, go to “First Lady of blonde brutality!” Amy is so sweet and down to earth, that it would actually be enjoyable to have a beating from her hahah. Amy makes an amazing addition to any film project and I am honored to have her grace my site for all of my valued readers. Amy takes time out of her hectic schedule to conduct this exclusive interview on Dan's Movie Report. Time for a full force text whipping from Amy, please, anywhere but the face, 3-2-1- GO!

Chat a bit about your initial desire to be in film, and to be involved in action films.

I grew up in the martial arts and loved action films! I was very inspired by Michelle Yeoh and others, as they portrayed a sense of grace with their athleticism and abilities in the martial arts. I knew from a young age that I wanted to be apart of that in one way or another.  I express myself through martial arts and movement, and to be able to make a career out of my passion is a joy. I hope to inspire many into taking the road less traveled!




Over the course of your career Amy you have done several cool short films, share some of your most memorable experiences on them, and most enjoyable scenes to film.

 I have had great experiences with my involvement in short films. There is always so much passion involved in them which makes for a wonderful time. Thousand pounds I worked with Jace Hall on a short action piece where I got to.....yes..beat people up and I of course loved every minute of it :0 This experience was wonderful as the piece was very brutal. Anytime I get to beat people up it's a marvelous day ;)

It is a great day for the audience also. Transitioning to acting, specifically 'Raze', share a set story from the ultra-violent action film. I thought the film displayed a raw energy not usually displayed with women fighting. 

The film 'Raze' was great to work on, I have looked up to Zoe Bell for a long time and I was thrilled to work with her! Yes the movie was very intense but in between takes we would be laughing, giggling, being silly girls right before we get back into the action of killing one another lol. Super fun to work with all those badass chicks!

Your character in 'Raze' is a brutal fighter, I felt there was an emotion displayed in that film by all of the characters. What preparations did you have to do prior to production? Share some of the preparations you did for your character Gloria.

To prepare for the role of Gloria in Raze I really just had to connect with the thought of losing someone I loved if I did not kill my opponent, which is not something I think about on the daily. It's interesting to think of what someone is capable of doing to protect their loved ones.

Shifting the Discussion to stunts, in Captain America: Winter Soldier you were the stunt double for the Black Widow character, any wild moments on the set? The stunts looked hard but super cool, chat about the stunt rehearsal process on that film.

Yes, I was one of the stunt doubles for Black Widow in Captain America 2 and I loved every minute of it! Stunt rehearsals were always fun, and I enjoyed learning from all of the talented stuntmen and women that I was surrounded by. 




From a personal stand point, if you were offered the chance to have a major role in a smaller budget production or a stunt role in a larger production, what choice would you make? Eventually would you like to transition into acting in more films, or do you enjoy the stunt work more?

I love both stunts and acting. It depends on the project, the character, and the people behind it..as well as many other things :)

Who are your personal "heroes of action" besides the obvious Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan answer, and what do you like about them?

I have several personal heroes. To me they are people who inspire me to be better and selfless people who dare to make a difference. Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, mothers, fathers, teachers and others. I really look up to a lot of people and respect others who can get past the negativity to make a change or just simply enjoy life.

Shifting the discussion to hobbies, how about downtime for Amy, what do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time I love taking photos, adventuring, outdoor activities, working out/training, reading, learning, playing games, watching movies/tv, cooking, EATING and oh so many things :)

Chat about any charities or organizations you support, websites and info.

There are so many wonderful charities and organizations that I plan to support in the near future!

I see you have a couple of upcoming projects on the horizon, chat about Unlucky Stars and The King Of The Iron Fist Tournament.

Unlucky Stars was a film I worked on for the great Vlad Rimburg and I have no knowledge to why The King of the Iron Fist Tournament is on my IMDB unfortunately. As much as I would love to play the role of Nina Williams I have not been contacted by anyone and I assume it's a fake. However, I do have some really exciting things in store! I am heading to China in October for pre-production on a film titled "Lady Bloodfight" as a female lead, and I am beyond thrilled to get started! That is all I can say at the moment but I am working on some other great things and I am excited to share them soon! 

I cannot wait to chat about your next projects. How about other styles of films you would like to do, Amy Johnston in a romantic comedy?

I would love to be involved with other styles of film.

In a decade from now Amy Johnston is: Directing, acting, producing or a combination?

Amy should be ready to take over the world by that time hehe : ) just kidding...or am I? Really in a nutshell I want to inspire, create, entertain, and be the best that I can. Yes to acting, yes to producing, yes to directing and yes to a couple other ideas up my sleeves.

Hopefully those sleeves are full of weapons! Amy thank you for taking time out of your tremendously busy schedule to conduct this interview.

My Pleasure, hope everyone enjoys it!

My readers, this is only the beginning from Amy! I plan to chat with her as soon as she is ready to discuss new projects. Watch this space as soon, you will witness exclusive photos and video from Amy as she ascends to awesomeness in action!

For now check out her official site, and her 2014 Demo Reel:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR5-NKFYB9Q

Facebook Official @ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amy-Johnston/185501081515613

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

I See You Movie Review (Short Film-2012)

Above Picture: Poster for 'I See You' (C) 2012 Thomas Lui Photo and layout For more information contact http://thomas-lui.com

Being that I am an independent writer, I fully enjoy taking the time to not only watch, but review indie short films. Thanks to actress Celina Jade, I found out about 'I See You'. 'I See You' is a creepy 13 minute blast of a woman's descent into madness. Joe Martinez paints a sordid picture, of an office worker named Melissa,  portrayed by Celina, who leads a seemingly normal life, except that she not only hears voices, but she sees things and people who are not there.

Above photo: (C) 2012 Thomas Lui, Celina jade (A Dan's Movie Report Exclusive edit!) http://thomas-lui.com

She leaves the office one night, and while walking home is dumped on the phone by her boyfriend, she is haunted by an image of her past, or is it all in her imagination? She claims to her friend on the phone that "I keep seeing things" The second half of the film is an extreme measure of mood, with tense emotional attitude. Martinez, knows how to get the most out of Celina's ability and emotional expression, through various tense frames, dripping with Dario Argento type mystery. One of the strongest point about the film is not knowing what is going to happen next.

Above photo: Celina Jade (back) Jiillian Horan (front) in a creepy exchange in 'I See You'

'I See You' is further intensified by the clever casting of Celina's younger sister Jillian Horan, as her creepy subconscious Bonnie, an apparition, or voice. Jillian is so amazingly scary as she just calmly stands next to her and emote "listen your mouth is bleeding" The two sisters, make a great team on screen, both natural actors, not forcing it, just flowing through the scene like water from a pitcher to a cup.

Another cool thing about "I See You' is that it is shot in 2.35 to 1 aspect ratio. What is the importance, one asks,  it allows for full scope of background and use of lighting in various places to create mood. Upon multiple viewings, the mood is fully realized, the horror Melissa feels becomes more distinct. Obvious time was taken to discuss the lighting, mood, imagery and dialogue on 'I See You', not only is the final project memorable as a short film, it would make a great series or feature film.



Overall this is an amazing film, my top horror film I have seen this year, even though it was released in 2012. 'I See You' rates a 9.5 out of 10, it is nearly flawless, I want to see more of Celina and Jillian in feature horror films.

Check out  'I See You' on Vimeo @ http://vimeo.com/32697337

Watch for more exclusives from Joe Martinez on Dan's Movie Report as he is working on his latest horror masterpiece, 'Knock' which comes out around Halloween 2014! Here is the IMDB page for 'Knock' http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3746020/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_1

Facebook official page @ https://www.facebook.com/iseeyouthemovie

Monday, August 4, 2014

Mercenaries (2014) Movie Review



Have to hand it to The Asylum on Mercenaries! As much as everyone wants to beat on them for having the "Mockbuster" mentality, for Mercenaries, they have taken The Expendables series and actually given the lovely action ladies a chance! So here goes, a movie about women in action. They to can blow stuff up, fire guns and kick ass! Ok, so I have a soft spot for action ladies, but hell, they are way more fun to watch. Seriously, a 60 something Stallone or Zoë Bell, dammit this is a no brainer. No I do not work for this production, I enjoy low budget madness, if you want a 100mil dollar film, do not even bother to read this or watch, if you like indie, maniacal violence and filthy language, read on, read on!

Mercenaries has a rather simple premise, the president's daughter is captured and the ladies have to go undercover to infiltrate a women's prison and help rescue her. For the most part, action films in general keep the plot and story rather basic as to not get bogged down in to much fluff, and lord knows action fans hate fluff, they want big guns, big explosions and big fights. Mercenaries, I happily say delivers on all three! Zoë Bell exudes her action persona, and is getting more comfortable in delivering her dialogue now. Transitioning from stunts to acting is a daunting task, and actually I would like to see more stunt people take that route.

Vivica A. Fox has found her niche acting in indie films. She was amazing in Kill Bill, and other work, fun and energetic to watch. In Mercenaries she portrays a rather dynamic character,  but I am not going to spoil it. Watch the film and see.



Kristanna Loken is a great actress, best known for her Terminator 3 role, she like Vivica, has found an indie niche. Actually indie films allow freedom, and since they have short shoot and release times, actors can do many per year. In Mercenaries she is rather aggressive and entertaining to watch. Loken is very tall and exudes a commanding presence in her films, and I sincerely hope to see more of her! Facebook official page @ https://www.facebook.com/OfficialKristannaLoken



Cynthia Rothrock has a small role in Mercenaries, I have enjoyed her work for the past 30 years and am  looking forward to the next 30. Cynthia is always re-inventing her look, her actions and her ability. It is enjoyable to watch her in a supervisory role in Mercenaries. All business and no B.S. Cynthia delivers a bit of seriousness to her character, while dropping curse words like a sailor.

Bridgette Neilson is an enigma, I have always enjoyed her unique attitude towards film and life in general. She marches to her own beat, never letting anyone stop her. In Mercenaries she plays the villain and it is a joy to watch, in her over the top awesomeness!

Nicole Bilderback is the Asian bad ass demolitions expert, she is fun, while summing her inner Ming-Na type enforcer role, she has a cool attitude in Mercenaries, maniacal and calculated! Check out her official site @ http://www.nicolebilderback.com/

Casting aside, Mercenaries is a fun action film, never taking itself too seriously. The ladies run around, fight shoot guns, etc... and prove they can hang with the men. Although an official female Expendables has never been made, Mercenaries comes about as close as one can get to such a project. The stunts are great fun to watch. Especially the falls!

Credit to the folks at The Asylum for taking the time and effort to promote female action oriented stories. I hope more of them in the future will come! In addition, the scope of their films are increasing, and thus the quality of production, such as the sets, stunts, lighting, and effects are getting better. Amazingly they are able to do so much with tiny budgets, while every film might not be perfect, nor even great, there is some genre out there for everyone, and their business model is unique, and going by the beat of your own drum is almost unheard of except for Troma, and Roger Corman.

Overall I liked the film, wish it was a bit longer in running time, but again, no fluff. Mercenaries rates a 8 explosions out of 10, a must own for action fans! Z Bell rates a 10, she is adorable, full of life and action, follow her on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/TheRealZoeBell

For more info go to the official Asylum site @ www.theasylum.cc

So far only one of the ladies in Mercenaries have graced my site with an interview, I am shameless in saying  I am requesting all of you to have a turn! Here is Cynthia Rothock and her two exclusive interviews, and looking forward to the rest of the cast to step up and have their say, not to worry, I am just a weak writer and am rather non threatening! : http://dansmoviereport.blogspot.com/2012/01/cynthia-rothrock-interview-she-is-back.html  More to follow!?!

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Reeperbahn - De Film! Exclusive Set Report! Exclusive Photos and News!

Before I begin, please check out this hot new trailer for the film Reeperbahn! @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ0_LZNQ4Bo



Greetings to my valued readers, once again, as promised, Dan's Movie Report, will no longer do a regular news column! Coverage will be limited to those fine films who provide exclusive content! All of the content on this and subsequent film related posts, will be marked exclusive as I am either contacting the director or producer of the project. With that out of the way, I present the latest film from the German Director Timo Rose: 'ReeperBahn' Get ready to take a ride on the Red Light District in this amazing new salacious and provocative drama!


All photos! (C) 2014 Penn / Rouven ...Copyright by ScarMantic Pictures & New Flesh Films Dan's Movie Report Exclusive!

A short English synopsis: Reeperbahn is about the biggest red-light district in Germany - the "reeperbahn" in Hamburg. its a drama / thiller but also very brutal and rough (not bloody). the film centers around  few people, Sarah (prostitute), her "pimp" Uffuk (Turkish pimp) and his "boys", Sarah's best friend Tina (Tessa Bergmeier) and her brother Marcus (max evans). the movie tells the stories of each person and in the finale ALL will find tied together...not in a good way...! 



(C) 2014 Penn / Rouven ...Copyright by ScarMantic Pictures & New Flesh Films Dan's Movie Report Exclusive!


Cast and Crew info: New Flesh Film GmbH und ScarMantic Pictures International presents A Timo Rose Film - REEPERBAHN - Lisa Katharina Volk, Max Evans, Marc Engel, Nikolai Will, Tessa Bergmeier, Vaile Fuchs, Rebekka Mueller sowie Vanessa Eichholz, Andrea Rudolf, Jacky Ballon, Andre Koock und Nils Henftling - DOP: Christian Penn - Editor: Kai E. Bogatzki Make Up / Special Make up: Mai Huynh Producers: Timo Rose , Andre Koock , Wolfgang Hinz, Michael Kraetzer, John Meyers & Brian Maxwell Smith
Drehbuch & Regie: Timo Rose 





Over the coming months, and well into 2015, watch for this post to be updated with cast exclusive interviews and more photos, videos etc!