What Does Getting a Classic Action Viewing Experience Mean?

By
Ultimate Action Movies
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Living in the age of streaming and the internet means that getting a hold of movies, even the classic action flicks of the 80s and 90s, is easier than ever. A quick search on our favorite service can put dozens at our fingertips, and failing that, remasters and rereleases make getting a hold of a 4K Blu-ray rarely a difficult task. There are complications beneath the surface, however, that might be affecting your experience more than you realize.

Vision, Scope, and Delivery

A good filmmaker goes into the creative process with an idea of the final product. They’ve run the film through their heads many times, and they understand the beats and how the film will look and sound. This guides them from pre- through post-production, as they bring their vision to life as accurately as they can.

The only problem with this is that, especially for the classic movies we love, their presentation is bound to the technology of the time. This means that classic action movies were made for the big screens and VCRs of the 1980s and 90s, and that’s not the technology we have today. In other words, the scope of older action movies kept in mind the visual restraints, and when we ignore that we can compromise delivery.

“Vinyl” (Public Domain) by Anders Printz

This disconnect has been famously illustrated in the past in the audio world in the shift from vinyl to more modern lossless systems. Although, in this case, many of the recording artists would have preferred more accurate systems, there’s something to be said for the charm of older solutions that can’t be captured by more modern technology.

In film higher detail in an image can change the fundamental feeling it gives us. With too much detail, worlds can become less abstract, taking us out of the experience. It may be contradictory, but too much detail added can subtract from the emotions we built up around the original releases, generating a feeling of sterility.

Technological Solutions

Tech may change the form of entertainment, but sometimes these changes can be for the better. Aside from the lossless audio example above, think about how live bingo in online parlors has changed the bingo experience. With modern systems, special events such as Naughty or Nice Live by Buzz Bingo can be played right from home, or anywhere on the go with a mobile connection. This level of customization and freedom of choice is a huge boon to the experience, and with a little work, the same can apply to rereleases of modern films.

The viewing systems we have today can be incredibly flexible if you don’t mind doing a little work. If that lo-fi look is something you want to recapture, then some of the best solutions can be through converter cables, to change high-definition signals to ones of more basic quality. Converting HDMI to RCA cables can be a great way to accomplish this feat. Other potential solutions include TV and media player filters, or simply converting your old tapes to newer media types via a conversion service. This approach means you still have a huge selection to draw from, combining the best of both worlds into one whole.

“History of ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day” (CC BY 2.0) by deepskyobject

The older tapes and players we use to watch classic action movies like Terminator are on the way out. Fortunately, by using the latest in high-tech systems, we can hold on to what we’d otherwise lose. We know that it’s a long way to go to make something look technically worse, and you’ll definitely get some weird looks from people who don’t know where you’re coming from, but so what? Sometimes how we engage is just as important as what we engage with, and for the sake of recapturing what makes classic films possible, there’s nothing bad about going the right way in the wrong direction.

Top 10 Old-School Comic Book Action Movies

By
Thomas Krebs
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A look at the most ultimate old-school comic action adaptions!

Before comic book films became slick family entertainment, a good comic book adaptation needed to hit just as hard as any other action movie! The best of them skipped on all the drama, and went straight for the bull’s eye of total cinematic excess! In this article, we present you the ten most kick-ass old-school comic book films and film franchises ever created!

Bonus Round: Darkman (1990)

Darkman is not based on a comic book, but Sam Raimi’s take on the genre feels like a comic book come alive. Scientist Peyton Westlake (Liam Neeson) is left horribly disfigured after mobsters destroy his lab. His synthetic-skin technology enables him to re-create and wear the faces of his attackers, and he goes out to get his revenge.

The excitement Raimi puts on the screen is simply infectious. There’s quirky characters, a couple of dark and touching moments, goofy humor, and relentless action featuring the classic RaimiCamTM totally spiraling out of control. Liam Neeson is intense as Westlake, oscillating between tormented victim (with a terrifying face) and unhinged killer. The action sequences go so much over the top, they are the best maestro Raimi ever created, and Darkman became the greatest comic book flick not based on a comic book!

A Guide to the Essential ’90s Action-Horror Classics

10) Barb Wire (1996)

Barb Wire was supposed to be Pamela Anderson’s breakthrough on the big screen. It didn’t happen, but at least she gave us a wild and sexy actioner! In a dystopic future, bounty hunter and bar owner Barb Wire gets a visit from her ex-lover with secret information about a devastating bio-weapon. She soon is caught in a crossfire between criminal gangs, the police and a government torture squad. Anderson is doing a pretty good job at being a tough and sexy action hero, spewing out cheesy one-liners while kicking ass. 

The action comes in good doses and goes completely off the rails in the finale with a nice display of vehicular carnage, explosions and crazy fight on a forklift that is dangling on a crane 300 feet above ground. It’s a guilty pleasure of sorts for sure, but this actioner never fails to entertain for even a single minute!

Barb Wire (1996): Pamela Anderson’s Wild, Silly and Sexy Ultimate Actioner

9) Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011)

Spirit of Vengeance was the sequel to the rather mundane Ghost Rider, and got a lot more interesting due to the involvement of Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor of Crank fame as directors. Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) is the Ghost Rider, a former stuntman who is sometimes possessed by a vengeful spirit. Johnny is tasked with protecting the boy Danny from the devil who thinks Danny would be the perfect vessel for him to walk the earth.

The script has Cage frequently going into full lunacy mode, and the film has a unique atmosphere that is sometimes eerie, and often total cheese. The action scenes are pleasantly old-school for the most part, and are guaranteed to give you an adrenaline rush, also thanks to the crazy camerawork of Neveldine and Taylor. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is one of the weirdest manifestations of a Marvel franchise on celluloid, and kicks some serious ass!

The 10 Best Nicolas Cage Ultimate Action Movies

8) The Rocketeer (1991)

The early 1990s saw a short-lived streak of colorful movies inspired by pulp and superhero comics from the 1930s and 1940s, and The Rocketeer is the best of the pack. A secret prototype for a jet pack falls into the hands of stunt pilot Cliff (Bill Campbell). He becomes The Rocketeer, a show attraction, but soon needs to put his new gadget to use for fending off a conspiracy involving mafia mobsters and Nazi spies.

The movie is a big spectacle with a cheerful vibe, and we get a load of awesome hand-crafted action sequences such as the chaotic flight sequences of the Rocketeer, old timer car chases, and the showdown in a Nazi Zeppelin. The entire cast (among them Alan Arkin and ex-James Bond Timothy Dalton) contributes to the fun with a perfect balance of portraying believable characters and just the right amount of campiness. The Rocketeer is exciting and charming, a perfect action-adventure!

The Rocketeer: The Fun Love Letter to Pulp Action That Failed

7) Constantine (2005)

2005 saw Keanu Reeves in another bad-ass role as the disillusioned and cursed demon hunter John Constantine. He stumbles upon an apparent suicide case, but when he is repeatedly attacked by hordes of monsters, Constantine discovers the devil’s entire army is on the verge of entering the human world. Constantine is more than just The Exorcist as an action flick, and the most insane exorcism in movie history just marks the start of a film that never relents.

John Constantine has an impressive arsenal of biblical weapons at his disposal: blessed knuckles, a holy shotgun and a flamethrower with dragon fire. But the film has a lot more offer than goofy gadgets. The pacing is perfect, the neo-noir visuals create a grim ambiance, and the many spectacular action sequences hit like a train. Constantine is an ultimate fantasy horror classic that still holds up perfectly today.

Top 10 Keanu Reeves Action Movies

6) Hellboy/Hellboy: The Golden Army (2004/2008)

Director Guillermo del Toro and his star Ron Perlman took on the fun task to cast the adventures of a foul-mouthed but good-hearted demon into a movie. Hellboy (Perlman) is summoned by Nazis during World War II to destroy the world, but instead is rescued and adopted by Bruttenholm, a professor for occult studies. Years later, Hellboy works for the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, and needs to face the same evil that brought him into the world. 

Del Toro’s adaptation of Mike Mignola’s stories nails the look of the comic books, and he pours his passion into every frame. The action sequences are explosive, and Hellboy’s giant fist smashes into plenty of monster heads. Del Toro also helmed the sequel, Hellboy: The Golden Army. The film is even more of a visual spectacle, beautifully blending superhero action with a colorful fairy tale. With both films, Del Toro cemented his status as a grand master for top-of-the-shelf comic book adaptations.

Top 10 Action Movies for Kids (Ages 9 or Above)

5) Judge Dredd/Dredd (1995/2012)

The two films about Judge Dredd and his uncompromising duty in the futuristic dystopia of Mega-City One belong to the best the genre has to offer. In the first iteration of the character, Sylvester Stallone delivered his familiar performance as ultra-tough macho hero that spews out cynical one-liners by the minute. Street Judge Dredd is framed for murder, and goes on a violent crusade to prove his innocence and uncover a conspiracy that seeks to bring chaos upon Mega-City One. 

The film convincingly recreates the bizarre world of Mega-City One in all its dystopic glory. The action is intense, with Dredd’s over-sized and supercharged Lawgiver shredding enemies by the dozen. In 2012 Judge Dredd returned, and Karl Urban took the helm from Stallone. This time he goes up against a drug lord and her army in a sealed-off skyscraper. The film gives us non-stop brutal action with relentless chases and firefights, and Dredd became one of the ultimate masterpieces of 21st Century action cinema.

Dredd (2012): One of the Greatest Action Flicks of the 21st Century

4) The Punisher Trilogy (1989 – 2008)

One of the darkest Marvel characters gave movie fans three killer action flicks. The first one was still very much infused with that goofy flair typical for 1980s comic book flicks. Frank Castle (Dolph Lundgren) is the Punisher, an ex-cop who lives underground (literally), and spends his time killing mafia members. The Yakuza take the opportunity to fill the power vacuum created by Castle, and he finds himself in the middle of a bloody turf war. Lundgren in top form is at the center of all sorts of mayhem, like throwing grenades at an endless stream of ninjas coming down slides in an arcade hall. 

The second film from 2004 is a tad more serious with lots of bloody action, and gives gives us the origin story of the Punisher (Thomas Jane) who seeks to take out crime boss Howard Saint (John Travolta). And 2008’s Punisher: Warzone is the most brutal film that ever wore the Marvel logo with shotguns to the face and knives through the brain. All three films deliver high-octane comic-book violence of the best kind!

Top 10 Dolph Lundgren Action Movies

3) The Crow (1994)

The film that will be linked forever to the tragic death of Brandon Lee on the film set is also a masterpiece of atmosphere, storytelling and spectacular action. Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) and his fiance are murdered by a gang of thugs. One year later, Eric is brought back to life by the mystic power of The Crow to avenge the loss of his love.

Lee totally owns his role as melancholic angel of death, who delivers a bunch of bloody killings during his gloomy journey through the night. There are many exciting action sequences, and the design of each frame is spectacular, all of them could easily become panels of a comic book. The Crow influenced many films in the decades to come, and rightfully has become a cult classic of action cinema.

The Crow: Looking Back on Brandon Lee’s Unforgettable Finale

2) Timecop (1994)

Timecop showed Jean-Claude Van Damme at the top of his game. US senator McComb (Ron Silver) uses time travel for robberies in the past to fund his presidential campaign in in the present. Only agent Max Walker (Van Damme) from the time enforcement commission (TEC) can stop him. There are so many ultimate moments: Van Damme’s emergency split on the kitchen counter before the floor is electrocuted, Ron Silver’s razor-sharp one-liners, and wonky future cars that look as if they were made from 100 pieces of plastic glued together.  

Director Peter Hyams went all in to give Timecop that classic Sc-Fi actioner vibe with unidentifiable cyber-technology everywhere and an overkill of back-lighting. There’s tons of great shootouts and fights that are also not skimpy on bloody violence. Timecop is an epitome of 1990s action, and arguably Van Damme’s best film.

Timecop: When Van Damme Did Action Sci-Fi Right

1) Blade/Blade II (1998/2002)

No one ever played a stone-cold killing machine for the forces of good better than Wesley Snipes. Vampire hunter Blade (Snipes) – a half-vampire himself – gets into a deadly feud with vampire yuppie Deacon Frost who is seeking to fulfill an ancient prophecy that promises infinite power. Infused with techno music, martial arts and an overkill of 1990s party fashion, director Stephen Norrington created a deep immersion into this strange world, and also delivered an engaging story. The action is fast and violent with some of the most spectacular fights ever put into a comic book film.

In Blade 2 (helmed by Guillermo Del Toro), darkness and shadows replace the glossy and sometimes glaring visuals of the first part. The martial arts sequences are even better than in the first part, and there’s vampire ninjas and Lovecraftian monsters everywhere! Both films are ultimate masterpieces of action cinema, and take the top spot in our ranking as the greatest superhero flicks ever made!

Ranking the Original ‘Blade’ Trilogy Films

UAMC Interviews: The Masebrothers Talk ‘Cyborg: Deadly Machine’ (2020)

By
Thomas Krebs
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An ultimate interview with the ’80s-inspired YouTube filmmakers!

The Masebrothers are a crew of three talented filmmakers (Mathieu Cailliere, Sebastien Petitjean, and Jeremy Vazzoli) who are embracing the golden era of VHS tapes and kick-ass action movies.

Their first feature film Cyborg: Deadly Machine was a fantastic piece of indie Sci-Fi action, and with their latest production Dragon Cop to be released soon, it was the right time to sit together with Mathieu (Mat), and talk about everything Masebrothers!

UAMC: Hello Mat, thanks for taking the time to chat. Let’s jump right in! Who are the Masebrothers, and how did you get into filmmaking?

Mat: Hi! First, I want to thank you for the interview, it’s an honor for me to feature in the Ultimate Action Movie Club! We are a friends collective from France that was born six years ago, and we produce short films and humorist videos dedicated to the pop culture of the 80s/90s.

UAMC: Your video shorts series VHS on YouTube is really a blast to watch, and it seems you’re drawing a lot of inspiration from 1980s classic movies and TV series. What’s the special thing about 1980s pop culture for you, where does the magic come from?

Mat: Thanks! We launched the VHS series inspired by these famous cassettes for the VCR where everything and anything was recorded on during the 80s and 90s (movie, series, commercials, music videos etc). I was born in the 80s, grew up in the 90s and I wanted to pay tribute to the cinematographic and television landscape of those years. Which still seems to me today much more fun and creative than what we are offered today.

UAMC: What films have been most influential and inspiring for you?

Mat: I watched a lot of old movies from the 80s/90s. I was a serious fan of Jackie Chan (Police Story, Dragon Forever), Sammo Hung (Pedicab Driver, Eastern Condors), John Woo (A better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard Boiled), Tsui Hark (Once upon a time in China, The Blade – the one with Chiu Man Chuk), all this Hong-Kong stuff for which I pay homage in my new short film called Dragon Cop.

But I admire also directors like John McTiernan (Die Hard, Last Action Hero) and James Cameron (The Terminator, Aliens). I’m not a very big fan of today’s films which rely on a lot of CGI. I call them “Cheater Movie”, I prefer watching real things, particularly for action movies, but thank god there is your website which brings to light some underrated movies from the past, and I love to (re)discover them!

UAMC: Thank you, and I think “cheater movie” is a fitting term to describe so many action movies these days! And it’s great that you stick to old-school practical effects, like in your first semi-full-length feature, the awesome Cyborg: Deadly Machine that came out in 2020. For me it is the missing part of The Terminator trilogy, but was that actually your intention, to create the ultimate homage to the James Cameron films?

Mat: I am a very big fan of the first Terminator which I prefer to the sequel. Above all, I wanted to pay homage to this film and this universe created by James Cameron, but with my child-like eyes when I discovered it back in the day. That’s also why I was naturally attracted to everything surrounding successful films of this era like video games, figurines, cartoons, and that’s why we put all these things in the movie. But we also wanted to pay homage to Sci-Fi exploitation films of the early 90s like Nemesis by the late Albert Pyun or Richard Stanley’s film Hardware.

UAMC: I really think you succeeded in that, the film has all these elements, and much more! How did you organize the work on the movie between the three of you? Who did what?

Mat: Sebastien Petitjean worked on the script with Jeremy and me, and many things on the set. He also plays a soldier at the very beginning, and animated the cyborg skeleton at the end. Jeremy Vazzoli was the cinematographer. He also worked on the VFX and plays the scientist West, a nod to Herbert West from Re-animator. Me, I was directing, editing, VFX and doing way too much things on Cyborg: Deadly Machine 🙂

UAMC: Speaking of the VFX, there are a lot of them in the film and they all look terrific, the cyborg effects, the gore, and also the 16-bit video game sequences are just a ton of fun to watch. Can you tell us a little bit about the journey of creating the special effects for the movie?

Mat: Thanks. We have worked with some great artists like Stef Fabio and Fred Wajeman to create the machines like the T-800 cameo at the beginning or the C-9000 endoskeleton at the end. We had a limited budget for the movie, so we had to do our own SFX like the gore made with real offal (not from humans, rest assured :D). Same goes for the miniatures which were done by Jeremy and me. We wanted to recreate the look of that era of Sci-Fi films when things were real, with a childly touch in it! Jeremy Vazzoli is the one who made the full retrogaming sequence and cartoon part, and he did an amazing job in two months! I was doing VFX (Guns, explosion etc).

UAMC: For the soundtrack you worked with two well-known artists from the Synthwave community, Meteor and Fixions. How did that cooperation come about?

Mat: The artist behind Fixions is a friend of us and he contributed to the success of the crowdfunding. He was with us from the very first day of shooting our demo trailer. He plays a brutal Synthwave style that was a cool way to create a fitting sound for the world of machines. Regarding Meteor, I am a fan of his music, and I used some of tracks of his past album for the score of my previous movie Rage of Fire 2. We wanted to hire him to create some epic music to give sound to the hope of the human resistance lead by Alex & Stacy!  He made a feature with NY based artist Magic Dance to write the end credit anthem called “Ready to Fight”.

UAMC: What is it about cyborgs that is so cool?

Mat: They have no pressure, respond to a single objective and are indestructible. Seriously, I think there’s a good case to make them terrifying monsters for movies.

UAMC: What is on the horizon for the Masebrothers, what are you currently working on?

Mat: We have a brand new project called Dragon Cop. It is a short film tribute to Hong-Kong action cinema from the 80s a la Jackie Chan, Michele Yeoh, Sammo Hung, Yuen Woo Ping and John Woo. We have plenty of martial arts, stunts and a cool gunfight. It’s the prequel to a movie we want to release next year, and it will feature a lot of characters we have created on Mase Brothers since the beginning! To make it we will start a new crowdfunding campaign and production to make something bigger than ever! So check out Masebrothers in 2023 🙂

That sounds exciting, we’ll check it out for sure! And hopefully the crowdfunding campaign will be a huge success! As a last question, where can people find you and your work?

You can find all our productions (movies, VHS series etc) on YouTube at and you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter!

UAMC: Thank you, Mat, for giving us a glimpse into the awesome retro-movie world of the Masebrothers, and until next time!

Mat: Thanks a lot Thomas for the spotlight! We will keep an eye on the Ultimate Action Movie Club to discover some movie gems!

Michael Jai White is Back in Top Form in ‘As Good As Dead’ (2022)

By
Braden White
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The man MJW kicks out another ultimate action banger!

FINALLY!!!! It’s been a cool minute since we have seen a film that adequately showcases action phenom Michael Jai White’s Talent. As on December 16th, I believe we finally have that vehicle with As Good As Dead.

Originally titled “Nogales”, The story focuses on Bryant Powell (White), a mysterious loner living a quiet life in Nogales, Mexico. While training martial arts outside, he notices a young boy by the name of Oscar (Luca Oriel) who he befriends and trains in an eclectic martial arts style known as “Defense Labs System”. When Oscar uses this style to compete in an underground MMA bout, Bryant’s past catches up to him, and also putting Oscar and his family in danger.

The Top 10 Ultimate Michael Jai White Action Movies

UAMC Reviews ‘As Good As Dead’ (2022)

At first glace this film can seem like just another “Karate Kid” rip-off, but the story takes so many turns and establishes its own identity. The chemistry between all of the characters feels natural and not forced. There are some good comedy moments between White and Oscars brother, Hector (Guillermo Ivan), including the two arguing over 80s and 90s action flicks!

The cast is rounded out by Louis Mandylor (Martial Law, Debt Collector 1&2), Tom Berenger (Sniper Franchise), and Michael Copon (Power Rangers Time Force, Scorpion King 2). Michael’s wife, Gillian Waters White also makes a small appearance in the film.

Michael Jai White Goes Van Damme in ‘Welcome to Sudden Death’

But, How Ultimate is it?

As I stated, the action in this film more than delivers. The training scenes between White and Luca are well shot. Luca does a good job at proving to be formidable force in the action genre. White gets more than a few chances at demonstrating what he does best, including a scene where he fights with a couple of machetes. 

Overall, this film quenches my thirst for a juicy action flick. Michael Jai White once again shows us why he is one of the best in the genre. This film gets a 9 out of 10 stars strictly for the fact that I wish it was just a tad longer to explore more of the backstory of the film (however, it would make a great prequel).

In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled right here on UAMC for all things indie action and Michael Jai White!!!!

Before the Change to Comic Book Movies

By
Ultimate Action Movies
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For many of us, the best time for action movies was the 1980s and 1990s. Whether watching the biggest blockbusters from America or the hits from Asia, these are almost unrecognizable from a lot of what we see today. While so many parts of these experiences were different, one of the most notable shifts that we’ve seen is a move towards comic book action movie adaptions. Though it’s true comic and manga films started in the ‘80s and ‘90s, there weren’t common, so why was this?

A Common Enemy

Action movies need antagonists, and making these antagonists an acceptable target means looking at a movie’s audience. In the early generation of mostly Western action films, audiences were considered from an American point of view. This was an era of strong national identity, so the enemies we faced tended to be those which reflected real-world political conflicts.

With the Cold and Gulf Wars, this meant that most enemies of the time were from Russia or the Middle Eastern. Over time, as tensions eased, action films targeted these groups less. This was helped by the rise of the internet and the greater international spread of movies needing less realistic enemies. We didn’t want to rock the boat or paint anyone poorly, so entirely fictional comic book villains became an easier target.

Technological Limitations

Make no mistake, we love practical effects. Work on films like Terminator 2 and the Rambo films still stands the test of time and looks fantastic. Moving to a larger scale, and with improved rendering, technology meant that digital effects were cheaper, however, and in many cases, much safer for the actors and stunt crew.

“Terminator” (CC BY 2.0) by dmoberhaus

In Aliens, for example, one of the early scripts culminated in a battle between multiple power loaders and queen aliens. While this would have looked great with the practical effects of the time, such challenges would have been a logistical and financial nightmare to manage. Though still expensive, these kinds of ideas are at least feasible with CGI.

Raising the Spectacle

Finally, we can’t discount the great spectacle that the fantasy and science-fiction worlds of comics and manga have made possible. This remains true for the growing landscape of anime adaptations, like what’s seen on this Naruto Shippuden filler list. Not even part of the official canon, these side stories like the pursuit of huge mythical beasts and mystical magic-throwing ninjas do things that are difficult to qualify for regular action films. With comics, anime, and manga, magical worlds make suspension of disbelief easier, so the spectacle is better accepted.

“Sylvester Stallone” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Gage Skidmore

The inescapable conclusion of modern changes to action movies is that they’re more of a reflection of a time than we tend to think. On a social, cultural, and technological level, every action movie tells a story beyond the story, measuring where the current zeitgeist of thrills meets human filmmaking potential.

As for what this means for the future, it’s difficult to tell. As we risk becoming oversaturated by comic book movies, we’d hope for a return to more of the original ideas that made the classic action films of the ’80s and ’90s famous. Until then, at least we have the libraries of Schwarzenegger and Stallone to fall back on.

You Have to Watch Jean-Paul Ly’s ‘Speed Dating’ Short Now!

By
Ultimate Action Movies
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The voice of Jean-Paul Ly has been growing in the world of action cinema for quite some time. Blockbusters such as The Batman, Doctor Strange, and F9 are among the films that he has worked on as a stuntman. You can find him as a lead in the films Jailbreak, Nightshooters, and Ross Peacock’s Acéré. When he first took his talents behind the camera, Ly directed, edited, and choreographed the 30-minute short film The Division in 2018. With his first short, Ly takes a premise that could have easily been an episode of 24 and uses it  as a backdrop to display some well-choreographed action design. This year Ly returns to the director’s chair with the action-comedy Speed Dating. 

Shoot the Night with Jean-Paul Ly in the Action Packed NIGHTSHOOTERS

UAMC Reviews Speed Dating (2022)

In the film, we follow Emma played by Eloise Lovell Anderson (Morris Men, Villain) as she navigates through the awkward and desperate landscape of a speed dating event. What starts as a romantic comedy quickly turns into kitchen brawls and John Wick-inspired shoot-outs.

This time around Ly’s craft is a lot tighter and he perfectly balances the comedy and bloody action within the film. Anderson does a great balancing act within the film as well, she smoothly transitions from rom-com damsel to ass-kicking heroine. She operates with ease through each fight scene. By the end, you’ll be wondering when she’ll appear to break some more bones again in a film.

Shoot the Night with Jean-Paul Ly in the Action Packed NIGHTSHOOTERS

Jean-Paul Ly: A Burgeoning Action Auteur

It’s clear Ly has grown a lot as a filmmaker in such a short time. Speed Dating uses its 13-minute run time to create an almost outrageous scenario and executes it to the best of its ability.

There’s even an appearance from Ly’s frequent collaborator and fellow stuntman Laurent Plancel (I am Vengeance: Retaliation, Jailbreak). You can find both The Division and Speed Dating on YouTube. If you’re a devoted fan of action or someone who wants to get into action cinema these shorts are a good entry point. 

Article By: Cameron Levins is a filmmaker, comic book lover and fight scene enthusiast. Ever since his dad showed him Bruce Lee as a kid, he became obsessed with action films. In his free time he’s either day dreaming about an action scene or researching fight choreographers. Follow Cameron on Twitter here.

The Top 5 Non-American Action Movies from the 80’s and 90’s

By
Ultimate Action Movies
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For film fans in the 80s and 90s in North America, the world of action movies was often limited to a few well-known faces. Stallone, Van Damme, Schwarzenegger and the rest of that generation dominated cinemas at the time. Other action flicks still mostly featured a big American or European star.

As many fans have since learned, around the world there was and still is a treasure trove of quality, only some of which ever graced American audiences. For this list, we’re going through some of the best foreign products ever released, which not only hold up against American contemporaries but often surpass them.

Once Upon a Time in China

While Jet Li is primarily known as a villain actor in Hollywood movies thanks to Lethal Weapon 4 and the third Mummy film, in his native China he is better known for his heroic portrayals. This is certainly one of his most well-known.

This film and its two sequels follow folk hero Wong Fei-Hung, a martial arts master and legendary physician, although the actual events portrayed are almost certainly fictional. Without spoiling the ending of the film, the fact that it’s at least a bit fantastical does become obvious at that point.

The themes resonate strongly with audiences, featuring foreign occupation and influence in China at the end of the 19th Century, and even though the events themselves are fiction, the sentiment and setting are a fascinating look at a rarely shown part of history.

More importantly, the whole story is wrapped in some of the most outstanding fight choreography ever seen on screen, and it’s still seen by modern stunt actors and choreographers as a masterclass on what a martial arts film should look like. It also routinely features on lists of the greatest martial arts films ever alongside the works of Bruce Lee.

Mad Max 2

For those who have a more casual interest in action movies, the fact that Mad Max as a series is not an American Hollywood product may be a little surprising. Each installment all the way up to Fury Road has been produced entirely within Australia.

If you’re not familiar with the character from either the original run of Mel Gibson movies or the Fury Road modern version with Tom Hardy, the franchise is a post-apocalyptic survival action series primarily set in the Australian wasteland.

The second installment features former police officer Max Rockatansky attempting to barter and deal to survive within the wasteland, all while dealing with the gang led by Humungus and trying to protect a small group of settlers. It has a definite feel similar to the Western films like A Fistful of Dollars, although with a much more gritty and bombastic approach to everything with a lot more action mixed in.

Run Lola Run

This German film is definitely the most unusual entry on this list as the ‘action’ elements are generally the most subdued, without big gunfights or fistfights throughout. With that said, it is absolutely a unique example of cinema in general and one that U.S. audiences aren’t all that likely to know about.

The film has a fairly simple premise at heart, with heroine Lola having 20 minutes to get 100,000 Deutsche Marks to her boyfriend before he is killed for losing it. The big twist though is that the viewer is given three separate versions of the story in a row, each with slightly altered versions of events. It’s implied through various hints that this is something supernatural on the part of Lola herself. 

Released in 1998 to massive acclaim, including a raft of film festival awards, Run Lola Run didn’t manage to make the Academy Award nomination list. However, it has a staggeringly good Rotten Tomatoes score with both critic scores and audience scores hitting 90+. Given that the audience score comes from over 100,000 reviews, it’s definitely on the must-watch list.

Supercop

Though it seems hard to believe now, there was in fact a time when the name Jackie Chan wasn’t well-known to Western audiences. To put Supercop into perspective, this is the movie that made him a big name in Hollywood and set up a decades-long career.

The movie is actually the third in a series, known as Police Story 3 in Hong Kong. It features Detective Ka Kui undercover in a series of jailbreaks and is that classic blend of Chan’s incredible choreography laced with perfect visual and slapstick humor.

The movie was released originally in 1992, however the U.S. dubbed release took until 1996 to come out. Among a lot of cuts and edits, there was also a completely new soundtrack produced, bizarrely including a version of Kung-Fu Fighting by none other than Tom Jones.

Jackie Chan has obviously gone onto much bigger successes later on, not least the Rush Hour series alongside Chris Rock, and much like his role model Bruce Lee, has even had his own series of slot games produced. These will primarily be available at online casinos in Canada and Europe, among thousands of other slot game options, as well as various Asian locations, including the U.S. where options are likely to be available soon thanks to changing opinions. It’s clear that Chan not only managed to overcome Hollywood to appeal to a global audience but transcended film altogether.

Nikita

A French production from the director behind Leon: The Professional and The Fifth Element, La Femme Nikita or just Nikita in France is a tense and fairly dark action film centered around assassins and espionage. For those looking for big explosions and chases, this probably isn’t for you, but it does feature some beautiful set pieces.

For those familiar with the story behind the much more recent Marvel’s Black Widow, the plot will sound a little familiar. Following a failed robbery and a faked death, teenager Nikita is trained to become a femme fatale assassin taking on targets for the French government. Drama ensues from her desperate attempts to have a personal life alongside her job.

The film actually did get an entirely American remake in the form of Point of No Return featuring Jane Fonda, although it’s generally seen as a slightly weaker version compared to the original, albeit still much better than Black Cat, the Hong Kong remake. Critic reviews of La Femme Nikita were lukewarm at the time, however the Rotten Tomatoes score should tell you everything you need to know.

That about wraps up this list, and while there’s a chance any diehard action fan will already be aware of these, each of them is a solid recommendation across so many genres.

Mean Guns: Albert Pyun’s Ultimate Battle Royale Film

By
Thomas Krebs
-

A masterclass in indie action filmmaking by the late genre auteur Albert Pyun.

Recently, the sad news of Albert Pyun’s death broke. It is a tragic loss for his family and friends, and secondarily also for all action fans. Rest well Albert, we miss you. If you wanted to make a kick-ass action flick but had no money, you called Albert Pyun and relied on his talent to turn even the most mundane premise into an eccentric spectacle. To honor him and his work we will revisit one of his ultimate classics Mean Guns, one of the earliest entries to what we now know as the Battle Royale type of scenario.

Crime boos Moon (Ice-T) has invited 100 members of his crime syndicate to a newly-built prison complex the night before its opening, and forces them into a deadly game of last man standing. The last three survivors get to share 10 Million USD with each other. A cool location, a few crates filled with fire weapons, ammo and baseball bats, and a bunch of committed actors are all Pyun needed to create another low-budget masterpiece.

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10 Million Dollars for the Coldest Motherfuckers in this Building

His best works stand out not least because of their visual presentation, and Mean Guns is no exception. Time lapse, fast editing, and overexposed images, Pyun reaches deep into the bag of tricks of flashy film-making. It all works to create a unique visual style for a B-actioner, also thanks to the sharp cinematography of Pyun’s long-time cooperator George Mooradian.

The action comes almost non-stop, but what happens in between is also entertaining enough. All the participants are hardened killers, so most of them feel right at home with the situation presented to them, and some even us it as an opportunity to settle some old scores. Everyone carries a gun, wears sunglasses and a posh leather jacket, and each character seems to embody a single typical villain trait.

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Pyun’s Low-Budget Homage to Woo and Tarantino

Despite this, they are all surprisingly interesting, and Pyun was able to tease out pretty awesome performances from all his actors. Their conversations are imitating Quentin Tarantino’s classic dialogues, snappy talk that oscillates between mundane chatter and serious gangster stuff. And they’re not that bad actually, a couple of cool lines are to be found for sure. Ice-T is in great form as cocky and cynical master of mayhem. And Christopher Lambert as one of his key antagonists stays true to his very special acting style that fits his character quite well: a laconic, slightly unhinged bad-ass killer.

Mean Guns has everything an action fan could want for, and Pyun staged his action sequences with a huge nod to the excesses of a John Woo. There is permanent shooting, stabbing and bashing, with bullets and people flying through the air. The big difference, though, is that Pyun gives us Heroic Bloodshed without any blood!

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This Shit’s Gonna Be Better than Pay TV

The film crew got access to use a newly built prison as a shooting location, but had to leave it in a pristine condition. That meant no blood on the walls and floor, no explosions and no people thrown through windows. What seems like a heavy constraint really adds to the off-beat vibe of the film, and makes it all the more visually unique. The action is filmed flawlessly, and while nothing stands out in terms of originality, Pyun keeps the intensity high. The occasional slapstick violence, cool one-liners and an unexpected Mambo soundtrack also remind us we shouldn’t take things too serious.

Mean Guns will forever be a part of Pyun’s rich legacy for action aficionados. It’s another masterpiece where he showed how an exciting and creative actioner can be made on a razor-thin budget.

Principle Photography Wraps on Indie Actioner “Double Cross”

By
Braden White
-

After two years, I can finally say that Principle Photography for my first feature outing is now complete. It’s been a long, stressful road, but I’m confident that the end product will be well worth the wait.

The final block of filming took place over two days, October 15 & 16, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma where we were able to secure a nice, big warehouse (almost too big for what we needed) for our grand finale. With fight scenes happening in several different areas, we had a great selection of rooms and locations to choose from.

Filming this movie has been one of the biggest challenges in my life and every bit of it and had one challenge or another. Even with all of the stress and headaches, it has been well worth it. With one more block of filming for pick up shots to happen in April 2023, expect to see this in summer or fall of next year.

Starring in this film are myself as Scott Douglas, Blake Longshore as Richard Douglas, Temre K. Morgan as Tamara Douglas (also Assistant Director and Associate Producer), 4x World Karate Champion Ethic DeJaun as Dominic, Amielynn Woodall as Rosa, and World Class Fight Coach and Trainer Craig Blacklock as the villain of the story, Rodriguez. The film is dedicated to the memory of our late friend and brother, 6th Degree Black Belt and Taekwondo Master Louie Cruz, who was originally slated to play the role off “Rodriguez” in the film.

Directing duties are handled by David H. Ferguson and Fight Choreography is handled by Carl Rhonin.

For more updates on Double Cross and TKO Productions plus any other things action, keep you eyes peeled here on UAMC to stay up to date!!!

Screamers: One of the Most Ultimate ’90s Sci-Fi Action Thrillers

By
Thomas Krebs
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A look at how Screamers (1995) grew into one of the better sci-fi actioners of its day.

When you’re adapting a Philip K. Dick story into a film, it’s almost impossible to mess up as the stories of this literary genius were sparkling with ideas and imagination. The 1980s gave us the two ultimate Sci-Fi classics Blade Runner and Total Recall that were based on stories by Dick. The third one was Screamers which came out in 1995. Science Fiction can be at its best when it presents themes that are intriguing and horrifying at the same time, and Screamers excels at this big time, so let’s have a look!

In 2078, a war between the mining corporation NEB and the miner’s union The Alliance has turned the planet Sirius 6B into a nuclear wasteland. To defend their outposts, Alliance scientists have developed the Screamers, deadly robots that dwell below the surface. Alliance commander Hendricksson (Peter Weller) receives a request for peace negotiations with the NEB, and embarks on a journey through a barren and dangerous territory. He soon discovers the war is the smaller of his problems when the Screamers seem to have taken their programming into their own hands.

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The Autonomous Mobile Sword: The Screamer

Screamers opens up a delicious can of Sci-Fi themes, grazing the darker aspects of economy, technology and psychology. Corporate malice causes a nuclear disaster on a distant planet while everyone on earth is tucked away safely. The war has turned completely pointless yet the soldiers are forced to carry on against all common sense, holding isolated outposts while living a life devoid of meaning. The killer drones from the beneath the surface are an uncanny foreboding of the current generation of military drones that bring death from the opposite direction (above).

The concept of self-repairing and upgrading machines is also a fascinating one, and the fact that no one in the film has even the slightest clue how they do it, also shares some similarity with the present-day fear that programmers don’t fully understand anymore how their deep learning algorithms arrive at decisions. These are just some of the ideas that are woven into the plot, and the movie leaves many questions unanswered, inviting you to ponder them for a bit.

Peter Weller and Tia Carrere in ‘Top of the World’ (1997)

Atmospheric, Intelligent and Thrilling: An ultimate 1990s Sci-Fi Classic

Screamers features the bleakest visuals from all of Dick’s movie adaptations. The (post-)apocalyptic vibe is perfectly created with a junk-strewn snow desert, crumbling buildings and worn-out uniforms. It’s the ultimate depressive place, light years away from earth with no chance for escape.  The legendary Peter Weller is perfect for the role as base commander Hendricksson. Disillusioned by years of war, he is always eager to share his nihilistic wisdom, and yet is able to uphold fundamental humanistic values despite all circumstances.

We can be grateful that Screamers did not have a blockbuster budget. If more money would have been involved, we likely would have gotten a watered down and streamlined version of its source material. And the film certainly doesn’t look cheap for the most part. The effects are almost all practical with some cool animatronics, some not-so cool stop-motion effects, and many beautiful  matte-painted backgrounds.

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You Must be Confusing me With Somebody Who Gives a Shit

The action sequences are not as numerous, and their quality is in line with the overall modest presentation. You won’t see any spectacular or groundbreaking set pieces, but they keep a high level of intensity just like the rest of the film, and effectively propel the story forward. Everyone carries future-size big-ass rifles almost all the time, but the shooting comes in well-doses quantities. The action comes in the first and last third of the film whereas the middle section gives us some of the good old paranoia games between involuntary allies.

The Screamer attacks often come as an ambush, resulting in lots of frantic running and/or shooting, with a good deal of bloody kills done on the human team and lots of scrap metal on the robot side.

Screamers may not seem like an immediate slam dunk, but it is a film that may grow on you while you are watching it. The irresistible combination of food for thought, thrills and action makes it one of the ultimate 1990s Sci-Fi thrillers.

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