Lots of good stuff to check out this week, so be sure to watch all of it.
Sammo Hung and Chow Yun Fat Team up for Once Upon a Time in Shanghai
Vincent Zhao Leaves Special Identity
New Poster for the Raid and Extended Clip from Merantau
Thousand Pounds Unleashes the Devil Within
Trailer for Ning Hao’s Guns N Roses
Be sure to like my facebook page for the youtube trailer of Kenshin! (and because you are an awesome person!)
Before I get too far into things, I was actually waiting on something else to go online instead of this. Given the circumstances, I don’t want to make you guys wait anymore, so here’s something to tide you over for the time being.
Australia has revealed their poster for the Raid, and I love how simple it is. Check it out:
While I’m still nervous to see whether this movie is coming out somewhere near me, I can’t express how excited I am to see it. I’m sure it will be just as awesome as all the hype has claimed it is.
Secondly, here is a refresher for those that may have forgotten about (or never seen) Merantau. Twitch claims that it’s en extended cut, but either my memory’s hazy or nothing has changed. (Let me know if I’m wrong.) I still love this fight, even though some of the wirework is too obvious. That pole stunt hat to hurt…a lot.
Anyways, I’ll probably post another article here in a bit (if things go right.)
This week’s Finishing Blow is in a different location. Let me know which you prefer and I’ll take that into consideration.
The Raid “Redemption” Explained
I know that my review took a while to post, so I’m going to go ahead and do a double post. Gareth Evans didn’t answer any questions this week (so I have to wait on mine as well) but did give us this cool video. It shows how 2 of the locations, the courtyard and hole drop were done:
I think it’s amazing to know how much work went into the actual sequences, especially when you may only see it for a few seconds. The transition for the hole drop was clever and simple, as bigger companies would have wasted a lot more money on a fancier option.
Also, Evans gave Freddie Wong and Brandan Laatsch a shoutout on his blog, which was interesting. It’s cool to know that those that are creative continue to inspire others. Next week, we’ll get some answers and be even closer to the March 23rd release date!
Last week I told you guys how the subtitle “redemption” was added to the Raid. Like any other change from an international release, there has been a lot of debate as to why the change was done and whether it was necessary. To be honest, I preferred the Raid, as it was a simple and clean-cut title. Guess what? So did Gareth Evans.
This wasn’t an “evil studio” thing, the decision had nothing at all to do with the proposed remake. This was a situation we were all forced into. You guys may not love the new addition to the title, and I’m not about to go and say Redemption is perfect, cos it’s not – we all much prefer the simplicity of The Raid.
But the film, it is still the same film we screened at festivals and all I hope is that you all read whatever part of that 5 second titlecard you want to when it pops up on screen, forget the rest and enjoy seeing my good friends beat the shit out of each other for 100mins.
Also, I asked Gareth if the theme of redemption has to do with the film at all, and I’ll update this as soon as he replies.
This week there was a TON of stuff to cover. In retrospect, I think I talked too fast and ran out of breath, haha. Be sure to check out all of the videos on my site, as they are all amazing. Also, Mari Abe is the star of Lady Dragon.
Snow White Gets a Unique Twist
Final Trailer for New Dragon Gate Inn
Another Media Blowout and Another Birthday Shoutout
Bonus Post: The Raid US Trailer and The Grandmasters Russian Teaser
Well, I guess I’m doing a double post today anyways. If you guys read the comments from yesterday, you may have seen a little conversation about this trailer here, and I couldn’t keep everyone else from seeing it until next week.You may notice that the subtitle “Redemption” has been added to the title, which Todd Brown claims is to help tie the trilogy together. Trilogy!?
P.S. Mike Shinoda’s soundtrack sounds amazing!
Next is the Russian teaser for the Grandmasters. There isn’t anything really new here, as it is the same sequence we have seen before. Wong Kar Wai is known to be a perfectionist and take his sweet time, but this is pretty bad. If the first teaser didn’t interest you, this one probably won’t change your mind. Either way, here it is for your viewing pleasure, courtesy of Twitch:
Okay, that’s it for the week! Come to think of it, there were a lot of things to watch this week, so be sure to check it all out!
Just added the US poster for the Raid as well. Here it is!
Well, I guess I can’t complain about any shortage of footage this week. In fact, I’m coming across so much that I’m going to have to do a long post again.
Let’s start out with our weekly dose of the Raid. While Evans said that he would post behind the scenes footage every Friday, it looks like he’s going by a different time zone (lucky us!) Here is part 2 of the production blog:
The Raid Production Blog #2: Studio Sets and Effects from Merantau Films on Vimeo.
I find it interesting that the set was designed around the choreography. It’s very different from the “Jackie Chan” method of just walking on set and using what’s there. That being said, it does open the door to a lot more cool sequences because they are more planned out. I wonder how the lack of steadycam will affect the fights, but I haven’t heard a single bad thing, so I’m not too worried. By the way, check out these cool press kits that are getting sent around!
Nobody asked Evans any questions, so no new info for us. I guess I should have asked him something myself…
Next up is actually a video featuring two ladies I talked about on Valentine’s Day: Amy Johnston and Mickey Facchinello. These two brutally take each other on, proving that ladies can fight and that you should never cross them…ever.
The video was shot by Vladislav Rimburg, who you may remember from Yo Soy un Hombre Loco. Needless to say, Vlad knows how to film action and make it both deadly as well as entertaining. Congrats to everyone involved with the video!
And finally, I’d like to wish my good friend Shawn Bernal a Happy Birthday. He’s a talented guy and deserves all the recognition he gets. For those of you who don’t know who he is, here is a demo reel showing what this man is capable of.
Since I’ve mentioned Shawn and his birthday, I have to post this video from a few years back. It’s him fighting Andy Long, and I think it’s a great mix of comedy and action. Enjoy!
Happy Birthday to Shawn, he gets to fight Andy Long
Hope you guys enjoyed the videos! Happy Birthday Shawn!
Everyone I know is ready for the Raid to come out, and Gareth Evans is making sure everyone is talking about the release. Starting last Friday, he will be releasing BTS footage every week until the release on March 23rd.
These posts will be found on Gareth’s blog, and I’m debating what to do for the site here. I typically do reviews on Fri, so I may do a double post for the next six weeks. (You guys wouldn’t mind, would you?)
The first video covers the training the Merantau team went through to accurately portray a team of elite opeartives:
The Raid: Production Blog #1 – Bootcamp and Choreography from Merantau Films on Vimeo.
I think this is really a great idea to get the general public excited about the Raid. Hopefully, it will get enough exposure to get people really talking and make them want to see what the fuss is all about. Pair this with Mike Shinoda’s involvement, and a pretty wide net has been cast for the film.
I know the movie will be amazing and the word of mouth is good; the only concern now is simply seeing how many theaters show it. If all of the pieces are laid out properly, the Raid may prove to be an unstoppable force that will take many by surprise.
Hope everyone had a Happy Valentine’s Day! This week covers everything from classics to a couple new announcements as well. Feel free to sound off!
Happy Birthday Iko Uwais and Footage from the Raid
Giving the Ladies some Attention
Gina Carano is Set to Do Another Film
New Images for New Dragon Inn and Alternate Cut of Hero Fight
