cityonfire.com | Movie News & Developments |
- Insane (2015) Review
- Psylocke to hunt the ‘Predator’ in Shane Black’s sequel?
- Deal on Fire! Bruce Lee: The Legacy Collection | Blu-ray | Only $57.99 – Expires soon!
- The Top 10 Most Legendary MMA Fighters
| Posted: 04 Nov 2016 12:01 AM PDT  “Insane” Korean Theatrical Poster Director: Lee Chul-Ha By Paul Bramhall Mainstream Korean horror has always been a tricky beast, dating back to when the new wave really put Korean cinema on the map in the early 2000's, the one constant seemed to be over promise and under deliver. Posters set expectations for buckets of blood (Cello), or grizzly decapitations (The Cut), however the product that ended up onscreen rarely matched the expectations that the artwork provided. In 2016, nothing seems to have changed much since those days. Yes, admittedly the poster for Insane gives very little away, instead leaning on the appeal of popular TV drama actor Lee Sang-yoon, and patchy actress Kang Ye-won. However the spirit of over-selling is still there, as the production was promised to be an intense psychological journey into the horrors of a woman convinced she's going insane. For a while, director Lee Cheol-ha looks like he's going to follow through on the promise. Insane opens with a terrific shot, very similar to an equally fantastic shot that opens The Shameless, which sees the camera slicing diagonally down through the skyscrapers of Seoul, before settling on Ye-won just as she's grabbed and bundled into a van by what appear to be police officers. Soon she's been forcibly restrained, has a preventative gag stuck in her mouth, and is forced to strip and shower. It turns out she's been admitted as a patient in a mental hospital, although where and why she's there are a mystery. It's nasty stuff, and proceedings look set to follow a grimy and unpleasant path. Then, just like that, the tone completely changes. We're asked to forget about the rather traumatising opening, and are abruptly introduced to Sang-yoon's character, the producer of an investigative crime show, who's in the middle of being interviewed on a talk show. The segment is interrupted though when news of a scandal involving Sang-yoon's show is delivered to the host, and as a result he's left out in the wind. Skip forward a year later, and he's given a chance at redemption by hosting a show about unexplained phenomena – ghosts, things that go bump in the night etc. Sang-yoon is understandably displeased at the proposition, however a partially burnt diary grabs his attention, which looks to have been written by a mental patient proclaiming to be locked up against her will. It is of course Ye-won's diary, and we learn that not only did the mental hospital burn down in a fire, but she's also currently locked up and awaiting trial for the murder of her step-father. Naturally Sang-yoon makes it his mission to find out the truth, determined that breaking the story will make him a hot producer once more, and he won't need to bother with the goofy supernatural show. Right here is the first major problem that Insane has, as it quickly changes its footing to become an investigative thriller about Sang-yoon uncovering the truth. We already know Ye-won is out of the hospital, so there's not even an element of knowing she's in danger, instead, it simply becomes a by-the-numbers thriller of a disgraced TV producer trying to get his ticket back to prime time. Who cares? Director Lee Cheol-ha obviously wants us to, but one look at his filmography reveals he's never spent long enough working within one genre to figure out how. After working as an assistant director on the 2000 classic Il Mare, he's frequently skipped from melodrama (2006's Love Me Not), found-footage horror (2010's Deserted House), and documentary (2013's Hello Orchestra), to now what he'd no doubt like us to believe is a psychological horror. In fairness, he occasionally throws in a scene to remind (probably himself as much as) the audience, that Insane is a horror flick. There's a severed head in a box, a patients organs are attempted to be removed while they're still alive, and there's a hallucinatory dream sequence. However, it all feel like it's there because it's obligated to be, too obviously providing exclamation marks in an otherwise dull story. So with expectations dashed that Insane is going to be any kind of descent into one woman's madness, the success of the movie lies in its big reveal. Whose behind Ye-won's forced stay in the mental hospital? What were their reasons for putting her there? Will Sang-yoon be able to return to hosting a prime time TV show? Sadly, the more details that are hinted at as to why Ye-won was incarcerated the way she was, the more ridiculous the movie becomes, begging the question of if it's even worth reaching the end of. Revelations that are completely uninteresting, and devoid of any horror element whatsoever, are fed to the audience as if they're signs of a fantastically smart script. To be honest, if Insane was a 60 minute TV drama special, it would probably get a serviceable pass. However a movie should look and feel like a movie, and Cheol-ha's style of direction simply doesn't. The script certainly does its part to work against him as well, as while it focuses on some aspects very closely, others it simple drops and never returns to. In one of the most misconstrued scenes I've seen in a long time, Sang-yoon and his ghost show crew (partially dressed as ghosts and witches) visit the mental hospital site to gather some footage. While there, a survivor from the fire is found, badly burnt and running around them like some kind of ghostly apparition, even though the scene is clearly well lit. It's like Cheol-ha had completely missed the point of the scene in the script, which is much more likely that it should have been shot dark, and then they sense that they're not alone. The victim turns out to be one of the nurses who used to work in the hospital, the one of course who took pity on Ye-won and wanted to help her escape. During the course of the movie though, when Sang-yoon comes to visit him in the current hospital, the nurses advises he just disappeared. What happened to him? Actually you'll never get to know, as it seems this plot point was forgotten about in the final version, and where exactly he disappeared to (and again, why?), is never touched upon. Factors like this are simply down to poor filmmaking, nothing more. It's a shame, as the more we learn about the nurse through flashbacks, the more he becomes one of the very few characters that it's possible to care about even just a little. The lack of likeable characters is another one of Insane's biggest issues – Sang-yoon just wants to get back on prime time TV, and his character isn't developed any further than that, nor do his motivations change at any point. While it's not entirely his fault, he clocks in a performance that's as befittingly one note as the script he's memorized. Likewise for Ye-won, she simply doesn't register as a victim that we want to root for, despite the nastiness of the initial scenes, which is perhaps the biggest indicator of Cheol-ha's lack of understanding of cinematic language. I mean after everything we saw Ye-won go through, we should care, but for whatever reason it is, we don't. The worst example of bad filmmaking comes in the final scene. Well, the scene that takes place after what we're led to believe is the final scene. Cheol-ha delivers a last minute twist, which I'm sure was supposed to make viewers realise they need to see the movie again to fully understand what's been going on. However the twist is so incredulously stupid, that I couldn't even bring myself to laugh at it, instead letting out a completely involuntary groan of discontent. If you're going to end your movie with a twist, you at least owe it to the audience, as an absolute bare minimum, to ensure that it makes sense. As it is, not only does the twist have more holes than an old pair of socks, but it also removes it even further away from horror territory than it already was. In this regard, Insane is exactly what it says on the box, and as such, it would be best if it's locked up far out of sight from public viewing. Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 3/10 |
| Psylocke to hunt the ‘Predator’ in Shane Black’s sequel? Posted: 03 Nov 2016 03:03 AM PDT  “Predator” Japanese Theatrical Poster While the original Predator may have its share of cheesy one-liners, it’s regarded by most as a modern action classic. It’s a movie that many consider Arnold Schwarzenneger’s strongest effort, a movie that would most likely be called John McTiernan’s finest hour if it wasn’t for a little film called Die Hard. Still, even more surprising than the fact that Hollywood would touch the sacred cow of Predator is the news that none other than Shane Black will be directing the film. Before he made headlines for writing and directing Iron Man 3, Black was a talented writer who rose to fame on the strength of scripts like Lethal Weapon and The Last Boy Scout. Alongside his meteoric rise as a screenwriter in the late Eighties, Black actually had a small supporting role in the original Predator as the character Hawkins; this blink-and-you’ll-miss-it part was apparently a way for the producers to try and coax Black into polishing the script for Predator, a task which he repeatedly refused. All these years later, the Predator story appears to be coming full circle, as Black will co-write – along with Fred Dekker (Iron Man 3) – the treatment for the new Predator before directing the film itself. Black has confirmed that the new Predator film, titled The Predator, is actually an “inventive sequel” and not a reboot. Now we’re left to speculate if the film will treat the events of Predator 2 (let alone 2010’s Predators) as canon or ignore everything except the ’87 original. Producer John Davis says that The Predator will “reinvent a franchise.” A “genius” draft of the script is complete and was written by Black and his writing partner, Fred Dekker (Iron Man 3). The real question is: what modern actor could possibly step into the combat boots made famous by Arnold Schwarzenneger – let alone the other musclebound roles ably filled by Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura, and Sonny Landham? Considering that most of today’s stars are cast to be pretty rather than buff, it’s most likely that this new Predator will look and feel radically different than the original. Predator starts shooting in February (check out its promo poster). So far, here’s what we know: The film stars Boyd Holbrook (Gone Girl) as a special forces commando, and Olivia Munn (X-Men: Apocalypse) is currently in negotiations to play a scientist. Unlike the previous films, which took place in the jungle or the city, the new Predator film will take place in the suburbs. There’s also a slight possibility that Arnie may be reprising his role as Dutch. Back in February, here’s what he told The Arnold Fans: "I haven't talked with him (Black) yet but I'm going to meet with him for lunch sometime soon. Just as soon as I'm finished with this (Arnold's Sports Festival) and The Apprentice and all this stuff. But I will get together with him. If there is any news, we'll of course let you know right away. There's also a meeting coming up soon about Conan, about the project moving forward.” We’ll keep you updated on the new Predator flick as we hear more. |
| Deal on Fire! Bruce Lee: The Legacy Collection | Blu-ray | Only $57.99 – Expires soon! Posted: 03 Nov 2016 12:00 AM PDT  “Bruce Lee: The Legacy Collection” Packaging Today’s Deal on Fire is for Shout! Factory’s Bruce Lee: The Legacy Collection. The set includes both Blu-ray and DVD copies for 1971’s The Big Boss (aka Fists of Fury), 1972’s Fist of Fury (aka The Chinese Connection), 1972’s Way of the Dragon (aka Return of the Dragon) and 1978’s Game of Death. Also included are three full-length documentaries: 1983’s Bruce Lee: The Legend, 1973’s Bruce Lee: The Man, The Legend and 2012’s I Am Bruce Lee, plus a bonus disc featuring two hours of exclusive content. The Bruce Lee: The Legacy Collection also comes packaged in a full color, bookcase-style packaging. Order The Bruce Lee: The Legacy Collection from Amazon.com today! |
| The Top 10 Most Legendary MMA Fighters Posted: 03 Nov 2016 12:00 AM PDT The world of mixed martial arts has undergone somewhat of a boom period over the last two decades as the rise in popularity of organisations such as UFC have moved the sport into the mainstream. The debate about who is the greatest MMA fighter of all-time continues to rage on so here is our look at the most legendary ones to have graced the sport over the years.  Anderson "The Spider" Silva is widely regarded as the greatest MMA fighter of all-time Anderson "The Spider" Silva We start this list with undoubtedly the greatest MMA fighter of all time in Anderson Silva. The Brazilian fighter went on an incredible winning streak during his prime of 19-0 in which time he defeated some of the sport’s biggest names including Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort, and Dan Henderson. The fact this era of dominance came when there were no other competitions outside of the UFC that were taking competitors away meant Silva was the best at a time when UFC was at its most competitive. He holds the record for the longest title streak in UFC history at 2,457 days. Many wonder how good Silva could have continued to be if he had not horrifically broken his leg against Chris Weidman. Matt Hughes It has been a glittering career for US fighter Hughes who is a two-time UFC Welterweight Champion, UFC Hall of Famer, and NJCAA Hall of Famer. During his title streak, Hughes was considered to be the best pound-for-pound mixed martial artist in the world. He has defeated a number of legendary fighters such as Georges St Pierre, Royce Gracie, and BJ Penn. Such is the reputation of Hughes within the sport that St Pierre even admitted after his defeat that he was awestruck by Hughes before, during, and after their bout. Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko If you want to consider some of the best MMA fighters in their prime then you need to look no further than Russian Fedor Emelianenko who went undefeated between 6th April, 2001 and 7th November, 2009. He beat some of the best fighters to have graced the sport such as Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (twice) and Mirko Filipovic. He has won multiple titles with different organisations including PRIDE Fighting Championships, FIAS World Combat Sambo Championship, and Russian Judo Federation National Championship. Georges "Rush" St. Pierre The Canadian mixed martial artist became one of the first big marketable names in UFC and can take a lot of credit for helping the organisation’s popularity sky rocket during the 2000s. George St. Pierres' only two defeats during his first 11 years of fighting came against two big-name fighters in the shape of Matt Hughes and Matt Serra. He is a three-time former welterweight champion in the UFC and he holds the record for the second longest combined title streak in UFC history that lasted 2,204 days. The many victories of Georges "Rush" St. Pierre helped the sport to become a popular market across sports betting which was always seen as an unrealistic prospect for MMA. Mobile sports betting has been on the rise ever since then along with mobile casino games in general and MMA is becoming increasingly popular for sports bettors. Randy "The Natural" Couture Do not let Randy Couture’s less-brutal-than-normal nickname of "The Natural" fool you. This man was one of the most feared fighters in MMA during his peak. The US fighter is a former heavyweight champion in a career that spanned from 1997 to 2011. He was a late starter in MMA terms, he only turned professional at 33 years of age, and many feel he could have gone on to become one of the greatest if he had started his career earlier. Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva Wanderlei Silva is credited with having one of the most prolific prime streaks during the history of MMA. Between 12th August, 2000 and 1st July, 2006, Silva won 18 fights without defeat to put his name amongst the greats of the sport. He has defeated great fighters including Dan Henderson and Quinton Jackson. The Brazilian-American fighter has shown his talents in UFC and PRIDE winning plaudits in both organisations. He also boasts the longest winning streak in PRIDE history. Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira Brazilian fighter Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira became renowned for his expertise of the Brazilian Ju-Jitsu discipline during his career. He experienced an 8-year prime streak between 2000 and 2008 when he posted wins against fighters such as Mark Coleman, Fabricio Werdum, and Josh Barnett. Despite only being touted as one of the best fighters in the UFC for a short time he is still regarded as one of the best technical fighters to appear in the organisation.  Jon "Bones" Jones is an icon for the new era of UFC Jon "Bones" Jones Not many fighters make this list when they are still active but 29-year-old Jon Jones is one of the few. The current interim light heavyweight champion in UFC has carved quite a reputation for himself already. In an age when the charisma of the likes of McGregor and Brock Lesnar have dominated the media the more low-key approach of Jones continues to impress the purists. He has repeatedly been listed as the best pound-for-pound fighter around right now and notching up 21 victories between 12th April, 2008 and 6th January, 2015 shows how successful he has been. He has a VIP list of defeated opponents including Alexander Gustafsson, Daniel Cormier, and Lyoto Machida and he is only just getting started. Bas "El Guapo" Rutten We need to rewind the clock back a bit further to see the prime of Dutch fighter Bas Rutten. The man from Tilburg ended his prestigious career on a high with an undefeated streak of 22 fights consisting of 21 wins and 1 draw. Rutten was like a fine wine and only seemed to get better with age. The UFC Hall of Fame inductee popularised the use of the liver shot in MMA and he has gone on to become one of the most highly-regarded coaches in MMA. Chuck "The Ice Man" Liddell In the days before Conor McGregor, the one man who was the most commercially viable fighter for MMA was US-based Chuck Liddell. The fact he has appeared in a number of movies and television shows over the years such as Entourage, Drillbit Taylor, and Kick-Ass 2 emphasize this. However, he was also a brilliant fighter in his own right. He was involved in some epic fights with opponents such as Wanderlei Silva, Randy Couture, and Tito Ortiz. He will forever be remembered as one of the hardest-hitting fighters of all-time. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from cityonfire.com | Action Asian Cinema Reviews and News. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
No comments:
Post a Comment