Is Bruce Lee the Father of Mixed Martial Arts?
Kev Geoghegan, of the BBC News, asks, “Is Bruce Lee the Father of Mixed Martial Arts?”
If he’s not, he should be.
Category: Movies
Lawless Gangster Squad
Wouldn’t you love to see these as a double feature… at a drive-in theater? The only thing that would be cooler is if they were somehow connected the way that Leonard Elmore or Quentin Tarantino do with their work.
The Review: Conan (2011)
Conan (2011)
The Pitch: “Let’s remake the John Milius/Arnold Schwarzenegger cult classic Conan the Barbarian!”
The Tagline: “Enter an age undreamed of.“
The Story: Conan, born on a battlefield, who became a warrior as a child, gets the opportunity as an adult, to get vengeance against the man who murdered his father.
The Good: Not much really. Jason Momoa shows promise as Conan, but is let down by a really bad script. There is plenty of action (the best two scenes being Conan as a youth fighting four savages, and then as an adult fighting sand warriors) but just don’t think too hard about what takes place before and after.
The Bad: The script is bad. Things happen just because they need to without regard to logic, continuity or common sense. Perhaps the only thing worse than the script is Ron Perlman’s beard.
The Ugly: Did I mention the script? Ron Perlman’s beard?
The Rating: D
Mike Henry Got Carter
I’ve been a fan of Mike Henry’s art for a while now. So when I got a chance to meet Mike at MegaCon this year, I was happy to get on his sketch list. Mike came through with a cool Jack Carter sketch. – Craig
Z-View: “Savages”
The Pitch: “Let’s get a name director, a first-rate cast and film an adaptation of Don Winslow’s Savages.”
The Overview: Ben (a pacifist) and Chon (ex-military) are best friends who share a thriving marijuana business and a woman named Ophelia. The relationship works as well as their multi-million dollar pot business. All is paradise until a brutal Mexican cartel (is that redundant?) decides to move in on their pot trade. When Ben and Chon refuse their offer, the cartel kidnaps Ophelia. Nothing will stop Ben and Chon from getting her back.
The Good: The novel by Don Winslow provides a solid foundation. The screenplay by Shane Salerno, Don Winslow and Olver Stone isn’t afraid to make changes to the great source material. The cast: Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Johnson, Blake Lively, and Salma Hayek are excellent in their roles. Benicio Del Toro and John Travolta are as well, and own almost every scene they’re in. Oliver Stone delivers.
The Bad: The things that happen to folks that mess with a Mexican cartel. Don’t mess with a Mexican cartel. (Sounds like a commericial for direct tv, doesn’t it?)
The Ugly: Keep an eye out for what happens when “traitors” are bull-whipped. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.
Rating:
New Expendables 2 Poster!
How about this unexpected poster for Expendables 2 that premiered at ComicCon?
Mike Torrance Draws Rocky 4 Me
Mike Torrance aka The Krayola Kidd makes a return visit with his patriotic Rocky 4 card drawn for July 4th. I was one of the proud winners of Mike’s recent Free Sketchcard Day and requested Rocky. What you see is the result of that request.
You can see more of Mike’s art at The Daily Sketch with The Krayola Kidd (and if you’ve never checked out Mike’s site, you ought to if only to see his Walking Dead cards!) and his Deviant Art site. Mike is available for commissions and his prices are very reasonable.
Ron Perlman, Hellboy & Zachary’s Wish
I think everyone digs Ron Perlman as Hellboy.
My guess is even if you don’t enjoy Perlman the actor, you’ll love him as a human being, if you read this story about him getting into full Hellboy makeup for a youngster named Zachary and the Make A Wish Foundation.
Judge Dredd Motion Poster Lays Down the Law
“Dredd 3D MotionPoster, prepare to be judged… Pretty Cool.”
Thanks and a tip o’ Dredd’s helmet (since he never removes it) to Total Film.
Taken 2 Posters
Here’s the newest poster for Taken 2. The original was surprisingly good and I’m really looking forward to the sequel. I like the idea that relatives of some of the bad hombres from the first movie are making a play for revenge.
Oh, and as a bonus, you’re in luck, if you’d like to see a Brazillian poster for Taken 2.
Thanks and an exta clip o’ ammo to IMPAwards.com for the larger version of the poster.
Grubb, Laughton, & The Night of the Hunter
Jake Hinkson has written an excellent essay, The Little Story of Right-Hand/Left-Hand: Davis Grubb, Charles Laughton and Night of the Hunter. Although it’s only four pages long, it features rare photos and behind-the-scenes information that make it more than worthy of a read.
Well done, Mr. Hinkson.
Aliens: New, Old & All-Together Cool
Isn’t that about the coolest lamp you’ve ever seen?
While we’re on the subject of Aliens, have you ever seen this rare test footage of Bolaji Badejo, the actor who played the Alien, as he worked out how the Alien should move, Erie footage, indeed.
Vin Diesel Posts New Riddick Photo
That’s a detail from a photo that Vin Diesel posted today of himself in character as Riddick. You can see the full photo and learn more about Riddick at Coming Soon.
Dave Wachter Returns with Rambo
Dave Wachter returns this week with his take on Sly from Rambo. I met Dave three years ago and became an instant fan. How can you not like a great guy who is a terrific artist? You can see more of Dave’s art at his site. – Craig
The Dark Knight a la Hitchcock
Have you seen this mashup?
It’s the opening music from Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” combined with the opening bank robbery sequence from Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight”. Bernard Herrmann’s score perfectly matches Nolan’s shots.
How crazy-cool is that?
