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Combat Film : The Reviews (Sept 2010)

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:58:00 +0000

Also Reviewed: Hunter Prey; Geomon; Storm Warriors; Storm Warriors 2

Combat Film : The Reviews (August 2010)

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:55:00 +0000

Also Reviewed: The Assasin's Blade; Robin B Hood; Day Breakers; Robo Geisha

Combat Film : The Reviews (July 2010)

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Also Reviewed: Newsmakers; Killer Bitch; Armoured

Combat Film 24: Bond, James Bond… Part 2 (July 2010)

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 07:55:00 +0000

This month I continue my look at my favourite film series and pick my favourite films and Bond girls. Because, after all, what would a Bond be without his ladies?

Favourite Bond Films:

Casino Royale - After the silliness of 'Die Another Day' the Bond franchise had reached a Moonraker esk credibility low. What it needed was a reboot to bring it up to date, after all the world had moved on and Bond now had competition by a much more real and deadly Jason Bourne. Martin Campbell, one of contemporary Bond's BEST directors, was the perfect choice. His ability to balance action and character made Goldeneye great and here he repeats the feat delivering one of the most thrilling and dynamic and real Bond films ever.

License To Kill - Bond as rouge was an amazing concept, and whilst it probably never achieved the heights the concept promised, this brutal revenge movie gave Bond his most personal story since 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'. 'License To Kill' showed us just how much of a fine line

007 walks between good and bad... this is Bond who would happy send you into a shark infested pit because he wants to rather than had to.

Goldeneye - When Bond returned post Roger Moore & Timothy Dalton the world had changed. AIDS meant that the days of sleeping with multiple conquests was no longer acceptable. Bond could no longer smoked, and the once deadly red threat had faded. Bond was starting a fresh in a alien world.

Director Martin Campbell delivers a knowing Bond film that gives a sly wink to the past (Tina Turner's theme is pure Shirley Bassey) whilst setting up a dynamic new future... and he did it with style. Alas the Brosnan films rarely bettered his debut movie.

Live And Let Die - Another franchise reboot, LALD is Roger Moore's strongest Bond film and the perfect antidote to Lazenby's horribly miscast incarnation. LALD is a very different Bond film, more fantastical than the films before that lays down the foundations of the films that would come in a way that avoided the later high camp and humour that would soil Moore's final few outings.

Goldfinger - The quintessential Bond film. Best Bond. Best Theme. Best Bond girl. Best villain. Best henchman. Best Maguffin and of course the best car. Nothing more needs to be said.

Favourite Bond Girls:

Money Penny (Lois Maxwell, Samantha Bond) - Sassy, demanding, Miss Moneypenny is Bond's OTHER no 1 girl who unrequited love for Bond is a continuing theme between all by Daniel Craig's incarnations of 007. Is is the fact that she's available that put's Bond off? Possibly but equally so it's possible that this is one woman that Bond respects. Either way she's the constant at the heart of the early Bond films.

M (Judi Dench)- M is contemporary Bond's greatest character (either male or female), played by one of the UK's greatest actresses. She's the ultimate Bond girl and ironically the one probably most connected with Bond after all M doesn't need the dresses, the intimate bedroom moments, the glamour because she knows that no matter who Bond sleeps with this night, he'll always come back to her in the morning. And lets face it she's probably the only person in MI6 with bigger balls than Bond...

Honey Rider (Ursula Andress) - As far as entrances go they don't get much better than this and as far as defining cinematic moments few can rival this scenes iconic status. Again sassy (aren't most of Bond's conquests?), THAT moment with THAT bikini will always be one of Bond's most defining moments.

Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman) - You could never get away with that name nowadays, but Pussy is certainly one of Bond's sexiest girls and packs a mean right hook also. Duplicitous? Most probably. Trust worthy? Possibly not. Sexy? Hell yeah.

That's it for Bond. Next time... Where are they now?

Phil Hobden
Editor – combat Film
http://www.mod-life.net/

Combat Film : The Reviews (June10)

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 07:51:00 +0000

Also Reviewed: Universal Soilder: Regeneration; Invitation Only; Fist Of legend

Combat Film : The Reviews (April 10)

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 05:52:00 +0000

Also Reviewed: A Dangerous Man; Cut; The Firm

Combat Film 23: Bond, James Bond… Part 1 (April 2010)

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 05:47:00 +0000

Bond for me is the classic British hero. Sexy, smart, dangerous and silky smooth, he’s been an icon of British cinema for over forty five years now. Over the next few issues of Combat film I’ll be taking a look back at my favourite Bonds, Bond girls and Bond gadgets.

Favourite Bonds:

There have been 5 very different Bonds, all good in their own way. Here’s my two favourites…

Timothy Dalton - Dalton was much maligned as Bond but much like Daniel Craig I felt he bought a certain rawness and vulnerability to the role. Probably as the perfect antidote to the comedy eye winking , wise cracks and karate chopping of Roger Moore, Dalton was much closer to the literary incarnation of Bond. Within that License To Kill's Bond as rouge agent saw Bond for the first time (at least until Casino Royale) as a deadly killer unbound by the rules of the state finally bringing back some of the darkness to a character tainted by too much joviality and safari suits (yes Mr Moore I’m looking at you…)

Sean Connery - Connery was the blue print for Bond, the yard stick that everyone else is and will always be, measured by. But beyond that Connery as Bond is one of cinemas greatest characters - as the cliché goes, every woman wanted to sleep with him and every man wanted to be him. Connery was the alpha male, the playboy, the deadly secret agent. It was the performance that would makes Connery a legend that even years of phoned in performances couldn't taint.

Favourite Bad Guys:

What’s 007 without a bad guy to take down. The following, for me, are four of the best.

Odd Job - When it comes to Bond's ultimate foes, they don't get much harder or intimidating than Odd Job and his deadly blade rimmed hat. Appearing as the burly bodyguard of lead villain Auric Goldfinger, Odd Job was impervious to Bonds blows. But not as it seemed electric fences. Like all good villains you just KNOW he would kill you stone dead.

Jaws - The only henchman to appear in two Bond films, Jaws was a seven foot plus towering menace who terrorised 007 in both 'The Spy Who Loved Me' and 'Moonraker'. Intimidating, you just know that even Bond will struggle taking on this behemoth It's just a shame that hard as nails lustre was lost under the high camp of 'Moonraker'.

Francisco Scaramanga - Deadly assassin, him of three nipples and the golden gun, Scaramanga wasn't just the highest paid assassin in the world, he was also the perfect foil for 007. Cultured and educated, he existed in the shadows with a fearsome reputation. In fact he was almost a mirror for Bond himself, who in the end would be undone only by his own arrogance.

Ernst Stavro Blofeld - As head the of the global criminal organization SPECTRE, Blofeld was Bond's nemesis in six different Bond films and three different Bonds. His iconic cat stroking may have given us comedy character's like Dr Evil down the road but in his day Blofeld was the hallmark for global criminals with OTT world ending schemes and has become almost as iconic as Bond himself.

Next Time: Bond, James Bond… Part 2: Girls & The Films

Phil Hobden

Editor – combat Film

www.mod-life.net

Phil Hobden is an independent filmmaker and freelance writer. His second film TEN DEAD MEN is now available to buy in the UK and he is currently developing his third feature film through his company Modern Life?, In addition he also writes for his own review site Phil’s Quick Capsule Review as well as for various websites and magazines including Impact Magazine and fareastfilms.com. For more on Phil Hobden check out www.philhobden.co.uk or http://www.mod-life.net/

Combat Film 22: 2009 Retrospective (Jan 2010)

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 23:22:00 +0000

So with as you read this 2009 is drawing to a close. And, in the tradition of magazines for centuries before us, it’s that time when we look back over the year to see which films blew us a way and which ones left us cold. So here is the Combat Film 2009 Film in review…

The year starting strong with Mickey Rourke in THE WRESTLER , quickly followed by UNDERWORLD 3 which was much better than anyone expected, me especially (I hated the first two). One of the biggest disappointments of the year arrived soon after in WATCHMEN - a film loved by critics but actually away from the hype was rather dull.

The Summer season would turn out to be one of the worst for some time with the majority of the big films being pretty poor. Starting badly with X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, TERMINATOR SALVATION arrived soon and was at best average, starting well but sending everyone to sleep with yet another Human vs Terminator in a factory conclusion.

Kids had it pretty rough this year with LAND OF THE LOST, G-FORCE, NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2 and YEAR ONE all failing to engage either critics or movie goers. Even the reliable FAST & FURIOUS franchise turned in an effort that was only JUST above average. DRAGONBALL EVOLUTION would mark a real low point for the year, not least for star Chow Yun Fat. He starred in Hardboiled remember. Yes him. Oh and who can forget (well I have tried) the dire TRANSFORMERS 2: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN - a film that made so little sense it could have been in another language. Even HARRY POTTER couldn’t save the day, ending up as an over long and poorly executed misstep in an otherwise awesome franchise.

Plus points of the Summer: The much delayed OUTLANDER finally arrived and was a fun if forgettable romp. GI JOE was better than anyone expected and the truly great STAR TREK was probably the big budget action film of the year. Johnny Depp in Michael Mann’s PUBLIC ENEMY impressed whilst I liked TAKING OF PELHAM 123, even if it got mixed reviews by both press and fans.

September saw DISTRICT 9 arrive on a truck load of hype which it MOSTLY deserved. It also saw the arrival of let down of the year GAMER, from the team behind the much better and highly enjoyable CRANK 2. October was the month of comebacks with Bruce Willis returning in the action sci-fi SURROGATES (not that most people noticed) and Woody Harrelson in the much better Zombie-Action-Comedy ZOMBIELAND.

The much awaiting ONG BAK follow up, ONG BAK: THE BEGINNING reviewed badly, failing to put bums on seats in the UK just like it did in most over countries across the globe when it was released as ONG BAK 2.

Tarantino returned with his much muted World War 2 men on a mission action Nazi fest INGLORIOUS BASTERDS – a love it or hate it kind of movie for most. We loved it giving it a coveted and very rare 5/5.

Direct To DVD superstars Steven Seagal, Cuba Gooding Jnr, Dolph Lungdren and co had another busy year with titles like COMMAND PERFORMANCE, DEVIL’S TOMB and THE KEEPER.

MMA themed NEVER SURRENDER & FIGHTING both missed the mark by miles leaving fight fans craving a truly great mixed martial arts movie. It wasn’t that much better for Wrestlers come action stars this year with the average DAMAGE (Steve Austin) and the dull as dish water 12 ROUNDS (John Cena) impressing few.

Elsewhere (from the ‘Not Combat Film’ section) film of the year could well end up being Disney Pixar’s UP, yet another amazing film from one of the worlds most reliable studios. Vegas comedy THE HANGOVER was another top notch outing this year whilst DRAG ME TO HELL saw Sam Rami back in top form. SLUMDOG MILLIONARE was as good as everyone said and GRAN TORINO, probably Clint’s acting farewell, was a joy to behold.

So rounding up:

Film of The Year: UP

Action Film Of The Year: STAR TREK

Diamond In the Rough: GI JOE.

‘Could Have Been A Contender’ but Wasn’t Award: TRANSFORMERS 2

Looser Of The Year: MMA. Two poor MMA films did little to help the sub-genre.

Roll On 2010: The Expendables

And that’s 2009 done and dusted. As for 2010… well with the new A TEAM movie, Vampire film DAYBREAKERS, Hughes Brothers return with BOOK OF ELI, action-comedy KICK ASS, Robert Rodriguez latest MACHETTE, IRON MAN 2, PREDATORS and (sigh) The KARATE KID remake maybe 2010 will live up to expectations. Maybe…

Phil Hobden

Editor – Combat Film

http://www.mod-life.net

Next Month: We Review Ong Bak: The Beginning; Blood & Bone; Fireball

Combat Film : The Reviews (Jan 10)

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 23:13:00 +0000

Also Reviewd: Hurt Locker; Beast Stalker; Pelham 123

Combat Film 021: Chuck Norris

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:07:00 +0000

Chuck Norris, champion martial artist, all around legend and star of ‘Walker Texas Ranger’. But what did I REALLY know about Chuck Norris? As it stands very little because after just a short trawl through the wonderful world of the World Wide Web I found these stunning and frankly amazing Chuck Norris facts.

Readers, get ready to be astounded as Combat film presents 24 little known facts about THE Chuck Norris…

•When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris

•Chuck Norris can kill two stones with one bird.

•There is no 'ctrl' button on Chuck Norris's computer. Chuck Norris is always in control.

•Apple pays Chuck Norris 99 cents every time he listens to a song.

•Chuck Norris can sneeze with his eyes open.

•Chuck Norris can eat just one Lay's potato chip.

•Chuck Norris is suing Myspace for taking the name of what he calls everything around you.

•Chuck Norris destroyed the periodic table, because he only recognizes the element of surprise.

•Chuck Norris doesn't read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.

•There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live.

•Outer space exists because it's afraid to be on the same planet with Chuck Norris.

•Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.

•Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.

•Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.

•Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice.

•There is no chin behind Chuck Norris’ beard. There is only another fist.

•When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he isn’t lifting himself up, he’s pushing the Earth down.

•Chuck Norris is so fast, he can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head.

•Chuck Norris’ hand is the only hand that can beat a Royal Flush.

•Chuck Norris can lead a horse to water AND make it drink.

•Chuck Norris doesn’t wear a watch, HE decides what time it is.

•Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.

•Chuck Norris does not get frostbite. Chuck Norris bites frost

•Remember the Soviet Union? They decided to quit after watching a DeltaForce marathon on Satellite TV.

See and you thought you knew Chuck!

For more Chuck Norris facts check out the simply wonderful http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/. For more on Chuck Norris check out Play.com for films ,like Delta Force, Invasion USA and Missing In Action to name but a few.

Phil Hobden
Editor – Combat Film
http://www.mod-life.net/

Combat Film : The Reviews (Dec 09)

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:30:00 +0000

Also: Blood Rain ; The Keeper; A World Without Thieves & Red Cliff

Next Month: District 9

Combat Film 020: Slamming Into Movies…

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:34:00 +0000

Combat Film: Slamming Into Movies…

With 12 ROUNDS, the latest Wrestler starring action film, hitting DVD this month I thought it might be a prudent time to take a look at back at the rather chequered past of pro-wrestler/action film combos that have (mostly) blighted cinema over the past twenty plus years since the sport broke bit in the mid-late 80’s.

To start of? The biggest star of them all, multiple champion and wrestling legend Hulk Hogan who for sure was the trend setter for the wrestler movie cross over. Although maybe not in a good way. SUBURBAN COMMANDO, NO HOLDS BARRED and MR NANNY were all pretty dire with his only notable performance coming from a brief showing in ROCKY 3. If we’re honest Terry ‘Hulk Hogan’ Bolea was never a great actor and his films were , for the most part, pretty bad. But then again the majority of Wrestler-movie combinations have been pretty bad.

Edge in HIGHLANDER: END GAME, Big Show Paul Wright in JINGLE ALL THE WAY, Rob Van Damn in BLOOD MASK 2, Jeep Swenson in BATMAN & ROBIN and The Warrior in FIRE POWER (no me either) are just a few of the crimes against cinema that wrestlers have featured in.

If you want really bad however then look no further than WCW themed movie READY TO RUMBLE which featured numerous wrestlers but forgot story and direction. Diamond Dallas Page, Goldberg, Bam Bam Bigelow and others all took part in this abomination.

Better served was Andre The Giant in the classic THE PRINCESS BRIDE. But for my money probably the best wrestler-movie combo comes in the much underrated THEY LIVE, the 80’s sci-fi film starring Rowdy Roddy Piper which, along side the wrestler-less The Thing, is probably one of John Carpenters best films.

Blurring the line between fact and fiction was THE WRESTLER. Necro Butcher, Ron Killings, Ernest ‘The Cat’ Miller and numerous other small time Ring Of Honour and Combat Zone Wrestling performers.

With the launch of WWE films a whole new batch of wrestler starring movies hit the screens. ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin featured alongside fellow sports exile Vinnie Jones in the Hard Target/Big Brother mash up THE CONDEMED whilst Kane starred in the critically slammed horror SEE NO EVIL (aka Ice Scream Man, which was a far better title). The latest wrestler to get the big movie push care of WWE films is John Cena whose Commando-esk action film THE MARINE was surprisingly good, even if the recent follow up 12 ROUNDS fell short.

Most wrestlers per film (save for those actually about wrestling of course) probably goes to the actually rather good but critically slated remake of THE LONGEST YARD which featured Goldberg (also see JCVD vehicle Universal Solider: The Return) , Giant Khali, Kevin Nash, Steve Austin and Bob Sapp all making appearances along side Adam Sandler and personal favourite Brian ‘The Boz’ Bosworth (star of the underappreciated Stone Cold).

Commentator, Wrestler and politician Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura had a brief run in 80’s actions films like THE RUNNING MAN and alongside the Guvernator in THE PREDATOR. Oh and he popped up very briefly in Wesley Snipes/Stallone Vehicle DEMONLITION MAN. On the subject of cameos look out for blink and you’ll miss them app from Macho Man Randy Savage in SPIDERMAN, Triple H in BLADE TRINITY, Tommy “Tiny” Lister in THE FIFTH ELEMENT , Tor Johnson in the so bad its terrible PLAN 9 FROM OUTERSPACE.

The most successful? Well that title would have to go to Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. SCORPION KING, WALKING TALL, THE RUNDOWN and most recently RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN have all been both financially and (mostly) critically successful. In fact Walking Tall is one of my favourite action films of the past 5 years… thanks in no small part to Mr Johnson’s considerable personality and charisma.

’12 Rounds is out on Blu-ray and DVD on12th October’

Phil Hobden
Combat Film

http://www.mod-life.net/

Combat Film : The Reviews (Nov 09)

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:27:00 +0000

Also: 50 Dead Men Walking; No Retreat, No Surrender 3

Next Month: Terminator Salvation

Combat Film 019: The Wonderful world of Fan Critics… Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:23:00 +0000

A few months back, I took an affectionate look at the wonderful world of user comments & reviews from the world famous Internet Movie Database. This month I continue my look at Internet Critics, this time looking at those films that only a mother could love. Films that are so bad they are just, well bad. Well, at least for most people…

Catwoman is a terrible movie. Universally despised by all… well all except UK user kael-5 “…I had heard very negative things about the movie I thought it was a wonderful take on Catwoman and personally I feel that its one of the best movies Halle Berry has starred in yet.” So not her Oscar winning role in Monsters Ball then…

“…an awesome experience.”, “…this film is pure genius.”, “This movie rocked” and “This is my favourite movie of all time” could all be comments taken from the reviews of this years instant classic The Dark Knight. Could be but weren’t. Nope this heap of praise was reserved for that REAL classic action film… Jean-Claude Van Damme’s 1994 classic Street Fighter.

The Marksman, the 2005 little seen Wesley Snipes film was poorly received by both critics and fans. But there’s still love for the film on the IMDB, especially by user Myles Wackrow “Watch it! Watch it! if you like any kind of movies watch it. Best movie ever”

Moving on… now when it comes to Get Carter you’d expect to read comments like “It's a winner…“, “The film is a full blooded hit…” and “Beautiful photography, dizzying editing and camera angles…” Well you would. At least for the original. But these were written about the 2000 remake with Sly Stallone replacing Michael Caine, possible one of the worst remakes ever made.

Few people would argue that Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was great (or even good). Okay maybe Empire Magazine, that gave the film four stars on it’s original release but few others. Yet the IMDB has a lot of love for Lucas’s stillborn prequel… “It is highly entertaining, and a very nice example of how the best writers and directors and musicians and actors and supporters in the world can turn a large budget into a large film.” (user Randydeluxe)

Searching the whole world wide web there’s not much love at all for the last instalment of the American Ninja franchise, American Ninja V. “This fifth outing in the American Ninja series is just as fine as the others, I got just what I expected….” Although Norway resident user Chrnaess was on his own, even here on the IMDB were even some of the worst movies ever made can find some love (for the record American Ninja 5 was voted 62nd worst film of all time).

On the subject of Ninjas, former wrestler Hulk Hogan obviously needed a new bandana when he signed on to star in 3 Ninjas: High Noon At Mega Mountain, a film that won’t trouble many peoples top films of all times lists. What’s even more scarier than the fact that 4,222 have taken time out of their short lives to watch this film is that IMDB user Jeffuary displays not even a hint of irony in his review of the IMDB’s 55th worst film ever made : “Every once in a while a film comes along that makes you glad to be alive. Cinema is a beautiful art form, and no cinema is more gorgeous than 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain.”.

Want more proof the some reviewers on the internet are just a review or two short of a padded room and white coats try these on for size: Batman & Robin “This is definitely one of the best no-brainer films of recent years… “, Kurt Russell uber flop Soldier “Entertaining, thought-provoking and exciting once the action starts!“ and even the terrible Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle “if you're into a fast and fun movie, filled with lots of action, noise and over-the-top scenes, then Charlie's Angels is for you!“

I guess one thing this all shows is that no matter how bad a movie is, somewhere in the world there is an audience for it and if the world can love Showgirls (scrub that even I loved Showgirls) maybe The Happening does stand a chance… okay maybe not!

Finally (and for balance) I thought why not take a look at the comments on feature film project that I worked on - the marmite of action films Left For Dead (dir: Ross Boyask, 2005). “Man this movie sucks I’m glad I didn't pay for it (netflix)…“ It’s fair to say that user Jourdanmc wasn’t a fan whilst user Mike Ellis from Tallahassee, FL has this to say “Don't watch this for action, don't watch it for acting, don't watch it for creativity, only watch it cause it overall it’s worse than any movie you've ever seen.”

Well you really cant please all the people, now can you….

For more check out the Internet Movie Database at www.imdb.com

Phil Hobden
Editor – Combat Film

Next Month: Wrestlers & Action Films

Phil Hobden is an independent filmmaker and freelance writer. His second film TEN DEAD MEN is now available to buy in the UK and he is currently developing his third feature film through his company Modern Life?, In addition he also writes for his own review site Phil’s Quick Capsule Review as well as for various websites and magazines including Impact Magazine and fareastfilms.com. For more on Phil Hobden check out www.philhobden.co.uk or www.mod-life.net

Combat Film : The Reviews (Oct 09)

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:12:00 +0000

Also: Crank 2 ; Ichi; Ong Bak 2

Next Month: Terminator Salvation

Combat Film 18 : High Kicking The Credit Crunch

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:57:00 +0000

Companies are closing left and right. The banks aren’t lending. Interest rates are falling and we are looming on the brink of a global depression. Times are officially rather tough.

But don’t fear, Combat Film is here to help. Through our hard work and dedicated research (read: walking up and down the high street on our lunch breaks) we’ve managed to find the Holy Grail for action fans, a Mecca of well priced entertainment. Ladies and gentlemen may I introduce… Poundland.

What? Stop laughing. I’m serious. See for the discerning film fan out there Poundland has a lot to offer, especially in these toughest of tough times. All at credit crunch busting price of just £1. Still don’t believe me… okay how about George A Romero’s classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, or Christian Bale & Michael Ironside in THE MACHINIST? The critically acclaimed CHOPPER or WHAT’S ESATING GILBERT GRAPE? How about SUPERSIZE ME, currently retailing at over £10 on Amazon and Play?

Ah so NOW I have your attention. Dig deeper and I can almost guarantee that they’ll be something for pretty much even the hardest to please action fan.

To start how about the 1989 Van Damme classic KICKBOXER? JCVD starred as Karl Sloane, a ringman for Champion Kickboxer and brother Eric. After the vicious Tong Po paralyzes Eric in the ring during a fight, Karl vows to defeat Tong Po. Cue training sequences, buffed men taking off their shirts and a bucket load of homo-erotic action sequences. All for the bargain basement price of just £1.

One of the most high profile release to grace the hallowed shelves of Poundland is the McG ‘classic’ CHARLIES ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE. Okay so I may be over selling that one a little but trust me the second Charlie’s Angels film is a lot better than you remember it and is at worst occasionally entertaining. And for a pound you could do far worse!

MCBAIN (1991) stars Michael Ironside, Christopher Walken and Maria Conchita Alonso. The fact that Michael Ironside co-stars seals the deal for me but having a tagline like “Taking on the drug lords is impossible. Taking on a country is insane” didn’t hurt either.

For fans of Richard Harrison (think: low rent Chuck Norris), the porn haired 70’s & 80’s action star, Poundland has on offer a veritable feast of his and Godfrey Ho’s special brand of low budget action films. NINJA TERMINATOR, NINJA DRAGON, NINJA THE PROTECTOR and NINJA DESTROYER are amongst the “better ones” but only in the same way that getting run over is only slightly better than being crushed by a tank. That said a few beers down these are hysterically fun and never les than entertaining. For those that doesn’t know direct Ho is considered somewhat of a master of B-movie Hong Kong actioners and pioneered a ‘cut & paste’ technique with his movies often filming scenes with an actor and using them over two or three movies, mixing it with unreleased Asian and Thia films and never worrying too much about a story or plot. Think Power Rangers without money. Oh and if your lucky some Poundland’s even have Ninja two packs. Two Ninja Movies for a pound! How could you possiblly resist?

Some people might jest that Poundland is just the right place (and price) for the still born sequel Keanu Reeves starring MATRIX RELOADED. Maybe it’s improved with age? Probably not but it could be worse… it could be Matrix Revolutions!

For those of you yet to make the jump to DVD or who are just those desperately clinging to their VHS collection in vein hope that one day they will be collectors items (they wont) can swell their shelves with such recentish titles as STAR WARS: ATTACK OF THE CLONES, ENEMY AT THE GATES and the rather very good Colin Farrell starring PHONE BOOTH. But really you should be looking at DVD’s now. This isn’t the 90’s anymore…

Poundland even caters for the horror fan with their Hardgore range including such titles as AQUANOIDS, TURKEY SHOOT and VAMPIRE KILLER BARBYS.

Finally if you want to see just how bad a movie can be, head over to the new range of Shaolin releases. DRESSED TO FIGHT, HEROES OF SHAOLIN, FATAL NEEDLES VS. FATAL FISTS, THE MASK OF VENGEANCE, THE GUY WITH SECRET KUNG FU, BLACK BELT JONES 2, RED LOTUS VS. LAMA and DEADLY SILVER SPEAR are available to name but a few. And yes they are all real films (check out the IMDB if you don’t believe me!). All presented in glorious Full Screen and looking like they were mastered on toilet paper.

That’s over 25 films for the cost of just one new shiny Blu Ray disk. So if your looking for a cheap present, a film to watch on an easy night in or just a bargain way to swell your DVD collection Poundland really could be the shop for you. How can you go wrong?

Phil Hobden
Editor – Combat Film

Phil Hobden is an independent filmmaker and freelance writer. His second film TEN DEAD MEN is now available to buy in the UK and he is currently developing his third feature film through his company Modern Life?, In addition he also writes for his own review site Phil’s Quick Capsule Review as well as for various websites and magazines including Impact Magazine and fareastfilms.com. For more on Phil Hobden check out www.philhobden.co.uk or www.mod-life.net

Combat Film : The Reviews (Sept09)

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:51:00 +0000

Also: Art Of War 3; far Cry; Taxi 4

Next Month: 50 Dead Men Walking; District 13: Ultimatum; Crank: High Voltage

Combat Film : The Reviews (Aug 09)

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:43:00 +0000

Also: Good, The Bad & The Weird; Driven to Kill; Unbreakables

Next Month: Outlander; Never Surrender; Kambakkht Ishq

Combat Film 017 : Kung Fu Kid

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:37:00 +0000

“Work pressures cause a single mother moves to China with her young son; in his new home, the boy embraces karate, taught to him by a master of the self-defence form.”

Sound familiar? It should. 80’s classic The karate kid is coming back. And this time with added Jackie Chan in the role as Mr Miyagi. I have to say that to start with the idea of this remake left me cold. I’d heard rumours but surely they couldn’t be true. Will Smith producing a version of the karate Kid for his son? Has to be a Harry Knowles BS rumour for sure? No. It appears not.

Believe it or not The Karate Kid holds a special place in my heart. Maybe it was because it was this film that encouraged my initial interest in martial arts. I don’t know… like Top Gun, Cannonball Run and other ‘guilty pleasure’ films on my shelves I just know that in my hour of need I can always turn to the 80’s movie that could. Personal thoughts aside about the original, I have a few different thoughts on this film that I want to share.

Firstly a general rant about the state of Hollywood and remakes. Most turn out to be hollow carbon copies of their original counterparts, without the charm or talent that made the original so endearing. This means that only a very few of these ‘re-imaginings’ or ‘remakes’ actually work. Dawn Of The Dead. Halloween. Ocean’s Eleven. These all came good because they took the original and added something different or new. There was also scope to tell a story that was similar to the original but different enough to be unique. But The Karate Kid? As a film it’s already Rocky light and it’s a story that we’ve seen in pretty much every sport since. What’s left? Bowls? (I can just imagine the voice over man in his deep husky Americana voice… “A man from the wrong side of the tracks. He just wants to bowl. But there’s a bigger fight he must take on first”)

This remake craze HAS TO STOP. Now. With films like Total Recall, They Live, Short Circuit and pretty much every horror film since 1976 in production, Hollywood seems happy to rob the grave of any title with a fan base. What next? Paul WS Anderson directs Zack Effron in… The Godfather.

My Second point is Jackie Chan and his career. Before I start I just want to prefix this by saying I am a massive fan of Chan. Police Story 2 changed my perception of action films forever. Armour of God, Project A, Police Story and even some of his really early films all sit pride of place in my DVD collection. But let’s face it, Chan has been on a dramatic career slide since the mid-nineties. About the same period he moved to Hollywood with highlights being pretty much just Rush Hour (yes that about a good a highlight as you can find). Gorgeous. New Police Story. The Accidental Spy. Who Am I? None can hold a candle to his early work. Chan once said he’d retire at 40. And I kinda wish he had because, a few okayish films of late aside, he’s in danger of doing an Elvis and finishing his career as a wash up shadow of his former self. And no true Chan fan wants to see that, surely?

Third and finally as a film. I still think that Mr Miyagi is a role that is more than just a character. Pat Morita was Mr Miyagi. Like Brando was The Godfather, and Eastwood Dirty Harry. He’s an iconic character played in an iconic way. Okay so Morita couldn’t do martial arts but hey you believed him. But Morita aside oddly this could work but it will depend on the tone the filmmakers take. If it is jokey and more like Chan’s other Hollywood films, this could end up as a train wreck of a project. But if they take it seriously, much like the producers of the original did, then maybe, just maybe it could open up a much maligned ‘classic’ to a whole new audience. And it may just do the same for the movie also…

I guess only time will tell. At the moment the film is going under the title of ‘Kung Fu Kid’ and is being produced by Will Smith (with his son Jaden starring) and written by the writer of ‘In the Pursuit of Happiness’. Which is odd. Anyway guess we’ll find out when the film arrives in 2010.

Phil Hobden
Editor – Combat Film

Combat Film : The Reviews (July 09)

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:04:00 +0000

Also: Death Bet

Next Month: Good, The Bad & The Weird; Driven to Kill; Unbreakables
.

Comabt Film Special July 2009 - Ten Dead Men Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 06:54:00 +0000

THE ONE PAGE INTERVIEW: Money is for Wimps… Making the UK Action Movie Ten Dead Men

by Richard Badley

For their follow-up to Left for Dead, independent filmmakers Ross Boyask and Phil Hobden (yes Combat Film editor Phil Hobden) weren’t prepared to let a little thing like money stop them making something bigger, bolder and bloodier than their debut feature. Working with an extremely low budget and shooting over eighteen months in the cast and crew’s spare time, Ten Dead Men is a testament to the pair’s commitment to delivering one of the UK’s most vicious action films.

With the film recently released on DVD, director Boyask and producer Hobden talked to Combat about wringing every stunt they could from their tiny budget...

How did you approach making Ten Dead Men different from your previous work?
Ross Boyask: Left for Dead was very ‘comic-book’ and had a fun, happy-go-lucky approach. Ten Dead Men is more like its brooding older brother. I think this partly came from wanting to make a slightly darker film.

Phil Hobden: Action and horror have both gotten more violent over the last few years and, from a producer’s point of view, the blood and guts opens it up to the gore fans as well as action. Not wanting to make it sound like a ‘product’ but from the start we were very aware of the market that 10DM would have to compete in.

Did that also influence the action sequences you wanted to include?
PH: Action is a genre you can’t cut corners on. Your money needs to be on the screen. I wanted some key set-pieces that could be done for the money we had but that would also add value for buyers and the people watching it. The cage fight, banger race and Parkour sequences where all must haves in my eyes so Chris [Regan, screenwriter] had a few to write in. There are always things you want to do that you can’t. The biggest was a helicopter landing. No matter how hard I tried we couldn’t get one for the money we had.

Was the style of fighting and weapons used also decided early on?
RB: The main focus for each action sequence was "how does this scene serve the story"? The idea was that the characters would use whatever is at hand - from an ashtray in the toilets to a discarded bottle. We did not particularly use traditional martial arts weapons, except in a few shots. The aim was to keep the action grounded in some reality, but also to inject some style with the occasional flashy move.

How did the low budget effect the rehearsal time for the more complex sequences?
PH: Some of them are more raw because of the lack of time put into them. You don’t have working hours on an indie film, just goodwill hours, and they can get burnt quickly so you have to be careful how far you push people. The cage fight was rehearsed in under two hours and shot in even less than that. All whilst the arena was being set out for their biggest ever event - and the promoter was in the ring with us acting alongside our team!

Which fights posed the greatest difficulty whilst filming?

RB: The toughest scene to film was the chop-shop fight. Everyone left the location that day feeling miserable.

PH: The shoot had been postponed because we couldn’t work out what it needed to be and for a while it was down to be cut out of the script. We only had one day with the money we had left. After almost eighteen months everyone was tired and ready to move on. It was the wrong shoot at the wrong time.

RB: Each sequence poses its problems and it’s up to the crew to work through them. The final showdown was an insanely arduous shoot, although actually filming it was a fantastic experience.

How were you able to cram in that much action on such a tight budget?
PH: The three mantras of indie filmmaking – beg, borrow, steal. The people involved in this film were a real godsend. We had two boats for free. Cage Rage and Wembley for free. Then add in the shootouts, explosions, fire burn and all the stunts and gags which cost us a fraction of the price all because people believed in what we were doing.

RB: I can't stress how lucky we were to have Jude [Poyer, stunt coordinator] on board. Not only did he bring some excellent stunt performers along, he also knows what works onscreen, always tries to push the envelope, and is committed to creating character-driven action. Also Phil negotiated with Mike Knights, our excellent pyrotechnics expert, in a way that allowed us to bring as much bang for our buck to the screen as possible.

Were there any lessons learned that you’d apply to future action movies you’ll work on?
RB: Personally, after this experience, I'm not intending to film any further movies without a budget in place, but if you choose to do so, really think about how you will allocate your time and resources.
Surround yourself with the right people and treat them with appreciation. Always make time to scout locations and prepare as much as you can, as it will pay dividends in the end.

PH: We managed to get explosions, shootouts, speedboats, named actors and a genuine genre legend all for less than Tom Cruise pays his hairdresser a day. There’s nothing else I can bring to this genre at this level and I honestly believe very few others can too. Your films always have to stand beside the higher budget mainstream alternates and that gulf is never bigger than it is with action films that now cost on average $50-100 million. You need to be different to standout. We’ve done that twice but a third time would be going to the well once too often.

Boyask and Hobden have more than proved their determination to making action movies on UK soil and with Ten Dead Men have shown there’s a wealth of British talent out there ready to take on Hollywood – can someone just give them some real cash please?

Ten Dead Men is out now on DVD and packed with extras about the making of the film. Check out www.tendeadmen.co.uk for more.

Next Month: Phil Hobden's Combat Film returns with Kung Fu Kid!

Combat Film : The Reviews (May/June 09)

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 07:42:00 +0000

Reviewed Next Month: The Wrestler; Ten Dead Men; Death Bet

Combat Film Special :Transporter 3 Review (May/June 2009)

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 07:31:00 +0000

Transporter 3 (15) Review by Richard Badley. DVD out now.

The original Transporter was conceived by Luc Besson in 2002 with a simple remit; launch Jason Statham as an unlikely action hero for the new millennium by throwing him into some flashy car chases and getting him to wrestle in oil under the direction of legendary stunt co-ordinator Corey Yuen. Despite being met by critical indifference the film went on to bank $44 million worldwide. 2005 saw director Louis Leterrier deliver a sequel that went so far over the top it almost escaped the Earth's gravitational pull, defying nearly every law of physics, but it cemented the series' reputation as the ultimate guilty pleasure and made $85 million. So it's another 3 years later and guess what...

The cynics out there may regard Besson's series as a calculated get-rich-quick scheme designed to line the French producer's pockets. They are films defined by testosterone-fuelled action set-pieces, unapologetic in favouring bangs over brains with a hero who is kept deliberately non-complex, a mercenary who lives by his own rules and focused only on getting the job done. But in today's market the action genre is now a very different one. It's a world where the hero suffocates the enemy with a newspaper and has a good cry afterwards, a world of consequence and moral angst. After Bourne and Bond rewrote the rules, is there still room for a bald do-gooder who "never opens the package"?

Helmed by Olivier Megaton, Transporter 3 is as subtle as the director's surname. Thankfully, it avoids the current trend for dark realism and continues the franchise's brazen disregard for peaceful solutions. After Quantum of Solace decided to take everything far too seriously, making the mistake of thinking that complicated now means good, the market deserves some diverting entertainment and Transporter 3 arrives as something of an antidote. The film returns to the grittier elements of the first instalment, cutting out the excessive ridiculousness that made the second almost a comedy, and puts the character of Frank Martin back on track as an actual Transporter rather than a babysitter.

The film opens with Martin enjoying retirement in the South of France with regular series companion Tarconi (François Berléand) but, as well all know, retirement is a serious mistake for the action professional. So it's not long before Martin's forced into another job and finds himself driving the uncommunicative Valentina (Natalya Rudakova) to Odessa in Ukraine. In terms of story it's the most comprehensible with screenwriters Besson and Robert Mark Kamen setting up their story of evil businessman Johnson – played by Prison Break's Robert Knepper – blackmailing a government official early on and don't worry about trying anything too clever. The main focus is on Martin reunited with his beloved black Audi although this time round there's an added catch – if he gets more than 75 feet away from his vehicle a bracelet will splatter the Stat Man across Europe.

If you're thinking of Rutger Hauer's Wedlock you're not far off. It's a gimmick that wouldn't look out of place in Statham's Crank series but one that at least means the film stays on the road with Martin constantly forced to the next checkpoint by Knepper's reptilian bad guy. The device also leads to some frantic moments, the best being Martin commandeering a dirt bike to chase the car through Budapest's alleyways, and to a great conundrum when he's forced to drive it into a lake and watch it sink like a stone. While it sounds like it could get way out of hand, Megaton steers things on a steady course, refusing to give-in to the CGI madness of Transporter 2 where Martin could casually flip the car over to remove a bomb with a handy crane.

Once again, Yuen returns to oversee the martial arts chorography and there's plenty of gratifying action as he makes use of various tools and even Martin's jacket to dispatch the rooms full of henchmen.. Hardcore action fans will notice that it's all rather bloodless and that the points of impact are tamed for a younger audience so hopefully the film will continue with the tradition of releasing an uncut version. In the meantime, Megaton seems more interested in ripping off Statham's shirt at every opportunity so Rudakova can ogle him.

Besson's attempt to reel-in the tricky female half of the audience is Transporter 3's biggest backfire. Valentina's pairing with Martin is in keeping with Besson's Milla Jovovich/Bruce Willis Fifth Element template – tarty Eurotrash meets reluctant action hero – although it's worrying how Martin's role as father figure soon descends into a quick fumble on the backseat. It's all meant to be explained by the pair's cheesy dialogue about chicken kievs but it's highly comical thanks to newcomer Rudakova's broken English delivery. "Ahhhh, you are the gay!" she exclaims when Martin shuns her advances. You'd be correct in assuming that Besson picked her up off some New York street shortly before filming began.

But these are just pauses between the film's main attraction – the Stat hurting people. As ever, Statham's a dependable action star and always ready to deliver the punchline to a fight scene with a wry smirk. At least he has fun with his gruff, thuggish character because the alternative is lacklustre. Since Bond got his balls minced he's just been plain old boring, why not have a hero who takes pleasure in his work? Besson makes money because he's a filmmaker who knows how to channel his inner-child and Transporter 3 is his fascination with fast cars and crunching punches made large. It might not be brimming with originality but it's a film that goes from A to B at speed and via all the thrills and spills needed for an enjoyable action distraction.

Film Rating: 3/5

Action Rating: 4/5

If you liked this try: Crank, Kiss of the Dragon, The Getaway

Watch the trailer at : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbh3CDBNIQA

Next Month: Phil Hobden's Combat Film returns!

Combat Film 017 : The Reviews (May 09)

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Fri, 01 May 2009 07:54:00 +0000

Also Reviewed : Outlander; Alien Agent; Stone

Reviewed Next Month: The Wrestler; Ten Dead Men; Death Bet

Combat Film Special :: X-Men Origins: Wolverine Review

noreply@blogger.com (Modern Life?) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:23:00 +0000

So after a leaked work print, a rather naff looking couple of trailers and enough Jackman press junkets to fill a book (bless he has been busy) the first real big film of the year is here (no Fast & Furious didn’t count). But is it more X 2 than X-men: The Last Stand?

Wolverine lives a mutant life, seeks revenge against Victor Creed (who will later become Sabertooth) for the death of his girlfriend, and ultimately ends up going through the mutant Weapon X program to become the metal framed monster of the comic books.

After dominating the first three X-Men movies Wolverine, the guy with the big side burns, bad temper and the rather scary claws gets his own movie with X-Men Origins: Wolverine as we find out what made Logan into the berserker we all know and love. Well that was the idea. Disappointingly in reality we mostly just get the last few years before the first X-Men movie, save for a very well laid out title sequence where we see a brief history of Logan and his brother Victor Creed (future Sabretooth) fight their way through a host of wars. This by far would have been a more interesting story than the one we got, which has to jump through hoops to ensure continuity with the later X-Men movies. Worse still most of the story you already know, especially if you’re a fan of either the films or comics. We know that Sabretooth doesn’t die because he fights him the first X-men movie. Same for William Stryker who appears in X-Men 2. Cyclops can’t see Wolverine because when they meet in the first film they have never met before. So for the most part of the film you pretty much who lives and who dies, which makes for a hollow experience overall.

Other franchise pleasing cameos such as a CGI’d younger Patrick Stewart, Gambit & The Blob also get short changed. Even the Weapon Eleven (Played by Brit Scott Adkins) doesn’t work either. What is cool on paper – a hybrid mix of mutant powers and skills - is introduced so late in the game that he serves little point than to (quickly) die. As for the constant Sabretooth v Wolverine fights that drive the story… when they meet again in the finale what should be the epic smackdown between the two brothers is just a damp squid due to the fact that the we know that Sabretooth can’t die. No tension. No emotional connection.

That said it’s not all bad. It’s well made and is well paced. Liev Schreiber, who at first seemed a rather baffling choice for Sabretooth being that he isn’t exactly a big bloke, is very good as is Jackman (but not quite enjoying it as much as he used to). The effects aren’t bad and the story (whist often a bit silly) drives the film nicely and at least gives proper motivation for the characters and the few proper action scenes there are aren’t bad. Although, frustratingly, most of the action (save for the short Weapon Eleven fight) and explosions are in the trailer AGAIN.
The short of it is this isn’t a bad film. It just isn’t great either. Director Gavin Hood has done his best to inject some pace and invention into the film but in terms of story it’s a real let down as we either know what’s coming or don’t really care.

Let’s hope any future Origin movies correct this and go back to the old fashioned way of filmmaking… writing a story rather than a release date.

IMDB Rating: 5/10

If you liked this watch: X-Men (8/10); X 2 (8/10); X-Men Last Stand (4/10)

Phil Hobden
Editor -Combat Film

For more reviews like this check out http://uglyreview.blogpsot.com or http://combatfilm.blogspot.com