Actionfest 2011 • 2012
 

ACTIONFEST 2010
(April 15-18) Asheville, NC  |  Program .pdf  
 

Plus, I wanted to learn all the details, action movies being shown, who's involved, anything useful or fun, whatever I can find out . . .

Film Details with PREVIEWS! below . . . 

Film Distributors List • Movie News List • Jury Members List • Twitter List • Sponsors
 

The Stunts of Chuck Norris Panel
The reason for the Festival! The man himself speaking with a Panel of friends: his full-time brother, part-time stunt double, and long-time Director Aaron Norris, Paul Weston, Jeff Habberstad, Kennie "The Rocketman" Gibson, Mark De Alesandro   . . . and Jet Li's stunt double, and from the cast of Walker Texas Ranger:  Sheree J. Wilson and Judson Mills (who was very entertaining)
Mr. Norris said his heroes were John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart.  He said he grew up without a father figure. He served in the Air Force in Korea after High School.  He earned a black belt in Tong Su Do (Tae Kwon Do) after he got a black belt in Judo.  He met Bruce Lee in New York at Madison Square Gardens at the World Cup in 1968. Bruce Lee asked him to star in Return of the Dragon (and lose the fight). Mr. Norris said the "hero thing" was important to him and that he not be depicted as a bad guy.  Good Guys Wear Black was the first time he used a stuntman in his career (his brother Aaron). When asked by an audience member, he said his favorite action movie is Hero with Jet  Li.

Mr. Norris spoke of real heroes and mentioned has done two tours to Iraq visiting the troops. There were some servicemen in the audience who stood up when recognized.

Code of Silence
Who hasn't seen and loved this movie? I had to watch it again in this context. What stays with me is that AWESOME moment when he blows that guy off the tower! So unexpected. So cool and funny in that sick way that action movie violence satisfies. The best!  (That Robocop-type machine was ahead of its time.)

Merantau
What a surprisingly moving Action movie. This would be a wonderful drama if not for the remarkable fighting skills of Iko Uwais!  The plot reminds us how small the world is and how we are all the same. Compassion and heroism. It will make you cry, girlie man! Merantau showcased Uwais's Silat skills, can't wait to see more from him.

So tired! It's toooo exciting!  No time to write and upload pictures and video yet. Action movies all day (12 hours) gotta love it! Met Tom Quinn Senior VP at Magnolia Pictures. Everyone so nice to the attendees!

If you weren't at this showing, at Actionfest, you missed out!  It was really fun to have these 3 gentlemen in the audience. Must be a great feeling to sit with an audience who appreciates your work.  This movie had concentrated action-movie-cheesy-goodness: Larger than life ultra-manly stereotypical characters we can identify with, sleazy villains, and unfair situations you're just itching for the characters to break out of, LOTS of fight scenes, and it turned out to be a buddy movie! to leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling after all the ass kicking. It works because it keeps to a simple formula and because of the charisma of the actors. "That's right, that's right, they're bad, they're bad."

part of Valhalla Rising, then The Stranger

Valhalla Rising
I wanted to like Valhalla Rising but  the beginning was sooooo slow. After the first fight scenes, it stalled. I gave up when, after they had been floating at sea napping and arguing, becalmed for what seemed like :20 minutes, they discovered they had drifted into a river. (!) I wanted to lay down in the boat and take a nap. The action movie freak in me was too bored to squirm any longer, so I bailed to watch "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's movie, The Stranger, which had a later starting time.

The IMDB summary of Valhalla Rising:  "For years, 'One-Eye', a mute warrior of supernatural strength, has been held prisoner by the chieftain 'Barde'. Aided by a boy, 'Are', he kills his captor and together they escape, beginning a journey into the heart of darkness. On their flight, One-Eye and Are board a Viking vessel but the ship is soon engulfed by an endless fog that first disintegrates as they sight an unknown land. As the new land reveals its secrets and the Vikings meet a ghastly fate, One-Eye discovers his true self."

 Yes, endless! 
 

The Stranger
I liked The Stranger because I like Steve Austin in movies. He moves like The Incredible Hulk and you're just along for the ride until he mangles somebody. This movie was watchable, even enjoyable, but the pacing was also slow for me (for an action movie). Too much story I think. Too predictable. Too many non-action types in the other roles. Austin looked out of place not just as the character was supposed to be feeling in the story, but as the wrestler dropped into an episode of Law and Order.  It seemed more like TV than a movie (maybe because the acting by the other characters was bad, sorry, but it was). I think the editing added to the 'confused' feeling that the main character (and the audience) was feeling, but it just had a made-for-TV feel to it. Austin is really enjoyable in the fight scenes—He's a walking wall of whop ass for sure.  He has progressed since The Condemned. I think the pacing was just too slow overall. Maybe if he could loosen up a bit, the flow would be more natural. Of course, maybe that's just him. He's not Chris Tucker, but he comes off a little like The Thing. All that said, I would watch it again. He's awesome!
 

The Art of the 2nd Unit Panel
This was a rare gathering and a glimpse into the unsung heroes of action movie making. 
The Panel consisted of:  Drew Mc Weeny (host), Aaron Norris, Paul Weston, Jeff Habberstad, Kennie "The Rocketman" Gibson, Isaac Florentine, Mark De Alessandro

They spoke of the trust and camaraderie of the profession.  "If you're gonna go to war, go to war with your friends." We learned a young stuntman is called a "pecknerneck".

Paul Weston told about his hairiest stunt: The ski jump/Union Jack scene from The Spy Who Loved Me. The Director said "If he thinks he can do it, we'll shoot it." He said it was the riskiest thing he'd ever done and probably the bravado of youth. 

The tail end of Vengeance, then STUNT SHOW
I'm sorry I didn't get to see all of Vengeance. Guessing by the ending, it took a lot of drama to get to that point. There was a crazy amount of guns and the look of the fight taking place in a field of giant compressed garbage cubes was original to say the least. I might get blasted for saying this but Asian films seemly overly dramatic as if, like a drug, they have become immune to emotion and have to have it in exaggerated doses to feel anything, not just in the acting but in the story line. Shanghai Triad comes to mind. So ruthless, so brutal! (It's just a cultural differences observation folks, just one opinion. It's either too much emotion or it's emotional immaturity. Yeah, I'm making worse. Not trying to.) The ending that I saw might have been better in just one respect: The planning of angles. There seemed to be ample opportunity for a clean shot (back to the action, I mean shooting a gun shot, not camera shot) when none was taken. This takes away the suspense. Also, the movement and distance of the garbage cubes varied wildly at different points: they were far, then close, then far again, then stupid close (should have been killed already). Despite this, it was bad ass just for the number of guns and the killings, and stylistically it was très cool (reminded me of De Palma's Snake Eyes).

Here's my YouTube video of the Stunt Fall showing the crowd that day and Tri Color Media Group's professional video of all the action:

Rogues' Gallery (now called Operation: Endgame)
It is reaching to be a rogues' galley but it most definitely should be named Operation: Endgame instead. The premise seems a bit weak: End a government covert operation rather than turn it over to Barak Obama?!? This is not funny enough in itself to make a movie out of.  It's like a video game with Secret Ops characters you would choose to wander around a basement facility killing each other. The characters have creative names and completely different looks to distinguish them (except two interchangeable skinny brunettes) but there are too many characters who are not sufficiently developed to add to anything in particular the plot. Calling it "Rogues' Gallery" was not going to be sexy enough to help it along to the extent it needs. The acting is good, but if it wasn't for some wicked-ass killing with office supplies and equipment, this movie would have been just the Rod Corddry Show (his take on Super Bowl ads @1:49 is the best). In its defense, it wasn't "final final" when they showed it to us, and they are still working on it. I don't think it can be considered an action movie. Without a lot more story, it's not going to make it.

Mandrill (starring and with Q & A after with Marko Zaror)
A charming surprise and highly entertaining! And YES! We all got to meet and question Mr. Marko Zaror!!

I know what you're thinking . . . but Mandrill is much more than James Bond as a novela —and the difference is Marko Zaror.  Although it seems to be inspired by the classic Connery Bond, Mandrill (man+drill hee hee) offers its own source of inspiration with a great 70s-throwback-TV-show feel (the choice of music was perfect). Mandrill's TV hero "Colt, John Colt" seems like a hilariously (we laughed a lot!) exaggerated young boy's perception of his favorite TV hero. Whatever the TV show might have been, it feels more like you are watching the intensified version of a young boy's perceptions of the character—a young boy looking for a father figure/hero. (Some names from the Colt TV promo: Alpak Shino (Al Pacino LOL), Dr. Nemesis, Handyman, Agent 96. The voice of John Colt alone is hilarious.)

Raised by his Uncle, Mandrill is on a mission to find the man who shot and killed his parents. (He was hidden in a closet by his mother for safety but witnessed what happened. He looks about 8 years old.)  He becomes an assassin always looking for the killer to be his next target. What is surprising is how likeable the character is. Marko Zaror was there at our Actionfest screening, and while you look at the screen and then look at him and think "Yep, that's him!" he's nothing like the character.  What makes the movie work is not only the charisma Zaror brings to the role, but also the sweetness of the boy's innocence written into the it, so that when the boy is a grown man who is trying to be so suave (so "John Colt") even when he seems to be over-the-top pouring on the charm, he either convinces you he completely believes it himself (he's confident that he IS that charming), and/or, he is 100% sincere in what he's saying, and that sincerity comes off as he TRULY IS charming: It's a devasting combination (confidence+charm). The boy and the man have a rich fantasy life. Add to that Marko's good looks and action figure build and . . .you know what I'm thinking. (hubba hubba)

The plot was a fresh surprise as well, just when you thought you knew what would happen next, it would surprise you in a clever way (and a big surprise at the end)! The audience at my showing seemed into the movie and highly entertained. It was campy in a good way. The 2-dimensionality of the characters worked perfectly (one guy distinguishing characteristic was a cough LOL). It seemed to keep it on the surface which made the whole thing seem fake, like a TV show, which also worked perfectly. It reminds me a little of Pulp Fiction and Natural Born Killers, and while you might think I'm reaching, what made them work, made this work, and that's no accident! Surprisingly, Zaror does not carry the picture (unless he's so good that he made he think he didn't—kidding). The smaller parts and other actors work so well, it leaves you with an ensemble performance feel, and not a vehicle (which is what I was expecting, although it certainly works well for that). Even the stoic bodyguard whose role is mainly stature, facial expressions, and reactions, was campy and fun. 

The overall impression at the end for me was "I really enjoyed that!" Zaror shows his martial arts skills in creative ways and there a several satisfying smackdowns (which earned noises of appreciation from stunt coordinator Paul Weston who was in the audience).  (I think the Director also attended).  Like Pulp Fiction, Mandrill hits the target. Like Natural Born Killers, you're let into his world and his perceptions of reality and himself, all to highly entertaining effect.  The fact that he's eye candy only adds to the effectiveness of the piece, the acting and the story really hooked you. In the movie he gave me a little Burt Reynolds vibe (but not in real life). Can't wait to see how he is as a bad guy in Undisputed III: Redemption (showing at 10 with Q & A after with Marko, Isaac Florentine, and Larnell Stovall).

District 13: Ultimatum
I was hoping this movie would exceed the first but it really let me down. The final explosions were not shown.  Can't even wrap my head around that decision.  It's supposed to be an ACTION MOVIE. We live for explosions.  If they ran out of money, they were penny wise and pound foolish. That might have redeemed it a bit. It had none of the campiness and fun of the characters in the first movie. The club scene intro and the jail break were the best parts, but it wasn't enough for a whole movie.

A phrase from Emeril comes to mind: "Kicked up to notches unknown." Seriously you are missing out if you haven't seen this or think you know what to expect. Envy me my not having seen the first movie when I saw this one.  What stayed with me was, frankly, everything: The ending series of fights, the elephants, the shock and awe of the violence in the beginning of the boy's life (and the film), the blood bath, and blood-thirsty games, and the Fellini-esque freak show (the word "savages" comes to mind). The journey of this boy is a series of battles that shapes him into a killing force like nothing I've seen. Tony Jaa is on his own level. The fight scene in the village was so exciting I couldn't write. He was so fast and so skilled that he even bitch slapped and scratched. He anticipated and had lightning fast reflexes (yes, having to remind myself it is a movie). He's good at every type of move and made it seem like it was easy for him. He had tremendous prowess with a spear, with everything. The claw-like kerambit knife was something (speechless) . . . the bent sword! I can't even find that on the web. He masters every kind of fighting and then throws elephants into the mix. Must be really happy elephants to let themselves be stunt elephants in an action movie—that's a love that takes a lifetime. Beyond fighting off an elephant, the movie has many WOW moments of fighting, of violence, and of beauty. The fire in the rain! I don't expect so many moments of sheer beauty when I see an action movie but the movie is just amazing on every level. Expect your breath to be taken away over and over again. Doesn't matter what I say, you'll still be blown away.

Born To Fight
The outtakes were the best part for sheer determination, bravado, and general insanity! It seemed like every take, when the actor/stuntman would try the stunt, the crew would immediately RACE over to the lifeless form on the ground  like "Is he alive?" almost like they were expecting him not to be. It just looked painful!!

In an intro. filled with HOLY CRAP moments, there was the sight of a semi, on fire, plowing full speed through a corrugated tin village. Sounds tame to write it, but by the time the chase scene got to this point, it was out of control! The killcount for the first :15 minutes must be impressive. As always, it was scary to see men riding/standing/hanging onto cars and trucks and carrying guns.  After the terrorists attack the village, the hero (who hid out to escape being captured) finds a way to get a gun and begins walking through the village (camera behind him) and it's totally a video game feel, which is great: Hunt and kill, avoid the friendlies. 

It was chock full of cliches to tug at our heartstrings: a longish set up/intro. of the sweetness/rural poverty of village life, charity work, a baby, kids with no toys, young lovers, lonely old women, a one-legged man, and others, like concepts: forgiveness, patriotism, teamwork, selflessness, etc. If they missed any opportunity, to emotional involve us I couldn't think of it. At the same time, it was balls-out, full-on action like nothing else. The word CRAZY came to mind. It's an must-see instant Action Movie classic.

Do yourself a favor, don't watch the trailer, just watch the movie . . .

CENTURION world premiere @ 7:30 PM
(YOU STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE IT: Friday-at 2:00 PM and I highly recommend it!)

RUN, DO NOT WALK, TO CENTURION FOR A BLOODY GREAT SLICE OF ACTION!
Centurion is a great chase story. Loved how even the credits are on the move, which (combined with the music and the landscape) starts the movie off with a sense of urgency and adventure. 

WALKING GETS YOU INTO TROUBLE
Centurion definitely delivers as a period piece: the ultra-manly Romans in those costumes we all would love to wear for Halloween but which are too complicated to replicate: the bristle brush Roman helmets, the armor, the leather flapped skirts, chin-protecting sandals, and the swords. Nature plays a large part, especially the forest, in taking us back to a primal state of fear. The misty forest setting of the first big battle gives the movie a mystical feel with danger lurking around every tree trunk. Something as commonplace as soldiers marching a trail becomes dangerous when sounds are heard in the distance and mist and trees hide whatever is lurking.  The Roman soldiers hurriedly get into a military square formation and present shields in unison (a sound that should strike fear into an enemy when all that metal hits the ground at one time). 

"Whatever comes out of that mist, men, you will hold the line."

You think after you hear the shields hit the ground, they're protected, they're ready, they're Romans, but you haven't met the Picts. The Picts roll enormous fireballs downhill from both sides that crash through the ranks. So much for organization and strategy. The sight of these hurtling balls of flame against shades of blue and green in the forest and the mist, alone, is worth seeing the movie for. With the defensive squares broken up, the Picts attack and the fighting begins. The repetitive sound of striking steel and the squishy sounds of stabbing increase in tempo driving the action and the anticipation to a final beheading. The Picts are vicious savages—its awesome!  Awesome is a word that came too mind all too often, if that tells you how AWESOME the movie is.

BLOOD AND BITCHES
We action movie freaks must be a blood-thirsty lot! There is a generous and satisfying amount of just throat slitting in that first big attack scene, as well as lots of other ways to die involving sharp metal objects. A line spoken after the slaughter, when there are so many bodies and so much blood on the ground: "The Gods never get their feet wet" hints at the outcome of the movie, but nothing prepares you for the brutality of the Pict female characters. Centurion features two fearless and ruthless female characters. We have rage, and they know how to use it. They were both convincing in their intensity and brutality. 

In the General vs. the she-wolf fight, the character Etain is handy with a spear, and uses it as deftly as a knife and a fork! LOL Her primal scream (!!) after she kills is awesome. There's that word again. I liked how the other Pict warrior girl had yellow hair and yellow teeth. For such a small role, she struck a lot of fear! 

LOST IN THE FOREST
"We live united or die divided." A chase movie but with a little of the who-dies-next of the horror film as they are 'Pict' (sorry had to do it) off, or pick each other off. One of those moments action movie freaks live for comes in the form of death by spear to the mouth. As their numbers dwindle [there were only 7 (I think) to begin with], hope and purpose fade: "The Gods have forsaken us, we make our own chances." "[Hopelessness is the stuff of legend, and legends will get you laid.]" If you can stay alive. The chase is a little long (practically the whole movie) and at one point I was wondering where the hell are they? when someone onscreen asked the same thing. How far is too far to run for your life? No such thing. [It was a little like the TV show "LOST:" running around the forest with guns, only they run faster and use knives, swords, axes, and hatchets.]

COLD HARD TRUTH
The sound of striking steel is heard a lot, and the atmosphere and cold feel and fear is unrelenting as a blade. At one point, it seems Centurion might turn into a love story where the good girl shows up just in time to save her man. SO glad they didn't go that way.  But it was good that they had a likeable female character to balance the two evil Pict bitches. As the original group running for their lives dwindles, when they are down to three, it's great how each of them gives their all. They show what Roman soldiers are made of as they make their last stand. Olga Kurylenko as Etain is good in the hand-to-hand combat scene. There aren't too many convincing fist fights with a girl. Loved it. And when there are only 2 left, after all that running and all that fighting, the Roman soldiers discover they fought for nothing. (Won't tell you how or why.)  The opening ties in verbally with the ending in a poetic way, but in the end, it's die united, live divided.

I noticed in the credits, the 2nd and 3rd unit directors were all women!  BOO YA! 

Here is the Festival introduction to the movie with the slightly inebriated Tom Quinn who introduces the contagiously enthusiastic Festival Director Matthew Kiernan who introduces Bill Banowsky, and then Aaron Norris etc.   

VIP badge and the Banner in the window at the theater:

Figuring out movie list.  May see (waiting for @AllOuttaBG's advice: Wake in Fright,  Ong-Bak 2,  Raging Phoenix,  Mandrill ,  Besouro,  The Good The Bad, and The Weird (looks awesome),  District 13: Ultimatum (or Stunt Show),  Panel Art of the 2nd Unit (or 14 Blades),  The Stranger,  Robo Geisha,  Merantu or Undisputed II: Redemption?,  Code of Silence, How can you see Braddock if you attend the Panel?!, (Valhalla Rising),  Panel Stunts of Chuck Norris (same time as Braddock: MIA III -gotta check revised schedule),  The Square . . .

Skipping the stunt show (WHAT?!) If I attend the Panels, I will miss too many films!!  Code of Silence, Braddock: MIA III, Operation: Endgame, Harry Brown, Undisputed II: Redemption, Wake in Fright, Golden Blade III, Power Kids, Vengeance, Dirty Mind, Valhalla Rising or Mandrill, and The Square (and the Square is offered 3x!)  CANT MISS THE CHUCK NORRIS FILMS! He's the reason for the season!!

Sony Webbie hard to find. Should have bought it earlier online (only $84, Brandsmart wants $148.88). Bought 2 mega memory cards instead for my digital camera (takes up to 2 hours of movies each). Studied film schedule trying to figure out the most movies I can see [all of them is apparently not possible :( ] The Stunt Show and the Panels take away 3!

Saw @JimCarrey tweeted that he broke up with Jenny McCarthy. Tweeted him to come to ActionFest!  LOL. I'm sure he'll see it among the 4.2 million messages he must get a day from fans like me. ("It could happen." Judy Tenuta)

@Actionfest  offers: "What's your favorite Chuck Norris movie quote? Tweet it by 5pm EST Mon. for your chance to win an ActionFest Film Badge!"  Winning quote goes on their t-shirt. Winners selected from the most popular quote.

Also: Tickets now on sale for our closing night event - Chuck Norris AND The Reigning Sound! http://www.theorangepeel.net/calendar20104.php#af"  (included in the VIP Pass)

Tweet by @AVLPlanning:
* Actionfest looking for kickass vendors to set-up at the festival only $250. Guest attendance projected to be up to 4,000.
11:42 AM Mar 25th via web

Tweet by @AVLPlanning:
Volunteer opportunites for Actionfest. Email me lauri@ashevilleeventstaffing.com We will be offering some kickass perks. #chucknavl (<-- AVLPlanning using this for ActionFest topic!)
1:07 PM Mar 22nd via web  
 

AW, YEAH! I made the list!!  Also noted all the affiliates of the festival (under their links page) and searched for them on twitter (and expanded my 2 twitter action lists:  @actionmoviefrea/action and @helenschmelen/action<-list now gone).

I got permission to take the time off, and I'm going to drive! Miami, FL to Asheville, NC = 13+ hours.
It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing!  The FIRST-EVER ActionFest, and the first-ever honoree is Chuck Norris!

Tweet by @AllOuttaBG:
Can't believe Chuck Norris is 70. The guy must have a million stories. See him at ActionFest!
6:12 AM Mar 11th via web Retweeted by you

This second tweet I saw, (and retweeted—the day after Chuck Norris's birthday) and then . . .
I found the ActionFest video trailer on YouTube.
Rantbo says "there's no way" the AllOuttaBubbleGum.com team can go! :(  They are in Montana. So disappointed they won't be there. I asked for the time off work to go.  And start tweeting more about #ActionFest!

@AVLPlanning tweets limited vendor spaces available*
 

Release Date
(Country)
SHOWTIMES

Director:  Daniel Lee

During the Ming Dynasty, a secret agent of the emperor's court is betrayed and then hunted down by his former colleagues. Starring martial arts legends Donnie Yen (IP MAN) and Sammo Hung (DRAGONS FOREVER), 14 BLADES was recently nominated for "Best Action Choreography" at the 2010 Hong Kong Film Awards.
 

An official selection at the 2010 Berlin International Film Festival, BESURO is the emotional true story of the legendary capoeira fighter (played by Aílton Carmo) from Bahia (a Brazilian state), who was rumored to fly and leads an uprising of slaves to gain their freedom. (The real life events happened in 1924. Capoeira sounds like Trinity's first fight scene in The Matrix.)

Panna Rittikrai, martial arts choreographer of Tony Jaa's ONG BAK films, directed this insanely fun stunt extravaganza about a small village overtaken by terrorists that fights back in spectacular style. This rare U.S. theatrical screening is part of ActionFest's Shomongkolfilm Retrospective (Courtesy of Dragon Dynasty)

Chuck Norris teams with brother Aaron Norris (co-founder of ActionFest) for the third film in the MISSING IN ACTION series, where Col. James Braddock goes back to Vietnam to rescue his Amer-Asian son in this little-seen sequel, Mr. Norris's personal favorite of the series.

117 AD Roman frontiersman Quintus Dias (Michael Fassbender) survives a Pict raid and marches north with General Virilus' (Dominic West) legendary Ninth Legion, under orders to kill the Picts and their leader Gorlacon. When the legion is ambushed and Virilus taken captive, Quintus faces a desperate struggle to keep his small platoon alive behind enemy lines, rescue their General, and escape to safety.

Chuck Norris' most critically acclaimed film cast him as Chicago cop Eddie Cusack, who battles mobsters and corrupt cops in this outstanding police thriller from director Andrew Davis (THE FUGITIVE).

From the director of LEFT BANK, DIRTY MIND tells the story of a meek and mild technician who suffers an injury on a film set and emerges as the suave and fearless "Tony T" (Wim Helsen), who sets out to become a legendary stuntman in an effort to escape his loser past.

Two years have passed since elite police officer Damien Tomasso (Cyril Raffaelli) teamed up with reformed vigilante Leito (parkour originator David Belle) to save the notorious District 13, a racially charged ghetto populated by violent drug dealing gangs and vicious killers. Despite government promises to maintain order, the state of the district has deteriorated, and a group of corrupt cops and elected officials are conspiring to cause civil unrest, looking for an excuse to raze the area and cash in on its redevelopment. With bone crunching fights and death defying leaps, this adrenaline charged sequel takes parkour to new heights.  (Courtesy of Magnet Releasing)  

Sat  9:45 pm
Sun  7:00 pm

The only martial arts extravaganza shot entirely on location in Asheville, NC, GOLDEN BLADE III is an affectionate spoof of the classic Shaw Brothers films of the 1970s, right down to the cheap FX and bad dubbing. This special (midnight?-not midnight so no commentary?) screening will be accompanied by a live audio commentary from director TJ Weidow and members of the cast & crew.

Fri   7:00 pm
Sat  12:00 noon

The Good, The Bad, The Weird  (2 hrs.)
(aka Joheunnom nabbeunnom isanghannom)
(Regional Premiere)

Director:  Ji-woon Kim

South Korea's smash hit finally hits the U.S.! A South Korean western inspired by Sergio Leone's classic THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY, WEIRD stars Song Kang-Ho (THE HOST) as one of a group of desperate gunslingers in 1930's Manchuria after a priceless treasure map. (Courtesy of IFC Films)

Two-time Academy Award-winner Michael Caine returns to the action milieu of his legendary film GET CARTER as Harry Brown, a widowed and retired military man looking to live out the rest of his days in peace, but forced to take up arms again when his only friend is murdered by a local gang. (Courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films)

Chilean martial arts star Marko Zaror (KILTRO; MIRAGEMAN) returns to the screen as the tough-as-nails hitman Mandrill, whose latest contract finally leads him to the man responsible for the murder of his parents.

Yuda, a young man from the Indonesian countryside must undergo Merantau, a traditional rite into manhood where he must leave home and find his place in the world. But upon his arrival in Jakarta, he finds himself thrust into the world of human slave trading, with only his Silat skills to help him survive.

Fri   2:15 pm
Sun  7:35 pm

Director:  Tony Jaa

Martial arts superstar Tony Jaa stars in and directs this epic tale of revenge set hundreds of years in the past. Featuring a huge cast and hordes of elephants, this prequel takes Jaa's skills to the next level, showcasing him as a master of a wide range of martial arts styles – while proving him to be a promising director as well.  Screened as part of ActionFest's Shomongkolfilm Retrospective (Courtesy of Magnet Releasing)

A special presentation of the new short film (:28) from acclaimed director Tony Stone (SEVERED WAYS: THE NORSE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA) in collaboration with singer and guitarist Melissa Auf Der Maur (formerly of Hole). A fantasy world spawned from sound. Three time periods and three narratives, one connection—blood. At the center of this life force is the heart.

When their best friend is in need of a heart transplant, a plucky group of kids band together against a group of terrorists who have seized the hospital moments before their friend's surgery. This outrageously fun martial arts adventure was produced by the same team behind ONG BAK and THE PROTECTOR. 
From IMDB: 4 children sneak into a terrorist controlled hospital to steal a heart to transplant for the 5th child who is dying in a different hospital.

CHOCOLATE's JeeJa Yanin returns to fight off a vicious band of kidnappers with the help of a new form of Muay Thai that combines martial arts and hip hop dance moves!

A new feature from the demented imagination of director Noboru Iguchi, the man who brought the world the cult sensation MACHINE GIRL. In modern-day Japan, Kikue and Yoshie, two sisters in geisha training are kidnapped and forced into the shadowy world of the Kageno Corporation, a steel company that uses their massive Geisha Army and a pair of seemingly supernatural, bikini-clad female assassins as a front for a terrorist organization bent on returning Japan to a period of more traditional values. (Courtesy of Funimation Entertainment)

Zack Galifanakis, Rob Corddry, Ving Rhames, and Emile De Raven star in this new comedy thriller about two teams of assassins locked in an underground facility, each out to discover who murdered their boss before they're all offed. (Courtesy of Anchor Bay Entertainment)

Named one of the 10 best films of 2009 by Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News, this acclaimed Australian thriller tells the story of a man (David Roberts) trapped in a loveless marriage who carries on an affair with a mysterious woman with a dangerous husband. (Courtesy of Apparition)

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin stars as an  FBI agent & a psychologist pursue a rogue agent amnesiac to recover important information he repressed after a traumatic event. (Courtesy of Anchor Bay Entertainment

click for multiple videos from MovieSet.com

ActionFest livens things up with comedy, action and horror, as two country bumpkins are mistaken for serial killers by a group of clueless college kids in this midnight smash hit of the Sundance and SXSW film festivals.

Modern martial arts masters Scott Adkins and Marko Zaror (MANDRILL) square off in this third chapter of the popular prison boxing series, as champion fighter Uri Boyka (Adkins) is transferred to a Ukraine prison to fight in the first prison fighting tournament, where the winner is granted freedom and the loser... death!

BRONSON director teams with CASINO ROYALE star Mads Mikkelsen for this historical epic about Norse warriors in the year 1000 A.D. (Courtesy of IFC Films)

Legendary Hong Kong action master Johnnie To teams up with legendary French singer Johnny Halliday for this stylish gunplay drama about a former hitman turned chef who travels to Macau to find the men who murdered his daughter's family. (Courtesy of IFC Films)

Once deemed a "lost" film, Ted Kotcheff's gripping thriller about a mild-mannered school teacher's (Donald Pleasance) crazed weekend in the Australian outback, has recently been restored and is now considered one of the greatest Australian films of all time.

ActionFest:  LINKS  

IFC Films is a leading U.S. distributor of independent and foreign films with a unique day & date distribution model.
IFC Festival Direct features titles acquired from major international film festivals and initially offers them exclusively thru On Demand.
IFC Productions is a feature film production company that provides financing for select projects.
IFC Center is a 3-screen, state-of-the-art cinema in the heart of New York's Greenwich Village.
IFC Entertainment's companies are subsidiaries of Rainbow Media Holdings, LLC.

@EricVespe
Contributing Editor of Ain't It Cool News as well as avid movie fiend and screenwriter

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• The Action Elite  Eoin Friel
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• Kain's Korner/Kain's Quest | Brenton Haysom
• The London Action Festival  Year 2: June 21-25, 2023
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