Category Archives: Netflix

Tons of New Movies on Netflix!

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The 15th is not as good as the 1st of each month for movies but Netflix sure released a bunch of them.

Coach (1989-96)

This one was released and then yanked before but all nine seasons are back for those of you who are Craig T. Nelson fans.

Lots more Imax for those who want something to chill out to (or something to watch with kids that isn’t animated):

The Greatest Places (1999)

Search for the Great Sharks (1999)

Tropical Rainforest (1992)

Ring of Fire (1991)

If you finished with the first three wonderful Jesse Stone movies I recommended at the beginning of the month then try the fourth:

Jesse Stone: Sea Change (2007)

“Tom Selleck reprises his role as Jesse Stone, chief of police in sleepy Paradise, Mass. In this installment, Stone’s investigation into an old rape case is stonewalled as the town tries to keep the incident quiet to minimize the effect on tourism.”

For fans of The Guild, the fifth season is available. For those who don’t know, this is a very funny webisode series based on World of Warcraft. Each ‘season’ lasts about 45 minutes.

Grimm’s Snow White (2012) – Not rated

“Unrelated to the big screen versions of the classic story, this low budget tale of an evil queen determined to dispose of her beautiful stepdaughter, Snow White, introduces reptilian creatures and other twists.”

Yay! I finally learned my lesson. After a minute of opening narration that appears to be lifted from a Lord of the Rings ripoff, the credits begin to roll with “The Asylum Presents” – click went the remote. No need to invest another hour and a half of my time in this movie clearly designed to cash in on “Mirror, Mirror” and “Snow White and the Huntsman” and perhaps the TV series “Once Upon a Time” as well.

Hint: Short of a Troma film, an Asylum film is about as bad as you can get.

Idle Chatter – Hulu and Xbox

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Just a few things I was thinking about over the weekend but then I was sidetracked with a semi-coherent piracy rant.

* I have an Xbox 360 which we use for most of our Netflix and Hulu watching around here (Thanks Rufus!) but I haven’t broken down and bought a Kinect yet. Part of the reason is that we don’t really have the space requirement – you are supposed to be 6-8 feet away from the TV and Kinect but we sit about 3 feet away (an would completely block the front door if 8 feet away – small house).

I do like that Kinect allows you to scroll through movies with your hands or issue voice commands. It has also been reported that the Xbox is likely to get Internet Explorer this year and that it will have Kinect controls a la Minority Report or Iron Man.

Now where is my hovercar?

* Well it is only in the planning/rumor stage but not surprisingly cable companies are tired of customers cutting their cable. We cut it years ago and Hulu and Netflix give us more to watch than we would ever have time for (not to mention my fairly extensive DVD library).

Disney, News Corp, and Comcast (i.e. the bigwigs that own Hulu) are planning to require users to authenticate that they have cable before they can use Hulu. Now there is no timetable on this and it is uncertain whether this would include the paying users of Hulu Plus or just the plain Hulu users.

Personally I find it humorous that apparently Hulu has succeeded too well. I think it is a sign that the cable companies need to adapt or die (much like the record companies failed to do when music went digital) because once customers are used to not having to fork over $70-$100 for cable TV, how will you ever get them back?

On the other hand, how many people who have cut cable TV are shelling out the same money to the same people for their internet connection? Personally I am still thrilled to be able to choose from tens of thousands of movies and shows and watch them any time I want. When I was a kid, I can remember buying 8mm film clips of movies I loved – not the whole movie as that was ludicrously priced, but just the good parts.

 

Chop – Bloody Disgusting Selects

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I love horror movies that are different. I loved the first entries from the After Dark line but then they went downhill. The Ghost House imprint from Sam Raimi then picked up the ball but didn’t go far. Netflix just got a batch of films from the latest horror imprint, Bloody Disgusting Selects. Chop is currently available on instant Netflix.

“After accepting a ride when his car breaks down, Lance finds himself tortured by a man from his past he can’t remember who holds a grudge for events Lance has forgotten. Now Lance must choose between saving the life of his brother or his wife.”

“Have you ever been shot with a tranquilizer gun?”

After one misfire (Outcast) and one film that wasn’t very good (The Pack), I wasn’t holding much hope for my next serving of Bloody Disgusting Selects. In fact I was thinking of just summing up the remaining films in a single post.

Before watching Chop, I looked at the credits. This is Trent Haaga’s directorial debut. Previously he has written and acted in various Troma productions. Much of the cast & crew are veterans of Troma productions as well.

If you haven’t seen a Troma production, trust me it is NOT a selling point. I watched a few of them and they were so awful that I swore off ever watching another Troma film. I have reached much the same conclusion with Asylum films (curse them and their beguiling titles like 2-Headed Shark Attack!).

Chop, despite having a rather torture porn-ish name, is a darkly comic romp. It is VERY low budget but they make the most of their money. The film is not rated but it is gory but really only towards the end of the film and language is quite harsh.

There are several characters but it is essentially a two-person movie. Will Keenan is funny as the hapless Lance and Timothy Muskatell is just fine and earnest as The Stranger. Everyone else is just window dressing.

Everything moves very quickly, as it should, and the dark humor never wears out its welcome. I don’t want to spoil any of the fun so I’ll just leave it at that and recommend watching it.

People Watch: The writer, Adam Minarovich (who certainly deserves a lot of the credit for this B-movie romp) also does duty as Detective Williams (and was wife-beater Ed in The Walking Dead). Max Haaga (son of director Trent?) plays young Lance.

A Horror-ble May! Shark Night & Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark

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After a few months of so-so releases, Netflix has come up with a ton of movies this month for streaming. Just looking at my favorite genre, horror, these films are now available for streaming:

Shark Night 3D (2011)

“A weekend at a lake house in the Louisiana Gulf turns into a nightmare for seven vacationers as they are subjected to shark attacks.”

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)

“A young girl sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend discovers creatures in her new home who want to claim her as one of their own. “

The Addams Family (1991) – also Addams Family Values (1993)

“Con artists plan to fleece the eccentric family using an accomplice who claims to be their long lost Uncle Fester.”

Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995)

“A man on the run is hunted by a demon known as the Collector. “

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

“Elvis and JFK, both alive and in nursing homes, fight for the souls of their fellow residents as they battle an ancient Egyptian Mummy. “

Against the Dark (2008)

“After vampires overrun planet Earth, it’s up to a special ops squad leader to stamp out the bloodsuckers and save humanity. But for those who’ve survived and taken refuge in an abandoned hospital, hope is running out — along with food and supplies.”

Steven Seagal vs. Vampires – does anything more need to be said? Okay word is that they are more zombies than vampires and that Seagal really isn’t in all that much of the film.

The Omega Man (1971)

“Army doctor Robert Neville struggles to create a cure for the plague that wiped out most of the human race. “

Blood & Chocolate (2007)

“A young teenage werewolf is torn between honoring her family’s secret and her love for a man”

Avengers Assemble! – Netflix Edition – Hulk and The Avengers

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Epix may have stolen Netflix’s thunder (by showing Thor naturally as well as Captain America). Netflix is definitely no slouch in the Marvel line. They only have one of the five films leading up to The Avengers (Iron Man 2) but they have a ton of animation featuring Hulk and The Avengers.

Planet Hulk (2009)

“When Earth’s superheroes exile the volatile Incredible Hulk to a distant planet called Sakaar, the muscle-bound green monster is sold into slavery and forced to compete in gladiatorial games for the planet’s despotic Red King. But soon, the Hulk joins forces with his fellow slaves to fight for freedom — and a chance to get revenge on his earthly foes. This animated film is based on the “Planet Hulk” storylines originally featured in Marvel comics.”

Hulk Vs. (Hulk vs. Wolverine, Hulk vs. Thor, 2009)

“Who would win in a battle between Hulk and Wolverine? How about Hulk vs. Thor? Find out in this action-packed animated double feature, which pits the unruly green superhero against two of the Marvel Universe’s most powerful characters.”

The Incredible Hulk (1996-7)

“When research scientist Bruce Banner is blasted with a gamma ray bomb during an experiment gone wrong, he develops a dangerous alter ego — a mean, green monster known as the Incredible Hulk — who emerges when he gets angry.”

The Incredible Hulk (1978-80)

“Adapted from a popular comic book, this story centers on mild-mannered research scientist Dr. David Bruce Banner, who, after being exposed to an overdose of gamma radiation, morphs into a ferocious, gigantic green man when he becomes agitated. As Banner looks for ways to reverse his condition, he travels from town to town helping those in need — even as persistent reporter Jack McGee stalks him.”

This one is not animated – this is the old Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno series.

The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (2010)

“The Avengers, earth’s mightiest heroes, work to bust up nefarious plots set forth by villains such as Loki, HYDRA and the Red Skull. Thor, Hulk, Ant-Man, Iron Man and the Wasp are ready to save the day.”

Ultimate Avengers: The Movie (2006)

“With an alien force threatening Earth, the military thaws Captain America out of the ice he’s been frozen in for 60 years, whereupon he assembles a dream team of superheroes — Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, Wasp and Giant Man — to save the world.”

Ultimate Avengers 2 (2006)

“Unable to protect his isolated kingdom from alien invaders, the Black Panther turns to the legendary heroes known as the Avengers to help save his mysterious jungle homeland in this action-packed animated adventure.”

Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow (2008)

“Years after the Avengers made the ultimate sacrifice while battling invincible robo-villain Ultron, the teenage children of Captain America, Black Widow, Thor, Black Panther, Wasp and Hawkeye must band together to locate the missing Hulk.”

Avengers Assemble! Netflix Edition – Iron Man & Thor

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Epix may have stolen Netflix’s thunder (by showing Thor naturally as well as Captain America). Netflix is definitely no slouch in the Marvel line. They only have one of the five films leading up to The Avengers (Iron Man 2) but they have a ton of animation featuring Iron Man & Thor.

Iron Man 2 (2010) – Rated PG-13

“Wealthy inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) — aka Iron Man — resists calls by the American government to hand over his technology. Meanwhile, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) has constructed his own miniaturized arc reactor, causing all kinds of problems for our superhero. Sam Rockwell, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle and Samuel L. Jackson co-star in director Jon Favreau’s sequel based on Marvel comic book characters.”

Iron Man Armored Adventures (2009)

“In this action-driven animated series, teen phenom Tony Stark takes to the skies with help from an ingeniously engineered suit of armor, taking down villains to learn the truth about his late father’s mysterious passing.”

Iron Man: Extremis (2010)

“The famed Marvel Comics superhero continues his epic animated adventures in the 21st century by taking on his old foe Mallen, who’s gotten his hands on a nanotechnology serum called Extremis that transforms humans into deadly super-soldiers.”

Iron Man (1994)

“Iron Man is back in this animated series that aired from 1994 to 1996 as part of the “Marvel Action Hour.” There’s action right out of the gate when Iron Man goes up against the Mandarin and a deadly zombie army.”

The Invincible Iron Man (2007)

“In this animated adventure, inventor Tony Stark digs up more than he bargained for when he unearths an evil entity buried for centuries in an ancient Chinese ruin. To protect himself from the destructive force, Tony designs a high-tech suit of armor.”

Thor: Tales of Asgard (2011)

“Marvel comic book character Thor springs to life in this animated feature that explores his earlier adventures with his brother, Loki. That was before Thor discovered his power-wielding hammer and the only weapon he had was his sword.”

Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers (2011)

“With his powerful brother Thor defeated and in chains, resentful Loki takes over the kingdom of Asgard. Focused on his own pain rather than the needs of his subjects, Loki plans to kill his brother to secure his position — unless Thor can prevail.”

 

Devil’s Playground – Zombie-A-Go-Go

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I love a good British horror movie as you can typically count on good acting. I also love zombie films. Devil’s Playground is currently available on instant Netflix.

Devil’s Playground (2010) – Not rated

“When an experimental drug turns 30,000 test subjects into zombies, ex-mercenary Cole seeks the one unaffected woman, hoping she’s the key to a cure. As the contagion expands, Cole becomes infected himself, and the hunt becomes personal.”

First off Devil’s Playground is a terrible name for a zombie film. There is a small reason why it’s named this but it conjures up the wrong image.

Director Mark McQueen assembles a wonderful cast of British character actors. Sadly two of my favorites, Colin Salmon and Sean Pertwee are only in it briefly. Just as she did in Dexter, Jaime Murray plays a character you can’t wait to see die. The main stars are MyAnna Buring (The Descent), Danny Dyer, and Craig Fairbrass. Everyone acquits themselves nicely and no one upstages anyone else to any real degree. Craig Fairbrass comes across the best as a tough guy on a mission.

If you end up liking this cast then you should probably also watch Dead Cert, a vampire film starring Craig Fairbrass, Danny Dyer, Lisa McAllister, and Mo Idriss – all from this film as well as Jason Flemyng. I’ll probably get around to watching it myself in the next few days.

The virus setup, while overused as much as the zombie genre itself, is fairly effective. There are some leaps in logic that have to be overcome but in general I liked the plot.

The part I didn’t care for was the parkour zombies on steroids. Eschewing traditional zombie makeup, they went for a bulging vein drug addict look. It doesn’t look scary and in some scenes comes across as unintentionally funny. I presume the parkour zombies were a way to one up the running raging zombies of 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later but again there is some unintentional humor here.

So in an oddity I enjoyed everything BUT the zombies in this zombie movie. If you love zombies, then you should check this out as it is a decent movie. It just isn’t as good as it could have been.

People Watch: The cast is certainly no stranger to the restless dead. Colin Salmon appeared in Resident Evil, Sean Pertwee in Event Horizon, Danny Dyer in Doghouse, Craig Fairbrass in White Noise 2, Jaime Murray in The Deaths of Ian Stone, MyAnna Buring in Vampire Killers and Lisa McAllister in Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes.

What if We Had a Concert and Everyone Came? – Redux

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Okay I posted this awhile ago but then all the films disappeared from Netflix (a la Magnum P.I. and Miami Vice). they’ve shown back up again and even Gizmodo has mentioned them so here’s my lazy repost:

I don’t know what it is about Tax Day but Netflix just released a smorgasbord of concert/music/performance films and documentaries to streaming. I’m not really a music buff but here is a partial listing of what became available.

* Asia Fantasia – Live in Tokyo

* Grateful Dead – Anthem to Beauty

* Chic Live at Montreaux 2004

* Queen – Rock Montreal and Live Aid

* Ginger Baker in Africa

* Bob Marley & The Wailers – Catch a Fire

* Simply Red – Stars

* The Doors – Soundstage Performances & No One Gets Out of Here Alive

* Documentaries on Metallica – Black Album, Meat Loaf – Bat Out of Hell, Rush – 2112 & Moving Pictures, Fleetwood Mac – Rumors, Phil Collins – Face Value

* Alice Cooper – Live at Montreaux 2005

* Rory Gallagher – Live at Montreaux

* Sebastian Bach – Forever Wild

* Diana Krall – Live in Rio

* America – Live in Central Park

* Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks

* The Charlie Daniels Band – Volunteer Jam

* Ray Charles – Live at the Montreaux Jazz Festival

* Tina Turner – One Last Time

* Paul Simon – Graceland

* Deep Purple – Machinehead

* Jethro Tull – Live at Montreaux

* The Beatles – From Liverpool to San Francisco

* Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama

* Elton John – Someone Like Me

* ZZ Top – Live from Texas

* Jeff Healey Band – Live at Montreaux 1999

* Earth, Wind and Fire in Concert

* Out of Ireland – Hit Songs and Artists of Irish Music

* Nirvana – Nevermind

* Funk Brothers – Live in Orlando

* A Tribute to Edith Piaf

It looked like there were at least a dozen others as well so if you enjoy music there should be something there for you.

ActionFest 2010 at Home on Netflix

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I’ll be at ActionFest Thursday through Sunday (and my wife will be diligently posting updates). If you aren’t joining me there, then you can catch up on the films from the first ActionFest. 14 of the ActionFest 2010 films are currently available on instant Netflix:

Centurion (2010) – Rated R

“In 2nd-century Britain, Roman fighter Quintas Dias (Michael Fassbender) is the lone survivor of a Pictish attack on a Roman frontier post. Eager for revenge, he joins the Ninth Legion — under General Virilus (Dominic West) — and journeys north on a mission to destroy the Picts. Writer-director Neil Marshall’s rousing sword-and-sandals adventure also stars Olga Kurylenko as the beautiful Pict warrior Etain.”

This was the opening film of ActionFest 2010 and did a good job of setting the mood for the Fest. I found this to be much better than the following year’s very similarly themed The Eagle.

District 13: Ultimatum (2009) – Rated R

“Set two years after the action in Pierre Morel and Luc Besson’s District 13, this French-language sequel follows Capt. Damien Tomaso (Cyril Raffaelli) and Leito (David Belle) on their quest to clean up crime and corruption in the city. With the territory divided into five distinct neighborhoods created along ethnic lines, they have their work cut out for them. But they’ve also got a secret weapon: a will to defy the odds.”

This is fun but not as good as the first film, District B13 so make sure to watch that first.

Harry Brown (2009) – Rated R

“When a crew of drug-dealing gang members takes the life of his only friend, a retired Marine and widower decides to take the law into his own hands — but his old-school training might be overmatched.”

How can you not enjoy watching elderly Michael Caine kick butt? This is actually a somewhat slow-moving thriller but very enjoyable just the same.

Mandrill (2009) – Rated R

“Years after his mother is murdered, young hit man Mandrill (martial arts master Marko Zaror) embarks on a bloody and unyielding revenge mission, vowing to bring deadly justice to the killer in this gripping Chilean action thriller. Director Ernesto Díaz Espinoza reteams with leading man Zaror for the pulse-pounding film, also starring Celine Reymond as Dominic, Alejandro Castillo as Tio Chone and Luis Alarcón as Don Mario.”

This one just showed up on instant Netflix and I haven’t had a chance to catch it. I missed it at ActionFest even though I got to meet Marko Zaror.

Merantau (2009) – Rated R

“As part of a rite of passage known as “merantau,” young Yuda (Iko Uwais) leaves his tiny farming village for Jakarta. But he ends up saving orphan Astri (Sisca Jessica) from a human-trafficking ring ruled by the evil Ratger (Mads Koudal). With vengeful villains hot on their trail, Yuda must keep Astri and her little brother, Adit (Yusuf Aulia), safe in the pimp- and mob-ridden streets of the city in this fast-paced Indonesian thriller.”

This film won best picture at the first ActionFest but I have not yet caught it.

Ong Bak 2: The Beginning (2008) – Rated R

“Tien (Tony Jaa), the son of Lord Sihadecho — a tragically murdered nobleman — goes under the wing of Chernang (Sorapong Chatree), a renowned warrior and leader of the Pha Beek Krut who teaches Tien a variety of deadly fighting styles. Now a master of weapons and combat, Tien seeks out those who slayed his family. Jaa also directs and Sarunyu Wongkrachang co-stars in this martial arts thriller set in 15th-century Thailand.”

This one is a bit incoherent and has a very disappointing ending but all three Ong Bak movies are available on instant Netflix if you want a Tony Jaa marathon. Even if the films aren’t very good, the stunts and martial arts are awesome.

Power Kids (2009) – Not rated

“When little Wun needs a heart transplant, his friends race to save him. But the donor heart he needs is at a hospital that’s been captured by terrorists, so it’s up to the remaining Power Kids to liberate it.”

Martial arts for kids? I’m afraid I missed this one.

Raging Phoenix (2009) – Rated R

“After she’s rescued from a gang of Thai thugs who specialize in the trafficking of women, sexy Deu endures a grueling regimen of drunken-style, break dancing-inspired combat training and sets out to get her revenge.”

Again the Philippines produces some really nifty martial arts films but they are pretty incoherent plot-wise.

RoboGeisha (2009) – Netflix shows this as being rated TV-MA but I’m not sure that’s correct.

“Director Noboru Iguchi and gore master Yoshihiro Nishimura team up for this hyper-violent and hilariously grotesque depiction of a very angry army of butt sword-wielding geisha robots with enough strength to embed tempura shrimp in villains’ eyes. Special effects in Iguchi’s (Machine Girl) over-the-top, feminist melodrama include chainsaw lips, blood-spouting buildings, geisha transformers, machine gun bras and some basic decapitations.”

I think you have to be in the right mood to enjoy this. It is wildly over the top and was a fun break from the rest of the ActionFest titles but I would never go so far as to call this a good film.

The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008) – Rated R

“On a train crossing the Manchurian desert, an unlikely trio — good bounty hunter Park Do-won (Woo-sung Jung), bad gangster Park Chang-yi (Byung-hun Lee) and weird train robber Yoon Tae-goo (Kang-ho Song) — unite to find a treasure map’s promised loot. Racing through the unforgiving landscape, they stay one step ahead of rivals and the Japanese army. Ji-woon Kim directs this Sergio Leone-inspired adventure.”

I’ve recently covered this but it is a very fun ride.

The Square (2008) – Rated R

“Bored with married life, middle-aged Ray devises a dangerous scheme to steal a large sum of money and run away with his beautiful young mistress, Carla, in this neo-noir thriller set in a decrepit section of Sydney. It looks as if the plot involving Carla’s unscrupulous husband and a career arsonist is a success — until an anonymous blackmailer threatens to expose the truth. Director Nash Edgerton also helmed the award-winning short “Spider.”"

This was a very slow-burn thriller that, in my opinion, was a little overrated. The short, Spider, is also available on instant Netflix. Spider is only nine minutes long and I found it to be hilarious.

Tucker & Dale vs Evil (2010) – Rated R

“Expecting to enjoy a relaxing vacation at their rundown mountain cabin, backwoods boys Tucker and Dale see their peaceful trip turn into a nightmare when college kids camping nearby accuse the duo of being psychotic killers.”

Hands-down my favorite film of the first ActionFest. This is a hilarious sendup of the hillbilly killers horror subgenre.

Valhalla Rising (2009) – Not rated

“After years of slavery, Viking warrior One-Eye (Mads Mikkelsen) escapes from his captors and seeks refuge on a Norse ship bound for his homeland. When a storm throws them off course, the crew lands at a mysterious realm inhabited by invisible demons. As the bloodthirsty creatures claim one sailor after another, One-Eye rediscovers his fighting spirit but begins to wonder if they have arrived in Jerusalem or someplace much more sinister.”

Hands-down the worst film I saw at the first ActionFest. Many viewers walked out of this one. I didn’t see anyone walk out of any of the other features. On the other hand, I’ve seen many reviewers like this film. Apparently you either hate it or love it. I hated it.

One could literally edit Valhalla Rising down to a 30 minute running time without losing any action, dialogue, or meaning. Take all the worst parts of European cinema of the last half century (unnecessarily lengthy scenes, scenes where people just stare at each other, completely pointless dream sequences, severe closeups) and apply to them to a viking epic.

Vengeance (2009) – Not rated

“Today, Costello (French music and film icon Johnny Hallyday) is a skilled chef. Twenty years ago, he was a cold-blooded killer working for the mob. But when a horrific tragedy befalls the family of his daughter (Sylvie Testud), Costello returns to his old ways. Journeying from France to Hong Kong, our culinary hero prepares to serve up revenge on a host of bad guys in this bloody tale from acclaimed action director Johnnie To.”

If you’ve seen a Johnnie To film then you know what to expect from this one. It is good but not as good as some of his other Chinese crime films.

 

 

ActionFest 2011 at Home on Netflix

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I’ll be at ActionFest Thursday through Sunday (and my wife will be diligently posting updates). If you aren’t joining me there, then you can catch up on the previous year’s films. Nine of the ActionFest 2011 films are currently available on instant Netflix:

Ironclad (2011) – Rated R

“Backed by his “Magnificent Seven,” a principled Knight Templar (James Purefoy) defends Rochester Castle from the ruthless King John (Paul Giamatti) and his advancing armies, who seek to rule England’s free men by force — no matter what the Magna Carta might say. Charles Dance, Kate Mara, Jason Flemyng, Brian Cox and Derek Jacobi co-star in this action-packed period piece set at the height of the Middle Ages.”

Ironclad was the opening night film for ActionFest 2011 and it is a lot of fun if you don’t mind Paul Giamatti’s over the top King John. Brian Cox and Derek Jacobi are always good but the star here is James Purefoy. I’m very much looking forward to him in this year’s opener, Solomon Kane.

13 Assassins (2011) – Rated R

“To stop a tyrant from murdering and exploiting innocent civilians, 13 samurai warriors unite and prepare to end his life. But to kill the evildoer, the assassins must contend with an army of deadly bodyguards who outnumber them by a wide margin. Directed by acclaimed and prolific Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike, this action-packed samurai remake features Yusuke Iseya, Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada and Tsuyoshi Ihara.”

ActionFest 2011′s closing film, 13 Assassins is a stunner. The film is a good period piece 2/3 of the way through. The last 40 minutes of the film is one non-stop rollercoaster battle for a village. This was easily one of the best of last year’s ActionFest films.

Outrage (2010) – Rated R

“Writer, director and actor Takeshi “Beat” Kitano returns to his roots in this gripping gangster drama that details the intense rivalry between two powerful yakuza syndicates and the efforts of a small crew to prevent all-out war from erupting. Packed with unpredictable characters and volatile confrontations, this exciting Japanese crime film also features Tomokazu Miura, Sôichirô Kitamura and Jun Kunimura.”

Outrage is a very enjoyable if a little predictable Yakuza tale. Takeshi Kitano can do these in his sleep (and I’ll watch them).

BKO: Bangkok Knockout (2010) – Rated R

“When a mutual friend is kidnapped, highly trained members of an exclusive fight club pool their talents — including expert skills in kung fu, muay Thai and capoeira — to bring the attackers to justice.”

I have not seen this one.

Bunraku (2010) – Rated R

“When an enigmatic drifter and an obsessive Japanese fighter make their way to a town run by a cruel crime boss, the strangers combine their martial arts skills to take on the powerful crook in this visually innovative, genre-bending action film.”

I missed this one at ActionFest (so many films and panels) but caught it on Netflix. It is very stylish and the fight scenes co-ordinated by Larnell Stovall are quite impressive but not much of substance.

Hobo with a Shotgun (2011) – Not rated

“This gleefully over-the-top revenge fantasy involves a bum who rolls into town hoping to start over, only to find his adopted city saturated in violence and ruled by a crime lord. The hobo’s answer? Lay waste to every lowlife who crosses his path.”

I was very disappointed in this one. Rutger Hauer is quite watchable but almost all the other actors are absolutely terrible and the film looks so cheap – not in a good way.

Little Big Soldier (2010) – Rated PG-13

“Jackie Chan stars as a grizzled veteran who kidnaps a young enemy general, then escorts him on a long journey to collect a reward, in this comic martial arts extravaganza set in the days of ancient China.”

This was a personal project of Chan’s that took so long to make that his role changed from the young general to that of the grizzled veteran. I missed this at ActionFest but hope to watch it soon.

Machete Maidens Unleashed! (2010) – Not rated

“In the 1970s and ’80s, makers of exploitation films loved to shoot in the Philippines, which offered gorgeous scenery, beautiful extras and cheap fun in the sun for the crew. This intriguing documentary examines the real face of Hollywood in Manila. Directors such as Roger Corman and Eddie Romero shot in the Southeast Asian nation, and their movies overflowed with sex, gore and action. Plentiful movie clips and in-depth interviews are featured.”

This is an excellent documentary from the director of Not Quite Hollywood. Not Quite Hollywood is a slightly better film so watch that first. Machete Maidens Unleashed is actually almost the same movie, just set in the Philippines instead of Australia.

Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown (2011) – Not rated

“A bevy of mixed martial arts fighters star in this action thriller that follows a quartet of brawlers as they prepare for a key underground event. In the process, they must overcome a slew of obstacles — including corruption in their sport.”

I have not had a chance to watch this one either but I loved Michael Jai White in Black Dynamite (and Spawn and The Dark Knight). Meeting Michael Jai White was the highlight of last year’s fest for me.