Jackie Chan Exposes China’s Softer Side

by Furious
February 18th, 2009

It’s been a while since Jackie Chan has been relevant. Once he broke into the US market, he was too bankable to keep on performing all his crazy stunts and seems to have put much more effort into coming up with a wider array of expressive faces to mug at the camera.

His next movie will be a departure from most anything else he’s done, playing a mechanic who goes in search of his girlfriend and ends up working as a killer for the Yakuza. It’s supposed to be heavy on drama and very light on action. Chan himself says it might be about 1% action.

But it looks like even 1% action is too much for China. Shinjuku Incident won’t be released in mainland China because the violence would never make it past the censors. There’s no rating

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Popularity: 25% [?]

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A-Team Movie Nearing A Reality

by Furious
January 28th, 2009

“In 1972 a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire the A-Team.”

Has there ever been a better premise for a TV show? The A-Team worked because it was exciting (at least to a little kid), silly, and perfectly cast. Could you find two actors as disparate as George Peppard and Mr. T? Doubtful, but the characters really played to the strength of the actors and made for five very memorable seasons.

I first heard about a possible movie back in 1997 or 98, when information

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Popularity: 19% [?]

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The Expendables Gets Better

by Furious
January 7th, 2009

I previously posed that Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables might be the greatest movie ever made. With every tidbit of news that seeps out about the movie, that idea moves from postulate to fact.

The latest news on the greatest movie is that Mickey Rourke is joining the cast. He’ll play an arms dealer that outfits the mercenaries in their attempt to overthrow a South American dictator. Rourke will join Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li, Jason Statham, and Randy Couture, with Forest Whitaker and Sir Ben Kingsley also contemplating roles.

The buzz surrounding Rourke’s performance in The Wrestler couldn’t have hurt, but Stallone and Rourke have been on good terms since Get Carter, Rourke’s return to legitimate movies. It’s hard calling Get Carter a legitimate movie, but compared to stunners like Shergar and Cousin Joey,

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Popularity: 20% [?]

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Sylvester Stallone Is Making The Greatest Movie Ever

by Furious
December 13th, 2008

After the moderate successes of Rambo and Rocky Balboa, Sylvester Stallone is continuing his trip down memory lane. He’s writing and directing a movie about mercenaries in South America attempting to overthrow an evil dictator- The Expendables. By all accounts the plot is as simple as the one sentence summary. It’s simple, but totally awesome. It reminds me of (obviously) Rambo, Missing in Action, Commando- all the great 80’s military-ish action movies.

But it’s not just the plot that kicks ass, it’s the cast. Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, and Dolph Lundgren have all already been announced. Now Forrest Whittaker and UFC hall of famer Randy Couture have been added to the cast. This is turning into an action buff’s wet dream. This has got a ton of action cred and Whittaker adds some

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Popularity: 25% [?]

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Kung Fu Panda: My Fat Belly Style Can Defeat Whatever You Got

by Furious
December 2nd, 2008

One trait common to all Kung Fu masters is that they practice a distinctive style of Kung Fu- Monkey, Crane, Hamster. But when you’re a big, cuddly Panda, the options are limited: either sneeze and try to scare the hell out of everyone or develop your own style around your enormous gut.

In Kung Fu Panda, Po (Jack Black) is charged with the task of discovering his own style of Kung Fu as he tries to fulfill his destiny as the Dragon Warrior, which he tackles with great enthusiasm. Vicious beatings by Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) and the Furious Five, all chagrined that they were not chosen to be the Dragon Warrior, cannot crush his spirit, and he’s cool with leaving behind his father’s dreams of taking over the family noodle business. His

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Popularity: 29% [?]

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Eagle Eye Decoded

by Furious
September 27th, 2008

As October looms ahead, we can only prepare for the great month of quality movies ahead of us. But, to celebrate the late season of blockbusters, I had to go back to the basics and see the much-hyped Shia LaBeouf in “Eagle Eye.”

Popularity: 16% [?]

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News of the Atypical: Volume 1

by Furious
August 5th, 2008

Yep, this looks to be Michael Madsen’s directorial debut. His co-director, Bret Davidson, is a long time stunt man/stunt coordinator, crossing paths with Madsen several times over the years. Madsen will probably be remembered for the ear cutting ability on display in Reservoir Dogs, but while reading about him, it sounds like he’s always just on the verge of breaking through to the mainstream.

Popularity: 12% [?]

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Star Wars vs Indiana Jones: Deathmatch!

by Furious
July 28th, 2008

So, Times Online got a little interview with George Lucas, talking Star Wars and Indiana Jones- sequels, of course! He’s noted for being very private and somewhat reclusive, granting few interviews.

Popularity: 14% [?]

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All Eyes On: Michael Dudikoff

by Furious
July 27th, 2008

Then the calendar turned to 1985- Dudikoff’s career, and heck, all of human history, would never be the same. He was cast to play Joe Armstrong in American Ninja.

Popularity: 16% [?]

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