Noh is an ancient Japanese theatrical art form. Its sacred backbone might help us understand modern Japanese action.
Action Genre
John Salvitti shows us the future of Martial Arts Action
onJohn Salvitti, the Bostonian who's been by Donnie Yen's side since the late 80s, has just released a reel from his new Yen effort Special ID. The trailers gave us a hint as to what kind of action to expect, but this new reel is something else entirely. Salvitti (bald head or in hat) is mixing [...]
Japanese Artwork for Death Grip is Super-Mega-Insane
onEnglish translation coming soon. "Engrish" translation coming soon after! Buy Death Grip on DVD or Blu-Ray at the Stunt People Store.
How to Perform the Hong Kong Spin (Video) – Indie Action Essentials
onI'm making action filmmaking tutorials now for indie action filmmakers, martial artists, and stuntmen and stuntwomen, a series I'm calling "Indie Action Essentials". The first skill I'm tackling is the Hong Kong spin, or the "HK". The video includes all the steps plus what padding I recommend when doing the stunt on hard surfaces. If [...]
The Deleted Fight from A Good Day to Die Hard – Previz by Eric Jacobus, Alvin Hsing, and J. J. Perry
onAfter we spent a week at 87eleven, Alvin Hsing and I came away with this video to show what came of our efforts - a pre-viz (choroegraphed and shot rough version) for the final knife fight in A Good Day to Die Hard (that's Die Hard #5). The scene called for McClane to face off against [...]
Wong Kar Wai’s Yip Man movie is here!
onHaving just been released in China yesterday (January 8th), The Grandmaster, which is based on wing chun master Yip Man - portrayed by Donnie Yen in the Ip Man movies and with a third installment ready to be shot in March this year - and starring top-class actor Tony Leung Chiu Wai (Bullet in the [...]
Donnie Yen shoots remake of Yuen Biao’s The Iceman Cometh
onShooting of The Iceman Cometh 3D has already started and been ongoing since December 17. Helmed by long-time Johnnie To/Milkyway Image associate Law Wing Cheong (Punished) and written as well as produced by original Iceman Cometh writer/producer Stephen Shiu, this remake puts Donnie in Yuen Biao's role and is led by a cast consisting of principal [...]
The Running Man Still Predicted An Optimistic Future
onIn The Running Man the future is depicted as an authoritarian police state with a broken economy. When our man Richards (Schwarzenegger) faces airport security and has no travel pass, he rummages through his bag until a line of anxious tourists forms behind him. "We got a plane to catch!" one yells, so the guard lets [...]
The T-800 Terminator Was Programmed In 1984
onThe Terminator searched for Sarah Connor's address in a phonebook. Somehow he didn't have a photo of her nor knew what she looked like. A mistake like this would not pass today, but did this bother anyone in 1984? I don't think it did. Photos weren't very important then - we took a few of [...]