March 2009

Time to look to the past rather than the future as Impact remembers fondly the time of the American Ninja films and their star, Michael Dudikoff.

From stealth-like black clad warriors to day-glo orange and purple, the Ninja sliced its way through a good majority of 1980s action cinema - the distinctive outfit, throwing stars and nunchuks becoming de-rigeur for numerous bad guys, and good, in a plethora of action movies. From Enter the Ninja to Revenge of the Ninja to The Last Ninja and beyond, this oriental warrior cut up the screen throughout action cinema’s golden era. None more so than in the American Ninja movies, a series that introduced the ninja to the mainstream and gave us action stars Michael Dudikoff and Steve James. Produced by ‘80s powerhouse Cannon, the American Ninja series spanned five films (a couple of spin offs) and provided much of the best ‘80s flavoured ninja action. Impact takes a look at the films and finds that where there is a good dose of ‘80s cheese there is still a load of action packed, sword wielding fun to be had.

AMERICAN NINJA (1985)
The original American Ninja (AN) is where it all started and was a huge success back in the day. Despite a slight made-for-TV look and soundtrack, AN is packed with ninja goodness as Dudikoff’s mysterious Joe Armstrong fights...

[To read this article in full you must buy the March 2009 edition of Impact]

...checks out the super-powered Solty Rei and The Matrix influenced Baldr Force Exe.

This month sees the release of another new series from the busy bods at MVM. Solty Rei was originally broadcast in Japan as a 24 episode series throughout 2006, with a stand alone OAV being released at the end of its run. A joint project between Gonzo, TV Asahi and AIC, and directed by Yoshimasa Hiraiki (Excel Saga and Kaleido Star), it was subsequently picked up for global distribution by FUNimation.

Solty Rei is set in an unspecified near future ‘New Earth’ that was colonized and terraformed 200 years ago by settlers from our Earth. Ostensibly similar to our version of Earth, ‘New Earth’ has a surrounding aurora which serves to keep it’s atmosphere intact, but which also limits air travel as contact with it causes the instant and spectacular evaporation of anything which touches it. The destructive power of the aurora is well known to the city inhabitants after a disaster named ‘Blast Fall’ occurred 12 years ago when the old RUC tower (the governing agency which oversees the city’s registered inhabitants) came in contact with the aurora and the resulting blast and electro-magnetic wave wiped out thousands and left yet more, horrifically injured. Twelve years on and a new...

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Push is the latest film to deal with super-powers in mainstream cinema. In an exclusive interview, Calum Waddell caught up with director Paul McGuigan, who still makes his home in his native Glasgow, to talk about this latest menu of mayhem and some of the challenges that faced him shooting in the Far East...

Starring Chris Evans (of Sunshine fame) and child actress done good Dakota Fanning (perhaps best known for her role in Tony Scott’s brutal Man on Fire), Push is the latest action flick from ace director Paul McGuigan, whose previous screen credits include the cult classic Lucky Number Slevin and the surprisingly effective romantic-remake Wicker Park. However, what makes Push prime material for Asia Extreme buffs is the fact that the theatrics are set in Hong Kong - giving the movie a suitably alien feel to its story of ‘psychic espionage’ and entrapped Westerners. In the movie Evans, who boast the gift of telekinesis, and Fanning (who portrays a teenager with equally extraordinary powers) take on a clandestine agency in a battle that they can only conquer if they manage to change the future. On general release in theatres by the time you read this, Push promises some sweat-inducing set pieces, suspense by the barrel load and superb special effects. We caught up with McGuigan, who still makes his home in his native Glasgow, to talk about this latest menu of mayhem and some of the challenges that faced him shooting in the Far East...

Impact: First of all, what made you...

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Brandon Jerwa has written comic-based adventure spin-offs for beloved cult series such as Battlestar Galactica, Highlander and G I Joe. He tells Impact about the tie-ins that bind...

In a multimedia age, Brandon Jerwa has written some of the key comic/franchise tie-ins of the last few years. The universes of G.I. Joe, Highlander and Battlestar Galactica have all had their worlds scrutinised and expanded. How much fun is it to play in a franchise’s toy-box and what are the limitations?

Impact: Good to catch up with you again, Brandon. So... Battlestar Galactica is heading/hurtling towards its finale at the moment. For you, what are the strengths of that particular show and concept - after all, this was until a few years ago, considered a rather cheesy ‘70s outing and now the re-imagined sci-fi show is on many critics’ must-see lists?
Brandon: I think the real strength of the show lies in the characters and how they react to what’s happening around them. It’s a drama that happens to be informed by its sci-fi setting, rather than a completely conceptual piece that they’ve tried to imbue with a sense of the dramatic. When you cut right down to the core of it, you could put those characters in the middle of the holocaust or the Gulf War or the settling of America and it would still play in a broad...

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Japanime looks at the success of the shojo classic, Maria-sama ga Miteru (Maria Watches Over Us), and previews its new series.

It’s been eleven years since the baptismal publication in Japan of a light novel titled Maria-sama ga Miteru (Maria Watches Over Us), written by Oyuki Konno and accompanied by images from Reine Hibiki (Karen Broadcasting Club); there have since been over thirty volumes. Given that it’s also been over five years since the same title began serialization in manga form in Margaret magazine, and continues this run unabated, there must be something special indeed about this shojo classic.

The anime version, put together by Studio Deen (of Patlabor and Ranma fame), first ventured onto TV screens in Japan in January 2004, with the fourth season airing from January this year with a new director, Toshiyuki Kato, taking over from Yukihiro Matsushita.

The first three seasons, with Matsushita at the helm, established a trend for a series people have been calling beautiful and graceful, atmospheric, and with an understated nobility amidst some severe emotional angst.

Many of its Japanese fans have stuck through from the beginning of the series, and Kato - a regular director on the excellent Getbackers - has promised to uphold the standard set by his prececessor. After all, when you’ve got a magic formula, why change any of the...

[To read this article in full you must buy the March 2009 edition of Impact]

Beau Smith says there’s something tactile about the comics medium, but how will it cope with changes in technology?

If you read this magazine then you are a hunter. You hunt information about a topic you are probably passionate about. That passion could be movies, (action movies more than likely) video games, anime, comic books, television or one of the other many branches of pop culture.

In the last ten years or so, you’ve no doubt added the internet to your hunting quiver. I know I have. I personally have a love/hate relationship with the internet. I love it because it can satisfy my lifetime thirst for knowledge with just a few taps of the keyboard. I hate it because it is also making some of us less civil. It’s eroding our dignity like a bad (there are no good) reality TV. It has also chipped away at our use of manners, language and the ability to wait. Never before has Stan Lee’s classic phrase “With great power comes great responsibility...” rung so true.

A few years ago when high speed internet connections, Wi-Fi and iPods were becoming the latest high-tech force, there was a lot of talk of digital comic books replacing the physical paper format that we read now and have for more than sixty years. From my...

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The 2002 World Cup was a friendly(-ish) contest between nations. A less polite confrontation between a Korean hit woman and an Italian hit man was also taking place... so goes the plot of Finale. Impact’s Eastern Editor Mike Leeder takes a first look at the project and some of the talent both in front and behind the camera.

As the 2002 World Cup final between Italy and Korea was being played out, two nations crossed their fingers and prayed for the outcome they desired. At the very same time as the match, other representatives of Korea and Italy were facing off and a Korean hit woman and an Italian hit man were fighting their own final game. It’s an interesting concept and serves as the premise for the upcoming action thriller Finale. Impact’s Eastern Editor Mike Leeder takes a first look at the project and some of the talent involved both in front and behind the camera.

As mentioned, the backdrop for Director Rouchdi Guedria’s movie is the 2002 World Cup Final between Korea and Italy, but as the two nations battle on the pitch before a worldwide audience, a very different match is being played that also involves players from both countries, but with very fatal consequences for the team that loses.

It was supposed to be a simple money exchange as far as Finn as concerned, he was there to do the hand-over on behalf of the Italian Mafia. Everything had been arranged and he thought nothing could go wrong, but something goes very horribly wrong, and now...

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This month’s expanded section covers everything from the movie-based games for Wanted and Watchmen, to the DVD releases of Max Payne and Body of Lies, the latest books and comics and the latest developments in the world of manga entertainment...

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It’s rumoured to be Clint Eastwood’s last role in front of the camera, but how does the director/ actor’s lastest vehicle handle itself. John Mosby reviews the star vehicle and thinks it drives like a classic...

Say hello to Walt Kowalski, the grizzled war veteran and recent widower who prefers not to look back on the mistakes of his life but, equally, sees little to look forward to in the remaining years alone. Yet alone - except for his faithful dog and his prized vehicular renovation, a 1972 Gran Torino - is what he’d rather be compared with the alternative. His distant, dysfunctional family are already eyeing up the house he lives in and promoting a care-home, his grand-daughter is openly requesting dibs on the furniture he owns after he’s gone as well. He wishes the local preacher, fresh from officiating his wife’s burial, would stop dropping by - especially as he doesn’t need words of wisdom on life and death from a guy who hasn’t even hit thirty. He tolerates the multi-racial neighbourhood, but doesn’t think twice about grizzling at anyone who steps on his lawn or firing off the kind of language and insults he learned in the likes of Vietnam. Walt - hey, that’s Mr. Kowalski to you - won’t go looking for trouble, but he’ll meet it head on if he has to, with a sneer, a loaded rifle and a...

[To read this article in full you must buy the March 2009 edition of Impact]

Impact goes behind the scenes at Production IG the studio behind essential anime hits like the Ghost in the Shell franchise, Blood: The Last Vampire and last year’s best animated TV series, Ghost Hound and talks to Francesco Prandoni to find out what’s afoot from Japan’s best anime production house...

You know Production I.G, even if you think you may not. They’re the studio behind essential anime hits like the Ghost in the Shell franchise, Blood: The Last Vampire and last year’s best animated TV series, Ghost Hound, in collaboration with Shirow Masamune - oh yeah, and they also created the way-cool animated bits in Kill Bill: Vol 1. With a new year rearing before us, and gunning for options of sensory escape from the gaping morass that the world seems to be in at the moment, Impact tracked down Prandoni on vacation in Italy over the holiday season to find out what’s afoot from Japan’s best anime production house over the upcoming year - as well as to hear what it’s really like to be a gaijin insider in such a venerated Japanese company.

Andrez: When did you first land in Japan, what triggered the big move, and did you ever intend to stay on all this time?
Francesco: I came in 1991, pretty much by chance. I received a phone call one day from the Japan Foundation in Rome - turns out they sponsored a trip to Japan to the top four students in each country with the...

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What do Tango & Cash, In Her Shoes and Tremors all have in common? They all feature stunts or fight coordination by Jeff Imada. Impact catches up with the acclaimed stuntman to talk about his career.

Pop Quiz, Hotshots... what do Tango & Cash, In Her Shoes and Tremors all have in common? Well apart from the fact they all feature in my DVD collection (let me assure you In Her Shoes is more down to my fiancé than me!), they also, and more relevantly, feature stunts or fight coordination by Jeff Imada. And whilst Imada may not be a name you instantly recognise, you have certainly seen his work.

Jeff Imada was born and raised in Inglewood, California, USA, where he began studying martial arts at the age of fifteen. While in college studying medicine, he started working as a movie ‘extra’ which led him through to stunt work and, eventually, some years later, fight and stunt coordination. Today Imada is a member of highly regarded US stunt team Stunts Unlimited and one of the most respected men in the industry. In the past twenty-five years alone he has worked along side directors such as John Carpenter, David Fincher, The Coen Brothers and Tony Scott and choreographed, worked with or appeared alongside Mel Gibson, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Brandon Lee, Nicolas Cage, Steven Seagal Clint Eastwood, Stallone, Eddie Murphy... the list goes on. And on.

Impact: When...

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The Ninja was a force to be reckoned with in ‘80s action cinema. Now, with both Isaac Florentine’s Ninja and the Wachowski’s Ninja Assassin looming from the shadows, Impact asks if Ninjas are this spring’s comeback kids?

This looks set to be the year that everybody’s favourite black clad tabi wearing shadow warriors make a triumphant return to the mainstream. Yes, the Ninja are set to make a major return to our screens with a number of projects showcasing the deadliest martial art since Ecky Thump. Elsewhere in this issue, we look back at the American Ninja series which began in the 1980s, and thought it’s also time to take a look forward at the two most high profile Ninja projects set to hit our screens this year.

Ninja Assassin
Korean superstar Rain (Jeong Ji-hoon, Asia’s biggest singing sensation and the star of I’m a Cyborg but that’s OK and Speed Racer) headlines the highly anticipated Ninja Assassin. Produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski Brothers, the film is directed by James McTeague who previously helmed V for Vendetta and is set to launch Rain as an action hero.

Rain plays Raizo, one of the world’s deadliest assassins, raised by the Ozunu clan to be an exceptional killer since he was kidnapped as a child. But when Raizo’s friend is executed by the clan, Raizo has to go into hiding, before making his return, intent on revenge. At...

[To read this article in full you must buy the March 2009 edition of Impact]

You’d expect a film by a director named ‘Lynch’ to be controversial, but do Jennifer’s efforts measure up to daddy David? John Mosby says this ISN’T one to keep an eye on...

Let me be honest... I’ve never been a huge fan of David Lynch’s work. Like many, I thought Twin Peaks had its moments, that Eraserhead was certainly different, Blue Velvet was memorable and Mullholland Drive was definitely provocative, but I’ve often found his films more determined to shock than actually shocking. He has a massive following and there’s little doubt there are flashes of abstract, creative brilliance that appear in some of his films, however he all too often seems to fall into the trap of pushing boundaries for the sake of it and leaving aspects of his projects SO wild, woolly and open to interpretation that they often leave audiences confused and bemused rather than sustained and entertained. However he’s often considered an emperor (new clothes or not) for cinematic pundits. Unique he may be, but he’s also cinematic marmite.

His daughter Jennifer is certainly less prolific but seems to have inherited the surreal gene. Her last cinema movie was Boxing Helena in 1993 and told the story of a surgeon (Julian Sands) who becomes obsessed with a seductive woman (Sherilyn Finn) and so he amputates her arms and legs and keeps her in a box in his mansion. Thinking...

[To read this article in full you must buy the March 2009 edition of Impact]

The UK’s independent action movie making scene has grown from strength to strength in recent years. The Bodyguard: A New Beginning has raised the bar even further, shooting in Hong Kong and the UK with an acclaimed cast and crew. Impact’s Ricky Morris brings us the first UK review.

The UK’s independent action movie making scene has grown from strength to strength in recent years with such productions as Left for Dead, Displaced, Underground, The Silencer, 10 Dead Men, Sucker Punch and Battle of the Bone proving that huge Hollywood budgets aren’t essential to deliver full blooded martial arts and action movies if you have a cast and crew that’s really commited to the project and love the genre. The Bodyguard: A New Beginning has raised the bar even further, shooting in Hong Kong and the UK with a cast and crew that includes Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa and Richard Ng, action choreography from members of Jackie Chan’s Stuntman Team who have have worked on everything from Batman Begins to Fearless and Phoo Action!. The film has just made its DVD debut in Germany after winning acclaim on the festival circuit; Impact’s Ricky Morris brings us the first UK review.

Wong (Richard Ng) is an aging crime boss approaching the end of his time in power; he’s sacrificed much to maintain power and tried to enforce a certain code of ethics throughout the underworld. Much to his disappointment, his son Yuen (Carl Ng) has grown up spoiled and reckless, showing a lot...

[To read this article in full you must buy the March 2009 edition of Impact]

We interview the cast and crew of The Bodyguard : A New Beginning.

We’ve covered the production of the independent action feature The Bodyguard: A New beginning since shooting started and, after the first UK review of the film, we thought it was time to speak to some of the cast and crew about the project.

Impact: Can you introduce yourself and tell us your role in the production of The Bodyguard: A New Beginning and how you first got involved with the project?
Chee Keong-cheung: I’m the writer, director and one of the producers. My family are originally from Hong Kong and China, and I was born and raised in the UK. I studied film and video and after graduating with a BA Hons degree, I set up my UK based production company, Intense Productions in Sept 1999. I started out working in short films, music videos and documentaries while developing larger projects and have been able to work with several high profile individuals including former Vice President of 20th Century Fox Tim Hampton and Oscar winning cinematographer Jack Cardiff OBE. I first got into action film making after being introduced to mark Strange who rapidly became a very good friend and partner in several projects. I felt there was a lot of...

[To read this article in full you must buy the March 2009 edition of Impact]

The Oscars will be handed out to the great and the good just as this issue of Impact hits the stands. But, as John Bierly points out, the fact that Mickey Rourke was even nominated after so many years in the cinematic wilderness is worth more than any statuette...

One quick glance at the list of 2009 Academy Awards nominees is all you need to see that this year’s contenders draw some interesting lines between films and the actors in them. Or, more accurately, the actors who aren’t in them. Some of the most noteworthy nods have gone to performers whose movies won’t get the chance to gun for the Oscar gold.

Director Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler is one such film; though it missed Best Picture, Directing, and Original Screenplay nominations, it did send two of its actors to the gilded ballot. Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei headline the cast as two broken people whom society considers past their prime, but who still have good reasons to keep go, go, going for what they know.

Rourke is Robin Ramzinski, who was a household name in the 1980s under his professional wrestling moniker of Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson. Though he once sold out Madison Square Garden and had his own action figure, he’s now slugging his way through small, small-time weekend matches at community centers and rundown gymnasiums on the independent circuit in the roughest, dirtiest corners of New Jersey. His day job unloading heavy boxes at the local supermarket barely pays...

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What we watch, the way we watch and how we get it. The action industry - indeed the whole world of entertainment - is undergoing an evolution. Impact talks to some of the industry’s movers and shakers and looks at ways YOU’LL be shaping the future.

It’s a fair bet you have a mobile/cell phone. You probably have a game console, an internet connection (broadband, if you please) and there’s more than a fair to middling chance that you’ve given in to peer-to-peer pressure and actually joined Facebook, Blogger or MySpace. You may use Skype and you most definitely have seen YouTube footage at some point. Yes, the Twenty-First Century has grabbed you by the scruff of the neck and dragged you into an era which is only a few jet-packs and rocket-ships short of the future we were promised. Pong is long gone, even DOOM’s end has long since been nigh. You are a citizen of the digital, multimedia, super information, networking brand new world that is both larger and smaller than ever before. So. Phew. Now... www.what are you going to do.com about it?

Nearly seven years ago, Impact spoke to Bob Chapin who, almost uniquely, combined the arts of being a stuntman, actor and visual-effects artist. If there’s anyone who’s got his thumb on the technology pulse, his eye on the CGI and his knee in RPG then Bob’s the guy to be catching up with to see how things have changed.

Back then we...

[To read this article in full you must buy the March 2009 edition of Impact]