The Fourth Annual Big Bad Film Fest continues with Tokyo Burst: Crime City, Undisputed II, Ikatan Darah, and the Crime Hunter Trilogy.
A Festival is a marathon, not a race. Full Days of Programming. Ups and downs. Lots of theater food, soda, and popcorn. It can tear up your body. Come Prepared.
Patrick and Powell, who have organized the fest for the last four years, have packed the days with films, shorts, trailers, and special guests. Big Bad Film Festival is living up to what it is described as on the official site:
Each Movie was accompanied by some sort of short or special presentation.
Bangkok Dragons (dir. Barrett Walter Coates)
This short felt very influenced by the video game fighters of the 90s like Double Dragon and Street Fighter II. It’s the purposeful costuming, the action, and the compositions were meant to evoke those side-scrolling games of yesteryear. Barret Walter Coates knows how to cut an action scene with those video game tropes without it looking stilted, giving it life, which is a hard enough skill, but for it to be a fun bit of character building to boot shows that the multi-hyphenate will be going places. From sleeveless outfits to smoking cigarettes to badass henchmen (and women), this one packs a lot of visuals in a short period of time. Not much of a story as much it is a vibe of a cutscene from a game that never existed.
Tokyo Burst: Crime City (dir. Eiji Uchida)
I missed this one when it played Fantasia. I’m sure glad I did because it gave me a chance to see it on the big screen. Tokyo Burst: Crime City deserves to be seen on the big screen in all of its bloody badass glory. The film is actually a reboot/sequel of sorts to the Outlaws/Round Up series starring Don Lee, aka Ma Dong-seok, from Korea. Though you don’t have to have any knowledge of the series to watch this film, as it’s a fresh start with new characters (though much of the story is lifted from Outlaws and will be familiar to those who have seen it).
Tokyo Burst is a wicked police procedural with some great gory set pieces and comedy. How they mix the buddy comedy of mismatched cops and the violence of a yakuza crime thriller evokes Walter Hill’s 48 HRS in the way it perfectly balances those tones. What truly elevates this beyond your routine action film is its villains. Yes, not one but two formidable villains (played by Uhm Ki-joon and Sota Fukudhi) who at every turn outwit and maneuver the Japanese detective Aiba (Koshi Mizukami) and Korean detective Choi Si-woo (U-Know Yuhno). There is a very Lethal Weapon 2 “diplomatic immunity” to the whole thing that makes everything a bit extra. To say more would be to ruin what truly is one of the great crime thrillers of the year. One that packs enough twists, turns, action, and comedy (the film is truly funny… wait for the broom or the motorcycle helmet) to fill three films.
Relentless (dir. Bren Foster)
This was a special presentation of a trailer for this just-completed action drama film. Bren Foster’s second directorial effort after Life After Fighting seems to be cut from the Warrior mold. A military vet (Foster), after being diagnosed with cancer, begins to compete in underground fighting competitions to support his family. The trailer was effective in highlighting the drama and action in equal measure. I’m curious enough to search out Foster’s first film, which is on Prime and Tubi right now.
Undisputed II (dir. Isaac Florentine)
What made this particular screening so special, beyond the Q&A after the film with Michael Jai White and action choreographer JJ Perry, was the fact that it was a DCP made from a scan of a gorgeous 35mm archival print.
I don’t think it’s controversial to say that the Undisputed franchise is one of the greatest DTV success stories of the 2000s. The second being the true meat and bones of the series. Transitioning from a Walter Hill boxing picture to the premiere MMA Action film series. How they do that transition within the story, using Michael Jai White as that conduit both as character and star, is a stroke of genius. You believe that White is a boxer and someone who will eventually adapt to the combat style of MMA. Add in future star/hero of the franchise Scott Adkins as the villain Boyka (aka THE MOST COMPLETE FIGHTER, which the line got a huge roar of applause as it should), and it really morphs into the film franchise you never knew you needed.
Undisputed II is a B-movie in name only. It’s an A picture through and through. Seeing it on the big screen with a crowd, one can see that no one told director Isaac Florentine that he wasn’t making a Movie (with a capital M). Like any good fight film, it’s an audience picture, no different from Rocky III or IV.
After the film, there was a great Q&A with White and Perry hosted by the Action 4 Everyone Podcast. They discussed the making of the film and future projects. Both White and Perry, after the Q&A, were mingling with the audience, which was wonderful to see and not always the case.
Ikatan Darah (dir. Sidharta Tata)
Come prepared for Ikatan Darah. It will kick your ass. The action drama is produced by Iko Uwais (of The Raid and many other great Indonesian films), is as brutal as they come. The film about a former female athlete, Mega (Livi Ciananta), who must save her gambling brother Bilal (Derby Romero) from an onslaught of gangsters is the kind of “rust knife” action film (thanks, Patrick, for that very apt description when introducing this one) that true connoisseurs search for. This is building a franchise while telling a single story. There are iconic characters, amazing street-level action, brutal horror-flavored gushes of blood, and an emotionally centered story. It’s the complete package.
Director Sidharta Tata and his co-writer Rifki Ardisha understand that the core of the film isn’t the action but the relationship between the siblings. If we don’t care about Mega and Bilal its just going through the motions. Tata makes sure that we care at every step. Mega and Bilal are real characters that make mistakes, and that we learn to care about over the two hours we’re with them. Both Livi Ciananta and Derby Romero are outright amazing in the film. Ciananta is the real find here; how she is able to handle both the physical and the emotional moments of the film is truly special, and should make her a huge star. She breaks your heart and summons your applause at the right moments.
Make no mistake: if you’re an action fan, Ikatan Darah should be at the top of your list of must-see films.
The Fourth Annual Big Bad Film Fest continues with Tokyo Burst: Crime City, Undisputed II, Ikatan Darah, and the Crime Hunter Trilogy.
A Festival is a marathon, not a race. Full Days of Programming. Ups and downs. Lots of theater food, soda, and popcorn. It can tear up your body. Come Prepared.
Patrick and Powell, who have organized the fest for the last four years, have packed the days with films, shorts, trailers, and special guests. Big Bad Film Festival is living up to what it is described as on the official site:
“Big Bad Film Fest enters its 4th year presenting a line-up of Independent and International Action Films in Los Angeles, CA focused on cultivating the indie filmmaking, stunt and action community all in one place. Our constant mission is to celebrate and promote the action films and stars we love from the past, present, and future.”
Each Movie was accompanied by some sort of short or special presentation.
Bangkok Dragons (dir. Barrett Walter Coates)
This short felt very influenced by the video game fighters of the 90s like Double Dragon and Street Fighter II. It’s the purposeful costuming, the action, and the compositions were meant to evoke those side-scrolling games of yesteryear. Barret Walter Coates knows how to cut an action scene with those video game tropes without it looking stilted, giving it life, which is a hard enough skill, but for it to be a fun bit of character building to boot shows that the multi-hyphenate will be going places. From sleeveless outfits to smoking cigarettes to badass henchmen (and women), this one packs a lot of visuals in a short period of time. Not much of a story as much it is a vibe of a cutscene from a game that never existed.
Tokyo Burst: Crime City (dir. Eiji Uchida)
I missed this one when it played Fantasia. I’m sure glad I did because it gave me a chance to see it on the big screen. Tokyo Burst: Crime City deserves to be seen on the big screen in all of its bloody badass glory. The film is actually a reboot/sequel of sorts to the Outlaws/Round Up series starring Don Lee, aka Ma Dong-seok, from Korea. Though you don’t have to have any knowledge of the series to watch this film, as it’s a fresh start with new characters (though much of the story is lifted from Outlaws and will be familiar to those who have seen it).
Tokyo Burst is a wicked police procedural with some great gory set pieces and comedy. How they mix the buddy comedy of mismatched cops and the violence of a yakuza crime thriller evokes Walter Hill’s 48 HRS in the way it perfectly balances those tones. What truly elevates this beyond your routine action film is its villains. Yes, not one but two formidable villains (played by Uhm Ki-joon and Sota Fukudhi) who at every turn outwit and maneuver the Japanese detective Aiba (Koshi Mizukami) and Korean detective Choi Si-woo (U-Know Yuhno). There is a very Lethal Weapon 2 “diplomatic immunity” to the whole thing that makes everything a bit extra. To say more would be to ruin what truly is one of the great crime thrillers of the year. One that packs enough twists, turns, action, and comedy (the film is truly funny… wait for the broom or the motorcycle helmet) to fill three films.
Relentless (dir. Bren Foster)
This was a special presentation of a trailer for this just-completed action drama film. Bren Foster’s second directorial effort after Life After Fighting seems to be cut from the Warrior mold. A military vet (Foster), after being diagnosed with cancer, begins to compete in underground fighting competitions to support his family. The trailer was effective in highlighting the drama and action in equal measure. I’m curious enough to search out Foster’s first film, which is on Prime and Tubi right now.
Undisputed II (dir. Isaac Florentine)
What made this particular screening so special, beyond the Q&A after the film with Michael Jai White and action choreographer JJ Perry, was the fact that it was a DCP made from a scan of a gorgeous 35mm archival print.
I don’t think it’s controversial to say that the Undisputed franchise is one of the greatest DTV success stories of the 2000s. The second being the true meat and bones of the series. Transitioning from a Walter Hill boxing picture to the premiere MMA Action film series. How they do that transition within the story, using Michael Jai White as that conduit both as character and star, is a stroke of genius. You believe that White is a boxer and someone who will eventually adapt to the combat style of MMA. Add in future star/hero of the franchise Scott Adkins as the villain Boyka (aka THE MOST COMPLETE FIGHTER, which the line got a huge roar of applause as it should), and it really morphs into the film franchise you never knew you needed.
Undisputed II is a B-movie in name only. It’s an A picture through and through. Seeing it on the big screen with a crowd, one can see that no one told director Isaac Florentine that he wasn’t making a Movie (with a capital M). Like any good fight film, it’s an audience picture, no different from Rocky III or IV.
After the film, there was a great Q&A with White and Perry hosted by the Action 4 Everyone Podcast. They discussed the making of the film and future projects. Both White and Perry, after the Q&A, were mingling with the audience, which was wonderful to see and not always the case.
Ikatan Darah (dir. Sidharta Tata)
Come prepared for Ikatan Darah. It will kick your ass. The action drama is produced by Iko Uwais (of The Raid and many other great Indonesian films), is as brutal as they come. The film about a former female athlete, Mega (Livi Ciananta), who must save her gambling brother Bilal (Derby Romero) from an onslaught of gangsters is the kind of “rust knife” action film (thanks, Patrick, for that very apt description when introducing this one) that true connoisseurs search for. This is building a franchise while telling a single story. There are iconic characters, amazing street-level action, brutal horror-flavored gushes of blood, and an emotionally centered story. It’s the complete package.
Director Sidharta Tata and his co-writer Rifki Ardisha understand that the core of the film isn’t the action but the relationship between the siblings. If we don’t care about Mega and Bilal its just going through the motions. Tata makes sure that we care at every step. Mega and Bilal are real characters that make mistakes, and that we learn to care about over the two hours we’re with them. Both Livi Ciananta and Derby Romero are outright amazing in the film. Ciananta is the real find here; how she is able to handle both the physical and the emotional moments of the film is truly special, and should make her a huge star. She breaks your heart and summons your applause at the right moments.
Make no mistake: if you’re an action fan, Ikatan Darah should be at the top of your list of must-see films.
Crime Hunter Trilogy
You can read my review of Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage here, which is a part of the V-Cinema Essentials Box Set that Arrow released two years ago. Which you should have already, and if you don’t… get it. As an action fan, you will not be disappointed.
We will be back tomorrow with coverage from the final day of the festival!
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