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April Impact

Wednesday, Mar 18, 2009 6:43PM / Standard Entry

The April issue of Impact is about to hit the shelves. Its another action packed issue, we take a look at the big screen versions of both 'Dragon Ball' & 'Streetfighter' including a chat with 'Mortal Kombat' and 'Streetfighter' actor Robin Shou, a first UK review of 'The Legend of Bruce Lee', we review Vietnamese martial arts action drama 'The Legend is Alive' as well as talking to its Director and leading man Dustin Nguyen, '5th Commandment' leading man Rick Yune is interviewed as is a certain fellow named Jean-Claude Van Damme who talks about his recent projects including 'JCVD', 'The Eagle Path' and what the future holds for him. We also finish our look back at the 'American Ninja' series with soundbites from James Lew & Kely Mclung about playing the bad guys in Chapters 4 & 5, as well as a look at the independent martial arts series 'Stranger Hero' which features a leading actor who prove Downs Syundrome is no barrier to martial arts movie making and much more.

The new issue and back issues, hard copy or digital editions can be ordered at www.impactmoviemagazine.co.uk

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The Perfect Sleep

Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 10:23PM / Standard Entry

Crime, Paranoia, hard-boiled exchanges of dialogue, gunfire and martial arts, elaborate conspiracies, luscious femme fatales and sudden acts of violence are just part of the attraction of Jeremy Alter's 'The Perfect Sleep'

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah4c4ODTgbU&feature=related

This stylish thriller looks set to deliver as both a traditional film noir and an affectionate homage to the genre, in much the same way as Sin City, The Spirit(ok the movie disappointed but it looked great)and even Watchmen has taken its stylistic approach to things. The film appears to be tailor made for the 'open minded' film fans who don't mind the normal elements of the 'noir' genre, being blended with some high impact martial arts action and some supernatural strangeness to make it a very unique twist of the genre.

Anton Pardoe plays the nameless hero who just may or not be immortal, battling evildoers who not only have something of an old grudge to settle, but also a veritable army of thugs on their payroll including martiala rts experts, giant hitmen and much more, while our anti-hero has only a strange Doctor as his occasional sidekick. Throw in the lovely Roselyn Sanchezx from 'Yellow' and 'Rush Hour 2' as the volutuous object of everyone's affection and things begin to make a little more sense.

I first heard about the film from an old friend who appears in the movie, actor Dominique Vandenberg ('The Iron Circle', "Gangs of New York', 'Pitfighter'), and another friend Jamal Duff from 'The Rundown' and soon to be seen in 'Blood The Last Vampire' also makes a memorable appearence, also appearing is 'Streets of Fire' should have been a bigger star Michael Pare and '24' co-star Tony Amendola who gives a scene stealing turn.

the film is getting a limited theatrical run stateside at the moment, with an international release set to follow shortly. For further info on the movie watch out for an upcoming feature in Impact www.impactmoviemagazine.co.uk or log onto www.theperfectsleep.com

And in what has to be some of the most off the wall but effective marketing for the film, don't just take my word about the movie..listen to what Gary Oldman, Bas Ruttan and Bono have to say about the movie

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpOY5iWMHUo

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BLOOD THE LAST VAMPIRE

Friday, Mar 6, 2009 10:26PM / Standard Entry

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdZwaip9G2U

Back in 2007 I had the opportunity to work on the live action adaptation of 'Blood The Last Vampire", directed by Chris Nahon with Corey Yuen handling the films action choreography. The movie marks the English language and full bloodied action debut of the lovely Gianna Jun(Jun Ji-hyun) star of "My Sassy Girl" & "Windstruck"...I had the opportunity of meeting Ms.Jun briefly during the shooting of "My Sassy Girl" when my friend Raven Chang and his stunt team were choreographing the films action sequences, and then again on another casting project before meeting her again on 'Blood', and she's every bit as beautiful and fun off camera as she is onscreen. (And if you've only ever seen the American version of "My Sassy Girl' shame on you! How they managed to take such a great movie , then assemble a great cast for an American remake and then fail to deliver any of the elements that made the original a success really confuses me!)

Blood: The Last Vampire (ブラッドザラストヴァンパイア Buraddo Za Rasuto Vanpaia^?) ibegan as an anime film produced by Production I.G and Aniplex and directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo. The film premiered in theaters in Japan on November 18, 2000. A single-volume manga sequel, Blood: The Last Vampire 2000 written by Benkyo Tamaoki, was published in Japan in 2001 by Kadokawa Shoten, and in English by Viz Media in November 2002 with the title slightly modified to Blood: The Last Vampire 2002. Three Japanese light novel adaptations have also been released for the series, along with a video game. It also spawned a fifty-episode anime series, Blood+, which is an alternate universe story

Video: http://

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYnciEGup9k

The live action adaptation is produced by Bill Kong ('Hero', 'Crouching Tiger', 'Fearless') and Chris Nahon & Corey Yuen who previously worked together on "Kiss of The Dragon", re-teamed for 'Blood" and the film shot in Argentina and China, with a multi national cast and crew including Gianna Jun, Koyuki from 'The Last Samurai', Colin Salmon from 'Clubbed", Alison Miller and many more.

I came onto the film late into the production because I was working on another project, and bought in a number of stunt fighters for the movie including Jude Poyer, Chris Jones, Andy Taylor, Siros Niaros and the incredible Duff Brothers John & Jamal...was a great opportunity to work with both Corey Yuen & his team closely, and Chris Nahon and his irrepressible No2 Jacko and a number of other friends from various projects.

The film has kept a pretty low profile until very recently, when a stylish but short Japanese teaser hit the net,

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lun86pVqptM

But now the full UK Promo has been released

http://onlinemoviepromo.com/newplayer.php?id=2934
(Can't embed the clip yet!)

And really looking forward to seeing the final cut of the film, and seeing the hard work of everybody involved up on the big screen. Have very find memories of the 'Blood' shoot, and went straight from that film to the recce for 'Mummy 3' then onto the 'Bodyguard" then back onto the shoot for "Mummy'

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March Impact

Thursday, Feb 19, 2009 10:55PM / Standard Entry

The March issue of Impact will be hitting the shelves very shortly...and its another action packed issue as we take a look at a number of new projects as well as some classics out of the vaults....

Impact's roving reporter Ricky Morris reviews "the Bodyguard: A New begining" and talks to some of the cast and crew involved including myself, but does he give us a good review? The answer to that and more are to be found in this issue...

Andrew Skeates digs into the vaults and looks back at the classic slice of late 80's early 90's Ninjitsu action as we examine the "American Ninja" series

Phil Hobden talsk fight choreography with veteran American action director Jeff Imada of "The Bourne Identity" & "They Live' fame, while we also take a first look at the German/Korean production that is "Finale"

And we also look into the future and preview two upcoming movies that will bring the Ninja back to our screens, namely "Ninja Assassin" starring Rain & Isaac Florentine's "Ninja" starring the Uk's own Scott Adkins

All this and a hell of a lot more can be found in the new issue, hard copies and difital editions can be ordered through www.impactmoviemagazine.co.uk

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Northern Ireland's 1st Annual Yellow Fever Independent Film Festival

Saturday, Feb 7, 2009 5:48PM / Standard Entry

August 2009 will see Northern Ireland playing host to the 1st "Yellow Fever Independent Film Festival". The festival is being organized by maverick film-maker George Clarke & the team at Yellow Fever Productions, previously responsible for "the greatest Irish martial arts zombie movie' ever produced, "Battle of the Bone".

The festival will play host to a wide selection of independent film making talent from not just northern ireland, but the world and showcase over 20 films during the two day event. The festival will also include seminars and discussions on film-making, production, promotion and distribution and its aim is to not only expose new talent, but to give people the chance to have their work seen by the public in new ways.

George Clarke and his team put together a very impressive project which shows a very different Northern Ireland than is usually shown in films & TV, and the "Battle of the Bone" movie has been screened to very positive response at a number of film festivals and been released on DVD in the UK, with a wide range of special features. Clarke and his team conitnue to explore new ideas with a series of martial arts short films and alternate takes on familiar tales and their work can be found on You Tube at:

The festival will feature stalls, Q & A's with special guests, while more than 20 films (both shorts and full length features) will be screened during the event including the world premier of Yellow Fever Productions last film and an Awards Ceremony to close off the event. There will be Eight Awards up for grabs including Best Film, Best Actor & Actress, and the Audience Choice Award.

The event is being sponsored by arts website Culture NI and the prestigious Stormont Hotel who will be offering reduced room rates for festival goers over the weekend of August 22nd & 23rd 2009.

Submit your films for the festival or simply support independent film making by attending

Full submission guidelines and festival details are available to view in our blog section at www.myspace.com/yellowfeverproductions

Or for more info please email [email protected]

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Mike Leeder

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i was born or quite possibly hatched an increasingly long time ago in a galaxy far far away, Croydon and a more treacherous hive of scum and villainy you'd be hard pressed to find....
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i was born or quite possibly hatched an increasingly long time ago in a galaxy far far away, Croydon and a more treacherous hive of scum and villainy you'd be hard pressed to find.

Despite being a somewhat clueless and naive fellow, I managed to mostly survive several years of very bad haircuts, a complete lack of both common and fashion sense, the UK education system and even a few years of the old 9-5 before a drunken game of monopoly led me to Hong Kong in 1990. And I've pretty much been here ever since, and I think i like it!

I work as a Casting Director for a lot of projects, credits include "Fearless", "Rush Hour 3", "Phoo Action", "Blood Last Vampire", and did some work for Baz Lurhmans upcoming "Australia" starring Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman and the great Yuen Wah. Spent a good chunk of 2007 working on "The Mummy Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" directed by Rob Cohewn, working on the Action unit with the great Vic Armstrong.

Also done a lot of Line Production and Production work for a number of other projects including "The Bodyguard:A New Begining" with Cary Tagawa & Richard Ng, "Underground", "The White Wall", "The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies" amongst other projects.

Also edit Impact magazine www.impactmoviemagazine.co.uk covering the action movie & Tv industry around the world, with an emphasis on Asian Cinema

as well as contributing to a bunch of other magazines, and have done a lot of DVD extras for such companies as Hong Kong Legends, Premier Asia, Dragon Dynasty, Media Blasters and other companies.

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Occupation: Magazine Editor , Film/TV Producer , Casting Director
Gender: Male
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