So friends, this is the final block. 2018 results. Thanks to all those who showed interest in our work, expressed gratitude or indignation, wrote comments on the site or in in contact with. In general, as the hero of the film said Leonid Gaidai: "We are glad to see you, you are grateful to us!" ©
Martial Arts Short Film 2018
Somehow it happened that in recent years, interest in action short films has practically disappeared. In any case, on our website in short meter posts they don’t leave comments, and when voting for the best short film of last year, there are treacherously few actual votes. Have the crafts of independent stunt teams and just short films in the hand-to-hand action genre simply become uninteresting? The question is open. Well, while you write your opinion in the comments, we will highlight the top three in this category.
Uncharted: Live Action Fan Film (dir. Allan Ungar) (2018) (23%)
Game series Uncharted, inspired by the Indiana Jones films and Lara Croft games, has a huge fan base around the world. Fans of the games have long dreamed of a film adaptation; moreover, for many years they have been asking for a famous actor to play the main role. Nathan Fillion, who made a name for himself in series such as "Firefly", "Castle" и "Newbie". Fans claimed that Fillion is very similar to the main character of the games Nathan Drake.
The big studio bosses didn't listen to the fans, but the independent filmmakers did. This is how a 15-minute film was born "Unknown", which in the original modestly calls itself “fan-made”. This is half true, since the purpose of the short film was to show the possibility of making a fan's dream come true. But on the other hand, the film was shot and acted by professionals. Director Allan Ungar has already established himself as an action film director, and a full-length one at that. And in the main role... Nathan Fillion, which, as fans of the game series expected, fits the image of its namesake like a glove.
Add in the background familiar actors, competent camera work, lively action, good humor, music from the game and you will get an excellent short film, after watching which the only desire is to go to the cinema to see its full-length version. It's a pity that the cool producers never considered "Unknown" Angara has potential for the big screen, and in a couple of years Fillion will turn fifty dollars and playing a young brave adventurer will become even more difficult for him.
PHOTOGRAPHER. (dir. Maxim Fashchenko) (2018) (19%)
The FFI editors are extremely pleased that our results include domestic projects. This applies to both commercial films, like "Legends of Kolovrat" и "Skif", and independently-local, like "Villages". If you remember, last year a Russian short film also took silver in this category. "Major Thunder" - stability, as they say.
But the movie Maxima Fashchenko unlike any of the above. "PHOTOGRAPHER." - this is truly a fan project, based on a series of computer games "Stalker". He doesn't have a serious budget "Major Thunder" or full-length format "Villages", but is nonetheless a solid piece of work that is hard to stop watching.
Let's make a reservation right away: in this short film there are practically no hand-to-hand fights, and the story literally unfolds around two characters who want one thing - to survive.
It is noticeable that everyone who took part in the project liked what they did. It is clear that the material was transferred carefully and with respect for the original source. The story is addictive and you no longer notice the crumpled narrative, modest computer effects, or problems with the volume of the voice acting. The guys made a good short film in the fantasy genre, which is rare for our film industry. So much so that I would like to wish them to work further and look for like-minded people who can help in the production of a more expensive and professional product. Well done and thank you!
Blindsided: The Game (dir. Clayton J. Barber) (2018) (15%)
Short film released in 2017 Eric Jacobusa "Sneaky" about a blind guy named Walter, who helps the owner of his favorite store deal with racketeers, was included in the short list of the results of action films in this category, but did not grab any prizes. But it turned out that it was just a warm-up before the 45-minute film, in which Jacobs and his colleagues went wild.
In fact, "A game" - this is a completely typical short film that Eric and his team previously made The Stunt People released a little more often. Like real masterpieces Rope-A-Dope the new film doesn't live up to it, but "Sneaky" there is everything that we love Jacob's projects for: a simple but interesting story, humor and, of course, professionally choreographed and executed hand-to-hand combat scenes.
The fact that Eric's hero is blind adds zest. The concept, of course, is not new, and the writers "Games" make a few nods to classic works on this topic, but Jacobas wouldn't be himself if he didn't introduce a few new fun elements. In addition, this time Walter is not alone, because... he is helped by the owner of the shop himself in performing Roger Yuan, who, as we know, is also not averse to waving his arms and legs.
Overall, witty Eric Jacobas returned with an extremely good short film, which shared third place in our voting with a project that is not entirely standard for our topic.
Construct (dir. Kevin Margot) (2018) (15%)
Hurry up to see - a cartoon with a bronze medal in the short film category with martial arts! Okay, it's not just a cartoon. This is a full-fledged film with CGI elements that exploits the theme of intelligent consciousness in machines. Moreover, the director and screenwriter of the short film Kevin Margot went further and equipped local robots with human emotions.
But "Constructor" is by no means a love story, but rather a dramatic thriller, where the main character, a robot named Aiden, is forced to protect his family in an unequal battle with other androids.
Obviously, those who voted for this film, as well as us, were won over by the hand-to-hand action sequences. Of course, the fight scenes were performed by professional stuntmen using the Motion Capture system, so the fights between the iron robots look so natural and alive.
Author Danil Chupakhin
Best Screen Fight 2018
And now, perhaps, the main nomination of the year’s results - "Best Screen Fight". In any case, for fight-films.info This nomination is definitely one of the cornerstone ones. So let's get started.
Joe Taslim vs. Iko Yuwais (The Night Comes for Us) (18%, 29 votes)
Location: factory workshop (garage, auto repair shop, technical room). The location is not the top, but quite often used. In such surroundings I fought, for example, Mark Dacascos, Jeff Wincott or Ed O'Neill в “Fire Breather”.
Style: Indonesian “hypertrophied realism”
Number of participants: two
Chip: Iko Uwais as a negative character.
Features and specifics: concept launched in "Reide" continues to conquer audiences at the speed of a nuclear missile. In this case Joe Taslim и Iko Uwais retain all the features of the previous films, including the epic length of the fight, and delve into an even greater degree of damaging each other. As expected, the choreography remains unsightly in terms of grace and very polystylistic, while deviating extremely far from European and American tradition. Yes, there are elements of silat, there are elements of judo, mixed martial arts, but it’s all very impersonal in terms of styles and directions. If the same Adkins or Jah and show us the elements of MMA, then these elements are one way or another in the context of specific martial arts, which a savvy viewer can determine simply based on the fighter’s technique. Taslim и Uwais they do everything as if “non-technically”, while remaining within the framework of screen choreography and drama: there is a beginning, there is a climax, there are exchanges of glances between opponents, there are wide and close-ups, and the camera disciplinedly conveys every nuance and movement.
The main disadvantages of the battle: at some point there is a possibility of a crisis of attention in the viewer due to the long running time and undulating repetitive drama; the enchanting indestructibility of the fighters along with the abundance of cruelty creates addiction - you are sure that if Taslim’s head was cut off, he will now put it in place, sniff with his broken nose and go back into battle (in the meantime, you can pour some tea).
The bottom line: Why is this fight interesting, for example, on the scale of the entire genre? Take a retrospective and think about how the approach to on-screen fights has changed throughout the history of the genre. Or maybe these are the same eggs, only faster and bloodier? What they are doing now Uwais и Taslim - is this the most relevant cinema fighting game today? Perhaps it Reel Deal Action? Or again Adkins?
Scott Adkins vs. Ray Park & Michael Jai White (Casualty) (15%, 24 votes)
Location: martial arts hall / dojo. One of the most common locations for on-screen battles, in which a lot of fighters fought - from Bruce Lee и Donnie Yen to Phillipa Rea и Fabien Garcia.
Style: classic “Timmanism”.
Number of participants: three; the main character against two enemies.
Chip: The return of Ray Park, who showed himself to be brighter than Michael Jai White.
Features and specifics: a production familiar to the viewer from Tim Man doesn't represent to us Scott Adkins in a new perspective, but it gives the opportunity to return to duty Ray Park, which, in addition to showing off a set of his old dies, shows off a couple of new hits and throws. The third participant in the battle, Michael Jai White, acts rather constrained and with minimal variety, but more on that later.
There is a complex dramatic background to the battle - Adkins’ hero has personal interest and deep emotional involvement, while Park and White’s heroes, at the same time, are not total villains, since they work in a common “professional sphere” with the main character. This coin has two revolutions. The first is that Scott's character is revealed from the “human” side. The second is the viewer’s insufficient negative attitude towards the villains, because they “can be understood,” despite the fact that the director is trying in every possible way to denigrate them, especially the character of Ray Park.
The next feature is “unequal equal battle”. The advantage in the number of enemies is compensated by the higher level of skills of the main character.
The main disadvantages of the battle: if one attacks, then the second rests, there are a lot of banal and familiar choreographic techniques and large bellies for Park and especially White, and therefore the dynamics of the battle sags greatly. And if Park gives an answer to Scott at a more or less decent level, then White often, with the grace of Godzilla, barely moves his legs.
The bottom line: You won’t see any fighting here, nor will Isaiah Bon or Darth Maul, but the combat is tailored quite professionally and according to the laws of the genre.
Tom Cruise and Henry Cavill vs. Liang Yang (Mission: Impossible - Fallout) (14%, 23 votes)
Location: toilet. A popular location, which is why almost every third on-screen fighter had some kind of toilet fight in his career, including Schwarzenegger in "True Lies" and Bond - the main competitor of the franchise "Mission Impossible".
Style: Hollywood “neorealism”.
Number of participants: three; two good guys versus one bad guy.
Chip: a kind of break in the pattern and a reason to think. In summing up the results of the year, the prize place goes to a fight not from our site’s core fighting game, but from a blockbuster.
Features and specifics: a tight and fairly dynamic fight, filmed without any special stunt double tricks, so the operator didn’t have to think about how to film Tom Cruise close-up, and in the most difficult moments show from the back. All characters “shine” their faces from any angle. The background of the locations is white, so the characters are clearly visible in contrast and do not merge with the interior. Fortunately, the toilet in the frame is crystal clean and fresh, but if they were fighting in our station station... I think it wouldn’t even come to a fight.
There is no choreography inherent in narrow-genre action films in the fight, but there is the same approach that Tom showed in "Jack Reacher" at the same McQuarrie: a mixture of realistic movements with their strong “chewing” for the viewer. This is achieved, first of all, by the principle of “blow-pause-blow-pause”, and the pause is quite noticeable, and the blow or block is emphasized by acting: the face, screams, exhalations. Therefore, the viewer sees the movements clearly, but the performers resemble robots.
The current Bond, say, fights in a similar style, partly "The Great Leveler" and Liam Neeson in “To the Hostage”, only with more merciless editing. In part, this style is due to the jagged movements of the performers, who, for all their experience, are first and foremost actors, not stuntmen or screen fighters.
For example, the guys from Reel Deal Action, in which all the connections and strikes are with minimal pauses, fast, but at the same time emasculated, smooth and smooth in transitions. Although, this is a matter not only of professionalism, but also of taste.
Let us again note the principle of “unequal equal battle”, only in contrast to “Accident” on the contrary, the advantage in numbers of the “good guys” is compensated by the higher level of skills of the “bad guys.”
The main disadvantages of the battle: it would be possible to do without cables; heroes as one with iron throats; partial conveyor - if one attacks, then the second rests, and only occasionally there is pair work. At the climax, when Ethan Hungt rushes at the enemy and ends up breaking a column, for some reason he stands and waits for this like an idiot.
The bottom line: The level of on-screen fights in Hollywood projects has recently increased noticeably, and the performers themselves no longer rely on doubles in wigs alone, but try to do many things on their own (meaning stunts without computer-generated face replacement). As a result of this, the dramatic component and “honesty” of what is happening increases greatly.
Author: Ravenside
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Tags: accident man, Blindsided, Construct, stalker, The Night Comes for Us, The Stunt People, Uncharted, Allan Ungar, Henry Cavill, Joe Taslim, Iko Uwais, results of action cinema 2018, Liang Yang, Michael Jai White, Maxim Fashchenko, Mission: Impossible - Consequences, Nathan Fillion, Roger Yuan, Ray Park, Scott Adkins, Tom Cruise, Eric Jacobas
Tags: accident man, Blindsided, Construct, stalker, The Night Comes for Us, The Stunt People, Uncharted, Allan Ungar, Henry Cavill, Joe Taslim, Iko Uwais, results of action cinema 2018, Liang Yang, Michael Jai White, Maxim Fashchenko, Mission: Impossible - Consequences, Nathan Fillion, Roger Yuan, Ray Park, Scott Adkins, Tom Cruise, Eric Jacobas
I didn’t really like the winner of the nomination in the fights, just as a fight. But as a mess, especially as the film's climax, it still manages to shock a little. They simply tear each other apart, this is a very specific genre of cinema “for everyone,” but the creators’ obvious love for their brainchild and great attention to detail are noticeable in it. This, for me, took away the entire film, essentially. Well, the fight was memorable.
Denis Letov,
Wow, Wow this time) And even Adkins is not in first place. And “Mission: Impossible” unexpectedly became a winner.
Very cool presentation of the results this time :)