The Raid

[Markgway]

f*cking amazing

I don't know where he picks up that kind of foul language?

[gasteropod]

I know, shocking.

[bradavon]

@ Gas/Mark: .

I'm starting to see why Brad is the assclown of this forum.

Er. why? What part of my post makes me an "ass clown" exactly? I'm saying the same thing as Shing, I guess he's an ass clown too then?

[hanshotfirst1138]

It's FAR better made than any of those crappy Pinkaew films imo.

Good because my god they're dreadful. That's the primary reason I'm reluctant to not fork out money to see Chocolate. None of us expect the best story ever from action films but come on it needs something and Ong-bak/TYG don't even have that. It's less than paper thin. And for me the fact the stories are so utterly dumb, means I cannot fully enjoy the action.

Yeah, they're pretty stupid, but the action scenes are really sights to behold. Chocolate has some of the most amazing mayhem I've ever seen.

I like the fact it looks like an homage to old school action films too, which for the most part are still the best we've ever got, Asian and American included. It's also getting a proper cinema release for once.

I wasn't thrilled about the tweaked soundtrack, and my local multiplex had a poster, but it never showed. I jockeyed out a ways to see it, and I admit I was a bit disappointed. Maybe it was just the hype, maybe it was the journey, maybe it was the new soundtrack, I rented the DVD from Redbox, but it was one those goddamn rental copies, so it still only had the Shinoda soundtrack. I liked it a bit more on the DVD without the baggage. Still, hearing Kermode go on about it and hearing people say it's better than Hard Boiled makes me wonder how many HK classics they've seen. He has a degree of skill behind the camera though, it has that raw, stripped-down exploitation movie vibe, sort of Die Hard meed Assault on Precinct 13 in reverse directed by Yuen Wo-Ping, I just don't know if it's the best thing ever in the history of action films like some people are saying. It is certainly proof that you can create great mayhem on a fraction of the megabucks blockbuster budgets of most Hollywood stuff.

The "golden years" of HK martial arts flicks.

Yeah, twas an age. Hard to be a fan with how colossally messed up the DVD scene is.

Gareth Evans on Kermode's Five Live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jxqfxjdb. He comes across as a nice bloke, it's well worth a watch. Even detailing a US remake is already on the cards

Evans previous martial arts film, Merantau, is on Netflix streaming, or a version of it anyway, can't figure out if there's another available. He's great in that interview, sounds like a true fan. Shame about the remake, but I'm sure he'll be getting a big pile of cash for it. Like I said, I'm upset that my local multiplex never had it in for even a week when they put up the poster, subtitles are still sadly poison in the States. A friend or mine actually said to me when I recommended the film "Isn't it subtitled?" I told him yes, but that wouldn't matter, the plot isn't hard to figure out. He still hasn't watched it.

[brooce-leroy]

Merantau Warrior full movie youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nezauo20HnM

[grim_tales]

How are things going, Bruce?

[HungFist]

Saw this last month. Good, though some of the fights dragged a bit too long and started to lose intensity. I don't really want to complain, though, as the film managed honest action with decent tech credits, which is a remarkably rare combination in these Expendables 2 days. The Shinoda score was mostly terrible, but not the filmmakers' fault.

Unsurprisingly, not a single lady in the theater (to draw an odd comparison, the Nikkatsu roman porno screenings, even the violent rape pink Hakuchu no onnagari, were packed with female audience).

[Yi-Long]

Saw this last month. Good, though some of the fights dragged a bit too long and started to lose intensity. I don't really want to complain, though, as the film managed honest action with decent tech credits, which is a remarkably rare combination in these Expendables 2 days. The Shinoda score was mostly terrible, but not the filmmakers' fault.

How is that not the filmmaker's fault? He OK'd the Shinoda track, probably to get a 'big name' on the sleeve, for whatever stupid reason.
Also, the European releases also don't have the original soundtrack as an option, which you can also blame him for.

The movie seems absolutely awesome, but I'm not gonna pick up any of the European releases because it's lacking the original score, and I'm not gonna bother with an expensive R1 import unless I come across one for under 10 euro total (including shipping).

Sad to say I haven't watched the movie yet. Would have gone and watched it in the cinema if it had come out with the original score, and would have gladly picked up a EU release if they would have bothered to just make it the same quality release as the region A BR.

[HungFist]

Saw this last month. Good, though some of the fights dragged a bit too long and started to lose intensity. I don't really want to complain, though, as the film managed honest action with decent tech credits, which is a remarkably rare combination in these Expendables 2 days. The Shinoda score was mostly terrible, but not the filmmakers' fault.

How is that not the filmmaker's fault? He OK'd the Shinoda track, probably to get a 'big name' on the sleeve, for whatever stupid reason.
Also, the European releases also don't have the original soundtrack as an option, which you can also blame him for.

Even without knowing the facts, I think that's very naive thinking. People making this kind of films are usually practically starving, and pray to god every night that they could miraculously gather a budget for a new film without having to do too much part time job. If Sony approaches you with an offer that with a new soundtrack your crappy little indonesian production could get a worldwide release (that is multiply its audience by approximately 50 times) and likely guarantee that you have a job in the future, it's not a difficult choise to make.

A lot of directors don't even get that chose. Noboru Yamashita is a good example. The best Japanese director of the 2000's, first coming out with various festival hits that are among the best Japanese movies of the 2000's, and then hit the mainstream gold and US dvd distribution with Linda Linda Linda, spent 4 years unemplyed after that cause no one in Japan offered him enough money to make a (even an indie) movie.

[Yi-Long]

Saw this last month. Good, though some of the fights dragged a bit too long and started to lose intensity. I don't really want to complain, though, as the film managed honest action with decent tech credits, which is a remarkably rare combination in these Expendables 2 days. The Shinoda score was mostly terrible, but not the filmmakers' fault.

How is that not the filmmaker's fault? He OK'd the Shinoda track, probably to get a 'big name' on the sleeve, for whatever stupid reason.
Also, the European releases also don't have the original soundtrack as an option, which you can also blame him for.

Even without knowing the facts, I think that's very naive thinking. People making this kind of films are usually practically starving, and pray to god every night that they could miraculously gather a budget for a new film without having to do too much part time job. If Sony approaches you with an offer that with a new soundtrack your crappy little indonesian production could get a worldwide release (that is multiply its audience by approximately 50 times) and likely guarantee that you have a job in the future, it's not a difficult choise to make.

A lot of directors don't even get that chose. Noboru Yamashita is a good example. The best Japanese director of the 2000's, first coming out with various festival hits that are among the best Japanese movies of the 2000's, and then hit the mainstream gold and US dvd distribution with Linda Linda Linda, spent 4 years unemplyed after that cause no one in Japan offered him enough money to make a (even an indie) movie.

Even with the earliest showings, it was pretty clear Evans had a big hit on his hands that could be successful all around the world. And no-one had a problem with the original soundtrack. In such a case, I feel Evans, also coming from this community where he knows 'the fans' don't really appreciate it when a western studio strats fucking around with a foreign movie, he should have stood a bit firmer, or just make sure, like he did for the Region A BR release, that we at least get the OPTION for the original soundtrack.

Also, with a movie like this, he wouldn't only have Sony interested in the movie. I'm sure when it got rave receptions on all the festivals it was showing, there would have been more studios which would have been willing to pick it up and release it. So Evans could have made some creative demands.

Personally, I feel Evans himself might have liked the fact that Shinoda was gonna do the soundtrack for his movie, which is cool ofcourse and he has every right to be happy with that, but like I said, I feel the original soundtrack should always be included.

It seemed the reception to the American cinema release was also a bit more 'muted' than when it was playing on festivals. Might have been because of that soundtrack (might also have been because it was subbed and American mainstream audiences don't like subs), but those who have heard both soundtracks seem to prefer the original score over the Shinoda score.

[bradavon]

When's a Blu-ray out? Thanks.

[Markgway]

It's out.

[Killer Meteor]

Brad strikes again!

[bradavon]

Brad strikes again!

I barely post these days. Stop trolling and get a life

[bradavon]

It's out.

Oh yeah so it is, thanks.

[hanshotfirst1138]

I think the original score is only available on the Blu-Ray version, I don't believe the DVD includes it. Dammit.