The Silencer - British martial arts movie - first screening!

SteveL · Post by **SteveL** » 16 Aug 2006, 21:31

Hi all

I don't know how many on this board are familiar with "The Silencer" (www.the-silencer.co.uk), our upcoming UK martial arts flick, but the premiere screening is being held on the 30th of September at the Brighton Odeon cinema.

The film stars Glenn Salvage ("Left For Dead") and Maye Choo (BBC1's "Silent Witness"), and you can see the trailer at www.the-silencer.co.uk and view the first two minutes on YouTube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g-v0CSlWKQ

Tickets for the screening are £5, which includes a Q&A and networking session afterwards with cast and crew and other movie folk who will be in attendance. Contact enquiries@the-silencer for details.

Please feel free to post comments on the trailer etc. on this board, it's be great to have some feedback!

Thanks
Steve Lawson

www.the-silencer.co.uk
www.steve-lawson.net

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 17 Aug 2006, 00:42

Trailer looks OK. I understand it's an independant movie so I guess it's mostly done by starters and amateurs? If so, then yeah it looks good (not great) for a first big project.
I didnt really like the choreography and martial arts I saw. It just looked a bit 'off'. I dont know if the people in it are talented martial artists or not. I'm guessing they are or else why would you put martial arts in the movie, but some of the moves could have used a couple more takes to make it look better, some exchanges looked a bit slow, and some of the camera-angles were off...

Anyway, I'm sounding a bit harsh and I really dont want to sound harsh, as I applaud independent moviemaking. But very often these movies have to rely on the action to make the sell, so if I see problems in the choreography and editing etc, that's just a shame as it means it could have been better.

Who's the girl btw? She looks a bit familiar, but I wouldnt have a clue where I'd know her from. She looks a little like the girl from Wake of Death, but that girl was a lot younger and that movie isnt that old yet...

Looks like a lot of fun to shoot a movie like that though. Everyone wants to get into movies so they can prolong their childhood of playing cops and robbers and stuff

And apart from the criticism of the choreography and editing etc of the martial arts bits.... the trailer is well done and the music seems to fit well.
Obviously, or else it wouldnt get a theatrical release...

SimonMW · Post by **SimonMW** » 17 Aug 2006, 09:58

Well, nope, not entirely Amateur. I am a professional cameraman and co-directed/dp'ed the movie. It was however shot on a very low budget indeed in very limiting circumstances.

Although I realise of course that the viewing public will not watch it in this context. I take you points about the fighting. We had very limited time (and a lot of stunt guys suffering from injuries! But thats another story.) But the main drive behaind these fights was the feel behind them. Ie, they weren't designed as 'show off' fights. In the context of the film itself I can assure you that they work very well indeed.

As a film The Silencer does work very well. Unlike most independent action movies, The Silencer actually has a script, and, OMG, a story! Its something that can actually be watched rather than twiddling thumbs waiting for the next action sequence to come along.

So no, this wasn't a movie made by hopeful amateurs. Low budget pros is probably the best way of describing us! Check out my website at http://www.simonwyndham.co.uk to see the other stuff I get up to (and if you've been around for a while you might remember my old website The Bootmasters Homepage).

slasher13 · Post by **slasher13** » 17 Aug 2006, 11:35

Hey just checked it, it looks quite good. Like Yi say before, some of the choreography looks a little 'off' but mainly it looks really good. It a movie that I might want to check out, so look luck with it

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 17 Aug 2006, 11:53

Hey,
In case you plan on doing so, they don't take too kindly to advertising on http://www.thedvdforums.co.uk. You'll have to arrange something with their admin.

SimonMW · Post by **SimonMW** » 17 Aug 2006, 13:13

I'll slap Steve on the wrist. He should know better ;-)

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 17 Aug 2006, 16:04

I always applaud people for getting out there and trying whilst the rest of us sit on our collective arses.

Like Yi says it does look more like good amateur than anything professional but maybe there's a cult in the making?

The trailer doesn't really give an idea of the story so one can only guess what the film is about from the title.

The fights don't come across in the trailer - but then it's extremely difficult to replicate the HK style, angles and rhythm. Many big budget American films have tried and failed.

I understand some of the actors are professional, but the bit where the guy slaps the girl is wooden. I'm guessing this actor wasn't a pro? Again, this is only what I get from the trailer, and my criticism is meant to be constructive. I'm really not out to tear you guys down.

In fact, I wish you well.

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 17 Aug 2006, 16:44

Can't really add much more to what Yi and Mark have said, to be honest. I agree with the points they've raised.

However, if the story is as strong as you say, then you shouldn't have a problem. Good stories usually win out. I understand that putting fights into the trailer gets more people hooked (look at V For Vendetta: the trailers for that film made it out to be an action flick, when it's anything but), but by the same token, if you aren't going to deliver on the action sequences (in the sense of the film being an end to end fight-fest) but instead are going to have more focus on plot and character, then the rest of the film had better come up to scratch.

Good luck with the premiere

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 18 Aug 2006, 01:19

Where was it filmed?

SteveL · Post by **SteveL** » 18 Aug 2006, 08:20

It was filmed at numerous locations all over England, from Brighton to North Yorkshire and a lot of places in between!

Steve

SimonMW · Post by **SimonMW** » 18 Aug 2006, 19:22

Steve, do you want to tell him who the guy was doing the slapping, or shall I?

SteveL · Post by **SteveL** » 18 Aug 2006, 20:13

That guy was crap, we should have sacked him.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 18 Aug 2006, 21:05

Welcome to Bullets guys. I don't think we've had actual film-makers here before (except Lost Dragon) 8)

My opinion it looks decent and not half as amateurish as it could have. I have no problem with this. There's a big difference between rough around the edges and rubbish.

The fight sequences looked fine to me but then I'm not half as fussy as many here. Someone is a big Donnie Yen fan

I'm not convinced the film needed a clichéd defenceless Asian girl but if you're making a homage to the genre I guess it fits, but then I'm basing all this on a trailer so what do I know. Still it was good to see she's English and wasn't told to put on some stilted English when talking.

So is it getting a theatrical release? I'd love to hear a Mark Kermode review

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 18 Aug 2006, 21:13

Oh I forgot to say the sequences when The Silencer walks on in motorbike gear looked really cool. Top stuff!

SteveL · Post by **SteveL** » 18 Aug 2006, 23:41

Thanks for the comments. Actually, we have not ONE but TWO defenseless Asian girls in the movie. It was a concern during production that we were perhaps pandering to stereotypes, but when you see the whole film it becomes clear that it's an essential plot point. Honest!

SteveL

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 19 Aug 2006, 00:53

I'll let you off then 8)

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 19 Aug 2006, 03:12

Defenceless Asian girls saved by a big hunk?

Sounds like my life story.

I want a chunk of the profits.

If there are any?

SteveL · Post by **SteveL** » 19 Aug 2006, 08:50

I had no idea you were a defenceless Asian girl, Markgway. Who was the big hunk that saved you?

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 19 Aug 2006, 11:31

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 19 Aug 2006, 13:32

SteveL wrote:I had no idea you were a defenceless Asian girl, Markgway. Who was the big hunk that saved you?

I asked for that.

Godzooki · Post by **Godzooki** » 23 Aug 2006, 02:29

I seen a fight scene from this earlier in the year, looks alright. Altough i would rather stick a needle in my eye than watch it, UK action flicks dont cut the mustard no matter how talented you are, seem to contrived and the audience just dont but into it. That being said i wish you all the best of uck on the project.

Thats that TKD guy chris jones in it, plus SW from superkickers..i loved that site. :mrgreen:

Bullets 'n' Babes

The Silencer - British martial arts movie - first screening!

The Silencer - British martial arts movie - first screening!

Erm...