NYC's Videology To Host A FREE Screening Of MORTAL KOMBAT This Friday!

1995 couldn't have been a better time to be a gamer and martial arts movie fan. It was the year that we got the best of both worlds with New Line Cinema's release of the hit live-action adaptation, Mortal Kombat, pitting three Earthrealm warriors in a multi-dimensional medium of supernatual proportions where the fate of our planet would be decided in life-or-death battles.

For a PG-13 iteration of a relatively violent game, the film banked critically and commercially well among fans and movie goers alike, and new article posted on Tuesday at The Hollywood Reporter gets right down to the nitty gritty on how it all began, from dealing with naysayers and coping with location challenges, to off-set drama and on-set injuries, and finally its theatrical release. Moreover, of course the film led to a less-than-expemplary sequel but it still purported hopes for a third that never came, and nowadays with several shows, game installations and the last several years slowly breathing signs of life for a new film, fans are marking the twentieth anniversary of the film's release in epic fashion.

There may be more depending on where you go, and if you happen to be in New York, there are a few locations doing so this week, including the Urban Action Showcase & Expo this November. The other event is happening right around the corner this Friday at 7:00pm EST at Videology, located at 308 Bedford Avenue in the borough of Brooklyn, hosted by Den Of Geek and sponsored by TVStoreOnline.com.

Friday, August 21st @7PM

You can sum up virtually an entire era with a few key words and phrases…

“Fight.”

“Finish him.”

“Flawless victory.”

And the shout of…

Mortal Kombat!

This month marks the 20th anniversary of Mortal Kombat: The Movie, the undisputed video game movie champion. Alright, fine, the competition for that title isn’t too fierce, but it’s still true.

Maybe Mortal Kombat isn’t a cinematic classic, but it captures the spirit of that first arcade game admirably and has that undeniable (and undeniably loud) soundtrack. And the best way to watch it is definitely with a room full of people and a bar stocked with adult beverages.

So, on Friday, August 21st, Den of Geek Presents returns to Videology in Brooklyn, NY to screen Mortal Kombat: The Movie. There will be trivia, prizes, and some odd surprises, too. The show starts promptly at 7, so just keep your happy hour festivities going for another couple of hours.

I suppose it was rather opportune for Warner Bros earlier this month upon recently announcing Furious Seven helmer James Wan as producer for the new forthcoming film rebooting the franchise in its entirety. Granted, this was really a film that many have been waiting for, particularly with the promise shown by then-helmer Kevin Tancharoren five years ago in a leaked shortfilm pitch with Michael Jai White, Jeri Ryan, Ian Anthony Dale, Lateef Crowder and Matt Mullins; Again, of course, the last we know of Tancharoen's involvement is that it's completely nil, but then Warner Bros. has been playing things close to the chest since their digital production arm began filming the yet-to-be-titled third webseries. Uncertainty is key in keeping the fans thirsty, I suppose.

One thing is certain though: Things have definitely changed for the film industry with respect to fighting game adaptations. The changes are not yet complete, but with the successes of the Mortal Kombat Legacy and the Capcom-blessed depiction of the Street Fighter universe by martial arts action multi-hyphenates, Joey Ansah and Christian Howard, despite any doubts had more than two decades ago and whatever may come, the fighting game genre is alive and kicking... A victory not necessarily without its flaws, but still a victory, and all the more reason to keep fighting.

Head over to the Videology for further information!


H/T: Den Of Geek

James Wan Has Reportedly Signed On To Produce The MORTAL KOMBAT Movie Reboot

Back in October of last year, Warner Bros. and its digital production arm, Blue Ribbon Content, announced the production of a third installation of hit webseries Mortal Kombat Legacy which has taken a foothold within the fanbase. It's the only other development in anything Mortal Kombat since Kevin Tancharoen blessed fans with an amazing shortfilm that went viral in 2010 prior to what sounded like promising news for a glorious return to feature film territory since 1995 and 1997 from New Line Cinema. However, with Warner Bros. staking its claim with Tancharoen helming Mortal Kombat Legacy in 2011, news was slow to come regarding anything film related and by the second season in 2013, it was all for naught as Tancharoen, after two years of getting followed and trolled obsessively by fans pining for the best of what should have come by now for a movie and didn't, left the director's seat.

As it stands, industry stunt professional and coordinator Garrett Warren has been at the forefront of the upcoming season to which Tancharoen returned in some capacity and that's all we've had thusfar without any luck for a film. That was of course until the last twenty four hours when it was made public via The Tracking Board that Furious Seven helmer James Wan has reportedly signed on to produce the long-awaited Mortal Kombat feature film. The script itself has since been penned by Oren Uziel who worked closely with Tancharoen on the initial script, in addition to The Expendables and Godzilla scribe Dave Callahan while the plot itself will generally focus on a protagonist who realizes his potential when he gets caught in a cross-dimensional battle that forces that obligates him in saving the world by winning the legendary, brutal, and fatal tournament.

It sounds pretty similar to earlier iterations and likely with the approach that game franchise protagonist and eventual anti-hero, Liu Kang (previously played on screen by Robin Shou and Brian Tee) may lead the new movie as well with a new actor. Following season two and leading up to season three of the titular webseries, co-star Casper Van Dien had been heavily into the insistence that he'll reprise his role as disenfranchised movie star Johnny Cage while actor Michael Jai White has since been the chosen fan favorite to play bio-infused mechanical-armed soldier, Jax, after putting his stamp on the character in the 2010 shortfilm as well as the first season opposite late action star, actor Darren Shahlavi who portrayed the villainous Kano. Moreover, as a noteworthy mention, Warren had also gone public with fans on Twitter that if he were to cast anyone in the role of decrepid and masked hooksword-wielding kombatant, Kabal in a version of Mortal Kombat, it would be actor Bren Foster who is currently in Australia filming sci-fi thriller, SFv1 with Expendables 3 co-star Kellan Lutz.

Currently it is not known if whether or not the series will tie into the now upcoming film, and despite all these developments, other matters of official news need confirming at this point besides casting, including who will direct. As far as any of us know, Tancharoen isn't doing it, so unless things turn around, so this is all that we're left with until then or a new director is announced. For now, the news of Wan's interest in partaking in such an endeavor is a promising one, particularly in part with his most recent directorial contribution to Universal Pictures's historical gross success with Furious Seven in April, prior to landing Aquaman with Warner & DC, and Robotech for Sony back in June.

This is the same director who, before Furious Seven, landed successes in two horror franchises, Insidious and The Conjuring, in addition to his current attachment to producing Saw VIII, long after earning praise for helming the 2007 revenge flick, Death Sentence, starring Kevin Bacon. This is someone who clearly has some truly inspiring ideas on how to flesh out the best of a Mortal Kombat movie, and with the right director, this one could very much be historical and worthy of fan approval and the prospects of a sequel.

It's definitely a great time for Warner Bros. to move forward with some news about this movie since the film was announced in 2011. And with Wan on board, the news breathes new life to fans as it appears the long-awaited Mortal Kombat film reboot is slowly and gracefully recovering from its own fatality. Crazy huh?

Stay tuned for more info.

Get Ready For The 3rd Annual URBAN ACTION SHOWCASE & EXPO In New York City This Fall!

From L to R: Taimak, Demetrius Angelo and Michael Jai White pose for the cameras at Urban Action Showcase & Expo last November.

The Urban Action Showcase & Expo has endured two successful runs since launching in 2013 at the behest of its founder and executive producer, Demetrius Angelo. Each event has been jam-packed with star-studded attendances, screenings and seminars hosted by a variety of figures in the action movie industry with an array of creatives lending their own projects to the fray for the hopeful attention of studios and platforms to gain recognition.

As such, this Fall will mark the third installation and will take place at its current home between both HBO and AMC Empire 25 in the Times Square section of Manhattan in New York City the weekend of November 5. As per its motus oppurande, UASE 2015 wil aim to present its focus on diversity and the timeless multicultural progression in the world of action cinema in all its forms, and the sub-genres therein as it has done with the help of such celebrities as Fred Williamson, Taimak, Cynthia Rothrock, Michael Jai White, Ernie Reyes Jr., Isaac Florentine, Kelly Hu and many, many more. In addition, attendees can expect to partake in the celebration of martial arts action classics, Berry Gordy's 1984 hit, The Last Dragon, and director Lawrence Kassanoff's 1995 adaptation of the popular Midway fighting game, Mortal Kombat.

The expo will also further the advancement and promotion of independent content, otherwise with the company of Angelo's current crowdfunfing efforts for the martial arts fantasy action short, Galtow, ahead of its hopeful feature film to follow.

Head over to the official website or call 646 431-4753 where you can learn more about the expo and what it entails, how you can attend, the dates and features, and even partake in its promotion.

DOES IT HOLD UP?: Johnny Cage vs. Scorpion In MORTAL KOMBAT (1995)

Mortal Kombat hit at a crossroads in action movie history, a time when audiences may have heard of Hong Kong action but probably had never seen it for themselves. There had been glimpses in the past; from the Golden Harvest produced TMNT movies to John Woo's Hollywood debut, Hard Target. Hollywood had spent most of the 90s easing American audiences in to the kind of action that Hong Kong was known for and Mortal Kombat was the first to wear its influence proudly. The fight scenes blew our prepubescent minds, but none had quite as much impact as the film's centerpiece, Johnny Cage vs Scorpion. Does this fight stand the test of time, or should it be lost to history?

20 years later, that spear just looks adorable....

THE SETTING

This fight as well as Liu Kang vs Reptile from later in the film, were both choreographed by leading man Robin Shou... and were both the result of reshoots. Test audiences were none too impressed with the majority of the film's fight scenes, all except the ones that Shou choreographed for himself. Shou was a 9 year HK veteran who'd gone toe to toe with some of that market's top stars, including Donnie Yen; when the studio realized the talent they had on their hands, they scheduled reshoots and made him the primary fight choreographer. Needless to say, he knocked it out of the park.

THE SCENE

Johnny Cage fights Scorpion toward the middle of the film. It's the character's first one-on-one fight and the only one that isn't played for laughs (looking at you, Goro). The fight starts in a conspicuously symmetrical forest; a forest that shouldn't even exist on the film's tropical island setting. Scorpion sics his foul tempered spear on poor Johnny, who has no defense against it except to run away. After the spear suffers a Wile E. Coyote-style death, Cage is transported to Scorpion's weird hellscape basement to finish the fight.

Seriously!!!  Where did this forest come from???

If this film were made today, the hellscape would have been created using green screen and would have gone on for miles. As it stands, the arena is a practical set (that looks more like a movie set than ever thanks to HD); while it's somewhat lacking in the kind of epic scope we're used to seeing today, the cramped location gives the fight a claustrophobic feel that ratchets up the intensity. You really get the feeling that Johnny can't escape and has to fight for his life; a fight that gets surprisingly brutal at points.

In '95 this felt massive...

But by 2015 standards, it's a studio apartment.

THE FIGHT

Like the rest of the fights in Mortal Kombat, this fight inhabits a halfway point between Hollywood and Hong Kong. Actor Linden Ashby trained hard in Karate and Tae Kwon Do in preparation for the film; his opponent, played by Chris Casamassa, was a martial arts champion who'd been training in Red Dragon Karate since he was four years old. The performers acquit themselves well, but it's clear they were still getting the hang of Hong Kong-style choreo. Where the fight shows its American roots is in the rhythm; it's noticeably slower paced than most HK work and the fighters sometimes look like they're waiting for an attack to finish so they can throw their next kick. Despite this, the moves are crisp and performed with confidence; the quality of the fighting actually improves as the fight goes on.

Pictured:  $500 sunglasses.....

Since this was made in the 90's, a decade when filmmakers still knew how to film action, the camerawork and editing is on point. Whether it's a wide, medium or closeup, the cinematography is always clear and easy to follow. The editing and use of angles often helps to enhance the brutality of the fight (Scorpion's not above kicking someone relentlessly while they're down) without ever becoming too chaotic. The fighters and the environment are displayed beautifully and the butt-rock soundtrack just adds to the campy charm that radiates from the scene.

DOES IT HOLD UP?

Yes, but not for the reasons you might think. This is an example of a fight that's greater than the sum of its parts.

The actual fighting hearkens back to a bygone era; when Americans were finally starting to embrace Hong Kong-style action. The choreography is solid, but it's a little too slow and simple to hold up to current standards. Where the fight really excels is in its endearingly campy nature. The cartoonish costumes mixed with the obviously fake yet visually dynamic location creates a mood that's rarely replicated (let alone replicated well). Add great cinematography and cheesy soundtrack on top of that and you have an action scene that holds up on charm alone.

mic....  dropped......

While the Liu Kang vs Reptile fight is stronger technically (due in no small part to Robin Shou's HK street cred), this fight is more memorable. It also helps that Johnny Cage is such a fun character. He's not the chosen one, he's just an egotistical diva with a black belt and something to prove. Seeing him rise to the challenge is infinitely gratifying and the fight's payoff is great fan service.  

Cary Tagawa Will Return As Shang Tsung For The New MORTAL KOMBAT Series

Machinima's release of the hit webseries, Mortal Kombat Legacy is gearing up for a brand new season filming this month in Los Angeles by way of Warner Bros.'s digital production arm, Blue Ribbon Content. We already have an idea about who will be appearing while an official listing has yet to be made public, although every little bit of news that trickles does help.

That being said, expect actor Cary Tagawa to tweeted his return in the role of aging Outworld sorceror Shang Tsung starting next week on Monday. Tsung emerged briefly in then-director Kevin Tancharoen's first of two by way of actor Jonathan Phan in the third episode while Tagawa followed suit in season two, reprising a refurbished version of his iconic role from the 1995 feature film adaptation of the original game by Midway.

It is not yet clearly known how the third season will depict its story, although seasoned Hollywood stunt coordinator Garrett Warren (Mortal Kombat Legacy: Season 2, Divergent) is currently taking the helm as per a recent Los Angeles casting call which gave a few clues. Actors Casper Van Dien and Mark Dacascos have confirmed via social media to jump back in the arena for their respective roles as Johnny Cage and Kung Lao, with further updates needed on who else will star, including who will replace S1 and 2 cast member, actor Ian Anthony Dale for the role of vengeful undead ninja, Scorpion.

More to come!

H/T: MKOnline