RZA to direct Man With The Iron Fist!

The Rza, founding member and creative genius behind the legendary hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan has just been handed over $20 million by Universal Pictures to shoot his kung fu epic The Man With The Iron Fist in China this September.

First off let me start by saying that this has got to be the most ambitious fanboy inspired project to come along since Grindhouse. Not only because it is being written and directed by The Rza, (who is also providing the soundtrack!) but because it was also co-written by none other then Eli Roth, the current king of nerdy gore flicks. What a combination, and if that wasn't crazy enough The Rza has apparently been training behind the camera over the years with the likes of John Woo and Quentin Tarantino (Rza contributed to the Kill Bill soundtrack).

All of this is fantastic news and I am no doubt excited, but I must admit that as a die hard Wu fan I am a bit skeptical.

There's no denying The Rza's genius, one only needs to listen to the early catelogue of the Wu for proof of that. Rza produced albums such as Raekwons "Only Built For Cuban Linx" and Gza's "Liquid Swords" were essentially movies in and of themselves, only on wax instead of film.

Problem is, that's The Rza of days long past. The grimey, grindhouse inhabiting fanboy that crafted classic album after classic album with a potent blend of capitalism, eastern philosphy and the influence of the five percent nation just doesn't exist anymore. Now days we are stuck with a Hollywood hippy that is a hack of his former self. Producing thrown together albums with luke warm beats and doing soundtracks for any bad movie that'll cut him a check.

As a fan I am really hoping this project works out, but I also know it is a matter of which Rza will show up. If we get the early to mid 1990's Rza then we will no doubt be in for a treat that should captivate audiences and possibly inspire more fanboy friendly films. On the otherhand, if we get the cgi friendly Rza of the 2000's who never met a movie like Blade 3 he didn't like, then we are all in big trouble.

Thankfully with Eli Roth overseeing the project things should work themselves out ok, and don't be surprised if Tarantino is lurking somewhere behind the scenes with a hand mixed up in this. Stay tuned.

Cult Film Review - Rolling Thunder!

After nearly a decade of being locked away as a P.O.W. in some Hanoi hell hole Major Charles Ranes has returned home to San Antonio to find that his whole life has moved on without him. His son, now almost a teenager doesn't remember him, the wife is out screwing around with the local goof troop law man and to top it off Major Ranes is stuck sleeping in the tool shed because he isn't capable of re-integrating back into society just yet.

The grateful town folk have scrounged up some gifts for the battered warrior, a shiny new red Cadillac and $2,500 worth of silver dollars, one for each day of his imprisonment. It is here that he begins to form a relationship with a military groupie that later becomes the Bonnie to his Clyde.

From here on out Rolling Thunder is hopped up on a bottle of crazy pills and bulldozes its way into history as one of the ultimate man films. After returning home Major Ranes is greeted by a group of outlaws hellbent on stealing the warheros $2,500 worth of silver dollars. These guys are bad to the bone, their acting superb and the violence they carry out --- remorseless.

Rolling Thunder isn't just your average revenge flick, it's better. A combination of Taxi-Driver meets No Country For Old Men with a grindhouse swag.

Tommy Lee Jones shows up in a supporting role as CPL. Johnny Vohden, a man who is just flat out bored with normal society. This is the most fun I have ever seen Tommy Lee Jones have on screen, whenever there is a gun in his hand with the possibility of a body being infront of the barrel Jones cracks this cold, demented smirk. The look of a man who is doing what he loves, killing.

Fans looking for a fast paced shoot'em up may be a little disappointed at the films slow pacing and the violence has little to no gore. Proving once again that the most effective violence is what takes place off screen.

Cult Film Review - Cop Killers!

"Don't ever put your hands on me again. Look man, I was just trying to relax. I'll keep my hands off the young virgin. Now if she comes on to me, that's another story".

The title of this film alone is enough to peak my interest. Not so much that I dislike cops, though I do occasionally find them useless, it's just that any film bold enough to sell itself under the title of "Cop Killers" has to be good. How could it not be?

Cop Killers tells the story of two low life hippies who's lives take a turn for the worse when a police road block prevents them from smuggling cocaine out of the desert. After a violent shoot out with the cops hippie drug dealers Alex and Ray hit the open Arizona road on a mission to sell their product to an even bigger drug dealer and escape out of the country as wealthy men.

From the perspective of a die-hard fan who lives and breathes for these types of movies, Cop Killers does not disappoint. This is the kind of film that forces people to take a shower after viewing, imagine a Sergio Leone western that's been nuked in a microwave and remixed by hippies.

Although not gory in abundance genre fans will walk away satisfied, if for no other reason then the f/x were handled by none other then Rick Baker. If gore is not enough, then the T & A, foul language, drug abuse, stolen ice-cream trucks and awesome folksy theme song that plays throughout will no doubt be enough to leave the whistles of fanboys wettend.