Thanks to our hard-working contributors Andrew Mack, Daniel Eagan, and Kyle Logan, we have wall to wall coverage of the best action picture in years.
Of course, we're talking about The Furious. I saw it this past Tuesday evening, and the audience erupted throughout the screening with spontaneous shouts of joy (at the action) and surprise (at the brutality).
The film definitely gets intense, so be prepared for that. But also be prepared for an entirely compelling viewing experience. This is definitely a film that you need to see in a theater, as big and loud as possible.
There is another major release this weekend, and it also rewards a theatrical viewing. But see The Furious first.
Read onward for links to our detailed coverage of The Furious, as well as links to our reviews of Disclosure Day, Kraken, By Hook or By Crook, and The Devil Queen.
The Furious
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Lionsgate.
Our review by Andrew Mack: "From the word go The Furious launches into one brutal melee after another. This is the best martial arts and fighting action film of the last 10 years, hands down. That is no hyperbole - we do not see this being beaten (ha ha... sigh... puns) by anyone for a while."
Our interview by Daniel Eagan with star Joe Taslim: "Sometime viewers forget. They are expecting to see beautiful, fancy moves. But we're talking about human beings. Every single fight in real life, there's nothing composed about it. Nobody's waiting for their turn to make a move. It's always chaotic."
Our interview by Daniel Eagan with star Xie Mao: "The Furious means so much to me. I hope in the future we can use this kind of standard for every action movie. Maybe I won't be as good as this one, but I will treat it as a goal to work toward."
Our interview by Daniel Eagan with director Kenji Tanigaki, quoted here, and producer Bill Kong: "This movie is more grounded, it's like "unplugged" music. Back to basic and down low."
Our interview by Kyle Logan with composer Flying Lotus: "They had all the right elements. They were saying, "Oh it's up there with The Raid." I was like "Whaaat?" "Oh yeah, it's got Joe Taslim in it." "Oh, word?" So I was already on board, I was already a yes. A martial arts movie? Like come on now. Easy. That's easy business."
(Full disclosure: Screen Anarchy is owned by XYZ Films, which was involved in the making of the picture. No one associated with XYZ Films was involved with the writing or editing of this article. We all just sincerely love incredible action films.)
Official synopsis: "After the daughter of Wang Wei (Xie Miao) is kidnapped by a criminal network and he receives no help from the corrupt police, Wei sets out on a rampage to find her himself. His only ally is Navin (Joe Taslim) - a relentless journalist whose wife has mysteriously disappeared. Fueled by a furious vengeance, the unlikely duo ruthlessly fights against the kidnappers in this explosive martial arts showdown."
Disclosure Day
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Universal Pictures. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.
Our review by Mel Valentin: "For all its weighty, provocative ideas, Disclosure Day unfolds not like a dry treatise or polemic about the precarious state of the world as Spielberg sees it, but as a scaled-up science-fiction adventure filled with a not-so-random assortment of scrapes and escapes, all handled with Spielberg's customary care and eye for exacting detail, and unparalleled mastery of the set piece."
Kraken
The film is now playing, in movie theaters and On Digital, via Samuel Goldwyn Films. Visit the official site for more information.
Our review by Christopher Rhoten: "For a film focused on the environment, it's unfortunate that much of Kraken is as lifeless as a corpse, struggling to marry its lush, cinematic setting with a worthy story or eye-popping action. If men like Avaldsnes are to be punished, must that punishment be as boring as the crime? Surely there's a less mediocre, less ordinary way to release this mythical beast."
By Hook or By Crook (2001)
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Altered Innocence. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.
Our interview by Kyle Logan with filmmakers Harry Dodge, quoted here, and Silas Howard: "Every screenplay book tells you mainly: show everything visually, don't do anything with language. Language is not the star of the show, the visuals are the star of the show, so don't do work with language. So this was definitely flying in the face of that -- all of the flowery language we wanted to try, the more literary sentences, what have you, were an experiment and sort of going against best practices, quote unquote, 'best practices.'"
The Devil Queen (1974)
The film opens Friday, June 5, only in movie theaters, via Kino Lorber. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.
Our review by Shelagh Rowan-Legg: "The Devil Queen is wonderfully unique film, a throwback to a particular time and place, and a cult film ready to find its wider audience. The 4K restoration will look amazing on the big screen, and while the story may get a little confusing at times, the style and characters do not. It's big, queer, dark and dirty, and with just the right amount of violence and blood matched by beauty."
Now Playing celebrates the cinematic experience, in movie theaters and at home.