Fireball - Coming Jan 2010

[cultlabs]

FIREBALL


A fair way off, but we've got loads of stuff coming up for this amazing Thai movie. Expect some great clips and more info shortly...


"Fireball - The First Exclusive Clip" Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao7qjiM123I



http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=617&stc=1&d=1256852453


On a personal note, me and my partner sat down to watch this expecting a passable bit of throwaway fight cinema and got blown out of our chairs. It's got some real emotional punch alongside the violent action. Most action flicks lack that so we were really impressed.

[Yi-Long]

Looks awfull. Cheap and amateurish, and the action-scenes are clearly inspired by the recent trend of thai action movies, but certainly lack the impact and choreography.

[cultlabs]

Wow!

I thought it was great but I like rough and ready.

I also liked the back story and the underground Basketball theme.

I'll get more clips up soon, so maybe you'll warm to it.

[D1 Ma]

what action scenes?! Just horrible...

Looks like the only MA movie I'm really looking forward to is Merantau...Raging Phoenix being the second...

[Yakuza954]

I love this movie. It's like a demented, Rated R version of Shaolin Soccer. What this movie lacks in budget and fludity it makes up for in intensity and brutality. Not really the kind of movie to watch if you want to see HK-esque type complicated action sequences, or even choreography on Tony Jaa's level, but if your idea of a good time is watching a dude get elbowed mid-air in the face while attempting to dunk a basketball, then you've found the right movie.

God, whoever's idea it was to mix Muay Thai with Basketball is my hero.

[cultlabs]

Well said.

I think it depends on what your looking for. If you a serious student of fighting then something more cartoonish might not be your bag.

Personally, with no Martial Arts experience to speak of, I watch these films at face value. Does it entertain me? Yes! good.

I think it's reflected in my taste in martial arts cinema. I prefer things like Lady Snowblood or Lone Wolf and Cub. Exploitation films with a martial arts element, rather than pure fighting. I like old kung fu movies like Master of the Flying Guillotine for the Shaolin eyebrows, extending arms and general craziness.

I said before that I liked the film because it had a bit of emotion to it as well. I think that's important, perfect fighting sequences are all very well but there's no point if they have no good reason to fight in the first place.

[DeathFuMaster]

Looks decent. I like basketball and martial arts so I will probably check it out. Plus a "demented Shaolin Soccer" sounds awesome.

[blue_skies]

Fireball doesn't look much cop based on that trailer . I would definitely need more recommendations before even considering picking up the DVD.

[HyperDrive]

People doing Muay Thai during basketball... Did Bill Laimbeer do the choreography? :tongue:

[cultlabs]

Fireball doesn't look much cop based on that trailer . I would definitely need more recommendations before even considering picking up the DVD.

That's a really early teaser clip. Trailer coming soon.

[cultlabs]

Here's the official press blurb.

I only just got this and among other things it was interesting to see that a famous Thai rock star go the lead role. So... How will he stand up against such Rock Star drama dabblers as Sting or Mick Jagger :)

I'm waiting for the go ahead to publish the official trailer.

"PREPARE TO WITNESS THE MOST MIND-BLOWING MARTIAL ARTS ACTION FILM SINCE “ONG-BAK”.

In 2005, “Ong-Bak” introduced a whole new level of martial arts mayhem to unsuspecting action movie fans around the world and raised the bar as far as on-screen, in-your-face fight and action choreography was concerned. Now, producer Adirek Watleela (Bang Rajan; Bangkok Dangerous) and director Thanakorn Pongsuwan (Opapatika; The Story Of X-Circle) take things in a new direction with the electrifying and relentlessly violent FIREBALL, starring popular Thai rock star Preeti “Bank” Barameeanant in the dual roles of twin brothers who become dangerously involved in Thailand’s ultimate underground bloodsport.

Eschewing plot complexities in favour of all-out action sequences, FIREBALL combines the breakneck paced sport of basketball with the bone crushing brutality of Muay Thai fighting and mixed martial arts for an action movie experience quite unlike any other.

Recently released from prison, Tai discovers that his twin brother Tan is in a coma after being beaten to near-death by a rival. Further investigation reveals that in order to raise money to secure Tai’s early release, Tan had become involved in an illegal and deadly but highly lucrative underground sport known as Fireball, a no-holds-barred combination of basketball and martial arts in which ruthless murder is simply part of the game.

Seeking revenge on the man responsible for his brother’s condition, Tai poses as Tan and infiltrates the gangster-run world of Fireball by joining a team consisting of equally desperate individuals, including a Thai boxing champion out to prove himself, a Thai-African in need of money to support his impoverished family, and an old friend of Tan’s with a mysterious past.

After entering the latest Fireball tournament, Tai and his teammates are forced to risk everything, including their lives, by fighting their way to the final round of the championships in an arena from which several of them may not return. Along the way, Tai determines to identify his brother’s attacker and exact his revenge no matter what the cost to himself or those around him.

Breathtakingly paced from start to finish and featuring numerous extended scenes of stunning sports and explosive martial arts choreography, FIREBALL is a truly exhilarating action movie guaranteed to bludgeon viewers into submission and leave them as exhausted as its protagonists by the time the final credits begin to roll.

[David Rees]

Gotta be better than Kung Fu Dunk anyhow.....isnt the Thai dvd out already??


www.dvdasia.co.uk....dvd and blu ray from around the world (http://www.dvdasia.co.uk)

[cultlabs]

Doubtless the Thai edition is out there.

However, there's going to be theatrical release for this first then a really decent UK release.

I'm getting the official UK trailer online this week, so I'm pop back with that link soon.

[cultlabs]

People doing Muay Thai during basketball... Did Bill Laimbeer do the choreography? :tongue:

Part of that great tradition of weird Asian Sport-Fight movies. Shaolin Soccer, Battlefield Baseball et al. This one isn't a goofy jokefest like the aforementioned films though.

[cultlabs]

Here's a link to the official trailer... Thoughts?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEedPJx6_Ds

[LeRolls]

Here's a link to the official trailer... Thoughts?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEedPJx6_Ds

Youtube is down for maintenance. Guess I'll check back later.

[MLee]

As a film it was ok but the concept of mixing basketball with thai martial arts doesn't work for me. It was filmed with too many close ups and whoever was holding the camera couldn't stay still as the picture was very shakey during most of the action. It seemed after every move it would switch angles. This made it hard to see what was going on and impossible to keep up with. I couldn't tell many times which player was on which team and who was fighting who.

[LeRolls]

Mixing martial arts and sports always seemed like a bad idea to me unless it's for comedic effect. Still I may check this one out but I won't go out of my way.

[cultlabs]

It's easier to get away with a goofy mix of styles if you play it for laughs like Shaolin Soccer, but I think I'm watching these movies with different eyes. I like the kinetic feel you get from really sharp, fast editing and rougher looking footage. Yes, you loose technique but you gain forward momentum.

I appreciate everyone's opinion though. For people who really take Martial Arts seriously, I can see how it might frustrate when editing gets in the way of seeing the technique. But Fireball isn't that kind of movie. It's about speed and energy so maybe I'll coin some sort of new fighting genre with the word "punk" in there somewhere to describe it.

Also, for me, the characters engaged and their brief but well portrayed back stories added to the tension of the battles. This is overlooked in a lot of genre movies that focus merely on action and fighting.

[cultlabs]

Here's the pack shot for the upcoming UK release...



http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm144/samueljones1/sleeve_3353.jpg

[Charuto]

Pretty lousy to me. The camera thing everyone seemed to harp on already. Everything else seemed like a cliche. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the actors are members in a boy band together. It had that cheesy Asian TV drama feel that's often a vehicle to showcase such entertainers.

[cultlabs]

You must be psychic :smile:

I just got a load of images for the film so everyone gets a chance to admire their cheekbones and fancy rock star poses.

First image gallery posted here:

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=505614381&blogId=519107703

All the varied responses are really interesting. Like I said earlier, I watch more horror titles and Asian pulp cinema, so I take these movies at face value. I liked the gory excess and the choppy editing and I think they did a good job with what I imagine was a fairly modest budget. I enjoyed the melodramatic elements as well.

[Charuto]

You must be psychic :smile:

Nah, I've just been exposed to enough Asian entertainment to recognize the trends. :nerd:

[cultlabs]

I know what you mean,

Like the trend for black haired lady ghosts in wet clothes in Asian horror movies.

[cultlabs]

Martial arts movies are becoming jokes these days, basketball, breakdancing. What's next a baseball and football martial arts movie.

I've always liked exploitation movies and one element of that is filmmakers slinging genres together to make a buck. Werewolves on Wheels is a good example. Biker movies we're big, horror movies always sell. Let's make a movie!

I take your point, it wouldn't be good if pulpier movies dominated over more artistic films, but I thinks there's a place for a piece of unreal but enjoyable entertainment.

[cultlabs]

Here's the new clip we have from FIreball...

There's a little chat with one of the actors then more fighting. It's quite a fighty movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT-qa4ka5lE6

[cultlabs]

I just got a nice looking FIREBALL eBook emailed to me.

It reminds me of those poster magazines you used to get in the Newsagents for films like Black Hole and Ghostbusters, which shows my age!

Here's the link. There's some cast bios, clips and more images from the movie...

http://www.fireballmovie.com/fbcbook/

[cultlabs]

Here's a new clip from Fireball, this time incorporating a little Parkour action.

Fireball's had a bit of a bumpy ride on Kung Fu Cinema thus far and this probably dilutes the movie again as a straight up martial arts flick. I suppose it depends on your tastes but I think gonzo action movies are exercises in entertainment and this sequence is a good example of that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiRNj4QYD9k

[blue_skies]

Here's a new clip from Fireball, this time incorporating a little Parkour action.

Fireball's had a bit of a bumpy ride on Kung Fu Cinema thus far and this probably dilutes the movie again as a straight up martial arts flick. I suppose it depends on your tastes but I think gonzo action movies are exercises in entertainment and this sequence is a good example of that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiRNj4QYD9k



oiRNj4QYD9k

[cultlabs]

Thanks for getting the clip embedded on the thread.

There's a forum tip on my page telling me how (appropriately) but much appreciated!

Here's a couple of useful links....


Play.com
http://tinyurl.com/firebuy

Fan Page
http://tinyurl.com/firefan

Hopefully, I'll finally have the details of a limited theatrical fun (from 09.01.10) today, so even the Fireball doubter might want to get to these screenings if their in the UK, it'll be showing in a double with Ong Bak.

[cultlabs]

Ok, here's the listings for the Fireball screenings. I know that the films has a bit of a drubbing on here, but it's showing with Ong Bak so it should still be a good ticket for martial arts fans.

Prince Charles Cinema
Jan 8th -14th 2010
7 Leicester Place
London
Box Office: 02074943654

http://www.princecharlescinema.com


Leicester Phoenix
Jan 15th - 21st 2010
Phoenix Square
Midland Street
Leicester
Box Office: 0116 2422800

http://phoenix.org.uk/


Sheffield Showroom
Jan 13th 2010
7 Paternoster Row
Sheffield
Box Office: 0114 276 3534

http://www.showroomworkstation.org.uk/


The Roxy
Jan 10th 2010
128-132 Borough High Street
Box Office: 02074034423

http://www.roxybarandscreen.com


Genesis Cinema

Jan 19th-20th 2010
93-95 Mile End Road
London
Box Office: 0207 7802000

http://www.genesiscinema.co.uk/


Quinton Cinema Birmingham

Jan 19th-20th 2010
Hagley Road West
Halesowen
Box Office:

http://www.reelcinemas.co.uk/cinema/quinton


http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm144/samueljones1/FIREBALL/ZINGkicks4.jpg

[cultlabs]

New Fireball clips are up on Youtube. More clips from Fireballs many action sequences...

Water Fight (http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ4-vg-AYuE)

More Mayhem (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tZmcBR7buk)

Happy New Year to everyone on the KFC forum.

[cultlabs]

Fireball Screenings begin tomorrow at the Prince Charles Cinema in London.

If anyone gets to see the film on the big screen, let me know what you thought.

Sometimes that faster editing style works better on a big screen. I like the choppy look but even I have trouble keeping up when I watch clips on a Youtube player.

[cultlabs]

FIREBALL IS OUT NOW IN THE UK

If anyone has any thoughts about the release, let me know, I know KFC users have strong opinions about real martial arts versus effects and wire stunts. so It'll be interesting to know whether people are entertained by the movie or whether it just irritated...

[Morgoth Bauglir]

I just got the US release and I must say I'm very happy with it. I was expecting it to be really stupid, something like Born To Fight or Tom Yum Goong, but the directing and storytelling is much better than I thought it would be.

I didn't like some of the wirework, but that can easily be forgiven. There's plenty of good grounded action.

I haven't seen many Thai movies, but after seeing this I can finally say I have a favorite.

[Drunken Monk]

I actually found this near to unwatchable. The acting was good, the story seemed run of the mill but apt but the cinematography/camerawork was awful. It seems like they went for style over substance and failed. Quick edits, obscure angles, rapid zooms etc. It was too haphazard for me.
I still have it and hope to get through it all but it seems like it'll be a struggle.

[HyperDrive]

Weird... SyFy is showing this instead of the usual paid programming at 2am.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

Just watched this movie again and must say how much fun I had watching this... An adrenaline rush of a movie not sure if this is on netflix...