honky tonk freeway is a 1981 comedy film directed by john schlesinger .

the film , conceived and co-produced by don boyd , was one of the most expensive box office flops in history , losing its british backers thorn-emi an estimated $ 11,000,000 and profoundly affecting its fortunes and aspirations .

the film was financed in part by accountant roy tucker 's tax avoidance schemes funded by the rossminster banking group .

honky tonk freeway

with the headline : harsh view of america in ' honky tonk freeway ' .
there are no critic reviews yet for honky tonk freeway . keep checking rotten tomatoes for updates !
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jeez , i just watched the trailer . awful . the last tagline spoken “honky tonk freeway… . get off on it ! ”
honky tonk freeway | 1981 upcoming movies | movie database | joblo . com , release date 1981 , latest pictures , posters , videos and news
congregational church of mount dora was painted pink as part of the filming for honky tonk freeway . - original source : w . t . bland public library
during the filming of honky tonk freeway . downtown mount dora was painted pink and called ticklaw florida . myself and lots of my family were extras… | pinteres…
' ' honky tonk freeway ' ' is rated pg ( ' ' parental guidance suggested ' ' ) . it contains some sexual innuendoes and bathroom jokes . janet maslin
congregational church of mount dora was painted pink as part of the filming for honky tonk freeway . - original source : w . t . bland public library ( gillespie , ryan / courtesy photo )
geraldine paige and deborah rush in honky tonk freeway ( 1981 ) . never saw it , hear it ' s bad but surely worth it just for paige . | actress nuns | pinterest | hon…
honky tonk freeway is a action film released in 1981 . the film stars david rasche as eddie white , paul jabara as t . j . tupus and howard hesseman as snapper . honky tonk freeway was produced for $ 24 , 000 , 000 . since it ' s release it has grossed over $ 1 , 000 , 000 in ticket sales and $ 1 , 000 , 000 in rental and home sales .
not many movies can blow up an interstate , have a star - studded cast , and severely injure a hollywood automotive legend… and then quickly fade into obscurity . but that is the case with honky tonk freeway .
thirty - five years after the release of honky tonk freeway , residents will have the chance to get a peek back into that time , and assess for themselves how much gold was really in all that pink .
it would be a year before the honky tonk freeway buzz built back up again with the movie’s release in august 1981 , but the mount dora topic was ready . publisher al liveright in a page one announcement wrote ,
“the overriding question about emi’s honky tonk freeway is why anyone should want to spend over $ 25m . on a film as devoid of any basic humorous appeal … ( its ) long - term commercial appeal appears to be almost nil . ”
anyway , i’ve never even heard of honky tonk freeway until today , so i had to go to imdb to look at the details . i discovered for those who can’t stand having seen this , it can be rented from amazon . com .
then the lights dimmed and the much - awaited event finally began filling the screen . the first image of palm trees exploding while a freeway proves to be the whole flick’s banana peel , because everything after slips and falls in helter - skelter confusion . honky tonk freeway was a bomb , one of the biggest flops in hollywood history .
the second redeeming feature of the honky tonk freeway is a daring stunt by hollywood legend dean jeffries . while his name is known more for creating custom movie / tv cars like the monkeemobile and the green hornet’s black beauty , he was also an accomplished stuntman .
a premiere party for
honky tonk freeway
was held aug . 21 , 1981 , at the mount dora chamber of commerce building . gov . bob graham and others who were there then attended the opening - night showing at the tropic theater in leesburg .
in some respects it’s easy to see why honky tonk freeway was such a costly flop at the box office in 1981 . in the times of austerity we currently enjoy , the movie would certainly resonate more with audiences now than in the relatively affluent times in which it was birthed . we don’t want to give honky tonk freeway too much credit though . it’s hardly withering satire , and far more could , and perhaps should have been made of the quickly - dropped subplot of corrupt officials ( the same sort of behaviour was also ruining british towns and cities at the time ) : but its feel - good goofiness and larger than life characters may well sucker you in . honky tonk freeway is nowhere near as bad as its reputation suggests , and some parts of it are actually rather good . it’s also probably the only movie in which you can see william devane waterskiing from the back of an elephant : and that’s worth anybody’s time and money .
emi , which must have been well aware of the movie’s impending death , immediately sold the rights for video distribution , and honky tonk freeway closed after one week in theaters , banished to the video purgatory . emi took a $ 11 - million loss , a hit so severe that the british film company never made another foray into american film .
one of at least three filmed productions where actor peter billingsley played a character called
billy
which is a name similar to his surname of
billingsley
. the titles are : death valley ( 1982 ) ( billy ) , honky tonk freeway ( 1981 ) ( little billy ) , and sherman oaks ( 1995 ) ( billy baker ) .
the story , or rather stories of honky tonk freeway are told through vignettes , since the action follows the separate adventures of a large cast of characters ; the wheeze being that they will all ultimately come together as they descend on ticlaw . some of the stories are well - crafted , and the stellar cast also makes the movie an attractive draw .
despite the spectacularly expensive bridge explosion and the 100 + ft . jump in a commercial - grade truck , the movie flopped at the box office . there are plenty of elements that could be blamed – everything from a deceitful production company to a disjointed plot . but regardless , the lavish stunts made honky tonk freeway one of the biggest money - losers of its time .
honky tonk freeway , directed by john schlesinger ; written by edward clinton ; director of photography , john bailey ; film editor , jim clark ; music by george martin and elmer bernstein ; produced by don boyd and howard w . koch jr . ; released by universal pictures . at the ziegfeld , avenue of the americas and 54th street . running time : 107 minutes . this film is rated pg .
it came 35 years ago with the release of
honky tonk freeway ,
a film with a $ 24 million budget that included painting many buildings in the quaint downtown pink . baker appeared in the film , which had an all - star cast that included jessica tandy , hume cronyn and beau bridges plus hundreds of lake county residents as extras such as baker — who appears for all of a second .
jeannine oppewall entered the film industry in the late 1970s after a six - year association with the great design innovators , charles and ray eames . she worked as a set designer ( blue collar , blow out , the rose , honky tonk freeway ) before rising to the position of production designer in 1983 with tender mercies , the modestly budgeted ‘slice of life’ film , which brought robert duvall an academy award .
today that would be the job of the cgi department on a film , but 35 years ago , honky tonk freeway demolished the entire span with real explosives , fire , and shrapnel . the trick was that i - 75 had not yet been completed through all of south florida , and the production company paid to have the palmer road overpass in the small town of fruitville initially constructed out of wood and plaster .
peter sorel already had more than 30 credits when we first worked together on honky tonk freeway in 1980 . a few years later , john r . hamilton , a veteran of many westerns with john ford and john wayne , was the still photographer on silverado , my first and only western . while yet a tyro cinematographer , i had the honor of working with many legendary still photographers — and learning from all of them .
honky tonk freeway is an early 1980s comedy about the fictional small town of ticlaw in florida . it has an economy that relies on tourism , but is deemed too insignificant to warrant an exit on the newly constructed freeway . with the whole world passing them by , the townspeople , under the leadership of mayor / preacher kirby t calo ( the charismatic william devane ) decide to strike back against the corrupt authorities and let the world know they exist . it is directed by john schlesinger ( the british talent behind billy liar , midnight cowboy and marathon man ) .
honky tonk freeway’s plot involves many different character stories that are all on an inevitable path through the fictitious town of ticlaw , florida . the tiny southern settlement would love to welcome tourist dollars , but their town didn’t get an exit on the new interstate . this could almost be a satire on how expressways changed america’s main street , but everyone is playing a tired stereotype with zero humanity . thus , the flick only qualifies for cringe - worthy cinema .
honky tonk freeway ( 1981 ) . welcome to ticaw , florida , a tiny town just off the highway with big dreams of attracting huge tourist dollars . but when construction of the new freeway leaves them without a crucial exit ramp , the desperate townsfolk decide to take motor matters into their own hands . now with the help of a water - skiing elephant , a rampaging rhino , some well - placed explosives and an invasion of very odd travelers , this busy freeway is about to take one extremely strange detour . stars : david rasche , beau bridges , beverly d ' angelo , paul jabara , howard hesseman , jenn thompson , daniel stern & peter billingsley . directed by john schlesinger . original release date : august 21 , 1981 .
mount dora movies under the stars continues this friday , august 19 with a screening of honky tonk freeway ( 1981 ) , the movie which was filmed in part in mount dora and for which portions of town were painted pepto - bismal pink . the screening will be in elizabeth evans park starting at dusk . food and drinks will be available for purchase ; bring your picnic blanket . if the weather is inclement , the movie will be screened in the community center ( on baker street next to mount dora city hall ) .
as much of an affront as ' ' honky tonk freeway ' ' may be to patriots , because its snobbism about america is so acid , it ' s bound to bother film buffs even more . mr . schlesinger has combined ' ' nashville , ' ' ' ' handle with care ' ' and other road films , and slapped the material together with no particular reverence or ingenuity . however , he works jauntily and enthusiastically , and his car movie isn ' t the retread it might have been . like the people it ' s about , it ' s got gumption .
for one thing , the movie confuses with so many characters and plotlines happening at once . it feels dated to start with , perhaps because the theme song “honky tonk freeway” by brooks and dunn plays to the trucker / cb wave of the late ‘70s , a sound which had lapsed to disco and was by then drowning in “betty davis eyes . ” director schlesinger was british and may not have understood florida tourist culture . for locals , there isn’t enough mount dora in it—much of it is a road movie—and the raunchiness , even for 1983 , is uncomfortable at places . and the jokes—well , most miss their mark by a mile .
sylvia miles ' s poodle is alive and well , the one that appeared in ' ' midnight cowboy ' ' wearing false eyelashes and yapping nastily at everything in sight . not that particular dog , perhaps , but certainly its attitude . john schlesinger , who directed that film and has now made ' ' honky tonk freeway , ' ' still thinks america is a crass , foolish , disagreeable place , and he has nothing to say about it that ' s new . however , mr . schlesinger has dusted off some old gags , shamelessly borrowed some more recent ones and put together a movie that ' s almost as surprisingly funny as it is silly .
it not only disappeared from box offices quickly , but by the time the movie was ready to hit theaters , the real overpass was constructed and i - 75 was open for business ( it has even been expanded since then ) . this flick didn’t even get the chance at a cult following over the years like le mans or the wraith , and that’s a bit of a shame . in the modern era where movies do their best to digitally make everything look real , this film was one of the last to be made with real fire and guts . but for those of us in the know , there is a lasting legacy to the honky tonk freeway .
“you really don’t know , because i have been involved in movies that you probably haven’t even heard of that were huge , ” says billingsley , a new york native whose crystal blue eyes still shine with a childlike glow , even from behind a decidedly more mature countenance . “honky tonk freeway , at the time , it cost $ 26 million dollars , which was like the t3 of its day , and it didn’t really make any money . paternity was with burt reynolds , who was the number one box office draw , and it bombed ; you feel this hype and this energy and this confidence on the set , [ like ] ‘wow this is going to rock ! ’ and ‘we’re great ! ’ and then , it doesn’t open . ”
see if you ' ve heard this before : ' ' honky tonk freeway , ' ' which opens today at the ziegfeld theater , presents a bunch of oddballs who have nothing in common except the fact that , by the end of the movie , they will all bump into one another somewhere in dixie . the run - in will occur when the town of ticlaw , fla . , finally makes its communal wish come true . ticlaw sits beside a new interstate without an exit to call its own , and no amount of bribe money in kentucky fried chicken boxes seems to be remedying theproblem . therefore , the citizens of ticlaw take the matter into their own hands . there ' s nothing they won ' t do to get that exit built .
ticlaw , a small town in florida , has only one attraction : a safari park . the government constructs a freeway that passes near ticlaw , but decides not to put an exit into the town . the . . . see full summary »
throughout his long career , roberts appeared in over 30 feature films , including : in a lonely place ( 1950 ) ; the killers ( 1964 ) written by gene l . coon and featuring ronald reagan in his last film role ; the chase ( 1966 ) with steve ihnat ; westworld ( 1973 ) with majel barrett , charles seel , alan oppenheimer , kenneth washington and paul sorensen ; demon seed ( 1977 ) , with fritz weaver , gerrit graham , michael dorn and felix silla ; and john schlesinger ' s honky tonk freeway ( 1981 ) , which featured teri garr , jerry hardin and jeffrey combs . he also appeared in the mini - series roots , which starred levar burton , as well as many television series , including i dream of jeannie , mission : impossible , gunsmoke , the mary tyler moore show , sanford and son , and all in the family .
when you think about the whole drift of the movie—small florida town seeks economic salvation in a freeway exit—time plays its own tricks . perhaps director john schlesinger’s ambition , or the ghost of it—he later said filming the movie was personally “a shattering experience”—comes back hauntingly . consider that the real florida town of mount dora is now getting an actual freeway exit ; was it prophesized by that movie 35 years ago ? and does the golden promise of all that new business—like the painted - pink business district along donnelly street—come at a cost like we see in the movie ?
an outrageous trip through roadside america from the oscar - winning director of midnight cowboy and darling . welcome to ticaw , florida , a tiny town just off the highway with big dreams of attracting huge tourist dollars . but when construction of the new freeway leaves them without a crucial exit ramp , the desperate townsfolk decide to take motor matters into their own hands . now with the help of a water - skiing elephant , a rampaging rhino , some well - placed explosives and an invasion of very odd travelers , this busy freeway is about to take one extremely strange detour .
directed by oscar winner john schlesinger and starring william devane , beau bridges , beverly d ' angelo , hume cronyn and jessica tandy , honky tonk freeway is an exuberant satire on america ' s undying love affair with all things on wheels . this wildly good - natured and outrageously entertaining roadside farce is presented here in a brand - new digital transfer , in its as - exhibited theatrical aspect ratio . it ' s vacation time , and carloads of americans are making their way to florida in relentless pursuit of a good time ; among the travellers are an aspiring children ' s author , a couple of bank - robbers , an elderly lady with a drink problem and two nuns . they little realise they ' re about to be caught up in a small - time mayor ' s madcap scheme to turn his neglected town into a tourist trap ! special features [ ] original theatrical teaser and trailer [ ] image gallery [ ] original promotional material pdf
whoever said that everything ' s big in texas must have had this bar in mind . stampede is huge , some 35 , 000 square feet of honky - tonk decadence . not only are there dance lessons tonight , but free pool ( with seven tables ) and texas hold ' em . video games are also scattered throughout . if you never made it to the ill - fated toby keith ' s i love this bar & grill before it closed , stampede houston is what that should have been : a mammoth dance floor and stage , bbq pit out front , plenty of big - screen tvs with sports on and , most importantly , a mechanical bull in the corner .
the movie goes like this : a small florida tourist town called ticlaw struggles to attract visitors to their hotel and wildlife safari park , which includes a water - skiing elephant named bubbles . the state builds a freeway near the town , and the town’s mayor pays $ 10 , 000 to assure they get an off - ramp . when that doesn’t happen , the townfolk take matters into their own hands , painting the town pink and blasting a hole in the freeway to divert traffic . tourists from all over the country truck into town , bringing with them a whole lot of partying , hijinks and mayhem .
there’s no mention of honky tonk freeway getting pulled from the tropic theater in leesburg after just one week , but then there’s no mention of the movie at all after that in the topic . it seems like everyone quickly got that the movie was a flop turned back—perhaps with more hurry—to the next business at hand . in the wake of a spike in break - ins , the city promoted participation in neighborhood watch . about 35 black residents appeared before city council to protest the city’s unfair hiring practices . car wrecks continued to pile up on old 441 ( road were much , much more dangerous back then . ) al liveright sold the topic soon after to citrus belt publications , inc . , and the paper’s new focus was broader . the football kickoff issue featured stories about the programs at mount dora , eustis and tavares . citrus belt had also bought the weeklies in tavares and eustis , and over the years , the three papers slowly downsized into the relics of local coverage which ended in 2009 and the mount dora topic disappeared from its hometown .
ticlaw , a small town in florida , has only one attraction : a safari park . the government constructs a freeway that passes near ticlaw , but decides not to put an exit into the town . the people of ticlaw , led by its mayor , will do anything in order to convince the governor to alter the project .
ticlaw , a small town in florida , has only one attraction : a safari park . the government constructs a freeway that passes near ticlaw , but decides not to put an exit into the town . the people of ticlaw , leaded by it ' s mayor , will do anything in order to convince the governor to alter the project .
long ago in a faraway backwater of the universe , a small town dreamed of salvation in a freeway exit to a main street painted pink . at the same time , in weird parallel deserving of an episode of the twilight zone , mount dora welcomed hollywood onto donnelly street , hoping that tourist gold would flow their way from theaters across america .
ticlaw , a small town in florida , has only one attraction : a safari park . the government constructs a freeway that passes near ticlaw , but decides not to put an exit into the town . the people of ticlaw , leaded by it ' s mayor , will do anything in order to convince the governor to alter the project . ( less )
urltoken honky tonk freeway [ vhs ] : paul jabara , howard hesseman , teri garr , jenn thompson , peter billingsley , beau bridges , beverly d ' angelo , daniel stern , sandra mccabe , celia weston , deborah rush , geraldine page , george dzundza , joe grifasi , hume cronyn , jessica tandy , frances lee mccain , renny roker , ron frazier ( ii ) , william devane , jerry hardin , john ashton , john c . becher , alice beardsley , davis roberts , loretta tupper , frances bay , rollin moriyama , kimiko hiroshige , james staley , shelly batt , jason keller ( ii ) , shane keller , kelly lange , kent williams , arnold johnson , nancy parsons , jessica rains , ann risley , helen hanft , don morgan , paul keenan , robert stoneman , randy norton , al corley , murphy dunne , leo burmester , jeffrey combs , jack murdock , ann coleman , gordon haight , jack thibeau , martha gehman , george solomon , dick christie , anita dangler , mags kavanaugh , gloria leroy , jo ann dearing , joseph sheppard , phil de carlo , ken phillips , brad m . bucklin , david rasche , lois hamilton , jason d . keller , john schlesinger : movies & tv
the movie told the story of ticlaw , a small florida town with a single attraction — a safari park . when the government builds a freeway nearby but fails to include an exit into town , townsfolk jump into action in hopes of rectifying the situation to continue to lure tourists . efforts include billboards about a water - skiing elephant , giving away gas for free and painting the town pink .
shooting in mount dora was supposed to begin in february , but production delays at the second location in fruitville ( a little town close to sarasota ) pushed the mount dora filming into may . ( the i - 75 freeway , then under construction , was to have reached a point where a half - finished bridge would be incorporated into the shooting—where it could be “exploded”— but it wasn’t done in time . )
urltoken - placing floridapast on the map , on fade at a time . we are the pioneer fader of florida .
preserving floridapast in floridapresent for floridafuture
- it ' s what we love to do for you ! come visit floridapast on facebook for more floridapast shares - urltoken - - - - - - - - - - - - - - a interesting fade for ticlaw , otherwise known as mt . dora . this moment captured , during the filming of honky tonk freeway , showing all the buildings that were painted pink for the movie . i borrowed some history to share ;
this movie was filmed in the small central florida town of mount dora . the off ramp filming location took place at the i - 75 and palmer road overpass in sarasota , florida . most of the highway scenes take place on i - 75 between sarasota and ft myers while the highway was still under construction . dynamite crews blew up the south bound lane overpass at i - 75 and palmer road before the tampa to miami leg of the highway was completed in 1981 . many portions of fruitville were painted pink to match the sets in mount dora and remained pink for decades afterward . palmer road was never designated for an i - 75 exit because it is not a main thoroughfare . the exit for fruitville is on fruitville road about 2 miles north of the filming location .
please credit and read more here - urltoken
when a tiny town in florida is passed over by the new interstate highway , corrupt mayor kirby ( william devane ) and his cronies plaster the freeway with illegal billboards that draw unsuspecting tourists to the mayor ' s tacky amusement park . the unwilling visitors include squabbling suburban parents snapper ( howard hesseman ) and ericka ( teri garr ) , despondent waitress carmen ( beverly d ' angelo ) , aspiring children ' s book author duane ( beau bridges ) and a drug - addled hitchhiker ( daniel stern ) .
british director john schlesinger ( known for midnight cowboy ( 1969 ) , sunday , bloody sunday ( 1971 ) and marathon man ( 1976 ) ) directed this large - cast ensemble comedy to skewer american enterprise and the american dream , in the style of robert altman ' s nashville ( 1975 ) . this crude , overstuffed , fragmented and shrill film with a slapstick finale told about an isolated small florida tourist town named ticlaw without a freeway off - ramp exit to its safari park . so to ensure visitors and not be bypassed , the town was painted pink , free gas was offered as a lure , and the town featured a water - skiing elephant named bubbles and a wild charging rhino .
in this involved send - up of two american icons - - the automobile and the tourist trap - - the tiny florida town of ticlaw strives desperately for success after it has been denied the most essential of all tourist amenities - - a freeway exit . the insane , and mostly successful , schemes of the mayor ( william devane ) and other distinctly unbalanced citizens interrupt , often hilariously , the lives of various eccentric travellers forced into a place they never intended to be . critics disagree violently on whether this is a neglected classic or sophomoric nonsense . the winning record of director ( john schlesinger ) ( midnight cowboy , marathon man , cold comfort farm , etc . , ) and first - class performances by william devane , beau bridges , beverly d ' angelo , hume cronyn , jessicatandy and a plethora of great character actors - - not to mention the water - skiing elephant and the wild rhino - - argue that it ' s worth a look .
when i was a kid i loved this film , i remember the theme song was brilliant , and i love the mayor who was played by william devane . i watched it again not so long ago and still has the same charm , plus it has a great car pile up . there is a small town , who ' s main attraction is a skiing elephant called bubbles , but when the highway build a freeway which then threatens the lively hood of the towns business , but with a promise a off ramp , well cash under the table , this never happens , so this gives the local folks no choice but to take matter into there own hands . this is a great film to watch on a lazy sunday afternoon . the sad thing about this film was , it was a major flop at the box - office , if not one of the worst in the history of cinema , costing thorn emi a british company a shed load of money , it ' s such a shame because for me this is a top film . it would be nice if there was a blu - ray release , but i wont hold my breath .
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the fragmented film was mostly about the various ' road stories ' of various caricature - types who were enroute to the tourist - trap town with an ambitious but crazy mayor kirby t . calo ( william devane ) : two new york bank robbers , an aspiring children ' s book writer with a book titled randy the carnivorous pony ( beau bridges ) , a wacky elderly couple ( hume cronyn and jessica tandy ) , a discontented and frustrated nun ( deborah rush ) , and a small - town nymphomaniacal whore ( beverly d ' angelo ) bringing her mother ' s ashes ( in an urn on the dashboard ) to the town .
the film was allegedly the most expensive comedy made up to its time . it received one razzie nomination : worst original song (
you ' re crazy but i like you
) . its financial backers at emi ltd . , impresarios lew ( lord ) grade and bernard ( lord ) delfont , had already recently financed a number of flops : raise the titanic ( 1980 ) , the jazz singer ( 1980 ) , the village people musical can ' t stop the music ( 1980 ) , and the legend of the lone ranger ( 1981 ) . their investment of $ 11 million in this american film was a nail in their movie - making coffin .
the film ' s tagline said everything :
there ' s never been a film like roar - and there never will be again !
however , this curious film had some similarities to the big hit in the mid 1960s , born free ( 1966 ) .
wildlife animal rights activist and actress tippi hedren starred in this semi - documentary ( home ) film production opposite her husband - - the film ' s director , co - star , and writer . it told the story of madeleine ( hedren ) , with her long estranged scientist / husband hank ( marshall ) living in the african jungle with their three children ( one being real - life daughter melanie griffith ) - and other than that , just a minimal plot , with the many leopards , lions , tigers , etc . filling out the cast .
this family adventure film was made over a period of eleven years , and during filming caused director / star noel marshall , hedren , cinematographer jan de bont and melanie griffith to all be injured or mauled by a lion . melanie ' s injury required 50 facial stitches and plastic surgery to repair . other problems on the set ( behind the scenes ) besides the maimings included a flood , a fire , foreclosure , and a feline virus that decimated the wild animal cast . the film was screened for only one week .
in 1972 , hedren founded and became president of the roar foundation and shambala preserve , an 80 - acre wildlife habitat 40 miles northeast of los angeles ( in acton , ca located at the edge of the mojave desert between the antelope valley and the santa clarita valley ) , to provide sanctuary for dozens of exotic animals who have suffered from gross mistreatment and neglect . in early december of 2007 when one of the bengal tigers mauled a preserve ' s caretaker , the whole issue of the danger of captive animals was again raised - - recalling the white - tiger mauling of roy horn ( of the illusionist team of siegfried and roy ) four years earlier before a horrified las vegas audience .
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hotel transylvania 3 : summer vacation stars plan their dream summer getaways to some memorable movie settings .
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when scientists use eco - terrorism to impose their will on the world by affecting extremes in the weather , intelligence chief cramden calls in top agent derek flint .
renowned russian piano teacher irina sousatzka gets a new student - bengali piano prodigy manek . they are both immigrants in the uk and bond quickly . when manek ' s single mother ' s business fails , he must make a career decision .
at the snobby crawford academy , virginia ' s group of friends start to go missing years after horrible events that happened to her as a child around her birthday .
during wwii , the united states set up army bases in great britain as part of the war effort . against their proper sensibilities , many of the brits don ' t much like the brash yanks , . . . see full summary »
three female employees of a sexist , egotistical , lying , hypocritical bigot find a way to turn the tables on him .
during the scene where the orphans are being shown the petting zoo , a crew member or the director can be heard giving the cue to
scream ! scream ! ricky !
as the children become afraid of the white horse they ' ve mistaken for
ricky the carnivorous pony .
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i rented this video when it first came out in the 1980 ' s and i loved it . there are many stories intertwined together throughout the movie . when i saw i could purchase it on amazon video to watch whenever i wanted , i knew i had to purchase it . watched it the other night and still very funny . i have seen it many times in the past so i know what is coming next in the movie . i would recommend it to anyone who likes a good comedy .
classic comedy , major stars for a low promoted movie of its day . a hidden gem . sure the acting is not great and the plot is far fetched , but it is just absolutely funny . if someone loves older comedies of early 80s , this one is worth adding to collection . its rare so price is high .
if you have been to mt dora , fl or are going there it is a fun movie to watch .
i was taking a bus tour to mt dora , fl where this film was made in 1980 . my grandson was able to bring the movie up on my computer for me . i ' ve wanted to go there since i saw the movie in the 80 ' s . i could not get it on netflix or local libraries . the lakeside inn is the oldest continually operational inn in the state of fl . the movie was a little corny but i loved it because i was going there . i am pleased the movie will stay on my computer for a month . can show my friends .
this video recording is region 2 , not playable in us or canadian players so l could not view it .
love this movie . i live in the town this was filmed in , during the time of filming .
many good actors . enjoyed it because we live near there and know people who actually saw the elephant water skiing .
i seen this was a kid when i rented it from the video store in the 80 ' s , and seeing it again on dvd , i remembered it was good , and that beverly d ' angelo was in it , but i wondered . . .
i can see why this movie bombed . it ' s disjointed and vulgar and the stories never seem to connect .
very funny movie definitely glad i bought it . i will watch again in the future .
i live close to mt dora florida ( the place the movie was made ) so i wanted to see it . it ' s just ok they paint the town pink .
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they paint the town pink , quite literally . they put up illegal billboards celebrating the chief local tourist attraction , a waterskiing elephant who , unfortunately , has not yet been taught to waterski . they give away free food and gas , and on sundays , led by an exit - happy mayor ( william devane ) , they pray . nothing works . meanwhile , up north , dozens of people and one rhinoceros are unwittingly preparing to converge on the town .
two of these northerners ( george dzundza and joe grifasi ) have just robbed a new york bank , where a black derelict stands by the tellers muttering ' ' i ' m o . j . simpson . i gotta get me a camera and run through airports ! ' ' one ( beau bridges ) is from chicago , and has just written a children ' s story called ' ' rudy the carniverous pony . ' ' when his wife burns the story in a frying pan , he leaves her and heads south . a blond dentist and his wife ( howard hesseman and teri garr ) are traveling with their two awful children through monument valley in a recreational vehicle with such elaborate insides that nobody bothers to look out the window . the voluptuous owner of a pink edsel ( beverly d ' angelo ) is leaving paducah , ky . , because she has slept with 300 different men there . she says it wasn ' t easy .
mr . schlesinger can ' t possibly keep all these characters , or a dozen others of equal importance to edward clinton ' s lively screenplay , in focus . so the movie ' s structure is a mess . the story begins and ends in ticlaw , but the film goes for long stretches without mentioning the town , and characters have a way of popping up just as they are about to be forgotten . this movie didn ' t need a director ; it needed a juggler . however , mr . schlesinger handles some of the individual scenes well , and he never creates much hope that the whole film will hang together anyhow . whatever value the movie has is in its players and its gags , not in any continuity .
the film is so uneven that it incorporates both a strain of bawdy humor ( which is markedly unfunny ) and some touches reminiscent of late 1950 ' s to early 60 ' s disney . ( the people of ticlaw sometimes seem on the verge of inventing flubber . ) the cast is good , but there ' s no one here who can do much to hold the movie together . hume cronyn and jessica tandy are on hand as an advertising man and his alcoholic wife , who declares proudly that her husband invented bad breath . geraldine page and deborah rush play a mother superior and a novice who won ' t stay a novice for long . and paul jabara gives the most obvious nod to ' ' nashville , ' ' as a songwriter whose music is awful . ' ' nashville ' ' had good songs that were a whole lot better , and bad songs that were a whole lot worse .
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dean jeffries flies a gmc c6500 . photos courtesy kevin jeffries and the dean jeffries archives , unless otherwise noted .
[ editor’s note : this piece comes to us from myles kornblatt , the curator at the miami auto museum . he contributes to multiple automotive publications and is the automotive correspondent for the florida weekly . ]
this month marks the 35th anniversary of the movie hitting theaters . it’s not surprising that a film featuring a water - skiing elephant belly flopped at the box office , but today it deserves more than a footnote in history – especially in the car community .
a ford fan would be in heaven with all the blue oval classics seen in the film like an edsel ranger , a lincoln continental town coupe , and even a rare 1949 mercury two - door station wagon . but it was a gmc that really makes the whole film memorable ( more on that in a moment ) .
the movie had all the right elements . it was filled with known actors like beau bridges , beverly d’angelo , teri garr , hume cronyn , and jessica tandy . there were rising stars like daniel stern and peter billingsley , before he played ralphie in a christmas story . it was even directed by john schlesinger – the same man who made midnight cowboy and marathon man .
so , why is it worth your attention ? because the last 20 minutes are filled with two of the most daring events put on film .
first , in the movie , the people of ticlaw decide they do not want to be bypassed . so they blow - up the overpass in a spectacular midnight explosion to make sure people have to stop in their town .
“there was only one take – one and done , ” recalls marlena gore . the movie had one of the largest budgets for a comedy at the time , but they still were only willing to blow up the bridge once . gore witnessed this nighttime explosion when she was eleven years old . the filming was a popular event that brought in many locals as extras , including her future husband .
while gore doesn’t appear on film , it might have had an interesting impact on her life . she is currently the project manager for a revolutionary - style “diverging diamond” interchange that is being constructed just a few miles up i - 75 from where the filming took place . it’s a little too sappy to suggest that this movie fully inspired gore to better her hometown interstate , but it is kismet that someone who witnessed the destruction is making that same corridor a bit better today .
jeffries passed away in 2013 , but according to his son kevin , “he did hundreds of stunts during his career in motion pictures , but clearly the i - 75 jump in florida was the most spectacular . ”
the movie concludes with a gmc c6500 boxtruck soaring over the entire missing roadway span , and jeffries was driving . just like the exploding bridge , there was only one take , but for a very different reason . “after flying over the overpass , the stunt truck landed so hard that it broke his back , requiring him to grab his leg with his hand so that he could push down and apply the brakes to stop the truck , ” recalls kevin jeffries .
in a tale that could only come from a gritty stuntman who was also a master hot rod fabricator , jeffries was not pleased with the level of care at the local hospital . so he built a custom aluminum cast for his torso and went back to work . for those who love the man’s automotive creations , but don’t know this side of the story , tom cotter’s book , dean jeffries – 50 fabulous years in hot rods , racing & film , goes into great detail . it’s currently out of print ( i . e . expensive ) , but worth it to read the whole tale .
jeffries was particularly proud of this feat and the multi - car pileup that it created on film – it feels reminiscent of his earlier work on the blues brothers . according to kevin , “jumping the four - ton truck across the missing overpass was something my father would often discuss with friends and admirers . ”
just drive down i - 75 south past sarasota . about a mile beyond the fruitville road exit is an overpass that hundreds of tourists and commuters unwittingly drive over this every day . that little bridge is a gateway to true hollywood history , and the bump you feel at the end might have been the one that broke dean jeffries’ back .
nice write - up on a forgotten piece of cinema history . it may yet find a cult following !
i was living in orlando at the time this was made , and remember some scenes being shot late at night on what we used to call the east - west expressway , which i used daily in my commute . probably second unit stuff . now i live in sarasota , and drive on this section of i - 75 frequently . can’t seem to escape this movie !
i remember them filming here . i was attending the local junior college , and some of the guys in the theater department got work as crew on the filming . we were all excited , until the actual movie debut . as mentioned , not a good movie except for the final 20 minutes or so . the plot , if there really was one , was pained at best . however , there are a couple of items for possible corrections , albeit minor . fruitville is not really so much as separate community , but more of a rural neighborhood of sarasota . leave it to a miami guy to get that part wrong ( note : just a joke . florida cities tend to be pretty antagonistic towards each other . ) the fruitville road goes east to west , with i - 75 and farms east and downtown sarasota and the gulf to the far west . i had no idea that ms . gore is the project manager of the diverging diamond being built one exit north of this location , but kismet certainly seems to have a hand in this .
i’m impressed by jeffries’ back brace idea . a dozen years ago i fell off my roof and landed on my butt , causing radiating stress cracks up my back – 12 of them . i also broke a leg and had a concussion . after fusion surgery , i was fitted with a very similar back brace that i wore while my skeleton healed . it was made of molded plastic , and monstrously uncomfortable , but the design was very similar to jeffries’ . he should have patented that thing . my surgeon and hospital care were both terrific . other than a slightly stiff back , i have no side effects . in fact , within three months of surgery , i was riding my motorcycle again . i hope i live as long as he did .


mortal kombat : rebirth is a 2010 detailed short film directed by kevin tancharoen , with fight choreography by larnell stovall , who also choreographed undisputed iii : redemption .

based on the mortal kombat series of fighting games , the short-film " actually was made by the director to sell warner bros. on his vision for a reimagined mortal kombat film . "

the pitch eventually evolved into the web series mortal kombat : legacy and solidified tancharoen 's directing duties on warner bros . mortal kombat feature film .

the short-film features an alternative version of the mortal kombat universe .

the characters of the game are portrayed with vastly different origins , based on realism .

there is no mention of outworld or any other supernatural elements , although the tournament itself is a main part of the storyline in this short .

tancharoen himself has noted that he would n't shy away from supernatural elements entirely , but they have to be " done in a very tasteful way " .

mortal kombat : rebirth

mortal kombat | mortal kombat ii | mortal kombat 3 | mortal kombat 4 | deadly alliance | deception | armageddon | mk vs . dcu | mortal kombat ( 2011 ) | mortal kombat x
mortal kombat : rebirth ( 2010 ) offical movie trailer . . . pitch - youtube
button to find out if mortal kombat : rebirth is playing in your country .
warner bros . has hired director kevin tancharoen ( mortal kombat rebirth ) to produce ten web episodes of ' mortal kombat ' which will lay the framework for a new movie .
part of the popularity of mortal kombat : rebirth was due to the recognizable actors playing characters that were familiar to the fans .
' mortal kombat : rebirth ' director kevin tancharoen has tweeted an image of an outworld tarkatan warrior . but is it fan - favorite kombatant baraka ?
mortal kombat : legacy director kevin tancharoen has earned himself a chance to direct the new mortal kombat movie . will any of the talent from the webseries return ?
mortal kombat vs street fighter in real life - ultimate fan fights ep . 2
we already got one mortal kombat feature film back in 1995 . in 2011 , warner bros hired kevin tancharoen – who rose to directorial prominence with the 2010 short film mortal kombat : rebirth , and has since worked on mortal kombat ’s tv series , and agents of s . h . i . e . l . d . , supergirl and the flash – to direct a rebooted mortal kombat movie .
with the newest entry into the mortal kombat game franchise ( mortal kombat x ) being released today i found myself doing some googling and ran across this gem from a few years ago . mortal kombat : rebirth is a short film released in 2010 directed by kevin tancharoen . it is based on the mortal kombat series of video games and was created by tancharoen to sell warner brothers on his vision for a reboot of the film franchise .
fragmented and monotonous , without a semblance of the gymnastic cleverness that at least made the first mortal kombat film into watchable trash , mortal kombat annihilation is as debased as movies come .
the new line project would be the third mortal kombat movie to receive a theatrical release and the first since 1997 ' s annihilation . the original mortal kombat debuted in 1995 to mixed reviews and a reported worldwide box office haul of $ 122 million off a $ 25 million budget . other multimedia mortal kombat ventures have included the saturday - morning cartoon mortal kombat : defenders of the realm , the tv series mortal kombat : conquest , and even a touring stage show .
johnny cage ' s murder is a reference to baraka ' s ' blade chop ' fatality from mortal kombat ii , as well as cage being dead during the events of mortal kombat 3 .
kevin tancharoen , director of the mortal kombat rebirth viral trailer discusses the origins of the short film as well as the direction he ' d take a feature length version - should he be given the chance .
that incredible mortal kombat trailer is now a series . kotaku . retrieved on 2011 - 01 - 14 .
the first sequel to 1995 ' s highly successful mortal kombat , mortal kombat annihilation adds little to the development of the saga except for a truckload of martial arts sequences and a whole mess of bigger and louder special effects .
mortal kombat : rebirth is a 2010 action and crime drama short - film that was directed by kevin tancharoen with fight choreography by larnell stovall . based on the mortal kombat series of fighting games , the short - film
actually was made by the director to sell wb on his vision for a re - imagined mk film .
[ 1 ]
oren uziel wrote the short . he’s currently listed on imdb to write the next mortal kombat movie at warner bros .
kevin tancharoen , director of the mortal kombat rebirth viral trailer has revealed the origins of the short film as well as the direction he’d take a feature length version – should he be given the chance . check out the new details here .
according to the times , kevin tancharoen has been tapped to direct the film . tancharoen directed the mortal kombat : legacy web series , as well as the 2009 dance movie fame . joining him on the movie will be his writing partner oren uziel . the pair previously worked on mortal kombat : rebirth , a youtube viral video that sparked the development of legacy .
weintraub , steve ( 2010 - 06 - 09 ) . interview with mortal kombat : rebirth director kevin tancharoen ; talks about what he wants to do in a feature version ! . collider . collider . retrieved on 2010 - 09 - 10 .
what we do know , is that this is the best live - action mortal kombat anything , in the history of ever .
warner premiere ' s ' mortal kombat ' tourney goes websides ! . bloody disgusting . retrieved on 2011 - 01 - 14 .
pirrello , phil . best . mortal kombat movie . ever ? . ign . ign entertainment . retrieved on 2010 - 06 - 10 .
we thought that a fatality had brought down any prospects of a new mortal kombat film a long time ago , but we were wrong .
“it’s extremely gratifying to have such talented actors playing these iconic roles , ” said kevin tancharoen , director , producer and co - writer of “mortal kombat . ” “they will bring the essence of ‘mortal kombat’ to life and gamers will be deeply immersed into the game’s universe . ”
if you’re a mortal kombat fan , yesterday was christmas . that’s because an awesome short film called mortal kombat : rebirth hit the net and it featured a gritty , real world approach to the material . featuring michael jai white , jeri ryan , martial artists lateef crowder , ian anthony dale and matt mullins , the short film has been getting nothing but positive write - ups across the cyberspace . you really should check it out .
yesterday , a trailer for a new mortal kombat movie populated the internet . we got an exclusive interview with johnny cage actor – matt mullins .
speculation has run rampant today with the debut of a short “mortal kombat” film ( subtitled “rebirth” ) that made its way anonymously to youtube . now , latino review reports that the film is , as many theorized , a test for a potential r - rated film reboot of the video game franchise .
actress jeri ryan ( star trek : voyager ) has confirmed she will be back as sonya blade in the ' rebirthed ' mortal kombat web series .
batman begins and the dark knight gave me chills with originality . you live the characters and feed off of the story . this trailer gives you that adrenaline rush and then some , cause we are mortal kombat fans ! a new meaning to the gaming series could help developers come up with a third person style rpg that mortal kombat mythologies with sub - zero couldn ' t even come close to . a whole new era of mortal kombat series in gaming . how about mortal kombat rebirth 2 , where liu kang develops the art of fire through qigong ? ( qigong masters can generate exponential amounts of heat from their hands and communicate to their ancestors on a
we speak to our elders
scale through meditation . ) gods and elders in the buddhist religion are not fantasy ! do your research and see the new horizon for mortal kombat ! make it happen hollywood ! ! ! i ' m game !
james wan is aboard to produce the new version for warner bros . and new line via his atomic monster company . and warner bros . itself has been edging towards a new take on the film ' s fights after approving director kevin tancharoen ' s mortal kombat : rebirth , an online short starring jeri ryan and michael jai white . that led to mortal kombat : legacy , which ran for two seasons as a web series featuring much of the same cast .
shang tsung ' s ' tournament ' that he ' s going to host is a reference to the ' mortal kombat ' that he hosted in earlier games .
it turns out the critically reviled mortal kombat : annihilation didn ' t annihilate the fighting series ' filmic potential after all . the los angeles times today is reporting that warner bros . ' new line cinemas division is moving ahead with plans to produce a new mortal kombat movie with an eye toward releasing it in 2013 .
we had previously heard about a reboot thanks to a 2010 short film that was supposed to work as a proof of concept for warner bros . mortal kombat : rebirth , directed by kevin tancharoen , was a realistic reimagining of the world in the games that toned down most of the fantastical elements . while tancharoen was brought on board to direct a full - length movie , he eventually left the project , and it evolved into what would become the mortal kombat : legacy web series .
it’s just funny when — i think one of the things that a lot of people thought was interesting was that the guy who directed fame : hardcore mortal kombat fan .
you remember the awesome
mortal kombat : rebirth
trailer that popped up last year , right ? the live - action short film , that we later learned was a grassroots bid from
fame
remake director kevin tancheroen , was immediately latched onto by fans for doing something the previous
mk
movies couldn ' t : look and feel as gritty and effed up as the games .
rebirth
was recently confirmed for a web series treatment and today warner bros . announced the initial casting for the coming tancheroen - directed shorts .
in round one , we brought you the announcement that warner premiere would be developing a live - action mortal kombat web - series based off of director kevin tancharoen’s popular short , mortal kombat : rebirth . in round two , we’re bringing you news that the series will feature both jeri ryan ( star trek : voyager ) and michael jai white ( black dynamite ) reprising their roles as lt . sonya blade and major jackson “jax” briggs , respectively . joining them will be darren shalahvi ( 300 ) , playing the protagonists’ common enemy , kano .
director kevin tancharoen has release a few images from the set of the new live - action ' mortal kombat ' web shorts , and the pics show scorpion and his signature deadly spear .
more cast members for the new ' mortal kombat ' live - action web series have been confirmed . find out which actors are playing which iconic characters from the classic video game franchise .
at first i thought i was viewing a trailer of a new mortal kombat movie . i can ' t believe the quality of this short film . it ' s atmosphere is so dark and tense that remind me of a horror movie . i hope they ask this director for the next mortal kombat movie . the characters are excellent and they don ' t have super unnatural powers . they are real twisted people . a thriller background can be feel all around the film and puts mortal kombat franchise on another level . this is not for kids but hardcore fans of the first game are now grown up ( at least 25 years old ) so that ' s not a problem . this is the closest to reality that mortal kombat can get .
with its shallow characters , low budget special effects , and mindless fight scenes , mortal kombat - annihilation offers minimal plot development and manages to underachieve the low bar set by its predecessor .
pigna , kris ( 2010 - 06 - 09 ) . mortal kombat trailer is director ' s pitch for mk film . urltoken . ugo networks . retrieved on 2010 - 06 - 10 .
never - - at least not since the first mortal kombat - - has tedium been so loud , so full of backward flips and flying fists to the kissers of centaurs from another realm .
this is * the * official movie trailer urltoken for the latest installment of the moral kombat movie series ,
mortal kombat rebirth
. no
mortal kombat devastation
bull . this is the real deal ladies and germs ! from what i can tell , this is a total re - boot of the series movie saga . such , the story shall start anew . also , it is unknown which studio is producing this movie . many sources are pointing fingers at warner bros . but that can be debunked due to a rumored legal issues with the movie rights . confirmed characters : jax briggs reptile baraka johny cage sonya blade shang tsung scorpion sub - zero ( mention dialogue only )
the first season of mortal kombat : legacy is a prequel to the original game , explaining the background stories of several characters from the series and demonstrating their reasons for . . . see full summary »
but the big story was what was the purpose and who made the short . some guessed it was for an unannounced feature film , and others thought it might be for a new mortal kombat game .
i definitely want to ask you…”fatalaties” . that’s like the most iconic word with mortal kombat . how do you plan to — is there a plan in your brain for how to put “fatalities” into the movie .
tancharoen is returning to direct the series and promises to keep the gritty and brutal storytelling that made the original short so popular . the series will look to deepen the backstory of the mortal kombat universe and give fans a whole new perspective of their favorite characters . for more info about the project from tancharoen and a look at the next video game incarnation of mortal kombat , get over here ! and hit the jump .
dark , brash , wholly repetitive and fast - cut to the banging sounds of a techno soundtrack , mortal kombat ii : annihilation should appeal to die - hard video games players . but to very few others .
this 8 minute short movie is 10 times better than the two stupid originals combined . mortal kombat brought into the real world . it worked for batman and it definitely works here . if you haven ' t seen it yet go to you tube and watch it now ! michael jai white is the perfect fit for jax . the characters are more horrifying than they were in the video game . this is the movie i wish i saw when i was 12 . mortal kombat was built on blood and gore and that is something that both the original movies lacked . in fact i don ' t remember seeing any blood in either movie . they should ' ve been rated g . mortal kombat rebirth would be perfect for the die hard fans who grew up playing the video games back in the early 90 ' s . i hope to god that this is made into a full length movie .
mortal kombat annihilation features evil ninja monsters popping out of nowhere . if at first these villains appear absolutely unbeatable , just wait a minute and you ' ll see them cower before our determined , team - oriented good guys .
clearly a catastrophe as a sequel and overall film . mortal kombat : annihilation is forgettable , inconsistent and filled with mediocrity that ' s insulting to the famed - fighting - game that it ' s inspired by . 2 / 5
mortal kombat : rebirth follows captain jackson briggs of the deacon city police department as he tells assassin hanzo hasashi about criminals reptile and baraka . briggs tells hasashi to kill them in a mysterious tournament about to take place pitting the best fighters in the world in a series of death matches . hasashi asks why he’d help and briggs reveals that hasashi’s enemy sub - zero is alive and will be in the tournament . hasashi , now calling himself scorpion , agrees to participate .
in this prequel to the movies , kung lao has triumphed in the mortal kombat tournament , defeating shang tsung and saving earth realm . now , he must train a new generation of warriors for the . . . see full summary »
the sequel , mortal kombat : annihilation , which was released in 1997 , is another story , but we don’t talk about that . we’re just going to remember the first movie in all its 90s glory . and the games too , i guess .
another part of the fan short’s success was due to its relatively short run time . the two movies based off the franchised suffered from trying to spin a cohesive story from a one - dimensional fighting game . mortal kombat the series looks to rectify that .
matt mullins : i have beed doing motion capture for the last 10 years . tao fang was my first game ( created by john tobisas who created mortal kombat ) and i have been doing it ever since . i just finished 2 games i can’t mention yet .
knew if he was going to get a chance at a genre picture , he’d have to show he could do it on his own . this is a calling card for a chance at making the next mortal kombat feature film and it’s his vision for how he’d do it .
the short - film features an alternate version of the mortal kombat universe . the characters of the game are portrayed with vastly different origins , founded in realism . there is no mention of outworld or any other supernatural element , although the tournament itself is a main part of the storyline .
the times reports that warner bros . and new line executives are hoping the movie arrives timed along with a new installment of the mortal kombat game . it specifically mentions the prospect of launching the movie at the same time the game debuts or including the movie and game together in a blu - ray or dvd bundles .
written by kevin tancharoen , aaron helbing and todd helbing , and available online this spring from warner bros . digital distribution , the “mortal kombat” digital new media series is an anthology of multiple live action shorts . each episode will provide never - before - revealed insights into characters featured in the upcoming videogame as well as the game’s universe .
kt : i would definitely have them . the thing about the first film was that it had to be tamed down so much for the audience . there’s a part of me that understand that , but then there’s a huge part of me that’s like “guys , mortal kombat was very popular for very specific reasons . ” i was so angry when they came out with the super nintendo version of mortal kombat and the blood was gone . it was like sweat and sand and i was really pissed off . and then they came out with a cheat where you can turn the sweat red . it still wasn’t the mortal kombat that i wanted . in the arcades , we would all cheer when someone actually knew how to do a fatality . so i would want to incorporate a good amount . not over the top , where it feels like we’re just doing it for shock value . but i think sub - zero has a great fatality . i think scorpion has a great fatality and i think kano has a great fatality . these are all the original . i would go back to mortal kombat 1 , 2 , and 3 , and adhere to those fatalities . because those are the ones that i feel everyone kind of remembers , and really has a nostalgic value to them . i would incorporate them in the tournament aspect in a very organic way .
matt mullins : i think this new vision has a very fresh look at the franchise and brings it the movie back to the gritty and violent nature that made mortal kombat game so popular . kevin is very passionate about the project ( as the rest of us are ) and this short is only a taste of things to come . craveonline : are you a gamer yourself ?
matt mullins : i am a gamer . i have been loving rpgs ( chrono trigger favorite game of all time ) since i was a kid and i was an avid mortal kombat and street fighter player in my teens . i have been a huge fan of dead space and the uncharted series in past months . craveonline : how else are you involved in the gaming industry ?
originally brought to the big screen by paul w . s . anderson in 1995 ( a less successful sequel followed in 1998 ) , the mortal kombat video game has been spurring more interest for the last few years as talk of a reboot movie has grown . the project is slowly coming together with ads director simon mcquoid entering talks to direct the new , currently untitled film .
on jan . 14 , 2011 , it was announced that an official 9 - episode web mini - series called mortal kombat : legacy based on the short also directed by tancharoen and michael jai white had been greenlit by warner bros . shooting is scheduled to begin in vancouver on february . [ 14 ] [ 15 ] wb is allowing a 9 episode show based off the video . [ 16 ]
matt mullins : it has been really cool to see all of the buzz about the short . the truth is , the short is about showing a vision of what the next mortal kombat movie can be . i think it is a very well thought out concept that pays homage to the video game and its fans . the attention to detail and the little elements added will set this film apart from all the other films .
the first mortal kombat film , released in 1995 , doesn’t age well , but it’s still one of the better video game adaptations . the special effects were great for the time , and it perfectly balanced the nonsensical plot of the games with an over - the - top and enthusiastic tone . it might not have been “good” in a traditional sense , but it was fun , had memorable performances , paid tribute to the property it adapted .
series creator ed boon himself has noted that the film was
awesome
[ 10 ] and had
no idea it was being made ,
[ 11 ] though he did note that
probably crosses the line
as far as
re - imagining
goes . [ 12 ] he later stated that he thought it was
incredibly well done
and that it was
a legitimate alternate universe mortal kombat .
[ 13 ]
obviously mortal kombat , the original game , had limited characters . and as the sequels kept going , they kept on adding more and more characters . do you see yourself — say you were able to make the movie . and also , with the short that you did , was there a purposeful choosing of the characters that you got ? and where’s the line , if you did make a movie , between the realistic characters and the almost fantasy characters .
michael jai white as jackson briggs , a captain in the deacon city police department . on his office door at the beginning of the film , the last two letters of his first name are faded , thus reading as
jacks
, a nod to
jax
. ign contacted michael jai white ' s representatives and asked about the video , and they answered white believed the shoot was a marketing component for mortal kombat ( 2011 ) . [ 2 ]
kt : oh , yeah . definitely , this is my take on what i would want to do with mortal kombat . i would love it if warner bros . wanted to do it this way . but i was so passionate about doing this , that i just had to pick up the camera and do it . now like i said , because i am such a fan of the mortal kombat series , i know there’s a lot of concern about the mysticism and the special powers and all that kind of stuff . well , like i said , this is really designed — the short so far is really designed like a prologue to the movie . now , in a movie version , i am going to have that mysticism there , but it has to be done in a very tasteful way . i wouldn’t like it too campy or too cheesy . i know this is a weird analogy , but it’s the best one i can think of right now . it’s kind of like when in harry potter , there’s two universes that coexist with each other . there’s the real world , and then you get on the train and then you go to hogwart’s , and that’s where all the magic is . it was actually kind of similar in the first mortal kombat , too . they had to get on the ship and go to the island , and that’s where all the crazy stuff happened .
what can i say , it looks interesting , but twisting the whole story line towards a more
realistic
approach is a retarded idea . mortal kombat is meant to be far fetched . . with thunder gods and mutants . . coming up with doctors gone made ( who are martial artists ofc ) etc wont work . they tried it with that god awful street fighter movie , and it will not work with this one either . the 1st mortal kombat movie almost had it right , but still kinda failed as they made it cheesy with a poor plot . x - men 1 & 2 is a fine example where they got it right , although a little far fetched it was still believable while being easy to follow . you can make a movie with gods , mutants and assassins without trying to make it
real life
as this trailer attempts , and in my opinion fails . + 4 stars for the effort - 6 for the idea
though there is no guarantee that these actors will play the characters in a feature film version or even that a feature film will actually happen , the short is already a huge success online , with the word “kombat” already a trending topic on twitter .
this is the style of saw meeting the action of any good martial arts film , no cheesy one liners gr8 cast for a short . r - rated how the mortal kombat ' s should have been from the start . characters based on madness and high power influence not supernatural and other dimensions crap , in a modern day city that is over run by crime and most likely corruption . even though only being a short i can picture in my mind so much more from this film . any film company to see this short , and not turn it into a feature length movie which would almost certainly make it ' s money back and more , are stupid in my eye ' s . a good video game turn movie is hard to come by now a days this movie could bring life to an old franchise and breathe new life into old characters and bring new hope for all the fans who want to see a decent mk movie . here ' s hoping for a new mortal kombat tournament fight ! fatality !
when word got out it was directed by kevin tancharoen ( fame ) , i was kind of stunned . after all , who would have thought the guy who made fame would have directed an awesome mortal kombat short . thankfully , i had tancharoen’s email and reached out to see if he wanted to talk about how the short came together and why he wanted to make it . if you’d like to know a lot more , hit the jump to either read or listen to our interview . i’ve also included some highlights as bullet points :
kt : one hundred percent . he’s jax briggs . he’s the detective from the real world . and that’s actually part of the story of the original mortal kombat . he’s part of a special unit that deals with the outworld program . i think having a grounded character in the mix here is very important . that’s why i had sonya and jax be such important characters in the short film . because if i were to ever do a feature version of it , i do feel like their presence is extremely valuable to be thrust into that world .
initially appearing on youtube , the video was received with confusion by websites such as ign and urltoken , both of which were uncertain if the video was a viral marketing ploy to promote either a new film or a video game . contradicting reports came from the actors involved , with white ' s representatives believing it was an advertisement for an upcoming mortal kombat game , [ 7 ] while ryan admitted her appearance was as a favor to a friend and described the video as a pitch for a film . [ 8 ] tancharoen made the movie for $ 7 , 500 . [ 9 ]
i may be 17 but i am a big fan of mortal kombat , loved the games and then liked the films , however i must say that you guys need to stop looking at this film as a remake , look at it as a brand new film . the concept is great , having the same old storyline would just be too boring and predictable whereas by bringing in a whole new concept for the film they are able to play with the storyline a lot more . and about the whole fantasy element , i would like to see a slight fantasy element but not as much as in the previous films or the games as that is too much fantasy , but the trailer doesn ' t mention any fantasy but then again it doesn ' t mention lack of a fantasy element , you really cant be sure unless someone actually does make a full film out of it . they chose a great actor for the role of jax as he is so bad ass . and as for the other characters i think i would enjoy watching the film and trying to figure out who is who before you are told , it would be interesting to see how the characters came to be . so again look at this as a brand new film , a
rebirth
of the film ; )
you need to watch this movie . even if you’re not a fan of the mortal komat franchise . it’s less than 8 minutes long and even still includes an incredbile fight scene and introduces a couple of characters that are simply awesome . if you’re a fan of the franchise you’re going to be super bummed that this was never made into a feature film . strong recommend .
i liked the short movie very much ! i liked the idea of
dark
and it seemed like a very good idea to bring the fantasy in the every day life like baracka and reptile being humans . but what i didn ' t like is some characters not being preserved to their physical aspect . i mean what the hell was baraka doing with dreads it looked more like kabal rather then baraka . michael jay white as jax seems perfect for the role but i wish they don ' t rush into this movie because it would be a pity to ruin such a great idea as mortal kombat . nowdays movies are based more on the special effects then on the story line and acting performances . maybe someone will read our reviews and take them to consideration .
this is a really interesting take on mortal kombat , shockingly violent ( sort of like the first game was when it was released ) and dark . i ' ll admit that the person who showed this to me led me to believe that it was a preview for a film . . . and i am glad that it isn ' t . the short is built around the idea of a dark sinister ' real ' mk world , where some of your favorite characters are twisted mass murderers instead of otherworldly villains . while this idea is certainly less blood curdling than another ' mk annihilation ' catastrophe , it still worries me . those who have played and followed mk from early on are familiar with the quirky over the top antics of the games . the unrealistic melodrama which is , to me , one of the franchises ' best selling points . one never has to worry about anything being taken seriously because , lets face it , the mk series is loony tunes with martial arts characters and buckets of gore . this new idea take seems to try and completely discard that ( with the exception of jax saying ' finish him ' ) and replace it with a real spin . . . . that ' s fine , except that , i ' m supposed to believe all the things i ' m being told about these people from a foxy detective named ' sonya blade . ' i don ' t think there would be anyway to sell a mk film as a ' real world ' thriller and not make stomachs churn without totally revamping everything that makes it mortal kombat . don ' t get me wrong , the short is well made as a piece of film , and the idea is interesting and new , but , as an mk fan , it wouldn ' t impress me as a film , and i don ' t think it would impress objective outsiders as a straight thriller .
yes there are realistic elements here , but most negative comments mentioned are purely assumption . there wasn ' t anything said about no super natural elements being added at all , nor is shang tsung said to be some mob boss . ever considered that an earth realm cover ? of course you haven ' t . the additions of realistic elements makes the concept so much more intense , more relatable , and likely the fantasy elements is what contributing to making the former movies so lame . this is an amazing concept ( and considering it ' s less than 10 minutes , there isn ' t much too assume here ) , that makes mortal kombat in any film form return to it ' s gory , intense roots . whatever they need to do to actually make a crazy , violent mk , is fine by me . i cannot wait for the web series to come out , then when that hits it off , somebody get ' s the balls to actually make a kick ass movie from this ( or maybe a starz or hbo series similar to sparticus , minus the lame roman stuff ) . oh and by the way for you slow people , i guess you didn ' t notice that
scorpion
had no eyes in this ? most likely not .
i like the fact that it is
dark
and has some reality feel to it but this is mortal kombat ! ! ! ! what the heck was boon tobias thinking about ? i know he is shitting his pants right now ! reptile , scorpion and baraka as humans ? ! i almost cried when i saw that video . it is far from being mk and they have just destroyed the history of it . i will not see this movie when it comes out , just too disappointed ! ! wow . . . terrible terrible terrible . i wish that they would stop putting out video games or cartoons into movies , unless your going to keep it original and put a lot , a lot of effort into it so loyalist would be satisfied ! ! ! dragonball was terrible , the first mk was ok , the second was garbage , street fighter was ok but nobody seems to know how to mix reality with fantasy ! they could of kept the concept of
dark
and reality , such as jax being a pc and sonya a cop but trying to humanize the other characters is a sin . they should of let the production team of whoever makes the marvel movies make mk or let robert rodriguez and quentin tarrantino put there sin city spin on it ; that would of been awesome !
kt : listen , scorpion is the bad guy and will stay a bad guy . his motives are personal . it’s not to help out anybody . it’s to get sub - zero . if jax and sonya can coattail off of that revenge , awesome . but scorpion does not care . he’s going after one thing , and one thing only . and i personally love that . i don’t want to see scorpion go soft . do i think scorpion can be flawed ? absolutely . there’s no such thing as an interesting character that’s just one dimensional . i love it when the bad guy is at the forefront because you’re able to tell so many different stories that are not so conventional . and i love that . i really do . i think there’s a lot of that kind of style of storytelling , i personally only see in korea . i would love to see that kind of new main character be told here . i obviously respond to movies like a bittersweet life and oldboy where this guy has one motive . it’s very clear , and he goes after it . and it’s never wholesome . but for some reason you’re very engaged in his cause , and that’s exactly what i would hope to achieve with scorpion , because i think he’s such a cool character , a really cool character . him and sub - zero are both , to me , will be the main mortal kombat icons .
we ' re not exactly sure where this video came from . is it warner bros . viral marketing plan for the new game ? is it a sales pitch to attract investors for another movie ?
watch the youtube video below and see for yourself a very gritty , very real world take on the once and future kombatants of outworld . follow detective jackson ( or
jacks
as the last two letters are faded on his office door , a nod to
jax
) as he flips through dossiers on fatality - happy folk like reptile and baraka , setting the stage for what could be the best thing to ever happen to the mk movie franchise .
latino review seems to think that it is a
test video shot for warner brothers to get funding for a full - blown , hard
r
- rated mk movie
.
our fanboy brethern at urltoken further support the proof - of concept - idea , as devin faraci reports that he recently chatted with someone involved with the game ' s latest film adaptation , where he learned that
the hook of [ the mk movie ]
is going to be realism . also , chud ' s source revealed that the movie would include the origins of reptile and baraka , which get a tease in the video .
hell , ign even gave the actor who plays
jacks
in the vid a call , the dark knight ' s michael jai white . his reps told us that white believed the shoot was a marketing component for the game .
as ign movies continues to track down what exactly the video is , what say you about it ? clearly , this footage , which runs shy of 8 minutes , is better than the combined running times of the previous live - action films . could this be the turning point videogame movies need to break the box office and critical stigma - more seven gritty and less prince of persia everything ?
put down your old snes and genesis controllers and give us an opinion or six in the comments . oh , and wherever this video came from - thank you , internet . thank you .
craveonline : the entire internet was a buzz about this trailer that leaked out today . can you set the record straight and give us the scoop on what it is for ?
matt mullins : michael jai white – jax , jeri ryan – sonya blade , ian anthony dale – scorpion , lateef crowder – baraka and richard dorton – reptile . craveonline : how did you become involved in the project ?
matt mullins : i had known kevin for about 5 years , but i never had a chance to work with him . a few months i got a call from kevin about being involved in a short that he was planning to shoot . he sent me the script and i was blown away . when i sat down to meet with him , and he explained his vision , i was so excited to be involved and could not wait to start . craveonline : is the developer of the game at all involved ?
matt mullins : i’m not sure how much midway is involved . warner brother acquired midway last year , and i know they have seen the short , but i don’t know what they think . personally i think this is a movie that is right up their alley . craveonline : what are your opinions of past video game movie remakes ?
matt mullins : i have not enjoyed a lot of the recent video game movies , but i think video game movies are very hard to make and every game that goes to live action has a lot of hurdles to jump . some of these hurdles are playing to a demographic , which is normally youth so studios won’t do an r rating . this in turn losses a lot of the tone of what the game is about . capturing elements of the game and building on them is another sticky point . i think that these element often come off a little corny on film . i think you have to take elements of the game and make them make sense . the last hurdle is having a great story line where you have stakes in the character . when you play a game the stakes are really high because it is you getting shot at , kicked , or punched . in the movie you miss some of the connection with the character because it is not you .
i also stared in kamen rider dragon knight which was on the cw all last year , and i worked with michael jai white in last years blood and bone .
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update : jeri ryan has revealed on her twitter account what the video was made for – “not a game trailer . actually was made by the director to sell wb on his vision for a reimagined mk film . ”
update # 2 : craveonline has scored an exclusive interview with matt mullins , the actor who plays johhny cage in the short film and who discusses how the project came about . click here to check it out .
the short is directed by kevin tancharoen , the director of last year’s fame , and features a cast that includes name actors like michael jai white ( jax ) , jeri ryan ( sonya blade ) , matt mullins ( johnny cage ) , lateef crowder ( baraka ) and ian anthony dale ( scorpion ) with fight choreography by larnell stovall .
urltoken is a property of mandatory , an evolve media , llc company . ©2018 all rights reserved copyright
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detective jackson briggs recruits the assassin hanzo hasachi into an undercover mission - enter an illegal tournament and eliminate all its criminal participants .
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three unknowing martial artists are summoned to a mysterious island to compete in a tournament whose outcome will decide the fate of the world .
a group of martial arts warriors have only six days to save the earth from an extra - dimensional invasion .
the three chosen warriors listen to lord rayden ' s words of wisdom on how to overcome the most dangerous of adversaries .
both lateef crowder and baraka ' s name are arabic . lateef or latif translates to : gentle . baraka or baraqa means : praised or blessed . baraka ' s real name in this is alan zane . zane or zayn is arabic for : pretty .
: this afternoon , governor muldoon once again responded to accusations that he had lost faith in the ability of the deacon city police department to maintain order . he insisted captain jackson briggs and his private unit have his full backing and support . he claims the situation is under control .
everyone who said this was retarded need to get their head out of the nerdy fantasy world of their ' s . this realistic based mk movie looks bad - ass . if you didn ' t see , sub zero ' s face was flashed for 1 sec during the video . and he looked bad - ass . not some idiot walking around with dirty ice tanks . . . and scorpion as a top assassin is also bad - ass , legend of zelda ' s link ' s hookshot , but with blood . they even gave scopion his famous white eyes . so yeah , this movie could be really bad - ass , or bad . so everyone will have to wait and see in the future how the movie will come out . for now you don ' t need to being saying this was retarded you retard ! i ' m sure if you directed a movie based on a video game it would totally the best movie ever ! so why don ' t you go and do just that ?
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noob saibot general information real name bi - han ( 碧菡 ) gender male origin earthrealm , china . . .
sub - zero general information real name kuai liang ( 奎良 or 快涼 ) gender male origin earthrealm . . .
template : lt . sonya blade , usacenter sonya blade general information gender female origin . . .
shang tsung general information gender male origin earthrealm resides outworld species human in . . .
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