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Stars: Mathis Landwehr, Kira Kortenbach, Matthias Hues, Billy Blanks, Mike Derudder, Mike Möller, Cynthia Rothrock, Kurt McKinney, David “Bolo Jr” Yeung | Written by Ross W. Clarkson, Sean David Lowe | Directed by Ross W. Clarkson

As you can probably tell just from the title, The Last Kumite was inspired by 80s action films, the iconic Bloodsport in particular. And it opens like it stepped out of a time warp from the 1980s with an old-school pop song playing over a montage of scenes shot on the streets of New York City before taking us to the dojo where Michael Rivers is teaching his daughter Bree (Kira Kortenbach).

After an inspirational speech at the end of her training, it’s time to go see Mom. If you guessed that means a trip to the cemetery, you’ve seen as many of these films as I have.

The next day, Michael fights in...

If you love action classics like Kickboxer and Bloodsport, a whole host of 80s and 90s martial arts superstars return to the screen in the action thriller The Last Kumite, coming to Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Uhd/Bd Steelbook, as well as digital platforms in the UK and Ireland from 13th May… And I’ve got my pre-order in already!

When Karate champion Michael Rivers (Mathis Landwehr) wins the last tournament of his career, shady businessman Ron Hall (Matthias Hues) offers him the opportunity to fight in an illegal, deadly Kumite in Bulgaria with the world’s best martial artists. Michael declines, only to find out later that his daughter Bree has been kidnapped and that in order to rescue her, he is left with no other option but to fight in the deadly tournament. When he finally gets to Bulgaria, he finds out that he is not the only...

Major spoilers for "Expend4bles" follow.

Ever since "The Expendables" was released in 2010, the identity and tone of the franchise has been heavily in question. That first film seemed to want to have things both ways, presenting the trials and tribulations of the (very fictional) titular team of mercenaries while metatextually commenting on (and piggybacking off of) the action stars playing them. Put another way, it's as if the crossover formula seen in Marvel's "The Avengers" franchise was reversed: the coming together of the film's stars are the big draw, while the characters are (at least initially) not well known.

While 2012's "The Expendables 2" leaned far more into the meta aspects of people like Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Chuck Norris showing up in the same film, 2014's "The Expendables 3" attempted to find a similar balance to the first film, establishing its characters in their own right while still...

Stars: Stefan Morawietz, Denis Lyons, Kathrin Höhne, Bartholomäus Kowalski, Mike Möller, Ron Holzschuh | Written by Andreas Urra, Mathias Urra | Directed by Tanay Genco Ulgen

At one time Jack Walker was the biggest action star in the world. Well, the biggest action star in Germany. But those days are long gone, and even the Dtv film offers have dried up. With the bills piling up he has no choice but to take a role in an uber low-budget film he feels is beneath him.

His feelings seem to be confirmed when Steve (Ben Plunkett-Reynolds; Jack and Ralph Plan a Murder), the director, and his assistant Piet (Bartholomäus Kowalski; Ultimate Justice) are having issues and the stunts keep going wrong. The presence of co-star Sylvia Meadows (Kathrin Höhne; The Hitman Agency) keeps Jack in a good mood though.

But when the abandoned hotel they’re using for a location turns out to...

Stars: Mark Dacascos, Matthias Hues, Mike Möller, Brandon Rhea, Mike Leeder, Wolfgang Riehm, Martin Baden, Henry Muller, Verena Konietschke, Bartholomäus Kowalski, Yazmeen Baker, Gerrit Grass, Mathis Landwehr, Sandra Tauro, Susen Ermich | Written by Marco Theiss | Directed by Martin Christopher Bode

Ultimate Justice follows a group of Special Forces operatives who come back together for one last mission when the family of one of their own is threatened. The film starts out with a flashback to Commander Hans Sturm and his team of soldiers, led by Mark Dacascos’ Gus, performing their very last mission. You see their team takes casualties and Gus decides it’s time to end the security teams days and sell the company, Vme, and retire. Jump forward eight years and Strum is now married with a wife and child, living in a huge mansion. One night his home is attacked, his wife raped and killed, and his daughter kidnapped.

Keep up with the wild and wooly world of indie film acquisitions with our weekly Rundown of everything that’s been picked up around the globe. Check out last week’s Rundown here.

– HBO has acquired the U.S. TV rights to “David Bowie: The Last Five Years,” directed and produced by Francis Whately. The film spotlights two critically acclaimed albums and the stage musical “Lazarus,” offering new insights into Bowie’s extraordinary creativity during the final five years of his life.

Featuring a wealth of rarely seen Bowie interviews, archival footage, audio from the recording sessions for “The Next Day” and “Blackstar,” and unprecedented access to Bowie’s closest friends and artistic collaborators, the film is a tribute to one of the greatest rock icons of all time.

Read More: Film Acquisitions Rundown: Sony Picks Up Tom Hanks’ ‘Greyhound,’ Lionsgate Acquires ‘Rally Car’ and More

– The Weinstein Company will...

Exclusive: Ruediger W. Kuemmerie’s martial arts film stars Mark Dacascos.

Us outfit Vision Films has picked up martial arts action thriller Ultimate Justice for worldwide sales.

Starring Mark Dacascos (Cradle 2 The Grave), Matthias Hues and Mike Moeller, the film follows a team of elite soldiers who are drawn back into battle when one of their families is threatened.

It marks the second feature from German-based production company Silent Partners, whose first film One Million K(I)cks was picked up for the Us by Parade Deck Films and for the UK by Evolutionary Films.

Ultimate Justice was directed by Martin Christopher Bode from a screenplay by Marco Theiss. Ruediger W. Kuemmerie produced with Mike Leeder and Markus R. Vogelbacher of International Film Partners executive produced. Mike Moller served as co-producer and choreographed the fight scenes, Alois Knapps was DoP.

China-based Kuemmerie self-financed the project and returned to his hometown of Goeppingen, Germany, to shoot...

Exclusive: The production and sales outfit will offer theatrical releases of Polly Steele’s drama Let Me Go and John Adams’ horror Aux.

Evolutionary Films, the London-based production and sales outfit launched two years ago under CEO John Adams, is expanding into UK distribution. The company will release at least four titles into the British market this year, some getting theatrical launches.

Among the Evolutionary Films titles that will be seen in British cinemas this year are Polly Steele’s new drama Let Me Go starring Juliet Stevenson and Jodhi May. The drama is based on the true story of German woman Helga Schneider, abandoned by her mother as a child, who later discovers her mother had gone to join the Nazi SS.

Evolutionary is also planning a theatrical release for its horror thriller, Aux, directed by Adams and starring John Rhys-Davies. This was financed and produced by Evolutionary who are selling it internationally as well as...

It was back at the end of September that we brought word Crying Freeman star Mark Dacascos was returning to martial arts action with Ultimate Justice and with the film now deep into production we have a first look at nine stills from the shoot.Ultimate Justice, follows a team of former elite soldiers, whose friendship was forged in battle. They are drawn back into action when the family of one of their number is threatened, friendships and loyalties are tested, battle lines are drawn and Ultimate Justice will be served.Matthias Hues, Mike Moeller, Mathis Landwehr, Brandon Rhea, Sandra Bertalanffy, Wolfgang Riehm, Martin Baden, Yasmeen Baker and Mike Leeder star with Martin Christopher Bode in the director's chair....

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

It's time for Mark Dacascos to stop cooking and get back to fighting and that's exactly what he's doing, stepping out of Iron Chef mode and back to his Crying Freeman, The Crow and Brotherhood Of The Wolf mode with new international indie Ultimate Justice.Boasting fight scene stalwart Mike Leeder amongst its producers, Ultimate Justice has just launched principal photography with a cast that includes a fistful of ultra talented screen fighters including Mathis Landwehr and Mike Moeller. Expect to see the first shots from the set soon and expect lots of hardcore action....

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

The first trailer has just popped up for German language martial arts flick One Million Klicks, and showcases some pretty impressive fighting skills. The first project from production company Silent Partners, recently formed by Ruediger Kummerle and Mike Leeder, One Million Klicks stars Mike Moeller, who has worked with everyone from Donnie Yen and Steven Seagal to Hung Yan Yan and Kane Kosugi. Most recently, Moeller was part of the stunt team for Ernie Barbarash's Pound of Flesh starring Jean Claude Van Damme, which recently wrapped filming in China. His stunt work can also be seen in the likes of Speed Racer, Resident Evil and The Monuments Men.From the producers:one Million Klicks is a high impact German language martial arts movie, which hits the big...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Today we have the teaser trailer for a a new independent martial arts movie called Urban Fighter. The film is made by a talented European team and even has Mike Moller (nominated for the World Stunt Award Taurus in 2003 for our work on the movie “Half Past Dead”) in it. A young Biker (Mike [...]

Continue reading Urban Fighter Teaser Trailer on FilmoFilia.

Related posts:The Fighter Trailer Second The Muppets Teaser Trailer The 25th Reich Teaser Trailer and Poster...

Feel like getting your teeth kicked in this morning? Cinematically speaking, of course. Tucked below this ill-conceived cluster of words is the first trailer for “Urban Fighter”, a clip that is stuffed with all sorts of martial arts tomfoolery from the second it starts to the moment it ends. And while the story isn’t anything we haven’t seen a million times before, the sheer amount of on-screen action should be enough to pummel your desire for depth into submission. Regarding the plot, here’s what you can expect: A young Biker (Mike Möller) earns his freedom by entering a bareknuckle fighting tournament. He and other recruits train vigorously under the care of a keeper who is ordered to keep them alive under penalty of death. The ex-Biker and his fellow student rebel and are soundly beaten for their trouble. The ringleader is then returned to prison, where he is sentenced to hard labor.

Though Germany may not leap to mind when compiling a list of high level international martial artists the nation has a few truly top level performers and two of them are appearing in micro-budget indie production Straight Blast from director Ulrik Bruchholz. The guy in the photo to the left is Mathis Landwehr, a key stuntman on V For Vendetta who we also got to know through his roles in Kingz and Germany's low budget martial arts feature Kampfensage. Landwehr is a key support player in this one, backing up Mike Möller (and his mullet), a stunt man and fighter respected enough that he has plied his trade in Hong Kong productions such as Coweb.

What's this one about? Check it out:

Straight Blast is centered in a world a few decades after the nuclear holocaust. Most of the human population escaped from earth and started new lives in outworld colonies.