Between The Expendables, Stranger Things, barcades, endless Transformers and Alien sequels and synthwave soundtracks everywhere, the 2010's have been very 80's centric. VHS remains a collector's niche and Cannon Film fans were treated to terrific documentary Electric Boogaloo. Cannon and Nu Image staple Sam Firstenberg is now the subject of proposed book Stories From the Trenches that will dig into his colorful history of breaking into the film business, working with independent film luminaries and genre stars. Firstenberg directed American Ninja, sequel The Confrontation as well as Breakin' 2, Avenging Force, Revenge of the Ninja, Ninja III and many more. His films were filled with the likes of Michael Dudikoff, Steve James, Kirstie Alley, Sho Kosugi, John Rhys-Davies, David Bradley, Mark Dacascos, Eric Roberts, Michael Madsen and Robert Vaughn.
Spearheaded by Marco Siedelmann, a journalist and author who has conducted hours of interviews with Firstenberg and his colleagues. Siedelmann has already provided genre fans with The Untold, In-Depth, Outrageously True Story about Shapiro Glickenhaus Entertainment, a deep dive into the foreign pre-sale, VHS fueled exploitation fun of the 80's and 90's that gave us Maniac Cop, Frankenhooker, Shakedown and other favorites. I'm currently halfway through that entertaining and educational tome of a bygone, go-go era and am looking forward to tales from some of my youth shaping flicks.
Stories From the Trenches has nearly reached it's Kickstarter fund raising goal so donate if you can before Monday, May 15th!
Doing your own thing means meeting other like minded Doers who stopped talking and just went out and did the Damme thing. Whether it's the Mad Movie Titan Christian Parkes creating the largest genre film festival in America with Beyond Fest or my man Bennie Woodell who just finished writing and directing Love Meet Hope to my fellow JCVD and Dolph Lundgren loving homie Tom Jolliffe who wrote short film Out and is prepping his next. Oliver Brink was the manager at The Egyptian Theatre for as long as I could remember and we became fast friends when I started making his life more difficult bringing in the likes of Dolph Lundgren or a bunch of exhibitors for The Sunbow Celebration screenings of The Transformers and G.I. Joe movies. Now he's off doing what he loves, making films! His latest project is the micro-budget indie sci-fi horror flick Sleep Paralysis. Brink and his partners are setting out to make a film dealing with belief, skepticism and unproven phenomena as the nightmare and visions suffering Rachel and friends bunker down in a cabin to reclaim lost memories, explore "missing time" and sleep paralysis. And there might be an alien involved too. Find out more and support if you can HERE. Good luck, Oliver!
Ever since starting this ol' blog/online journal experiment, I've gotten to meet some of my cinematic heroes, attend conventions as press, set up a premiere, got invited to a premiere and now I can add cover a Celebrity Poker Tournament to the list. This past Saturday, The PEACE Fund hosted their 2nd Annual Celebrity Poker Tournament at Microsoft's swanky Playa Vista office where the likes of Adrian Paul, Carl Weathers and Lou Diamond Phillips stacked chips for charity. The PEACE Fund "focuses on small, under-funded and hard-working charities who are determined to make a positive difference to the lives of children living in extraordinary difficult circumstances". Last year the group teamed up with Wells Bring Hope and raised enough money to pay for two wells in West Africa where clean water is limited.
We arrived after the red carpet event but the tournament was in full swing and the playing room packed. I spotted host and founder Adrian Paul from Highlander nearly right away who was alternating hands of poker and speaking to guests, caught up briefly with The Carl Weathers, he's a great guy and I'm excited to see him pop up on new show The Colony. Glancing around the player's room I was looking for Patrick Kilpatrick from Best of the Best II, Death Warrant and Minority Report but didn't see him. Lou Diamond Philips was looking very into his game while Mekhi Phifer was just chilling outside taking a call. Sometimes I wonder how I end up munching on Doritos, sipping a cider (Rekorderlig from Sweden, delicious!), surrounded by all these people but hey, it was a fun time for a good cause. Find out more or donate HERE. Until next time, flop the river on the turn something something!
