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The video game curse strikes again! While gamers and movie fans alike are still reeling from the spectacular failure of Borderlands at the box office, it’s worth remembering that Hollywood’s obsession with adapting interactive entertainment has produced far worse results.

The Eli Roth-directed Borderlands adaptation starring Cate Blanchett and Kevin Hart may have crashed and burned with a dismal 10% Rotten Tomatoes score, but it’s practically Oscar-worthy compared to the absolute bottom of the video game movie barrel.

That dubious honor belongs to a film so terrible, it makes Borderlands look like a masterpiece.

When you’re alone in the dark, the real horror is the movie itself

Long before Borderlands disappointed audiences worldwide, a pioneering survival horror game called Alone in the Dark revolutionized gaming in 1992. This groundbreaking title featured 3D characters against pre-rendered backgrounds and established many conventions that would later define the horror genre in games like Resident Evil.

When you think of Jason Statham, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? If it’s a fit bald dude beating the shit out of a nameless goon, good. That means we’re on the same page. Range is not Jason Statham’s forte, nor would we expect his characters to be able to spell “forte”. But the man has marked himself as maybe The action star in modern movies. And that’s good enough for us and his millions of fans. As Frank Martin said in The Transporter: Never change the deal.

Jason Statham was born on July 26th, 1967 in Shirebrook, England. A natural and gifted athlete, Statham was competing in everything from football to diving (he would later be inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame). Then came modelling because, well, look at that jawline!

But it was the screen he was destined for.

Video game adaptations are quickly becoming the next big thing in Hollywood, with movies like "A Minecraft Movie" and "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" and TV shows like "Fallout" and "The Last of Us" all finding massive success. That's a trend that no one would have predicted a couple decades ago, back when the very notion of a video game movie conjured thoughts of low budgets, lousy reviews, C-list actors, and box office deficits.

Back in those golden days, no one was more infamous for his video game movie flops than controversial German filmmaker Uwe Boll. Throughout the aughts, Boll threw up bomb after bomb, adapting games like "Alone in the Dark," "Dungeon Siege," "BloodRayne," "House of the Dead," and "Far Cry." He's arguably the man most responsible for the hellish reputation of video game movies at the time. In 2007, Boll directed "Postal," based on the game series of the...

No, the headline of this article is not a reference to Jason Statham's leading role in Uwe Boll's roundly mocked film "In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale," one of the most derided of all video game adaptations. Instead, this refers to some voice work that he did early in his career. It seems that Statham played a minor voice role in the very first "Call of Duty" video game in 2003. "Call of Duty" was a military-based shooter game set during World War II, released on the PC, and eventually for the XBox 360, and the PlayStation 3. It was a big hit in the early 2000s, and spawned a massive franchise that is still going strong to this day. There are five games in the original World War II continuity, eight games in the "Modern Warfare" spinoff series (set in the present), seven games in the "Black Ops" spinoff,...

A Working Man is now playing in theaters everywhere, but how does it stack up to other films in Jason Statham’s filmography? That depends on whom you ask. A Working Man earned a “rotten” 51% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but general audiences have given the film a “verified hot” 89%. This 89% score is enough to land in the top five for all Jason Statham’s movies, sitting at #5 at the time of writing, barely ahead of Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw at 88% but behind Wrath of Man, which earned a 90%. A Working Man was directed by David Ayer, who worked with Statham prior on The Beekeeper, which earned a 92% rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, the third-highest of Statham’s career.

Ironically enough, the two highest-rated projects of Jason Statham’s career, according to audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, are also the two first movies he ever starred in.

Not too many movie stars these days have the power to pull audiences to theaters, but Jason Statham has consistently proved his worth, especially when he headlines meathead action movies in a certain budget range. His latest vehicle, A Working Man, debuted theatrically this week, and is aiming for a solid opening weekend haul at the domestic box office. Statham is coming off of a surprise hit, last year's The Beekeeper. And it seems like this positive momentum is going to continue with A Working Man, at least as far as the film's commercial performance is concerned. It has, however, fallen short of The Beekeeper in terms of critical reception.

The movie recently fell into the "rotten" zone on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, and currently holds a 54% approval rating with less than 70 reviews so far. Not too long ago, it was hovering in the "fresh" territory with a 62% score.

Quick Links”Worst Picture” & Other Borderlands Razzie NominationsOther Video Game Adaptations To Previously Receive Razzie NominationsVideo Game Adaptations Are Still Trending Upward

Just when video game adaptations were starting to break free from the stigma of poor adaptations, Borderlands flopped. Borderlands, based on the RPG looter shooter series developed by Gearbox Studios, had an easy path to success. Borderlands is known for being hilarious, but still capable of telling engaging stories. Its colorful dog-eat-dog universe is fun to explore and its uncountable number of guns ensures there are surprises around every corner.

Sadly, despite a star-studded cast, the Borderlands movie failed to properly bring the franchise to live-action. Borderlands hit for the Triple Crown of video game adaptation failures: panned by critics, panned by fans of the series, and performed poorly at the box office. With the 45th Golden Raspberry Awards coming March 1, Borderlands has a chance to secure video...

Director Uwe Boll has a reputation as one of the worst film directors of all time. In the mid-2000s, he helmed a string of well-publicized but critically savaged video game adaptations that immediately sunk to the bottom of cineastes' estimations. In 2003, he made "House of the Dead," and followed that in 2005 with both "Alone in the Dark" and "BloodRayne." He chased those with "In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale," "BloodRayne 2: Deliverance," and "Postal" all in 2007, and capped off his run in 2008 with "Far Cry." Fans of the games on which those films are based were incensed that Boll should so clumsily handle the source material, and fans of the cinematic medium were incensed that

Despite his critical reputation, Boll has remained prolific, sometimes helming multiple pictures a year. He directed "First Shift" and "Bandidos" in 2024, and is set to release "Run" in 2025.

I have...

Armie Hammer is making a return to the big screen, taking on the lead role in Uwe Boll’s new film, The Dark Knight. This vigilante thriller is set to begin filming in Croatia on January 27, with Hammer playing Sanders, a man who turns to crime-fighting and becomes both a hero and a controversial figure.

The project marks a significant comeback for the actor, whose career took a sharp turn in 2021 following allegations of sexual misconduct.

In a recent podcast interview, Hammer opened up about the challenges he faced during his time away from Hollywood, describing the experience as isolating but also reflecting on his return to work. “That first job I turned down after four years of this—well, it felt amazing,” he shared.

Hammer’s previous work included prominent roles in films like Call Me by Your Name, The Lone Ranger, and The Man from U.N.C.

By getting the lead role in Uwe Boll’s upcoming vigilante thriller The Dark Knight, Armie Hammer is making a big comeback to Hollywood. The movie will start being made in Croatia on January 27.

Hammer portrays Sanders, a vigilante who becomes famous on social media for his fight against crime in the film. The story is about how Sanders’s support from the people and the police chief’s efforts to stop him from doing illegal things are at odds with each other.

This choice is a big step in Hammer’s return to the screen after a break that began in 2021 because of sexual misconduct claims. Following a thorough probe, prosecutors in Los Angeles chose not to bring charges against him in 2023. Hammer just finished shooting the western Frontier Crucible, which Travis Mills directed. He starred with experienced actors Thomas Jane and William H. Macy.

Hammer recently talked about...

Armie Hammer’s comeback is picking up steam after nabbing the starring role in Uwe Boll’s latest film, “The Dark Knight.”

Hammer is set to play the crime-fighting titular character in the vigilante thriller, which is scheduled to begin principal photography in Croatia on Jan. 27.

The embattled actor, who saw his career come to a halt in 2021 following allegations of sexual misconduct, recently returned to work in Travis Mills’ forthcoming western “Frontier Crucible,” which also stars Thomas Jane and William H. Macy.

Following a lengthy probe, Los Angeles prosecutors in 2023 declined to charge the actor with any crime.

Prior to the allegations, Hammer starred in such high-profile pics as Gore Verbinski’s “The Lone Ranger” alongside Johnny Depp, Guy Ritchie’s “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” with Henry Cavill and Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me by Your Name” with Timothée Chalamet.

In a recent podcast interview, Hammer said that his...

Jason Statham rarely steps out of his comfort zone, but despite what detractors might say, his approach has worked incredibly well for him. In 2024, he is still one of the world’s most bankable stars, and he is unlikely to slow down anytime soon. 99% of Statham’s movies involve him playing a man with a gun with fists as additional weapons. He also sticks to live-action, with Gnomeo and Juliet being his only foray into the animation space.

In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale PG-13ActionAdventureDocumentaryDramaFantasy

Release Date November 29, 2007Director Uwe BollCast Jason Statham, Leelee Sobieski, John Rhys-Davies, Ron Perlman, Claire Forlani, Kristanna LokenRuntime 127

In 2007, Statham made a surprise move by venturing into the action-fantasy genre and embracing the rustic side of moviemaking via In the Name of the King. Directed by Uwe Boll (his most expensive production) and inspired by the Dungeon Siege video game series,...

The 2000s were an incredible time for Jason Statham; having only previously starred in Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels in 1998, he hit the 2000s with a vengeance. Not following the typical acting career path, with more minor, supportive roles to build up a profile, Statham went in at the deep end, basically leading action films as the star since his first years. Known for his tough-guy persona, fighting skills, ripped physique, and witty delivery, he seemed destined to be an action star.

Statham has starred in a multitude of different genres, from martial arts films, gangster comedy dramas, and tenacious heist thrillers. Over the 2000s, his performances have continued to transcend the screen, delivering some of his best scenes that propelled him into pop culture; whether portraying the driver in The Transporter or a small-time promoter in Snatch, his roles always stand out from the norm. His unique film choices,...

If there are movies like Casablanca and Gladiator that serve as shining examples of how to craft a perfect movie, there are movies that serve as the perfect examples of what not to do when making a movie. In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale is one of those movies. Based on the Dungeon Siege video games, In the Name of the King stars Jason Statham as a lowly farmer whose kingdom falls under siege by the malevolent sorcerer Gallian (Ray Liotta). When his wife Solana is taken by Gallian's forces and his son is killed, the farmer joins forces with a collection of warriors to stop them. Sounds pretty epic, right? Unfortunately, the end results are not.

Action superstar and Hollywood heavy hitter Jason Statham may be one of the silver screen's most bankable actors, but even he isn't immune to taking on questionable projects and roles. The charismatic performer is one of the film industry's most alluring stars, but back in 2007, Statham headlined one of the cinema's biggest box office blunders and most critically-panned flicks: the fantasy flick In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, which was an adaptation of the popular video game series.

In the notorious movie, Statham plays a man on a mission as he sets out to get revenge against the evil forces that killed his beloved son and kidnapped his wife, a plot that sounds right up the actor's alley but also takes place in a fantasy world in a medieval kingdom where nefarious creatures run rampant. The adaptation tanked upon its worldwide release and holds just a 4% Rotten Tomatoes score,...

UTA Independent Film Group has acquired Uwe Boll’s upcoming migrant crisis thriller “Run,” starring Emmy and Tony award winner Amanda Plummer (“Star Trek: Picard”) and James Russo (“Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1”).

UTA will handle global sales for the pic, produced by Boll’s U.S.-Canadian shingle Event Film and his German outfit Bolu.

UTA takes over from the film’s initial sales company, Stuttgart-based Kinostar, headed by “Run” executive producer Michael Roesch. The move is seen as an advantage for potential worldwide deals.

“We are thrilled to work with UTA for the global sales of ‘Run’ and can’t wait to introduce the movie to audiences around the world,” said Boll.

“We are excited that UTA loves the strong performances of our ensemble cast as much as we do, and we can’t wait to start working with them,” added Roesch.

The film’s cast...

Jason Statham is no stranger to working with some seriously talented people, but perhaps the most impressive cast he's ever featured in bizarrely came in his worst-ever movie. With a track record in action franchises like The Fast and the Furious and The Expendables, Statham has arguably forged his reputation by augmenting ensembles. And yet, while these movies have become some of Statham's best-known releases, one oft-forgotten film still reigns supreme as the pinnacle of Jason Statham's screen collaborations.

It speaks to Statham's strengths as a performer that he is capable of shining both as a solo lead and a supporting player in a sprawling cast. Even his early career before he became an action superstar was defined by performances in projects like Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch: both movies that rely on extensive personnel and surprise cameos to succeed. And yet, even with this history,...

Although he is now one of the biggest action movie stars on the planet, Jason Statham's acting career had somewhat humble beginnings, 26 years ago. Before he became the face of franchises like The Transporter and The Expendables, Statham made his debut alongside a slew of other up-and-coming stars in Guy Ritchie's gangster flick, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. At the time, the movie was heralded as a ground-breaking moment in British cinema, with Ritchie's storytelling, cinematography, and kinetic direction earning praise. However, times have changed.

Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels is available to rent on Apple TV+.

Since Lock, Stock premiered in 1998, the careers of everyone involved as well as the industry as a whole have moved on. Things that felt fresh and progressive now perhaps feel outmoded in some cases, thanks to over-exposure from Guy Ritchie himself. While there's no doubt that some things about Lock,...

In The Name Of The King is Statham's lowest-rated film, but remains entertaining and engaging despite its flaws. Statham's performance shines in a cast of acting heavyweights, showcasing his star power even in a flawed movie. The film, while critically panned, serves as a cautionary tale for high-fantasy storytelling, perhaps influencing future projects in the genre.

Jason Statham is one of the most popular stars working in Hollywood today, yet his career hasn't always been plain sailing. Between major blockbusters like the Fast and Furious franchise, The Meg series, and standalone hits like The Beekeeper, Statham has built a well-earned reputation on the back of hugely enjoyable, crowd-pleasing action. But Statham's strength is not necessarily consistency. While he's proven his ability to spearhead popular projects, Statham is seemingly just as capable of picking duds. Among his multitude of critical and commercial flops, one Statham movie stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Success for future films in the Dungeons & Dragons franchise is still a possibility, despite disappointing box office results. A precedent for sequels in the high-fantasy genre, even after major failures, has been set by In the Name of the King. Direct-to-dvd-type releases, like the sequels to In the Name of the King, may provide a viable path for Dungeons & Dragons 2 to succeed.

After a disappointing performance at the box office, fans' chances of seeing a sequel to Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves seemed pretty remote. The movie, despite receiving rave reviews, failed to find a significant audience, generating just $208 million against a $150 million budget. Ordinarily, such clear financial failure would mean curtains for future installments in a movie franchise. And yet, there is still hope for further cinematic installments in the story, thanks to the precedent set by action superstar Jason Statham's worst-ever movie.

Released in 2007, In the Name of the King...

In the Name of the King is Jason Statham's lowest-rated movie, with a paltry 4% on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite its abundance of errors, the film still inspired a sequel and established a modest legacy. Uwe Boll's streak of critical failures lasted 18 years, with In the Name of the King just a small part.

Jason Statham's lowest-rated Rotten Tomatoes movie is a badge of dishonor for the action superstar, but the film is just a small part of a much longer streak. A veteran of high-profile projects like Fast and Furious, The Expendables, and The Transporter series, Statham is widely recognized as one of the most popular genre stars working today. Despite this record of success, however, Statham has not been immune from failure. In fact, as his lowest-rated movie proves, he has previously proved more than capable of choosing some seriously questionable projects.

Although he has shown more consistency in recent years,...

With the actor’s strike finally over, Matthew Lillard can finally talk about the plum role he has in Five Nights at Freddy’s. In a recent THR interview, Lillard mentioned being thrilled about how fans have reacted to the film, noting:

“Being 53 years old — and being around the block a couple times — I have a much deeper sense of appreciation in this moment than I probably have ever had because I didn’t expect it. I realize that these opportunities don’t come around that often. It’s been a really rich, joyful moment because I can sort of sit back and appreciate it on a deeper level.”

Lillard’s character, who has a rich mythology in the game, could well wind-up being a recurring presence in the Five Nights at Freddy’s world, especially with the film such a huge hit in theaters and on Peacock. But, it turns...

If there is cinematic butt to be kicked, rest assured that Jason Statham will be at the front of the line. Since he burst onto the scene in Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels in 1998, he’s left a lot of broken bodies and wrecked cars in his wake. And when Expendables 4 rolls out on September 20, he will be nearing his 50th film, the lion’s share being unapologetic explosive action.

Statham makes movies with staying power. He’s made four Expendables films, three Transporters, two Mechanics (2011 and 2016), tw0 Cranks (2006 and 2009) and two Megs (2018 and 2023). Oh, yes, he also jumped into the Fast and Furious universe, making Furious 7 (2015), The Fate of the Furious (2017), Fast X (2023) and the spinoff Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw (2019), teaming with Dwayne Johnson.

As a leading man, his films have delivered $1.8 billion worldwide, according to The Numbers.

Jason Statham has a Lot of action movies to his name, but some are far better than others. Statham has had one of the wildest journeys to movie stardom of possibly any other actor, with his previous careers including working on street stalls, modeling and acting in music videos. His acting debut came with 1998's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, which was also Guy Ritchie's directing debut.

From there, the two collaborated on Snatch, and while Statham may have seemed primed for a career in more comic roles, his future career took a wild left turn into action thanks to the shock success of The Transporter movies. It helped Statham's transition to action that he had a background as an athlete and martial artist, and while he's appeared in everything from thrillers to dramas throughout his career, Statham has become synonymous with action.

Related: Every Jason Statham Franchise,...

With The Super Mario Bros. Movie pulling in record breaking numbers this weekend, we wanted to know what movie based on a video game has been your favorite. If you don’t see your favorite, click “Other” and let us know in the comments.

Favorite Video Game MovieSuper Mario Bros. (1993)Double Dragon (1994)Street Fighter (1994)Mortal Kombat (1995)Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)Wing Commander (1999)Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)Resident Evil (2002)Lara Croft: Tomb Raider- The Cradle of Life (2003)House of the Dead (2003)Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)Alone in the Dark (2005)Doom (2005)BloodRayne (2006)Silent Hill (2006)Doa: Dead or Alive (2006)Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)Postal (2007)Hitman (2007)In The Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2008)Far Cry (2008)Max Payne (2008)Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009)Tekken (2010)Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)Silent Hill: Revelation (2012)Need For Speed (2014)Hitman: Agent 47 (2015)Warcraft (2016)Assassin’s Creed...

Uwe Boll, the filmmaker who has brought us a slew of films that a lot of people think are terrible such as BloodRayne, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, Far Cry, House of the Dead, and more, is completely pissed off at Dwayne Johnson's big screen adaptation of the classic video game Rampage. He's so raging mad that he is threatening to sue Warner Bros.

So, why is Uwe Boll so pissed off? Because he also made a movie called Rampage. It has nothing to do with this movie, but the fact that it has the same title has made him go crazy!

Fuck this new fake Rampage movie. Uwe Boll is going to sue Warner Bros. asshole. Totally serious. Will update soon.

— Uwe Boll (@UweBollRaw) March 23, 2018

Ok. Press Release on front page of https://t.co/zGaQq3Kxa1 ''Uwe Boll goes on a Rampage against Warner Bros.

Movie titles don’t necessarily make or break a movie on their own, but this is a look at ten movies where their titles didn’t do them any favors.

In the realm of zaney movie titles, I can appreciate those that are trying to be fun or silly, like 1964’s The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed Up Zombies or even Dude, Where’s My Car? Those are passable because they actually give you an idea of what to expect while perhaps generating a chuckle or a shake of the head. I can even deal with lame puns and wordplay in titles, as long as they make sense for the material at hand. Examples include Blacula! or Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties. Even titles that are so straightforward they end up being dumb aren’t lying or misleading to us, and so they shouldn’t...

Here’s the latest episode of the Cinema Geeks podcast, part of the ever-growing podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes right here, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.

Episode 151: Vg Series – In The Name Of The King

Today on Episode 151 of the Cinema Geeks we continue the journey through video game films with a review of In The Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale. MovieRevolt, OptimusSolo, HardCandiMandi and FridleyCent venture back into the world of video game films to see if Uwe Boll can make up for his past transgressions. Listen in to see where In the Name of the King ranks amongst the video game films and how this fantasy film resonates with the panel. Remember, we watch them so you don’t have to!

The career of Uwe Boll has been marked by one distinguishing factor: nearly all of his movies are terrible. The director himself would never say so, and has often proclaimed his works to be better than what his colleagues in Hollywood have been doing, but his greatest accomplishment might’ve been using German tax laws to keep his string of modestly budgeted movies financially viable. At his peak, Boll found himself working with Jason Statham on “In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale” and helming the video game adaptation “Alone In The Dark,” but for the most part, his movies got limited stateside release, and were viewed as cult curios at best.

Continue reading Uwe Boll Announces His Retirement From Filmmaking at The Playlist.

Ryan Lambie Published Date  Saturday, August 27, 2016 - 11:34

Creativity's an oft-overlooked commodity in action movies. The likes of John Woo and Sam Peckinpah knew how to stage an exciting shoot-out, but they also knew that their violent set-pieces also had to have an original idea in there somewhere to keep them interesting.

British action icon and Den Of Geek favourite Jason Statham has appeared in more than his fair share of clever, inventive action scenes, from the expertly-choreographed, oiled-up brawls of The Transporter to the completely bonkers shoot-outs of Crank. On the face of it, Mechanic: Resurrection gives Statham another chance to do what he does best: bust heads, discharge firearms and look cool and sinewy while he does so.

And yes, there are some splashes of creativity that an action film needs to keep things interesting: a high-wire sequence involving a swimming pool - which we aren't spoiling, since...

Did you know writer/director Uwe Boll directed around 30 movies in his careerc I didn't, and of those, the number of them I've seen I can count on one hand: 2007's In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale and 2009's Rampage. I didn't even know he made a sequel to the latter, let alone had not one but two different crowdfunding efforts to complete his violent trilogy with Rampage 3: No Mercy. Turns out I wasn't alone. Boll's most recent crowd-funding campaign on Kickstarter is still several thousands dollars away from his goal with only three days left (the Indigogo one before that fell $93,675 short of its $100,000 goal) and he's not very happy about it. Not in the slightest, and he's not afraid to call people out for not supporting his movie in two YouTube videos released yesterday. He cusses out both fans who didn't support this...

With the likes of In the Name of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale and Postal under his belt, you would never call Uwe Boll one of cinema’s greatest directors. But there is one person out there who thinks he deserves that title: Uwe Boll himself. A bit of context. Boll is currently wrapping up his Kickstarter campaign for Rampage 3: No Mercy, the second sequel to his 2009 mass murderer thriller (incidentally, one of his only movies get positive reviews). With three days to go, it’s not looking good with the $50,000 goal still a long way from being reached, and he is not happy. Taking to Youtube, he has a message for us all: “Fuck yourself”. And that’s not all. Over the course of two expletive filled videos, he goes on a rant targeting not only Kickstarter but also Hollywood, George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, as well as the cinema going public.

English actor and martial artist Darren Shahlavi, whose screen credits include Donnie Yen’s Ip Man 2, Machinima’s Mortal Kombat: Legacy, and the upcoming Jean-Claude Van Damme film Pound Of Flesh, has died. He was 42. Shahlavi was found unresponsive at his La home on January 14, according to La County coroner’s office spokesman Ed Winter. The death was reported as a possible accident and the cause is pending the results of toxicological tests, said Winter.

The lifelong martial arts fan had trained since childhood in multiple disciplines before moving to Hong Kong in the 1990s to do film stuntwork, where legendary director and fight choreographer Yuen Woo Ping gave him his big break in 1996’s Tai Chi 2. Shahlavi segued into a Hollywood career as both stuntman and actor with the Eddie Murphy-Owen Wilson action-comedy I, Spy and followed with roles in a range of films from The Final Cut...

Are we done hating director Uwe Boll yet? Despite a spat of truly awful genre fare back in the early 2000s, the notorious German filmmaker has been on quite a role lately, delivering some of the best movies of his career. He's finally making what he really wants to make, and some of those films, like Rampage and Assault on Wall Street are truly inspired personal works that highlight his strengths as a visionary and storyteller. He has a distinct voice, and when the material fits, he's quite adept at bringing a powerful message to the screen.

This good work has leaked into his latest offering, despite it being a franchise sequel to one of his earlier groaners. 2009's In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale might not have registered very high with critics, but it truly capture the imagination of video game fans everywhere, and proved...

German filmmaker Uwe Boll is resorting to the popular crowdfunding site Kickstarter in the hope of raising $500,000 for a sequel to his 2007 video game movie adaptation "Postal".

Boll became famous a little under a decade ago for helming legendarily terrible films like "House of the Dead," "Alone in the Dark," "Bloodrayne," and "In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale". Of this new film, Boll says:

"Postal 2 will be a controversial comedy in which we take up current political issues. We take the biggest scandals of our democracy, like the happenings about Julien Assange and Edward Snowdon (sic) and show that there is no difference between our democracy and the prison camps in Russia or China.

We show that through this massive monitoring our communication data is not safe anymore! We want to make a movie which is totally uncensored, pointed against everything and everybody, against every political party and every religion.

With Ricky Gervais replacing Jason Segel and a storyline that calls to mind Eurotrip, the portents don't look promising

The last Muppets film wasn't just a great Muppets film, it was a great film full stop. It was funny, charming, quietly subversive and, unusually for a musical, full of songs that didn't make you want to fling yourself down a flight of concrete steps as a misguided act of protest. During the screening I attended, I saw grown men crying with happiness. Cynical film critics, weeping like children at puppets on a screen. It takes something pretty special for that to happen. Which is why I don't much care for the uneasy feeling I'm already starting to get about its sequel.

It's been common knowledge for a while that Jason Segel – the star and co-writer of The Muppets, as well as the engineer of their return – wouldn't be involved in another Muppets film.

It seems increasingly clear that Uwe Boll is reinventing himself. After rising to infamy as the director of a string of video game adaptations - House Of The Dead, Alone In The Dark, Bloodrayne, and In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale were produced between 2003 and 2007 - Boll became far and away the director that fans most loved to hate, a status he has baited ever since with the much-publicized critic-boxing matches tied to the release of 2007 effort Postal serving as the crown on that particular phase of his career.Though Boll is still turning out Bloodrayne and In The Name Of The King sequels - and likely will continue to do so as long as they keep paying the...

Which Movies Were Game Changers?

Hollywood has been mining literature for source material for years, often with excellent results — 11 literary adaptations were nominated for Academy Awards in 2012 alone — and comic books have inspired several of the most popular and successful movies in recent years. Video games, on the other hand, have proven to be difficult to successfully translate to film. Gamers are often more interested in a game's graphics or the ability to earn achievements than in its plot, so there is often little for the screenwriters to draw upon. As Corey May, co-founder of Sekretagent Productions explained to CNN, "It often comes down to money, as movie studios frequently choose to make films based on the franchises that sell the best, not those with the most cinematic potential."

Still, the success of the Resident Evil franchise — $893 million worldwide and counting — and the prospect of enticing the hundreds of millions...

Move over, Dragon Wars! Step aside, Skyline! Take a hike, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale! Empires of the Deep is coming to put the "epic" back in epic fail.

Bear witness to the trailer to see the hilarity three years of production and over $130 million have given life to.

I’ve been hearing off and on about this extremely troubled Chinese-American fantasy production Empires of the Deep for years, but it wasn’t until today that I really paid any attention to the hubbub. That’s because the trailer has found its way online, and my immediate thought after viewing it was that it was as if someone actually decided to spend a fortune producing an aquatic version of the fake science fiction epic Ben Affleck uses as a front to save Iranian hostages in Argo. Empires of the Deep exists. This is a real...

Another week, another Monday. So it’s time for the rundown of DVDs and Blu-ray’s hitting stores online and offline this week. It’s another packed week, with plenty of movies waiting to take you money, so let us breakdown the new releases and highlight what you should – and shouldn’t – be buying from today, May 21st 2012.

Pick Of The Week

Psych: Season 5 (DVD)

He’s got an eye for details and a knack for saying the wrong thing… Fortunately for impulsive fake “psychic detective” Shawn Spencer (James Roday), his best friend, Burton “Gus” Guster (Dulé Hill), is there to make sense of it all in 16 peculiar and witty Season Five episodes of Psych. Based out of their quirky Pi office, the unlikely duo are “psyched” this season to consult on some of the most bizarre police cases to-date: from infiltrating a ring of street thugs to ghost...

To mark the release of In The Name of the King: Two Worlds on DVD and Blu-ray 21st May, we’ve been given five copies of the movie to give away on DVD. The movie stars Dolph Lundgren and is directed by Uwe Boll.

The greatest battle lies within in this bloody historical epic. From cult director Uwe Boll comes In The Name Of The King: Two Worlds, out to rent and own on DVD and Blu-ray from 21st May.

Action superstar Dolph Lundgren (The Expendables) stars as Granger, a lethal ex-forces soldier transported back in time to fulfil an ancient prophecy in this action-packed sequel to In the Name of the King: a Dungeon Siege Tale.

Summoned to defeat the threatening forces of darkness, Granger finds himself catapulted back to a mystical age where dragons scorch the skies and the only way to fight is in brutal hand-to-hand combat.

To celebrate the presence of Safe in UK cinemas, here’s an updated list of action hero Jason Statham’s very best films to date…

2011 was without doubt Jason Statham’s best year so far. He managed a grand total of four cinematic releases, though at one point that total was nearer six, until 13 seemed to vanish without a trace and Safe was sensibly pushed back to 2012, thus avoiding an overload of machismo greater than the average human could cope with.

As a result of his insane productivity, our long-standing list of his greatest movies so far needed an update, an event that will hopefully need to be done annually, as he continues to be one of the most productive actors working today.

Statham’s still sensibly chosen to concentrate on making action movies and thrillers all squarely aimed at an adult audience, providing a constant and much-needed fix for someone as bloodthirsty as me,...

The big winner on Friday appears to be a movie that isn't even out yet*audiences largely rejected all four brand-new movies, which may be the latest sign that anticipation for The Avengers is reaching a fever pitch. Thanks to the middling performance of the newcomers, Think Like a Man and The Lucky One easily held on to the top two spots.Think Like a Man fell 55 percent to an estimated $5.5 million on Friday. It's now made $48.4 million, and is just two days away from topping Titanic 3D to become April 2012's highest-grossing movie. Meanwhile, The Lucky One dropped a slightly steeper 57 percent to $3.9 million. The Zac Efron-Nicholas Sparks romantic drama has earned a solid $32.5 million through eight days.Even with what looked like the formula for rom-com success, The Five-Year Engagement only managed to generate $3.5 million in ticket sales on Friday. That's less than half the opening...

Controversial director Uwe Boll is making headlines once more, but this time he isn't boxing critics or suing film festivals. Producer Bob Van Ronkel is suing the German director for $1 million, claiming his name was intentionally misspelled on the credits of In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds.

The lawsuit alleges that Bob Van Ronkel's name was purposefully changed to "Rob Van Runkel," after the producer and director clashed over Bob Van Ronkel's producers fee. After his title was completely stripped from the film, a compromise was reached and he was given an associate producer credit, only to see his named misspelled during the end credits, which the producer claims Uwe Boll did on purpose. Bob Van Ronkel's name was also left off the DVD box art and other marketing materials. Here is an excerpt from the lawsuit, which was filed today in the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Owing equally to a skin-tight body suit and unnerving thousand-yard stare, Kristanna Loken made quite an impression in 2003′s “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.” While she didn’t quite skyrocket up the ranks of Hollywood demand from there, she’s nevertheless worked steadily – including in a fair amount of genre material, as with Uwe Boll’s “BloodRayne” and “In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale.” Her latest movie is “The Legend of Awesomest Maximus,” a decidedly bawdy, National Lampoon’s-minted spoof of “300,” “Gladiator” and other mythology-laden, sword-and-sandal action epics. Loken co-stars opposite Will Sasso and Sophie Monk, playing the former’s gold-digging, politically-minded wife Hotessa, who, while trying to goad her [ Read More ]...

Uwe Boll's In The Name of the King 2: Two Worlds was recently released on Blu-ray and DVD. Dolph Lundgren, Natassia Malthe, and Lochlyn Munro star in this film about an ex-Special Forces soldier who travels back to medieval times to fulfill an ancient prophecy. In the process, he ends up finding redemption for his own battlefield experiences.

Aside from being a medieval fantasy action film directed by Boll, Two Worlds has nothing to do with the first film. This is an unnecessary sequel to In The Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale. That film starred Jason Statham, Claire Forlani, and Burt Reynolds and is one of Boll's better films (if that is possible).

Two Worlds is bad on so many levels, that it is almost good. If you are familiar with Boll's previous work, you will know exactly what to expect. The bad script, poor choreography,...

Having spent the last year sat in screening rooms and cinemas watching over 200 of 2011′s cinematic offerings, it stands to reason that I’m going to have to sit through a fair share of duds. As I had seen the vast majority of the key Oscar plays before November, I spent the latter part of the year dedicating myself to seeking out the worst, most lowest common denominator fare ripe for a skewering, and with these twenty dreadful pictures, we have what are, in my opinion, the 20 biggest train wrecks of 2011. Note that Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star is still awaiting worldwide DVD release and didn’t get distribution in the U.K., so that’s one that I was forced to avoid, but I’m assured that it’s irredeemably horrible nevertheless. Anyway, on with the list…

20. Shark Night 3D

(David R. Ellis / Tomatometer: 16%)

Director David R. Ellis...

Uwe Boll, enfante-terrible of modern cinema, is returning to the realm of video game inspired flicks with In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds, a sequel to In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale which starred Jason Statham. This new movie stars Dolph Lundgren as a time-travelling special forces soldier with supporting performances from Natassia Malthe (Bloodrayne, Lake Placid), Lochlyn Munro (The Benchwarmers, White Chicks), and Aleks Paunovic (This Means War, I Spy).

Dolph Lundgren (The Expendables, Masters of the Universe) stars as Granger, a lethal ex-Special Forces soldier who finds himself transported back to a mystical age of sorcery, dragons, and savage hand-to-hand combat. This modern-day warrior has been summoned to defeat the forces of darkness and fulfill an ancient prophecy. But as he fights his way to the truth, Granger learns no one can be trusted — and one wrong move could cost him...

This is what I love about "Killer Elite." If you'd never seen a poster or a trailer for this movie, and I came up to you and asked you to guess the movie's star based on title alone, you would say Jason Statham. Who else could it be? A few years ago, maybe The Rock, but that was before he started working almost exclusively in kiddie pics. These days, Statham is literally Hollywood's killer elite.

His movies may not be particularly surprising, but they are reliable. We count on him to deliver the action goods, and if you read my "Killer Elite" review earlier today, you know he's done it again. To honor your favorite balding badass and mine, we've compiled a few of his finest moments that have turned up on YouTube. True, we weren't able an embeddable version of his "Crank 2" Godzilla fight. But he's Statham; there's...

 

In this week's episode, Tyler and Ben are joined by Mike Eisenberg (from ScreenRant.com) to discuss Sergio Leone's 1968 western Once Upon a Time in the West. If you like the show, check out our older episodes at NotJustNewMovies.com and send us an e-mail at notjustnewmovies@gmail.com. (Follow us on Twitter at BenPears, NJNMPodcast, and Eisentower30.)

 

 

 

 

Introduction

Character Name Game Intro - 1:20

Media Consumed

Tyler

The Go-Go's in concert - 2:00

Astonishing X-Men: Gifted - 2:55

In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale - 5:51

Mike

Face/Off - 9:20

Midnight in Paris - 10:15

Tree of Life - 12:15

Ben

Super 8 - 17:45

Superman 3 - 31:18

Review

Once Upon A Time In The West - 38:10

Wrap-Up

Next Time: Pulp Fiction - 1:17:08

Listener E-mail/Voicemail - 1:19:40

Character Name Game - 1:21:05

Where You Can Find Us...