This article is presented by Netflix
When it comes to action, Vikings: Valhalla has some big tunics to fill. Its predecessor, Vikings, delivered many thrilling sword and axe skirmishes worthy of these legendary warriors. The new series reassembles the same stunt team and prop makers in hopes of capturing even more honor and glory for the noble Norsemen. Fighting through gore and muck is the Viking way, and this crew strives to engage us viscerally with the ferocious spectacle of medieval war. And Vikings: Valhalla doesn’t pull any punches. In just the fourth episode, the stunt team delivers an epic siege on London Bridge, the magnitude of which is on the level of the finale battle in most other sword-swinging series.
“Mud and blood is definitely a strong theme with us,” admits Richard Ryan, Stunt Coordinator for Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla. The franchise has a reputation for gritty brutal...
When it comes to action, Vikings: Valhalla has some big tunics to fill. Its predecessor, Vikings, delivered many thrilling sword and axe skirmishes worthy of these legendary warriors. The new series reassembles the same stunt team and prop makers in hopes of capturing even more honor and glory for the noble Norsemen. Fighting through gore and muck is the Viking way, and this crew strives to engage us viscerally with the ferocious spectacle of medieval war. And Vikings: Valhalla doesn’t pull any punches. In just the fourth episode, the stunt team delivers an epic siege on London Bridge, the magnitude of which is on the level of the finale battle in most other sword-swinging series.
“Mud and blood is definitely a strong theme with us,” admits Richard Ryan, Stunt Coordinator for Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla. The franchise has a reputation for gritty brutal...
- 2/25/2022
- by Lee Parham
- Den of Geek
William Hobbs, an innovative fight director, fencing master and stuntman who choreographed action sequences for such films as The Three Musketeers, The Duellists and Rob Roy during his long career, has died. He was 79.
Hobbs died July 10 at Hillingdon Hospital in London after suffering from dementia, his son, Laurence Hobbs, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Hobbs masterminded John Steed's (Ralph Fiennes) umbrella combat scenes for the 1998 feature adaptation of The Avengers and worked on other features like The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975), Robin and Marian (1976), Flash Gordon (1980), Brazil (1985), ...
Hobbs died July 10 at Hillingdon Hospital in London after suffering from dementia, his son, Laurence Hobbs, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Hobbs masterminded John Steed's (Ralph Fiennes) umbrella combat scenes for the 1998 feature adaptation of The Avengers and worked on other features like The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975), Robin and Marian (1976), Flash Gordon (1980), Brazil (1985), ...
- 7/20/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
William Hobbs, an innovative fight director, fencing master and stuntman who choreographed action sequences for such films as The Three Musketeers, The Duellists and Rob Roy during his long career, has died. He was 79.
Hobbs died July 10 at Hillingdon Hospital in London after suffering from dementia, his son, Laurence Hobbs, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Hobbs masterminded John Steed's (Ralph Fiennes) umbrella combat scenes for the 1998 feature adaptation of The Avengers and worked on other features like The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975), Robin and Marian (1976), Flash Gordon (1980), Brazil (1985), ...
Hobbs died July 10 at Hillingdon Hospital in London after suffering from dementia, his son, Laurence Hobbs, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Hobbs masterminded John Steed's (Ralph Fiennes) umbrella combat scenes for the 1998 feature adaptation of The Avengers and worked on other features like The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975), Robin and Marian (1976), Flash Gordon (1980), Brazil (1985), ...
- 7/20/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Skinheads, hit men, cops, criminals, cops-posing-as-criminals, princes, junkies, executioners, politicians, supervillains, an 18th-century fop, a 19th-century impressionist painter and a 21st-century psychotic chimp – you name it, and there's an extremely good chance that Tim Roth has played it. The 56-year-old British actor has the sort of varied, overstuffed resumé that suggests a reserved spot in the steadily-working-character-actor canon, and has not one but two projects hitting TV screens at the moment: Tin Star, an Amazon thriller that about an expat cop living in Canada that starts as a quirky fish-out-of-water...
- 9/29/2017
- Rollingstone.com
Turns out all those hours endlessly scrolling through Facebook might actually be extending your life.
That’s at least according to the results of a new study published in the journal Pnas on Monday, which essentially argues that an active social life online can be as beneficial as one conducted in the real world.
“We find that people with more friends online are less likely to die than their disconnected counterparts,” the paper reads. “This evidence contradicts assertions that social media have had a net-negative impact on health.”
Approved by three university and state review boards, the study does, however...
That’s at least according to the results of a new study published in the journal Pnas on Monday, which essentially argues that an active social life online can be as beneficial as one conducted in the real world.
“We find that people with more friends online are less likely to die than their disconnected counterparts,” the paper reads. “This evidence contradicts assertions that social media have had a net-negative impact on health.”
Approved by three university and state review boards, the study does, however...
- 11/1/2016
- by alexheigl
- PEOPLE.com
Sound on Sight undertook a massive project, compiling ranked lists of the most influential, unforgettable, and exciting action scenes in all of cinema. There were hundreds of nominees spread across ten different categories and a multi-week voting process from 11 of our writers. The results: 100 essential set pieces, sequences, and scenes from blockbusters to cult classics to arthouse obscurities.
Sword fights, like one-on-one fights, target the emotion and power of each individual fighter, but are amplified by the extension of their weapon. Whereas one-on-one fights test the might and bronze of our competitors, sword fights add an extra element of intelligence and skill. A fighter can scrape by through luck in a brawl of fists, but a sword (and knife) fight exposes the true strengths and weaknesses of its opponents.
10. Rob Roy (1995) – No quarter asked, no quarter given
Roger Ebert called the final duel between Rob Roy (Liam Neeson, in a...
Sword fights, like one-on-one fights, target the emotion and power of each individual fighter, but are amplified by the extension of their weapon. Whereas one-on-one fights test the might and bronze of our competitors, sword fights add an extra element of intelligence and skill. A fighter can scrape by through luck in a brawl of fists, but a sword (and knife) fight exposes the true strengths and weaknesses of its opponents.
10. Rob Roy (1995) – No quarter asked, no quarter given
Roger Ebert called the final duel between Rob Roy (Liam Neeson, in a...
- 5/27/2015
- by Shane Ramirez
- SoundOnSight
All praise goes to the fight scene choreography in this week's Game Of Thrones, a show where fighting defines character...
This review contains spoilers.
5.4 Sons Of The Harpy
I am not sure who creates the fight scenes for Game Of Thrones, but they clearly need a raise. From what I've been able to track down on the show's very exhaustive cast list, the man responsible for the fights in this week's episode is Paul Shapcott, who did similar work on the various Peter Jackson Tolkien films and multiple seasons of Spartacus, two very popular, very clever properties that depended a great deal on swords to advance the plot. I know there are many more people involved in the stabbing and slashing aspects of Game Of Thrones: Pedro Pascal's wushu spear trainer Master Hu took a bite out of the Mountain, swordmaster Cc Smiff was the mastermind behind Brienne...
This review contains spoilers.
5.4 Sons Of The Harpy
I am not sure who creates the fight scenes for Game Of Thrones, but they clearly need a raise. From what I've been able to track down on the show's very exhaustive cast list, the man responsible for the fights in this week's episode is Paul Shapcott, who did similar work on the various Peter Jackson Tolkien films and multiple seasons of Spartacus, two very popular, very clever properties that depended a great deal on swords to advance the plot. I know there are many more people involved in the stabbing and slashing aspects of Game Of Thrones: Pedro Pascal's wushu spear trainer Master Hu took a bite out of the Mountain, swordmaster Cc Smiff was the mastermind behind Brienne...
- 5/4/2015
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
In opposition to TV’s “Schoolhouse Rock” classic tune, for movies three is not always the magic number. It’s true for most film franchises especially comedies (with National Lampoon’S Christmas Vacation being the exceptional exception). Many moviegoers still get queasy thinking about last year’s The Hangover Part III. Well, how about a more family friendly comedy series? In 2006 Ben Stiller decided to expand his fan base by starring in the surprise box-office smash, Night At The Museum, an all ages PG slapstick farce. Naturally he followed it up three years later with Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian, which did enough business to warrant another entry….five years later?! Really, it took that long for all the stars to align? Now these flicks are special effects heavy and during the post production two of its stars, well, made sure they weren’t available for a fourth installment.
- 12/19/2014
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
In celebration of Sound on Sight’s 7th anniversary, writers were asked to come up with articles that present their childhood favorites in the realm of films, TV shows, books or games.
I chose films and anyone who has any familiarity with my writing knows I am virtually incapable of writing an article about a single film so I’m going to focus on a number of movies I saw in my youth.
Growing up in suburban Cincinnati, Ohio, I was fortunate enough to have my own room and my own TV set.
My family didn’t go out to the cinema very often so my introduction to movies was primarily through television.
The household cable television was limited to the family room and the parental restrictions that went with that so a far as movie watching went, it was mostly just me in my room where there were no...
I chose films and anyone who has any familiarity with my writing knows I am virtually incapable of writing an article about a single film so I’m going to focus on a number of movies I saw in my youth.
Growing up in suburban Cincinnati, Ohio, I was fortunate enough to have my own room and my own TV set.
My family didn’t go out to the cinema very often so my introduction to movies was primarily through television.
The household cable television was limited to the family room and the parental restrictions that went with that so a far as movie watching went, it was mostly just me in my room where there were no...
- 11/29/2014
- by Terek Puckett
- SoundOnSight
Warning; this post is long... if you watch all the links, you'll have an hour of entertainment.
When I was 10, my school screened a 16 mm print of the The Mark of Zorro - 1940 version, starring the dashing Tyrone Power. The clash of steel, the dynamic yet graceful athleticism of the hero as he righted wrongs, attracted me, as it did many boys of my age... I wanna do that. Luckily my next school offered fencing lessons from an instructor at the nearby Sandhurst Military Academy, and my inner Basil Rathbone was set free to ultimately Captain the school team. I saw every sword fighting movie I could and still do. Yet the only duel I have ever filmed had to be shot in 3 hours... The history of the genre could fill many volumes, but here is a short introduction to Sword Cinema.
La physician reverts to childhood - La filmmaker never left…...
When I was 10, my school screened a 16 mm print of the The Mark of Zorro - 1940 version, starring the dashing Tyrone Power. The clash of steel, the dynamic yet graceful athleticism of the hero as he righted wrongs, attracted me, as it did many boys of my age... I wanna do that. Luckily my next school offered fencing lessons from an instructor at the nearby Sandhurst Military Academy, and my inner Basil Rathbone was set free to ultimately Captain the school team. I saw every sword fighting movie I could and still do. Yet the only duel I have ever filmed had to be shot in 3 hours... The history of the genre could fill many volumes, but here is a short introduction to Sword Cinema.
La physician reverts to childhood - La filmmaker never left…...
- 8/2/2014
- by Brian Trenchard-Smith
- Trailers from Hell
Dana Fredsti is a writer and an actress with a background in theatrical sword-fighting. She has appeared in Army of Darkness and her love of zombies has resulted in Plague Town, a zombie novel that was released earlier this month. We recently had a chance to ask her some questions, and learned more about the inspiration for the novel, working on Army of Darkness, and who she’d want on her zombie survival team.
Dana and Titan Books are also giving readers a chance to participate in the Plague Town Pandemic Tour, where the winner will receive a signed copy of the book and will have a character named after them in the next novel in the series:
“Plague Town Pandemic Tour: Stop 6 - A zombie virus of guest articles, Q&As and excerpts from new urban fantasy novel, Plague Town, will be infecting websites, blogs and social media accounts...
Dana and Titan Books are also giving readers a chance to participate in the Plague Town Pandemic Tour, where the winner will receive a signed copy of the book and will have a character named after them in the next novel in the series:
“Plague Town Pandemic Tour: Stop 6 - A zombie virus of guest articles, Q&As and excerpts from new urban fantasy novel, Plague Town, will be infecting websites, blogs and social media accounts...
- 4/18/2012
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Action films should regress to an epoch when swords were as prevalent as guns, or forward to a time when firearms don't work
Another year, another musketeers movie. What a shame no one thought of rereleasing Richard Lester's two-parter, or even the MGM version with Gene Kelly. But no, swashbuckling on its own is no longer deemed enough to hold the attention of today's fidgety kids, so Paul Ws Anderson gussies up his The Three Musketeers with 3-D, slo-mo and ninja skills. Phew! No danger of us getting bored there, then!
I love swordfights and want to see more of them, preferably not obscured by bells and whistles. Lester's Musketeer films have some cracking examples, mostly lighthearted, though slapstick gives way to a deadly serious duel towards the end, which goes on for so long that Michael York and Christopher Lee end up tottering with exhaustion.
That fight choreographer,...
Another year, another musketeers movie. What a shame no one thought of rereleasing Richard Lester's two-parter, or even the MGM version with Gene Kelly. But no, swashbuckling on its own is no longer deemed enough to hold the attention of today's fidgety kids, so Paul Ws Anderson gussies up his The Three Musketeers with 3-D, slo-mo and ninja skills. Phew! No danger of us getting bored there, then!
I love swordfights and want to see more of them, preferably not obscured by bells and whistles. Lester's Musketeer films have some cracking examples, mostly lighthearted, though slapstick gives way to a deadly serious duel towards the end, which goes on for so long that Michael York and Christopher Lee end up tottering with exhaustion.
That fight choreographer,...
- 10/14/2011
- by Anne Billson
- The Guardian - Film News
Hey, folks. Michael C. here from Serious Film with another overlooked contribution to film greatness. This time out let's look at a favorite of mine going back to my teenage years: the fight choreography of Rob Roy (1995).
William Hobbs is the Marlon Brando of movie sword fighting. He is the guy who blasted away years of mannered and artificial fight choreography and brought it down to Earth. A fencing advisor with credits ranging from The Duelists and Dangerous Liaisons all the way back to Olivier's Othello, one would be hard pressed to find a memorable sword fight from the last fifty years which Hobbs did not have a hand in creating. Out of that lifetime of memorable scenes his masterpiece is undoubtedly the climactic duel from Michael Caton-Jones' Rob Roy. It is a scene that doesn't just sit atop the list of great movie sword fights, but deserves prominent...
William Hobbs is the Marlon Brando of movie sword fighting. He is the guy who blasted away years of mannered and artificial fight choreography and brought it down to Earth. A fencing advisor with credits ranging from The Duelists and Dangerous Liaisons all the way back to Olivier's Othello, one would be hard pressed to find a memorable sword fight from the last fifty years which Hobbs did not have a hand in creating. Out of that lifetime of memorable scenes his masterpiece is undoubtedly the climactic duel from Michael Caton-Jones' Rob Roy. It is a scene that doesn't just sit atop the list of great movie sword fights, but deserves prominent...
- 9/16/2010
- by Michael C.
- FilmExperience
Actor Tim Roth
Tim Roth Is Telling No Lies
By
Alex Simon
Editor's Note: This article appears in the March issue of Venice Magazine.
One of the film world’s great chameleons, Tim Roth was born in London May 14, 1961, the son of a journalist and a school teacher. After dropping out of art school, Roth was discovered by maverick British director Alan Clarke, and cast in his incendiary 1982 study of the skinhead movement in the UK, Made in Britain. Tim Roth hasn’t stopped working since, with over 70 feature and TV roles to his credit including such iconic titles as The Hit, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, Vincent and Theo, Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, Woody Allen’s Everyone Says I Love You, and most recently, the lead in Francis Coppola’s first feature in ten years, Youth Without Youth.
Roth stepped behind the...
Tim Roth Is Telling No Lies
By
Alex Simon
Editor's Note: This article appears in the March issue of Venice Magazine.
One of the film world’s great chameleons, Tim Roth was born in London May 14, 1961, the son of a journalist and a school teacher. After dropping out of art school, Roth was discovered by maverick British director Alan Clarke, and cast in his incendiary 1982 study of the skinhead movement in the UK, Made in Britain. Tim Roth hasn’t stopped working since, with over 70 feature and TV roles to his credit including such iconic titles as The Hit, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, Vincent and Theo, Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, Woody Allen’s Everyone Says I Love You, and most recently, the lead in Francis Coppola’s first feature in ten years, Youth Without Youth.
Roth stepped behind the...
- 3/6/2009
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Cinema Retro London correspondent Adrian Smith brings us the inside story of the recent reunion of Captain Kronos cast members.
Brian Clemens, Horst Janon, Caroline Munro, Lois Dane and John Cater . (Photo copyright Matt Gemmell)
The last eighteen months has seen an impressive array of Hammer-related film events here in the UK, most organised by filmmaker and cult-film champion Don Fearney. Saturday, 29 March saw perhaps the most intriguing and popular event so far occur at the Cine Lumiere in London.
Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter is a long forgotten film which was virtually ignored at the time of its release, even by Hammer themselves. However it has developed a strong following since becoming available on home video and DVD, and many see it as one of the strongest entries in the latter end of the Hammer canon, falling between weaker efforts such as Twins of Evil and The Satanic Rites of Dracula.
Brian Clemens, Horst Janon, Caroline Munro, Lois Dane and John Cater . (Photo copyright Matt Gemmell)
The last eighteen months has seen an impressive array of Hammer-related film events here in the UK, most organised by filmmaker and cult-film champion Don Fearney. Saturday, 29 March saw perhaps the most intriguing and popular event so far occur at the Cine Lumiere in London.
Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter is a long forgotten film which was virtually ignored at the time of its release, even by Hammer themselves. However it has developed a strong following since becoming available on home video and DVD, and many see it as one of the strongest entries in the latter end of the Hammer canon, falling between weaker efforts such as Twins of Evil and The Satanic Rites of Dracula.
- 4/9/2008
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.