Friday, May 15, 2009

COMING ATTRACTIONS: GYMKATA

Sometime last year, in my review of Roller Boogie, I made this statement regarding roller skating champ Jim Bray. “For an athlete tossed in front of a movie camera for the first time, his acting is okay, nowhere near as bad as it could have been. One day, if I’m feeling masochistic, we’ll discuss Kurt Thomas in Gymkata and you will KNOW how bad it could have been.”

Thanks to a request by our old friend Che, that day has come. Egads.

(By the way, I was kind of shocked to look back and realize it took me over a month to deliver my last review. I have a new client at work who is going to keep me working through these rough times, but their time requirements are downright brutal. I’ll try and be quicker this time around, but I still won’t set any records. My thanks to everyone for sticking around even though my posting has had to slow up a bit.)

4 comments:

germangreek said...

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. More years ago than I care to think about, I spent one year on the university fencing team. Ever since, I can't watch any fight scene, especially sword fighting, without recalling Coach Schmitter's contempt for anyone who attempted that spin-around move where you have YOUR BACK TURNED TO YOUR ENEMY for two seconds. No problem, though, in the movies your enemy is never quick-witted enough to shove a sword or spear into your back.

EegahInc said...

Despite your training, my friend, you were obviously not instructed in the ancient ninja technique of waiting until the first guy gets his butt kicked before stepping in for your turn. I wonder if these guys draw numbers before they enter combat?

Arkanabar T'verrick Ilarsadin said...

I've heard from what I consider to be a credible source that in a 2:1 fight, the 1 usually has the advantage, unless the 2 are WELL trained to coordinate actions.

EegahInc said...

Excellent! If that's true, then that explains the strategy in almost every fight I've ever seen in a chop socky flick.

Now if your source can just explain how to make flicking your wrist sound like someone snapping a tree in half then all my kung-fu mysteries will be solved.