AMBUSHED (Giorgio Serafini, 2013)

[harry]

Sitting here in Germany and the first information about Thrill to kill -i got here.

[Jox]

U.S. cover

(click for larger)

[Tom]

Man that's pretty bad! ha ha. It looks like the cover for an old 80's video game, on like the C64 for something. Ha ha.

[Jox]

I think it's a masterpiece compared to the UK cover which definitely looks like a cartoon or video game!

At least this one seems to be in original aspect ratio (sets will appear less empty at least):

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Product Features:
Behind the Scenes

[dolphage]

I think it's a masterpiece compared to the UK cover which definitely looks like a cartoon or video game!

I agree, that's classy compared to a lot of, recent, low budget flicks.

[Jox]

http://www.bringthenoiseuk.com/201309/f ... -hard-rush

We enjoyed Hard Rush; there was action, drama and a healthy dose of reality – certainly worth a shot on DVD
8/10

Who writes this stuff?!

Oh I guess it's a Microdsoft game tester, sure a big time film scholar critic...

OmarMalick

I’ve been writing for Bring the Noise for almost a year, prior to this I used to be a games tester for Microsoft but these days you’ll find me writing reviews for all sorts of films and for the occasional rock album and gig. Bring the Noise have been awesome to me & have given me a chance to write & reach an audience & hopefully if I don’t screw up you’ll see lots more of my stuff in the coming months and years.

...

[Nathan]

That is one of the downright weirdest covers I have ever seen. Just dunno what to make of that shit haha. Dolph has turned into an upperbody contortionist though - the only thing he's likely to shoot with his guns like that is both of his ears.

[bomaz]

Well, I'm waiting to see if the UK dvd has a 2.35 ratio before ordering it. This one looks okay, but ifor BOR i'll wait til it's less expensive.

[Jox]

The U.K. DVD is 1.78... I think Anchor Bay's U.S. edition should be 2.35 according to their site.

[Jox]

Tom's official review:
http://www.flickeringmyth.com/2013/09/d ... -2013.html

[savagesketch]

Considering this one had virtually the same production team and stars as BLOOD OF REDEMPTION, how is it that Anchor Bay opted to be the distributor and release this one in the US, but not BOR? Did they smell the stink from BOR and figured that AMBUSHED would be an easier sell?

[Jox]

I think is has to do with the fact the sales agents for these two are not the same Voltage Pictures for RUSH/AMBUSHED and VMI Worldwide for B.O.R., and Voltage again for CERTAIN JUSTICE. Depends of their package deals and these small titles were probably sold along bigger titles like Redford's THE COMPANY YOU KEEP and the likes whereas BOR was sold separately. To be noted, Anchor Bay picked up B.O.R. in the UK & Australia, and not RUSH/AMBUSHED... One of the producers on RUSH/AMBUSHED and CERTAIN JUSTICE, Philip B. Goldfine (who produced a bunch of Seagal's titles) has ties with Voltage.

Regarding quality of the end product doesn't matter to them I'm sure as they know they can sell them and sometimes the easier sell isn't the best product and most people won't make the difference between a good DL product and a bad one from how they're marketed (especially since sometimes the best have the worst marketing).

New interview with Gianni Capaldi
http://www.bringthenoiseuk.com/201309/m ... -hard-rush

NUTS Magazine ad and review:

[Nathan]

This film is totally appalling. I know the cover makes it look like an action spectacle and I knew in advance that it wasn't but these movie companies are really selling the public a bunch of duds. All wrapped up in a nice shiny slip-case with promises of explosions and fireballs etc. The film itself is complete trash. It has no sense of direction whatsoever. This is an ensemble piece but it doesn't tie the characters together very well. The terrible amateurish student footage is punctuated or rather punctured by constant flashes of bright and breezy stock footage ripped straight from an L.A. database. The actual originally shot scenes out in the streets during the day look less impressive than some poorly filmed home movies on youtube - with one difference, the guys on youtube managed to buy a tripod. Does the camera man here have a tremor or tourettes? Apparently not using a steady cam is quicker but it really gets annoying when the camera is jiggling during simple dialogue scenes.

Talking of dialogue - the script is a fucking disgrace, ohh sorry actually - the fucking script is a fucking disgrace because they keep fucking using the word fucking every fucking second word like this. It's not Dolph or Randy or even Vinnie as much, (which is a surprise) it's that total idiot Gianna Capaldi. I didn't realise the guy was Scottish, (like me) although that is the only similarity we have. It sounds ironic me saying this but his Scottish accent is so broad that it is entirely distracting, as is his utterly pathetic acting. I mean it, he is the most irritating little shit ever, the clearly thinks he is a badass. He is not, he couldn't make a fly shit itself.

As for the story, what's the point in it, there are so many scenes with absolutely zero purpose? It's incredibly tedious. Dolph looks positively bored out of his mind. No wonder. He appears sporadically every 15 minutes to perform a couple of badly shot fight moves. I actually feel sorry for Randy because he has a decent stab at playing a coked-up cop. I have no words for how bad Gianna Capaldi is. It may sound like I'm blowing my own trumpet but even on my worst day I could outact him, even if I was asleep. Vinnie Jones adds some actual convincing toughness, whilst Capaldi pretends he is not a complete girl.

The action, whilst extremely sparse, is actually the most entertaining thing about this movie, but don't get me started on the editing. It's almost like they used a broken pair of scissors to cut up the film, (if it hadn't been shot on a mobile phone) and the whole thing reeks of a bunch of untalented morons trying to spice up what should have been a simple, straight forward plot, with garbage editing/direction. Why do they think split screen and sped up/slowed down shots is going to make any difference to the poor footage?

Some parts are a tad stylish, but they usually feature Capaldi prancing around or walking in slow motion or drinking alcohol off a girl's tits. I don't get it, does the guy think he is talented? Does he think constantly swearing and sitting surrounded by bitches makes him a good actor? I just wanted to see more of Dolph, (you'd be pushing it to say he is in this for 8 minutes). Even at his most bored, he has far more presence than anyone else. But this is hands-down the cheapest, poorest production he has ever worked on. Example: the locations consist of several empty streets which make me wonder if they filmed parts of this guerilla style, yet the stock footage appears to show miles of sprawling Hollywood concrete jungle.

The whole thing is like they shot a turd and tried to package it as a diamond. Wrap it up in shiny paper. Well sorry, it's not a diamond, it's part of the rough, and it's where Dolph will stay if he ever works with this talentless Scottish wanker ever again. He should come and work with this talented Scottish wanker instead... You’d be hard pushed to find this movie a hard rush. The only part that is anywhere close to a rush is Dolph's fight with Randy; poor on every level, but if only for the novelty factor, it is the only highlight in a movie free from anything impressive other than a couple of particularly blood gunshots. And if that is the only merit in a movie, it must be mighty fuckin' poor indeed.

Best performance: Randy Couture
Best part: Dolph vs Randy
Rating: 3/10
Number of "fucks": 4683
Number of fucks Dolph gives about this film: 0 (it's justified)
Interesting fact: Gianna Capaldi was born in the next town to me.

[Nathan]

I forgot to mention, in the space of about thirty seconds, in the same scene it has gone from daylight to midnight, from dry to pissing with rain and Dolph's ever-professional FBI agent simply ditches an empty automatic weapon in the middle of the street. I thought he was meant to be trying to clean up the streets...

[Moltisanti]

I'm pretty consistent in watching his movies, even stuff like ITNOTK2, as soon they come out. But I just can't see myself supporting these producers with my money. Not after BLOOD OF REDEMPTION. I'll look for it on Netflix or cable. No more of this.