SKIN TRADE (Ekachai Uekrongtham, 2014)

[dude hallenbeck]

It seems there's been some chicanery with the DVD release here, the man at the video store said the title sounded familiar to him, but not for a June or July release. Didn't see it at any retailers either.

[Jox]

The official release is June 10, I ordered it from a Australian retailer on ebay who shipped it today, so you should be able to find it somewhere within the next couple of days:
https://twitter.com/eOneANZ/status/608552944540065792
https://twitter.com/eOneANZ/status/608453550591467520

Soundtrack review
http://www.soundtrackgeek.com/v2/soundt ... kin-trade/

‘Nick Is Framed’ opens the score with a generic them, repeated over and over again. It’s not until 1:20 the music leaves the theme behind and start working on some brooding and dark thriller material. At 2 minutes in, there’s a good and energetic action part, although again, this is quite generic, made to work in a movie, which it probably does very well. As a listener of only the score, I am not finding it great, but I find myself enjoying parts of it, particularly the action part from 3:15 (the percussion specially). The theme is repeated near the end and it is less subtle there and appears to have something after all. ‘Girls In A Cage’ is more of the same, but the theme is more emphasised here, and the cue lacks obvious action parts. I think it’s safe to say that the action music is this score’s strong points so far. In ‘Nick’s Revenge’ potent and energetic action music is mixed with thematic scoring and that’s the best kind. It’s all very derivative though, but if it’s really fantastic, I don’t mind. It’s not out of this world fantastic to be fair, but it is very good, great even, and the best piece of music I’ve heard so far on this score. I don’t think I have heard Groth do “this kind” of music either before. ‘Before Disaster’ is trying something completely different, giving me a calm feeling with it’s minimalistic and dreamy music which is almost ambient in nature. This is the first cue that has made me feel something, think of something, a scene, a setting. This makes me think of dusk in a calm place, in a city. I enjoyed that.

The score is taking on an identity which I really enjoy. ‘Tony’s Investigation’ is another winner in my book, a thriller cue that relies on percussion and a nice theme plus ostinatos. The action is surprisingly great in this score. I wasn’t expecting it, partly because I haven’t heard Groth in this all-out action mode before, but in some cues and parts of cues he excels such as ‘The Harbour’. The percussion, strings and synths work great together, some of it taking me all the way back to the way Brad Fiedel used percussion in The Terminator and Terminator 2 (no comparison, just an observation). In the middle of all that exciting action there’s still a chance for some more mellow music in ‘Theme For Min’. It’s not much of a theme though, just a lovely little sweet cue, synths and cellos. The final cue ‘The Big Battle’ is you know, filled with action, but is it great action scoring? Well it has it’s moment, but it’s more of the generic action I heard in the beginning sadly. It’s still good, just not as great as I’d hoped.

Skin Trade was a very positive surprise for me. I wasn’t expecting such high quality action scoring, but it really delivered. Thematic it’s not really working, but that wasn’t the point either. This isn’t your megalomaniac high budge Hollywood blockbuster, but an action movie that will probably be missed by most. It focuses (wisely I might add) on the action and the action works, it really works great. Check it out if you would like some good action music.

HIGHLIGHTS:
3. Nick’s Revenge
4. Before Disaster
5. Tony’s Investigation
7. The Harbour

[dude hallenbeck]

It's been June 10th all day! I'll see if it hits PSN tomorrow, otherwise I'll just purchase it outright then.

UPDATE: Found it and rented on the PSN, I generally prefer renting physical discs, but this is a movie I've been interested in for a long while. I'll be watching it tonight.

[Jox]

Cool! How did you find the movie?

The soundtrack can be bought in lossless 16-Bit CD Quality (instead of compressed mp3) at:
http://www.qobuz.com/ie-en/album/skin-t ... 4227066993

[dude hallenbeck]

Fantastic movie.

Every dollar absolutely was on the screen. I love how the cinematography and production design makes every location absolutely pop. The New Jersey segments feel grimy. The various strip clubs feel sticky. The docks where claustrophobic.

I was bloody astonished with the Dolph and Jaa fight, because we finally get a big fight between two action heroes, that starts off like you would expect, but then half way through they start slowing down, their hits start getting weaker, they're moving sloppier, they're physically getting tired. It's a rarity to see actors like this getting punch drunk.

The performances where really good across the board. Dolph was very 90's Clint Eastwood, hunched over and tired. Jaa aside obviously, but you can't really expect 70's De Niro, from a guy learning English during filming, from a director whose second language is English.

I loved the moody music, then this heroic theme jumped out when Dolph shot up the restaurant and Jaa realises he'd been betrayed. So at each of the character's turning point they get this sad, heroic theme.

I saw some accusations the story was DTV, but I call bullshit on that. DTV movies tend to meander around, with convoluted plot and no real forward momentum. Skin Trade moves at a good pace, we know exactly what is happening and what the film's intentions are at all times. Just because it's simple, doesn't mean it's DTV.

It was a fantastic film and everyone involved should be proud.

[Jox]

Sounds great, I like some of the things you point out which I haven't read elsewhere before, thanks Dude!

[dude hallenbeck]

It's a film straight from the Men of War/Silent Trigger era.

[Tom]

It's definitely up to his mid-90's standard. I didn't think it was as strong, or interesting as Unisol 3 and 4, but a lot better than the rest of his recent DTV's. Had D had more control over the final cut, it would have been better.

[Jox]

It's hard to compare with UNISOL 3 and 4 for several reasons, but from what I have read and seen, it should be up there with his best directorial work, minus what has you said could have made it stronger. Still in terms of production value, I don't think we've seen that since then days of MEN OF WAR and SILENT TRIGGER indeed (and a budget and schedule at least two or three times the size of a DTV).

[Tom]

Yeah definitely not. The production values are some of his best since Silent Trigger and MOW. My only problem with the film was there was a real clash between tone and the dialogue. It was taken very seriously, but the dialogue almost sounded comical throughout. The script really needed one more pass with a better writer. If there's one weakness I think D has, it's in the films he's written. The message he wanted to come across in the film, did not come across. It won't have people concerned about Traffiking any more than before they watched the film.

But still, for 9 million dollars, the film delivers plenty of bang for the buck, and it's old school. For an undemanding VOD flick, it delivers. As far as the fight sequences go, they are better than the Expendables in that regard.

[Jox]

My only problem with the film was there was a real clash between tone and the dialogue. It was taken very seriously, but the dialogue almost sounded comical throughout.

Hummm. I didn't have any problems with the dialogue in the script. Sometimes they make more sense on the page, and depending on the directing, acting or even more the editing (we say editors sometimes make the performance) they don't necessarily work in the finished film. It happened in COMMAND PERFORMANCE for instance where some lines didn't come off as strong as they should have. Actors whose native language isn't english can also kill the lines. In that department THE MECHANIK had the best dialogue for sure, witty and some depth that made the lines resonate in an unsual way for this type of film.

The script really needed one more pass with a better writer.

God knows how many passes there has (constantly) been over the years though.

The message he wanted to come across in the film, did not come across. It won't have people concerned about Traffiking any more than before they watched the film.

I'm not sure he felt as concerned about getting a message accross when he was writing the film though, his involvement to have come stronger with time.

[Tom]

Definitely agree on The Mechanik. I think for me D's post 2000 DTV's probably rank as Unisol 4 (which I love), Unisol 3, The Mechanik and then Skin Trade.
Oh and undoubtedly sometimes what's on the page ends up completely different by the time it makes it through an actor, director and editor. And I know that first hand. ha ha.

What I do think happened was the film was unfairly compared to stuff like Raid 2.

[Jox]

Australian DVD back cover

[Jox]

Special screening at the 61st Taormina Film Festival (Italy) today
(+ Dolph Q&A this afternnoon)

http://taorminafilmfest.net/il-festival ... iugno.aspx

[Jox]

SKIN TRADE: DOLPH LUNDGREN DALLA TAILANDIA CON FURORE
http://www.film.it/recensione/art/skin- ... ore-43173/