Contour

Produced on a shoestring budget at anonymous locations in the San Francisco Bay Area, Contour is a powerhouse of amateur martial artists giving their all for the silver screen.

The writing is great because it doesn't take itself seriously. Our dysfunctional heroes are pitted against a cartoony plot centered around the laughable fictional country of Uruvia.

Cinematography. It's really easy to overlook how important this is to a film like this, but the camera-work is superb, framing the fights perfectly.

Editing. As in all martial arts film, sharp scene cuts with split second timing is crucial, and there's spades of it here.

Kick Ass Martial Arts. Oh yeah, these guys are good! There is a well staged stick fight and a brilliant chain fight at the end of the movie.

Kudos to the guys who almost killed themselves making this film.

THANK YOU!

Contour is a fast-paced, wildly entertaining martial arts action film that punches far above its weight. Made on a shoestring budget by The Stunt People, this indie gem proves that creativity, dedication, and raw talent can outshine Hollywood gloss.

Eric Jacobus (who also directs) leads a cast of skilled martial artists who deliver jaw-dropping fight choreography that's as inventive as it is brutal. The action is shot with clarity and energy-no shaky cam, no rapid-fire editing-just clean, expertly executed stunts that harken back to the golden age of Hong Kong action cinema.

What makes Contour more than just a stunt reel is its offbeat sense of humor and self-aware storytelling. The plot is quirky and chaotic in the best way, blending crime drama, buddy comedy, and martial arts spectacle into a genre-bending ride.

This is DIY filmmaking at its best. If you're a fan of Jackie Chan, Tony Jaa, or just great physical performance, Contour is an absolute must-watch. It's a cult classic in the making and a great showcase for some of the most underrated action talent out there.

I usually can't watch indie movies that have this lifeless cinematography that TV documentaries have, it looks cheap, cold and boring. BUT... Contour went to the action in the first few minutes and there it delivered and kept me watching.

The acting in this movie is not for everyone. These guys are no Oscar-drama actors but they capture the fun and spirit of 80s Hong Kong flicks and the humor, as well in the acting as in the fight scenes, reminded me of earlier Jackie Chan movies. It's like a comic come to life and if you can forgive the horrible editing in the non-fight-scenes and like the cheesy humor you're going to have a great time watching the whole thing.

The fight scenes are just awesome. They use the complete environment around them and go at it with everything they can get their hands on or throw somebody into and they never take themselves too serious. Every actor uses a different fighting style and you see a lot of artistic falling, jumping and kicking out of every possible angle.

This was the first movie of The Stunt People I've seen but after writing this I'll order some more. I think in time this group could become a big name in martial arts movies and I can't wait to see what they will do when the budget becomes a little bit more serious.

I caught this film at the Phantasmagoria film festival this weekend and it absolutely blew me away. Contour is easily one of the best martial arts films I've ever seen, and is hilarious to boot. There were a few bits that I felt were a touch out of place, and some of the characters grated a bit, but in terms of amusing characters and red hot action scenes there is very little out there to compete with this, especially not in recent times. The fights have to be seen to believed, including some very funny moments, and they build to a fantastic 3-way final showdown. If you love films like Drive, Drunken Master 2, Dragons Forever and Undisputed 2, then Contour is essential. Great outtake reel too guys, it shows how hard you worked and the sheer passion you have for what you do. Congratulations to everyone involved, you should be very proud indeed.

When it comes to amateur martial arts flicks, this is easily top echelon and delivers a shameful thrashing to the craptakular "Dubbed & Dangerous" movies or the truly lousy "Left For Dead." Still, there's no hiding the fact the fact that these guys were more concerned about putting together fights than a decent movie. The film runs waaaaay too long (107m? Come on!), the acting, writing and comedy are dire, the editing is only good when people are kicking each other, and as good as the fight scenes are-- and make no mistake these guys have a tight game-- nothing can hide the fact that you've seen all these moves before, especially if you've been watching martial arts films for any period of time; things are further hampered by the fact that they couldn't afford any collateral damage outside of the occasional broken crate or blood effect so you have fight scenes that build up to not much really. Still, the film is worth watching at least once, just do it with friends and a keg of beer so you have something to do when nobody's fighting and the "Komedy and Laffs" bits stinks up your DVD player.