Death Grip

If there's one thing that Eric Jacobus and The Stunt People consistently do, it's embarrass big budget Hollywood action filmmakers, who are generally clueless when it comes to fight choreography and cinematography. "Death Grip" is a fantastic micro-budget action film with a genuinely engaging plot and cast, and quite possibly the best American made martial arts film since Steve Wang's "Drive" (1997). The Hong Kong influence is apparent, so if you like your fight scenes fast, flashy, and furious (like Jackie Chan's "Police Story" for instance), the film is sure to please. Jacobus and his team focus on ground based fighting techniques that are both stylish and hard hitting, and the timing and precision are excellent. The film is also mercifully free from attitude and macho posturing, which is where so many domestic action films go wrong. Instead, we're treated to a tight and intelligent script with authentic dialog and believable characterizations, with no extraneous filler. Action fans and kung fu buffs should rejoice.

I found the Stunt People back in 07, and it has been great to see Eric and the crew grow from films like Undercut and Contour to Death Grip. While the aforementioned efforts are great, Death Grip is a jewel for action/martial arts fans. Lots of heart, humor, and above all is the topnotch action choreography. While Death Grip is less campy than some previous efforts by the SP crew, it has moments of drama that are surprisingly real and you can't help but feel the bond between the Zemacus brothers. The supporting cast shines with memorable performances, Alvin Hsing's in particular. Add a healthy dose of a very sinister Johnny Yong Bosch, and you have a multifaceted gem of action kickback called DEATH GRIP. I can't wait to see what comes after this.

Eric Jacobus and his Stunt People are without a doubt one of the most creative and talented groups of martial arts performers the film world has ever seen. Why these guys aren't getting a film into wide distribution every other year is a matter of injustice, especially while our established group of mainstream action stars grows stale. Previously only available via indie distribution, DEATH GRIP here hangs with 2014's top martial arts releases from around the world, supplying great fights and improved production values from Jacobus' CONTOUR nine years ago. A questionable storyline and a lengthy gap in the fighting threaten this one's high score, but in the end, it's going to be worth every penny you pay for it.

The story: A troubled drifter (Jacobus) and his autistic brother (Nathan Hoskins) are inexplicably drawn into the deadly plot of an antichrist cult.

The design and tone of this film are worlds removed from Jacobus' previous feature. Whereas CONTOUR was colorful and bombastic, DEATH GRIP is melancholy and purposely restrained. The opening 15 minutes feature relatively little dialogue, punctuated only by an impressive three-on-one fight scene, and well-handled ambiance. The film's setting is bleak and often colorless, though not without a sense of humor that's sometimes both clever and delicate. Sadly, the latter two-thirds of the picture lose a good deal of the character intrigue that the first had going for it, and in the long run, the plot involving a satanic cult trying to recover one of the coins paid for Christ's betrayal is as awkward as it sounds. Jaobus - along with fellow SP members Rebecca Ahn, Alvin Hsing, and Chelsea Steffensen - get to flex their acting muscles a bit, but I'm not sure how satisfied I am of the stereotypical, childlike representation of autism in the movie, regardless of Nathan Hoskins' strong performance.

But all faults seem to melt away as soon as the fight scenes begin. Jacobus' team is as innovative as ever, and definitely give the impression that they've taken notes while watching Undisputed III and The Raid. There are six fights to be seen, and while one of them is not really in the same league as the others (i.e. the bathroom brawl), it's these other ones that properly show the world what the human body is capable of. Evenly split between one-against-many and one-on-one encounters, the choreography of these matches is imaginative in its design, beautiful in its execution, and scary in its speed. Disappointingly, much of the last two acts feature no real fighting, though viewers who endure this are rewarded with three superb back-to-back-to-back brawls. My favorite of the bunch is a hyperspeed knife fight between Jacobus and Alvin Hsing. The climatic battle is between Jacobus and Johnny Yong Bosch, the ex-Power Ranger who utterly rebuilt the action standard in BROKEN PATH and gets in a swell match here that features a ton of clever fighting tactics.

Two more fights and/or a more compelling storyline would have probably resulted in one more star in my rating, or at least would have made the current four more solid, as they currently teeter on three. In the end, for the most part, this is an early Christmas present for viewers who truly appreciate the skill and effort it takes to build a good fight scene. I think the Stunt People have yet to make their definitive, streamlined package for the world to see, but this is definitely a jump kick in the right direction.

From the very first frame you can see the improvement that Eric Jacobus and the Stunt People team have made from earlier efforts. The cinematography is now beautiful and crisp, gritty grey's and smooth camera movements make this a joy to watch and to top it off, the story is engaging and practically hole free with the Stuntpeople's signature frenetic choreographed fights and action (which are always clear to see unlike most Hollywood movie's) complementing the story rather than make a boring film with a couple good action bits like most B movies these days. So congrats to these guys for giving us hope for the martial art action movie scene :)

Death Grip tells the story of Kenny (Eric Jacobus), a man living day to day in his own guilt and Kenny's reunion with his brother Mark (Nathan hoskins) his autistic brother who he hasn't seen in years. When Kenny drags his brother to a catering gig it doesn't go the way it should go when they get embroiled in the affairs of a cult out to rob an artifact from a museum. With support from Rebecca Ahn, Bosch and the rest of the SP team, It's a solid film.

Like the best Hong Kong action films it has a guy in the wrong place at the wrong time trying to do the right thing, bathrooms get broken, blood gets sprayed and the stuntpeople's traditional off beat humor also makes some cameo's which help pace the film. One particular scene reminded me of why tito ortiz has a UFC rule made after him, you'll know when you see it, the action in this movie isn't as heavy as past SP films but this is so the story can take centre stage but when the action does come it's brutal, fast paced and realistic, where as their previous movie was like cityhunter this is more The Raid meets Batman begins, really gritty and cool and well worth the watch :) (As a bonus there are heaps of extras on the DVD, making ofs, extra short films, and outtakes, count me excited for their next effort!!) Also watch out for Eric Jacobus and the stuntpeople's name's as they are destined for great things and bigger projects in Hollywood :)

After a grueling six years since the release of their last proper feature film, San Francisco-based amateur action pioneers The Stunt People return with a vengeance in Death Grip, a sophisticated action- thriller that glimmers with professional polish and demonstrates the considerable progress the outfit has made in their mission to reclaim the art of the action film for a new generation of audiences jaded by the uninspired output of mainstream cinema.

Boasting impressive sets, a cast of capable dramatic actors and staggering technical prowess, Death Grip is a Stunt People production unlike any previously seen. Grim, suspenseful and superbly atmospheric, the group has at last found a vehicle that has enabled them to consolidate all their strongest attributes – unique storytelling, local flair, humor, concussive fight sequences and a distinguished filmmaking acumen that can only be the result of a devoted group of passionate aficionados investing countless hours to studying and honing their craft – into a cohesive cinematic package in which nothing feels derivative or out of place; you very well may see something you've never seen before in this film.

Each of Death Grip's key players – Eric Jacobus, Nathan Hoskins, Rebecca Ahn, Johnny Yong Bosch, Alvin Hsing, Ray Carbonel and Chelsea Steffensen – fit their roles comfortably, and deliver engaging performances that provide the narrative's fundamental substance. This is, at its core, a character study, and the events of the story are driven as much by the motives of each character as the necessity of indulging action-craving viewers. Death Grip succeeds where so many action films, independent or otherwise, fail: by placing its plot line at the center of its narrative focus and utilizing deftly-constructed action scenes as a device for heightening tension and elevating the stakes presented by the major complications, rather than as the primary spectacle, devoid of emotional gravity, through which characters become clumsy appendages. Everyone who fights does so for a reason, and, consequently, the foray's participants are imbued with a sense of depth and credibility that make it easier for the audience to understand and get behind their actions.

And action is of course the arena in which The Stunt People shine the brightest. Forget the Coin of Judas, the group's familiar brand of incredible martial artistry is what is really on display here. For the uncharacteristically sober tone, a blend of hyper-realistic violence and lavish stylization is employed, carried out with stunning athleticism and an impeccable amount of detail by Jacobus and the rest. Individual action scenes are like microcosmic narratives all their own folded into the larger fabric of the film, with special attributes that lend them novelty and distinction. One fight places Kenny in a darkened room with a blinded enemy, neutralizing the advantage of sight and forcing the combatants to rely on instinct and cunning to prevail; in a later scene, he is pitted against a knife-wielding henchman in what is, without exaggeration, one of the most intricately choreographed and nuanced encounters I've ever witnessed in film. For the grand finale, Jacobus has staged a climactic and devastatingly hard-hitting showdown between out-of-his-league Kenny and enigmatic cult leader Torch (veteran stunt actor Johnny Yong Bosch). All are exceptionally well-shot and executed, astonishing for a crew predominately comprised of DIY filmmakers and stunt performers with limited professional experience. By the conservative ninety minute mark, Death Grip is sure to satisfy the appetites of even the most voracious action fans, with lasting appeal for those grown accustomed to the latest bloated, all-filler offerings from larger, more commercial industries.

Though marketed as an action-thriller, Death Grip is in actuality an experiment designed to test whether a modest band of ambitious young talent is capable of producing, with no backing from professional agencies or studio developers, a cinematic product challenging the best that the corporate world of filmmaking has to offer, and whether such a venture would be received enthusiastically by a viewer base out of touch with what once earned the action genre a respected place among other forms of visual storytelling. The answer to both points is a resounding yes, bristling with fresh creative energy and emphatic as a punch in the teeth. Death Grip is proof-positive of the rewards of vision and hard work, and a glowing testament to the maturity of a team that still has vast potential to improve. A knockout.