The live-action series Metal Hurlant Chronicles has finally solidified a debut date; unfortunately it won’t be in the States.  Based on the French comics anthology Metal Hurlant (translated directly as “screaming metal” and known in the States as Heavy Metal), Metal Hurlant Chronicles will debut in France with talks to expand into the UK and Germany.  Each 26-minute long episode will center on one heroic arc in a world that combines a Game of Thrones-type fantasy setting with sci-fi elements.  Directed by Guillaume Lubrano and starring Scott Adkins, Michael Jai white, Rutger Hauer, Darren Shahlavi and Matt Mullins, Metal Hurlant Chronicles is finally seeing the light this month.  Hit the jump to watch the teaser and trailer.

If I didn’t tell you the first clip from the upcoming web-series Mortal Kombat: Legacy (based off last year’s popular short Mortal Kombat: Rebirth) was from Mortal Kombat: Legacy, you would likely never figure it out.  There’s no special moves, no gore, or any other trademark the Mortal Kombat video games are known for.  It looks like a scene from the world’s most generic action movie so I assumed at some point a person would break the fourth wall and ask me to please silence my cell phone.

Hit the jump to check out the clip, but if you’re expecting bionic arms or heart-ripping fatalities, you’re going to be sorely disappointed.  Mortal Kombat: Legacy premieres April 12^th on Machinima.com.

Sometimes you get a chance to simply sit down and talk with an actor; no timetable, no handler, and every question is fair game. Darren Shahlavi was kind enough to sit down with me for that style of interview, and over the course of our 20 minute conversation we covered a huge number of topics. Shahlavi has started to hone his craft and play increasingly larger roles in films and TV, and his hard work is starting to really show. Shahlavi stars in Ip Man 2 (read my review here) as the main bad guy, Twister, who is a Western boxer visiting Hong Kong. After screening the film just moments before, I was able to interview him and you can see the results after the jump.

Before I say anything about IP Man 2, you simply must see IP Man first. Why? Because it is a blast that has a lot of heart, even if it takes extreme liberties with the history of Ip Man and the rise of the Wing Chun fighting style. When one of his greatest pupils happens to be the legendary Bruce Lee, you know the fighting style is something to watch. In order to enjoy IP Man 2, you don’t have to see the first, but since you have time between now and the early 2011 theatrical release by Well GO USA, you might as well. The fights in IP Man 2 are some of the best by fight choreographer Sammo Hung, who faces off against Donnie Yen as both choreographer and opponent for the first time. The story’s scale is reined in compared to the first, but the heartfelt drama is yet again a staple, showing that Hong Kong action films are back. Hit the jump to read my full review.