ActionFest returns to Asheville with Homeward Bound benefit

Beginning April 19, ActionFest will once again bring the best in world action cinema to Asheville — this time with a monthly ActionFest Film Series, the first of which will benefit Homeward Bound.

The opening fight card of the world’s first all-action theatrical film series is a double feature of epic proportions. From action star and visionary director Takeshi Kitano, we have the U.S. theatrical premiere of Beyond Outrage. (Plus an encore screening of its predecessor, Outrage, which made its U.S. debut at the 2011 ActionFest Film Festival.)

Join ActionFest at The Carolina Asheville, 1640 Hendersonville Road, on Friday, April 19 at 7 p.m. for two great action films plus complimentary pints of Ninja Porter donated by Asheville Brewing, plus complimentary soft drinks from Carolina Cinemas. All of the proceeds from the screenings will be donated to Homeward Bound, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year of providing pathways to housing for the homeless in Asheville. Suggested donation for admission is $10. Tickets are available now at Carolina Cinemas’ box office or online at www.carolinacinemas.com.


Here are the official synopses of the films:
Outrage
In a ruthless battle for power, several yakuza clans vie for the favor of their head family in the Japanese underworld. The rival bosses seek to rise through the ranks by scheming and making allegiances sworn over saké. Longtime yakuza Otomo has seen his kind got from elaborate body tattoos and severed fingertips to becoming important players on the stock market. This is a never-ending struggle to end up on top, or at least survive, in a corrupt world where there are no heroes but constant betrayal and vengeance…

Beyond Outrage
The victorious Sanno crime family has grown into a huge organization, expanding its power into politics and big business. A cadre of brash, younger gangsters now dominates the family and discontent is brewing among the veteran yakuza they’ve displaced. Ambitious anti-gang detective Kataoka hopes to exploit these rifts as the cops plan on a crackdown on the gangs. His wild-card in this game is the arranged release of the rumored-dead boss of a family once crushed by the Sanno. With the sense of approaching yakuza warfare, deception and betrayal smolder among the families as everyone watches out for the other’s next move. It’s impossible to guess who will come out on top in this fierce power game. It’s not over until it’s over.

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About Ken Hanke
Head film critic for Mountain Xpress from December 2000 until his death in June 2016. Author of books "Ken Russell's Films," "Charlie Chan at the Movies," "A Critical Guide to Horror Film Series," "Tim Burton: An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker."

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25 thoughts on “ActionFest returns to Asheville with Homeward Bound benefit

  1. Ken Hanke

    What part of this — “this time with a monthly ActionFest Film Series” — eludes you?

  2. Xanadon't

    I’ll be participating in spirit, as I pull Outrage off my shelf when I get home from work.

  3. Xanadon't

    I damn well better. It’s been sitting there unwatched since Marc’s downtown fire sale.

  4. Xanadon't

    As do I. Which reminds me– I better sit down with your copy of Pola X one of these days before it joins their ranks.

  5. Xanadon't

    Well that’s good. Lately whenever the thought occurs to give it a look, I no sooner think about how I’d rather just rewatch Holy Motors. And since I’m then struck with a twinge of guilt, neither ends up happening.

    I’ll fix this soon. But for now it’s Outrage time.

  6. Ken Hanke

    Pola X will not get you as high as Holy Motors.

    I’ve got The Last Days of Disco and a French silent movie called The Late Mathias Pascal awaiting me at the top of the pile — and they’ve been there about a month. In about four minutes, TCM is going to shove Norma Rae at me, so it might be time to tackle one of those.

  7. Me

    Ha i looked up some clips from Pola X and Bill Callahan has a cameo in it, that could be interesting. I plan on starting with Boy Meets Girl after Holy Motors, ive heard a lot of good things about it.

  8. Ken Hanke

    You’re not in a very good position to guess what I would hate, despite what you think. I didn’t hate the music in Pola X (I assume it escaped you that I’ve already seen it). A lot of the music is of the industrial noise variety, which I certainly wouldn’t listen to, but is fine in context.

  9. Me

    Im not in a good position? If i like it you hate it, thats pretty much the way its always been since i discovered Mountainxpress. It can’t escape me if i never knew if you had seen it or not, but i do have a bad memory.

  10. Ken Hanke

    Why then do you insist on weighing in on things you haven’t read and exchanges you haven’t been following. If I said — and I did — “Pola X won’t get you as high as Holy Motors, it follows I’ve seen it. Considering how much you disagree with this site, I’m baffled as to why you come here.

  11. Jeremy Dylan

    A lot of the music is of the industrial noise variety, which I certainly wouldn’t listen to, but is fine in context.

    This would be an interesting topic of discussion – what’s your favourite score that you wouldn’t listen to outside of the film?

    I’m not sure I have an answer, but generally I find Hans Zimmer’s scores extremely effective within the context of the films, but I don’t feel compelled to own any of them (INCEPTION to one side). Whereas I have a quite extensive and expensive Danny Elfman box set that I dip into quite regularly.

  12. Ken Hanke

    This would be an interesting topic of discussion – what’s your favourite score that you wouldn’t listen to outside of the film?

    Well, they don’t qualify as scores per se, but the probability of me listening to the songs used in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert or O Brother, Where Art Thou is pretty slim.

  13. Jeremy Dylan

    Unsurprisingly, O Brother is one of my favourite and most spun soundtrack albums.

  14. Ken Hanke

    Unsurprisingly, O Brother is one of my favourite and most spun soundtrack albums

    As far as that kind of music goes, it’s a cut above, but still it’s of limited interest to me. I did, however, see Don Pennebaker’s concert documentary on it.

  15. Me

    Im that guy at the party that tries to join in a conversation and then everybody walks away.

  16. DrSerizawa

    Hey, I got an idea. Let’s trade Park City for Asheville. You can have the Sundance Film Festival and we’ll take Actionfest. Just think how much better cultured you’d be to have Robert Redford violating your county ordinances.

  17. Ken Hanke

    Considering the last several years’ Sundance darlings, I’m moderately skeptical.

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