I’ve been following the making of this film since last summer and imagined it would be worth the price of admission if only to see Bautista (In Hollywood we keep the U in)  on screen. As it happens I was pleasantly surprised, Wrong Side of Town was much better than I thought it would be.

If you don’t want to be spoiled on the movie you should stop reading now.

The plot involves Bobby Kalinowski, a landscape architect in the suburbs….of some town. Geography is not this film’s strong suit. Bobby, his wife, Dawn and  daughter, Brianna, enjoy the quiet life but a chance invitation from the new neighbors lands Bobby and Dawn downtown after dark in one of the town’s swank night clubs.  The club owner, Ethan Bordas,  is a crook and his younger brother, Ethan, is a cocaine addict who can’t keep his grabby hands off the  club patrons. Unfortunately for Ethan, he goes after Mrs. Kalinowski and ends up  dead.  Thirsty for revenge, Seth puts a $100,000 bounty on Bobby’s head. That kind of money brings out all the town’s thugs and Bobby has to fight his way through them all in order to save his family.

The first twenty minutes or so of the film are a bit rough. RVD is not a natural actor but he gives the role his all and by the time we get to the action sequences seems to have eased into Bobby’s skin somewhat.  My biggest knock on this whole film is Brooke Frost, cast as Brianna. The actress and her acting were more than adequate  but the role seemed to be written for a much, much younger actress, like, a twelve year old actress instead of the mid-twenty something Frost. I found the mismatch very grating.  Edrick Browne as the super nerdy wine broker neighbor, Clay,  was also saddled with some bad scripting.

Moving on. If you can get through the first act, you’ll be set to enjoy the rest of the film.

So, Ethan’s dead  and his big brother wants revenge, this is where the movie picks up. Word spreads quickly about the bounty and soon enough every gangsta’ in town is looking for Bobby.  After a run in with a gang in a parking garage, Bobby leads Dawn, Clay and Clay’s wife to the nearest police station.  The group gets set up by Seth’s dirty cop, Briggs (Louis Herthum). The four are packed off in a taxi which gets waylaid at a gas station by a second gang. Director, David DeFalco pulls a cameo as the gang leader and Bobby has to think on his feet to elude the roughs and their massive animal, Animal (Nelson Frazier Jr. aka  former WWE Superstar, Viscera).

Tired, a bullet in his leg, Bobby sends the women home with Clay while he heads even deeper into the wrong side of town to call in a favor from an old military friend, Big Ronnie (David Bautista). The part about them being friends seems to be news to B.R. Since the two left the Navy SEALs Bobby hasn’t called, he hasn’t come down to visit Big Ronnie at his strip club and he’s never invited Ronnie out to the ‘burbs to meet the Kalinowski family. Big Ronnie has feelings too and Bobby has hurt them good. Hurt feelings aside, Big Ronnie tells Bobby that he can’t help him and send Bobby back into the cold night.

Ok, so Bautista pretty much steals the movie right here.  He and Van Dam have good action flick buddy chemistry.  (Click here for images from the film)

Limping away from B.R.’s seedy bar, Bobby is attacked by yet another gang looking to cash in on him. Led by Razor (rap star, Ja Rule), this new gang is already aware of how lethal Bobby can be with his hands and feet so they hold him down and beat him. Then the cavalry comes in the form of Big Ronnie who stops the beating, in his own style.  In one of the laugh out loud funny scenes of the film, Razor has a hard time understanding what “Let him go!” means, so Ronnie has to make his point more clear.

As the night wears on Seth gets more restless, he presses the dirty cop for Bobby’s home address. Now Bobby, with the help of Big Ronnie,  has to fight his way through the full wrath of Bordas’ army, including stealthy ninja body guard, Markus (Marrese Crump) to save his kidnapped daughter and end this beef with Seth.

If you’ve ever seen a Steven Seagal /Jean Claude Van Damme / Stallone /Schwarzenegger film then you already have a good idea  how Wrong Side of Town ends, no need to give away all the surprise twists and turns here.  All in all, Wrong Side of Town is an entertaining, low budget,  cliché filled action film, don’t expect more than it is.  The acting ranges from really bad to, pretty good, with veteran character actor Louis Herthum  as Detective Briggs bringing the most to the table.

The production quality, from the James Bond-esque title sequence, to the DVD’s special features is good.  Just as the film was cast to draw in a diverse crowd, the film’s soundtrack reflects that same diversity, rap, rock and vocals, something is bound to get your toe tapping.

And of course, the film features Bautista!  His role is rather small but he handles it very well, turning in a few good dramatic sequences atop the action and the unexpected humour. This guy is really funny!  The  end of this movie has the sequel built in and hopefully Bautista as  Big Ronnie has a Bigger Role.

I’m not sure if this film is even MPAA rated. If it is I’d guess it’s rated R. There are a few topless women, including adult entertainment star, Stormy Daniels.  There is a lot of profanity, Big Ronnie curses like a sailor. There is gun play, hand to hand violence,  and a prison shank~!

Is  Wrong Side of Town worth renting or  buying? At $17.99 from Amazon.com , or a few bucks at the video store, yes, I’d recommend it.

Complete match listing for WWE: Batista – I Walk Alone
coming out on October 20th.

DISC ONE:
Batista profile documentary with the following chapters:

• Moving Around

• High School

• Bouncer

• Meets Angie

• Career Decision

• Wild Samoan Training Center

• Leviathan

• Deacon Batista

• Evolution

• Winning the Game

• Family Issues

• Welcome to SmackDown

• Tribute to Eddie

• Philippines Star

• Relinquishes the Championship

• The Royal Treatment

• Phenomenal Experience

• On the Edge of Greatness

• Show Stopping Moment

• Celebrity Unleashed

• Batista – The Animal

Bonus Features

• Hot Bread and Butter

• Batista’s Rough Neighborhood

• The Biggest Lifeguard at the Pool

• Leviathan: Demon of the Ohio River

• The Animal’s New Suit

• Dave Meets Alonzo Mourning

• Respect for Eddie

• A Gift for Chavo

• Eddie’s Advice

• Batista’s Lunchbox Collection

DISC TWO:
OVW Heavyweight Championship Match
Leviathan vs. “The Machine” Doug Basham
Ohio Valley Wrestling – November 28, 2001

Batista vs. Kane
Armageddon – December 15, 2002

Batista vs. Shawn Michaels
Armageddon – December 14, 2003

World Tag Team Championship Tables Match
Batista & Ric Flair vs. The Dudley Boyz
Royal Rumble – January 25, 2004

Batista vs. Chris Jericho
Vengeance – July 11, 2004

30-Man Royal Rumble Match
Royal Rumble – January 30, 2005

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Batista vs. Triple H
WrestleMania 21 – April 3, 2005

Hell in a Cell Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Batista vs. Triple H
Vengeance – June 26, 2005

No Holds Barred Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Batista vs. JBL
SummerSlam – August 21, 2005

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Batista vs. Eddie Guerrero
No Mercy – October 9, 2005

DISC THREE:
World Heavyweight Championship Match
Batista vs. King Booker
Survivor Series – November 26, 2006

Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Batista vs. King Booker vs. Finlay
Smackdown! – December 1, 2006

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Batista vs. The Undertaker
WrestleMania 23 – April 1, 2007

Steel Cage Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Batista vs. Edge
One Night Stand – June 3, 2007

World Heavyweight Championship w/ Special Referee “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
Batista vs. The Undertaker
Cyber Sunday – October 28, 2007

6-Man Tag Team Match
Batista, Triple H & Ric Flair vs. Randy Orton, Edge, & Umaga
Raw – December 10, 2007

Batista vs. John Cena
SummerSlam – August 17, 2008

Batista vs. Randy Orton
Armageddon – December 14, 2008

Batista made a surprise appearance on Raw tonight as the Special Guest Host. Sporting a protective brace on his left arm Batista was greeted by a loud crowd that was happy to see him.

Taking up the mic, Batista promised that “We’re going to have some fun tonight,”  He said there would be a four-man tournament to determine the No. 1 contender for Randy Orton’s title at the Night of Champions pay-per-view.

He said he initially turned down Vince’s request to be the guest host because he didn’t want to come out in a suit, he’s a fighter! Before he could continue, a shaky Randy Orton with Rhodes and DiBiase came out. “You shouldn’t have come back, Batista,” Orton said. He asked what was stopping them from coming to the ring and tearing him apart. “Nothing, I guess,” Batista said. “Except that if you even look at me the wrong way, I’m going to fire all three of you.”

Randy whined about how his life was a nightmare since getting beat up by HHH and Batista made fun of his whining. Batista announced Orton would face three of the new draftees in a three-on-one gauntlet match.

Later Batista showed up in the Legacy dressing room to needle Orton some more then again at the end of the show to applaud Mark Henry beating Orton.

Excerpt from my Raw IM conversation:

*thud*

He’s in a suit, he has sideburns he has hair sorta’….*guh*  No beard.  He looks so very at ease.

Raw Coverage and Photos from WWE.com

Following up on the story AlyCat broke yesterday, GMA News reports that will start filming Wapakman this July. Said to be a comedy in the style of Kung Fu Hustle, the film also stars half Filipino actress, Nicole Scherzinger of the music group, The Pussycat Dolls. Scherzinger may also be familiar to wrestling fans because she sand the National Anthem at Wrestlemania this year.

Watch this video on the GMA News website

And read the accompanying story… in Tagalog Come on Pinoy Fans, can anyone translate this for us, please?

Batista escorting Manny Pacquiao

‘PacMan’ to Star in Movie With Pussycat Dolls Singer
June 25, 2009

By Angelo Cantera, The Manila Times, Philippines

Jun. 25–Half-Filipino entertainer Nicole Scherzinger recently agreed to star in a superhero movie with boxer Manny Pacquiao, Solar Entertainment announced Tuesday.

Wilson Tieng, president of Solar Entertainment, said in statement that the film was currently under the working title Wapacman and was aimed to debut at the Metro Manila Film Festival, which is normally held during the Christmas holidays. Tieng will produce the film.

In the movie, Pacquiao plays the role of a single father who is suddenly imbued with super powers, and Scherzinger will be his leading lady. Tieng added that there was a possibility of including star professional wrestler Dave Batista, a Filipino-Greek, in the cast.

Scherzinger earned considerable recognition in 2003 as the lead singer of the burlesque girl group Pussycat Dolls. Responsible for popular singles like “Don’t Cha,” “Buttons” and “Stickwitu,” the group released its debut album PCD in 2005 and garnered worldwide success shortly after.

In 2008, the Dolls released its second album Doll Domination, which included “When I Grow Up,” I Hate This Part,” and the soundtrack of the Academy Award winning film Slumdog Millionaire, “Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny.)”

Currently working on her solo career while still performing with the Dolls, Scherzinger also modeled for a number of brands in the Philippines and abroad. She also made a number of short appearances in television shows like the comedy My Wife and Kids and a cameo appearance in the film Love Don’t Cost a Thing.

In June 2009, Scherzinger returned to the Philippines with three members of the Dolls for a one-night show at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

In interviews held during her visit, she revealed her admiration for Filipino Tony Award winner Lea Salonga as well as a number of other Filipino talents currently prominent in the States. She also expressed her desire to sing the Philippine National Anthem for Pacquiao’s upcoming bouts saying that he is her inspiration.

Should Wapacman push through, it will be the first film where Scherzinger would play a lead role.

Pinoy champ

As a boxer, Pacquiao is the current International Boxing Organization (IBO) and Ring Magazine light welterweight champion. Often dubbed as “The People’s Champion” in the Philippines, he has defeated highly respected fighters such as Erik Morales, Oscar de La Hoya and, recently, Ricky Hatton.

During his rise, Pacquiao eventually ventured into the entertainment industry as a recording artist and an actor. He acted in films like Anak ng Kumander [Child of the Commander] and Lisensyadong Kamao [licensed Fist]. He is now starring in the GMA television series Totoy Bato, which literally means “Totoy Stone.”

Source: Doghouse Boxing

No word from the Batista camp if he has seen or accepted the offer so this isn’t official,  but I thought I’d post it just in case.  Since Big Daddy’s injury, the pickin’s been kinda slim when it comes to new stories.

Wrong Side Of Town image

Thanks to LJ from the forums for this story.

http://www.movieset.com/wrongsideoftown

Photos http://www.movieset.com/wrongsideoftown/stills
Videos http://www.movieset.com/wrongsideoftown/videos

Check out this NEW Clip from the movie Wrong Side Of Town! It features Batista talking about his biggest fight scene in the movie! Very Cool! The movie stars Rob Van Dam and Batista from the WWE.

Ex-Navy Seal BOBBY KALINOWSKI lives a quiet, peaceful life as a landscape architect in an LA suburb with his wife DAWN and 16 year old daughter Brianna. Tonight they are invited out for an evening on the town by new neighbors CLAY and ELISE FREEMAN to a happening club downtown. Little did they know that this would be the start of a life or death ordeal for the group. While at the club, Dawn is accosted by one of the club owners, ETHAN BORDAS. When Bobby intervenes and accidentally kills Ethan defending his wife, his enraged older brother, SETH, puts a one hundred thousand dollar bounty on his head. Now Bobby must escape LA while being pursued by every criminal, wise guy and thug in the city. Bobby decides to separate from his wife and neighbors and revert to his Navy Seal training to survive. To complicate matters, Seth has a corrupt police sergeant preventing Bobby from getting any help from the law! However, they all underestimate the fighting skills and abilities of Bobby Kalinowski who battles through an army of thugs to finally make it back home. But, relentless, Seth doesn?t stop there. He targets Bobby?s family next and kidnaps his daughter. His plan is successful and he lures Bobby to his seedy warehouse complex for the final showdown.

We also have TONS of other videos on the “Wrong Side of Town” Sitelet Check out our EXCLUSIVE interviews with Rob Van Dam, Batista and the Director David Defalco. On top of that there are over 150 pictures from the set! So if you are a WWE fan you should definitely check them out!

A report from ProWresting.net of the dark matches of last week’s Raw (May 11, 2009) suggest Batista was cut during the the match. Unfortunately the report doesn’t give too many details but there it is. So Then I went back to the stills of Wrong Side of Town and what do you know! Underneath the black cap is something that looks very much like the stitched scar.

New Poll

12% of you nailed the results of Batista versus Orton ending in a DQ with another 85% correctly guessing that Batista would be the winner of the Judgment Day match so awesome job! This week  the question is, with the Denver Nuggets making the NBA basketball playoffs, a scheduling conflict has come up for the use of the Pepsi Center next Monday. What do you think should happen? You can click HERE for a video clip to find out what Vince McMahon thinks should happen.

Judgment Day Contest Results

Congratulations to everyone who entered because you all won something! So, no one correctly got the winners of all six of the contest matches for Grand Prize but Trista got 5 of the six right for First Place and GMC and Sarah tied for Second with 4 of 6 correct. If your name wasn’t listed check your email anyway for a particpation prize. If you are Trista, GMC or Sarah check your email for details on claiming your prizes.

I’m awaiting a new batch of prizes from WWE so stay tuned for the next contest.