#JasonLeiHowden

[hidingoutbackstage]

https://twitter.com/JasonLeiHowden/status/1715919938454782390?t=Wk6cLs902Eh3ODDloLaxsg&s=19

OH MY GD!!!

[jasonleihowdennz]

Action and Horror Comedy Film Director-Jason Lei Howden

Jason Lei Howden is television cameraman and editor at a local television station in Nelson. He attain an NZQA Certificate of Television and Video Production in 1999. Read on to know more about Jason Lei Howden

[adamwatchesmovies]

Guns Akimbo (2019)

Guns Akimbo has style to spare with its frenetic video game-like action, self-aware sense of humor, bold color palette, and soundtrack. If only it didn’t so often succumb to stupidity. This movie is almost there, which leads me to believe many will watch it and have a blast. I often did, just not often enough.

In the near future, a criminal organization known as Skizm live-streams death matches between criminals and psychopaths. Miles Lee Harris (Daniel Radcliffe, sporting a flawless American accent) doesn’t enjoy the sick entertainment and instead gets his jollies by trolling Skizim's fans. Unfortunately, he’s messaged the wrong person. Skizim's creator, Riktor (Ned Dennehy), breaks into Miles’ apartment, drugs him, and surgically bolts guns onto his hands. Worse, he’s now pitted against Nix (Samara Weaving), the game’s reigning champion.

To its credit, Guns Akimbo never wags its finger at the audience - as so many of these The Running Man-like stories do. This movie has certain subversive elements but mostly wants to be fun. Cue Miles struggling to open the door to his apartment without his hands. Writer/director Jason Lei Howden’s defining sense of humor is on full display at all times. It isn’t enough for vegetarian Miles to reluctantly eat a hotdog for strength, it has to be a dirty hotdog some homeless guy is giving him and it has to fall on the floor a half-dozen times in a filthy back alley strewn with used condoms. It’s gross but so over-the-top you laugh. Partnered with dynamically shot and exciting action scenes, what's not to like?

I remained entertained throughout Guns Akimbo but I’m not sure I can call it "good". There are so many bad lines of dialogue. Numerous plot elements just don’t make sense. This isn’t Death Race 2000 where the killing is the national sport. Skizm is an illegal, underground operation viewed by millions. The action is live-streamed but the police can't do anything about it? That makes no sense. How does Riktor profit from this operation anyway? Is it on Pay-Per-View? Then there’s this romantic comedy subplot with Miles and his ex-girlfriend, Nova (Natasha Liu Bordizzo, who I'm just discovering now). He wants to ask her for help but goes about it in the stupidest way possible. Stupid protagonists aren't a necessity in comedies when they’re in a world that’s as loony as this one. Finally, the movie cheats numerous times. Injuries that should be crippling are easily shrugged off and because most of the film is simply Miles vs. Nix, A LOT of bullets are fired for nothing. I can understand his aim sucking. He’s firing Guns Akimbo and has never held a weapon before. Nix? She’s wielding a bazooka and automatic weapons like it’s nothing while doing car tricks. The longer the film goes on, the less this makes sense.

When Miles is frantically on the run, Guns Akimbo is at its best. You’re always given something new and exciting to see and you’re laughing too hard to care about details like logic. As it becomes more concerned with its plot, the cracks grow wide and swallow it whole. I’m curious to see what Jason Lei Howden offers next, while hoping he gets a co-writer to help with his stories’ fundamentals. (December 23, 2020)

[kacic1]

A todos, boa noite! Convido vocês a visitarem o Portal do Andreoli, para conferir minha nova crítica sobre este insano e movimentado thriller de ação protagonizado por Daniel Radcliffe e Samara Weaving. Crítica: GUNS AKIMBO (2019) https://luizandreoli.com.br/critica-guns-akimbo-2019/ #GunsAkimbo #Crítica #Review #PortaldoAndreoli #Thriller #Action #DanielRadcliffe #SamaraWeaving #JasonLeiHowden #Pop #PopCulture #Geek #Nerd #Movies #Filmes #Films #Cine #Cinema #Cult #Entertainment #OsFilmesdoKacic https://www.instagram.com/p/B8AITs_FmDF/?igshid=16ut67vdn4toi

[yanarchy072]

・ ・ Netflixにもprimeにもなかったから『ガンズ・アキンボ』TSUTAYAでレンタルして観た。 ・ ソシャゲムービー？ サイバーパンクノワール？ いや、金玉スプラッターw NIXがヤバい！ ・ #ガンズアキンボ #GunsAkimbo #ジェイソンレイハウデン #JasonLeiHowden ・ #ダニエルラドクリフ #DanielRadcliffe #ナターシャリューボルディッゾ #NatashaLiuBordizzo #サマラウィーヴィング #SamaraWeaving ・ #アクションコメディ #actioncomedy ・ #映画 #movie #ビバムビ #instamovie #moviestagram #instagood #instapic ・ #staysafe #socialdistancing #withコロナ #newnormal (Tokyo Japan) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTADc6SHX7l/?utm_medium=tumblr

[doomonfilm]

Review : Guns Akimbo (2020)

Amazon Prime is one of the more unique streaming services in terms of original content... from early on in their existence, they were able to pull high level actors, directors and properties into their creative sphere, with Suspiria serving as an early high bar for future content to meet.  Though I’ve not committed to a full deep dive yet, certain things do catch my attention now and again, and with 2020 wrapping, it felt like I could no longer put off a viewing of Guns Akimbo.  

Skizm, an underground network featuring criminals fighting one another to the death in over-the-top battles, has taken hold of the internet community, much to the chagrin or dismay of whomever is asked.  Computer programmer Miles (Daniel Radcliffe), who spends his free time trolling online communities, spends an evening trolling the Skizm community before the chat admins reveal that they have his IP location.  A short time later, Skizm figurehead Riktor (Ned Dennehy) shows up to assault Miles at his apartment with the help of his henchman.  Miles awakens from the ordeal not only severely beat, but with a gun attached to each hand, as well as a very angry and dangerous opponent in the form of Skizm champion Nix (Samara Weaving).  Scared, confused and desperate, Miles reaches out to any and everyone he can in the hopes of surviving the nightmare that has become his new reality.

As a hyperbolic narrative, Guns Akimbo serves well as a warning of how fixations with social media can take over your life and well-being in very real, major ways.  If Miles is meant to be the character we connect with, then his gun-hands are a symbol of how deep social media immersion can skew your perspective on reality to a nearly complete polar opposite of what one considers standard, with many people online aggressively attacking others in a manner they would never do while face to face.  The hilariously (for a time) out of place romance element also shows how far gone Miles has gone in his dedication to trolling... he has built enough of a connection with Nova that she seeks his company and cares for him, but is so involved in his online immersion that it fractures the connection to the point where he is not heard, even when he is clearly in danger.  The film manages to find a soft landing place amidst all of its chaos by providing a plea for the presence of mercy in a merciless realm, which is a very fitting message for the heightened aggressive nature of communication that has emerged from the “shelter-in-place” era.

In more direct ways, the film uses its lens as an exaggerated examination on social media’s fascination with the worst aspects of society, and the sensationalism that has ballooned out of this fascination.  I believe that Skizm was purposely named to sound like a drug, as the nature of following social media to the point that it dictates your attitude is a form of addiction in its own right.  The film also shows how once you put yourself on the internet, not only is someone always watching casually and ready to pounce on your every move, but many watch with a controlling interest of some sort, be it data-mining, commercial or otherwise.  With this in mind, the gun-hands find a second form of symbolism in how they hinder Miles from an easy reintegration into the real world, with the effect of his online causality hanging around once he leaves (or is forced out of) his safety zone... the gun-hands even cause Miles pain when fired for most of the film, further driving home how painful untethering yourself from online can be.  Ironically, this exaggerated journey makes Miles a social media sensation, which is another twisted reality that we often see mirrored in real life.

The energetic, charismatic and often disorienting cinematography sets (and holds up) a fever pitch tone that matches the immediacy of the issues faced by Miles.  Much of the post-production flare added enhances the experience, informing us much in the way that a comic book or video game does.  The costuming is wonderfully on the nose, especially with the contrast of the initial uniform that Miles adorns versus the outfit Nix wears, and how it shows just how out of his depth that Miles is while draping everyone else in the Skizm world in some form of visual badassery.  The fight choreography and gunplay sequences are insanely entertaining and well put together, further driving home the suspension of belief and immersion felt by the viewer.  The humor is wonderfully present and self-aware, which helps take the edge off of the stylized over-the-top personas and violence that fill up the world of Guns Akimbo.

Daniel Radcliffe completely steps up to the plate in the role of audience surrogate protagonist, matching our arc of discovery and immersion as he grows with us experience by experience.  Samara Weaving dives deep into the abyss of unstoppable Terminator while providing us with brief glimpses of vulnerability, making our connection to her a complex but enjoyable one.  Ned Dennehy is wonderfully twisted, buying fully into the role of a man driven mad by the power he holds over others while remaining a slave to the needs of the “entertainment” machine.  Natasha Liu Bordizzo brings an element of compassion to the film, which seems very naturally out of place in the over the top presentation, but not so much that her presence isn’t welcome and very much needed.  Grant Bowler and Edwin Wright bring a grounded bit of sinisterness into the mix, while Milo Cawthorne and Rhys Darby inject perfect moments of humor to take the edge off of things.  Richard Knowles, Mark Rowley, Set Sjöstrand, Rachael Ofori, Jack Riddiford and more round out the vast supporting cast.

While this film is more than likely not going to win any awards, it is definitely worth a watch or two, especially if you’re looking to turn your brain off and spend a couple of hours having fun.  It’s been nice to see Samara Weaving in so many films (and different types of films) the past couple of years, and Guns Akimbo marks a big notch in that impressive belt.  10 out of 10 in terms of fun. 

[cinematographstills]

GUNS AKIMBO (2019)

Director of Photography: Stefan Ciupek

Director: Jason Lei Howden

[psychodrive-in]

Today at http://psychodrivein.com Cahiers du Horror 04: Director Roundup April 2020 Who is the George Romero of tomorrow, or the Wood, the Milligan, the Steckler? --- Read more of Fred's article at the link in our profile! #richardraaphorst #jasonleihowden #lowelldean #quentindupieux #frankensteinsarmy #deathgasm #gunsakimbo #wolfcop #anotherwolfcop #supergrid #13eerie #deadlands #rubber #wrong #wrongcops #reality #keepaneyeout #deerskin #mandibles https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Spyg0HzzM/?igshid=1bnjxmqbd9v9l

[maketheswitchau]

#Repost • @missjess_switch From the man that brought us the supremely awesome ‘Deathgasm’ ...and some recent headlines 😬... comes ‘Guns Akimbo’. Find out if his sophomoric directing effort is as good as the first in my review up now at maketheswitch.com.au 🎬 #gunsakimbo #danielradcliffe #samaraweaving #harrypotter #deathgasm #jasonleihowden #movie #film #cinema #moviereview #filmreview https://www.instagram.com/p/B9EXIECnG4k/?igshid=94ulskwsqzth

[kittykissbliss]

Beatrice Verhoeven‏ @bverhoev

Had so much fun chatting #GunsAkimbo with @Sweaving, #Danielradcliffe and @JasonLeiHowden at #TIFF19

Anthony Ghnassia‏ @anthonyghnassia

 de Deauville 16' AnthonyGhnassia / #visionbyAG [ @DeauvilleUS ] #danielradcliffe

[thrauma]

Deathgasm in DVD e Blu-Ray Disc https://goo.gl/4QQpEx La vita in un liceo può essere un inferno e lo sa bene Brodie, un giovane metal emarginato da tutti fino a quando non incontra uno spirito affine in Zakk. Dopo aver messo in piedi una loro band, Brodie e Zakk incappano in un misterioso spartito che garantirebbe un potere supremo a chi è in grado di eseguirlo. La musica che ne deriva,però, evoca un'antica e malvagia entità in grado di sconvolgere l'esistenza di chiunque e divorare l'umanità. #jasonleihowden #thrauma #viareggio #deathgasm #midnightfactory #horror #gore #metal #heavymetal #splatter (presso Movieshop Thrauma.it)

[kacic1]

New international poster for GUNS AKIMBO (2019) - Dir. Jason Lei Howden. Check out my review of the movie: https://luizandreoli.com.br/critica-guns-akimbo-2019/ #GunsAkimbo #Crítica #Review #PortaldoAndreoli #Thriller #Action #DanielRadcliffe #SamaraWeaving #JasonLeiHowden #Pop #PopCulture #Geek #Nerd #Movies #Filmes #Films #Cine #Cinema #Cult #Entertainment #OsFilmesdoKacic https://www.instagram.com/p/B9mse2AlYnT/?igshid=1f5qmr1d8gxg4

[futur-z]

Do you need a good excuse to watch a crazy gore movie with metal, blood and boobs ? DEATHGASM (2015) Second degree required ! Directed by Jason Lei Howden With Milo Cawthorne, James Blake, Kimberley Crossman... #movie #film #cinema #artist #actors #director #jasonleihowden #milocawthorne #jamesblake #kimberleycrossman #metal #deathmetal #gore #goremovie #metalband #soundtrack #deathgasm (à Pau, France)

[comiccrusaders]

Jason Howden to Co-Write and Direct ‘Monsters of Metal’ Based on the Upcoming Opus Comics Series. @JasonLeiHowden @OpusPublishing http://ow.ly/AlOp50KyPwW

[sir-radcakes]

Guns Akimbo News

Daniel Radcliffe UK News @danradcouk

2m

News: Guns Akimbo starring Daniel Radcliffe (dir. @JasonLeiHowden) will film in New Zealand & Germany from April 30th - July 13th 2018! #yaaaaaassss