Isaac Florentine Talks ‘Hounds of War’ And Martial Arts Influence on Filmmaking

Director Isaac Florentine’s latest movie “Hounds of War” is directly in line with his creative aesthetic. When shooting action scenes, the sequences should almost always be fluid. Quick cutting, disorienting action has its time and place, but Florentine aims to bring “clarity” into these moments. Part of that approach springs from his lifelong passion for martial arts. Check out our interview with Florentine, as he elaborates on this rare technique of filmmaking.

“Hounds of War” centers on a military vet named Ryder (Frank Grillo) who seeks vengeance on his corrupt employer (Robert Patrick) after his latest mission turns tragic. Rhona Mitra co-stars as Ryder’s close friend, and she may have the fire power to help Ryder battle against the odds.

This Malta set action-thriller is another first rate effort from director Isaac Florentine, a man who knows a thing or two about shooting action scenes partly thanks to his martial arts experience.

“Sparring gives you experience in how to deal with different attacks,” said Florentine. “Another thing that came from martial arts is the clarity of the technique. Coming from karate and doing it for more than 50 years, I wanted the technique to be clean and sharp. When you move from one thing to another, like with a cut I want it to be very clean and seamless. Also (it’s) a matter of pace. And this (sense of) pace came from martial arts for sure.”

Check out my interview with Isaac Florentine on YouTube or Apple Podcasts:

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