Opening in theaters and on VOD May 11th from producer Joel Silver's Dark Castle Home Entertainment and After Dark Films is After Dark Action, which showcases five original, adrenaline-pumping films. The series includes El Gringo starring Scott Adkins (The Bourne Ultimatum), and Christian Slater (True Romance), Transit starring Jim Caviezel (TV's Person of Interest), James Frain (Tron: Legacy), Harold Perrineau (The Matrix), and Elisabeth Rohm (TV's Law & Order), Philly Kid starring Wes Chatham (The Help), Devon Sawa (Final Destination), Kristopher Van Varenberg (Universal Soldier: Regeneration), Michael Jai White (The Dark Knight), and Neal McDonough (Captain America: The First Avenger), Stash House starring Dolph Lundgren (The Punisher), Briana Evigan (Sorority Row), Sean Faris (Never Back Down), and Jon Huertas (TV's Castle), and Dragon Eyes starring Jean-Claude Van Damme (Timecop), Cung Le (Tekken), Kristopher Van Varenberg (Universal Soldier: Regeneration) and Peter Weller (Robocop). 

IAR's Managing Editor Jami Philbrick recently had a chance to sit down with actor Kristopher Van Varenberg to discuss his work in After Dark Action: Philly Kid and Dragon Eyes. The actor talked about the new films, the After Dark Action series, fighting, working with his famous father (Jean-Claude Van Damme), their upcoming film Six Bullets, the next installment of the Universal Soldier franchise, his dad's work on The Expendables 2, and how Van Varenberg almost played the Liam Hemsworth role in the highly anticipated new film. 

Opening in theaters and on VOD May 11th from producer Joel Silver's Dark Castle Home Entertainment and After Dark Films is After Dark Action, which showcases five original, adrenaline-pumping films. The series includes El Gringo starring Scott Adkins (The Bourne Ultimatum), and Christian Slater (True Romance), Transit starring Jim Caviezel (TV's Person of Interest), James Frain (Tron: Legacy), Harold Perrineau (The Matrix), and Elisabeth Rohm (TV's Law & Order), Philly Kid starring Wes Chatham (The Help), Devon Sawa (Final Destination), Kristopher Van Varenberg (Universal Soldier: Regeneration), Michael Jai White (The Dark Knight), and Neal McDonough (Captain America: The First Avenger), Stash House starring Dolph Lundgren (The Punisher), Briana Evigan (Sorority Row), Sean Faris (Never Back Down), and Jon Huertas (TV's Castle), and Dragon Eyes starring Jean-Claude Van Damme (Timecop), Cung Le (Tekken), Kristopher Van Varenberg (Universal Soldier: Regeneration) and Peter Weller (Robocop). 

IAR's Managing Editor Jami Philbrick recently had a chance to sit down with actors Wes Chatham, and Devon Sawa to discuss their work in After Dark Action: Philly Kid. The two actors talked about the new film, the plot, their characters, the After Dark Action series, fighting, prison, working with Neal McDonough, and and their all-time favorite fight films. 

While we've all got our collective undies in a twist over The Avengers, Marvel is, of course, looking to the future.  The studio has already set Iron Man 3 and Thor 2 as the first two features following the big ensemble team-up.  Both of those are hitting in 2013, and they'll be followed by two mysterious Marvel features set for April 4th and May 16th of 2014.  It's long been assumed that one of those two as-yet unknown features will be a sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger.  Today, Neal McDonough, who played Dum Dum Dugan in that film, has supported that assumption, and also added to the notion that we might see Dum Dum team up with Nick Fury in an eventual SHIELD movie.

Actor Neal McDonough is absolutely no stranger to playing a superhero. The actor’s first comic book connection came in the mid-‘90s when he voiced the Marvel villain Firebrand on the Iron Man cartoon. This eventually led to a larger Marvel role as the voice of Dr. Bruce Banner on The Incredible Hulk cartoon series in 1996. McDonough jumped the Marvel ship in 2010 and went over to the other side with his brilliant portrayal of DC Comics’ emerald archer, in the short film DC Showcase: Green Arrow. But the actor has now comeback to the “House of Ideas” for his first ever live-action role as a comic book hero in Captain America: The First Avenger, which is available on Blu-ray and DVD beginning October 25^th.

In the film, McDonough plays the beloved Marvel character Dum Dum Dugan who was a valuable member of the Howling Commandoes, an elite group of soldiers who aided Captain America in his fight against Hitler, the Nazis, HDYRA and the Red Skull during World War II. Dugan is a former circus strongman, and best recognized by comic book fans for his trademark bowler hat and handlebar mustache. When Captain America (Chris Evans) must recruit a team of soldier’s to help him defeat the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) he chooses the Howling Commandoes, which consists of Dugan, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Gabe Jones (Derek Luke), Jim Morita (Kenneth Choi), James “Union Jack” Montgomery (J.J. Feild), and Jacques Dernier (Bruno Ricci). Under Captain America’s leadership they are able to defeat their enemies together and bring an end to WWII.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with actor Neal McDonough about his work on Captain America: The First Avenger, as well as a few of his other projects. In part two of our conversation, McDonough discusses the research he did in order to play Dum Dum Dugan, growing the character’s signature mustache, shooting his favorite sequence in the film, bonding on location with his fellow actors, and returning to the role for Cap 2, Nick Fury, and beyond.

Marvel Studios second superhero film of the summer, Captain America: The First Avenger not only introduced the world to Steve Rogers and his heroic alter ego but it also gave us our first look at another fan-favorite group of heroes from “The House of Ideas” … the Howling Commandoes.

The Howling Commandoes first appeared in the comics as an elite special unit formed in World War II by Nick Fury and the team consisted of Corporal Timothy Aloysius Cadwallander “Dum Dum” Dugan, Private Gabriel Jones, Private Robert “Rebel” Ralston, Private Dino Manelli, Private Isadore “Izzy” Cohen, and Private Jonathan “Junior” Juniper. However, in the film the team closer resembled The Invaders, which was essentially a WWII era version of The Avengers that first appeared in the comics in 1969. Captain America, Bucky Barnes, and Montgomery Falsworth (better known as Union Jack) are all Invaders members who were included as Hollowing Commandoes in the film, while Dugan, Jones, Jim Morita, and Jacques Dernier were actual Howlers from the comics who rounded out the movie’s team.

One of the most beloved members of the Howling Commandoes by far is the bowler hat wearing Dum Dum Dugan, who was played by actor Neal McDonough (Minority Report) in Captain America: The First Avenger. In the comics, Dugan survived WWII and would eventually go on to become Nick Fury’s second in command at S.H.I.E.L.D. It should also be mentioned that McDonough is no stranger to playing superheroes having recently voiced DC Comics’ popular character Green Arrow in the 2010 animated short film, DC Showcase: Green Arrow. On Friday, I had a chance to speak with actor Neal McDonough about playing Dum Dum Dugan in Captain America: The First Avenger, which will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 25^th.

While talking about the film, McDonough said this about playing the role of Dum Dum Dugan. “It was a blast to play him and I still look forward to Cap 2, Nick Fury or any other films in the future.” This comment peaked my interest and I decided to follow up asking McDonough specifically about his involvement in those two upcoming projects. While we won’t be running my conversation with the actor about shooting Captain America: The First Avenger until closer to the films home media release, I wanted to let you know what he had to say about Captain America 2 and Nick Fury. I also took the opportunity to ask the actor about the recent announcement that he will be playing the villain in season 3 of the hit FX series Justified, as well as the possibility of reprising his role as Green Arrow in a live action feature film based on the emerald archer.

Good morning to fans of liberty, freedom, and such things.  Over the Fourth of July weekend, the program 'Movies on the Radio' on WQXR in New York City previewed almost fifteen minutes of the score from Captain America: The First Avenger.  It's the first listen to the big, old-fashioned compositions that will accompany Chris Evans' Cap as the derring-do gets done. Based on this, Alan Silvestri's score seems to capture a sense of valor and heroism without compromising on the fast-paced, action-oriented side, either.  Certain sections actually recall Silvestri's score for Predator a little bit.  That definitely isn't a bad thing.

Ever since Marvel Studios announced the penultimate comic book film leading up to The Avengers, a big question has been just how Captain America: The First Avenger would be marketing to international audiences less inclined to partake in the overtly jingoistic adventures of an imperialist asset who happens to essentially be a soldier on super-steroids.  While the latest U.S. poster features Chris Evans looking valiant in front of the stars and stripes, this new international poster puts Cap at the front of a group that includes members of the multi-national Howling Commandos and British officer Peggy Carter, played by the equally British Hayley Atwell.  It's pulpy, fun, and less likely to alienate overseas audiences.

Following up on last week's well-received trailer, another nine images from Captain America: The First Avenger have made their way online.  Included are new looks at the lovely Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Hugo Weaving in the fascist togs of Johann Schmidt, Dominic Cooper as Tony's pop Howard Stark, Toby Jones as Arnim Zola, and the Howling Commandos assembled for action.  There are no new pictures of Chris Evans in full battle rattle mode as Cap, but instead, there are two new glimpses of Steve Rogers in his ridiculous USO propaganda costume, and isn't that even better in many respects?

Since his first starring role as the title character in Denzel Washington's Antwone Fisher, Derek Luke has been known principally for his work in dramatic fare such as Friday Night Lights, Miracle at St. Anna, Lions for Lambs, and Notorious.  In this summer's Captain America: The First Avenger, though, he'll be getting in on some action as Gabe Jones, a role he'll reprise in next year's The Avengers.  At an event for the series Hawthorne last night, Luke stayed tight-lipped about how exactly his character will appear in both films, but did discuss the new found love of action they've inspired.

With Thor already almost a month deep in its theatrical run, the penultimate pre-The Avengers Marvel Studios movie is nigh.  The most jingoistic member of the super-squad gets his own big budget action movie with Captain America: The First Avenger, which depicts the WWII adventure of scrawny patriot Steve Rogers, played by erstwhile Human Torch Chris Evans.  Rogers gets a dose of super soldier serum.  Guess what that turns him into?  A super soldier.  The old fashioned, man-on-a-mission adventure is coming up sooner than you'd think, and today we have three new character posters, featuring Evans as Cap, the lovely Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, and Hugo Weaving as Johann Schmidt aka the Red Skull.