Say what you want about Daniel Radcliffe, but his post-HARRY POTTER roles have been damn interesting. You would think he’d be doing big budget studio pictures playing likable heroes and romantic interests, but most of his choices have been very unexpected and dark (HORNS and SWISS ARMY MAN come to mind). His newest is GUNS AKIMBO, in which he portrays a video game developer and internet troll who criticizes a streamed death match, and wakes up the next day with guns bolted to his hands, and a mission to kill the match’s top player (played by Samara Weaving). This comes from the mind of writer/director Jason Lei Howden, and looks insanely fun. I’ve spoken to a few critics who saw it on the film festival circuit, and they seemed to enjoy it immensely. Check out the first official clip released below and tell us your thoughts in the comments.
Nerdy video game developer (Daniel Radcliffe) is a little too fond of stirring things up on the internet with his caustic, prodding, and antagonizing comments. One night, he makes the mistake of drunkenly dropping an inflammatory barb on a broadcast of Skizm, an illegal death-match fight club streamed live to the public. In response, Riktor (Ned Dennehy), the maniacal mastermind behind the channel, decides to force Miles’ hand (or hands, as it were) and have him join the “fun.” Miles wakes to find heavy pistols bolted into his bones, and learns Nix (Samara Weaving), the trigger-happy star of Skizm, is his first opponent.
Gleefully echoing elements of Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, the Purge franchise, and video games like Mortal Kombat, Guns Akimbo is hilariously dark, viciously violent, and potentially — chillingly — prescient. Director Jason Lei Howden (Deathgasm) foretells of a future that may soon await us: drone-captured live feeds, UFC-like competitions pushed to an extreme, and online streaming platforms used for gladiatorial entertainment all around the world. As Miles navigates the underworld of Skizm, the stakes — and the ratings — have never been higher.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
