Here is a list of movies that have some swinging
and twirling action in them that may help inspire you onto new things.
If you have seen a movie not listed here please contact the site
administrator with details and comments.
Movie list (with poi or fire twirling)
Movie
Year
Starring
Comment
Liam Sullivan music video "Shoes"
2007
Liam Sullivan, Kelly
features the FireGroove girls doing fire hula hoop (towards the end). . .
Justin Timberlake music video "What goes around"
2007
Justin Timberlake, Scarlett Johansson
features fire fans, fan poi, fire hula hoop, fire staff . . .
Harry Potter & the Goblet of fire
2006
Daniel Radcliffe , Rupert Grint , Emma Watson , Robbie Coltrane
, Ralph Fiennes , Michael Gambon
has a fairly cool sequence around the beginning -
the entrance of the school "Durmstrang". The guys have what appear
to be weighted staff that spark on the ends when they hit the ground
- cool effect... [about a minute long]
Mirrormask
2005
Stephanie Leonidas, Gina McKee, Rob Brydon, Jason Barry
Alice in Wonderland type fantasy by Neil Gaiman and
Dave McKean. One of the circus type people is shown using a firestaff
briefly before Helena has her act. There is also contact and toss
juggling and a bunch of other things of circusy goodness - sparkey
Van Helsing
2004
Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale
about 2/3's of the way through Dracular's having a
bit of a party and amongst the performers you can see several (not-so-good)
Poi spinners, one diabolist and a bit of fire breathing. Only about
15 seconds of footage all in all and not of any technical interest,
but they're there and someone might be interested. And if you look
closely you can see one Poi person getting tangled. - SpacemonE /
Ewan
Man on Fire
2004
Denzel Washington
Denzel is in a rave club, somewhere in mexico, looks
like a great party! anyway there are quite a few quick shots of all
the dancers and there is a few guys spinning fire poi looks great!
the whole place ends up catching fire! noone is hurt they are all
outside loving it! - Allison Wright
Vanity Fair
2004
Reese Witherspoon, Jim Broadbent, Eileen Atkins, James Purefoy,
and Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Early in the movie, a lone firepoi spinner is featured
in the india themed party. -sparkey
The Reckoning
2004
Willem Dafoe, Paul Bettany, and Brian Cox
It does, featuring fire devilsticking, fire poi, and
fire staff. Although you see devilsticking earlier, the fire performance
is during the night village festival, around 55 minutes into the movie
- fireNice
Runaway Jury
2003
John Cusack
In one of the "secret meeting" scenes in
the park, there is a woman doing a giant-butterfly with fire. The
scene shows here twice, in the distance.- Scott Billups
City of Ghosts
2003
Matt Dillon, James
Caan, Natascha McElhone, Gerard Depardieu, and Stellan Skarsgard
Several people are seen spinning firepoi in the scene
in the buddhist temple. As is generally the case, it is rather blurry
and just provides background ambiance. -sparkey
The Tuxedo
2003
Jackie Chan
It has a guy doing fire poi, indoors at
a party. He just does the buzzsaw, and is only up there two shots,
for about three seconds total, but it is a good close up shot (he
is all painted up). The DVD version would be best to watch it on so
you can slow motion it. - DJ
Dantana
Rush Hour II
2003
Jackie Chan
Near the end of the movie there is a scene
where Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker are coming up out of the sewer
system, there is a shot of the "Red Dragon Casino" (I think it is
called) and there are a few shots of a guy doing fire staff in the
far background. He even throws it high into the air. IT is blury so
you can't see the moves, jus tthe fire going around and around. -
DJ
Dantana
Lilo & Stitch
2002
Voices of;
Daveigh Chase (Lilo) and
Chris Sanders (Stitch)
Animated, Children's story. David performs
with fire.
"About the character David.
Lilo has an older sister and he is her would-be suitor. David works
at one of those Luau's that are just there for tourists. He fire
spins with the Polynesian Fire Knives (a form of staff). For those
of you who have seen Alegria of Cirque Du Soliel, David's routine
in the movie was taken exactly from Karl Sanft's
stage routine. It was well drawn though, and made me giggle. Then
he attempt's fire breathing to a not so good..yet funny...end. There
is a comment made about him burning himself "again", insinuating
he isn't very good at what he does, and while funny I wasn't so
thrilled with that.
The fire spinning comes up twice in the movie, once in the middle
and once more at the end." - Pele
Queen of the Damned
2002
Stuart Townsend, Aaliyah
They spin fire poi in "Queen of the damned" at the
big concert scene - Corvus Woolf
Scooby-Doo
2002
Freddie Prinze Jr., Matthew Lillard, Sarah Michelle
Gellar, Linda Cardellini, Rowan Atkinson
"In Scooby-Doo the Movie there is a fire
breathing ghost and Fred does a pretty decent rope dart type thing."
- Pele
Behind the Sun
2001
Rodrigo Santoro, Jose Dumont
set in brazil, this movie has a beautiful sequence
of a woman spinning clubs, huge poi, and breathing fire - Rene Alvarez
Shanghai Noon
2000
Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, Lucy Liu
I saw it a long time ago but Mr. Chan demonstrates
some excellent Rope Dart principle with a length of rope and a pan
to defeat the bumbling gun-slingers. I watched it time and again in
slomo on DVD and it's technically excellent in that they don't fake
it or crop anything out, and it shows a lovely method (sort-of thumb
lock?) for gathering a very long rope around you before step-kicking(?)
the dart(pan) at your opponent - SpacemonE / Ewan
Charlies Angles
2000
Luci Lui,Cameron Diaz , Drew Barrymore
There is a party scene near the begining
of the movie, and there is a guy there spinning fire staff and spitting
fire. He is in several shots. Also, near the end, Luci Lui does some
nice work with a chain. - Daniel Tyler.
The Claim
2000
Milla Jovovich
Inexplicably in a Western film: In the
wedding celebration scene (in the middle of the movie), there is a
fire spinner doing the 3-beat weave. The shot is a little too close
to see him well, but it is there.- Scott Billups
Mission Impossible II
2000
Tom Cruise, Anthony Hopkins
At the very end of the movie there is a
girl spinning a fire staff for about 3 seconds, it is a nice closeup
on the left side of the screen, but you must have the widescreen,
because the "TV Formated" version only lets you see about half of
her. Her moves are pretty hot too - Daniel Tyler
Beach, The
2000
Leonardo DiCaprio
if you look really carefully there is a
little fire poi in the movie The Beach
Charlies Angels
2000
Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrynore, Lucy Liu
got some wicked fighting moves in it with
metal chains that could be used for poi
2 seconds of chinese meteors at the beginning
of this movie. Later there are lots of knife swinging and staff twirling.
Excellent movie.
Fong Sai-Yuk aka "The Legend" or "The Legend of Fong
Sai Yuk"
1993
Jet Li
Martial Arts, Comedy. Includes staff fights
and
rope dart. The rope dart actually ends up catching on fire, making
it a rope
torch. Information kindly supplied by Dr
Gizmo
Iron Monkey
1994
Yu Rong Guang
Historical, Martial Arts. It has a number
of staff forms, as well as some use of an iron chain.
Iron and Silk
1991
Mark Salzman
Chinese steel whip and double sword forms
that translate easily to poi, staff forms as well.
Miss Congeniality
2000
Sandra Bullock
One of the Miss America contestants does
some double fire stick twirling. Shows off some nice auto ignition
sticks which light up at the press of a button. Where do I buy them?
The lovers on the bridge (Les Amants de Pont-Neuf)
Has some excellent fire breathing
in it, loads of acrobatic stuff, handstands, cartwheels, etc all doing
breathing. Inspirational and shows how you can move while doing fire.
One, The
2001
Jet Li
A Sci-fi action movie where Jet Li takes
on another version of himself. Keep an eye out for it.
Romeo Must Die
2000
Jet Li
segments where they use rope dart techniques.
there's a scene near the end where he fights using a chopped-off fire
hose.
Saltimbanco
?
Cirque du Soleil
This has an interesting twirling and tap-dancing
routine. No fire (though the dancers are wearing flamey skinsuits).
What's especially interesting is that the long poi are used percussively
against the floor, in time with the tap dancing (like a hybrid poi/cane
routine). Not very complex or difficult moves, but very precise rhythms
and a different approach.
Shanghai Noon
2000
Jackie Chan
segments where they use rope dart techniques.
one scene near the middle, also mimicking rope dart moves, this time
with a horseshoe and a rope - leg wraps, foot wraps (check these out!),
lots of body-rope interaction.
Shaolin Temple, The
1979
Jet Li
Martial Arts. It has a rope dart master
in it
Grease
1978
John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John
fiery double staff spinning in it during the pep rally
scene. - TinklePants
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
1999
Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman
the fight scene against Darth Maul near
the end, great for staff fighting/ sword fighting choreography - flips,
twirling moves, general fighting moves.
Star Wars: Episode II
2002
Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Samuel L. Jackson, Hayden
Christensen
Release date: May 22, 2002. Hopefully alot
more cool weapon and staff moves. Apparently we will see Yoda fighting
with double light sticks 30" long. He will be portrayed as the best
Jedi fighter.
