Movies/TV

Photo Gallery: "Unrivaled" Film Premiere at TapouT

TapouT's headquarters in Grand Terrace was the scene of movie world premiere on Monday with a red carpet running through a warehouse past shelves of T-shirts to a brand-new movie theater.

The Charles "Mask" Lewis Theater is named in honor of the late co-founder of the business, which specializes in mixed martial arts clothing and gear. Lewis died in a Newport Beach car crash in March.

It was inaugurated by a screening of "Unrivaled," a cage-match action film released by Lionsgate and Grindstone Entertainment Group in association with TapouT.

Producers on the red carpet spoke of the value of partnering with TapouT.

"If you're into mixed martial arts, TapouT was the first to put the label out there," said Stan Wertieb, Grindstone's head of acquisitions.

Co-founder Dan Caldwell said work on the theater was begun shortly before Lewis' death and is a a fulfillment of a dream, since he loved movies. He said it will be used by staff for TapouT's entertainment projects as well as special events. After the screening, he said TapouT has three other movies in the works, and the audience was laced with fighters associated with the company.

It is more than a screening room, with arena seating and a row of couches in front. The decor reflects TapouT, combining the feel of a medieval castle with Roman gladiator touches such as a podium shaped like a chariot and cages with plush lion's heads on either side of the screen.

"Unrivaled" tells the story of a washed-up fighter (Hector Echavarria) who gets a miracle chance at a comeback. It's "Cinderella Man" with cage matches and, yes, a strip club with topless lap dancers. But Wertieb said it reaches beyond the typical 45-50 year-old that is the demographic of MMA movies.

Director Warren P. Sonoda expressed similar sentiments, saying he wanted a plot line with a believable love story to accompany the action. And he said the actors in the cast (including Nicolas Campbell, who was in "Cinderella Man") challenged the fighters in the cast.

"The fighters aren't actors, but they really wanted to act."

"Unrivaled" was filmed in 14 days, largely in Toronto, and actor Al Sapienza said three of those days was during an air show with the sound of F-15s causing interruptions.

On March 16, it goes to DVD and Blu-ray on March 16, complete with featurettes and commentary. Sonoda said it will look great in Blu-Ray, "like $20 million."

Reach Fielding Buck at 951-368-9551 or fbuck@PE.com