I was debating to make a post about whether or not I was going to continue watching Marvel’s movies. In fact, I alluded to the idea in my review of Thor: Love and Thunder. Before I tell you why I’m stepping off Marvel’s MCU train, I want to say that I’ve been a huge fan of Marvel’s MCU since Iron Man came out back in 2008. It was an awesome movie that gave Robert Downey, Jr. the comeback that he deserved. It was an outstanding film that kicked off a number of films that would culminate in one of the industries biggest hits, The Avengers. The Avengers hinted at a villain that gave us a clue where the MCU was headed: Infinity War. So, most of the movies released between 2008 and 2019 were building up to one of the biggest events in film history. It delivered in a way that I never thought possible. Infinity War and by extension, Endgame were smash hits that brought Tony Stark’s story full circle. It was an exciting and emotional moment that I’ll never forget. So the question was, where would the MCU go from there? The answer to that question has been one that’s been elusive since Avengers: Endgame. The big problem is that the quality of the movies and shows has wildly inconsistent. Black Widow was merely average, while Spider-Man: No Way Home was an Avengers-level success. It’s a great movie. Eternals was very different from what we’ve seen before and that’s been a sticking point for a lot of people. I really liked it BECAUSE it was so different. Shang-Chi was also amazing in its own way.
But the problems really began when Bob Chapek took over from Bob Iger as CEO of Disney. Where Iger was content to let his creative minds do their jobs, Chapek is…well…NOT Bob Iger, and we’ve been seeing the results of Chapek’s tenure. Instead of quality films and shows, we’ve ended up with stuff like Hawkeye, Loki, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Moon Knight. Those are the Disney Plus shows that have aired in the last couple of years. While I really liked Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder was an incoherent mess of a film that was completely unbalanced in terms of tone. San Diego Comic Con takes place this weekend and while it’s not just about comic-book movies, those are definitely a huge part of the event. NOW, we’ve got plans for the upcoming Phase 5 of Marvel’s movies and shows. There’s so much going on with the MCU right now that it’s really hard to keep track of everything going on. While the upcoming She-Hulk TV show looks bonkers, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks merely average at this point, with the teaser being released today.
A large part of the problem is that we’re beginning to see the shows and movies start to cross over and that’s not a good thing. For example, in Doctor Strange 2, Wanda Maximoff becomes the villain of the story because she’s trying to find a universe where her children exist so she can be with them, so she hunts down America Chavez, a young woman that can walk between universes. Your average film-goer is going to be confused by Wanda’s motivations unless they’re familiar with the WandaVision show. Producer Kevin Feige had always made it possible that people can jump into ANY MCU movie without being confused about what’s going on. Doctor Strange 2 shakes that up a bit, and I can see that happening more and more as time goes on. Believe it or not, not all of us are interested in the shows. At all. I’m not. Marvel’s upcoming slate of movies and shows is, quite frankly, overwhelming to me. Now, before anybody slams me for hating on the success of the MCU, I want you to know that I don’t want them to fail. I really don’t. But I do wish they would slow down a bit. They are putting out way too much too fast. As a fan of the Infinity Saga, seeing The Multiverse Saga coming into focus makes me worried about the future of the MCU. I was afraid of Marvel going the Multiverse route, and that’s exactly what they’re doing. It’s going to be messy. While I don’t think it’s going to flat-out fail, I fear that we’re going to see a lot more movies that are more Black Widow than Shang-Chi.
Look, if you really love the MCU and where it’s going, don’t let me stop you. If you really like where things are headed, I’m happy for you. I wish I could be that excited for future MCU movies, but I’m not right now. Maybe I’ll come back to it later, but my interests are veering away from the MCU and I think now is probably the best time for me to jump ship. So, yeah, those are the reasons why I’m stepping away from the MCU. I’d be really curious to see how many people are just exhausted as I am with Marvel’s stuff.
Cast:
Chris Hemsworth: Thor
Christian Bale: Gorr
Natalie Portman: Jane Foster/Mighty Thor
Tessa Thompson: King Valkyrie
Russell Crowe: Zeus
Jaimie Alexander: Sif
Chris Pratt: Peter Quill/Star-Lord
Dave Bautista: Drax
Karen Gillan: Nebula
Taika Waititi: Korg(voice)
When Iron Man was released back in 2008, it took people by surprise at how good it was. Not only that, I don’t even think Marvel knew how successful it was going to be. They had these plans for a wider universe of movies, but it wouldn’t have happened if Iron Man bombed. It didn’t, and it became the foundation upon which the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe was built. After Iron Man, came Captain America: The First Avenger, Iron Man 2 and finally, Thor. These four movies led to the first Avengers movie released 10 years ago. It was a movie event unlike any other, but one of the key moments in that film was the reveal of the mad Titan, Thanos. When we first saw him, audiences around the world and comic book fans alike knew exactly where Marvel was going. It wouldn’t be until 2018 when Avengers: Infinity War was released, culminating in one of the biggest movie events in history. Endgame would tie up the 11-year Infinity Saga that spanned 22 movies. So, what’s next after Avengers: Endgame? I don’t know. With the movies that have been released in the last two years and the various shows on Disney Plus, we haven’t been given a clear trajectory for the MCU. Everything released since that last Avengers film feels completely random and disconnected from each other. Part of what made the MCU so special, was the over-arching narrative thread that was woven through twenty movies. Here we are, nearly thirty movies later, and we are directionless. Now, we have a fourth Thor movie: Love and Thunder. Does this one have anything to add?
The film opens as Thor and the Guardians of the Galaxy are trying to help a group of religious folks regain control of their temple. Inadvertently destroying the temple, Thor is gifted two giant screaming goats. Before they take off, they get a distress signal from Thor’s old friend, Lady Sif about a being of immense power who she refers to as the “god butcher.” The “god butcher” is Gorr, who is on a quest to destroy all gods, because his own god failed him. Realizing that this guy is a serious threat, Thor bids the Guardians farewell and travels with his buddy Korg to the world where Sif was fighting. Finding her injured, they head back to Earth only to find that New Asgard is under attack by mysterious shadow monsters as well as Gorr himself. But, much to his surprise, his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster joins the fray as the new Mighty Thor, wielding Thor’s old hammer, Mjolnir. The story here is oka, but not as good as Ragnarok. I really like how the story between Thor and Jane is dealt with in a meaningful way, but the overall plot of a single person being a major galactic threat seems pretty old-hat this time around. Part of the problem is that it’s the same old Marvel formula. The other big problem is the balance of tones in the film. It’ll go from really silly comedic moments to some pretty heavy material and back to the silly again. It’s kind of a whiplash actually. Taika Waititi did a much better job balancing the humor with the seriousness in Thor: Ragnarok.
It must be a blast working on a Thor movie, because everybody here looks like they’re having an awesome time. Chris Hemsworth is pitch-perfect as Thor, as always. His comic timing is on point, but he’s also able to deliver on some of the more emotional moments. Natalie Portman as Jane Foster has been criminally under-used by the first two movies. She was basically nothing more than window dressing. A damsel-in-distress, if you will. Here, she’s given quite a bit more to do when she picks up Mjolnir. Not only is it obvious she was having fun, but she put in some serious work to do this role justice. I mean, just look at the guns on that woman. But, like Chris, she’s able to be funny and remarkably serious at the same time. Again, those emotional moments between Thor and Jane are at the very heart of this movie. Taika Waititi as Korg? He’s brilliant as always. Very dead-pan, but it really works. Tessa Thompson knocks it out of the park as King Valkyrie. Russell Crowe as Zeus is a bit of a show-stopper. Talk about someone having fun with his role, Crowe is magnetic as the Greek God of Thunder, and one of the most powerful beings in the entire Marvel universe, so it’s going to be interesting to see what happens with him later on. Christian Bale plays Gorr the God Butcher. The character has a tragic backstory, but the way Bale brings this guy to life is pretty creepy. I think it’s pretty cool to see Christian Bale jump from the DC movies to Marvel movies, but I do have to admit that there wasn’t enough of Gorr and what he’s been up to. As a result, he doesn’t feel like that much of a threat. That said, he’s still a pretty interesting character.
When it comes to action, Marvel is one of the best in the business for mainstream movies. Not only do you have some really creative visual style here, but the action is on point. The cinematography allows you to see what’s going on with very little shaky-cam. It’s also done to Guns ‘N Roses, so not only do you visual flair to the action, but amazing musical flourish as well. There were at least three different songs that Waititi used from GNR. Some of the more interesting moments include Jane Foster wielding Mjolnir. Seeing the hammer being remade and actually take on a new ability was really cool. When she throws the hammer, Jane can make the hammer split into smaller pieces and use them against the enemy. Also, the scene where Thor tries to ask Zeus for help is not only funny, but the action that follows is incredibly well-choreographed. Never let it be said that Taika Waititi doesn’t know how to make things look cool. Also there’s a scene in which Thor and company reach a world where color is drained, so you’re left with a literal black-and-white experience. It’s really cool, and adds to the atmosphere.
As much as I did enjoy Thor: Love and Thunder, it suffers from the exact some problem that’s plagued every Marvel movie since and including Black Widow. Each movie just feels incredibly different from each other, and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, there’s a continuity issue at play here. We’re introduced to all these new characters like Shang-Chi, Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and so many others. The MCU is becoming bloated with new characters and new stories, and I feel that is a problem with Disney, not Marvel/Kevin Feige. There’s so much, it’s become oversaturated. Not only that, but we’re also starting to see some movies like Multiverse of Madness that reference the TV shows. Feige was known for making Marvel movies accessible to everyone, regardless of where they jump in. But with a movie like Doctor Strange 2, if you haven’t seen WandaVision, you’re not necessarily going to grasp what’s happening with the character of Wanda. That can become a problem. Kevin Feige also said that the direction that Phase 4(every movie/TV show after Spider-Man: Far From Home)will become more clear in future projects. I’m going to be truthful, here: I love the MCU. I think it’s one of the greatest achievements in cinematic history. But without a clear direction or who the new “Thanos” is, I’m not feeling particularly excited for what’s coming next. After seeing Thor: Love and Thunder, I think I’m going to be disembarking the MCU train. I honestly liked Doctor Strange 2 more than this, because that movie took some risks and pushed the envelope. Love and Thunder plays it a little too safe for me. The quality of these Phase 4 movies have been all over the place. So, yeah, I’m done with Marvel for a while.
Cast:
Chris Hemsworth: Jed Eckert
Josh Peck: Matt Eckert
Isabel Lucas: Erica Martin
Josh Hutcherson: Robert Kitner
Adrianne Palicki: Toni Walsh
Will Yun Lee: Captain Cho
Jeffrey Dean Morgan: Sgt. Maj. Andrew Tanner
Between the 1950s and 1990, there was always this paranoia about communism. Who is a communist? Who isn’t? It all stemmed from the Soviet Union developing their own nuclear weapons and Joseph McCarthy being a total asshat. The Cold War between Soviet Russia and the United States was always on the threshold of nuclear annihilation. M.A.D. Mutually Assured Destruction. That was the only thing that kept either side from launching. There’s been a lot of movies since the 50s painting the Russians as the bad guys. For a long time, the James Bond franchise was centered around the idea that the Soviets were…not that great. So, they were often used as antagonists. Even in TV shows like Mission: Impossible. There were two movies that came out during the 80s that really fed into the fear of World War III: The Day After and Red Dawn. While The Day After was about the effects of nuclear war, Red Dawn painted the picture of NATO being disbanded and Russia teaming up with Nicaragua and Cuba to invade the United States. Both were controversial in their own ways. Red Dawn was controversial because a lot of left-wingers felt that it fed into the fantasy of right-wing Second Amendment supporters about defending their own backyard against communist oppression. There was a bit more to it than that, but I’m going to save that for another time. Right now, I want to talk about the 2012 remake of Red Dawn. Oh, dear. Where do I begin with this mess?
Red Dawn stars Chris Hemsworth as Jed Eckert, a former marine who finds himself, along with his teenage brother as the United States comes under attack from North Korea. Banding together with a group of other survivors, Jed and Matt fight back against North Korea as the Wolverines. At the time in 1984, Red Dawn scared the hell out of people. It literally opened with foreign nationals dropping into school yard and shooting up the school. The idea that a foreign power could invade the United States like this was terrifying, even if it really couldn’t happen. But there was a degree of plausibility that it could happen. The original movie had Russians and Cubans teaming up. This remake has North Koreans. Right from the get-go, we’ve got problems here. It’s incredibly unrealistic that North Korea could raise a military of that size and invade. It just can’t happen. They don’t have the resources to launch an invasion of that scale. Secondly, China wouldn’t let it happen, because of the repercussions that would result on their economy. In fact, the original antagonists for this movie WERE the Chinese, but because the studio kind of fell apart, scenes were reshot and CGI was employed to make it look like North Korea. Aside from serious issues with verisimilitude(the appearance of being true or real), this remake misses the point of the original film ENTIRELY. The original film, as it was written and directed by John Milius, was about how young people are affected when they’re thrown into the middle of a full-scale war/invasion. As silly as the premise was in the original film, it was handled fairly realistically. The remake doesn’t even bother with that.
The acting here SUCKS. There’s not one actor that convinces me that they’re in any real danger. Not only that, these kids get really good at handling weapons really quickly. Chris Hemsworth has made a name for himself as an actor in not only Marvel movies, but in comedies, dramas, and horror movies. He’s got charisma that most men would kill for. He doesn’t display any of that here. I get the distinct impression that he was only doing it for the paycheck. Josh Peck, who plays Matt is one of the most irritating characters until he puts his big boy pants on. The original character was played by Charlie Sheen, who was far more convincing in this role than Peck. Will Yun Lee plays the main antagonist, Captain Cho. Boy, you want to talk about a milquetoast villain. He’s not threatening at all, and I like Will Yun Lee as an actor. The only actor that really seems to enjoy his job here is Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Andrew Tanner, who is a marine in this movie, instead of an Air Force pilot.
The action in this movie doesn’t make a lot of sense, either. It’s one explosion after another without giving the audience time to breathe. Yeah, some of the explosions are pretty good, but most of the action is hidden by…wait for it…SHAKY-CAM!!!! Seriously, fuck that filming style. I hate it. Even when you CAN see what’s going on, it’s ridiculously generic. The action in the original film was spaced out properly so the audience could react, but we could also see what’s going on. Honestly, it felt like a guerilla war film, because that’s what those characters were, using hit-and-run tactics. Here, not so much. I thought the stormtroopers in Star Wars were bad shots, but the North Koreans here are even worse.
Honestly, I have no idea why Red Dawn needed to be remade. The original film is STILL relevant in today’s world. It’s got better acting, better action, and real character development. It also had a scary antagonist in William Smith, who played the Russian leader. Yet, the original film had audacity to humanize it’s antagonists. These are not your cookie-cutter bad guys. They’re written like human beings. Yeah, they do terrible things, but they’re treated like real people, which makes the idea of war more horrifying. The remake treats war like a video-game. They even compare their experience to Call of Duty, a first-person shooter video-game. So…yeah, this one’s a real stinker. It is no surprise to me that this was the only directing credit for Dan Bradley, who actually stunt-work for better movies. Speaking of better movies, watch the original Red Dawn if you’re so inclined. This was a colossal waste of time, money, and talent.
It’s been quite a while since I’ve done one of these. The last one I did was in January, so it’s been almost 6 months. Well, I’m back at it. Normally, I would do this on one of my podcasts, but I picked up so much over the course of the last few months, that it would strain my voice a little. I’m going to do something a little different here. I’m going to start with my most recent purchases and go backwards from there. So, I’m going to get right to it.
1. A Bridge Too Far
A classic war movie with an outstanding cast that includes Gene Hackman, Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Elliott Gould, and Robert Redford, A Bridge Too Far is about Operation Market Garden, one of the biggest tactical blunders during World War II. At 3 hours long, it’s epic and it goes into detail about how this whole thing was set up and fell apart. Worth checking out.
2. Apocalypse Now
Another classic war film, Apocalypse Now is set during Vietnam, but it’s not necessarily about Vietnam directly. Martin Sheen plays an assassin who is ordered to hunt down and kill a rogue soldier in Cambodia. Based on Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness novella, the movie is a hell of an experience. It definitely takes a turn for the surreal the further they go upriver. Great cast includes Robert Duvall, Marlon Brando, and Dennis Hopper. The Blu-Ray is packed with hours of special features including 3 different cuts of the film.
3. Catch The Fair One
This one was quite a surprise. Starring Native American boxer Kali ‘K.O.’ Reis, she plays a former boxer who is looking for her sister that disappeared two years earlier. This has been called a bruising thriller and it is. The tone is grim, but it needed to be in order to get across the hopeless situation that Native American women encounter when they’re forced into sex trafficking. Reis delivers a powerhouse performance that can’t be understated.
4. The Northman
Alexander Skarsgard plays Amleth, a young Viking prince who is out to avenge the death of his father and capture of his mother. This was the Scandinavian legend that Shakespeare’s Hamlet was based on. It’s not quite the movie that you’re expecting, but it is a Viking film unlike any other, thanks to great direction by Robert Eggers. The film also stars Ethan Hawke, Nicole Kidman, and Willem Defoe.
5. Moonfall
I’m not going to lie: Moonfall isn’t a great movie. It’s nowhere near as batshit crazy as the title suggests. The disaster sequences, while great, aren’t all that plentiful, and not as catastrophic as they probably needed to be. What saves this movie for me are the performances by Patrick Wilson, Halle Barry, and John Bradley. It’s definitely a guilty pleasure with some really interesting ideas, but not great execution.
6. Uncharted
It took Sony YEARS to make this movie that’s based on the popular video-game. As a fan of the games, this really wasn’t that impressive, but the chemistry between Tom Holland’s Nathan Drake and Mark Wahlburg’s Sully is outstanding, despite the fact that they were incredibly miscast. It’s a miscasting that strangely works. It’s fun, but it’s no Indiana Jones, which is also referenced in the movie. It’s worth a look-see, and it’s definitely not the worst movie based on a video-game.
7. Full Metal Jacket
Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket is one of the most iconic war movies of the 80s. It features a young cast of then-unknowns that include Matthew Modine, Arliss Howard, Adam Baldwin, and Vincent D’onofrio in the role that put him on the map. It’s another movie set during the Vietnam War, but the real show-stopper here was former Marine drill instructor R. Lee Ermey in a spectacular first hour of the film. It’s a great film.
8. X
I may have to watch this one again, but I wasn’t completely sold on this slasher film. It’s about a group of wannabe porn film-makers who set up shop at an old couple’s farm. When the old couple finds out what they’re up to, the blood begins to flow. It takes a good hour before anything really bloody begins, but that last half-hour is something else. I wanted to love this one more than I should have.
9. Firestarter(1984)
Firestarter was the first movie that Drew Barrymore did after E.T. It’s unusual for her to carry a movie like this on her shoulders at her age back then, but she does a really good job. The movie’s not perfect, but it more than makes up for those imperfections with some really outstanding pyrotechnics. Firestarter, indeed. The less said about the 2022 movie, the better. This is the one to watch.
10. The Ghost and the Darkness
It’s often been said that truth is stranger than fiction. This movie is based on actual events in which two rogue lions terrorized workers building a bridge on the river in Tsavo. Nothing had happened like that before or since. It’s as much a horror movie as it is an historical picture. Great cinematography and decent acting coupled with an outstanding musical score makes for a truly thrilling experience.
11. Night of the Living Dead(1968,1990)
Night of the Living Dead is one of the most iconic horror movies in cinematic history. The original 1968 film was directed by the late great George A. Romero. It’s wildly entertaining zombie flick that gave birth to an entire sub-genre of films. The 1990 remake is one of the rare remakes that is really good. I prefer the original film, obviously, but you can’t go wrong with the remake either.
12. The Beyond(1981)
When it comes to horror movies, Italians were in a league of their own. The Beyond is about a woman who inherits a hotel that is supposedly one of the seven gates to Hell. This is an absolutely bonkers film. While some of the visual effects really don’t hold up very well, it goes all in on its insanity. If you’re a horror buff, this is a must-see.
13. The Batman
As one of my most anticipated movies of 2022, The Batman had a lot to live up to with Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Well, I can tell you this: It more than lives up to the hype. It’s a three-hour detective film that fires on all cylinders. Great performances all around including Colin Farrell, Andy Serkis, John Turturro and Paul Dano as the Riddler. It’s dark, gritty, and has a very Se7en-style feel to it. Absolutely must-see for Batman fans.
14. The Day After
The Day After is an incredibly haunting movie about the potential effects of a nuclear war. It was one of the most controversial movies in the early 80s, but it got people talking about nuclear war. It even made its way to the White House where President Ronald Reagan viewed it before it aired on television. For TV-made movies, this one is one of the best out there. Incredibly well-made, well-acted, and disturbing.
15. Saint Maud
Saint Maud may seem like an ordinary horror movie on its surface, but underneath is a cautionary tale about the dangers of not finding help after a traumatic event. Honestly, it’s surprisingly effective. Maud is a character that suffered a traumatic event when she was a nurse, so she took up religion as a way of dealing with it, but over the course of the movie, we discover that religion isn’t really the best answer, especially without guidance of some kind.
16. 2010: The Year We Make Contact
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the greatest science fiction movies ever made. It’s certainly one of my favorites. A sequel was made in 1984 starring Roy Scheider. 2010 is one of those movies that succeeds at being a science fiction movie, but sucks as a sequel. The ending to 2001 was ambiguous for a reason, so for the sequel to answer that question seems counter-intuitive. But again, there are some really great ideas here, and some of the visual effects are amazing.
17. Spider-Man: No Way Home
When it came to anticipated MCU films, Spider-Man: No Way Home was at the top of a lot of people’s lists. It absolutely delivered on everything and then some. This was a really great progression for Tom Holland’s Peter Parker into finally becoming Spider-Man. We got some old villains from previous eras showing up and with them, even more surprises. This is a great comic book movie with a ton of heart. It’s definitely one of my favorite MCU movies.
18. “The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming”
I got this one at the behest of my mother who loved this movie when she was younger. I’m glad I did. It’s one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. The best part about this movie is that it’s not mean-spirited. It’s just a goofball comedy featuring a group of Russian sailors having to deal with a town full of ignorant and incompetent citizens. You have to see it to believe it.
19. Ghostbusters: Afterlife
It took them 30 years, but Sony finally gave as an actual Ghostbusters 3. Directed by Jason Reitman, son of the late Ivan Reitman, Afterlife is a fantastic sequel that delivers on all its nostalgic elements by finishing a story that was started in the original film, but it also pushes the franchise forward by putting it in the hands of kids who will probably become the next group of Ghostbusters. I was hoping that it would be better than the 2016 film, but I had no idea how good it was going to be. I love it.
20. The Matrix Resurrections
This was a movie that I needed to watch several times to understand what Lana Wachowski was going for. It’s a lot better than I initially gave it credit for. Some of the ideas in this movie are wild, and it’s a beautifully shot movie. It’s not without its problems, though. The absence of a key fight choreographer meant that the fight scenes that we got were not as refined. Maybe that was the point. But it was great seeing Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Ann Moss together again.
21. Alligator 2: The Mutation
It’s funny how memories can often play tricks on you, especially when it comes to movies. I remember liking Alligator 2: The Mutation as a kid, but seeing it now makes me wonder what I was smoking. This is a bad sequel. I’m not saying the original Alligator was Citizane Kane by comparison, but it kind of was. This was a complete disaster from beginning to end. I’m amazing Shout! Factory wanted to put this out.
22. Alligator
Well, how about that? I go from talking about a lousy sequel to one of the most underrated Jaws knock-offs ever. This is a classic creature-feature that really embraces that ridiculous urban legend of alligators in the sewers. Fun Fact: They used real-life alligators in this movie. The tiny variety, but still. Also, you have a great cast with the late Robert Forster and Henry Silva. It’s bonkers, but it’s so much fun.
23. Free Guy
I like Ryan Reynolds as an actor. I really do. He’s likable, he’s funny, and he’s a really good actor. But outside of Deadpool, I’m finding Reynold’s schtick of playing the same kind of character over and over again wearing real thin. Free Guy is a fun little action-comedy, but I would really like to see Ryan tackle more serious roles. He’s capable of it. I’ve seen a number of his more serious movies, and he’s really that good, but he keeps falling back on his goofy character mode more often than not.
24. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
To my eternal shame, I had never owned this movie on ANY format. It’s so damned good. It was also revolutionary for its time, combining live-action and cartoons. The way it was done was brilliant. Bob Hoskins was great, and Roger Rabbit is hilarious. But I also have to give credit to Dr. Doom, the film’s villain played by Christopher Lloyd. He was scary, and the way he dispatched a cute little animated shoe in what he calls dip was haunting as a kid.
25. Action USA
On YouTube these days you can find an enormous amount of reels for stuntmen that feature all different kinds of stunts. Well, Action USA is basically a feature-length stunt reel that showcases every stunt that was in the book during the 80s. It’s disguised as a buddy-cop action flick in the same vein as Lethal Weapon, but far less refined. The stunts though are NUTS. If you’re looking for a mindless action movie with high-flying stunts and big explosions, this’ll fit the bill.
26. Pray For Death
When it comes to ninja movies, no one did it better than Sho Kosugi in the 80s. Pray For Death was a revenge action flick where Sho actually delivered a pretty good performance. It’s helped by outstanding action and martial arts sequences designed by Mr. Kosugi himself. If you like ninjas and revenge movies, you get both with this one.
27. Eternals
For the most part, Marvel’s MCU has been one hit after another. But every once in a while, they give us something that doesn’t quite work as well as the others. Eternals was pretty divisive in that regard. This was a very different kind of movie that Marvel had done. It’s high-level science fiction wrapped up in a superhero movie. I really dug it, but a lot of people didn’t. It runs a little too long, and there are some decisions that feel out-of-place.
28. New York Ninja
I first heard about this last year when this trailer showed up, but I had no idea that it was an abandoned movie. It’s obviously from 1984, but the movie was never finished. The studio that put up the money for it went out of business and the rights were nowhere to be found. Vinegar Syndrome found reels of the movie, but it was never edited or had any sound done for it. They also didn’t have a script, until after they “finished” the movie. Doing the best they can, they hired a bunch of voice actors to do what they could. Don “The Dragon” Wilson did the voice of the main character, John, where John Liu did the physical acting. This movie is fucking insane. It’s bad. Real bad. But it’s amazing. Vinegar Syndrome knew what they were in for, and they decided to have fun with it since the original director was nowhere to be found.
29. Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City
I know a lot of people hated Paul W.S. Anderson’s Resident Evil movies, but I really liked them. Even the ones that were obviously bad. But it was one of the most successful movie franchises based on a video-game. This new film is a bit of a reboot of sorts. It combines story elements from the first two games into one movie. While I appreciate that it was more faithful to the games than the other movies, there were issues. Some of the casting was not that great and some of the characters were awful. Leon Kennedy was incredibly irritating, unlike his video-game counterpart. Still, I found a lot about this movie to enjoy.
Whew! That was a lot to go through. I apologize for not keeping up with these, but I hope to keep this up on a more regular basis. We’ll see. As it stands, if there’s any film that you see here that might interest you, feel free to check it out. A number of these movies can be found on various streaming services, while some are only available on physical media. Be careful with the ones from Vinegar Syndrome, Arrow Video, and Shout! Factory. Not because of quality, far from it, but because of limited availability. That’s all I’ve got for you right now, I’ll be back with more movies when I have at least 5 more buys. This is Major Tom, signing off.
