mgmarshall
Junior Member
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_yellow.png) ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_yellow.png)
@mgmarshall
Posts: 2,081
Likes: 3,344
|
Post by mgmarshall on Dec 23, 2021 9:07:29 GMT
Man, I forgot how gorgeous that movie looks despite the scuzzy subject matter. You've gotta love Joe Spinell as the sleaziest lawyer in the history of film, too. Shame to know (thanks to that documentary about him) that he was in really bad shape at the time. Yeah, Lustig was at the top of his game execution wise on the technical aspects. Strangely it actually wasn’t as explicit as I remembered it, outside of the child’s death . A little slower too. Before it erupts. Spinell is memorable too. I wouldn’t have known his health was bad during this film compared to something like ‘The Undertaker’. Far more noticeable in the latter. That documentary is a fascinating one if you've never checked it out. Remarkably in-depth for being only 50 minutes, and ultimately very sad when you hear the state he was in near the end of his life...
|
|
|
Post by lostinlimbo on Dec 23, 2021 9:09:50 GMT
stefancrosscoe Always been curious about the Guyver films. However your description of the original being childish in tone sort of turns me off. Don’t one of the beasts begin rapping towards the end? I actually like the anime, be it the convoluted ovas from late 80s and early 90s, or even the rebooted series in early 00s. But they could be rather nasty and violent in tone, and it sounds like the Guyver films (especially the first) don’t go down that path. Gee, I had no idea the sequel went for 2 hours. In the plus column for the original, it's got David Gale from Re-Animator as the original and it pretty much completely destroys that childish tone when poor Mark Hammil gets turned into a nightmare, Cronenbergian giant cockroach monster.With Screaming Mad George at the helm. I’m sure that would be quite a sight.
|
|
|
Post by lostinlimbo on Dec 23, 2021 9:18:36 GMT
Yeah, Lustig was at the top of his game execution wise on the technical aspects. Strangely it actually wasn’t as explicit as I remembered it, outside of the child’s death . A little slower too. Before it erupts. Spinell is memorable too. I wouldn’t have known his health was bad during this film compared to something like ‘The Undertaker’. Far more noticeable in the latter. That documentary is a fascinating one if you've never checked it out. Remarkably in-depth for being only 50 minutes, and ultimately very sad when you hear the state he was in near the end of his life... Thanks. I’ll check it out.
|
|
mgmarshall
Junior Member
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_yellow.png) ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_yellow.png)
@mgmarshall
Posts: 2,081
Likes: 3,344
|
Post by mgmarshall on Dec 23, 2021 9:47:41 GMT
![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDIyNDVhNDAtYjNkMi00Y2E0LWE1ZWEtNDU5MzFjNGQyMDg5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjc1NTYyMjg@._V1_.jpg)
St. IvesAh, the 70's noir. Somehow these movies always suck me in, whether it's great examples like Chinatown, The Long Goodbye, or Night Moves, or more average fair like Farewell, My Lovely or Hardcore. I've never seen a 70's noir I didn't like on some level. Somehow the gritty, explicit style of the decade just meshes perfectly with the dark, downbeat nature of the genre. Even movies from the 70's that simply have noirish trappings are downright masterpieces, like Taxi Driver and The Conversation. Sadly, St. Ives is more of the garden variety, but it's a 70's noir, so it's at least average, and it's a 70's noir starring Bronson, so it's at least a little above average. Still, I do have to admit the movie has a mild made-for-TV quality about it; it almost feels like it could be a Columbo episode at times. As gambling-addicted writer and reluctant bag-man Raymond St. Ives, Charles Bronson is in prime smartass mode. It seems like he's having some fun taking a stab at the gumshoe archetype. He's backed up by an excellent supporting cast- Jacqueline Bisset's casually sultry femme fatale, Maximilian Schell's delightfully hammy German psychiatrist, the great John Houseman doing his best Sydney Greenstreet routine, Harry Guardino and Harris Yulin as a pair of flat-footed cops, the very Michael McKean-esque Burr DeBenning as a morally dubious patrolman, and walk-on parts by Michael Lerner, Elisha Cook, Jr., George Memmoli, and Val Bisoglio. The plot of the movie follows all your usual noir twists and turns and ultimately doesn't make a whole lot of sense. The movie is so stereotypical of the genre, in fact, I'm honestly surprised they didn't just go all the way and set the movie in the 40's and 50's. I suppose it saved money on the costume and prop budget. Plus, in a period piece, you probably couldn't have a dead body turning up in a laundromat dryer, or Bronson's bullet-proof car. Hey, come to think of it, that car never actually got used outside of seeing it demonstrated in the factory. Ah, well... Rounding everything out is a wonderful, ultra-funky Lalo Schifrin score. As always, I award extra points for funk.
|
|
|
Post by Captain Spencer on Dec 23, 2021 16:27:09 GMT
![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDIyNDVhNDAtYjNkMi00Y2E0LWE1ZWEtNDU5MzFjNGQyMDg5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjc1NTYyMjg@._V1_.jpg)
St. IvesAh, the 70's noir. Somehow these movies always suck me in, whether it's great examples like Chinatown, The Long Goodbye, or Night Moves, or more average fair like Farewell, My Lovely or Hardcore. I've never seen a 70's noir I didn't like on some level. Somehow the gritty, explicit style of the decade just meshes perfectly with the dark, downbeat nature of the genre. Even movies from the 70's that simply have noirish trappings are downright masterpieces, like Taxi Driver and The Conversation. Sadly, St. Ives is more of the garden variety, but it's a 70's noir, so it's at least average, and it's a 70's noir starring Bronson, so it's at least a little above average. Still, I do have to admit the movie has a mild made-for-TV quality about it; it almost feels like it could be a Columbo episode at times. As gambling-addicted writer and reluctant bag-man Raymond St. Ives, Charles Bronson is in prime smartass mode. It seems like he's having some fun taking a stab at the gumshoe archetype. He's backed up by an excellent supporting cast- Jacqueline Bisset's casually sultry femme fatale, Maximilian Schell's delightfully hammy German psychiatrist, the great John Houseman doing his best Sydney Greenstreet routine, Harry Guardino and Harris Yulin as a pair of flat-footed cops, the very Michael McKean-esque Burr DeBenning as a morally dubious patrolman, and walk-on parts by Michael Lerner, Elisha Cook, Jr., George Memmoli, and Val Bisoglio. The plot of the movie follows all your usual noir twists and turns and ultimately doesn't make a whole lot of sense. The movie is so stereotypical of the genre, in fact, I'm honestly surprised they didn't just go all the way and set the movie in the 40's and 50's. I suppose it saved money on the costume and prop budget. Plus, in a period piece, you probably couldn't have a dead body turning up in a laundromat dryer, or Bronson's bullet-proof car. Hey, come to think of it, that car never actually got used outside of seeing it demonstrated in the factory. Ah, well... Rounding everything out is a wonderful, ultra-funky Lalo Schifrin score. As always, I award extra points for funk. I agree, I thought St. Ives is one of the lesser Bronson efforts, rather ordinary. I also liked the Schifrin scrore; parts of that soundtrack was used as bumper music during broadcasts of PGA golf tournaments in the 70s and 80s.
|
|
|
Post by FridayOnElmStreet on Dec 24, 2021 5:33:47 GMT
|
|
|
Post by lostinlimbo on Dec 24, 2021 8:17:46 GMT
![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDIyNDVhNDAtYjNkMi00Y2E0LWE1ZWEtNDU5MzFjNGQyMDg5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjc1NTYyMjg@._V1_.jpg)
St. IvesAh, the 70's noir. Somehow these movies always suck me in, whether it's great examples like Chinatown, The Long Goodbye, or Night Moves, or more average fair like Farewell, My Lovely or Hardcore. I've never seen a 70's noir I didn't like on some level. Somehow the gritty, explicit style of the decade just meshes perfectly with the dark, downbeat nature of the genre. Even movies from the 70's that simply have noirish trappings are downright masterpieces, like Taxi Driver and The Conversation. Sadly, St. Ives is more of the garden variety, but it's a 70's noir, so it's at least average, and it's a 70's noir starring Bronson, so it's at least a little above average. Still, I do have to admit the movie has a mild made-for-TV quality about it; it almost feels like it could be a Columbo episode at times. As gambling-addicted writer and reluctant bag-man Raymond St. Ives, Charles Bronson is in prime smartass mode. It seems like he's having some fun taking a stab at the gumshoe archetype. He's backed up by an excellent supporting cast- Jacqueline Bisset's casually sultry femme fatale, Maximilian Schell's delightfully hammy German psychiatrist, the great John Houseman doing his best Sydney Greenstreet routine, Harry Guardino and Harris Yulin as a pair of flat-footed cops, the very Michael McKean-esque Burr DeBenning as a morally dubious patrolman, and walk-on parts by Michael Lerner, Elisha Cook, Jr., George Memmoli, and Val Bisoglio. The plot of the movie follows all your usual noir twists and turns and ultimately doesn't make a whole lot of sense. The movie is so stereotypical of the genre, in fact, I'm honestly surprised they didn't just go all the way and set the movie in the 40's and 50's. I suppose it saved money on the costume and prop budget. Plus, in a period piece, you probably couldn't have a dead body turning up in a laundromat dryer, or Bronson's bullet-proof car. Hey, come to think of it, that car never actually got used outside of seeing it demonstrated in the factory. Ah, well... Rounding everything out is a wonderful, ultra-funky Lalo Schifrin score. As always, I award extra points for funk. While it might not get much love. I’ve always had a soft spot for this Bronson outing. Alongside another; ‘Love and Bullets’. Schifrin’s score for the latter film is one of my favourites from him.
|
|
|
Post by politicidal on Dec 24, 2021 18:28:54 GMT
Yup, still got the mileage.
|
|
|
Post by lostinlimbo on Dec 26, 2021 8:21:08 GMT
Cynthia Rothrock Double; Lady Dragon (1992) is a cheap, and grimy Indonesian martial arts action vehicle that can pack a punch. It’s a type of story that’s been done over and over again, but I’ll give it a pass since its headlined by the charismatic Cynthia Rothrock. And we get a true showcase of her bruising skills. Driven by revenge after the death of her husband during their wedding, she seeks to kill the man who she believes is responsible. No other than Richard Norton. Gleefully in hot headed bad guy persona. In a failed gung-ho attempt to kill him, she finds herself left for dead in the forest. Where she’s found by an elderly, mute man and his grandson. She’s brought back to health, and begins training to repair her broken spirit before returning to exact her vengeance. But with a little thought behind it. Predictable story threads aside, it moves quickly and you get what you’re looking for with the high energy, and grounded fight stunts accompanied by pounding drums, wailing guitars. It’s at it peak during the Rothrock and Norton final showdown. And throw in a destructively chaotic vehicle chase and Rothrock packing a rocket launcher to round it off. Also starring a sleepy looking Robert Ginty and directed by David Worth (which had some similarities to his film ‘Kickboxer’ starring Van Damme). ![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/d1f27919e9f4548f5223dbd45807b982/tumblr_obm67kXaia1tbcweeo1_400.gifv) Irresistible Force (1993) aka Power Cop was a rock soild, made for television pilot, which doesn’t beat around the bush with its taut, high stake premise. In spite of the run-of-the-mill siege set-up ala ‘Die Hard’, the action comes thick and fast courtesy of heated shootouts, and Rothrock handing out constant beat-downs to a group of militants (led by a suavely Christopher Neame) that have taken over a shopping centre holding the governor, and top officials hostage. Also Stacy Keach as her retiring cop partner gets in the on the act, and provides the dry wit. A likeable duo. Gladly it never outstays its welcome at just under 80 minutes. ![](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQrX0C3ZN3IFwOVon9soMxEy98jN2D5QPg1SA&usqp=CAU)
|
|
mgmarshall
Junior Member
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_yellow.png) ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_yellow.png)
@mgmarshall
Posts: 2,081
Likes: 3,344
|
Post by mgmarshall on Dec 26, 2021 8:42:09 GMT
Cynthia Rothrock Double; Lady Dragon (1992) is a cheap, and grimy Indonesian martial arts action vehicle that can pack a punch. It’s a type of story that’s been done over and over again, but I’ll give it a pass since its headlined by the charismatic Cynthia Rothrock. And we get a true showcase of her bruising skills. Driven by revenge after the death of her husband during their wedding, she seeks to kill the man who she believes is responsible. No other than Richard Norton. Gleefully in hot headed bad guy persona. In a failed gung-ho attempt to kill him, she finds herself left for dead in the forest. Where she’s found by an elderly, mute man and his grandson. She’s brought back to health, and begins training to repair her broken spirit before returning to exact her vengeance. But with a little thought behind it. Predictable story threads aside, it moves quickly and you get what you’re looking for with the high energy, and grounded fight stunts accompanied by pounding drums, wailing guitars. It’s at it peak during the Rothrock and Norton final showdown. And throw in a destructively chaotic vehicle chase and Rothrock packing a rocket launcher to round it off. Also starring a sleepy looking Robert Ginty and directed by David Worth (which had some similarities to his film ‘Kickboxer’ starring Van Damme). ![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/d1f27919e9f4548f5223dbd45807b982/tumblr_obm67kXaia1tbcweeo1_400.gifv) Irresistible Force (1993) aka Power Cop was a rock soild, made for television pilot, which doesn’t beat around the bush with its taut, high stake premise. In spite of the run-of-the-mill siege set-up ala ‘Die Hard’, the action comes thick and fast courtesy of heated shootouts, and Rothrock handing out constant beat-downs to a group of militants (led by a suavely Christopher Neame) that have taken over a shopping centre holding the governor, and top officials hostage. Also Stacy Keach as her retiring cop partner gets in the on the act, and provides the dry wit. A likeable duo. Gladly it never outstays its welcome at just under 80 minutes. ![](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQrX0C3ZN3IFwOVon9soMxEy98jN2D5QPg1SA&usqp=CAU) Now Rothrock and Stacy Keach are buddy cop duo that intrigues me. May have to look this one up...
|
|
|
Post by Xcalatë on Dec 26, 2021 12:17:42 GMT
|
|
|
Post by lostinlimbo on Dec 26, 2021 16:53:45 GMT
Cynthia Rothrock Double; Lady Dragon (1992) is a cheap, and grimy Indonesian martial arts action vehicle that can pack a punch. It’s a type of story that’s been done over and over again, but I’ll give it a pass since its headlined by the charismatic Cynthia Rothrock. And we get a true showcase of her bruising skills. Driven by revenge after the death of her husband during their wedding, she seeks to kill the man who she believes is responsible. No other than Richard Norton. Gleefully in hot headed bad guy persona. In a failed gung-ho attempt to kill him, she finds herself left for dead in the forest. Where she’s found by an elderly, mute man and his grandson. She’s brought back to health, and begins training to repair her broken spirit before returning to exact her vengeance. But with a little thought behind it. Predictable story threads aside, it moves quickly and you get what you’re looking for with the high energy, and grounded fight stunts accompanied by pounding drums, wailing guitars. It’s at it peak during the Rothrock and Norton final showdown. And throw in a destructively chaotic vehicle chase and Rothrock packing a rocket launcher to round it off. Also starring a sleepy looking Robert Ginty and directed by David Worth (which had some similarities to his film ‘Kickboxer’ starring Van Damme). ![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/d1f27919e9f4548f5223dbd45807b982/tumblr_obm67kXaia1tbcweeo1_400.gifv) Irresistible Force (1993) aka Power Cop was a rock soild, made for television pilot, which doesn’t beat around the bush with its taut, high stake premise. In spite of the run-of-the-mill siege set-up ala ‘Die Hard’, the action comes thick and fast courtesy of heated shootouts, and Rothrock handing out constant beat-downs to a group of militants (led by a suavely Christopher Neame) that have taken over a shopping centre holding the governor, and top officials hostage. Also Stacy Keach as her retiring cop partner gets in the on the act, and provides the dry wit. A likeable duo. Gladly it never outstays its welcome at just under 80 minutes. ![](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQrX0C3ZN3IFwOVon9soMxEy98jN2D5QPg1SA&usqp=CAU) Now Rothrock and Stacy Keach are buddy cop duo that intrigues me. May have to look this one up... Both films are on YouTube. Rothrock and Keach had a good rapport. Disappointed it didn’t become a tv series, let alone a bunch of tv films.
|
|
|
Post by politicidal on Dec 26, 2021 17:19:15 GMT
|
|
mgmarshall
Junior Member
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_yellow.png) ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_yellow.png)
@mgmarshall
Posts: 2,081
Likes: 3,344
|
Post by mgmarshall on Dec 30, 2021 18:04:34 GMT
Assassination TangoBlatant vanity project from director/star Robert Duvall. Still, actors usually bring their A-game to vanity projects, and Duvall is a great actor, so it's not a total loss. Here, as an aging mob hitman improbably hired to murder an Argentine ex-dictator, Duvall brings a great deal of tangible frustration and weariness to the action scenes. You can tell he takes his job very seriously, but he's a little sick of it, the years have made him tired. He's uncomfortable cooperating with his Argentinian employers (Julio Oscar Mechoso and the possibly duplicitous Ruben Blades) and bristles at being stuck in South America longer than he intended to be. He quibbles with his gangster boss (mob movie standby Frank Gio) beforehand about sending anybody besides himself, claiming that no one can do do the job as well as he can. But, of course, Duvall the character and Duvall the director's interests lie elsewhere- in the tango, and his burgeoning relationship with a young dancer (Luciana Pedraza). It's here that the movie really shines where the assassination scenes come off as rather rote and standard. The tango subplot has a real energy and a genuinely human quality. The main problem here is that the movie's two halves never really coalesce. Duvall's hitman excursions have no bearing on the tango scenes, or vice versa. Duvall would've done better to just make a movie entirely about the tango, that's what he's clearly more fascinated by.
|
|
|
Post by politicidal on Dec 30, 2021 20:22:47 GMT
|
|
|
Post by FridayOnElmStreet on Dec 30, 2021 21:45:51 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Captain Spencer on Dec 31, 2021 4:31:21 GMT
![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTUzNzAwODMyNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNjM3MDE5._V1_.jpg) Point Of No Return (1993) A tough, murderous junkie is sentenced to death for killing a cop during a drug store robbery gone wrong. Her execution ends up being faked and she is then sent to be secretly trained as a professional assassin for a shady government organization. This is a highly stylized, hard-hitting action piece that is very underrated. Director John Badham expertly handles the eye-popping, high octane action sequences with much flare, and even makes this female criminal come off as sympathetic. Bridget Fonda's fine performance also contributes to this factor as we can feel her anguish as she has to switch gears when a surprise hit assignment pops up, forcing her to think fast on her feet, and how this work is destroying her emotionally. Harvey Keitel is chilling as The Cleaner, and Anne Bancroft is great as an etiquette expert who is actually borderline psychotic.
|
|
|
Post by lostinlimbo on Jan 1, 2022 11:31:54 GMT
![](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQk_Xl0eIBGCbtxKdbEwjfi325HBr5MseDfBw&usqp=CAU) One Man Force (1989) Does exactly what it says on the tin. John Matuszak is a one man force to reckon with… be it through psychical altercations or ham fisted dialogue delivery. You can call this star vehicle clunky, and daft, yet it’s a highly entertaining action fare of a hot-headed renegade cop seeking vengeance for the death of his detective partner but in the process uncovering something much more bigger, and dangerous. Adding to the fun is a solid support cast to boot. Ronny Cox, Richard Lynch, Charles Napier, Sharon Farrell, Robert Tessier. Also, creative, yet fitting Pepsi product placement.
|
|
|
Post by FridayOnElmStreet on Jan 1, 2022 22:07:58 GMT
|
|
|
Post by moviemouth on Jan 1, 2022 22:31:24 GMT
|
|