Showing posts with label Action. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Action. Show all posts

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Bloodlust! (1961)

A group of young people are hunted by a mad rich man on his private island. This may give some folks some ideas.

The teenagers (including June Kenney and Robert Reed) who are holidaying in a boat discover an island they think is deserted. Unfortunately, they soon discover the island is owned by the somewhat sinister Dr Balleau (Wilton Graff). 

To the teenagers' horror they discover that anyone who lands on Balleau's island becomes his prey, he hunts them down and then turns them into macabre trophies... 

This is a rather poor and tedious rip-off of the Most Dangerous Game (which isn't that brilliant either though leagues above this nonsense), it lacks much in the way of decent thrills or action. Nothing really makes any sense and the tiny budget doesn't really stretch to much.

Thursday, January 11, 2024

Ator the Invincible (1983)

The second Ator movie, somehow even cheaper and shoddier than the first.

Ator (Miles O'Keefe) is living an easy life after his earlier exploits (which are recapped at length early in the film to pad it out), he is recruited by Mila (Lisa Foster) to help save her father (William Berger) from the evil Zor (David Brandon). The way to the castle of Zor is long (somewhat too long) and includes various battles against ridiculous creatures and monsters...

The first Ator film wasn't that great but it was much better than this nonsense. It is all a bit too cheap and lacks much of a plot, lots of swords and sorcery yes but what does it all mean at the end of the day apart from plenty of muscles and grunting?

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

The Secret of the Purple Reef (1960)

A reasonable enough little adventure, though can't really be called more than almost competent.

After the loss of their brother's ship, brothers Mark (Jeff Richards) and Dean (Richard Chamberlain) decide to investigate what went wrong. They find the loss of the ship is linked to another ship, a freighter, which sank off St Kitts in the West Indies. The freighter was owned by Weber (Peter Falk) who seems rather dodgy and is keen for them to not investigate too closely...

This isn't that bad a film, though you'd struggle to call it good but it is at least watchable. The story is basic, though well structured. The execution is rather poor with some stilted dialogue. The sound track is also completely random (sounding like it comes from a compilation album of Caribbean music) and doesn't match what is shown on the screen at all! 

Peter Falk saves the film with his menacing presence, he often did play a very good villain.

Friday, December 22, 2023

What Waits Below (1984)

A surprisingly good adventure deep underground.

Wolf (Robert Powell) is recruited by the US Army to help them establish a special radio transmitter deep underground in a system of caves. However, the transmitter mysteriously vanishes and Wolf leads a team of soldiers and scientists (including Anne Heywood and Timothy Bottoms) to find out what is going on. 

Deep underground things start to go pear shaped fast. They encounter a mysterious race of Lemurians deep in the cave system. The Lemurians have lived underground for millennia and have a special reason to want the transmitter...

This is a good mysterious world and underground adventure. There maybe arn't that many thrills but the creepy atmosphere and odd happenings deep below certainly give plenty of chills.

Monday, December 18, 2023

The Live Wire (1935)

A reasonable South Seas treasure hunting adventure, though you'll have probably seen the basic story better executed elsewhere.


After they find a vase in an antique shop, two professors (James Aubrey and Henry Roquemore) think they have found evidence of a long lost civilisation in the South Seas. They track down the sailor who found the vase, Dick Nelson (Richard Talmadge), who is a good seaman but is never far from a fight, and hire him. The ship owned by King (Charles K French) is also hired so Nelson can lead the profs to where he found the vase. King's daughter Madge (Alberta Vaughn) stows away but thats not the main problem for the mission, Nelson's bitter rival Bull (George Walsh) is the First Mate and aims to seize the ship and end Nelson once and for all...

A basic and unoriginal story which is executed mostly adequately. The character of Bull is ridiculous though, he ends up blowing up the ship and marooning himself and his minions on an island but for some reason the minions still listen to him! 

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Shadowchaser (1992)

Cheesy violent nonsense, this is either brilliant or terrible. Maybe both.

A hospital is seized by trigger happy terrorists who make hostages of some of the staff, what makes matters even worse is that one of the hostages is the President's daughter Sarah (Meg Foster). FBI agent Trevanian (Paul Koslo) has the architect of the building released from a prison where sentences are carried out in deep freeze (this film is set kind of in the future). 

Unfortunately, they release the wrong man and De Silva (Martin Kove) is really an ex-football star who has now been released into the hospital without much clue of what to do. He is kept busy trying to avoid being killed by the terrorists, one twist being they are led by Romulus (Frank Zagarino), a billion dollar android killing machine...

This is pretty chaotic, the plot is rather vague and makes little sense but it is... somehow brilliant. Action scenes are frequent and do not use one bullet when three thousand will do. Don't ask how it works but it does.

Thursday, November 2, 2023

Moonfire (1970)

A somewhat awkward early trucker movie.

This film starts off in glorious trucker movie fashion with a 1970s country song and footage of trucks... but then we see random Mexican thugs shooting people in the desert and a landed space capsule! The truckers including Richard Egan end up fighting a Nazi hiding in the desert and a biker gang too (because they are always hanging around in the desert looking for fights)...

This is a confusing film though makes good use of the tiny budget. The film had a troubled genesis, Richard Egan left early on over a money dispute (though did return for the end) which meant Charles Napier got a promotion. 

The film also stars champion boxer Sonny Liston who appears as a truck driver not long before his death.

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Hijack! (1973)

A good old trucking movie across the endless desert of the southern USA.

Jake (David Janssen) and Donny (Keenan Wynn) are two grizzled old truck drivers who are reaching the end of the literal road. They are employed by an oily businessman to transport some top secret equipment to Texas. 

Unfortunately, a gang of thugs are after the equipment and will stop at nothing including murder! Luckily the gang are fairly inept and Jake and Donny manage to foil them over and over again, however there is one final showdown in store as truck battles helicopter full of gunmen!

This is a great little TV movie even if much of it makes little sense... until the final twist. The action is very solid and the leads (despite looking pretty unrealistic for such an action related film to be honest) do a pretty good job.

Tuesday, October 17, 2023

High-Ballin' (1978)

Great trucking fun even if it is chock full of every 1970s stereotype you can think of!

A gang of thugs led by King Caroll (Chris Wiggins) and Harvey (David Ferry) are targeting independent truckers. Iron Duke (Jerry Reed) is the next trucker to be targeted but the Duke has some help in the form of Rane (Peter Fonda) and Pickup (Helen Shaver). 

However, after much driving around the frozen wastes of Canada, things soon take a deadly turn and the truckers know they have to raise up to save their jobs...

This is a highly enjoyable film, lots of trucking around the countryside and a country music soundtrack. There are some great stunts and truck-car chases. The only drawback is that the film is somewhat dreary, the film takes place in Ontario in Winter and it is all rather bleak!

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

The California Kid (1974)

A cool slice of 1950s hotrod nostalgia.

The sheriff (Vic Morrow) of a small town has a good money making scheme in catching drivers in a fake speed trap, though when the drivers decide to run for it the sheriff is not averse to knocking them off the road with often fatal results. McCord (Martin Sheen) turns up in town in a cool souped up hotrod, however he is not here to race but to find out why his brother died in one of the many accidents that occur near the town.

He is soon pitted against the sheriff as he gathers evidence on the sheriff's dark secret. Of course their showdown will take place on the road at over 100 miles per hour!

A good film that has some layers to it, the sheriff is given a back story explaining his actions to an extent. The real star of the film is the hotrod though, this is the California Kid!

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Riding the Edge (1989)

A bit cheesy, it is the 1980s after all, but also a pretty good film.

John Harman (Lyman Ward) is working on a top secret solar energy project in the Sahara. His facility is raided by terrorists who want the revolutionary chip that will change the world. The terrorists want the chips in return for John's safety. They also want his son Matt (Raphael Sbarge) to deliver the chips to them. So begins Matt's adventure who quickly wants to go his own way as he doesn't trust the authorities. He gets help from Maggie (Catherine Mary Stewart) - who just happens to be travelling the desert in a white jeep...

This is a great film underpinned by a straight forward plot and drips with 1980s cheese. The only drawback of the film is the character of Matt who can be unbelievably naive at times, he seems genuinely shocked when Maggie turns out to be a US agent and not a young white woman taking a joy ride across Libya. However, he does have the good luck to find people who speak excellent English no matter how remote he gets in the desert! 

It is a fun film with some good action scenes, recommended.

Friday, September 22, 2023

Death Journey (1976)

The first in a series of blaxploitation films about ex-cop Jesse Crowder, OK but seems to lack a certain something.

Jesse Crowder (Fred Williamson) is hired to escort star witness Finley (Bernie Kuby) from Los Angeles to New York for the trial of a mobster boss. Now of course the simple way would be to just take a flight but instead Crowder decides to drive across the US. 

Almost immediately the mob are after his ass in a seemingly endless series of fights with hapless henchmen. Somehow Jesse manages to get Finley safely across the US, and bed a series of young women (of course!)

The film is what it is, a decent action film with a series of action set pieces and competent if not overly ambitious action choreography. The film is enjoyable, not brilliant. It could do with a bit more pizazz, maybe a bit more 1970s cheese.

Friday, September 8, 2023

Sky Riders (1976)

A perfectly fine action romp, the most novel feature being the use of hang gliders.

Terrorists kidnap the family (including Susanna York) of industrialist Jonas Bracken (Robert Culp). They are demanding a heavy price for the family's return. Meanwhile, Mrs Bracken's ex Jim McCabe (James Coburn) - the father of her son - is also alerted. 

When he sees that the police investigation led by Inspector Nikolidis (Charles Aznavour) seems to be going nowhere fast, and the police want the terrorists dead more than the hostages released alive, he decides he must go into action himself. He discovers that the terrorists are using an abandoned monastery and concocts a plan using a group of hang gliding dare devils to silently swoop in and make a rescue. The police, however, are not quite as inept as he thinks and they are also moving in...

This is a good film with a straight forward plot which leads up to an extended gun fight. The terrorists are fairly dumb though put up a good fight. The hang gliding scenes in the Greek mountains are pretty spectacular. It isn't world beating but it does the job.

Friday, August 25, 2023

North Sea Hijack (1980)

The tension builds and builds in this slightly eccentric action tale.

Criminals led by Kramer (Anthony Perkins) seize an oil rig tender in the North Sea and hook up explosives to two rigs, they want millions in cash or there is going to be a rather large explosion. Admiral Brinsden (James Mason) is to negotiate with the criminals, though his assistant ffolkes (Roger Moore) is really an expert in anti-terrorist operations at sea and his team are planning an attack...

The film has a great set-up though you have to wait a long time for the big action set-piece (which probably isn't that big after all). It is worth the wait though as the tension is built up very well thoughout. Ffolkes character is superbly odd (and very unlike Moore's Bond in many ways) and adds a great deal of interest to this otherwise fairly straight forward tale.

Friday, July 21, 2023

Silent Trigger (1996)

A surprisingly good action film.

A sniper (Dolph Lundgren) and his spotter (Gina Bellman) are on a secret mission to kill a foreign politician but their mission fails when Dolph hesitates and they are on the run. We will continue to see their escape in flashback throughout the rest of the film. But we next see a half-finished skyscraper. Dolph infiltrates the guarded site while Gina goes in while pretending to be an IT support engineer.   

Dolph and Gina are on a new sniping mission but have a few hours to set things up. However, there are complications including the coke fiend and sex addict guard O'Hara (Christopher Heyerdahl) who is after Gina's body. Dolph is also a target himself by the unnamed secret agency, Gina has been tasked to kill him but if she fails then the agency has a plan B...

This isn't a mindless action film, although when there is action it is good and pretty bloody. What the film does have is a lot of character building and reflection by Dolph on his dangerous and ultimately doomed lifestyle. Excellent and engaging.

Friday, July 7, 2023

The Neptune Factor (1973)

Somehow this film makes a plot involving earthquakes, submarines and monsters under the ocean's depths somewhat tedious.

An earthquake strikes an underwater lab, contact with which is lost. Director Andrews (Walter Pidgeon) sends an advanced mini submarine commanded by Blake (Ben Gazzara) to try and find the lab and the three lost men. 

However, Blake is pretty arrogant and thinks this is a fool's errand. His crewman MacKay (Ernest Borgnine) is much more keen on the rescue though and soon the submarine is in a dangerous situation itself...

So, the story is great, the acting accomplished and the visuals are certainly very impressive but the film lacks energy and has the pacing of a brick. Somehow the film's makers made a great story rather pedestrian. It is a great shame.

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

The Next Man (1976)

An interesting premise though the film does rather plod a long a bit too slowly.

The new secretary of state of Saudi Arabia Khalil (Sean Connery) - the minister's Scottish accent is unexplained - has a controversial new plan. He wants Israel to join OPEC so the Arab world can make peace with them. He also wants to sell OPEC oil cheaply to Third World nations. For some reason or other this makes him rather unpopular and the attempts to assassinate him begin.

The Palestinians hire top assassin Nicole (Cornelia Sharpe) to seduce Khalil and prepare to kill him. Unfortunately for the bad guys Nicole falls in love with Khalil which throws the plans into chaos...

The execution is too flawed in this film unfortunately which is a shame because the premise is great. Somehow a film involving international intrigue and assassins ends up being rather slow and dreary.

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Mr. Mean (1977)

Blaxploitation goes to Italy, and has a cool old time.


Mr Mean (Fred Williamson), a former gangster, is hired by the Mafia in Italy to do a hit... on one of their own in Ranati (Stelio Candeli) who has bought shame on the Mafia (apparently) by indulging in the wrong kind of criminal activities. Mean is successful in his task of course but then he finds himself the target of a Mafia hit...

Williamson made this film whilst making another film, keeping it's existence a secret from the other's film's producers. Honestly, it does show. It is all rather ineptly made and frequently confusing. However, despite that it is a fairly entertaining film (though some scenes do drag) that certainly has plenty of 70s cool and some decent funky tunes. Williamson plays a good tough and butch role.

Thursday, May 11, 2023

Muppet Treasure Island (1996)

A wonderfully warm and enjoyable pirate and treasure tale by the Muppets.

Jim (Kevin Bishop) has a map revealing where a great treasure is, but he has no means to get there. Or does he? Luckily Fozzy Bear is the rather eccentric son of a ship owner and gives Jim a ship and a crew. 

The ship is captained by Kermit and is a fine ship but unfortunately the ship's cook is Long John Silver (Tim Curry) and he has plans of his own for the treasure...

A great fun film that is based on the classic Robert Louis Stevenson tale though the Muppets take a few liberties! The film is packed full of typical Muppet humour, physical as well as smart wordplay and puns. A brilliant film that will appeal to all ages.

Thursday, May 4, 2023

King Solomon's Mines (1985)

With a great cast, this film ruthlessly and hilariously sends up Indiana Jones.

Jesse's (Sharon Stone) father has gone missing in Africa, and she has hired Quatermain (Richard Chamberlain) to help her find him. In fact her father has discovered the location of King Solomon's fabled mine and massive diamond wealth. Unfortunately the unscrupulous Colonel Bockner (Herbert Lom) and Dogati (John Rhys-Davies) have captured him and are trying to get the information out of him by fair means or foul (actually no just foul)...

Their adventure becomes a series of exciting though somewhat improbable action set pieces across Africa including on a train and in the air. All the time our heroes are trying to avoid getting eaten by wildlife and the natives...

A very silly film, a well done parody of Indiana Jones and the like. The jokes are corny and the action frequently improbable but that is the point. Very entertaining.