Action Movie Tuesdays

Who Watches the Watchmen? I do.

2009-03-14T23:25:00.001-07:00

So, I saw Watchmen. And...I really liked it. I mean I REALLY liked it. The movie was visually stunning, well scripted, and accurate to the graphic novel.

In fact, I think it's the last point, it's accuracy, that sealed it for me. It wasn't completely identical, but what was changed/left out (aside from the ending - more later) would likely have been awkward and superfluous in the film version. Of course, this has been the major criticism of the critics that disliked the film. The movie, at times, is a film comic book: the actor dialoging while centered in the screen type things. To be honest, I liked this. It allowed the words to come through, and Watchmen has some powerful words.

The acting was also well done. By and large, all the characters were portrayed as I envisioned them while reading the comic. Best of all was Rorschach, who was sublimely portrayed by Moocher. Although, they left out the big bike race in Rorschach's back story.

The element that I was most pleasantly surprised with was the soundtrack. All the greatest hits of the early 80's in one 3 hour movie. Of course, what made the soundtrack work was the fact that it helped to ground the viewer in the fact that it was the 80s. So much of what's going on doesn't feel 80's. It's not campy. There's an alternative history going on. But the whole point of the story is this is supposed to be real. Outside of Dr. Manhattan, all the superheros are humans. They aren't really supposed to possess powers. Ozymandias has the whole "smartest man alive with more money than everyone else combined 5 times over" thing going on. But that's as 'super power' as it gets. The soundtrack dragged the audience back into this. When you expect some rock song to start playing, you get a pop hit. The soundtrack felt more like it belonged in an 80's version of "The Big Chill," and it worked.

As for the ending, and I recognize Alan Moore may hunt me down and kill me for saying this, but I liked it better in the movie than in the film. Yes, I said it. There's one basic reason for this, it didn't involve fake aliens. I love the conundrum created at the end of the comic. I love Veidt's line about the only success the Watchmen created was in succeeding in not preventing peace from happening. But the whole abducting a bunch of artists, having them create some fake alien, and sending that alien to New York thing felt overly cheesy. It felt lazy. Using Dr. Manhattan as the scapegoat felt more appealing for me.

In the end, I was very surprised with how much I enjoyed the movie. I went in with low expectations. Watchmen met them and kept going. I am happy.

Yo.

To whom it may concern:

2009-03-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

(specifically, zack snyder, david hayter, alex tse, and the entire cast of watchmen)

thank you for not killing a story i love so much. visually, the film seemed as though it came straight from the pages of the book. the casting was dead on, as was the acting and emotions that the cast was able to portray. the characters are complex and often not all that likeable, but i cared about their fates nonetheless. the screenplay left out only parts of the book that would not transfer well from literature to screen (like the comic within the comic). and yes, the ending was different. i will not say it was better. of course the book was better. but it was a good strong ending. the screenwriters should be proud.

and to alan moore, who is so resistent to his books being made into movies. this was a good one. get off of your crazy high horse and be proud of it.

again, thank you for giving life to something i love. and for making it accessible to people who would otherwise have known nothing about it.

i will watch the watchmen

2009-03-06T07:34:00.001-08:00

i really don't think i can explain how excited i am about watchmen. i have been looking forward to this movie since it was announced something like 2 years ago. i have loved the book every time i have read it. i know that alan moore is a little more than crazy and maybe that's why i love his incredible body of work so much. i appreciate his genius as well as his strange hermit-like tendencies. as much as long movies are daunting to me, i am glad this one is nearly 3 hours. the book is so dense and full of incredible visual shots as well as fascinating character development and interaction that i hope and cross my fingers and knock on wood that none of that is lost in the process of translating this incredible piece of literature to film. i know that a lot of care and time went into making this film. there are too many fans, too many people completely devoted to the quality of such an important piece of art from our time to have it be a devastating embarrassment. i trust the director, zack snyder, based on his previous work. i trust the amazingly put together cast. but until i see the film, this fan of action will be holding her breath with fingers on both hands crossed.

please don't kill something i care about so much.

reasons why...

2009-01-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

i love me some james bond.

unnecessary explosions

unnecessary sexism

lots of man-thigh

moneypenny

ninjas

rockets

fake space

unnecessary sexism

a mutha effin' promise

2009-01-24T09:45:00.000-08:00

i will admit i have been bad about keeping on track with amt lately. i know how hard it is for everyone with work and life and other commitments. so i am promising to get back on track so that amt doesn't dissolve completely. i hope that if you are all free on any tuesdays, you'll participate, and if you can't, that's ok, but don't forget about the greatest club in the world.

The List

2008-11-17T08:56:00.001-08:00

Here is a link to the list of James Bond movies in chronological order:
James Bond Films

[insert james bond theme music here]

2008-11-05T08:50:00.000-08:00

there has been a call for a bond marathon, which i fully support. after we see the new bond (quantum of solace field trip on 11/18), we will start from the old beginning. more details to follow...

semi-amt

2008-10-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

it may not be considered "real action," but i feel that watching the election night coverage next tuesday will be sufficiently exciting for yours truly.
everyone (even the republicans among you) is invited to my house on tuesday night for snacks and some lively (ideally respectful) discussion.
p.s. i am baking cookies as a bribe.

Who you gonna call? Me.

2008-09-30T07:46:00.000-07:00

I know I said we'd go see Eagle Eye, but it's the end of the month and the paycheck is wearing thin. Also, I just don't feel like it. Ghostbusters. My house. 7:30ish. Think popcorn and ectoplasm. But not together.

The Transporter

2008-08-28T13:05:00.000-07:00

Every Which Way But Loose, your day will come. And it will be a glorious day.

As for you, The Transporter, I am sorry that I fell asleep. I was really tired. For what it's worth, I liked you all right. You were pretty much an excuse for an action movie, and that is fine. The acting wasn't great, but the action was, and that's really what counts.

I don't know what the ruckus about Jason Statham is, but I guess I am not attracted to him and that is a big part of it. I liked his accent. He is pretty badass. I also liked his inspector friend.

erin statham

2008-08-27T12:58:00.001-07:00

i know the movie was supposed to be every which way but loose. unfortunately, it appears that there are no suburbs in oregon that carry that movie, which was a serious blow to yours truly. we chose the transporter instead, which proved to be a wise choice.
jason statham is unfailingly badass, hot, and manly. and hot.
but seriously, this movie was very enjoyable for me. there was the right mix of actual plot, really bad bad guys, a fairly obnoxious screamy female character, and pretty good explosions.
i am really looking forward to watching the sequel next week.
related sidenote: transporter 3 is in post-production!
semi-related sidenote: don't forget to vote for our next amt's!
very loosely related sidenote: how do we feel about death race as a field trip sometime soon?

an explanation

2008-08-26T07:47:00.000-07:00

hello fellow action movie lovers,
i have been out of town lately more than any human should be, and, as a result, have been neglecting our dear blog. but no longer! i am back and ready to find the perfect mix of awesome and awesomely bad action movies for our viewing pleasure.
there's a new poll up, and keep an eye out for more!

Jason Bourne Is One Helluva Hairdresser

2008-07-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

I don't have a whole lot to say regarding this week's flick, except...I can't wait until next week!

I hadn't seen this particular piece of the trilogy in a few years, and am now overcome with exuberance for the next chapter. Nothing beats spies, amnesia, silencers, explosions, knife fights, pen fights, knife and pen fights, and of course, chase scenes featuring an original Mini. Plus, is there anything cuter than Franka Potente after one Mr. Jason Bourne gets his hands (and scissors) on her hair? Adorable!

Anywho, I just wanted to put my two cents in that this week was (and the next two will be) glorious!

was it "killing zoe" or "killing zoe"?

2008-06-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

...with an emphasis on different words in the title?
overall, i liked this movie. a touch too bloody for me at parts, but it definitley had absolutely fascinating, and at times, terrifying characters. i especially appreciated the fact that the film took place in a less than 24 hour time period. that kind of snapshot of someone's life can often be most interesting taken out of context, as it was in this movie.
the drug use was a bit overwhelming, as was the lack of logic involved in the thieves' plan. the ending was an interesting choice as well. it seems as though there should have been more shock experienced on the part of the only survivors. or maybe someone should have asked them a few questions. just a thought.

INDYINDYINDYINDY

2008-06-01T21:56:00.001-07:00

Anyone who might have an even slightly negative thing to say about indiana jones should think twice, less i SMASH YOUR FACE. Unless it's about temple of doom. that one sucked. but other than that, indiana jones kicks everything's ass. everything. sliced bread, pancakes... everything.

Erich von Daniken Was Right!!!!

2008-05-31T23:01:00.000-07:00

Well, it was nice to see Indy in a new movie, and it didn't disappoint. Well, mostly. I found the whole secret of the crystal skull a little hokie (ok, a LOT hokie). I was a little disappointed with how the 'archeology' of the film entered the realm of the extraterrestrial. Also, there was a distinct lack of Nazis.

But enough of that, to the good things. First, it was action packed. The chase scene where Indy goes from bike to car to bike was awesome. Also, the punch sound effect didn't change. I was very happy about this. Mutt was a greaser (the Socs surely wanted to rumble over this). And the only 'Kate' in this film was Cate Blanchett.

Question: Was I the only one who felt that, at some point during the wedding scene, there was supposed to be a cut to C3PO and a rebuilt R2D2?

Perhaps the most exciting news around the release of Indy 4 is the talk about an Indy 5. Well, guess what? I did some investigating, and I was able to get an overview of the plot line. I present it here for you (WARNING: Spoiler Alert)

1. Indy gets into some trouble that causes his hat to fall off.
2. Indy gets dragged into a larger adventure that threatens the well-being of his hat.
3. Indy gets into a fist fight and nearly loses his hat.
4. Indy dodges a booby-trap and barely rescues his hat.
5. Indy saves the day with his hat gloriously sitting upon his head.

There you go. And what about Indy 6? Well, the budding dark side of the force within Indy's hat grows stronger, creating an alienation between him and his wife, Queen Amidala. The hat becomes the protege of the burgeoning galactic emperor and goes on a rampage, killing all the other hats. Eventually, Indy's hat is confronted by his mentor, Obi -Wan Kenobi, on a volcanic planet. There, the hat loses its brim and is placed inside a robotic suit. It goes on to become the most feared enforcer within the Galactic Empire. (Don't worry, Queen Amidala is pregnant with the hat's babies. There will be a new hope.)

"nostalgic is not one of them"

2008-05-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

let me be clear about a couple of things. i love gadgets. i love superheroes (and heroes without superpowers), and i love guys with cocky bastard attitudes.

did i find all of these things in iron man? hell yes i did.

in all honesty, i feel like robert downy jr. was a great choice for the character of iron man. he had the right attitude, certainly the right look, and was able to keep from taking himself too seriously. however, i feel that the character of pepper potts could have been more developed. whether this was the fault of gwyneth paltrow as an actress, mark fergus as the screenplay writer, or jack kirby and stan lee as the originators of the story, i'm not sure. maybe it's all 3.

additionally, in general, i dislike it when "the man" in the movie industry assumes it'd be a good idea to make a sequel without some serious thought and evaluation. however. samuel l. jackson as nick fury? who can beat that?! i do think the iron man story line has more to give us as hero lovers, as long as they stay true to the comics and don't turn him into a truly "upstanding citizen."

on a final note, i would like to mention that i really really really strongly disagree with this "most american superhero" bullshit that someone thought would be a good marketing plan for the movie. in terms of selfishness, obsession with money, arrogance, womanizing, and merchant of death-ing, yes, it is an american flick. however, i seriously doubt that was what jack kirby and stan lee were going for with this one. a scathing commentary on american ways, maybe. but a celebration of "true patriotism" iron man is not.

It's an Iron Maiden. It's an Iron Butterfly. No, It's Iron Man!

2008-05-16T01:21:00.001-07:00

First, the baddie in this movie was a baldy, beardy named Obadiah Stane. To quote the hype-up line of every early '90's Marvel comic, "'Nuff said."

More than anything, this movie reinforced a number of beliefs I've held for a long time.

1. Hungary is the dangerously excluded member of the Axis of Evil.

2. Women with even the smallest politically left-leaning inclinations have an uncontrollable sexual urge for men who make their money via the Military-Industrial Complex.

3. A superhero's servant is useless unless he possesses an English accent (For further evidence, see: Batman, the Avengers, and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air)

While I enjoyed this movie, it definitely ranked among the better of the superhero movies to come out recently, there was one thing glaringly absent from this film: Vince Vaughn. Yes, this was Jon Favreau's best foray into the world of superhero movies; he previously appeared in Batman Forever and Daredevil. However, it must be said, Jon Favreau is at his best when paired with the indomitable Vince Vaughn. A supporting role for Vaughn would have turned this film from enjoyable to Favreautastic.

Now, some parting words. Superhero movies are very much a matter of hit and miss. Some are good (X-Men 1, X-Men 2) and some are bad (X-Men 3). But there is one thing that will always make a bad superhero movie more palette-able: the video game based on the bad superhero movies. While the movies are a crap-shoot, the video games are universally aweful. In fact, they are so bad, they often rank among the worst video games ever made. So, if you find yourself facing the daunting task of having to sit through Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, just play the video game version of it first, it will make the task all the more easy.

A Short Round of Applause

2008-05-07T15:50:00.000-07:00

Temple of Doom is an exciting film for me, in large part because I can never decide if it edges out A.I. for the fifth worst Steven Spielberg film. If you’re keeping score at home, the list goes like this:

1. War of the Worlds
2. Always
3. The Sugarland Express
4. Terminal
5. A.I./Temple of Doom

After watching it again, I’m struck by the strength of Jonathan Ke Quan’s performance as Short Round. This is truly a talented young man and rather than dwell on the things that drag down Temple of Doom, I’ll focus on 3 things that make other Jonathan Ke Quan features worth watching.

Breathing Fire
1.
2. The break dancing martial arts sequence… words fail here and I can’t find a clip.
3. Martial arts star Bolo Yeung in drag.

Encino Man
1.
2. Three words: weezing the juice.
3. The earthquake that reunites Link with his Neolithic love: perhaps the most contrived plot point in cinema history.

Goonies
1.
2. Two words: booby traps.
3. The Truffle Shuffle.

"Hey, Dr. Jones, no time for love."

2008-05-07T12:52:00.000-07:00

i love indiana jones. and i love harrison ford even more. however, if spielberg admits this movie isn't very good...well, he's just right. it isn't. but indy's still dreamy throughout the whole movie.
i feel like temple of doom is a film best served with a group of people who all have good senses of humor. thankfully, this was the case last night during which we covered many topics including the lack of tap dance numbers in modern films, multiple forms of apocalypses (apocalypti?), the saint jeff peden memorial death fest's view on "brown people," and research into jonathan ke huy quan's more recent film experiences.
as far as action movies go, this one definitely had all the requirements; fist fights (including one between children), explosions, nearly complete inaccuracy, gun fights, a funny sidekick, and the near death of an obnoxious female character.
additionally, i would like to mention the fact that john williams' epic music really makes the indy films what they are (as is evidenced by the fact that madgyver and i were singing along to the end credits).
ultimately, even though i love indy and enjoyed watching temple of doom, i really missed karen allen.

i would also like to give myself a little room to be excited for our first field trip next week! plans tba!

Nothing shocks me, I'm a scientist

2008-05-07T11:32:00.000-07:00

Temple of Doom is an intense yet moving film which illustrates the complex relationships between gender, race, and ritual human sacrifice. Kate Capshaw is captivating as the incorrigible Willie Scott. So captivating, in fact, that ErinInAction and I played a game during the film called "Wait and see if KC says something that's not stupid". We scored 2 points, I believe. I believe most of the attendees of last night's viewing will agree that a "Kate Capshapocalypse" Is much more frightening than a Zombie Apocalypse, possibly even a Bird Apocalypse to EIA.

Of course Harrison Ford manages to redeem the shortfalls of his leading lady with his charisma. The best part about IA and TOD (That is not present in the other 2 movies) is Short Round. He is the most adorable little sidekick and manages to still be charming in spite of some of the contrived lines he's given. He also has some golden lines, such as "You call him Dr. Jones, Doll!" We'll never truly know why Short Round wasn't asked to come back in The Last Crusade. I'd really like to see a Vh1 "Where are they now" special on him though.

Yes, that was Jan from The Office singing in the nightclub

2008-04-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

i've been meaning to post about the rocketeer for a while (crazy week at work, sorry).
this movie is one of my all-time childhood favorites. i remember being amazed at the graphics (which were admittedly lacking given today's perspective, but still awesome). most of all though, this movie made me wish i could fly planes.
oh well, a girl can keep dreaming for now.
in the first 8 minutes of this movie, there was a car chase, gun fight, and explosion. if that doesn't make it an action movie, i don't know what does.
additionally, this movie mixes some good (clean) humor with fun action and an actually interesting plot.
madgyver and i are mystified as to why billy campbell isn't a bigger star today.
i have now officially decided that i will watch almost any movie in which timothy dalton (formerly the worst james bond) plays a bad guy.

Get Ready for it...

2008-04-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

This week we officially begin our Indiana Jones marathon of AMT's all leading up to the premiere (and first official AMT field trip) of the new Indy movie!

"this is for matilda"

2008-04-10T13:25:00.001-07:00

i thought this movie was absolutely astounding. i agree with samamual that it is probably one of the best we've ever had for amt (and looking back over our list, i can say i'm about 99% sure of it). i found myself crossing my fingers and trying very hard to influence the actions of the characters with my mind powers.
jean reno though not entirely convincing as an italian, did an incredible job balancing kindness and strength in his character. he shifted easily between terrifying wearing his boxy coat, bizarre little hat and round sunglasses, to being a gentle father figure in pants that were too short, suspenders, and a pig oven mit. his death was impressively tragic as well as cathartic, which is a trait rarely found in our typical amt choices.
natalie portman was a bit frightening, but in the perfect way. afterall, what 12 year old would be so calm after her family (or rather her little brother) gets killed? or would choose revenge as their next step? it absolutely broke my heart when she confessed her love to leon and described it as a warm feeling in her stomach. being 12 was tough.
danny aiello (or as i have always known him, johnny cammareri) i appreciated the fact that he was in the film and especially that he did not do something so unbelievable and irresponsible as give 12 year old natalie a job as a cleaner.
gary oldman i have now officially decided that i will see pretty much any movie with him in it (including this). he was one of the scariest characters i have ever seen, specifically when he took one of his "i'm going to kill everyone" pills. i appreciated the complex, gray-area character traits he possessed through the film. additionally, i felt vindicated the moment he opened his hand to see the grenade pin.
this movie was a high quality action flick for reasons beyond the gunfights, explosions, and drug conflict. quite a contrast when thinking about our previous choices (cough, point break, road house, surf ninjas, big hit, cough).

Got Milk?

2008-04-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

Upon completing this post, I will be drafting a letter to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Why? I will be insisting that Luc Besson be awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for his consistant casting of Gary Oldman in the role of 'psychotic bad guy'. Gary Oldman rocks in this movie. He is freaky, disturbing, and (unlike Heath Ledger) can handle mixing his drugs. (I know; I know. Sorry.)

I still remember seeing this movie when it came out and developing a massive crush on Natalie Portman. (Don't worry, for those who've never met me, I'm the same age as Natalie Portman). However, seeing it again, I was a little disturbed by how trampy she was. I mean, I like to look for lines in movies that are grossly inappropriate when taken out of context. However, 90% of what she said was grossly inappropriate IN context. Yet, the movie does a brilliant job of creating context for her inappropriateness; thus, the audience has sympathy for her.

In the end, this still remains one of my all-time favorite movies. Oh, and I concur with Samamuel, assassins are awesome.

The Professional

2008-04-10T01:16:00.001-07:00

That was actually a really good movie. Probably one of the best ones we have watched thus far. I could try and analyze the cinematography, use of lighting, and probably get a good thesis paper out of it. But this isn't a thesis paper. It's the ACTION MOVIE TUESDAY BLOG!

So.

First of all, assassins are cool. I'm sorry Lincoln, I'm sorry JFK, I'm sorry other world and cultural leaders that were vastly and historically important, but assassins are cool. (On a side note, please watch this trailer.) Also, I like French people and round sunglasses. So basically, Leon was the perfect character. And he was actually kind of funny. Especially with that pig.

Natalie Portman, also a very good character. But pretty much how freaky was it to see her as a twelve year old? Rather freaky, if you ask me. She was so different and yet the same!

Gary Oldman - crazy as shit. Always has been, always will be. What were his death pills? Did he like getting high before killing people? I don't know. Crazy as shit.

So yeah. Really good movie.

Sneakers

2008-04-04T11:09:00.000-07:00

Am I weird for using the title of the movie as the title of my blog posts? I mean, you guys get all creative, but I need this to help keep track. If I'm wrong, just tell me. It's okay, guys, you can tell me. It won't hurt my feelings.

Anyhoo.

This movie was so great. I don't even care that it wasn't QUITE an action movie, it was worth it. It was hilarious in big and little ways. I loved the faces that Robert Redford would make. In fact, I already want to see this movie again.

Also, for those of you who don't know this about me, I like blind people. So, Whistler was a really cool character for me. I mean, HE DROVE! And, more importantly, he was pretty much the smartest person on the team. He was just like "NO GUYS, LISTEN! I CAN HEAR SHIT THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE!" And braille computer interface? Pretty sweet.

But the best part of the movie? Surprise James Earl Jones appearance. Always golden. Except more like liquid velvet.

Redford, Poitier, Marx?

2008-04-03T22:24:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, this movie deeply offended me. Having watched this film, I fear the terrorists have won. How did this film upset me? Well, let me count the ways.

The film begins by glorifying Redford's and Kingsley's blatant stealing of the hard earned tax dollars of good Americans and transferring them to the terrorist organization known as the Black Panther Party. It's a well known fact that the Black Panther Party had close links to Al-Qaida. Also, in 1971, a British intelligence report came out linking the BPP to the purchase of yellow cake from Niger.

The next scene introduces us to Redford's team of unAmerican miscreants. A simple glance at the members of this "team" (read 'sleeper cell') reveals just how untrustworthy they are. Redford? Communist. Aykroyd? Canadian. Poitier? French. Phoenix? Mythical Creature. Strathairn? I'm not sure where he's from, but with that many consonants, it's surely a rogue nation. And then there's poor Mary McDonnell. While she is an American, she's also a woman. This means she lacks the ability to think for herself. Without a strong, patriotic, American man (i.e. Rambo) in her life to guide her in the right direction, she has been duped into taking a bite of the apple by our resident snake, Redford.

The coup de grâce (see, just watching Sneakers has me speaking French), is the very end of the movie. After it is revealed that the code breaking box was commissioned by the NSA so that they could access and tinker with every bit of information about everybody on Earth, Redford and company give our fine, American security agents a defective box. The rationale for not allowing the government to have access to such technology is the usual Commie/Terrorist/Democrat mantra of 'privacy rights'. Look, the only people on planet earth with a reason to fear the American government having access to every bit of information about them are those with something to hide. Redford's preventing the NSA from having such technology is tantamount to treason and makes the world safer for those who are a threat to our national security.

In conclusion, I think it is very irresponsible of AMT to promote such a threatening film, and I hope that we right this wrong by viewing a more appropriate film in the near future. A film with far less commie espionage and far more killing of nameless brown people from countries who's dietary choices leave my digestive system unhappy. I, personally, vote for Delta Force.

Thank you.

"i want peace on earth and goodwill toward men." "we are the united states government! we don't do that sort of thing."

2008-04-02T13:14:00.001-07:00

first, some business items:
you were all such diligent voters this week that we have our AMT choices through june 10th! this is in part because of your voting, and also in part because we have a series of indy movies in may in preparation for our amt field trip to see the 4th indy movie. there will also be an amt field trip to see iron man in there as well. check out the calendar on the right side of the blog to see the choices. thanks for voting!

now, the fun stuff (in the form of loosely connected thoughts):
i do love dan ackroyd's conspiracy theories throughout the movie. and i love that sidney poitier definitely said "motherfuckers mess with me, i'll split your head!" and then there's my undying love for river phoenix, but that's all i need to say about him.
also, you know how i love taglines, and sneakers had a good one - "we could tell you what it's about. but then, of course, we'd have to kill you."
i also love the 90's, and this movie had plenty of good very "90's" moments, specifically in the appearance of computers, answering machines, and turtlenecks.
truthfully, i really enjoyed this movie. there was enough intrigue in it to keep me interested, even though it was 9:00pm and nearing my bedtime. ben kingsley was a great bad guy because he was hard to completely hate. the make up of robert redford's team was well done and allowed for some believability (in terms of skills) as well as pretty decent character development in spite of the fact that there were so many characters to focus on.
the most painful part of the film was when robert redford could only move 2 inches per second. there has been some argument among our amt group about whether or not sneakers is actually an action movie. i will argue that it is because it contains the following action movie traits (as have been identified during amt and in some previous posts): good one liners, speeding cars (though admittedly, there was no car chase), double-crossing, a one-dimensional female character, shots being fired, battles (in a loose sense of the word) with foreign governments, and pistol-whipping.

Future AMT's

2008-04-02T12:58:00.000-07:00

here is the list for future movies we have come up with between several brainstorms:

Shooter
Sum of All Fears
3:10 to Yuma
All the Bourne movies
American gangster
Kung Fu Hustle
Blade 1 or 3
River Wild
Serenity
Assassination of Jesse James
No Country for Old Men
Spy Games
Running Man
Paycheck
The One
Fist of Legend
The Matrix movies
Rush Hour
Casino Royale
Lucky Number Sleven
Smokin' Aces
Shoot'em Up
Killing Zoe
Original 3 Star Wars movies
A Bronx Tale
Air Force One
Bad Boys
The Boondock Saints
Bullitt
Cop Land
All the Die Hard movies
Terminator (all 3? they're making a 4th apparently too...unsure about how i feel about it)
Kill Bill: Volumes I & II
Man On Fire
Once Upon A Time In Mexico
The Patriot
Pulp Fiction
Ronin
The Siege
Speed
Stargate
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Star Trek: First Contact
Training Day
Under Siege 1 & 2
The Warriors
X-Men 1 & 2 (but not 3)

i'll be pulling choices for future polls from this list and any other suggestions you have. keep them coming! any other suggestions please email erininaction@gmail.com

Billy Baldwin's Best Movie

2008-03-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

i, unlike the saint jeff peden memorial death fest (he's a co-worker kids, don't be scared), am going to mention the fact that billy baldwin was in this movie. and what i will say is this: he wasn't the worst pick possible for the part, and he wasn't the best. he's no daniel, but he's also no alec.
my biggest complaint about this movie was the fact that kurt russell played the dad and the son. i think that's lame and there's no way to convince me otherwise. this was a fact much debated in the first 15 minutes of the movie too.
my second biggest complaint was the fact that the preggers girl from fast times at ridgemont high was in this at all. i'm sorry, i just find her annoying.
but, all of that aside, i really liked backdraft. it was higher quality than i anticipated, i love donald sutherland (even if his character was strange and definitely creepy) and robert deniro (who doesn't?!). there was a good combination of explosions, one-liners, decently substantive plot, and of course, my favorite: bar fights.
overall, maybe not the most stereotypically badass movie, but i enjoyed myself. (i'm also glad to have a bit of a break from the bad-good movies we had a long streak of. you have to mix it up a bit after all).

Goodness, Gracious, Great Balls of Fire

2008-03-26T00:23:00.000-07:00

What to say about this film...hmm...well, it didn't have a lot of explosions, per say, but it did have a lot of fire. It definitely brought out the Beavis and Butthead in me. I had seen Backdraft before, and I remembered it to be a quality movie. Seeing it again, I found it a little cliched. The feuding brothers plot line felt unoriginal. I mean, after the second brother-on-brother chest-banging argument, you knew Kurt Russel was toast. I also felt there were a lot of superfluous characters. Neither of the female roles were all that relevant, and Donald Sutherland's role seemed to be added to show that the scriptwriter did some research on arsonists. Is it a bad movie? Not at all. But it wasn't as good as I had remembered. Oh, and ever since Silverado, Scott Glenn has rocked my world (in a platonic way).

Backdraft does, however, rank highly on the 'Movies with grossly inappropriate lines when taken out of context' meter. Early in the film, father McCaffrey energetically encourages his son to "Give it a yank. Give it a good pull." A line definitely worthy of a phone call to child services.

A little known fact about Ron Howard. He's a cyborg. The real Ron Howard was murdered in 1983 by his brother, Clint. You see Clint, an aspiring actor and evil genius, realized he was never going to have the looks to be a leading man. So, he killed Ron, hid his body with Geraldo Rivera's credibility, and built a cyborg replacement of Ron with directing talent (note that the first movie Ron Howard directed to be nominated for an Oscar was 1984's Splash). He then programmed the cyborg to cast Clint in all of his movies, cementing himself as a mainstay in Hollywood. Yes, this is all true.

Finally, I do believe I deserve some points for not even touching the fact that a Baldwin was in this movie. Thank you. Thank you.

Mullets

2008-03-22T08:58:00.000-07:00

ErinInAction noted early on that this was "an entire movie of bar fights." This is not only humorous, but quite accurate. I like the underdeveloped plot and hints at deeper meaning. Like when he goes to rent the room from the farmer and the farmer just cannot comprehend why he actually wants it.

I also have a special place in my heart for Patrick Swayze. Although ErinInAction and I were subjected to jokes made by Jermer and Lynchmonster, we still managed to enjoy him in all his purple silk-shirted glory.

Here's a question though, how can Sam Elliot be so dirty yet so attractive at the same time? It's got to have something to do with that full head of hair and deep voice.

Here's some gems from IMDb:
Plot Keywords: Beautiful Women/Small Town/Machismo/Motorcycle/Nightclub
User Comments: Splendidly bad

ROADHOUSE

2008-03-19T15:42:00.000-07:00

That. Was. Awesome.
I did not know what to expect from this movie. Amy and I agreed that it could have been good-bad or bad-bad, but neither of us expected it to be GREAT-BAD!

First of all, The Swayz was incredible. His stare is so intense that, if I met him in person, he would probably make me pee my pants. And when he ripped that guy's throat out...seriously. Insane. Sam Elliot is beyond compare. In any context, Sam Elliot is going to improve the situation. When he showed up in this movie, I knew that shit got serious. I was so sad when he got killed.

Can I also just say that they final scene was CREEPY AS SHIT. How the townsfolk surrounded the bad guy and SLOWLY, one by one, shot him to death. And then, after Fatty McHenchman made a funny remark about the polar bear, everybody started laughing. Just standing there, laughing, around a bloody corpse.

I would recommend this movie to everyone, unconditionally.

"you know, i thought you'd be bigger"

2008-03-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

i had never seen this movie before last night. now, having seen it, i'm not exactly sure how i feel about it. i love patrick swayze (and it's the deep, serious, meaningful type of love i can only have for an 80's movie star). however, there was admittedly way more naked than i anticipated (and yes, i'm using "naked" as a noun). and i don't have anything against naked. but there was a lot of it, including some borderline naked sam elliott, who is great and i enjoy the movies i've seen him in largely because he's been in them. but i've never stopped and thought, "hey, you know who i've never seen almost naked? sam elliott. i feel like i'm missing out on something there."
i do love a good fistfight though, and a whole movie about just that is one of the greatest ideas in cinema history. it was also nice to see a sprinkling of explosions incorporated into the movie. not to mention the fact that dalton got a philosophy degree from nyu. how hot is that in an 80's movie star who can fight?
i do think one of the marks of a great action movie is the one-liners, as i believe i've said in a previous post. and this movie is no exception to the one-liner rule, with such gems as "that girl has way too many brains to have an ass like that." and who can resist a tagline like, "it's last call...for action!" not me.

The Shortest Credits Ever

2008-03-18T22:04:00.000-07:00

From the Scarecrow Movie Guide: "This is a movie to enjoy while drinking beer out of a can."

It was great to see Locke's dad from Lost (Kevin Tighe) not being as asshole. Although the Chloe from ER sighting (Kathleen Wilhoite) was a drag. And Sam Elliott, by definition, automatically makes avery movie better. I mean The Big Lebowski? Thank You For Smoking? And let's not forget Tombstone and The Quick and The Dead.

I do love me some Patrick Swayze. I mean, come on. He calls everyone sir, he comes to work in a clean dress shirt, slacks, and a flashy belt. What's not to love? Pure class. Although one thing I did notice is that his nod can mean any number of things, such as yes, no, kill him, or don't touch him. I guess it depends on the situation. Like deciphering verbs in Italian. Fucking Italians.

One quick note about his wage. He demands $500 per night. So let's say he's working six nights a week (not out of the question in such a place). That's $3,000 per week. Let's throw in two weeks off a year, for a total of 50 weeks. He's making $150,000 per year. And that's in 1989. With inflation, that puts him at $259,749.73 before taxes (if he's even paying taxes, which I doubt). Let me emphasize that. He's pulling in a quarter million a year to be the head bouncer at a shitty bar in the middle of nowhere (do remember that this is before the bar even became civil). That's a little unreal, even for movie land, don't you think?

Lastly, a few points of interest:

The great quotes such as "So consider it severance pay" and "Pain don't hurt".
How did so many "babes" end up in Podunk, USA?
Lots of glass breaking at all times...never seems to lead to injury. Only knives and fists.
I'm always surprised by how many punches to the face everyone can take in the action movie world.
If you are the town savior, you are exempt from silly rules like no parking zones in front of emergency rooms.
Apparently "making it" in the middle of nowhere equates to changing the theme of a bar to be more like a Miami Beach nightclub. But with southern rock.
At the 1:17 mark: Big badda boom.
No action movie is complete without an exploding car. Awesome.

The Fifth Element

2008-03-14T15:43:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to lie to you guys: I am a sucker for stories/plot lines involving the four elements. So when I heard that this movie included a FIFTH ELEMENT, I was like, Girl, please! Seriously, though, the final moments scene is so goddamn bad ass. Figuring out what to do with the stones and then lighting that match - so tense. Really awesome.
Overall this is a great movie. I love the future setting. I love the new slang that they use. I love that Korben talks about the number of points left on his license and doesn't bother to explain it - those of us who are cool enough will just understand. But BY FAR the coolest part of the future is the old Asian man and his flying boat restaurant. No contest.
As an action movie, this movie also rules. It isn't hard to come up with good villains to kill when you can use aliens. They are basically explosion fuel. Target practice. And future weapons and space flight don't hurt, either.
Seriously a bitching movie.

muulteepass.

2008-03-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

Alright, I liked this one way better the second time around. When I watched it the first time, I thought it was supposed to be serious, so then when I got to Zorg I was like what?? But I way like Lilu. "Multipass" is my favorite line. I heart her.

tasty chicken

2008-03-12T12:52:00.000-07:00

this movie is another one of my favorites. not just of the action movies in the world, but of all movies in the world. i adore milla jovovich. and i adore bruce willis (who doesn't?). and i adore gary oldman.
there are fantastically quotable lines like "big bada boom" or "i only speak 2 languages: english and bad english." plus some great future slang, like "super green."
i think the 5th element is the perfect mix of silly and awesome. the choice to have the supreme being as a woman is one i naturally agree with.
i love the weird mugger guy with the stupid hallway hat and the way that leeloo's reconstruction is animated. and who wouldn't want to be able to stick a little pill in the microwave and end up with a whole roasted "tasty chicken"?
mattie mentioned last night that 5th element is like a less creepy version of blade runner. i think this is a pretty accurate assessment, one of the main differences being that blade runner had robots and 5th element had aliens and "evil," but other than that, the settings are pretty similar even though the tones of the movies are drastically different. afterall, blade runner took a much more negative stance on the future than 5th element.
however, i don't believe for one second that korban dallas/bruce willis is really a "one woman type of man."

bro vs. bra

2008-03-05T12:50:00.000-08:00

good:
i honestly am not sure where to start with this movie. it was perfectly 90's, which was my favorite decade. it made me miss my brother's game gear which was about the size of my keyboard at work now. there were some tremendously fantastic one-liners. which, now that it's the next day, i sadly can't remember off the top of my head.
did you know the older kid (whatever the hell his name was) was also the stunt double for donatello in the first tmnt movie? and was keno in secret of the ooze. just saying. the little kid didn't do a damn thing after this.
i love the pseudo-subtle women's lib, as well as the "empower the people through government" messages. and also, poor leslie nielson. i hope he got paid for all those missed phone calls, and the elephant stomping, and the lame mask.

less good:
paul and samamual already mentioned this, but yeah, there were some inconsistencies, like the eye patch guy's still in tact eye after being slashed with a sword. but i think i'm ok with that.
there were several moments during the movie that caused wildfire, chris, carsten, and i to turn to each other and ask, "was that racist?" or say, "if he says 'your highnesses' one more time..."
there were some pretty badass fight scenes, though some super silly ones too. i feel like the kids should have been a bit sadder about the fact that their biological parents were KILLED but i guess that's no big deal when you are a surf ninja.

to sum up:
this movie helped me identify one of my favorite aspects of action movies: i love it when all the bad guys match. it makes everything seem so much more ordered.
this movie does leave me with the question, what are the grammatical rules regarding the usage of "bra" and "bro"? is one more formal? how can i incorporate these wonderful words into my vocabulary if i don't know the rule?

Surf Ninjas

2008-03-05T00:35:00.000-08:00

I've got to agree with Paul: 3 Ninjas was bitchin. However, Surf ninjas comprised a good 20% of my childhood. I got this on DVD for my brother for Christmas, seeing as how we must have watched it weekly in our wee years. So I was pleased to see upon this new viewing that it is still so great.

I don't even know where to begin. Motosurfing? Inspired. Scottish Uncle Iggy? Spot-on. What was with the princess suddenly embracing liberty? That was not explored. And as soon as Johnny is crowned king, he renounces it? These points were lost on me as a child.

Something else I discovered about this movie is that it is goddamn funny. Colonel Chi missing phone calls was genius. So was the Game Gear. Goddamnit, what ever happened to Game Gears? And I have learned that brothas don't surf.

I fell like I'm getting a bit sporadic. I am too excited because this movie rules.

What if Ernie Reyes never had a child?

2008-03-04T21:09:00.000-08:00

I never saw Surf Ninjas the first time around, as I was a fan of 3 Ninjas and wanted nothing to do with a different set of ninja children, so this was a whole new experience to me. And I must say, this movie fits our little club nicely.

While I found the bad acting and the terrible plot to be detracting, there were many things to love about this movie. Such as Rob Schneider. This is up there in the top 5 best Rob Schneider roles of all time. Deuce Bigalow? No, Iggy. From the first scene of him cooking breakfast, to him putting wax on the wrong side of his surfboard, to his diatribe about money and knives, he stole the show.

Plus, was anything more amazing than the fact that Tone Loc made every scene he was in better? It was like he was the veteran actor for once in his career. And the Kelly Hu sighting (of Nash Bridges, Sunset Beach, and X2 fame) was humerous, especially when you count the fact that she was 25 when they made this movie.

I do wonder how much Leslie Nielson was paid for this one though. He's only in the movie for 10 minutes, and it's a pretty poor production even by his standards. I think he did it all in a day and ended up with a six figure check. Gotta love Hollywood.

Does anyone else want to know why Zatch was missing his eye? They show him getting cut in the face, but then he's simply bleeding for the rest of the scene, with his eye fully intact. Did it get infected in this third world country and he had no antibiotics so he had to have it removed? Or does he simply wear the patch to add a challenge to his depth perception and have a good conversation starter? So many questions...

tgtbtu

2008-02-29T13:30:00.000-08:00

i should have written out the whole title. sorry my post is later than normal. erin in action has been pretty actionless as the result of a nasty cold this week.

i have to agree with samamual, clint eastwood is a badass, especially in the man with no name movies.
i love the sounds in this film, regardless of how much or how little action is involved.
after watching a few minutes of it, i realized this was actually the one man with no name movie that i had not seen, so i was happy it was chosen for amt this week.
i really liked that blondie was a good guy, but not too good. this kept my interest because i couldn't fully predict his actions like i could with the bad or with typical "good guys."
cowboys are pretty cool, but i don't think i'd ever want to be that hot and dusty for that long.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2008-02-28T18:09:00.000-08:00

That was a damn fine movie.
Perhaps not so much an action movie. There was action, of course, but we've seen more action than that in Will Smith's pinky.
Still, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Even when it was slow and actually kind of boring, I enjoyed it. Clint Eastwood is a badass. The score was pretty cool, too. What ever happened to cowboys? Actually, I know the answer to that. It's in "3;10 to Yuma".

The Big Hit

2008-02-20T20:59:00.001-08:00

i could comment on the weird chicken scene in which madgyver and i had to curl up we were so uncomfortable (yes, you read that right. i was uncomfortable).

i could comment on the fact that the girl marky mark kidnapped/chickened was probably in prep school and therefore under the age of 18.

i could comment on the strange "drunk dad" subplot.

i could point out all of that.

but instead i only have a few things to say: 1998 (yes, samamual, it really was that ridiculous), trace buster buster buster, unbuttoned shirt, snake tattoo, 80ish minutes, and overly zealous masturbation.

also, as wildfire said, probably some of the best action movie explosions ever.

sidenote: we need some ideas for action movies that have female characters that don't make me want to smack someone.

The big hit, if by big hit you mean cheesiest action movie eva!

2008-02-20T09:14:00.000-08:00

I am telling you, this one was, is, and always will be a winner in my book.

I mean, let’s just start with the basics…He is a hit man living a double-, no wait, triple-life and all he really wants to do is make people happy. His name was Melvin Smiley ;) His crew was spot on, especially when they all put their oversized wrist watches together and said ‘synchronize’ all at the same time. The bologna hits the fan as their crew leader realizes their moonlight kidnap was actually the head boss’ grand-daughter. And let me say how relieved I was to see that ridiculous movie store clerk get his. Ugh, movie store clerks… All to have it come back to the golden spray statue… ah priceless.

I don’t think I really need to say more but did you see the break-dance-fighting scene? How about the blue screen explosion when Marky-Mark is hanging on the bungy line? What about the superfluous car-on-car explosion? Movie store explosion (quite possibly the best action movie explosion ever)? I think the producers of this one must have been watching Walker: Texas Ranger when they came up with half the…um, well, dare I say, plot. Either that or a porno. OK, probably both. And yea, the turkey was good for me too.

The Big Hit

2008-02-19T21:28:00.000-08:00

I'm not gonna lie. That movie was awful. I didn't really understand what the hell was going on. I mean, 1998 wasn't that ridiculous, was it? I expect this kind of stuff from 93, but 98?
What the hell was up with that sexy chicken scene? Not to mention the bad acting. I just don't understand how this movie exists. I know there are worse movies out there, I was just surprised. Like that whole masturbation subplot? Ridiculous. It was all crazy.

the rundowner

2008-02-13T13:05:00.000-08:00

alright. i want to start out this post by saying that i have a strong dislike for stiffler...i mean seann william scott. i think he's more obnoxious than funny. kind of like dane cook. maybe i'm making enemies. i'll move on.
the rock is awesome. i love eyebrow acting. it is, afterall, the best kind of acting. i don't understand the whole "the rock wants a restaurant" thing and think it could have been left out.
i hated all the scenes with monkeys. were they even monkeys? i feel like they were a completely different primate.
all of that being said, some of the fight scenes were pretty badass. especially with all the flipping and swinging around on vines and shit. oh, and the fight scene in the bar was pretty excellent. afterall, fights and exposions are the reasons i love action movies so much.

The Rundown

2008-02-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

I cannot call this movie a cinematic triumph. It did have it's redeeming moments, though.
For example, the whip fight towards the end. How bad-ass can you get? Not much more than a whip fight.
Another example, when The Rock dove through a pillar. Screw you, physics, I'm the Rock.
An idea has struck me: was Beck's desire to open a restaurant merely a reference the the Rock's catchphrase, "Can you smell what the Rock is cooking?" I sure hope it is.
Problems that I had with this movie: Beck's whole thing about guns. I was fine with him not using them, but when he closes his eyes and snaps or whatever he did, that was ridiculous. Also pretty sweet, but fundamentally ridiculous.
My other problem is Seann William Scott. As my friend said, he is the patron saint of douches. And he spells his name with two n's.
Overall, fairly entertaining.

blade runner-ing

2008-02-07T13:16:00.000-08:00

due to some semi-unrelated red wine-induced rambunctiousness (sorry ladies, i had to say it), this movie was a little hard to focus on. i loved how it looked and harrison ford is fantastic no matter what, but i have an unresolved feeling about it, even after dissecting the movie a bit with a co-worker.
here are my remaining questions:

why did sean young cry so much?

why did edward james olmos keep folding those weird little paper figures?

were replicants evolving to have feelings?

why were the replicants after j.f. sebastian?

what happened at the end/where did they go?

were those 4 the only replicants left? if not, where are all the other ones?

i have more, but i can't think of them all right now, nor do i think it's a good use of our blog space to post them all.
in the end, i think the movie merits another viewing, much like samamual said.

Blade Runner

2008-02-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

Guys, I am not going to lie to you. I fell asleep for the first half of this movie. I"M SORRY BUT I WAS REALLY TIRED.
This caused me to be really confused for the duration of the second half, which was really fucked up. Judging by the reactions of my friends, this fucked-up-edness was not only because I was missing something. Why did he stab a nail into his hand?
That said, This movie looked really cool and I want to watch it again, when I am awake.

The Rock

2008-02-04T15:54:00.000-08:00

As far as action films go, this movie is superb for two primary reasons:

1. Somehow Michael Bay managed to integrate a really, really badass car chase into a movie that takes place primarily in a military prison.

2. Sean Connery (John Mason) channels MacGyver.

This script was written by the guys that also wrote "Double Jeopardy" I think Erin in Action will agree that it is ironic that the guys that were able to make Ashley Judd into a badass, killing, revenge machine could only come up with Carla as Stanley Goodspeed's muse.

Brigadier General Francis X. Hummel, USMC (as played by Ed Harris) is a great character, because he is fighting a moral battle. His comparison of his hostage situation to the founding fathers is pretty weak, but I like the political implications.

I must say, I am heartbroken. When looking up John Spencer on IMDB I found out that he died two years ago of a heart attack before the age of 60. I loved him as Leo McGarry in The West Wing. Although he plays the tight-ass FBI Director James Womack, you've gotta love his personal vendetta against John Mason and the scene where Mason dangles him from the top of the hotel by a clothesline ("Watch it, you fuckhead! You'll pull my arm out!"). Fortunately this actor is forever immortalized in this brilliant, yet touching action film.

"carla was the prom queen"

2008-01-30T13:22:00.000-08:00

yes, she was. but she was effing annoying.

this movie, especially when combined with boxed cake, friends, and not enough seating, is one of my favorite action movies.
i love that it comes with a completely awesomely impossible san francisco car chase (those hills at 70 mph? sean connery is a badass, but come on), a little bit of conspiracy theory, and the actually complex feeling of agreeing with both the good and bad guys.
i know it sounds crazy, but this movie does have some valid substance regardless of its ridiculousness.
additionally, i love anything with john c. mcginley in it.

just looking at imdb, i noticed that this movie was nominated for an oscar. think about that!

sidenote: last night during amt at my house, friends suggested that we do some of our voting for future movies on the blog. we could also do posts or have a section where we note any actor appearances from other action movies. it might be a good way to make connections between movies each week. perhaps a calendar of events as well? let me know what you all think.

i would like to leave this post on a positive note, "Your 'best?' Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and fuck the prom queen." yes sean connery, yes we do.

The Rock

2008-01-30T01:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Jesus, this movie was sweet.
First of all, Sean Connery is a god among men. No argument. The next person I hear speak an ill word against this paragon of men is going to get physically punched. By me.
Nick Cage was great, in a hilarious kind of way. E.g., the Rocket Man line. I rest my case.
So many things about action movies must ipso facto not make sense. That's right, I'm busting out the Latin phrases. BUt what I'm saying is that they're always neglecting details for the sake of action sequences. For this example i will refer you to the underground mine sequence. Does Alcatraz really have a mine like that? Ummmm.....who cares? Sweet action sequence.
In conclusion, I would do Sean Connery.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

2008-01-29T13:15:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd drum up some enthusiasm for tonight's flick "The Rock".

Let's consider the cast. Nick Cage is Dr. Stanley Goodspeed, a Biological Weapons Specialist, thereby satisfying one of the Core Principles of Action Movies.

definition: Core Principle(s) of Action Movies
noun. Crucial and oftentimes hilarious element(s) of Action Movies.

In this case we are looking at the first Core Principle:

Principle 1: One cast member must play a specialist in such a way that their being an expert is wholly unbelievable. caveat: Bonus points for hilarious names.
ex: Denise Richards as Dr. Christmas in "The World is Not Enough."
Justin "hi i'm a mac" Long as a hacking genius "Live Free or Die Hard"

This is simply the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the characters in "The Rock". John Spencer of West Wing fame joins as an FBI director, and, in a move of sheer creative casting genius, Sean Connery plays, you guessed it, a British secret agent.

If that's not enough for you, watch closely near the end of the movie and you will see James "Jesus" Caviezel as a fighter pilot. Damn. This movie kicks ass.

we ride together, we die together

2008-01-23T13:42:00.000-08:00

other than the fact that this might truly be the longest action movie in history...
i genuinely enjoyed Bad Boys II and definitely feel that it is better than the first Bad Boys.
admittedly, i'm not a fan of gabrielle union and find her too "10 things i hate about you" to be a good action hero, but who can blame her for boinking (as we used to say in high school) will smith?
i did appreciate the filming around martin lawrence's line, "shit just got real." indeed martin, shit did, in fact, just get real. as madgyver said last night, "the spinning camera simulates being in a helicopter." it was almost as though we were really there! ish.
additionally, turning the whole "gabrielle union was kidnapped by cuban crazies with bad accents" quite literally into an international incident involving both us and cuban military, was a nice, heartwarming touch.

Bad Boys II

2008-01-23T00:53:00.000-08:00

Wow. This movie was crazy. Michael Bay is just a crazy-making machine. These cops were unbelievably over-zealous. Is this a bad thing? No. Does this make a sweet-ass action movie? YES.
This movie was also very long. Sometimes this is awful. Here, I was okay with it. As long as I am allowed to yell things at the screen, a movie can take as long as it wants to explore a convoluted chain of mobsters and drug runners.
Questions that this movie inspired:
1. If I was black, would I want to be a Haitian immigrant, or an American cop?
2. How sweet would it be to be a black cop busting a Klan meeting?
3. Does the KKK know that 'clan' is spelled with a 'c'?

THE DEVIL IS NOT WELCOME HEEEAAAHH!

the hottest of fuzz

2008-01-16T14:11:00.000-08:00

first of all, i adore this movie. after watching it last night, it may have moved into position as one of my favorites.

the brilliant cinematic masterpiece that is "hot fuzz" brings joy to not only myself, but also the world. the stunning homage to 2 of the great works of our time, "point break" and "bad boys II" left me truly speechless. with sparkling dialogue and a hint of transcendentalist theory, this movie, nay, film, boldly discusses issues of sexism, fascism, and ultimately asks the question, "what is the meaning of life?"

additionally, it is pretty badass, and the last 20 minutes of this movie made me want to be in an action movie.

Hot Fuzz

2008-01-16T00:48:00.000-08:00

Hooray for this movie. It is hilarious. I'm sure you all know that. It is also very clever and sneaky. I like these guys a lot. I think that this movie is sort of our mascot, because;
1. We use their picture.
2. Last week was Point Break
3. Next week is Bad Boys 2.
I don't know if that last one is a choice or we are taking a vote, but I am not ready to watch Transformers for the fourth time.
So in summary: British people are funny, unnecessarily high-octane action sequences are totally sweet, and I am going to go kick an old lady in the face. Yeeah, motherfucker.

lawn-mowered to death?

2008-01-14T13:43:00.000-08:00

i would like to put forth a hypothesis that this may be in the top 10 worst ways to go. i can't remember a time when anything, let alone a scene in a movie, made all of us (erin, madeline and me) scream wildly for a good 5-10 minutes. that was a priceless, friendship-cementing moment. when do we watch "the fifth element?"

Not Point Break

2008-01-09T19:01:00.000-08:00

Well, there are still 14 people ahead of me at the library to get this one. But I did watch an action movie last night in solidarity: "The Sentinal," with Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland and Eva Longoria. If you've never heard of it, there's a reason. It was pretty mediocre... but I still enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to catching up with y'all when I get Point Break. Happy day after action movie tuesday, everyone!

Point Break

2008-01-09T17:22:00.000-08:00

The first (and only other) time I saw this movie I was probably 11 years old and it was the edited for television version. This would explain why I didn't immediately associate this film with witty sexual wordplay and outright gore. That being said, my favorite part was the bust of the meth head surfers. I did not enjoy watching it, but I did enjoy the effect it had on Erin in Action, Mackenz, and myself. We were screaming. And we are not screamers. The only justification I can give for this reaction is James Cameron's cinematic genius.

Point Break

2008-01-09T06:45:00.000-08:00

more serious than i thought it would be, but everything i hoped it would be in terms of awesome and action.

some seriously good lines such as john c. mcginley's "young, dumb, and full of cum," which i feel should be brought back as a popular phrase.

i appreciated all of the hair tossing. mackenzie declared that they must all have very strong neck muscles.

we also wrongfully assumed that busey's can't die.

i am now off to search for the soulful reason for riding the waves.

Point Break

2008-01-08T21:20:00.000-08:00

That. Was. Incredible.
Keanu, of course, was amazing. And Gary Busey? Forget about it.
And now I know that if I am ever being chased through people's homes, I need to grab a dog and throw it at them.
Seriously, I loved that movie.
Love, Sam.