Action

Armageddon

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Armageddon. Touchstone Pictures 1998.
Armageddon. Touchstone Pictures 1998.

Before watching the movie:

As I recall, Armageddon and Deep Impact both came out at about the same time and both concerned averting an asteroid collision with Earth. Likely neither one of them takes precedence over the other, but in my mind, this one is the original and Deep Impact is the imitator.

I only just now learned this film is directed by Michael Bay. I knew he had Hollywood films before Transformers, but I didn’t think it was anything I’d heard of. It only reaffirms my expectations though, since I was already expecting great spectacle without much depth. However, I worry it might drag somewhat, since it’s an hour longer than most movies of the caliber I’m expecting. Unless there are flighty songs or weighty angst, movies don’t tend to have more than 90-100 minutes of content.

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Stop! or my mom will shoot!

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Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. Northern Lights Entertainment 1992.
Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. Northern Lights Entertainment 1992.

Before watching the movie:

This has a reputation of being a terrible misstep in Sylvester Stallone’s career. For a career built on major action spectaculars, maybe so. As a movie, we’ll see. I think Stallone could be good in the role, I think the premise is good, but maybe it doesn’t add up to a good whole. Maybe Stallone phones it in. Maybe he has no chemistry with his costar. But I’m optimistic right now.

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Beverly Hills Cop

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Beverly Hills Cop. Paramount Pictures 1984.
Beverly Hills Cop. Paramount Pictures 1984.

Before watching the movie:

I’m sure I’ve seen Eddie Murphy in an action movie, but I can’t remember one. Unless Harlem Nights counts as action, and I wouldn’t. So as far as I can recall, this is the first time I’ll really see Eddie Murphy doing “action hero”. It doesn’t seem like a good fit, but I know there were at least two sequels. I could see him doing a straight-up parody, but that’s not what comes to mind here.

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Harlem Nights

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Harlem Nights. Paramount Pictures 1989.

Before watching the movie:

This movie came to my attention from a book of Drew Struzan movie poster art (his design was not used). I was interested by the art deco style of Struzan’s poster and headliners Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor, but I was scared off by the way it seemed to be promoted as a serious film about organized crime. I was relieved to read today when I chose it that it is in fact an action comedy. About organized crime.

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Demolition Man

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Demolition Man. Warner Bros. 1993.

Before watching the movie:

I get the sense that the 90s were a rough time for sci-fi movies, especially the early 90s. However, I can’t back that up with anything, and all the examples I can come up with are good.

I was never very interested in this movie as a killer vs. killer in the future action flick, but I’ve recently learned that it makes culture shock jokes about how society has changed, which is an interest of mine. I like to think about how the future will get us wrong, and otherwise how foreign it would probably be.

As an action sci-fi this never stood out. As a sci fi action comedy, Demolition Man might actually be a fun experience. Continue reading →

They Live

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They Live. Alive Films 1988.

Before watching the movie:

I’ve heard this movie talked up a lot, but I’m not sure exactly how much of it I know. Sometimes it sounds like the most famous development doesn’t have much to do with it, sometimes it sounds like the whole movie.

The theme of glasses or other visual devices showing the true nature of things is a common one in literature, though I can’t think of any notable ones right now, except I think I remember something about a  Seeing Stone in The Spiderwick Chronicles, but I haven’t seen that.

I’m going to pretend I chose this movie this week in honor of Google’s announcement of Project Glass.

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Charlie’s Angels

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Charlie's Angels. Columbia Pictures 2000.

Before watching the movie:

Action. Comedy. Probably little to do with the TV series, but attached to one anyway. Angels.

Apparently the martial arts angle is an addition to the TV series. Having only been exposed to promos for the movies and that famous bathing suit photo of Farrah Fawcett, fighting is an integral part of my understanding of the show. Not that watching the movie is going to help me understand what else there was (probably espionage infiltrations).

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Highlander

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Highlander.Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment 1986.

Before watching the movie:

While I know the basics of the Highlander series, I’ve never seen the television series or movies. I know the fact that there are movies plural is bad, but this is the good one.

I guess the plot is just a bad Immortal hunting a good Immortal, which as I understand it is pretty much the television show boiled down into a one-installment plot.

Sean Connery mentors the centuries-old main character, because he needs training for some reason.

It sounds like an excellent example of modern fantasy or magical realism, depending on how much the Immortals’ magic is involved.

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Kelly’s Heroes

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Kelly's Heroes. Metro Goldwyn Meyer 1970.

Before watching the movie:

I was a little skeptical on this recommendation when I first received it. I never expect much from films older than thirty years for some reason, but being self-aware of that fact, I eventually looked into it, and realized it’s not a war drama or straight action, but a comedy. And when comedy and explosions are mixed… well, it’s usually better than Sgt. Bilko (the Steve Martin film. Jury’s still out on how Phil Silvers did).

I never would have expected to see Clint Eastwood and Don Rickles in the same movie, or really Don Rickles in any movie. I thought he was all standup other than voiceovers like Toy Story.

Anyway, this looks like a war heist comedy… somehow.

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Mars Attacks!

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Mars Attacks!. Warner Bros. Pictures 1996.

Before watching the movie:

I’ve always expected this film to be modern camp. A film with modern sensibilities and humor that’s unashamed to be cut from the same cloth as old-fashioned B-movies. That’s the story sold by the advertising anyway, which isn’t always the most trustworthy.

This is definitely offbeat, but it doesn’t seem like Tim Burton’s style of offbeat. For one thing, it appears to have a distinct lack of Johnny Depp. This must have been one of his last films before he started making the same movie every time.

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