Now THIS is a Saturday Night movie! Five Elements Ninjas is one of my top five favorite martial arts films of all time. The Shaw Brothers serve up a heaping helping of nearly non-stop, insane, bloody ninja action. The film is often ridiculous, and utterly improbable, but it all works together beautifully somehow. Enjoy with your favorite psychoactive for maximum impact.
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Here’s a very amusing action / comedy by Ben Wheatley (High Rise). Like I said before, you should really see all his films. The tag line tells you what you need to know… “All guns. No control.” Yes please.
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If you are not interested in ‘70s TV cop shows you will want to skip this recommendation. I don’t normally talk about television series here, but the feature-length pilot of the this gritty old cop drama was too irresistible. Please note the following important features: Dirty old LA, Richard Lynch as an uncredited hitman, a scene in a porno movie theatre, an appearance by a young Gordon Jump from WKRP, music by Lalo Schrifin (Mission Impossible, Enter the Dragon, Dirty Harry) and Hutch / David Soul’s sweet-ass leather jacket. I was impressed by the quality of the film-making too. That probably has a lot to do with the fact that it was helmed by Barry Shear, who also directed Across 110th Street.
I used to watch this show as a kid and had never seen this pilot. Obviously it was a lot of fun for me. I think anyone not into ‘70s TV crime shows would think it was just an old police action movie with all the blood and nudity cut out. I understand but I still can’t believe this was broadcast to every home from coast to coast. Starsky and Hutch seems to have begun with the idea that they would push the limit of what network censors would tolerate as much as possible. It really was a different world back then.
If you’ve never seen anything from Werner Herzog other than his many documentaries, this is mandatory viewing. The two standout components of the film are Klaus Kinski’s amazing performance and the beautiful score by Krautrock legends Popol Vuh. Pay close attention to one of the early scenes of a seemingly endless line of people winding around a narrow mountain path. I have no idea how Herzog managed to pull off this shot. It’s one of the most beautiful moments in the history of cinema. Please note that at first the film may appear cropped, but the nearly-square aspect ratio (1.37 : 1) is how it was originally filmed.
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My girlfriend and I have an expression we use a lot – “Ten Times Pam Grier” (emphasis on ten times with pauses between the words). It works for many purposes. This comes from the time we saw a 35mm print of Coffy with a Pam Grier Q&A after. A very enthusiastic fan said the above words to Ms. Grier and followed by “I’ve seen this movie ten times,” and many kind words about the actress. Pam loved it, and I love this movie. It’s easily my favorite blaxploitation film, and you can watch a nicely restored version on Amazon Prime.
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I could write a lot about the many pluses and minuses of Dario Argento, but I will restrain myself. I saw an interview where the director said he didn’t care for The Cat o’ Nine Tails because it was too straight-forward. I love it. This is a pretty bloodless murder mystery. It was rated PG no less, but I think they had to cut a couple of graphic death scenes to get that certification. Those scenes have been restored on the versions available now as far as I know. This movie also features one of the catchiest Ennio Morricone theme songs. The Cat o’ Nine Tails is an excellent example of the giallo subgenre. Yes, it’s somewhat tame, but should not be missed.
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This was my first Takashi Miike experience. I was lucky enough to see a 35mm print at the Philadelphia Film Fest (thank you Travis Crawford). I am always hunting for fast paced movies. This is one of the fastest! Dead or Alive is crazy, hyperactive action from start to finish. If you can forgive a little cheap looking CG at the end, this movie is a blast (pun intended).
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For a while there Italy was making the best crime thrillers in the world. They were initially inspired by Dirty Harry so you should know what to expect. The subgenre is called poliziotteschi and there’s a ton of these films to sift through. The Big Racket is one of my top favorites of this style, and I give it my highest recommendation.
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This was written by Taylor Sherridan, who wrote Sicario, so I knew it’d be good. Good? Nope, it’s excellent (although his work after this got a bit uneven). While not as action-packed as his previous film, this is a tight, well-made drama with some shocking bursts of violence. It’s a shame I never hear anyone talk about this film. It is not to be missed.
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