Movieline Online

New York City and Rome share a common 20 th  century evolution.  They both transformed themselves from crime-ridden urinals to functional tourist attractions.  And while both cities are a whole lot better economically and sociologically today, the 1970’s offered up a far richer cinematic canvas.  NYC got stunners like  The French Connection  and  Serpico , while the Italians unleashed a wave of  poliziotteschi  – crime and action films that turned the streets of Rome into a live-action game of Nintendo’s  Duck Hunt . Convoy Busters  (1978) stars Maurizio Merli (more on him later) as Inspector Olmi, a  Dirty Harry -style cop who insists that crime must be answered with immediate and deadly punishment, usually via the barrel end of his revolver.  But after his methods prove too much for the administration to handle, Olmi is shipped away to a quiet seaside town where his gun can stay holstered.  ...

Even spaghetti western completists will admit that the genre can get ridiculously repetitive.  But the Italian film industry was nothing if not adaptable.  So when the kung fu craze began to hit hard overseas, they came up with the next best thing.   Shanghai Joe  (1973) is an East meets West action combo that finds a Chinese martial arts master wandering the Texas border righting social injustices and defending himself against a vengeful ranch owner. Directed with clumsy enthusiasm by Mario Caiano, by all rights this film should be a mess.  But instead, it winds up delivering everything it promises on the poster…and then some!  Earning his nickname on a stagecoach ride from  St.  Francisco (the Italians aren’t particular about details) to the Texas frontier, Shanghai Joe (Chen Lee) attempts to earn as honest living as a cowboy.  But after embarrassing a racist ranch owner, Joe finds himself hunted by a quartet of hir...

Michael Mann almost singlehandedly defined the ‘80s.  His brooding take on the cops and robbers genre bounced from the big screen ( Thief ) to the small screen ( Miami Vice ) and back again ( Manhunter ).  His approach elevated these simple stories to Shakespearean heights, riding a wave of neon-soaked noir visuals and trendy synth beats.  It earned him a slew of box-office successes, opening up the playbook to include biographies and epic period pieces.  But, for all his technical skills, Mann works best at street level.  And 2015’s  Blackhat  finds the director leaning hard into what put him on top in the first place: clever criminals, flawed heroes, and lots and lots of riding around in cars. Conditionally released from prison to help the feds (and the Chinese government) track down a hacker manipulating the markets and sabotaging nuclear power facilities, Nick Hathaway (Chris Hemsworth) is initially in the game for purely s...

Within the martial arts genre, women have  never  been thought of as second rate.  Michelle Yeoh’s recent Oscar win might be an outlier (hopefully not the last) here in the States, but in Hong Kong she was part of a wave of female stars who kicked butt even  harder  than the boys. The  In the Line of Duty  series, which began with two films starring Yeoh then swapped her out for Cynthia Khan, are amped-up examples of the golden age of Hong Kong filmmaking…and proof that it doesn’t take a Y chromosome to take down the bad guys!   Yes, Madam!  (1985) was Michelle Yeoh’s first starring role and it’s one hell of an introduction.  After thwarting an armored truck robbery in grand style, Inspector Ng (Yeoh) is paired up with Scottish investigator Carrie Morris (Cynthia Rothrock) to recover a missing microfilm that’s accidently passed through the hands of a group of dimwitted thieves.  The tone of this one bounces schiz...

Now that playing videogames is an actually career choice, the premise behind  The Last Starfighter  doesn't seem to be quite the fantasy it once was.  But director Nick Castle's take on the Arthurian legend is still drenched in Spielbergian Americana balanced with breakthrough computer effects that might not seem quite as revolutionary today.  But for those of us who shared Alex Rogan's dream of being plucked from obscurity to become an intergalactic hero, the film remains an imaginative bit of pre-teen wish fulfillment that has aged as well as anything from the era when Slurpees and Stargate were the height of pre-teen pop culture. Stuck plunging toilets at his mom's trailer park, Alex's (Lance Guest) dream of escaping to college with his girlfriend Maggie (Catherine Mary Stewart) is crushed when his student loan is denied.  But after breaking the record on the local Starfighter machine, an alien talent scout (Robert Preston) whisks him off to Ry...

Sam Peckinpah will probably never earn the accolades of peers like John Ford or Howard Hawks, pioneers in the western genre who left a cinematic trail of wagon ruts every other filmmaker has been forced to follow.  His attempts at fitting into the conventional idea of Hollywood filmmaking ( Major Dundee ,  The Cincinnati Kid)  resulted in controversy, dismissal and eventual blacklisting.  He’d win back redemption and  then some  with 1969’s  The Wild Bunch , kickstarting an equally argumentative second career, but the project that got him back into the industry’s good graces was an hour-long TV gig for  ABC Stage 67  entitled  Noon Wine .   Based on a short novel by Katherine Anne Porter, the story follows a layabout dairy farmer, Royal Thompson (Jason Robards) and his long-suffering wife Ellie (Olivia de Havilland) whose marriage gets thrown an unexpected lifeline in the form of Olaf Helton, a mysterious drifter whos...

Even hardcore martial arts fans will admit that not  every  film is worth watching.  With the sheer amount of product pushed out from Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest at the height of the kung-fu craze, quite a few lesser efforts slipped through the cracks, many serving as a training ground for new talent on the way up.  So even if the final product – like 1976’s  Hand of Death  - is aggressively average, there’s bound to be some novelty when it comes to the talent involved.  Names like John Woo, Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung are sure to attract interest.  But put them all in the same film and you’ve got yourself some must-see viewing!   Yet another showcase for the mythical shaolin brotherhood, here a monk, Yun Fei, is sent to exact vengeance on a ruthless warlord, Shih Shao-Feng, who’s made a long list of enemies throughout the province.   Yun Fei assembles a team of talented fighters to defeat Shao-Feng and ...

Jackie Chan’s failed attempts to break into the U.S. market – which included  The Big Brawl, Cannonball Run and  The Protector  – turned out to be a blessing for us all.  He returned to Hong Kong with a chip on his shoulder, pushing the envelope with each new film: inventive action scenes, bigger stunts and increasingly dangerous feats of physical skill.  And it all peaked with 1992’s  Supercop , the third entry in Chan’s  Police Story franchise, a full-throttle series of shoot-outs, sight gags and stunts that one-up each other for an inspired 96 minutes. Sent undercover to take-down a drug czar, supercop Kai-Kui (Chan) teams up with a hardnosed Chinese military official (Michelle Yeoh) to infiltrate the organization and stop the contraband at its source.  But when their cover is finally blown, our duo must rely on their martial arts skills to save Kai-Kui’s fiancé and take down an army of bad guys on – and  above  – the s...

Every year the history of cinema gets a little longer.  And every year it gets harder to convince the next generation that what came before them was worthwhile.  So, kudos to VCI Entertainment for packaging up all 13 installments of the serial adventure flick  The Green Hornet  (1940), a socially-conscious minded superhero story adapted from the hit radio show of the same name.   Much of the success of the translation to the screen can be laid at the feet of its creators, who insisted on carrying over much of the programs signature elements, including the voice of Al Hodge who dubs in for the masked avenger whenever he kicks into action.  Structured as a weekly cliffhanger, the Hornet finds himself in a tight spot at the end of each episode, only to make a miraculous escape in the next reel.   The set-up involves a young newspaper editor, Britt Reid (played by Gordon Jones), who uses his secret identity to right the wrongs his newspaper ...

Jackie Chan’s success in America was long overdue.  While hardcore fans still dismiss films like  Rush Hour and  Shanghai Noon  as watered-down versions of his earlier work, Chan finally had the financial clout to do things  his  way.  And his first outside-the-box Hong Kong production was  Gorgeous  (1999), of all things a fairy-tale romantic comedy with Chan falling for a girl (Shu Qi) over twenty years his junior.  It’s an awkward fit, with several martial arts sequences shoehorned into the storyline…one of which is a boxing battle for the ages between Jackie and late stunt coordinator Brad Allan.   Lured to Hong Kong by a romantic message in a bottle, Bu (Shu Qi) arrives to find her dream man is, instead, a gay make-up artist who tutors her in the finer points of love.  She uses her charms to woo C. N. Chan (Jackie Chan), a romantically-challenged millionaire whose business dealings make him a target for...

Exploitation films, by their nature, are designed go too far.  Whether the intention is to shock, titillate or disgust, the goal is to go at least one step further than the audience will expect.  1982’s  Calamity of Snakes  takes on the challenge and  succeeds , at least in terms of unsimulated animal violence shown on screen.  Essentially a “snake snuff film,” this Hong Kong via Taiwanese production proceeds to chop, slice, dice, stomp, chew and burn its way through hundreds of reptiles to, ironically, tell the story of snakes wreaking vengeance against an unscrupulous real estate developer. After mercilessly killing a nest of snakes with an excavator for slowing down construction of new condominiums, those responsible see the luxury high-rise invaded by an army of slithering death.  Recruiting a kung-fu snake charmer and guilt-ridden architect, humanity fights a losing battle as the serpents surround party guests at the swanky ope...

The demise of the  professional  film critic was lauded by most casual movie fans as something long overdue.  After all, no one wants to hear some failed artist tearing apart their favorite writer, director, star or franchise.  There’s some strange sort of fan propriety than reacts to any criticism with almost parental violence.  Of course, the criticism hasn’t stopped, it’s only become increasingly fragmented…and increasingly uneducated.  The studios finally have exactly what they want: an audience whose opinions can be manipulated with a trending social media post or empty-headed influencer.  Who knew the democratization of film criticism would have us pining for the days of Pauline Kael. Who is Pauline Kael?  Well, if Siskel & Ebert were the curmudgeonly uncles stuck in the balcony tossing off well-intentioned insults, Kael was the aunt whose cutting remark or unexpected praise were the talk of family reunions ...

Most of us have ceased to appreciate the golden age of home video we’re now enjoying.  In fact, if an obscure horror movie  isn’t  presented in blemish-free 4K glory with interviews from cast, crew and an overly excited podcaster, the internet gets its collective knickers in a bunch.  So  Lover’s Lane , a tossed-together 1999 slasher sporting an early role for Anna Faris, probably won’t earn it any more accolades or notoriety.  Quite honestly, it might not deserve them.  But it  is  another sterling example of niche companies over-delivering on the sort of deluxe treatment even fans might not expect.  The murder of a pair of cheating spouses circles back on their children 13 years later when the maniac held responsible breaks out of the asylum.  Now another generation of teens is threatened by the “The Hook” as he works his way through their gang of cheerleaders, jocks and social misfits.   Lover’s Lane...

Jackie Chan was never content with his role as the “next Bruce Lee.”  In fact, he took the reins of his career quite early by working with trusted collaborators and, finally, directing films himself.  1985’s  Heart of Dragon was an obvious attempt to prove that he was more than just a comedic stuntman, pairing up with Sammo Hung (who also directed) in a family drama with just enough action to keep the hardcore fans happy.   Tat (Chan) is a cop struggling to balance his work and romantic life while taking care of his mentally challenged brother, Dodo (Hung), who all the neighborhood kids simply refer to as “Chubby.”  But when the pair get mixed up in a jewel robbery, family loyalty gets pushed to the limit as the brothers get caught on the wrong side of the law… and  the bad guys.   Years ahead of  Rain Man  and  Dominick and Eugene , the film certainly has its heart in the right place.  And Sammo’s performance as...

The 1960s was a rough time for cinema.  Lacking the Atomic age innovation of the ‘50s and the creative freedom of the ‘70s, it was defined by the slow decay of the studio system and evolving audiences that weren’t so easy to pin down.  It wasn’t until the tail end of the decade that filmmakers found some solid footing in the form of counter-culture independents and outer-space spectacles.  But the same year as  Easy Rider  and  2001 , there were still movies like  The Assassination Bureau  desperately vying for attention in a world that seemed to be passing them by.  On the edge of World War 1, a clandestine organization of killers for hire is outed by a budding female journalist, Sonia Winter (Diana Rigg), who hires the chairman, Ivan Dragomiloff (Oliver Reed), to assassinate himself.  Always up for a challenge, Ivan sees the contract as a chance to test the mettle of his employees…and snuff out the secret plot of hi...

No matter how many franchises it spawns on the big screen, the science-fiction genre is still perceived as inherently  uncool .  Even the combined directorial might of Kubrick, Spielberg and Cameron haven’t been able to overcome the idea of pew-pew laser guns and rocket ships on a string.  But maybe that’s for the best.  Maybe pulp sci-fi should always be a little left of center when it comes to pop culture.  It’s what makes filmmakers like Jeff Twohy seem like they’re making these sorts of films because they genuinely love the genre…not because it’s trendy.   The Grand Tour  (1991) was Twohy’s first time behind the camera after penning a pair of reasonably well received genre flicks:  Critters 2  and  Warlock .  And unlike his later  Riddick  films which would lean heavy into the macho tradition of Edgar Rice Burroughs, here he’s following the Spielberg  roadmap to the letter, pulling in...

Streaming all-but destroyed the idea of listening to music in any particular order.   Suddenly carefully crafted albums (not to mention mixtapes) were obsolete, consumed in a random algorithm of greatest hits.  Sure, a great song can stand alone, but it’s even better in context.  What the hell does that have to do with  The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk ? Well, the Jet Li / Cory Yuen joint contains what is arguably one of the best fight scenes in the modern kung fu era, one that could easily be enjoyed as a stand-alone highlight reel of Hong Kong action cinema…but the movie around it ain’t half bad either! A carefree trouble-maker, Fong Sai-Yuk (Jet Li) is constantly being bailed out of trouble by his mother (Josephine Siao), whose kung-fu skills equal or rival his own.  But when a Manchu conspiracy and impending wedding vows put her son in hot water, it takes the entire Fong family to set things right.   Plot-wise,  The Legend  ...

Self-reflexivity in cinema is nothing new.  In fact, it’s at work in  every  piece of art whether the audience is consciously aware of it or not.   But the line between reality and our perceived version of ourselves has never been thinner thanks to social media and the digital revolution.  Takeshi Kushida’s  Woman of the Photographs approaches the dichotomy of this illusory state of being with an equally fuzzy lens, making a case for revealing our true selves while existing in a hyper-stylized artistic creation.   Quietly ensconced in his studio, a photographer ekes out a living by retouching glamour shots of women for prospective matchmaking websites.  But his chance meeting with an influencer changes their lives after untouched photographs of her accidental injuries create a big boost in followers.  Their relationship develops into a co-dependency in which both have an opportunity for escape from their self-cre...

Stop-motion animator Phil Tippett earned some belated buzz with the release of his long-gestating epic  Mad God  (2021) which premiered on Shudder last year.  The grotesque post-apocalyptic project might have been a hard sell  commercially , but as a piece of adult-oriented, almost experimental, sci-fi / horror it was unique in its field.  But maybe not as unique as you think… Takehide Hori’s  Junk Head  (2021), set in a very similar dystopian underground of monsters, mutants and the remnants of malformed mankind, is a more accessible take on the same material.  Expanded from a 2017 short, Hori lets his imagination run wild, but grounds the experience with manga-style fight scenes and a (semi) traditional narrative that makes his hero’s journey easier to follow…and easier to root for.   Dispatched into the underworld to uncover the secret of sexual reproduction, which Man has somehow lost, an unnamed heroic android falls into t...

Women seem to be alternately fascinated and horrified by the mysteries of male-bonding.  Perhaps because men themselves can’t be bothered.  We love, hate, embrace, envy, forgive and forget with the same self-centered, unselfconsciousness we were born with.  I can’t speak for all men, but I  can  predict that another one wouldn’t take the time to correct me.  And that’s the sneaky appeal of 1976’s French road movie  Le Plein de Super  ( Fill ‘er Up with Super ), an off-the-cuff comedy that captures the burgeoning friendship between four men who find solace in their temporary camaraderie.   Klouk and Philippe have just begun their cross-country journey to deliver a Chevy station wagon to its wealthy owner on the coast when they’re all-but hijacked by Charles and Daniel, hard-up and romantically-challenged roommates who come along for the ride.  What begins as a tense trip in close quarters evolves into an opportuni...

Martial arts films are far from a one-man (or woman) show.  In fact, it takes a small army of tightly choreographed stunt people to get all those kicks, punches, leaps and flips just right.  And, just like a romantic comedy, some chemistry is better than others.   Knockabout  (1979) pairs two of more famous graduates of the China Drama Academy -  Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao -  who, along with Jackie Chan, graduated from background actors to full-fledged stars under the Golden Harvest banner.    Two con artist brothers – Yipao (Yuen Biao) and Taipao (Bryan Leung) - fall under the tutelage of a mysterious kung fu master, Silver Fox, who agrees to pass on his skills.  Quickly excelling as students, their choice turns out to be a bad one as the master is a wanted criminal who turns on them to cover his tracks.  In a quest for revenge, Yipao takes on an eccentric new teacher, Fat Beggar (Sammo Hung), whose...