Diggstown isn’t the Muhammad Ali of cinema, but it sneaks up on you like a tricky left hook and leaves more of a mark than you might have expected. The tale is a simple one: a group of hustlers compete with a small-town tyrant to fix the fights in an epic boxing marathon and reap a huge payout. It’s one part sports and one part heist, with plenty of quips and action along the way. Continue reading
Blind Fury is a fun little chunk of 1980s action cheese about a blind Vietnam War vet played by Rutger Hauer who fights with a sword hidden in his cane to protect a bratty kid from gangsters. The film is a weird grab-bag of R-rated violence, cornball comedy and the occasional stab at melodrama. Overall, it’s 25% intentionally silly, 25% unintentionally silly, and 50% actually pretty cool. You won’t always be sure whether you’re laughing at the film or with it, and it doesn’t really matter. Continue reading
Turbo Kid is Mad Max for the Nintendo generation. This Canadian-New Zealander production is a gory and zany twist on the standard post-apocalyptic story. Like Hobo With a Shotgun (another cheap Canadian gorefest), the film takes its low budget and ridiculous premise as part of the charm and aims squarely for tongue-in-cheek comedy thrills. If you liked that movie, you’ll definitely like this one. Continue reading
Miami Connection is about Tae Kwon Do blackbelt orphans who play in a rock band called Dragon Sound and fight a motorcycle gang of drug-dealing ninjas. I don’t think a feature film could physically contain more awesomeness than that. Of course, the execution could not possibly live up to that premise. The film is a bizarre hodgepodge of half-baked ideas, regrettable attempts at drama, clumsy stabs at comedy, terrible synth rock music and graphic ninja violence. It’s amazing. Continue reading
Streets of Fire is a unique action movie written and directed by the underappreciated Walter Hill. Billed as a “Rock ‘n Roll Fable,” it’s set in an alternate-reality 1980s where the styles and culture of the 1950s never died. This is a world of hot rods, greasers, diners and rockabilly. With its focus on a gritty but fantastical setting, the film can be easily seen a spiritual successor to Hill’s previous film The Warriors, which also dealt with street crime in a brutal but oddly fanciful world. Continue reading
The Warrior (aka Musa or Musa – The Warrior) is a Korean historical action film directed by Kim Sung-su. Although not particularly well known today, the movie was Korea’s largest production upon its release and served as a bit of a coming-out party for Korean cinema. The 2000s saw a rapid increase in quality Korean films, many of which made splashes stateside. Unfortunately, The Warrior itself largely fell through the cracks, but it’s never too late to check out an overlooked classic. Continue reading
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