Netflix Recommendation: 'Making Fun - The Story of Funko'

by robotGEEK

I'll admit right up front that I'm not a fan of the Funko Pop figures. While I've been collecting toys for over 30 years, and still do to this day, these just don't do anything for me. Yet, I know I'm in the minority here because these Pop figures are such a huge business now and they just keep growing and growing, with people just going absolutely crazy for anything and everything Funko Pop.

So when I saw this documentary land on Netflix, I was still interested in watching it because after all, I am a toy collector, and would probably enjoy the doc more than I do the toys, and I was right. Considering I'm not a fan of this toyline, I have to admit, this was a really fun and highly informative documentary on how Funko got their start (with bobbleheads believe it or not), and how they grew substantially over the years out of it's creator's garage into one of the leading toy companies on the planet, with no signs of slowing down.

One of the biggest surprises for me, besides learning of it's original inseption as a bobblehead maker, was the big name interviews found within where we hear firsthand from cult stars such as Elvira, Lou Ferrigno and Robert Englund (just to name a few), and their take on their respective characters toys. And you know, it was so pleasant to see not only the big name movie and music stars talk about these, but to see how passionate these creators, artists, company heads and employees all are about this. It really does come across like one giant happy family and makes the experience of watching this all the more endearing.

Making Fun: The Story of Funko is now currently streaming on Netflix.

90's Action Attack: Broken Arrow (1996)

John Woo's Sophomore Effort in the U.S. 

is Better Than You Might Remember

by robotGEEK

Broken Arrow just doesn't get the love it deserves as a pretty great action film. Released in 1996, this excellent actioner carries with it an importance in nearly everyone's career involved, most notably legendary Hong Kong director John Woo, who took the world by storm with such die-hard action classics such as A Better Tomorrow, The Killer and Hard Boiled. Jean-Claude Van Damme is credited for bringing Woo over to the states to direct Hard Target, easily one of JCVD's best films and an excellent action classic in it's own right. Woo would follow that up with this film 3 years later, followed by Face/Off (one of his best) in '97, and a few other U.S. productions, most notably Mission Impossible 2, before heading back to his native Hong Kong for good after the dismal reception of Paycheck.

Then there's Travolta. Having been released in '96, Broken Arrow found Travolta in a huge career resurgence after the breakout success of Pulp Fiction in 1994, and he was one of the biggest, most in demand actors in Hollywood again, and Travolta took full advantage of this newfound fame by releasing 3-4 films a year around this time. Broken Arrow would mark his first foray into the action genre, which he would continue the following year with the excellent Face/Off, collaborating once again with director John Woo. Christian Slater was in a good place here, with a career that saw no signs of fading at this point, and while this might be the first time seeing him jumping through the air shooting bad guys a la The Killer and Hard Boiled, he handled it like a pro.

But back to the film. I actually hadn't seen this in quite a few years, but had an itching to revisit it, and I'm so glad I did because it was a helluva lot of fun, and I walked away thinking "I wish John Woo would go back to making films like this again". I really do. While he doesn't mark the film with the same amount of awesome insanity found in Hard Target and Face/Off, it's still enough to make it look and feel like a classic John Woo film, even if the subject might seem a bit out of his range.

The constant "buildup" in here is probably what impressed me the most. It never fails to feel like it's constantly building up to something bigger in the next scene, and progresses into a full-on balls-to-the-walls action film as we move along, culminating to a kickass third act that delivers the action goods on an insane level. And I think that a lot of that, next to Woo himself, can be attributed to Speed screenwriter Graham Yost. Yost does a great job in building up the tension and threat level to fever pitch by the time we get to that third act, where all hell breaks loose aboard a train. Through the use of some impressive modelwork, and a Travolta dummy, the action takes center stage and closes out the film in a big way.

One of the best things about Broken Arrow, which sports an incredibly diverse cast of excellent actors by the way, is getting to see Travolta go full-on Nicolas Cage crazy in here. He starts off fairly tame, but you sense a cockiness immediately, before ultimately letting loose turning crazy in the same way he perfected the Nicolas Cage impression in Face/Off.

While not quite as effective or as great as the two of John Woo's other U.S. productions that bookend this one (Hard Target and Face/Off), there's still plenty to love here. One could argue that compared to those other two, it's a much simpler film, and in a sense it is, but it never fails to deliver the fun, action and excitement; not for a single minute. In fact, I think I'm going to upgrade my old DVD to Blu, which you can pickup really cheap these days.

80's Thriller Throwback: Gotcha! (1985)

Guess What? Gotcha! is not a comedy

by robotGEEK

Gotcha! is a film I vividly recall seeing on my local video store shelves quite often back in the 80's. Yet, as often as I would frequent those stores, I never actually rented this one. And I don't recall ever seeing it land on HBO or Cinemax back in the day either, which is how I normally would have seen it if I didn't rent it on VHS. But I've always been aware of this film, even if nothing about it necessarily stood out to me and actually made me want to rent it.

When I recently revisited the 90's Wesley Snipes "Die Hard on a plane" actioner Passenger 57, I decided to look up what the writer and director had also done, and discovered that Dan Gordon not only wrote Passenger 57, but also this little-mentioned 80's classic Gotcha!. I was intrigued enough by that odd little connection to Passenger 57 to finally seek this out, so let's dig in.

I have to be honest, this was quite the pleasant surprise for more reasons than one. For starters, I fully expected this to be an 80's comedy. But this is not an 80's comedy. While it does begin as one, it quickly morphs into a pretty great espionage thriller that, while not nearly as great or unique, reminded me a lot of the excellent Miracle Mile, another thriller starring Anthony Edwards. Yet that doesn't take away from the sheer enjoyment of this, because while it may not be all that original, it carefully hits all the right notes in delivering a solid Cat & Mouse thriller that takes us through the streets of France, East Germany and back home to the United States.

I think I half-expected this to be a comedy about paint ball games, which isn't all that difficult to believe since that is what it seemed to be advertised as.....to me anyway. But the reality is that this is a pretty effective thriller where our protagonist Jonathan (Anthony Edwards), goes to France on a school trip, where he meets a beautiful woman named Sasha (Linda Fiorintino), and the two seemingly fall mad in love. He then follows her to East Germany for a "job" she has to do, which involves picking up and delivering an item. They soon get separated in Germany and Jonathan is being hunted by a group of crazed German hitmen and he has no idea why. Once he discovers that, unbeknownst to him, Sasha has hidden a top secret roll of film in his backpack, his idealistic fantasy, and most importantly, his relationship with Sasha, begins to unravel and all may not be what it seems. When he returns to America, the hitmen are still hot on his trail, as well as the CIA, and Jonathan uses his paint ball game knowledge to help fend them off and uncover the truth.

The mounting tension, chase sequences, foreign locales and strong performances, most notably by Edwards and a gorgeous Linda Fiorintino, all elevate the material to something far more potent than you expect. Even when the film attempts a more light tone here and there, it's never too much to sway it from it's strong "thriller" vibe, and that's a good thing, because above all else, Gotcha!, believe it or not, is a surprisingly great espionage thriller.

I think one of the more surprising aspects of this is that it comes courtesy of Revenge of the Nerds director Jeff Kanew, who's mainly stuck to comedy in his career, having directed other comedy classics such as Tough Guys, Troop Beverly Hills and V.I. Warchowski. So the fact that he delivered this film in such a polished way in the chase-thriller genre kind of had me floored. Too bad he didn't continue to explore this genre more in his career.

I'm not saying this is one of the best thrillers ever made, but it damn sure is a helluva great one that delivers the goods consistently and keeps you invested throughout. The fact that it's a thriller at all and not a comedy like I assumed may be why I enjoyed it so much, but that doesn't mean it's not effective. Give it a shot, I think you'll be just as surprised as I was with how great it is.

Blu-Ray Review: Leatherface - Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (Warner Archive)

This Criminally Overlooked Sequel Finally Gets the Respect it Deserves

by robotGEEK

Being a life-long horror, and most importantly, a TCM fan, I'm always dumbfounded as to why this film isn't considered one of the best in the franchise, or that it isn't valued for it's intensity and craftsmanship as not only a solid sequel to a successful horror franchise, but as a great horror film in general.

Is it a perfect film? Certainly not. But it carries a lot of weight in terms of quality, and you'd be hard-pressed to find another film in this franchise that looks and feels like a true TCM sequel the way this one does. The fact that it was made and released in '89/'90 is just icing on the cake, giving the film a very dark and gritty tone that elevates the material significantly. Even better is that it was made before the "shaky-cam era", which means it's a slick looking film, courtesy of Stepfather 2 director Jeff Burr, who really outdid himself here and infuses the film with so much style and slick visuals, that it's easily one of the best looking films in the franchise.

I think part of this entries lack of success may be due to the lack of gore. While there is plenty of violence found throughout, it's pretty devoid of any real gore, which is surprising for a film like this. A lot of it either happens off camera, or is pretty tame, mostly due to it's editing. And of course, we only have the MPAA to blame for that, slapping this film with an X-Rating until significant cuts were made to appease the board. And sadly, most of that cut footage is either lost or destroyed, so we'll probably never get a true Uncut version of this great film. So what we did end up getting in the Unrated Version is a mere few seconds of extra violence that is barely noticeable in a few key scenes, but nothing that would warrant an "Uncut" title. Still, they did and it is what it is.

Up until this point, we had only ever gotten a standard DVD release that contained both the R-Rated theatrical version, and the Unrated version. Now, before you get excited, let me just say that the so-called Unrated Version is a bit misleading. While the legendary KNB Effects Group do state that there was a lot of great gore effects shot, we'll never see it unfortunately. As I mentioned earlier, it's just a few extra seconds that can be hard to even spot. Yet the film is still strong despite of that. It's constant sense of dread, coupled with Jeff Burr's slick camerawork make up for the lack of gore content in spades.

Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III is easily my favorite entry in the franchise, while Tobe Hoopers sequel seems to be everyone's favorite for all the reasons why I hate it. This one is the one I revisit the most and the one I was most excited about to hear of getting an upgrade to Blu-Ray. For a film that takes place primarily at night, the new 1080p HD upgrade is a major win for the film, where all of the DVD release's issues like graininess and muted blacks are corrected for the first time and we can get the full "quality" experience since it's original theatrical release. It took me a short while to finally grab this, but I'm so glad I did. So let's dig in.

The Specs:

You'll be happy to know that this is the 85 minute Uncut Version. Though the differences between this and the Theatrical Cut are minimal at best, I'm glad Warner Archive chose to go with this cut rather than the other one. The transfer is incredible, making everything "pop", most notably the plethora of dark black's, which permeate throughout the entire film. The film has never looked better and even if you're just a casual fan of this film, the Blu-Ray is a must own in your TCM colletion.

The Special Features include:

- Filmmaker Commentary
- The Saw is Family: Making of Leatherface Documentary
- We Know What to do With Them Parts: Deleted Scenes
- Alternate Ending
- Theatrical Ending


These all seem to be imported from it's previous DVD release since they're the exact same ones. I will say though, they're fun to dig through regardless because you get a lot of insight into the films troubled production. One of my favorite extra's though has to be the Teaser Trailer, which really is brilliant and one of the best trailers for a horror film ever made.

A true horror classic in my book, and a criminally disregarded sequel in the franchise that begs to be revisited. Now you get the chance to, in it's best possible presentation.

Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III is available from any of your favorite online Blu-Ray retailers.

80's Thriller Throwback: Looker (1981)

If Looks Could Kill...

by robotGEEK

When I recently posted about Michael Crichton's excellent and insanely underrated 80's thriller Runaway in a film group, it got a huge response by those who also loved it. In that same thread, someone mentioned this often overlooked thriller, saying that it was just as good and much like Runaway, also highly underrated. As luck would have it, I had just gotten it in the mail from Netflix that very week, making for a serendipitous moment. With this member's glowing recommendation, I decided to throw this on the very top of my "Watch Pile", so I could get to it soon. On that following Sunday afternoon I did just that. Let's dig in.

Looker is a film I remember playing on HBO a whole lot back in the early to mid 80's. In fact, it was one of those famous PG-Rated films that still had a surprising amount of nudity, making it an essential for a young guy growing up. Aahh, gotta love those 80's PG boobs! So I know I've seen it, but I don't remember a thing about it other than there being some sort of rad gun that did something unusual. Not surprisingly, the only thing I took away from this movie as a kid was the frequent nudity. But moving on.

One of the few films written and directed by Michael Crichton that wasn't based on one of his books, Looker is a sleek techno-noir thriller about a plastic surgeon (Albert Finney), who's patients are mysteriously dying at an alarming rate. When he decides to do some investigating, he discovers that they're all models tied to a company called Digital Matrix, who's clients are models seeking perfection. Soon Dr. Larry Roberts uncovers a scheme where models are being murdered, and he too is next on the list.

Looker is quite possibly a near perfect 80's thriller. The fact that it's not more well-known or loved just blows my mind. Crichton, fresh off the heels of Westworld and The Great Train Robbery, delivers a slick tech-noir thriller about technology, in a way that nobody had done before. Much like with his excellent Runaway, Crichton was able to predict real-world technology that was purely science fiction at the time, but would become a reality in the future. I won't spoil it for you here, but when or if you watch it, you'll know what I mean.

Crichton will never be known as a visual filmmaker. While most of his films all share some sort of common bond, like technology for example, he's never been one to infuse his films with an overabundance of visual eye candy. And that's one of my biggest issues with Runaway. As much as I love that movie, it's always bothered me that he sort of lazily shot that using handheld camerawork. But if there was any film that would push Crichton's limits and his ability to produce some beautiful images, it's Looker, which, in my opinion, just may be his most visually impressive film in his entire filmography. With the help of cinematographer Paul Lohmann, Crichton produces some incredibly impressive images, highlighting the late 70's/early 80's look and feel to great effect (i.e. the excellent fashions and decor), while also giving us some fantastic moments whenever the "tech" stuff came into play, like the computer sequences later in the film, or the "freeze gun" moments.

I think one of the strongest aspects of the film, aside from Crichton's slick direction and smart script, are the performances, namely Albert Finney, here as the plastic surgeon with a conscience. Unlike the typical route this characterization could have taken, Dr. Larry Roberts (Finney) cares about his patients mental well-being, and keeps a code of conduct by never dating his patients, even when they throw themselves at him. The Partridge Family and L.A. Law's Susan Dey does a fantastic job as free-spirited and flirty model whom Roberts vows to protect, and the rest of the cast is rounded out with some excellent character actors, most of whom you'll surely recognize.

Looker isn't a game-changer, but it does everything right in offering up ample amounts of tension, suspense and thrills, complete with a smart script, fantastic visuals and a time period that conveys fashion, art and decor in a very hyper-stylized glamorous way via the very early 80's. It's a fun time and a must-watch if you enjoy a great thriller.

How to see it:
Sadly, there's no Blu-Ray of this yet. But you can pick up the DVD for roughly $10 from any number of online retailers. Here's to hoping it will get the Blu-Ray treatment someday soon. But I will say, the DVD quality isn't bad at all.

A Second Look: Hero and the Terror

This 1988 Cannon Thriller Proves 
That Sometimes Less is More

by robotGEEK

Released in 1988, this often overlooked Chuck Norris thriller came out while his star was somewhat waning. Sure his films were still hitting theaters, but the quality of them was nothing compared to his mid 80's output with Cannon Films, and his ill-fated Karate Kommandos cartoon didn't last but 5 episodes. At times this thriller doesn't feel like a typical Norris film, yet at others it does, making it a unique entry in the Norris/Cannon Films years. But I've often found myself being drawn back to this for a revisit, which to me is a sign of a good film. Let's dig in.

Based on the book of the same name, Norris plays Danny O'Brien, a cop who captured and locked up infamous serial killer Simon Moon, also known as The Terror (Jack O'Halloran). Years later Moon escapes prison and begins his reign of terror once again. O'Brien is immediately suspicious that this is the work of Moon and since he was the one who was able to capture him before, feels he should be the one to do it again.

I think one of the most surprising aspects of this film is that there's virtually no action or thrills in this.....at all. There's a quick foot chase in the beginning, and then the showdown between Simon Moon and O'Brien (Norris) at the end, but the remainder of the film is virtually action-free. Instead we're treated to more of a procedural cop/thriller with ample amounts of suspense, as well as O'Brien's personal life, where he's dealing with a very pregnant girlfriend who's due to give birth at any moment, and the idea of marriage hanging over them. Still, that doesn't take away from the films enjoyment in the least. The film plays strongly as a cop/serial killer thriller and it does so by offering up some slick direction courtesy of William Tannen (Deadly Illusion, Flashpoint), and a strong "better than it needs to be" score by David Michael Frank (Hard to Kill, Out for Justice, Showdown in Little Tokyo). Seriously, the score is fantastic and makes the film appear bigger than it really is.

Despite it not being terribly exciting, it still finds ways to entertain. For instance, there's a pretty long sequence of Chuck Norris working out in a gym. It adds nothing to the movie's narrative per say, but it's a badass sequence that shows off Norris' impressive physique, usually covered in the film under layers of clothes and jackets. It also boasts a pretty killer supporting cast with Jack O'Halloran (Superman II) as the serial killer who is only ever shown in silhouette or shadows (a great decision that's incredibly effective) until the very end, making him to appear more monster-like, especially since he doesn't talk either.

And then there's a criminally underused Steve James, here as a fellow cop who kind of shows up for very brief moments before disappearing. It's a travesty and no way to treat such a legend. Why they didn't just cast him as O'Brien's partner I'll never understand. At least that no-name actor had a bigger part than James. While we're on the subject, the always reliable Billy Drago also shows up in here, albeit in a very minor role as Simon Moon's therapist. Just like with Steve James, he also feels a bit wasted here. Great cast for sure, it's just a shame James and Drago couldn't do more in this.

Hero and the Terror is a criminally overlooked gem. I strongly feel that it's one of his best films under the Cannon logo, even if it's not necessarily the standard action-oriented type of Norris film that we've come to expect. Yet, despite the fact that there isn't any action, the constant tension and suspense build up nicely to a very satisfying third act where our "Hero" and "The Terror" meet one final time. The slick visuals are a plus and Norris easily hands in one of his best performances to date. It may not be the most exciting film in his filmography, but when he's turned in so many turds, the good ones tend to stand out, and this is definitely one of his best.

My only real complaints are that Steve James was so criminally underused here, and sometimes it felt like the film spent too much time on O'Brien's personal life, namely his emotional wife and their issues, where it doesn't lead anywhere. You would think that with all the time they spend on O'Brien and his wife, who's just about to give birth and in the process of moving in together, that she would have been victim to Simon Moon at some point, or used as a pawn to get to O'Brien. Yet she doesn't, and ultimately it's just a tedious subplot that leads nowhere.

Minor issues aside, Hero and the Terror, while not great or anything special, is a serviceable and slickly made thriller that tends to get overlooked, when the reality is that it's a pretty entertaining thriller with a bigger production value than most other Norris films from around this time. I find myself revisiting this every few years and if that's any indication, then maybe you should too.

Blu-Ray Review: The Taking of Beverly Hills (Kino Lorber)

This Forgotten 90's Action Classic Finally Gets a Much Deserved Upgrade

by robotGEEK

In case you didn't already know it, The Taking of Beverly Hills is one of my favorite action movies. Not that that's all too surprising though, right? It has everything I love in a cheesy 90's action flick in spades, and boy does it deliver. I remember this being a film I caught randomly on TV (probably HBO or Cinemax) back in the 90's and sort of forgetting about it ever since. Flash forward a few decades and I randomly snagged this on VHS on eBay; threw it on one Monday afternoon on my day off and proceeded to have just the best time. It's a highly absurd slice of 90's Badass Cinema that caters to that very niche genre (the terrorist and the wrong place/wrong time/wrong guy who has to stop him) where you really have to suspend belief to enjoy it. But I'll be damned if I didn't enjoy every single second of it. I legitimately had the best time revisiting this.

What I love about this is that it's pretty much a nonstop ride of action and explosions (I'm talking about mansions literally getting blown to shit and a tank destroying half of Beverly Hills), where our protagonist, a rich football star (Ken Wahl), teams up with a cop (Matt Frewer) to stop this band of terrorists who have taken over the city, all played to a highly eclectic, yet fun and amusing 90's soundtrack that includes Janet Jackson's Black Cat and Faith No More's Epic to name a few. It's just a great time, plain and simple. It also works as a fascinating time capsule of 1991. You'll surely enjoy the mullets, big shoulder pads and dated decor immensely.

One of this film's most impressive qualities is in the casting of the legendary Robert Davi as the villain. Davi, as most of you all know, is always a genuine badass and makes any film he appears in so much better, and it's no different here. His presence alone elevates the material substantially.

Another element that doesn't get nearly enough respect about this particular film is just how fantastic it looks. Directed by Sidney J. Furie, a director who's made both good films (Iron Eagle, The Entity) and terrible films (Superman IV), with cinematography by Frank Johnson (The A-Team series), The Taking of Beverly Hills oozes style out of every pore, giving it such a slick aesthetic that it could very easily pass for one of the early Die Hard films. That's how great this thing looks, and now that we have this new HD transfer, I think more people will finally be given the chance to notice and appreciate that.

For starters, Kino's transfer is great, there's no question about that. But one of the biggest benefits from this new release is being able to see it in widescreen in HD for the first time here in the states. Before this, the only available widescreen version of this film was on Laserdisc, and with LD's having long been extinct, this particular release often goes for big money. I rarely ever found it for under $50, which could be because of it's rarity or the fact that it was the only way to ever see it in its proper aspect ratio. Either way, it was expensive and our only other option was VHS, in full frame. I could be wrong, but I'm not aware of an official DVD release of this here in the U.S., until Kino Lorber came along.

Like much of Kino's releases, this is pretty devoid of extras, save for a commentary by film historian Howard S. Berger and Sidney J. Furie biographer Daniel Kremer. You also get a trailer of the film. It's always a shame Kino doesn't go the extra mile and produce some new interviews or any other extra's that we really want to see. I'd love to see Ken Wahl come out of retirement and talk about his experience making this, his first and only big attempt at being a big budget action star after his highly successful Wiseguy TV show. Or hell, even Matt Frewer or director Sidney J. Furie. But alas, we got none of that. Luckily the transfer and sound quality are top notch. So you pretty much just get a great looking film, but that's it.

If you love action, and miss the big budget action spectacles of the 90's, then The Taking of Beverly Hills is for you. It's big, it's loud, and it's utterly ridiculous, but so much fun. You just can't beat it for sheer entertainment value alone.

Released by Kino Lorber in January of this year, it's available from any of your favorite online retailers for roughly around $20. For action fans, it's a Must-Buy.

80's Action Attack!: Rage of Honor (1987)

"Justice is Here"

by robotGEEK

As I'm knee-deep into my ninja and Sho Kosugi fix, this little seen and often forgotten entry from his 80's output popped up on my radar after gleefully rediscovering the masterpiece that is Pray for Death. Naturally it was a no-brainer that I would immediately grab this one as well. And as luck would have it, just like with Pray for Death, Rage of Honor got a snazzy Blu-Ray release back in 2017 courtesy of Arrow Films. Let's dig in.

Re-teaming with his Pray for Death director Gordon Hessler, Sho Kosugi attempts to take a somewhat detour from his typical ninja fare by making this more of a secret agent style film where he plays a DEA agent who's partner is killed by a sadistic drug-lord, whom he chases all the way to Argentina for revenge after quitting the force.

Rage of Honor tries really hard to distinguish itself from the ninja craze that Sho Kosugi himself made so popular as "the" defining face of the ninja in the 80's by making it more of an espionage/agent action film. But try as it might, in the end it ultimately becomes a ninja film without the term "ninja" ever being uttered. It's true. About halfway through the film our protagonist Shiro (Sho Kosugi) pretty much gives up the "I'm not a ninja" charade and utilizes his ninja skills (which are never explained or mentioned) to track down the drug kingpin responsible for his partner's murder. Once in Argentina he's constantly confronted by this evil kingpin's army of ninja's (again, never explained why there are so many ninjas in Argentina of all places), which gives Shiro plenty of opportunities to prove who is in fact the best ninja of all.

Does it sound like I'm complaining? I hope not, because the reality is that these are the reasons that make Rage of Honor so great. While not necessarily in the same league of cheesy-awesome as his previous film Pray for Death, it's every bit as entertaining, just in a more polished way as opposed to Pray for Death's highly amateurish aesthetic. Which is surprising considering they're both directed by German born Gordon Hessler. These two films couldn't be anymore different visually, and that could be attributed to either his Cinematographer's or the fact that he grew substantially as a director since their last collaboration. That's not to say Rage of Honor is not without it's share of unintentionally hilarious or plain cheesy moments, because it has a lot of both. And much like Pray for Death, is one of it's most endearing qualities and makes it so special.

I have to be honest here. I love Sho Kosugi. He was a huge part of my childhood growing up in the 80's knee-deep into action and ninja films. But, he is not the best actor. And you know, he will even admit that. In his new interviews, he states several times he's not an actor, but a performer. His real strength is performing the physical stuff. And it shows. Here he is given a lot more lines to deliver compared to several of his previous films, and unless you watch it with subtitles, you really can't make out most of what he says. But I'm not complaining. The same thing happened to Jackie Chan in the excellent The Protector. His attempt at English was oftentimes painful and hard to understand unless you used subtitles, and it's the same thing here. But hey, they both deliver where it counts and that's in the fights and action, and boy does Kosugi kick a whole lot of ass in this one, especially in the second half when he travels to Argentina and literally takes on an entire drug cartel, which, randomly and surprisingly consists of ninjas.......in Argentina. You just gotta love 80's action films. They really were the best.

Kosugi explains in a new interview that his manager convinced him to step away from the ninja genre because it had been done to death, and urged Kosugi to explore other things, hence the change in this film where he tries to take a short step outside of the ninja genre. He openly regrets that decision because he feels if it was his thing and he was good at it, he should have rode that wave a little longer, because ultimately, this would mark the last big starring role for him in a big film. He would only co-star in a few films shortly after before retiring in 1994, only to be coaxed out of retirement for Ninja Assassin in 2009, where he played the villain. It's been 9 long years since then and he's stayed away from film and television since then. Though he still trains 3 hours every single day, and has a ninja epic with his son planned on the horizon. I hope that actually happens.

Rage of Honor is a badass and fitting sendoff to a legend in an era where he reigned supreme as the ultimate ninja badass. He may not have sustained that legendary status past the 80's, but man did he deliver some incredible films while he was in his prime. In any case, we'll always have these gems to look back on.

How to see it:
Like with their Blu-Ray release of Pray for Death, Arrow Films gave this one a solid Blu release with a great new widescreen transfer and a few extras. The best Special Feature being Part 2 of a brand new interview with Sho Kosugi himself called "Sho & Tell", where he discusses his life in and out of the film industry and his experiences making Rage of Honor.

Honestly and personally speaking, this interview alone is worth the price of this new release, which is surprisingly cheap for usually under $20. The transfer is incredible, and you also get a collection of trailers for other Sho Kosugi classics as well as a few fun extras. Grab it and add it to the collection! It's a Badass Cinema essential!

90's Action Attack!: No Escape - One of the Best Films You Never Saw

by robotGEEK

By all accounts, No Escape is the very definition of a lost gem. Released in 1994, it would mark Ray Liotta's first solo starring role after riding the success of Goodfellas in 1990. Sadly, No Escape came and went with little to no fanfare during it's initial release and despite an impressive ensemble cast, high production value and under the reigns of James Bond director Martin Campbell, it went largely unnoticed. And that is quite frankly, a damn crying shame, because No Escape is arguably one of the best movies you never saw.

Captain J.T. Robbins (Liotta) is convicted and sentenced to prison for the murder of his commanding officer. Taken to a prison island by a sadistic warden with no means of escape, he must learn to survive and deal with the two opposing gangs of prisoners who solely inhabit this prison island.

I must say, No Escape is a blast of a film from beginning to end. There was never a single moment that dragged or didn't offer an ounce of entertainment. The film moves along at a brisk pace, never spending too much time where it doesn't count. Director Martin Campbell, to his credit, infuses the film with so much style that it still blows my mind that most people just don't know who he is, and more importantly, are completely unaware of the fact that he's responsible for some pretty great films. Some personal favorites of mine would be Cast A Deadly Spell, Casino Royale, Goldeneye and The Foreigner, and of course No Escape. Let's just all forget he directed The Green Lantern.

While there's nothing mind blowing about this film in general (guy gets sent to an island prison and plans an escape), what it's able to do is deliver the goods in a fundamentally rich way, giving the film a high budget quality sheen, while also delving into the exploitation genre a bit. The films opening first act is fucking great, where our protagonist is going through the reigns of a futuristic prison. With the use of some great practical effects and model work, No Escape kickstarts a kickass 2 hours of thrills, action and excitement, only slowing down long enough to build up a small bit of tension before the next onslaught. And while the film primarily takes place on this prison island, it's not any less visually impressive or stimulating. Where Campbell could easily have gone the easy route by shooting handheld (which most directors choose to do in the jungle setting), he takes just as much time setting up shots and making it looks slick.

The cast is just epicly phenomenal in here. Ray Liotta, who never really hit it big as an action lead after this, shines as a true badass here. A lot of that has to do with his cold-dead stare, something not a lot of people can do, yet seems effortless for him. In the physical action department, he holds his own well and kicks a whole lot of ass. But it's in the film's large ensemble cast that also impresses. For starters, we have the legendary Lance Henriksen, here playing against type as a good guy, known as The Father, who plays sort of a father figure to the prisoners on the island. But we also get Ernie Hudson, Kevin Dillon, Kevin J. O'Connor and a ruthless Michael Lerner as the prison warden. Stuart Wilson, whom I know as the villain in Lethal Weapon 3, does a bangup job here as the charismatic, yet volatile cannibalistic leader of a rival prison gang. All in all, a great ensemble cast that elevates the film significantly.

It's a shame this film didn't do much business. While it's certainly gained momentum as a true cult classic since it's initial release and I'm happy that people are discovering this highly underrated gem for the first time, the fact that it wasn't an automatic hit just blows my mind. It literally has everything you'd want in a film like this, minus any nudity (sadly it's a strictly all-male cast). Excellent cast, superb direction that's slicker than it has any right being, a formidable villain, a badass Liotta proving he can carry a film all on his own, and some incredible action sequences that can stand up against anything the big hits of '94 were offering in your local theaters. In short, No Escape is a great thrill-ride full of beautiful locations, exciting action and impressive stuntwork, shot in a way that films just aren't made today. It's a reminder of when action directors took the time to set up impressive shots and set pieces, delivering both style and substance, with neither overshadowing the other. No Escape is begging to be rediscovered.

How to see it:
To date, an old DVD release from 1998 is the best version available here in the states. While the transfer is okay, for some reason you have to adjust the ratio on your TV because it won't play as a straight widescreen without some adjustments. But fret not, there's good news! Umbrella Entertainment in Australia are releasing this on Blu Ray for the first time under it's original title Escape From Absolom, which you can find HERE. The site says their in stock, yet they don't have a cover image available, so I'm not sure what's going on there. But you can bet I'm putting my order in now.