The Karate Kid: Movies (1984-94)

The Karate Kid: Movies (1984-94)

Dirs. John G. Avildsen (Movies #01-03) / Christopher Cain (Movie #04)

01. The Karate Kid (1984). After moving to California with his mom, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) quickly makes an enemy of a clichéd high school bully. Both parties have an interest in karate, which adds flavour to what's on the surface a straightforward 80s underdog story.

There are teenager levels of romance to contend with, but it's illustrated with the best intentions, so it's not as forced as it could've been.

The real treasure is the believable sincerity that characterises the relationship that Mr Miyagi (Pat Morita) has both with the eager-to-learn Daniel and the wider world, as a whole.

Morita's understated performance keeps Miyagi as a supporting character while simultaneously elevating him to become the true emotional core of the story. With a single wordless glance he can communicate a whole chapter's worth of feelings. He embodies what belief, patience, wisdom, and sensitivity can accomplish when each element achieves balance.

Daimajin: Film Trilogy (1966)

Daimajin (aka Majin): Film Trilogy (1966)

Dirs. Various (see below)

A kaijū trilogy produced by Daiei, which is the studio that gave us the original Gamera franchise. The 'Majin' features in all three films, but their stories are otherwise unconnected.

01. The first entry, Daimajin (1966); aka Majin / Majin, the Monster of Terror / Majin, the Hideous Idol [Dir. Kimiyoshi Yasuda], is an altogether more sophisticated breed of film than the big turtle got. It's a quality jidaigeki about clans, control, and a merciless militaristic coup. It's a male dominated tale, but the few women that do feature wield the kind of power that matters.

The creature is like a crushing force of nature or an angry god's retribution personified, punishing the evils of mankind. It takes a long time for its 'kaijū' aspect to appear onscreen, but in all probability you won't miss it because the drama that occupies the remainder of the running time is excellent and holds its own. It keeps colours naturalistic but still manages to look beautiful.

Delta Force: Movie Trilogy (1986-91)

Delta Force: Movie Trilogy (1986-91)

Dirs. Various

01. Much of the first movie takes place onboard an aeroplane in flight, with an ensemble cast that's underused. Chief hijacker Abdul (Robert Forster) is moustachioed and menacing, but he didn't reckon on the Deltas doing their thing.

The opening shot sets the movie's tone perfectly, for good or ill. The scene that follows, wherein special ops member Scott McCoy (Chuck Norris) does what other men won't, reinforces it tenfold: it's 80s action from Canon Films with rugged men and many guns (Dir. Menahem Golan).

The team wear covert black duds with a bright US flag patch on the arm lest the audience forget who they're cheering for, or the enemy forget who to shoot. Gotta keep those bullets flying.

If they get tired walking they have motorcycles that shoot mini-missiles. Abdul and his cronies are boned - even if Chuck is perpetually late to the party and Silvestri's music sucks.

The Beastmaster: Films (1982-96)

The Beastmaster (1982)

Dir. Don Coscarelli

Many of the elements that made a successful sword and sorcery movie in the 80s are in place, including a wicked high priest (Rip Torn) who uses magic and religion to keep a position of power, a banishment, a trio of scrying hags with a dangerous prophecy, a cool bladed weapon or two, a peaceful village burned to the ground, and a sympathetic hero on a quest for revenge / redemption, but The Beastmaster isn't the genre classic that as a youth I used to think it was.

It's still mostly entertaining, however, with a neat ingredient that separates it from the pack, namely the hero's ability to communicate with animals like some kind of barbarian Dolittle. Inevitably, he makes friends and allies as he journeys toward his ultimate goal, but the most memorable of them all are arguably the smallest ones.

RoboCop: Film Trilogy (1987-93)

RoboCop (1987)

Dir. Paul Verhoeven

I don't know how it was in the rest of the movie-watching world, but in my small corner of it the RoboCop poster was an almost permanent fixture in VHS rental stores in the early 1990s, and consequently I'd an image burned into my brain of how I thought the film's protagonist would be onscreen long before I saw the actual film.

As it turned out, despite the B-Movie-esque title and violent and gimmicky exterior it exceeded my youthful imagination, mostly because lurking beneath the imagery is a semi-sophisticated drama staged by Dir. Paul Verhoeven and brought to onscreen life by a perfectly cast Peter Weller in the title role.

I use the term 'semi-sophisticated' because parts of it haven't aged well, particularly the OTT comic book villains, but the scathing script and emotional heart of the work more often than not make up for any failings elsewhere.

Ring Collection: Arrow Video Edition (2019)

Ring Collection: Arrow Video Edition (2019)

Dirs. Hideo Nakata / Jōji Iida / Norio Tsuruta

My first viewing of Hideo Nakata's Ring was recorded from Television onto VHS, which, given that the story revolves around a cursed video tape, was perhaps the best way to experience it for the first time. I'd probably not choose that option now that HD is the norm, but I'm glad it happened that way.

I've re-watched the film many, many times since that first encounter, on both VHS and later the UK Tartan DVD editions, but never had opportunity to see it in HD until now.

The pictured edition includes four films, namely Ring (1998); Rasen (1998); Ring 2 (1999), and Ring 0: Birthday (2000). For anyone interested, thoughts on each of the four works can be found below the cut.

Smokey and the Bandit: Films (1977-83)

01. Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

Dir. Hal Needham

The Bandit (Burt Reynolds) and his buddy Snowman (Jerry Reed) attempt to transport a truckload of contraband across state lines,

However, a disgruntled Sheriff (Jackie Gleason), the Smokey of the title, and a drove of state troopers have a hard-on for the cocky bootleggers along the way.

The majority of the film is nothing more than an extended chase scene in which our heroes attempt to overcome complications and outsmart Smokey, but it's never boring.

Infernal Affairs Trilogy (2002-03)

Infernal Affairs (2002)

Dirs. Andrew Lau / Alan Mak

An excellent Hong Kong crime thriller in which a dedicated police officer (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) risks life and limb to go deep undercover in Triad society.

Similarly, a member of the Triad group (Andy Lau) enrols in the HK police service.

Both men eventually become aware of the other's existence, but neither one knows what his counterpart actually looks like.

The nerve-racking race for one mole to expose the other first is often tense as hell, as if walking a knife edge, with a feeling that even during quiet times there may be someone watching, waiting for the mole to slip up and expose himself.

From Dusk Till Dawn: Film Trilogy (1996-99)

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

Dir. Robert Rodriguez

Two criminals on the run take a few hostages and head for Mexico. Seth Gecko (George Clooney) is smooth and calm under pressure. His brother Richie (Quentin Tarantino) is a trigger-happy prick who needs protecting from his own impulses.

It's a movie of two uneven halves. For a while it's an edgy crime flick with some Tarantino-penned dialogue. It doesn't go anywhere particularly interesting, but there's at least the feeling that it might.

The latter part of the film, however, has no such aspirations. Instead, it goes all out to please fans of a very different genre.

I'll say no more, to avoid further spoilers, but the direction it takes will either float your goat or it won't. My goat was thoroughly sunk, but credit to the creators for trying something so outrageously divergent.

The Hood Trilogy (2006-16)

KiDULTHOOD (2006)

Dir. Menhaj Huda

A hard-hitting drama set in the suburbs of west London exploring what daily life is like for a small number of teenagers in mid-2000s era Britain, most of whom are approximately fifteen-years-old. Many folks, especially parents, will be offended or even outraged by the use of language, violence, drugs and sex in the film, but that doesn't mean it isn't an accurate reflection of what's actually happening on the streets outside their front door.

The activities and friends are spread out over a small area and a few short days, culminating in the kind of unsupervised teenage house-party that rarely goes off without a hitch.

For at least two of the youths it's a build-up and event that's nothing short of life-changing, in the most unforgettable ways.

Child's Play / Chucky Movie Collection (1988—)

Child's Play (1988)

Dir. Tom Holland

Charles Lee Ray, aka the Lakeshore Strangler, is hunted by police. As a last resort, and thanks to some convenient knowledge of voodoo magic, the killer manages to transfer his consciousness to a popular kid's toy, the Good Guys doll.

Six-year-old Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) loves the Good Guys franchise; he watches the cartoon on TV, eats the breakfast cereal, and wears the branded clothing. Andy's mom, Karen, a single parent, does her best to give the boy what he wants, and what Andy really, really wants is a Good Guys doll, naturally.

That's the basic set-up. Young Alex Vincent isn't annoying at all, which is not something that can be said for a lot of kids in films, and actress Catherine Hicks is believable as a mother with a 'compensating for absent father' attitude. But the most memorable character is the doll, Chucky, voiced by Brad Dourif. He's a sadistic, vindictive, foul-mouthed and merciless little shit. If you're a fan of black humour, he's also pretty damn funny at times.

Death Note: Films (2006-08)

Death Note (2006)

Dir. Shûsuke Kaneko

The Death Note is a notebook that causes the death of anyone whose name is written on one of its pages. Any fool can use it, but it takes a sharp mind to exploit it fully; such a mind belongs to college student Light Yagami.

The film isn't as good as the original manga or the 37-episode anime series that preceded it, but for a TV production it does okay.

The shorter running time means it lacks the depth or complexity inherent in the source, but the biggest problem is with the Shinigami (Death God). Ryuk could've been amazing, but he's rendered in a cartoonish CGI that doesn't fit with the realistic aesthetic of the rest of the film. The argument that he's supposed to appear otherworldly won’t change my mind about that.

The first film is the first half of the story only, ending with a cliff-hanger that gets resolved in its sequel, The Last Name (see below).

Mad Max Trilogy (1979-85)

Mad Max (1979)

Dir. George Miller

As enjoyable as the first Mad Max film is on its own, in hindsight it works better if you look upon it as an extended prologue to the more entertaining sequel, The Road Warrior (1981), where the world is no longer on the verge of going to shit, as it is here, but has actually tipped over and fell face-first into it.

It has the feel of a B-Movie, but the on-the-road carnage is much better than what you'd normally get in that kind of commercial venture, and it's not without some black humour to keep it from sinking under the weight of its own gloomy subject matter.

The crew is to be applauded for making the scenario believable. Max (Mel Gibson), however, is kind of boring as a family man/highway interceptor. It's not until he gets his 'mad' on that he becomes interesting.

The Transporter Trilogy (2002-08)

The Transporter (2002)

Dir. Corey Yuen and Louis Leterrier

Frank (Statham) transports packages from A to B with no questions asked. He's punctual, precise, always cool under pressure and a believer in playing by the rules - his rules, until one day the shit hits the fan and there are more than just questions flying his way.

It’s a typical Luc Besson penned comedy/action flick with a simple but fun plot, tongue in cheek action, bad European music, and a car chase or three. But strangely, for a movie about a car driving anti-hero, the car chases are some of the worst parts of it.

The most amazing thing is that it makes any sense, because the people involved didn't speak the same language off-set. It had a French production, a Taiwanese actress, an English actor and a Hong Kong co-director (Corey Yuen, the man behind both The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk films; also behind the camera but uncredited on the R2 box was Louis Leterrier).

I can't end without mentioning François Berléand, who plays Inspector Tarconi. To be honest, his French accent meant I didn't catch everything he said in English, but he was great, nevertheless.

The Godfather Trilogy (1972-1990)

The Godfather (1972)

Dir. Francis Ford Coppola

Even though Mumble Brando sounds like a man with a gob full of marbles, his diction literally governs the first part of Coppola's Mafia trilogy.

The Godfather's words linger, influencing scenes he isn't even a part of. His voice whispers innocuous assurances while his persona threatens: all who come seeking Don Vito's aid leave thinking themselves fortuitous but each one leaves bent to his will, crippled by a future repayment favour.

The remainder of the film is electrically charged by Al Pacino and James Caan. For both men the Corleone name opens doors and closes coffin lids.

Dir. Coppola is self-indulgent in the first half hour but assuredly precise with the story and with his direction once things really kick off.

The Terminator: Films (1984-2003)

The Terminator (1984)

Dir. James Cameron

Cameron's sci-fi actioner sits comfortably as the archetype for movies about murderous humanoid machines from the future that travel back in time to kill someone important, thus changing their own present in a favourable way. Linda Hamilton is the target. Schwarzenegger is the instrument.

Playing to the big man's strengths (i.e. he hardly speaks), the role is largely responsible for his career taking off as much as it did. It's clear to see why. He's perfect. His natural ability to be indelibly domineering helped the character seem totally inhuman. His physicality was translated successfully into a show of almost unstoppable force - his unwavering attitude arguably even more memorable than his iconic coat and glasses.

It's not a flawless movie, but by 1984 standards it was certainly a damn good one and is still mostly deserving of the accolades it continues to receive.

Scanners Trilogy (1981-92)

Scanners (1981)

Dir. David Cronenberg

The eponymous individuals are able to kill with just a thought, and the film wastes no time in showing us one of them in action.

When a powerful corporation that wishes to control the Scanners no longer can, they need the help of a Scanner to stop the others. Yay for dramatic irony! It's kind of like needing your glasses to find your glasses, with the added danger that your glasses can telepathically kill you any time they like.

Patrick McGoohan is excellent as the fatherly psychopharmacist; Michael Ironside is unquestionably good as a menace; but, I'm sorry to say, while Stephen Lack did okay as a lost soul, he didn't have the acting experience at the time to make the inner conflict of the lead role hit as hard as it needed to.

If you're familiar with Cronenberg's early works, such as Stereo (1969) and Crimes of the Future (1970), you'll recognise trace elements of their structure in the film's settings and concerns, helped along by a budget that frees the production from being tied to an institute environment.

Planet of the Apes: The Original Films (1968-73)

01. Planet of the Apes (1968)

Dir. Franklin J. Schaffner

The original Apes movie that started the hairy ball rolling is the best of the lot.

Charlton Heston is our guide. He's Taylor, the everyman; albeit an everyman who can pilot a spaceship, has a cynical disposition, a will of iron and some well-groomed chest hair.

He and three other crew members are testing a scientific theory about time dilation aboard a US space shuttle. But something goes wrong, and they crash-land on the titular planet.

The story, based on Pierre Boulle's novel La Planète des Singes (1963), isn't just sharp social commentary (including powerful observations on such topics as the crippling consequences of having a government that places science and religion in the same bed, and the murky moral waters that too much pride can place a people in), it's also cold, hard science fiction that holds a mirror up to modern life, showing self-evident truths that, despite having been made in the late 60s, are still a part of how we live today.

Rebirth of Mothra: Film Trilogy (1996-98)

Mothra (1996)

Dir. Okihiro Yoneda

The first in a trilogy of Heisei era 'Rebirth' films for the eye-catching winged kaijū known as Mothra.

The cutting down of a forest to provide Japan with paper uncovers an ancient, hidden tomb, which holds an evil just waiting to be released, and not unlike the process that uncovered it it'll suck the life from the planet if it’s not stopped.

It's a children's adventure story with upfront and important messages about the value of a stable family unit and the need for conservation of the environment. If you somehow fail to pick up on the lessons, they're sledge-hammered home at the end.

The bickering mother and father aren't oblivious to the fact that their parenting methods are producing a bickering brother and sister, but they're too wrapped up in their own worries to correct it.

The Evil Dead Trilogy (1981-92)

The Evil Dead (1981)

Dir. Sam Raimi

I'll never tire of watching The Evil Dead. It wasn't the first film to use the isolated cabin in the woods scenario, but it remains one of the most successful in the horror genre.

Raimi doesn't waste time with a traditional slow build-up. He goes straight to horror town with the use of low, rushing camera movements. The way it interacts with the environment, even knocking parts of it over, places us as viewers directly into the action.

The point of view shots showing the same scene from different angles, pursuer and pursued, accompanied by subjective audio was a genius idea. It shows that both subjects (or objects) are in the same location but suggests they’re slightly out of sync, like the real and reflected or the breaking of a different kind of fourth wall from the wrong side.