Films That Matter
They Call Him the Working Man
Re-teaming together in short order after the success of 2024's The Beekeeper, director David Ayer and star Jason Statham return just one year later with A Working Man (2025)... if the former oozed an unbeatable action hero more along the lines of a John Wick, this newer effort clearly takes some inspiration from the Taken model of hustle and bustle. Actually taking its genesis from a 2014 Chuck Dixon novel entitled “Levon’s Trade”, it was Sylvester Stallone who snapped up its rights... originally adapting it for television through his Balboa Productions. Long story short, it was adjusted to become a movie, Stallone stepped away from starring in it (due to age constraints and a busy schedule with his series Tulsa King), with Ayer soon joining the production, making some additions to the script before directing.
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Star Pick with Guy Lafleur
A Legend Fleur Your Ice OnlyJames Bond FranchiseMarch 14, 2019What is there to say about a legend like Guy Lafleur? One of the greatest National Hockey League players ever to feature in the game, he is synonymous with being one of the Montreal Canadiens’ holy triumvirate – along with Jean Béliveau and Maurice Richard. Transcendent of culture and language, in English he is known as “The Flower”, in French, “Le Démon Blond”, in either tongue, people would simply chant Guy!!! Immediately recognizable with his flowing blond locks, it always seemed like no one could touch the man as he flew down the ice (in a time when many players were still not wearing helmets – himself included).
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Thanks For the Memories
The Long Kiss GoodnightJanuary 22, 2019Yearning for some 90s action? Are you missing the era of over the top, easy to watch explosive entertainment? Well, you cannot get more 90s than The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996), written by Shane Black (the scribe behind the Lethal Weapon franchise, and, more recently, The Nice Guys) and directed by Renny Harlin (of Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger fame). Following a cryptic enigma in the form of Geena Davis (Harlin’s then wife), the actress plays Sam Caine (work the anagram out), an amnesiac of eight years. . . a teacher with a cute daughter, Caitlin (Yvonne Zima), and loving husband, Hal (Tom Amandes). Completely unaware of her past, the woman washed ashore two months pregnant. . . everything before this, a puzzling mystery.
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Star Pick with Jason Momoa
Magnificent SamuraiSeven SamuraiJanuary 8, 2019With a towering warrior frame, Jason Momoa is a rare actor whose size onscreen matches his larger than life build in person (no offense to other stars, but usually, for whatever reason, height is not one of their trademarks). Yet, despite his imposing height and breadth, he is chill and zen when you meet him – a relaxed, calming presence. Momoa has quickly built up his star status, most wholly unaware of his time on Baywatch (44 episodes, no less), often forgotten in his role on Stargate: Atlantis, or his turn in the remake of Conan the Barbarian, most thinking his take on Khal Drogo (on the surface, a savage barbarian, Momoa built a fascinating, multi-faceted character) in Game of Thrones was his first major performance. . . and since, he has made intriguing, surprising, and most importantly, quality choices with his career – splitting time between film and television. Eccentric roles in B movies like Bullet to the Head and The Bad Batch, or selecting the Canadian series Frontier (where he plays a part-Native outlaw involved in the fur trade), fit the man like a glove, personas that meld with the actor, for even his most recent win, that of Arthur Curry, better known as Aquaman (currently, as of January the 8th, 2019, the number one film in the world), could have been considered a risky bet. . . for the underwater superhero has often been the joke of the industry (remember Vincent Chase’s lack of interest in Entourage) – after all, he swims around the ocean talking to fish, yet Momoa (and director James Wan) have made the hero cool again – a slick, at times comedic warrior hero in the vein of King Arthur or Indiana Jones.
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A Little Bond
For Y'ur Height OnlyThe Impossible KidDecember 30, 2018If I were to mention that this review is about a suave but deadly secret agent who is a ladies’ man and also wears a white tuxedo, many of you would probably assume that this article is about one of the seven James Bond movies starring Roger Moore. This is not so. Instead, I am transporting you into the weird and wacky cult world of Filipino actor Weng Weng, a.k.a. Agent 00, The Impossible Kid, or Wang; a 2'9" tall karate and gun expert, a clear spoof of James Bond and the Broccoli produced franchise. Basically a B piece of exploitation cinema, Weng Weng stars in two Bond spoofs, 1981's For Y’Ur Height Only and the 1982 flick The Impossible Kid. The first follows Agent 00 as he attempts to stop a drug syndicate and their powerful leader, the rather conspicuously named Mr. Giant (who is unobserved until the final scenes – much like Blofeld in the Bond series). With help from a youthful undercover female agent named Irma (Beth Sandoval), who is on the inside of the crime ring, Weng Weng is able to frustrate their plans time and time again. It is soon realized that the reason for their operation is to fund and use an N-Bomb – which is being created by the kidnapped Doctor Kohler (Mike Cohen). In the finale, Weng Weng invades Hidden Island (after all, it was rather difficult to locate), the secret base of Mr. Giant. Will he be able to foil the villain’s maniacal plans – of course, this is Weng Weng we are talking about here (and there is a sequel).
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This One Will Go Over-Easy
Hard-BoiledDecember 17, 2018With a title that brings to mind the film noirs of yesteryear, or, an egg for that matter, 1992's Hard-Boiled is an action packed extravaganza from writer/director John Woo (his last bombastic Hong Kong feature before heading over to Hollywood). With a score that often surprisingly leans to the jazzy side (composed by Michael Gibbs), providing a noirish vibe to be sure (the at-times harsh lighting does not hurt either), Woo actually originally set out to create some sort of unique cross between Dirty Harry and Bullitt (a self professed lover of Clint Eastwood and Steve McQueen), and, if you amped the action up to eleven in both of these films, you’d have something along the lines of Hard-Boiled.
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Mission: Impossibly Possible
Mission: Impossible - FalloutJuly 31, 2018Oh, how time flies. . . twenty two years ago, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) was outsmarting many a villain, one of which was Max (Vanessa Redgrave) – a woman who was a British arms dealer. . . now, in 2018's Mission: Impossible – Fallout, it is implied that the American spy is dealing with that original foe’s daughter, the White Widow (Vanessa Kirby). It is a signal of a franchise that, for the most part, has done things right. . . each movie (other than the woeful second effort), finding a quality mix of action, adventure, spycraft and intrigue (all while developing an entertaining story that combines outrageous, authentically shot stunts that somehow outdo the previous film’s seemingly unbeatable sequences), while also highlighting the longevity of a successful franchise and career (Tom Cruise now only a year younger than Jon Voight was in the original movie).
