“The Getaway” was the film that turned me on to McQueen and introduced me to a new form of coolness, McQueen, who was a bad-ass as an action star as much he was an actor. Steve McQueen is just about larger than life in anything he was in, and with “The Getaway” he manages to elevate himself above the crime thriller, and helps Ali McGraw become his ultimate assailant in crime.
If anything, while “The Last Crusade” is considered the weakest film of the first three films, director Steven Spielberg teams up the world’s most popular James Bond actor, with the newest adventure hero Indiana Jones. Once considered the finale in the adventures of Indiana Jones, “The Last Crusade” takes another step back and examines the Indiana Jones from when he was a young man. Played by the late River Phoenix, director Spielberg chronicles many of the beats that turned Indiana Jones from a young daring man who cherished hallowed treasures, to an actual man who risked life and limb to return hallowed treasures back to their homes.
From Scream Factory comes two slasher films included in a pack that will test the resolve of even the most loyal slasher movie buffs. “X-Ray” tranquilized me and by the time “Schizoid” was almost done I was desperately trying to keep my eyes open. To their credit, they are a double pack for experimental horror fans, but on their own and without a distraction, they’re two of the most mind numbing slasher films I’ve ever seen.
“The Temple of Doom” is one of the few prequels ever made that works, and works well. Though it gets a bad rap by some fans of the series, “The Temple of Doom” follows in the Lucas tradition where the ante is upped, and the sequel garners a much darker atmosphere with a unique premise not centered on the Nazis and their quest for world domination. “The Temple of Doom” is a great change of pace, in the end. And it’s damn fun, to boot.
Before it was re-branded “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark,” it was simply titled “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Though the title promised great adventure, director Steven Spielberg and writer Lawrence Kasdan managed to deliver a hero every audience member could watch and relate to, no matter what the circumstance. Harrison Ford managed to depict a ruthless space pirate in “Star Wars” and brings that same charisma and enthusiasm to Indiana Jones, a big screen hero who is dashing and cunning, but just as average as anyone else venturing in to his world.
See, this is what happens when you attempt to placate a hot woman. You end up with “The Chosen One.” It’s safe to say Carmen Electra had absolutely no business being in movies, unless it was in some kind of ironic sense. She was in “Baywatch” for a while, but it’s not like that series ever required anyone to pull in anything but a sub-par performance. It’s pretty interesting that of all the movie roles, she decides to star in a pseudo-supehero movie of all things. She’s not convincing as an action star, as she engages in only two short fight scenes in the entire movie, and doesn’t really sell herself as this heroine.
Though it may not be considered a “Classic” by today’s standards, those among us that appreciate the inherent entertainment value behind “Dark Angel” (aka “I Come In Peace”) know that it’s a unique and original science fiction flick. We always see films about aliens that either want to make friends, diddle women, or invade Earth. How many times do we see a film about an intergalactic drug dealer that comes to Earth to create a super narcotic they can deal in space?