Now living as an online cult gem, “Hobo with a Shotgun” has an interesting history. Around the time the craze for the Tarantino-Rodriguez “Grindhouse” rolled around, there was a lot of excitement. Fake trailers, the Grindhouse feel, and two big movies, and then they offered young filmmakers at SXSW a chance to create their own fake trailer to be featured during the actual movie. “Hobo with a Shotgun” won out. Granted, it only was featured in a few theatrical showings across the US, it was praised as one of the few entries to capture that truly trashy atmosphere that made Grindhouse so much fun. And shockingly, Eisener captures the time much better than Rob Zombie’s trailer did.
Tag Archives: Action
Superman: Doomsday (2007) (DVD)
To this day, “Superman: Doomsday” is still one of the most gut wrenching graphic novels I’ve ever read. As a hardcore Superman geek since the age of five, Superman has been one of my recurring beacons of heroism and courage, and something that’s still very representative of what man is capable of. Superman is possibilities, and that’s why I still stick by this character for better or for worse. And as you can imagine, reading the entire graphic novel as a young boy, seeing Superman’s lifeless body in Lois’ arms as he faded away from the vicious attack from Doomsday really bummed me out. And quite frankly, it left a pure lump in my throat. “Superman: Doomsday” truncates everything about the graphic novel into a movie that’s a little over an hour. And I accept that. Due to DC’s issues with superheroes in multiple formats, we couldn’t have had all the guest stars and the Reign of the Superman in this movie. Instead, Timm and co. focus on the meat and bones of the story: Superman vs. Doomsday, and then Superman’s death.
Ghost Rider (2007)
I tell you. I tell you. “Ghost Rider” had potential, friends. “Ghost Rider” under the right set of creators, competent direction, and writers it could have been one hell of a violent horror thriller with Ghost Rider not only serving as a horrifying anti-hero, but also a potential villain if not careful. With someone like maybe Clive Barker, along with a hard R and zero camp, “Ghost Rider” would have been a horror fan’s wet dream, but alas, we’re left with this. One of the most brutal crimes from Johnson’s screenplay is that he shamelessly cribs from the “Spawn” film. And if you’ve ever seen it, you’ll know that it’s hardly the source material capable for a competent film to begin with.
The Killer (Dip huet seung hung) (1989)
Chow Yun Fat is probably one of the best action stars I’ve ever come across, and the thing I love about John Woo is his utter ability to bring the best out of Fat, regardless of the film. Woo’s crime drama “Hard Boiled” is similar in many ways. It’s about a hardened killer with demons outrunning a rebellious cop, but that’s not a caveat in any sense. Because at the end of the day “The Killer” is a rather fantastic piece of crime cinema that really warrants its place as a masterpiece. I’m sad to say I never gave Yun Fat too much of my attention in the past, but thanks to a friend passing along “Hard Boiled,” I’m suddenly very interested to see what else this man has up his sleeves.
Azumi (2003)
Even though “Azumi” was clearly adapted from a quite visual fantasy comic book, that doesn’t mean it lacks any of the emotion or complexities it attempts to inject within its epic scale. “Azumi” is quite possibly one of the most visually amazing samurai epics I’ve ever seen. From sweeping landscapes, to rather fantastic battle sequences, Kitamura’s film is a pure gem to watch, and the long run time makes it all the more rewarding experience, because it will be difficult to turn away from and watch end. Filled with colorful characters, memorable villains (Saru is my favorite: played well by Minoru Matsumoto), and a wonderful heroine, “Azumi” is the tale of a young girl discovered by the side of her mother’s body. Taken in by a sympathetic wanderer and his three sons, she grows to be a powerful samurai warrior in a dojo led by her master.
The Green Hornet (2006)
I still don’t see why it’s so difficult to turn two of the coolest superheroes into a full fledged action franchise to this day. If anyone is more deserving of a movie franchise it’s The Green Hornet and his assistant/sidekick Kato, who, with the right director, can be turned into a blockbuster franchise that could easily be put in the same consideration as Batman.
Jopog Manura, (My Wife is a Gangster) (2001)
Jin-Gyu Cho‘s film is a very unusual little entry. It’s basically all over the map in terms of the genres, and is really never what you expect it to be. The premise reads like a sitcom, except with violence and mystery a la “La Femme Nikita.” Sure, in some places that could lead to an awfully messy film, but “My Wife is a Gangster” surprisingly works. Eun Jin is a mob boss named Big Brother, who was given the tag of a legend after taking on a group of men to defend a friend in combat. But after so many years of acting like a man and grimacing, she finds her long lost little sister and now must stick by her while she dies. Her sister wants one thing for her: she wants her to get married.