Bounty Killer (2013)

bountykillerI don’t know who Christian Pitre is, but I’d love to know where I can apply to be her love slave. Something about a ballsy woman who can kick ass kind of riles me up. That said, “Bounty Killer” is a movie I never expected to kick so much infinite ass, but lo and behold, it’s a post-apocalyptic action movie that never takes itself seriously, but creates a wonderful futuristic world where I’d love to visit. If only for the bad ass bounty killers roaming around hunting CEO yuppies in suits. A world where Donald Trump has to watch his ass? I’m sold.

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The Great Gatsby (Blu-ray+DVD+UltraViolet Combo Pack) (2013)

tggWhile many may criticize Baz Luhrmann for his rapid fire and somewhat gonzo directorial style, his sense of glitz and glamour works wonders for the tale of the rich and wealthy, and the one man who had it all, but could never quite grab a hold of what he really wanted. Luhrmann’s film is gorgeous and often times dazzling to behold, and it suits the aesthetic of the story of a young country boy named Nick seeking to strike it rich through business who is wooed and romanced by the rich and ridiculously well off. At first what seems like a fun bit of escapism, soon becomes the realization that the characters Nick surrounds himself with do nothing but escape from life.

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The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

cincinnati_kid_ver2It’s well documented that Steve McQueen sported a hefty resentment toward Paul Newman and viewed him as a rival until the day he died. Though McQueen was known for being petty and resentful toward anyone who challenged his position as an actor, McQueen mostly aimed for Paul Newman. Naturally, since Newman was known for his iconic role as Fast Eddie Felson, a pool hustler battling against the one and only Jackie Gleason, a pool master named Minnesota Fats, McQueen followed up with his own version of the film, except with poker, and upped the ante by going up against Edward G. Robinson.

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The Getaway (1972)

getaway

“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.

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Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

temple-of-doom-third-sheet-“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.

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Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

ROTLABefore 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.

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The Chosen One: Legend of the Raven (1998)

theravenSee, 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.

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