Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh make a great pairing in this action buddy-comedy throwback that shows the 80s had that formula down pat. Directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein Mayday is vastly entertaining. Reynolds, when he wants, can do a lot more than the one-note sarcastic charming guy, but that seems to work,…
Tag: fights
TIFF 25: The Furious dir. Kenji Tanigaki
The Furious is a balls-to-the-wall actioner that is outrageously over-the-top but incredibly crowd-pleasing in its violence and action beats. Having said that, the ADR in the film is terrible, and I honestly think the entire film should just be subtitled. The film has a strong enough appeal that I don’t think it needed to have…
The Three Musketeers (1973) – Richard Lester
This version of The Three Musketeers is incredibly popular and I thought it would be a nice palette cleanser after the version I watched earlier this week. And sadly, it didn’t do anything for me. And that’s horrible, because it’s got a great pedigree. Produced by the Salkinds who would go on to produce Superman…
Gladiator II (2024) – Ridley Scott
I greatly enjoy Ridley Scott films, he’s an incredible technical director, even when his films aren’t as emotionally captivating as I would like, there’s always something masterful about his creations. Gladiator II is no different. The first film resonated and struck a chord with filmgoers everywhere. It’s no surprise that the idea of a sequel…
Road House (2024) – Doug Liman
Did we need a Road House re-boot/re-imagining? No, but the locations make for a pretty picture. But that doesn’t mean it has the charm of the original, most of which was because of the casting of Patrick Swayze and Sam Elliott. This time out, Jake Gyllenhaal takes on the lead role of Dalton, a former…
Road House (1989) – Rowdy Herrington
Patrick Swayze plays Dalton, a lethal but zen bouncer in the cult-favorite, Road House, which also features the famed blind Canadian guitarist Jeff Healey as the bar band of the Double Deuce. Dalton is hired by Tilghman (Kevin Tighe) to help change his bar, the Double Deuce, into something a little more profitable. It has…
TIFF ’23: 100 Yards
Xu Haofeng, an accomplished fight choreographer, writer and director and first-time director Xu Junfeng delivers a period piece set in 1920s China, specifically, Tianjin, where the master of a wushu academy has just died and has passed on its leadership to his apprentice, Quan Qi (Andy On) instead of his son, Shen An (Jacky Heung)…
Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) – Ishiro Honda
Director Ishiro Honda returns for the last Godzilla film of the Showa era, and while it still features space aliens intent on taking over the planet, this one feels a little deeper than some of the previous entries, by introducing some interesting characters who seem to really struggle with their natures. I’m talking, specifically about…
9th Annual Old School Kung Fu Film Fest: Joseph Kuo Edition – The 18 Bronzemen (1976)
The 9th Annual Old School King Fu Film Fest continues in Queens today at the Museum of the Moving Image in conjunction with in Subway Cinema. Screening at 1pm is writer/director Joseph Kuo’s The 18 Bronzemen, a fast-paced film that delivers a story of vengeance and the wishes of the father carried out by the…
The Colour of Magic (1983) – Terry Pratchett
Over the past few years I’ve tried to get into Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, especially after I read Good Omens which he co-wrote with my favorite author, Neil Gaiman. I couldn’t do it. I could just never get an in, I wasn’t hooked, I couldn’t get through the prologue. This time, however, the stars must…
