A Better Tomorrow (1986) – John Woo

A Better Tomorrow was a hole in my John Woo and Hong Kong cinema that I wanted to fill, People have raved about it for years, that it helped define a generation of HKers and became a cult classic among North American film lovers. It features melodrama and lots of gunplay. It also has a…

White Lightning (1973) – Joseph Sargent

Burt Reynolds stars as Gator McClusky, who feels like he may be a more rough and tumble relative of the Bandit. And speaking of Smokey & the Bandit, Hal Needham, who went on to direct that classic film, served as the second unit director on this film. Gator is in prison, and he’s a model…

Stargate: Atlantis (2005) – Condemned, and Trinity

Sheppard (Joe Flanigan), Teyla (Rachel Luttrell), McKay (David Hewlett), and Ronon (Jason Momoa) arrive on a planet via puddlejumper and a stargate that they have never been to before. Moments after arrival, they fall under attack. They are rescued, and learn from their rescuers that the stargate is located on a prison island. Condemned was…

Logan Lucky (2017) – Steven Soderbergh

Logan Lucky is a hugely entertaining, and laugh-filled heist film. Something we should have come to expect knowing that Steven Soderbergh, who also delivered the Ocean’s Trilogy, is at the helm. There’s a lot of fun to be had with a great cast led by Channing Tatum. Tatum is John Denver-loving Jimmy Logan, a down…

Blue Ruin (2013) – Jeremy Saulnier

I enjoyed Rebel Ridge, and quite liked Green Room, so I figurd I would take a look at another one of Jeremy Saulnier’s works, Blue Ruin. What I found was a solid, revenge drama whose violence, when it happens, is shockingly real and bloody. Dwight (Macon Blair) has turned into a bit of a drifter,…