Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Junesploitation 2021 Day 1: '80s Action!

99 comments:

  1. LATE 80'S JAPAN BASHING-SPLOITATION ACTION TWOFER! So sorry. :-(

    Ulli Lommell's OVERKILL (1987, YouTube for the first time). WARNING: Amazon Prime has this movie supposedly streaming until June 11th, but it's actually a 1996 movie of the same name starring Chuck Norris' brother, Aaron. Just a heads-up.

    I was expecting nothing less than batshit insanity from the writer/director of Junesploitation! 2015 classic "The Boogeyman". Boy, was I correct but also way off! This is basically "Samurai Cop" and "Black Rain" on the budget of a USA Network original show circa 1987, except the Japanese cop comes to Los Angeles to help the loose cannon detective (who is often shirtless and/or sweaty, regardless of location and/or time of day) take their respective revenges for the L.A. branch of the Japanese Yakuza that took away their sister and partner, respectively. The same mansion/L.A. home seen in "Boogeyman's" sequel and a bunch of other Lommell movies is also featured here, as both the house where Det. Delano makes love to his often topless lady friend (not the OTHER lookalike blonde cop lady friend that helps our hero out) and the headquarters of the Japanese baddies. Because different locations, who needs them? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    For such a low-budget pic "Overkill" some decent shoot-outs, OK-ish gore effects and an actual plot. You just have to tolerate random bouts of "WTF?" editing, sleepy dubbed dialogue, badly-mixed generic music and cheap foley effects that make this American-made movie feel Italian. The filmmakers think they're making "Heat," but they only come up to toasty warm. 2.5 HONORABLY-DISMEMBERED YAKUZA FINGERS (out of five).

    Lewis Teague's COLLISION COURSE (1989, YouTube for the first time).

    The good news first. This is a rare 80's direct-to-video action movie with (a) an Asian-American actor (Pat Morita at his post-"Karate Kid" peak) in the lead, (b) a sizable-for-'87 budget ($13 million), (c) an efficient director ("Cujo's" Lewis Teague) at the helm, (d) decent action stunts (the motorcycle chase/F1 race/insane finale are almost worth sitting through the rather dull first 80 minutes) and, last but not least, (e) good actors (Chris Sarandon, Tom Noonan, Randall "Tex" Cobb) not phoning in their bad guy roles. And hey, compared with Lommell's cheap-looking "Overkill" this set-in-Detroit production at least looks the part of an action flick. Cars flip in the air in slow motion, houses explode, stuntmen dive through glass, sexy black ladies find Morita irresistible, etc.

    The bad news? An unconvincing Jay Leno plays Costas, the comic relief Detroit cop driving a '59 Corvette (but only after his superior office takes away his badge) that starts the movie trying to avenge a retired friend's murder, but by the climax has forgotten all about that and just wants to pal around with Morita's fish-out-of-water Japanese detective. Most of the poor attempts at so-called humor feel lifted from the now-badly-dated 1986 comedy "Gun Ho," which means an awful lot of Japanese stereotyping/typecasting. Even the soundtrack by "Naked Gun" composer Ira Newborn feels like a shitty attempt to emulate both "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Miami Vice." As an 80's action movie "Collision Course" is a bust, but there's enough meat in its bones for fans of practical car/motorcycle stunts and Tom Noonan/stached Chris Sarandon memorable death moments. 2.5 HANGING UPSIDE-DOWN JAPANESE BUSINESSMEN (out of five).

    And we're off to the races! :-D

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    1. Thanks J.M. for the great write-ups and links! (youtube f.t.w.!!) Cant wait to check out Overkill!

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    2. I'd rather use legit streamers to support the original creators' work. But since Amazon failed us with "Overkill" it's ironic that the low-resution, full-screen VHS rip on YouTube enhances the JUNESPLOITATION! experience. πŸ˜‰πŸ‘

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    3. Damn it's been years since I've seen Collision Course, I only remember the jumping karate kick to the windscreen.

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  2. Code of Silence, dir Andrew Davis, 1985

    This was kind of a warm up if you will. I'm not the first and will not be the last to say Code of Silence is Awesome. I love how all the cops look like they slept on top on top of a grimey bar after a night of tequila shots. Even Norris. It gives Code of Silence a gloss of the 1970s and the rest is pure 80s. Andrew Davis knew how to set up and action scene. Just really great Chicago movie.

    I have been looking forward to Junesploitation for months. I'm so happy it's here! Lets do this!

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  3. Dead Heat, dir Mark Goldblatt, 1988

    Oh this was a hoot. Okay, I'm not completely convined by Joe Piscopo or his mullet, but Treat Williams is chaaaaaarming.

    Dead Heat is just fun. The action is fun the effects are imagantive. Plus a late performance from Vincent Price. It's a gorgeously dopey movie.

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  4. Martial Arts of Shaolin aka. Shaolin Temple 3 (1986)
    Dir. Chia-Liang Liu

    Even this early on, in only his 3rd movie, Jet Li shows great charisma to be a leading man. The story is simple enough revenge martial arts fair with the pacing moving along from set piece to set piece pretty quickly.

    An enjoyable fun way to start off Junesploitation.

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  5. It has begun!

    Deadly Prey (1987, dir. David A. Prior)

    A mercenary group is training new recruits by kidnapping random people off the street in broad daylight and making the recruits hunt them in the woods. But when they happen to kidnap a highly trained Vietnam vet, they get more than they bargained for...

    The action is amateurishly staged, the dialogue is stilted and clichΓ©d, the actors are wooden, and Ted Prior's pecs and mullet gleam in the sun. Cameron Mitchell is the MVP as the hero's ex-cop father-in-law. Perfect way to kick off Junesploitation!

    Red Heat (1988, dir. Walter Hill)

    What's there to say that hasn't already been said? Walter Hill knows his way around a buddy-cop movie, Arnold's Arnold, Jim Belushi's Jim Belushi, and the bench of supporting character actors is impressive: Peter Boyle! Laurence Fishburne (back when he was still plain old Larry)! Gian Gershon! Brion James! Pruitt Taylor Vince!

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    1. Btw, the Finnish title for Red Heat translates as Red Danger. I'll be adding a mention every time the Finnish title for a movie is different from the original. Unlike this one, some of them are pretty wild.

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  6. Going to kick off the first day of Junesploitation with SAVAGE STREETS!

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  7. Escape from New York (1981) - 9/10 chandeliers on the hood of Duke’s car

    First time watch for me, and I can't wait to watch it again!

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    1. Its brilliant. Glad you dug! Great pick Nate!

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  8. Kickboxer (1989)

    Not quite Bloodsport, but pretty damned fun.

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  9. White Fire (1984)

    5/10
    Surprisingly gory action/heist film with a great theme song and the most complicated sibling relationship ever put to film

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  10. Midnight Run (1988)

    Wonderful example of the “two people who couldn’t be more different are forced to travel cross-country on the slowest mode of transportation” genre, this one is elevated by DeNiro and Grodin’s wonderful performances, great support from Kotto, Farina, Ashton, Kehoe, and Pantoliano, and brisk direction from Martin Brest. Why doesn’t Martin Brest get more acclaim? He directed this, Beverly Hills Cop, and the original Going in Style! On this rewatch, I was surprised that the score here is by Danny Elfman— it’s the least Elfman sounding score ever. Straight 80’s action, not even a hint of “the merry go round broke down.” A great film to start Junesploitation…

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    1. Not only did Elfman compose the score, but he also turned it into one of the best Oingo Boingo songs, Try to Believe. Check it out, it’ll be stuck in your head forever and ever.

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  11. Yes, Madam! (1985, dir. Cory Yuen)

    A buddy cop movie starring Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock. This is my first Rothrock movie and I am blown away. I will hold the scenes of Yeoh and Rothrock kicking ass up to any action scenes in the '80's. They are both so amazing! Unfortunately that's only about 15% of the movie, and the rest is pretty boring exposition and weird comedy that just didn't work for me. I can't wait to dig a little more into Rothrock's filmography this month...

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  12. Kickboxer (1989, dir. Mark DiSalle & David Worth)

    I would say the non-action scenes weren't as good as the training & fight scenes but then I would be discounting JCVD's excellent dance moves in his buckle strap tank. Will be watching the 2016 reboot with the never-bad Dave Bautista as Tong Po on Free Space day.

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  13. Raw Deal (1986, dr. John Irvin)
    More like undercooked. The action is okay, if even happening on screen. Everything else is a bit "alright" (in a thick Australian accent). Schwarzenegger is the big selling point of this movie (has there ever been a movie post Terminator where he wasn't the selling point?) - but even he is all too humble, nice, good... call it what you want. A step backwards after Commando, even if Schwarzenegger himself said, he became a better actor during the shooting of this.

    From the IMDb trivia I've learned that: "It took months for Arnold Schwarzenegger to master walking and swinging both arms extemporaneously." So he went full method, eh?

    And because I liked J.M. Vargas idea:
    Two out of four mildly flexed pectoralis major...

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    1. Thanks. πŸ˜„ Not my idea, just a fun JUNESPLOITATION!-Y way to prove we're really watched the flick and not "winging it." πŸ˜‰

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    2. So I should have written 2 out of 4 self-cock-blocking Schwarzeneggers - because that is more specific to Raw Deal than flexed pectoralis majors?! :D

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    3. Outside of the freeze-frame final shot between Arnie and Darren I have no visual reference to anything in "Raw Deal." Such a forgettable movie. :-(

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  14. Battle Creek Brawl. I’ve got a Jackie Chan box set I was working my way through, so he’s gonna pop up a few times.

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  15. Night of the Juggler (1980)

    Happy Junesploitation!

    GIVE ME BACK MY DAUGHTER!

    James Brolin is an ex-cop with a rich ex-wife. Their daughter is kidnapped for ransom on her way to school on her birthday! Brolin is all of us and he will stop at nothing to get her back. Not even a current cop, Dan Hedaya bent on revenge, can get in his way. 70s/80s New York sleaze is the best! Mandy Pattankin pops in as a Puerto Rican cab driver. Excellent first film for the month. Good luck, everybody!

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  16. Midnight Run (1988)

    Even after all the stories about the hundreds of different actors who were considered for this, I have a hard time imagining this movie without Charles Grodin. It's one of the all time great comedic performances. Just his delivery on lines like, "I'm sure we're completely safe," or "I'm a white collar criminal." Ugh. I already miss him so much. Plus, everybody else is great in this as well: De Niro, Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton, Dennis Farina. All at the top of their game. This is one of those movies that you can not remake because it wouldn't work. They captured something special here.

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  17. PRAY FOR DEATH (1985)

    Words cannot express how important ninjas were in 1985. Every single day, American kids drew pictures of them during class, beat on one another with their weapons and watched their movies, which could nearly have an entire shelf of your local video store all to themselves.



    Pray for Death is Sho Kosugi’s vehicle and he makes the most of it. You may remember him as the villainous Hasegawa who fought Franco Nero in Enter the Ninja, but here he’s graduated to become the hero. He plays salaryman Akira Saito, who has decides to follow his wife’s dream and immigrate from Japan to the United States along with their two sons Takeshi and Tomoya (Sho’s sons Kane and Shane).

    What his family does not know is that Akira is a ninja and has kept the temple’s secrets, even killing his own brother Shoji as he tried to steal from their adopted father Koga (Robert Ito, Sam Fujiyama on Quincy, M.D.). His master tells him to leave Japan behind and erase the guilt he’s felt over what happened.

    Purchasing an old store from a kindly man named Sam Green (Parley Baer, the mayor of Mayberry!) that will become Aiko’s Japanese Restaurant. But before they can see any success, two crooked cops hide a necklace inside the floorboards, leading to Akira’s children being attacked, Green being murdered and eventually, our hero’s wife being injured and then killed inside the hospital while she recovers.

    This all means that Akira must return to the ways of the ninja and literally force a man to pray for death before impaling his hands and sawing him in half. Yes, this form of ninjitsu is not quiet in any way.

    Director Gordon Hessler has the kind of IMDB list that makes me excited about movies. It has it all, from Scream, Pretty Peggy and The Oblong Box to The Golden Voyage of Sinbad and Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park. He makes the kind of movies people like me want to watch.

    Predictably, critics hated this movie. Please show me the ninja movie that they have enjoyed.

    Posted at https://bandsaboutmovies.com/2021/06/01/junesploitation-2021-pray-for-death-1985/

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    1. adding this to my watch list!

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    2. Thanks! I'm glad any time that I can get people to watch more ninja movies.

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    3. You are 100% correct about the importance of Ninjas to kids of the early 80s. To this day i can make an origami throwing star on demand and STILL get giddy when i come across a stand at a flea market selling throwing stars or nun chucks! Im stoked to check out this flick..thanks for the click to pick!!!

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    4. My wife was born in 1984 and cannot understand the power of the shuriken, nunchukus or a butterfly knife and why they all make me overwhelmed with pure joy.http://www.fthismovie.net/logout?d=https://www.blogger.com/logout-redirect.g?blogID%3D4217427319662074458%26postID%3D1609666766871396869

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  18. Starting off (in a little while) with a Glickenhaus joint. The Soldier. Been sitting on this Kino disc for a while, no better time to take off the shrink wrap on this time!!

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    1. To quote the 'Two weeks' woman from "Total Recall," get ready for a surprise! πŸ’₯πŸ’£

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  19. American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt (1989)

    Damn it, movie. American Ninja 2 was one of my favorite discoveries of last year’s Junesploitation so I was really looking forward to this one. As it turns out, that enthusiasm was misplaced. The good news is that Steve James (who reeeeeally should have been promoted to lead since the Dudikoff departure) is introduced wearing a tank-top that says Shalom Y’all, and that may well be the best moment of the movie. Here he’s partnered with David Bradley, a lead with charisma that rivals that of several of the materials used to construct my house.

    There’s (American) ninja-ing, there’s a master (mistress?) of disguise, there’s an overlong sequence involving gliders that I’m still not really sure what it was meant to accomplish outside of “hey that looks neat”, and most importantly there’s Steve James (have I mentioned he should have been the lead here?) with a Rambo headband kicking all of the dicks. Disappointing after the fun of part 2, but apparently Dudikoff returns (along with Bradley) for part 4 so here’s hoping that’ll be better.

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  20. ACTION U.S.A.

    This is an absolute blast. The Vinegar Syndrome disc looks incredible and this pastiche of explosions, car crashes and stunts is too much fun to watch. Great way to start.

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  21. Hard Ticket To Hawaii (1987)

    The dialogue might not be up to snuff but the movie is not to bad.

    https://boxd.it/1TSKG9

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    1. There will be a lot more Andy Sidaris films showing up on Julie Strain day.

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  22. Runaway Train (1985)

    This train has had it with its parents!

    Jon Voight has been in solitary for 3 years. He is let out and then hatches a plan with Julia Roberts' brother to bust out of prison. Do they get out? Do they get on a train that may have been abused by its dad or did the conductor have a stroke? You'll have to find out yourself as well as what accent Jon Voight decided to go with. Rebecca De Mornay also shows up out of nowhere. It's a fun ride and don't worry, Eric Roberts also tries an accent.

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    1. I tey to quote I wrap you in plastic like John P. Ryan at every opportunity.

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    2. I am all greased up and ready for the sewer!

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  23. Black Moon Rising(1986) Dir Harley Coklis

    Tommy Lee jones starring in a film based on an original story by John Carpenter. Maybe the only action movie were the hero talks an opening scene convenience store robber into leaving. Chose it because I started last years Junsploitation with Harley Coklis' Michael Beck starrer BattleTruck figured why not start a tradition.

    I guess next year I have to watch Burt Reynolds in Malone. Its the last 1980s Coklis action flick.


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  24. Alley Cat (1984)

    This cat knows karate!

    Karin Mani plays Billie. Her car is being robbed outside her grandparents' house but she stops them with her feet. The street thugs later find her grandparents, beat up grandpa and stab grandma. She is slightly bothered by this and goes out and stops a sexual assault. This being a man's world, she gets in more trouble than the assholes! Luckily, she's banging a guy on the force. Some cops aren't half bad, as long as they're gettin' some! It's silly and enjoyable, just what an 80s action movie should be.

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  25. Black Moon Rising (1986)

    Tommy Lee Jones AND Linda Hamilton as sexy thieves? Yes, please.

    Tommy Lee Jones has to steal a thing but then he has to hide the thing in a supersonic batmobile. Linda Hamilton steals the car so Tommy Lee has to track her down and give her the business. She works for the bad guy from Superman III and he might not be the greatest guy. Jones and Hamilton are adorable and I wish Hamilton was in a thousand more movies.

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  26. Raw Deal(1986, dir. John Irvin)

    Find someone that looks at you like Darren McGavin looks at Arnold in final shot of Raw Deal

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  27. LA Bounty by Worth Keeter
    and the name Worth Keeter isn't even the most ludicrous name in the movie....
    This movie pits Sybil Danning (of Julie Darling fame) as a bounty hunter against Wings Hauser (of Vice Squad fame).
    But let's put aside the ridiculous names of these fabuluous people for a moment, it also stars:
    Van Quattro
    Blackie Dammett
    Frank Doubleday
    Branscombe Richmond

    None of these names seem like they belong to real people.

    My favourite line in the movie:
    Someone says to Sybil Danning - “Oh you’re so tough. Real macho. Or should I say ‘macha’?”

    Sybil drives a truck decked out in camo that ironically sticks out like a sore thumb and one time even tips off the bad guys that she’s in the area.

    Wings seems to talk to god throughout the movie but is constantly asking if he's entertaining god enough.

    Wings also keeps painting portraits of naked women but as far as I can tell he's just stabbing red and brown paint into a canvas for a few seconds before rage-quitting.

    The end of the movie is like a house of horrors if you replace 'house' with 'facility' and 'horrors' with 'animatronic polar bears and exploding birds'.

    This movie is absolutely my jam and I hope Elrich Kane one day goes ahead with his podcast idea "The Wind Beneath My Wings"

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  28. AMERICAN NINJA (1984)
    While I’m certainly aware of the American Ninja franchise, I’ve never seen one before today. (To me, Michael Dudikoff will always be Viper.) A U.S. Army soldier trained in the ways of the ninja goes up against a crimelord with his own ninja army. I kept expecting our hero to go rogue, but we’re sticking with the Army motif throughout. Still, the movie is huge entertainment. The supporting cast is all likeable characters, and the low-budget action has that awesome I-can’t-believe-nobody-was-killed-during-filming vibe. Highly recommended.

    30 days of Chinese fantasy movies, day 1
    WHITE HAIRED DEVIL LADY (2020)
    There have been so many of these sword n’ sorcery movies coming from overseas in recent years, I might as well watch some. This is a new take (Remake? Sequel? Ripoff?) of the classic Bride with White Hair. Different magic-using factions duke it out over who gets the cure for the dying emperor. Little plot makes way for lots of wire-fu action, and a great finale where the titular white-haired lady unleashes hell. Good stuff.

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    1. I approve of this 30-day Chinese project. See if you can squeeze "A Writer's Odyssey" from 2021. It's 1/3 "X-Men," 1/3 attempt to mimic South Korean existential drama and 1/3 fantasy Chinese folk tale on steroids... and 100% awesome, almost Jury Room Watch-along Bollywood worthy. πŸ˜‡πŸ˜Ž

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    2. I was a big fan of last June's 30 Days of Hello Mary Lou, so you can bet I'll be paying attention to your special project this year as well, Mac.

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    3. Oooo Chinese Fantasy Project. I will be taking notes!. Enjoy Junesploitation

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  29. cackling at the reviews thus far...y'all are hilarious!

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  30. Thank heavens it's June at last. Let's get this show on the road!

    Cobra (1986)

    As per a self-imposed rule, I'm only doing first-time watches again, hoping to take care of a few major blind spots along the way. This is one of them. Aaand... it's fine.

    I think my main takeaway is that our hero is just not a very compelling character (Cobretti's personality pretty much boils down to wearing sunglasses indoors and being too cool and manly to take off his leather gloves even when eating an apple), but Sly still manages to push through the limitations of (his own) lackluster script, and make a mark by the sheer power of his natural charisma, which always forces you to root for him no matter what (you can probably tell I've been rewatching a ton of Rocky movies recently). Meanwhile, Brian Thompson is really good as The Night Slasher. It's always fun to see his incredibly rough-hewn and menacing face. (Anybody remembers the short-lived vampire show Kindred: The Embrace? 'Cause I do.)

    All in all, a decent start to the month. I'm so fired up for the next 29 days.

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  31. Midnight Run (1988)

    After a grueling holiday weekend at work I still managed to stay awake long enough after getting home around 2am this morning to get in my first Junesploitation watch of the month. Others here have already commented on Grodin (RIP Kotto also), so I'll just comment that Joe Pantoliano does not seem to age chronologically. I get that the hair they give him here is largely the cause in this case, but the guy looks eternally like he's 38 going on 56.

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    1. Midnight Run is the perfext balm for the week you had! Enjoy Junesploitation!

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  32. American Ninja 2: The Confrontation, dir Sam Fistenberg, 1987

    Or American Ninja 2: Ninjas on the Beach

    Fistenberg, James and Dudikoff are a gift.

    And only Cannon would have Marines dress like Beach Party Frat Boys because of Left Wing Extremists 🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣

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  33. Number One with a Bullet (1987)

    When Revenge of the Nerds meets a Colt 45.

    Buddy cop movies are my shit. I love almost every iteration of them. For this team up, it seems like they drew names out of a hat. It is nearly a parody of itself but it narrowly escapes without being too dumb. Robert Carradine is likeable enough and I always enjoy a smooth glass of Billy Dee Williams. It was weird to see Peter Graves trying to play it straight after just watching Airplane. Valerie Bertinelli plays Carradine's girlfriend and Doris Roberts plays his mom. Valerie doesn't really have a part to play but Doris gets in a few good lines. Not perfect but fun was had.

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  34. Flashpoint (1984, dir. William Tannen)

    More of a thriller than a true actioner but I really dug it. I would watch a movie that features Treat Williams and Kris Kristofferson just being pals.

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  35. Ninja III: The Domination (1984)

    This is the greatest movie that has ever been. Aerobics. Throwing stars. “Special” effects. The thespian and dancing talents of Lucinda Dickey. I am overwhelmed, and have no words. 4:3 on Amazon Prime.

    My entire Junesploitation list on Letterboxd:
    https://boxd.it/caPy8

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  36. Southern Comfort (1981, Dir. Walter Hill)

    Think Deliverance minus the Burt and minus the banjos, not all the banjos, just some of the banjos.

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    1. annnnnd we have a new pull quote for the future 4k BluRay.

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  37. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. That was my pic last year. :)

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    2. Ok since somehow we both ended up watching Black Moon Rising and we both ended up watching Number one with a bullet I feel almost obligated to watch Highlander.

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  38. Conan The Barbarian (1982)

    (Editors Note: This title should not be confused with the far superior prequel 'Conan the Librarian'...."DONT YOU KNOW THE DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM!!!")

    This flick is a weird gap in my movie knowledge as id seen it as a kid but hadnt revisited. Simple story but great setting and revenge driven concept. Also a great chance to see Millius adapt his own work. A fantastic start for the month!

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  39. So using one of Patrick's old =Heavy Action colomns I found my Number 2 watch of the Day

    Number One with a Bullet(1987) Dir: Jack Smight
    A buddy cop film with Robert (don't call me Gilbert) Carradine and Billy Dee Williams in which they basically play themselves but COPS! Williams is the ultra cool Jazz musician moonlighting as a cop that also a smooth talker whom every woman is attracted too. As he explains in the movie, he doesn't know why its just been happening since he was a kid. Carradine plays a guy who really wants to be cool but thinks everyone thinks he is a nerd so he acts overly aggressive and a bit crazy. He's the overly giggly kid with the lighter burn smiley face on his arm you avoided in 8th grade all grown up with a badge. I have no idea what crime they were trying to solve except that the really wanted to bust a guy named Decosta. I think for drugs. Maybe murder. Probably both. Some funny parts and some ok action but not one I'd recommend unless you want to watch what was most definitely the reel Doris Roberts used to get the Everybody loves Raymond gig or you're a buddy cop completist. This movie was on heavy rotation on HBO in the mid 80s. I have no idea how I avoided(missed?) it until now.


    The article
    http://www.fthismovie.net/2015/06/heavy-action-10-underrated-80s-action.html

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  40. I am rolling with Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior tonight. I am seriously revved up about it! I watched the first one earlier this year with the intention of plowing through the rest, but I stalled out. :D Junesploitation was just the jumpstart I needed!

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  41. 1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982, dir. Enzo Castellari)

    I love these Italian Mad Max/Escape from NY ripoffs. This one is so colorful and over the top. Fred Williamson is badass, Vic Morrow is a great bad guy, Trash rules. All this plus George Eastman! Love this movie.

    Action USA (1989, dir. John Stewart)

    First time viewing. This is basically everything that's great about Junesploitation distilled down to one movie. Dangerous stunts, ridiculous dialogue, so many squibs and explosions. This will be hard to top this month.

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    1. I think Action USA is my favorite Vinegar Syndrome blind-buy. So awesome.

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  42. Taffin (1988, Dir. Francis Megahy)

    Pierce Brosnan stars as the titular Taffin, an Irish hometown boy who makes good solving problems for the locals (mostly collecting debts). Trouble arises when a cabal of out-of-towners want to put an apocalyptic chemical plant next to the city's football field. Taffin is rugged, but intellectual; in his cool guy loft he surrounds himself with rare books on philosophy and politics... and he wears an earring! The be-mulleted and 5-o'clocked-shadowed Brosnan likes to solve problems with his head, not his fists. For that reason there's far more blackmailing setups than street fights, but car chases in his imported red Mustang convertible and an expoding outhouse make this an agreeable Junesploitation opener.

    Bonus 'sploitation magic for using a gratuitous strip club scene as setup for one of Taffin's most satisfying paybacks. And, copious appearances of whisky and Guinness.

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  43. Savage Streets (1984)

    Well this movie is definitely savage. I'm not sure how I got it in my head that it was an action movie--there's not a ton of action until the end. Still, it was my first non Exorcist Linda Blair movie, and she's doing some stuff, so that alone was worth the price of admission.

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  44. Missing in Action (1984)

    Chuck Norris is never going to be my guy as he just lacks the charisma of most of the other 80s action stars. However his co-star here, a series of over-the-top explosions, helps carry some of the emotional weight in the back half of the film.

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  45. Project A (1983, dir. Jackie Chan)

    The "Jackie Chan vs. Pirates" movie has way less "Jackie Chan vs. Pirates" than you'd hope. Even so, once it gets into that in the third act it is pretty awesome. The movie is cute, pretty fun, and really does have some great fight scenes.

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  46. Goal is to "Try" and watch something new, or havent seen in awhile....Start'g W/ Walter Hills "Extreme Prejudice" which I have seen, however its "Been Awhile"

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  47. Streets of Fire (1984) Dir. Walter Hill

    What a cast! Glad I finally caught up with this after missing it for FThisMovieFest a few years back. It is as good as advertised.

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  48. Highlander(1986) Dir: Russell Mulcahy

    Killer soundtrack, bad accents, sword fights and Clancy Brown.

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  49. Commando (1985)

    Over-the-Top in nearly every possible way. The score is awesome.
    This is what I think of when I think of an Arnold movie.

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  50. The Running Man (1987)

    First time watch for my kids, and they loved it! In the movie, set in 2017, they create a "fake video" by replacing people's faces using computers. Kind of funny that it was considered super future sci-fi stuff in 1987, but actually ended up being completely possible by the real 2017. They're usually wrong (flying cars?), but this time they got it right.

    So happy that Junesploitation is here. I have been looking forward to the movies, but had forgotten how much fun it is to read the comments and see what everyone is watching!

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    Replies
    1. It is also interesting how the reality show concept of the "The Running Man" program is relevant in 2017.

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  51. No Man’s Land (1987)

    DB Sweeney is a young cop trying to take down a high end (Porsche only) car thief played by Charlie Sheen. It’s pretty solid, but seems like it could be more considering it’s supporting cast includes Bill Duke, M. Emmett Walsh, Randy Quaid and Gary Riley among others. Good kickoff movie considering I didn’t want to have sleaze-burnout during the first week.

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  52. First Blood 1982

    All of my choices are first time watches!

    This movie is ridiculous on so many levels. The local law enforcement being so corrupt and violent towards Rambo, his response to break out and kill them and that this one commanding officer shows up seemingly out of no where to confront him. It shouldn't work but somehow it really does!

    Dennehey as the main heavy is the magic behind the film's success and credit to Stallone for emptying the emotional tank in the climactic scene. A perfect start to Junesploitation!

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    Replies
    1. Considering where the "Rambo" sequels went "First Blood" feels classy by comparison. Glad you had a blast, there's way more where that came from. πŸ’₯πŸ’£πŸ’’

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  53. Ninja III: The Domination (1984)

    The first ten minutes alone earn it an A+ and the rest is gravy. So much god damn fun.

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  54. THE KILLER (1989, dir. John Woo) – Watched on a beautiful Blu-ray

    Kicking off Junesploitation 2021 with some vintage Hong Kong action. This was my first watch of any of the films John Woo made in his native land. The Killer caught me completely by surprise in so many ways, especially in the style. There is a strange beauty to the carnage, and there was a lot more carnage than I expected. I kept thinking, “This film cannot get any bloodier or crazier.” It did. The general plot is about a hitman who does his job efficiently but not without feelings. There are dealings with other hitmen, a Triad gang, and police till the climactic shootout. Definitely a good choice for the Cops or Gangsters day.

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  55. The Running Man (1987)

    This has been my favorite Arnold movie for as long as I can remember and watching it for the first time in 4k certainly didn't change that. The casting is flawless for maintaining a cheese-to-action balance (the choices of actor-turned-gameshow hose Richard Dawson and opera singer-turned-wrestler Erland van Lidth are especially inspired). Dawson's Damon Killian is probably the only character to have ever one-upped an Arnie quip:
    "Killian...I'll be back"
    "Only in a rerun"

    Special shout-out to the makeup designer, who accurately predicted what Mic Fleetwood would look like in 2017.

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  56. Highlander (1986)

    Surprisingly, not a terrible movie. Everyone is putting in maximum effort, especially Christopher Lambert's hair. Shot well and Connery is having a grand old time. Clancy Brown is probably the MVP.

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  57. Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

    I was never sure if I had seen this and it turns out I'm still not sure. I want to like this movie but it kind of drags. The bungee fights are weird. I feel like I'm more of a Fury Road fan than a Mad Max fan. Didn't hate watching but it's fine.

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  58. Blind Fury (1989)

    Rutger Hauer may or may not have been blinded. He visits an old friend and ends up in an adventure with a child. He is great even when dealing with possibly unintentionally funny dialogue.

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  59. Long Arm of the Law (1984) Arguably the movie that kicked off the Heroic Bloodshed genre only to get overshadowed a couple of years later by a little film called A Better Tomorrow, it's still a nasty, brilliant HK classic. Former PLA soldiers plan a heist in Hong Kong and things go bad. Would make a hell of a double feature with Wrath of Man

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  60. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

    I needed some comfort food today. I miss when star vehicles ruled the day in Hollywood. This movie's wonderful.

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  61. The Soldier (1982)

    Extra points for the out of nowhere, country western bar brawl where the band keeps pla- WAIT A SECOND THAT’S ACTUAL GEORGE STRAIT?!?!

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  62. Cobra (1986) - First time watch. Cheesy and formulaic in all the right ways. Stallone exudes a sort of John Wick cool without ever feeling like he's taking things too seriously. And the movie builds to a perfectly excessive climax.

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  63. Re-posting with account attached:

    First Blood 1982

    All of my choices are first time watches!

    This movie is ridiculous on so many levels. The local law enforcement being so corrupt and violent towards Rambo, his response to break out and kill them and that this one commanding officer shows up seemingly out of no where to confront him. It shouldn't work but somehow it really does!

    Dennehey as the main heavy is the magic behind the film's success and credit to Stallone for emptying the emotional tank in the climactic scene. A perfect start to Junesploitation!

    ReplyDelete
  64. Savage Dawn (Simon Nuchtern, 1985)

    Kicking off the month with Junesploitation royalty (Richard Lynch, Karen Black, Lance Henriksen, William Forsythe, George Kennedy).
    Sleazy bikers, Pino Donaggio score, tanks, rocket launching, horny reverend, snake-bite attack, mayhem all around, kick-ass neon cinematography; everything a Junesploitation pick should be! Is it a perfect movie? No! Should it be? Hell no!

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  65. The Panther Squad (1984)
    Dir: Pierre Chevalier

    The great Sybil Danning stars as the leader of a female squad of mercinaries hired by the New Organization of Nations (N.O.O.N....eyeroll) to stop the villainous Space Clean (eyeroll), who have kidnapped the only astronaut who can save N.O.O.N.'s Space Jeep (yep) that is experiencing dangerous technical problems.

    To say this movie is a mess is an understatment. The fight scenes are choppily edited and the plot is unintellegible. Aside from Danning, the other members of the squad barely given names, let alone personalities. Jess Franco regular Antonio Mayans plays the leader of Space Clean as a mixture of Fidel Castro and Adolf Hiter. Also, Jack Taylor makes an appearance as Danning's perpertually drunk ally.

    Overall, the goofball nature and low-budget charm of "The Panther Squad" only goes so far and really only is for Danning completists only.

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  66. Highlander (1986)

    Felt like rewatching a few films I hadn't seen in years and having never participated in Junesploitation before it's always fun having different categories each day to pick from.

    Also heads up I'm not sure how many actual exploitation films I'll watch but it'll be fun either way.

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