12 Movies I Plan to Watch During Junesploitation for the First Time(ish)

 by Adam Riske

Finally going to pull these off my shelf and give them a look.

Saturday, June 7th – Kung Fu! Fist of Legend (1994): I remember back in my Blockbuster Video days that we had a shelf full of copies of Fist of Legend to rent because Romeo Must Die was being released in theaters. I picked up a copy used but have never watched it despite several friends telling me how good it is. I recently watched the trailer, and it looks amazing. This is just what I need to keep my Jet Li run going after a recent revisit of Romeo Must Die for the Oops All Snaps episode.

Monday, June 9th – Free Space! Gunmen (1993)

How have I not seen this? As a burgeoning Christopher Lambert guy, I must. Apparently, he’s eating bugs in this! Plus, the rest of the cast is gold (Mario Van Peebles, who will always be my Solo; Denis Leary, who will always be my Coach Penn; Kadeem Hardison, who will always be my Dwayne Wayne). If that wasn’t enough, there’s Patrick Stewart, rappers as mercenaries and what the DVD case promises as“sardonic adventure.”

Wednesday, June 11th – ‘90s Action! Sniper (1993)

I’ve always meant to see this but never have. I’m glad I waited because Tom Berenger is an actor I enjoy more as an adult than when I was a Platoon-fearing adolescent. Plus, it’s got my guy and Tales from the Crypt legend Billy Zane co-starring. I can’t believe how many sequels this thing had. It looks like it’s up to ten. Take that, Jurassic Park.

Thursday, June 12th – Cartoons! Ferngully: The Last Rainforest (1992)

I never got around to seeing this one as a kid because I was slightly too old to see it in theaters back in 1992. Now that I’m in my 40s, I guess that’s not a problem anymore. Life is weird. Anyways, I think what drew me in to Ferngully the most was the Pizza Hut promotion I’d see advertised on TV. You could get a Kids Pizza Pack with a personal pizza, a Ferngully cup, and a terrarium! If that weren’t enough, I’m going to be treated to the vocal talents of Samantha Mathis, Tim Curry, Christian Slater (Kuffs!), and Robin Williams. Sold! And yes, I’m ordering Pizza Hut that day.

Saturday, June 14th – Free Space! An Innocent Man (1989)

I must have really liked Three Men and a Baby as a kid because I remember how much I wanted to see An Innocent Man in second grade. I think Touchstone/Hollywood Pictures marketing just appeals to children because we know deep down, they’re Disney heroes. Selleck plays a character named Jimmy Rainwood in this. Just like Aladdin and Simba, you can see him occasionally doing character meet & greets at Chef Mickey’s.

Sunday, June 15th – Revenge! The Substitute (1996)

I remember seeing this at some point on video in the ‘90s but those memories are lost in time…like tears in the rain. Anyways, more Berenger! Plus, I’ve wanted to revisit this for months since Quentin Tarantino discussed it at length with Roger Avary on the Video Archives podcast.

Monday, June 16th – ‘80s Comedy! The Golden Child (1986)

I’ve been trying to catch up on early ‘80s Eddie Murphy movies and this is the big one I have left. I’ve heard mixed things over the years, but I hope I like it with my expectations low. It seems like a mix of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Big Trouble in Little China so it should be at least a little bit fun, right?

Thursday, June 19th – Free Space! The Mod Squad (1999)

Another one where my memories are lost in time…like tears in the rain. I’ve always liked Omar Epps and I’ve grown to become a defender/fan of Giovanni Ribisi (35mm! Horizon’s Thanos! Seth Davis from Boiler Room!) so sure why not also Claire Danes? The sole DVD special feature is an “Exciting Booklet Containing Cool Insider Info,” so I’ll report back. I just rewatched the trailer and man is it 1999 to its bones. I feel like I should double feature this with Go.

Saturday, June 21st – Westerns! Silverado (1985)

Again, memories lost in time…like tears in the rain. I like Westerns and this one’s beloved, so I owe it a second viewing, especially since it has a breakout Kevin Costner performance. My favorite thing about Silverado is that I remember cast member Amanda Wyss told me at Flashback Weekend that the cast loved working with each other so much that they shared a Silverado text chain, and this was in the 2010s!

Tuesday, June 24th – Hong Kong Action! The Heroic Trio (1993)

I saw a few minutes of this movie late night on cable as a teen and it’s stuck with me ever since. My mind was blown but I, for some reason, never sat down and watched the whole thing. That all changes this June! The cast is great. It has a wizard villain. And the trailer has so many flippy jumps, lightning, and skeletons. I need this.

Friday, June 27th – Free Space! Red Heat (1988)

This is one of my unseen Arnold and Walter Hill movies so I’m looking forward to crossing it off the list. Plus, this is the first of two movies I’ll check out for Junesploitation set in Chicago. I’m surprised both Jim Belushi and Ed O’ Ross are in this. I didn’t know they could exist at the same time and space. They’re like if Two-Face split and became two men. Also, it doesn’t feel like Junesploitation until I’ve watched a movie from Carolco.

Saturday, June 29th – ‘80s Action! Code of Silence (1985)

Here’s the other Chicago movie. I’m not real familiar with Chuck Norris cinema (I’ve only seen Invasion USA, Sidekicks, and Expendables 2), so checking out what many consider his best movie (directed by my guy Andrew Davis) seems like the way to go. Plus, Norris jumps off the top of an El Train in the trailer and everyone in Chicago has done that six times.

What are you planning to watch for the first time(ish) this Junesploitation?