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The obsessives' guide to contemporary cinema via film discussion, news, reviews, features, nostalgia, movie music, soundtracks, DVDs and more.

Interviews

Review: 'Universal Soldier: Day Of Reckoning' Combines Art House Intentions & Strong Action In A Franchise Return To Form

By Gabe Toro
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November 28, 2012 7:58 PM
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9 Comments

Reviews

The first “Universal Soldier,” a tacky studio star vehicle that introduced us to director Roland Emmerich, debuted to the public as a Clinton-era signifier. It featured two resurrected soldiers eternally at war, products of a system that would allow them to kill and kill again over the years, brought back to be the new world‘s attack dog heroes. An ending to that film assured us that these war-like tendencies could be either deprogrammed or eliminated entirely, as one heroic fighter (Luc Deveraux, as played by Jean-Claude Van Damme) learned to love, and one villainous antagonist (Andrew Scott, as played by Dolph Lundgren) learned to accept dismemberment. Context was the key, context which was essentially eliminated in two dirt-cheap cable sequels and a quickie theatrical follow-up, but not direct-to-DVD installment, “Universal Soldier: Regeneration.”

By Todd Gilchrist
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August 14, 2012 8:00 AM
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20 Comments

Reviews

“The Expendables 2” is one of the very few films that gets better as it gets dumber. Serviceably directed, horribly written and barely acted at all except for a standout performance by (of all people) Jean-Claude Van Damme, it mostly delivers in the way that the original failed to, which is by enabling action stars to charm their way through an incredibly hackneyed and conventional storyline. Nevertheless an irresistibly fun alternative to the so-called grown-up fare that has attempted to replace the escapism of '80s and ‘90s blockbusters, “The Expendables 2” offers a welcome roundup of action stars who simultaneously – and satisfyingly – celebrate and send up their former glories.

By Drew Taylor
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June 12, 2012 11:00 AM
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9 Comments

Features

On June 12th, 1987, audiences around the country got their first look at that (to borrow one of the more quotable bits from the movie) ugly motherfucker that is "Predator." It heralded a number of promising new stars – most notably Arnold Schwarzenegger finally getting a bona fide blockbuster after sleeper hits like "The Terminator" and "Conan The Barbarian" – and director John McTiernan would emerge as one of the freshest, most stylish voices in action filmmaking since John Ford.

By Gabe Toro
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May 14, 2012 12:01 PM
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5 Comments

Reviews

Hong, the lead character in “Dragon Eyes,” might as well be a Man Without A Name when he wanders into the small town of St. Jude. He seeks a second chance, an opportunity to atone for past violent misdeeds seen in fuzzy flashback. It doesn’t take long for the viewer to realize this means a lot of people are about to be kicked in the face. One of the marquee titles from After Dark Action -- the new action imprint from Dark Castle and After Dark -- “Dragon Eyes” at least delivers on this aspect.

By Oliver Lyttelton
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December 14, 2011 7:34 PM
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4 Comments

News

Listen. Carefully. On the wind. Can you hear something? A creak of bone. A distant cough. Someone complaining that they haven't taken their pills, asking if you remembered to record "NCIS," and saying how their grandkids are going to show them how to use the Google. That's right, Sylvester Stallone and his buddies are rolling back into town.

By Gabe Toro
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November 21, 2011 1:00 PM
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14 Comments

News

If "The Expendables" meant anything (and, aside from some serviceable action sequences, it didn't really), it was a chance to see a group of action icons interacting with each other, with several scenes imbued with the baggage brought from the filmographies of all those involved. Come for the Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis, stay for the Gary Daniels! Sylvester Stallone and company have listened to the complaints, bringing back the entire cast for "The Expendables 2" and giving some of them more to do than to just sit around and chat.