Reviews (11)

A Fast-Paced Thriller
Rutger Hauer stars as Nick Randall, a former CIA man turned bounty hunter. He's a steely nerved, icy professional who rounds up the scum of society for very high prices. But now, Randall finds himself as bait in a tug of war between the CIA, FBI, and LAPD. Once the hunter, Randall has become the target of international terrorist Malak Al Rahim, played by Gene Simmons of the rock group KISS. What once was a job for Randall has become a mission; get Al Rahim at all costs!

The action in this movie is well done. Simmons does an excellent job as Al Rahim, and the pace is fast. The special effects are dazzling, and Rutger Hauer has some good one-liners along the way. If you're a fan of good action and shoot 'em up movies, then this movie should be included.

All too predictable thriller
The most interesting thing to do with this film is to watch the first few minutes and then try to predict who will be left alive at the end.

I'm sorry to say that I got this right, it's so easy to predict what will happen.

The plot breaks no new ground. An Arab terrorist, Malik Al Rahim (Gene Simmons) enters the US with the intention of blowing up a Los Angeles chemical plant in revenge for the accident at Bhopal. The authorities persuade Nick Randall (Rutger Hauer) to come out of retirement to help hunt down his old nemesis. It's a kind of reversal of Blade Runner where Harison Ford is the cop dragged out of retirement to hunt down and kill Rutger Hauer.

The film deals up lots of action, it is fast paced and Rutger Hauer's sardonic wit helps to keep things moving along. Sadly, at no point does the film ever really create any sort of tension or suspense. Nor does the film really add any depth to the characters.

It's the sort of film that you will enjoy watching with a small group of friends a takeaway pizza and a six pack but the Lethal Weapon series do this kind of thing much better.

Wanted Dead Or Alive
Like Black Sunday this is a taboo film (9/11) for today's American public. Terrorists causing havock on home soil, is not want certain people want to see at the cinema.
However this is a great low key action film for it's time, the violence is still very graphic. Rutger Hauer was great in the 1980s, before he discovered Burger King! As well as The Hitcher (which was released around the same time) he really had a presence.
The kiss frontman is a very convincing terrorist, he really looks like an arab. The CIA subplot makes this even more watchable. But anyone who has seen this film will remember the ending! Check it out, miles ahead of Collateral Damage.

Hat's off to Gene "the Demon"!
This film and "Runaway" are two good examples of Gene Simmons's acting ability. It shows that 'ol Gene is capable of other things than sticking out his tongue. If and whenver KISS does end its music career, Gene could make it as an actor, he's already proved that! I'm proud to own it on dvd. I highly recommend it!

What about the bonus Rutger?
Bounty hunter Nick Randall (Rutger) is alleged great-grand son of famous TV bounty hunter Josh Randall (played successfully
by Steve McQueen back in the 50's). Rutger may not be a
psycho (The Hitcher-'86), a space con (Blade runner-'82) or
a blind white Samurai (Blind Fury-'90) but no problemo!
Gene (I was the masked bass player of KISS) Simmons takes
over. After the absurd hermaphrodite creature he featured in a John Stamos movie (Never too young to die-'86), this is
trully brilliant casting (though not very politically correct,
I mean him being a Jew and meanwhile portaying an Arab
terrorist in this movie). If you're a fan of action movies you have already seen this one. If you're not, hey, let me tell
you this: The end scene with the grenade stuffed in Gene's
mouth is one of World Cinema's all time classic scenes and it
makes this movie a must-see just to hear Rutger say his
famous BONUS line.....! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

More Action From Isaac Florentine
The director that brought us 'U.S. Seals 2' is back with another low-budget, high-octane action thriller. In what may be a nod to those who objected to the over-the-top unrealistic tone of "U.S.Seals 2', this one is a bit more realistic. The plot is less outrageous, the villains more like people you read about in the papers, and the combat action looks a little less Hong Kong extreme and a little more like real military take-downs.
But 'Special Forces' is still a Heroic Bloodshed flick through and through. The action is almost non-stop and choreographed with flair and skill. For a low budget movie there's a remarkable amount of stop-the-DVD-and -watch-it-again moments. And the climactic battle has one of the best martial arts showdowns I've seen in years. If you like wild action, you'll get a kick out of this.
The more realistic tone will probably please some, but I'd just as soon see the director cut loose. I bet he would make a drop-dead cool sword & sorcery fantasy flick. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

The most accurate telling of Jesus' life on film!
This film is taken right from the book of Luke which many believe to be the book of the Bible that gives the most complete and accurate picture of Jesus' life. If you watch the movie with a Bible open to Luke you'll be able to follow right along. Brian Deacon plays the most believable Jesus (other than Robert Powell in the 1977 mini-series "Jesus of Nazareth) in any film, especially those done recently. The only drawback to this film is that it is quite wordy and at times moves slowly. The crucifiction scenes, however, are very, very powerful. "Jesus" has been shown worldwide to over 1 billion people and it has been translated into over 400 different languages. Until recently, this film has not been widely available and I'm thrilled that Amazon.com has made it more readily available. I highly recommend "Jesus" to anyone who wants an accurate visual telling of the story of Jesus' life without the use of "dramatic license" as has been the trend recently.

3 Stars for Accuracy, Poorly Done - Read Luke Instead
This movie, made by the Genesis Project and was released in theaters nationwide in the early 80's, is unfornuately, boring. The directing is of novice caliber and the acting very forgetful. Based on the Gospel of Luke, it fails to give an emotional impact. I know they wanted to make a great film, but instead, they made an uninspiring account of the life of Christ.

This movie has been hailed by so many layity and pastors as a great witnessing tool. If this is true, then the movie accomplished something good, however, I find it hard to believe anyone can set through it without falling asleep. Read the Gospel of Luke instead.

Watch Jesus of Nazareth if you must watch a gospel movie. This movie, however, is better than King of Kings and is on equal footing as The Greatest Story Ever Told in enterianment value.

The most widely viewed film of all time
It is impossible to overestimate the important of this 1979 film, for it has made an impact in even the most primitive regions of the earth, places where men and women are only now hearing about Jesus for the first time. This definitive, rigorously scriptural movie version of the life of Jesus Christ has been seen by over five billion people around the globe, reaching 236 different nations in over 800 languages. It has helped win innumerable souls to Christ all over the world, and even now, under the aegis of Campus Crusade For Christ, local churches and individuals are coming together in an effort to send a free copy of the movie to every home in the United States. The movie was a dream over three decades in the making, with five years of pre-production work preceding the seven-month filming that took place in 1978 at a multitude of sites in Israel. Intense efforts, involving the collaboration of numerous scholars from the whole gamut of Christian churches, went into making Jesus as accurate as it could possibly be - from vintage pottery to historically accurate costuming to sufficient cinders residing behind burning torches, every effort was made to take the audience back to Jesus' time. It is a non-denominational Christian film; while some churches might quibble about an omission here or a suggestion there, this movie is the story of Jesus and not the story of any particular kind of Christian religion.

The movie is based solely on the Gospel of Luke, and the dialogue you hear is taken straight out of the Bible. Jesus says nothing in this film that He does not say in Luke's account of his life. Naturally, every facet of Jesus' life could not be covered here, but the movie does a superb job of showing us who Jesus was and how He lived, taught, suffered, and died for the sins of all humanity. Brian Deacon does a superb job playing Jesus, and Niko Nitai truly shines in his portrayal of Simon Peter. At times, the film does seem to jump from one scene to another rather quickly, but this goes back to the authenticity upon which the film was founded. In a sense, Jesus' ministry was spent walking toward Jerusalem and His death on the cross, so we see Jesus and his disciples walking almost continuously; furthermore, Jesus' teachings, as recorded in Luke's Gospel, are a collection of parables and religious instruction originating from many different events in the life of the Savior. Jesus took His message to the people instead of letting the people come to Him.

The suffering of Jesus is handled quite well here, clearly portraying the horrific nature of death by crucifixion without making it disturbing enough to scare young children. You do see the scourging of Jesus and the driving of the nails into his wrists and feet, but the director seemed to set just the right tone for the scenes. It all makes for a powerful film that has won innumerable souls across the world; to tell someone of Jesus is one thing, but to show that person in such a captivating format as film exactly who Jesus was and how He suffered and died for the sins of humanity makes for a powerful missionary tool. Even non-Christians will be impressed by the commitment, scrupulous attention to detail, and cinematic mastery that went into the making of this film.

A reverent portrayal.
If you seek a Hollywood blockbuster, you must look elsewhere. If you seek a reasonable portrayal with some familiar faces, Jesus of Nazareth (the TV miniseries) is available on DVD. If you seek a truly reverent depiction, made without concern for its commercial viability, you have found it here. This movie presents "the message" in an understated dignified manner - it most closely represents His life as I imagine it.

Paved with good intentions
Slavishly faithful to the Gospel of Luke, this by-the-numbers retelling of Jesus's life never develops dramatic momentum. As cinema, it's just plain dull; the photography is washed-out (as it was even when the film was new), the zoom lens is overused, and the special effects, minimal as they are, get really cheesy. Everything is exposition, and it's not terribly competent exposition at that.

Some continuity gaffes create unintentional hilarity. For example, when Jesus dips his head in the water for a total-immersion baptism, his hair never seems to get wet. (This is a miracle we haven't read about, folks.)

Extras are fun, including a short documentary about the Jesus Film Project, which carts this particular film all around the world as an evangelical tool. Especially surreal is an hour-long compendium of pious testimonials from such luminaries as George Bush XLI and David Copperfield (huh?).

The soft but adequate full-frame transfer on this DVD doesn't leave out any significant information -- I suspect the film was shot open matte. But many of the compositions are so inept that you'll swear they were cropped at the sides anyway.

Catholics beware: This film presents a very Protestant-American Jesus, with its emphasis on a "personal relationship with God" and other faith concepts that Mother Church could find potentially heretical. That's no surprise, though, considering that the film was financed by the leader of Campus Crusade for Christ. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Not worth the time it took...
This movie is, without a doubt, THE worst movie I have ever seen! It actually gets "O" stars for my rating. For many years, that title belonged to "Red Dawn" hands-down but this has, unfortunately, topped it. The acting is SO bad that it is offensive (did they actually get paid?!). Half the time the actors who were supposed to have 'middle-eastern accents' would forget that little fact and start speaking without one - in mid-sentence. The plot of the movie is that a plane (a very small one - yet it had an elevator - yes, an elevator!) is hijacked (by how many terrorists? - who knows - it seemed you could never get a confirmed number) and on board there turns out to be an air marshal to save the day. Appropriately, and soon enough, we got to see this "super-man" type character bare-chested, karate-chopping and "hi-yah!"-ing his way all over this rather small aircraft, most of the time without the knowledge of the other terrorists. And, as always, they have to stick in a little kid that is wise beyond his years and can figure out things adults cannot (it didn't even phase a flight attendant that at one point the child was in control of flying the aircraft). Eli Danker, the 'head' terrorist, gives his usual performance but I wished he could not be associated with this film at all. As a matter of fact, my strong suggestion is that all of the people associated with this film in any way, shape or form NEVER go near any type of camera equipment, film studio or even a movie theater ever again! Bottom line - whether you spend money to rent this movie or you see it for free you'll be sorry! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

More Action From Isaac Florentine
The director that brought us 'U.S. Seals 2' is back with another low-budget, high-octane action thriller. In what may be a nod to those who objected to the over-the-top unrealistic tone of "U.S.Seals 2', this one is a bit more realistic. The plot is less outrageous, the villains more like people you read about in the papers, and the combat action looks a little less Hong Kong extreme and a little more like real military take-downs.
But 'Special Forces' is still a Heroic Bloodshed flick through and through. The action is almost non-stop and choreographed with flair and skill. For a low budget movie there's a remarkable amount of stop-the-DVD-and -watch-it-again moments. And the climactic battle has one of the best martial arts showdowns I've seen in years. If you like wild action, you'll get a kick out of this.
The more realistic tone will probably please some, but I'd just as soon see the director cut loose. I bet he would make a drop-dead cool sword & sorcery fantasy flick. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

It will make you laugh out loud.....if you are in car sales
Sorry guys I cant give it 5 stars because only a hand full of movies (ie:The Godfather,Deer hunter) get that rating with that said I give this flick 4 stars for anyone in the business, It will make you laugh your butt off. I myself have been in the car business for over 20+ years and have seen all these characters in real life including myself as the sales manager (OH NO!!)I play this movie at our sales meeting from time to time to lighten up the day. It is the most dark side of the business, I'd like to think we dont pull this stuff on a daily basis but it does happen like it or not. I have to say I cant reccomend this movie to anyone outside the SALES business it most likely wouldnt be so funny if you cant relate. The end of the movie was a little out of wack but if you didnt have some way of ending it I guess it could go on forever. allthough I have seen some parts of the ending in the business no deaths that I recall......at least not from shooting.

Almost Perfect to Form! Car Biz Laugh your butt off!!!!
I am a third generation in the car business. All true! Buy couple dozen copies. I did. It is amazing how true to form this movie is. I'd recommend this and "Cars and People, pissing at 60 miles an hour (book by Anthony Ziegler)to everyone in the car business.

Decent movie until it degrades into a low-rent caper flick
Good writing, pacing, and direction. Suckers made me laugh out loud several times, and was a good movie on its own merit until the direction takes a left turn into Quentin Tarrantinoville. The movie would have been a lot better had they stuck to the salesman theme.

"The horror of reality."
Forget "Used Cars" & "Cadillac Man". "Suckers" is why I left the buisness. The first time I saw this film I sat with mouth gaping. Every line spoken by Daniel Benzali I had heard over and over again, in every sales meeting, on every car lot I had worked. This movie is 100% real, with the exception of the drug dealing foul ups. That of couse would never happen. Car salesmen are not that sloppy.

Outstanding!!!
This is on of the greatest true-to-life movies I have ever seen. At my old dealership, Regie became our hero and the boss now acts like him. ... Read more