Amazon.com

Steven Seagal has always been an awkward action hero. Initially, he hada certain amount of credibility thanks to his nebulous association with secret government agencies and mastery of aikido, which helped to excuse his bad acting. But as a self-righteous action hero in the vein of Schwarzenegger and Stallone (which helps to explain his bad acting), Seagal fell into unintentional self-parody faster and more dramatically than either of his two predecessors. In Out for Justice, Seagal plays Gino Felino, a Brooklyn-born cop known and respected by everyone--both good and bad--in his neighborhood. The worst of the neighborhood baddies is Richie Madano (William Forsythe), a crack-smoking killer who murders his partner and terrorizes the neighborhood. Technically, Felino is a terrible cop--touching evidence at murder scenes, stealing evidence, intimidating witnesses--but only by breaking those rules can he bring in this horrible criminal. As his soon-to-be-ex-wife discovers, he does everything because he cares too much. Julianna Margulies (ER) has a small but thankless role as Richie's hooker girlfriend, and Gina Gershon (Face/Off, Bound) has an equally thankless roleas Richie's foul-mouthed, bar-owning sister. The movie plays like a vanity piece for Seagal, and in that vein, it is fascinating to watch. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (38)

Acting? Hell, No. Action? Hell, Yeah!
First of all, this movie is not getting five stars for its acting, its plot, its writing or its cinematography. Those basically don't exist. This film is about action, not acting, though some of the cast occasionally slips up and really does act, especially people like William Forsythe and Jerry Orbach, who apparently can't entirely help themselves. "Out For Justice" is a Steven Seagal vanity piece, plain and simple, and doesn't pretend to be anything else. In that sense, it succeeds in its purpose admirably well.

Seagal portrays yet another hero sporting a ponytail to hide his emerging bald spot. His traditional squinty-eyed grimace is used at all appropriate times, namely whenever he's trying to convey emotion, whether it be outrage, anger, sorrow, affection or desire. It's great how the viewer is left constantly guessing as to how poor Steven feels; it's highly doubtful that even he knows, so how can he be expected to show it to others? Acting is not this guy's forte, and it really shows when he's in a scene with real talent like Orbach or Forsythe. Those poor actors just don't know how to roll over and play dead so Steven can really shine. Not to worry, though, because it's in the fight scenes where Seagal gets to flex his muscles---on his body, not his face---and there's nobody who can kick tail quite the way he does.

There's no sense describing the plot, which is as flimsy as wet toilet tissue, but there's plenty of mayhem for those who like their action movies hot, bloody and raw. The film bogs down whenever Steven's character tries to make nice, such as in the scenes where he's chatting with a puppy. Fortunately, such interludes are few and far between, and do little to distract from the main point of this movie, which is to show off Seagal's creative use of expletives, martial arts and found objects like pool cues and meat cleavers. No, this is definitely not a chick flick or an intellectual exercise designed to make the viewer think; what it is, is action, designed for the testosterone crowd. Go into it with very low expectations of it being anything other than an adrenaline rush and you'll be fine. A good movie to watch with beer and chips---just don't look for it to be anything remotely like "Under Siege" and there'll be little disappointment.

a power house. pure adrenaline.
FIRST HE WAS ABOVE THE LAW. THEN HE WAS HARD TO KILL. THEN HE WAS MARKED FOR DEATH. NOW STEVEN SEAGAL IS OUT FOR JUSTICE. HE IS A COP. IT'S A DIRTY JOB. BUT SOMEBODY HAS GOT TO TAKE OUT THE GARBAGE. AND STEVE DOES. HE HAS TO TRY TO STOP A MADMAN WILLIAM FORSYTHE BEFORE IT IS TO LATE. VERY GOOD ACTION SCENES AND SEAGALS MOST GRAPHIC MOVIE. RATED R FOR STRONG VIOLENCE,STRONG LANGUAGE,AND BRIEF NUDITY.

ANOTHER ONE OF SEAGAL'S FILMS FROM THE GOOD OL DAYS
A BROOKLYN COP [SEAGAL] GOES AFTER THE MURDERER OF HIS PARTNER. HAS PLENTY OF GOOD ACTION TO SPARE AND IT HAS A VERY GOOD VILLAIN, WHO'S PLAYED BY WILLIAM FORSYTHE. THIS IS ANOTHER REMINDER OF HOW GOOD STEVEN SEAGAL'S MOVIES REALLY WERE BACK IN THE EARLIER DAYS OF HIS CAREER. SEAGAL FANS SHOULD DEFINITELY TRY TO GO OUT AND BUY THIS ONE. THIS IS REALLY WORTH OWNING.

Gino on a mission!!
This movie is definately action packed with it's share of violence. Steven Seagal is wonderful as a "Brooklin born" cop willing to go the extra mile to catch a killer. This movie is well written because it shows the viewers that even policemen have difficult jobs going after bad criminals, even if it is a friend. I thought that this movie was one of Steven Seagal's best!I would encourage any fan of his to definately add it to your collection!

That's for Bobby!
I find it appropriate to review this, one of Seagal's best films and a classic in the genre. His career now a shell of its former self, Seagal proves with 'OFJ' that he used to deliver the goods.

I used to think there wasn't much to making a good Seagal film. How hard can it be? But his recent efforts, which have gone straight to DVD, prove that some talent is required to make a satisfying rogue-cop-on-a-mission flick.

Seagal plays Brooklyn cop Gino Felino (I'm not kidding) whose partner is blown away on the streets (18th Avenue, we're told over and over) by the crack-smoking lunatic Richie, played with aplomb by William Forsythe. Using his acute knowledge of 'the neighborhood', Gino sets off on revenge, killing several dozen people before the suitably ultraviolent finale.

The film has many things going for it. Firstly, Seagal attempts a Brooklyn accent and an overall Brookln persona which is priceless to watch. Second, the violence is top notch. It starts off strong with a pimp being put through a windshield after insulting Gino's Italian-American heritage. The violence then escalates as Gino uses tried-and-true methods of interrogation such as the old cue-ball in the bar towel, shots to the family jewels, the snapping of wrists, and good old fashioned Smith and Wesson. Thirdly, William Forsythe is amazing as Richie, proving that he will throw himself into a role totally and completely. His fat man waddle, crazy crooked mustache, and berserker behavior make him a great villain. Think about it--Seagal versus a fat character actor doesn't sound like much, right? But Forsythe is game and makes the film fun to watch.

What else? The film is totally foul-mouthed, full of off color humor and a message that is morally dubious at best.

OFJ also has a crop of familiar faces. Jerry Orbach, plays ::gasp:: a cop. Gina Gershon appears as Richie's sister. John Leguizamo appears in a two second bit during a cheesy montage sequence. Julianna Margulies plays one of Richie's hook-ups. B-movie babe Shannon Whirry appears in a revealing outfit.

Highly recommended to the action fan. Required viewing if you hail from Brooklyn. ... Read more

Description

Action director Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale, Tora! Tora! Tora!) created one of his most unusual yakuza films with Graveyard of Honor, a highly stylized account of the life of Rikio Ishikawa, a strong arm man who works for one of Japan's biggest crime families. In one brutal scene after another, Fukasaku documents the downward spiral of a sociopathic thug who will do anything to survive in Japan's decadent underworld of drugs, murder for hire, and prostitution. Graveyard of Honor is a brutal and unsparing look at the modern Japanese yakuza—men who live without a code of honor. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Made in the heady days of movies like Convoy and Smokey and the Bandit, when CB radios were expected to create the kind of communication network the Internet has provided, Breaker! Breaker! tells the tale of J.D. Dawes (Chuck Norris of Good Guys Wear Black and TV's Walker, Texas Ranger), a trucker in tight jeans and a blonde shag. While J.D. is defending his arm-wrestling reputation in a truck stop poolroom, his younger brother Billy is being taken advantage of by the crooked cops of Texas City, California, a former ghost town turned would-be tourist trap, run by a corrupt judge named Joshua Trimmings. When the scam gets out of hand, Billy disappears--and J.D. comes to town to find him. There are many campy things to appreciate about Breaker! Breaker! (the sequined collar of the shirt Norris wears during a meditation teaching, or the glorious air-brushed eagle on Norris's van), and by contemporary Jackie Chan/The Matrix standards the fighting is slow and unspectacular--but ironically, this actually gives the action some grit and makes the blows feel more visceral than the wild flips and kicks of more recent movies. The chase scenes have surprising momentum, and there's some fine scenery-chewing by George Murdock as the wicked judge. And for a curious bit of trivia, Jack Nance--who must have been playing the lead in David Lynch's Eraserhead concurrent with Breaker! Breaker!--plays a trucker friend of Norris's. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (4)

This is the movie that started it all!
For all Chuck fans this one is a must. Its got all you'd expect from a Chuck film....loose plot, bad acting, continuity problems, and shaky premises. But aside from all that its hillarious from its lewd intro song to the earth shattering dialogs, "Drink Trucker?", thoughout the film. If you want to have some fun this one is a must see!

Decent Action Flick, not a bad start for Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris made his starring Debut in this slightly hokey action film about a trucker who's brother gets caught in a one horse speedtrap of a town called Texas City. The DVD was mastered well with both wide and full screen versions. My only complaint is a lack of a trailer and the misprint of the time on my copy of the disk. How they lost 20 minutes of movie on the case is a mystery to me, as the movie really is 85 minutes, not 65.

chuck norris is old
How the hell did Chuck Norris become a star I mean the guys like 50 and he's so slow. I can't stand guys like him Steven Segal and Van Damme.

Truckin Action
Very good movie lots of truckin action and other stuff like that also lots of talk on CBs. Chuck Norris does a good job as a trucker and others do to. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Whether or not you can sympathize with its fascistic/vigilante approach to law enforcement, Dirty Harry (directed by star Clint Eastwood's longtime friend and directorial mentor, Don Siegel) is one hell of a cop thriller. The movie makes evocative use of its San Francisco locations as cop Harry Callahan (Eastwood) tracks the elusive "Scorpio killer" who has been terrorizing the city by the Bay. As the psychopath's trail grows hotter, Harry becomes increasingly impatient and intolerant of the frustrating obstacles (departmental red tape, individuals' civil rights) that he feels are keeping him from doing his job. A characteristically taut and tense piece of filmmaking from Siegel (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Shootist, Escape from Alcatraz), it also remains a fascinating slice of American pop culture. It was a big hit (followed by four sequels) that obviously reflected--or exploited--the almost obsessive or paranoid fears and frustrations many Americans felt about crime in the streets. At a time when "law and order" was a familiar slogan for political candidates, Harry Callahan may have represented neither, but from his point of view his job was simple: stop criminals. To him that end justified any means he deemed necessary. The digital video disc preserves the film's anamorphic widescreen format. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (96)

Like Coors Dirty Harry's an Original
It was a great idea taking the soft deliberate speaking, Western King, Clint Eastwood and placing him in society as San Francisco police inspector Harry Callahan. Harry is a maverick cop fighting bank robberies, handling suicides and finally chasing a crazed killer known as Scorpio. The only thing we can determine that really drives Callahan besides Good vs Evil is that his wife was killed by an alleged drunk driver. It's the pre prozac and therapist era and Callahans controlled rage is only adressed through the mishaps of his villanous prey and his by the book department. In a sense this movie is timeless as hostage situations still affect our urban areas but with this cutting edge cinematic view we become somewhat disconcerted by our own laws and policies. The line made popular here DO YOU FEEL LUCKY? will last forever. Villan Andrew Robinson is still working today as he did a great job making us hate him in 1971. Four sequels follow this one Magnum Force 1973, The Enforcer 1976, Sudden Impact 1982 and The Dead Pool 1988. All worth watching but you can flip flop Dirty Harry and Magnum Force as the best of the bunch!

It'll blow you away
"Dirty Harry" made Clint Eastwood a star. Yes, there was the Italian westerns that made him famous, but this is the one that made him an American icon. Harry Callahan is the man every man wants to be.
The story is that a roof top sniper is killing the citizens of San Francisco. He is a cold, vicious murderer who wants a huge ransom to stop. Harry Callahan is the cop assigned to the case. Harry is a loner, he's the type to shoot first (with his massive, now infamous, Smith and Wesson .44 Magnum) and ask questions later. At first he goes along with police procedure, until the killer starts a new MO. When Harry tries to arrest him, he violate some of the killer's civil rights, and then is released. Harry begins stalking him as the killer is now trolling for new victoms.
This movie is not a mystery, it is more about social issues. Some people say the movie is dated. Maybe, maybe not. I think that rights of the accused are still highly sensitive issue today. Dirty Harry just did what any one of us in those extraordinary circumstances would have done.
On top everything it is an excellent action thriller. The pace is tight and it is just great to see someone just doing what's right, not nessesarily what's leagle.

CONSERVATIVE VIEWPOINT
This movie is about conservatives and how they must battle against the oppressive forces of communism. It was written by the greatest screenwriter and director ever, because he is a conservative.

This movie makes me wonder if somebody saw a screenplay I wrote a few years ago and stole my idea. It was called "A Savage Campaign." In it, a politician and a murder take care of the daughter, whose wife finds out about the plan. The democratic senator is corrupt and goes to the KKK. When the plot is revealed, it is finally stopped by Barry Bonds, who I consider to be baseball's Superman. When I pitched this idea to many Hollywood executives they thought it sounded great, but they wanted me to change the democrat to a republican.

All men yearn to be free.

This movie is about how the system does not care for law and justice. But the American people do. God bless you all.

'GOD'S LONELY MAN."
John Milius is the greatest screenwriter you never heard of, not to mention a terrific director. He describes the "Dirty Harry" Callahan character as "God's lonely man." Milius is that rarest of rarities, a Hollywood conservative. He herein wrote a film for the Republican Clint Eastwood that spoke to the hopes and fears of an America yearning for justice, law'n'order in a world dominated by overarching liberalism in the 1960s and '70s.

Picture America at that time: Vietnam, the streets and campuses exploding in riot, and a new social ethos that was willing to blame a racist white establishment for the crimes of this nation's increasing population of criminals.

In the 1960s, the Supreme Court became activist to the hilt. The most obvious of these cases was the famous Miranda ruling from Arizona, in which a criminal was allowed to go free because he had not understood his rights, not understanding the English language spoken by the arresting officer. His subsequent confessions were thrown out. The Court spoke of the "forbiddeen fruit" of evidence gathered by overzealous officers who "failed" to inform criminals that they were being searched just before they discovered their weapons, their drugs, their evidence. A police officer who found evidence of crimes was unable to make the case unless he had probable cause ahead of time to find the evidence.

In "Dirty Harry", a character (Andy Robinson) based on the never-caught Zodiak killer who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area at that time, goes on a murder rampage. Eastwood catches him at Kezar Stadoium. A little girl is lying in a hole some place. She has a limited amount of air left. Eastwood knows the guy did it. We know it. God knows it. The scene is worth watching in light of Abu Ghraib and the concept of the "ticking time bomb" theory of interrogation that the terror era has brought upon us.

Eastwood knows that if the man is arrested and booked, he will not talk, hiding behind a lawyer, and that the girl will suffocate. He applies a little bit of torture to Robinson, the Scorpio killer. What he wants is to know where the little girl is, so she can be saved. Scorpio wines about having rights and wanting a lawyer. Eastwood extracts the information from him. The girl, however, has died before she can be found by the cops.

Eastwood is confronted by the D.A., who tells him not only that the killer had rights, but that he will walk as soon as he is healthy, and he has brought in a Berkeley professor to detail to Clint how he violated the criminal's rights and, in essence, is worse than the Scorpio killer.

The end? We've all seen it a million times on TBS's "Movies For Guys Who Like Movies." Eastwood gets his man. He receives zero gratitude from the authorities. Millions of ordinary American citizens appreciated him in theatres and TVs since then, however.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"

STWRITES@AOL.COM

BEST ACTION MOVIE OF ALL TIME!
IN THE ONE THAT STARTED EVERYTHING, ''DIRTY'' HARRY CALLAHAN [CLINT EASTWOOD] GOES AFTER A SERIAL KILLER [ANDREW ROBINSON]. STILL THE BEST OF THE DIRTY HARRY SERIES. HAS A SUSPENSEFUL PLOT, TOP OF THE LINE ACTION, EXTREMELY CLEVER PACING AND IT HAS A NOT-TO-MISS FINALE. EVERY COP MOVIE THAT CAME OUT AFTER THIS EITHER TRYED TO COPY ITS PLOT OR ITS MAIN CHARACTER. THIS IS ARGUABLY CLINT EASTWOOD'S GREATEST MOVIE EVER. I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT A FAN OF CLINT EASTWOOD, OR EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT A FAN OF ACTION MOVIES, YOU NEED TO MOST DEFINITELY SEE THIS IF YOU STILL HAVEN'T SEEN IT BY NOW. A TREAT FOR ALL. FOLLOWED BY FOUR SEQUELS, BEGINNING WITH MAGNUM FORCE. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Christopher Lambert, the imposing French actor with the nasal whine best known to American audiences as Scottish swordsman Highlander, plays a rank amateur in The Hunted. He's an American businessman in Japan who lucks into a one-night stand with slinky Joan Chen and winds up a witness to her murder by a mysterious band of black-clad ninjas. Escaping not one but two attempts on his life by a little quick thinking and a lot of dumb luck, he winds up on a harrowing bullet train ride. As swarms of masked assassins decimate passengers in search of the elusive eyewitness, Lambert's laconic protector, rough-edged samurai Yoshio Harada, unleashes a martial arts frenzy of flashing swords in close quarters. His savior is not as altruistic as he seems, however. He just wants to lure mysterious ninja overlord John Lone out of hiding and into a fight to the death on Harada's island fortress, and Lambert is little more than live bait. Though it made few ripples at the box office, The Hunted is a slick and surprisingly smart thriller. Lone and Harada cut striking figures as the warriors following ancient codes in the modern world, and writer-director J.F. Lawton (screenwriter of Pretty Woman and Under Siege) gives them almost as much screen time as ostensible hero Lambert. The action scenes are furious and fast paced, lacking the grace and precision of real Japanese samurai adventures but full of clever flourishes. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (23)

BUY THIS MOVIE
Holy moly... I can't begin to tell you how pleasantly surprised I was after watching this movie. Don't let the boring DVD cover or leading man fool you. Christopher Lambert is just an ordinary business man visiting Japan. John Lone & Yoshio Harada make the flick. Tak Kubota as Oshima gave the movie a bit of comic relief as well. The fight scenes are absolutely astounding. I watched this movie dog tired & was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I had to recommend it to all of my friends the very next day. I'm watching it AGAIN as I am typing this review. Two words... "Train Scene." If you want to know what I'm talking about, BUY THE MOVIE.

Have you ever watched a flick that was so good, with the main characters being so ruthless & believable that you couldn't help but get goosebumps? Well, here's an excerpt from the film that will give nothing away but a brief foreshadowing of just how good the Samurai was:

Paul Racine: What do we do if he loses?
Meiko: Takeda will not lose...

Have you got goosebumps yet? Those of you expecting a cheesy movie w/ horrible acting, CGI & impossible stunts done with cables, turn the other way. I bought this movie site unseen & without any recommendation from anyone except the plethora of 5 star reviews from Amazon. It was well worth the money & you will not be disappointed.

A completely underrated movie.
This is a beautifully made picture, full of smooth action scenes, breathtaking scenery, and a little romance mixed in to boot. I won't go on with an overview of the plot; you can read that above, I'd like to focus on the DVD. The movie is displayed in a widescreen ratio, and is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. Special feature wise the movie is lacking, it only contains a theatrical trailer and some production notes. I personally would have loved to see a nice featurette on the choreography but I'm afraid not this time. The movie itself is not some B or C movie as you would expect from a movie with as little exposure as this one got. That's right folks, no cheese, excellent cast, excellent acting. Furthermore the film is historically correct, as far as I can tell, everything right down to the Takeda family crest; with the exception of the ferocity of the ninja, they wouldn't just kill to kill. Anybody who loves the Eastern culture and martial art films will love this movie, but it is not completely "chop saki" using the story as an excuse to start the next fight. This is most definitely a DVD to add to the collection.

This movie is pathetic
I'm giving up reading the reviews in Amazon. They are worthless. This film is pathetic in just about every way - plot, acting, fight sequences, etc. Yet it gets 4-5 stars. Are the reviews written by investors? Does anyone find these reviews helpful?

The worst ninja movie ever
I'm surprised Japan didn't commit a second Pearl Harbor after this movie. I'm even more shocked that it has 4.5/5 stars as an Amazon score.

What is good about this movie: one character named Takeda, who is an excellent Japanese swordsman and a very likable guy. His personality is smooth and clever. However, he's not the main character.

As usual, any American movie made in an Asian country needs a white man to lead the title role. Christopher Lambert's character is a doof who has sex with a hot Asian girl only because she's about to be killed by ninjas and doesn't want to die a virgin...so she picks the first dumb clod in the bar. Unfortunately Chris goes back to her room after the ninjas up 'n kill her, so now he has ninjas on his head.

He's eventually put in a hospital with a police guard, but the ninjas kill all the police men. This is because the police men RUN INTO THE NINJAS! Thats right, instead of pulling out their guns and dropping a big black thing standing in the middle of a hospital room, they just run up and get stabbed.

It gets better. Mainly, lots of more needless carnage. The ninjas take decide to kill every one in a train to get to Christopher Lambert. Then the final showdown on Takeda's island, which has lots of more needless violence.

Takeda is taken out in a very cheap, dumb way. Why do they do this? So Christopher Lambert, who has had only three days of sword training, can take out Japan's top ninja. I guess since he's a white guy, taking out a weak Asian man is easy. At least that's what I get from the script.

This movie left me with such aggravation at how BAD it was - not only from the bad storyline, but the constantly needless violence and cliches - that I don't understand why there exist people that like this movie. I wouldn't suggest any one watch this film unless you greatly desire to feel your brain slowly ooze out of your ears.

Great Movie!
My wife and I saw this at the theater when it first came with not a whole lot of fan fare or pre-movie hype. We saw it because at the time there wasn't much else out that deserved the inflated theater ticket prices !
We were definitely surprised and delightfully pleased to learn this movie was well worth the sticker price and will warrant the outlay of an additional 20-30 bucks to add to our DVD collection. Do not listen to the negative publicity they are just trying to get a rise from the rest of us that are giving it good reviews.
I have always been a big Lambert fan, especialy for his portrayal
of Lord Greystoke, as well as Highlander. You have to set aside your knowledge that Christopher is already well versed in sword play because in this movie he has to be a regular Joe who learns from the beginning how to wield a sword and by the time he needs that ability his experience is clearly able to shine !
So I am happy to give this one 5 stars for a job well done ! ... Read more

Reviews (19)

the best and most realistic van damme movie
I'm so glad they made a more realistic van damme movie. I was getting so tired of all this movies where he does all these flying spining dodo kicks which are either repeated a dozen times or are in slow motion. He also didn't hit the final bad guy 500 times or shoot him 7 times to beat him. There was actually some rolling around, grappling, and punching on the ground, which your more likely to see in real life then somebody spin kicking a guy a dozen times. They also didn't overdo showing to many action scenes like in double impact (which is still an awesome movie), but this one was more believable. I don't know why so many people kept saying he did a lot of fancy high kicks in this movie. He didn't, but he still pulled off a variety of fancy moves while managing not to overdo them. I would tell you more but I'd end up giving the whole movie away. This is a must for van damme fans or any action or movie buff.

Well Done Hero Role!
This was a perfect vehicle for Van Damme. A poor woman is being threatened by a wealthy businessman from the local town It becomes Van Damme's duty to protect the poor lady and her kids. Van Damme has his share of problems out of the bad guys also.As usual he is able to overcome all of the forces of evil. As is the case with any Van Damme film there is nonstop action. Van Damme puts on a good demonstration of his karate skills. Van Damme has to overcome overwhelming odds. The forces of evil are many. The movie has a pretty decent plot. The acting in this movie is not that bad either. Watch this movie if you like action. It is your type of film.

BEST DAMME MOVIE EVER!!!!!!
This was such a well made movie and i don't understand why JCVD doesn't do more movies like this! They made JCVD more human than he was in films like Universal Soldier and Bloodsport because he was not the "i will kick your ass any day" guy. He was the "i will kick your because i have to". It also had an ending that the others didn't, but i won't spoil it for you. I just love this movie, JCVD's best work!

THIS IS KINDA DUMB
A CONVICT [VAN DAMME] ON HIS WAY TO JAIL, ESCAPES WITH THE HELP OF HIS BEST FRIEND. SOON, HE MEETS A WOMAN [ROSANNA ARQUETTE] AND HE TRYS TO HELP SAVE HER LAND. THIS MOVIE DEFINITELY DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH EXCITEMENT AND IT SEEMS TO RUN OUT OF STEAM PRETTY EARLY. MOST OF THE ACTION IS BORING TO WATCH AND THE STORY IS WEAK. DIEHARD FANS OF VAN DAMME SHOULD LIKE THIS A LOT. OTHERS, BEWARE.

Only Thing Van Damme Made Worth Mentioning
Since the 90's Van Damme's career has gone from bad to worse. Because of his limited acting he joined the ranks of Stallone and Schwarzenneger as an action hero. After over a decade of making plotless films, Nowhere to Run is the only film Van Damme should list on his resume. For the first time fans could take him seriously and it was refreshing not seeing him in mid air balancing a plane on one foot and a horse on the other. This is a good, uncomplicated film for movie buffs, Van Damme fans especially. Though a lot of them won't appreciate the lack of superficial action. Van Damme finally did something right when he took part in this movie. Unfortunately he followed this film up with a long list of wrongs that killed his career. ... Read more

Description

From the best-selling Jack Higgins novel comes this suspenseful thriller about a German officer who takes over a small town as part of a plot to assassinate Winston Churchill. ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Non-stop espionage & adventure to please WWII buffs........
At long last, one of my favourite "fictional" World War II films is finally out on DVD and the transfer is excellent all round.

The 1970's was a period where war movies were filled with mercenaries, commando's and full steam ahead action....and "The Eagle has Landed" is no exception, but a better told tale than many others !

John Sturges shows once again why he is one sharpest action / suspense film directors around with this exciting filming of the very popular Jack Higgins novel. What makes this film so enjoyable, and able to withstand repeated viewings is the talented cast at the centre of this twisting tale of spies and espionage. Kurt Steiner (Michael Caine) is the disgraced leader of a group of crack German paratroopers that have been exiled to operate an MTB boat in the English Channel. Opportuntity comes their way in the form of Colonel Radl (Robert Duvall), with an incredible plot to secretly parachute into England and kidnap Winston Churchill from a country retreat. Donald Pleasance turns in a chilling performance as SS leader, Heinrich Himmler...Donald Sutherland in fine form as the IRA ally, Liam Devlin...Larry Hagman is the pompous and foolhardy Colonel Pitts and Treat Willians (in his first movie role) as the wiser and more wary American Ranger, Captain Clark. Jenny Agutter contributes the love interest as Molly Prior, and Jean Marsh puts in a cold blooded display as the Nazi sympathasier, Joanna Grey.

"The Eagle has Landed" has some great twists and turns and never lets the viewer relax as the story holds a keen balance between action, suspense, romance and tragedy. Highly recommended for those who like intrigue and adventure in their WWII movies !!

A highly entertaining and different WWII film that stands out from the rest.

Great Film, Non-Anamorphic and Grainy Transfer
This movie is a first rate action film. It's high adventure and great story telling all the way. My only disappointment is that Amazon says it is "Anamorphic Widescreen" and it is NOT. The picture is grainy and not clean. Sound quality is good, however. It would be a five star DVD otherwise.

My worst DVD in a collection of 200 DVD's
This is the worst DVD ever produced- the visual quality is beyond poor- its blurry grainy awful to watch and the sound sucks also.
To top all of that off the movie is terrible, really really bad, and the acting stinks. This was probably pulled from the theatres the week it was released- I bought this as part of the 2-pack with Hamburger Hill, but this movie sucks and I gave it away the next day.

Above average adaptation of Jack Higgins's book
This version of the Jack Higgins book isn't bad. Fine performances by a varied cast: including, a steely-eyed Michael Caine; a cocky Donald Sutherland; a mysterious Robert Duvall, and the alway eerie Donald Pleasance, as well as a "nasty" turn by Jean Marsh, as a sympathetic villager. Judy Geeson and Jenny Agutter provide a little beauty amongst the "beasts", i.e., the Germans. The "American style" salutes seem out of place, by those playing Germans, e.g., Caine, as opposed to the "heil" salutes. [My tape was marred a little by some "garbled" sound at the end, I'll have to see if there is a DVD version.] I would say that it wasn't bad. There's also an interesting turn by Larry Hagman, of all people, as a "gung ho" American who's attempt to "see action" before he goes home to a "desk job" only gets him killed.

Classic Adventure Film
In spite of an all start cast giving excellent performances, this fanciful, classic WW2 adventure pales in comparison with the book upon which it is based. Having read the novel first, I admit I was sorely disappointed by the film version. However, if you've only seen (and enjoyed) the movie, you will be in for a treat when you read the book! ... Read more

Description

What she just saw could kill her. Virginia Madsen (The Rainmaker) and Harry Dean Stanton (The Green Mile) star in this sleek, stylish thriller about an ancient myth that comes to life in a woman's quest for vengeance. According to legend, the savage Blue Tiger has only one weakness: its desire for a Red Tiger soulmate. When a Yakuza assassin emblazoned with the Blue Tiger tattoo kills her young son, Gena Hayes (Madsen) transforms herself into the predatory Red Tiger to seek revenge. Aided by reclusive tattoo artist Smith (Stanton), she prowls the underworld of Los Angeles's Little Tokyo, seducing Japanese gangsters one by one to see if their bare bodies contain the tattoo she seeks. Increasingly dependent on a world she barely understands, Gena realizes she cannot stop until she finds the Blue Tiger--and her own true destiny. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Better than it should be
While skirting the edges of formula, this film nevertheless manages to include a few elements of originality that definitely place it above the norm in the thriller arena.

Gena Hayes, a single mother of a five year old son, watches in shock and grief as her young son's life is destroyed by a yakuza in a drugstore wearing a silver mask. She sees a blue tiger tatoo on the yakuza's chest and does some research, ultimately finding a tatoo artist who knows its signficance. When she has him ink a red tiger on her bare skin, following the legend of the meeting of the two tigers, it's purely for revenge.

So the revenge motif, long a staple of the thriller--American and otherwise--pins the story's plot to its characters. But here the writing and directing are both fresh and lean, so there is a minimum of unnecessary grunting, emoting, slipshod hammy dialogue, and pointless commanding and commandeering (i.e., You do this; Steal that truck...etc.)

Instead what we have is a sharper, crisper entry in the East meets West thriller department (the setting is Los Angeles' Little Tokyo) whose momentum is strong and confident enough to pull you to the finale which is a meting out of just desserts. More important than the inner working of the yakuza is Gena's own thinking on how to find the one who killed her child. (For a more in-depth, gritty, and intense portrayal of the yakuza, see a few films by Fukasaku like Battles Without Honor or Humanity, or Yakuza Graveyard--or by Beat Takeshi, like Sonatine).

Harry Dean Stanton here plays a reclusive tatoo artist and acquits himself well. Only one logical flaw comes to mind here. Is there only ONE man with a blue tiger tatoo?

You decide.

Well done
This movie was well done. It got it's message across on how revenge motivates people to do things. Madsen was execellent as the mother out for justice. The other actors did well also. I'd recomend this to everyone I see.

Great Action
If your into action movies, this is right up your alley. It keeps you hooked. Virginia Madsen does a great job as a mother getting revenge on the person you killed her son. I'd recommend this to all my friends.

Violent, haunting, stunning
"Blue Tiger" is a film that you want to hate for its overtly gratuitous violence, but instead you find yourself compelled to watch it again and again, haunted by the tragic story that slowly unfolds before your eyes. The film begins with the death of a child. A young mother Gena Hayes played magnificently by Virginia Masden witnesses the death of her son when he is accidentally shot by a member of the Japanese Yakuza. All she sees of the killer is a tattoo on his chest and back depicting a red tiger. This image haunts Gena and to stop herself descending into madness she decides to find the man who killed her child. In order to find him she must first infiltrate the world of the Yakuza. This she does by becoming a hostess at a club frequented by Yakuza gang members. She learns to speak Japanese, teaches herself how to handle a gun and then sets out on her quest of retribution. At the same time she learns more about the red tiger she saw. Harry Dean Stanton is superb as the dying tattoist Smith who tells her the legend of the red tiger and the blue tiger. These two mythical creatures are destined to meet one day, whether in passion or in violence, but when they do meet a price has to be paid. Gena takes this legend to heart and gets Smith to craft into her flesh the image of the red tiger's nemesis. This is he does, and it is one of the film's pivotal moments as we watch him begin to tattoo her flesh, not swiftly with an electric needle but done over time with crude instruments, as it would have been done hundreds of years ago in Japan. Gena's pain becomes our pain as she suffers the agonizing crafting of the Blue Tiger onto her flesh for like her we know that soon the two tigers will meet and only one will survive. The director uses the image of this tiger and its counterpart as a central theme that runs throughout the story. This is not just a story about revenge; it is also a love story, because Gena inadvertently falls in love with the killer of her son. There are several sub plots to keep track of such as the killer's relationship with his brother, a gang war between Asian and Whites, and a cop who suspects that Gena knows more about her son's killer than she is letting on. The film is amazing because it manages to grab you by the throat from the beginning and keep you riveted to your seat right to the end. This is one of the best films you will ever buy; it will stun your senses and leave you begging for more. Virginia Masden brilliantly portrays the fragile but vengeful Gena Hayes and Tôru Nakamura is totally believable as the damned killed Seiji, a man of violence, yet a man of compassion. "Blue Tiger" is well worth adding to your collection of videos if you want something intelligent but action packed on your shelf; it's just a shame it isn't available on DVD as well.

Best in Class!
This is an excellant film in nearly all regards. While the storyline is fairly "mature", the plot twists and characterizations are fresh and new. And as anyone with body art will attest, as the ink work progresses with patience and no little amount of discomfort, so to does the film. It's almost as if the frames of the next scene can't come soon enough! I've been looking for this film to add to my collection for some time. Harry Dean Stanton is a real sleeper here. GREAT acting. When the economics allow, it's spot is reserved. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Entertaining plot sets Hugh Grant in fine serious drama role
We loved the book by Michael Palmer, on which this movie is "officially" based - but except for experimentation on unknowing human subjects, the two stories bear little more similarity than Palmer's name as "author". Nonetheless, Hugh Grant as Dr. Guy Luthran does a quite competent job in a serious part that's a departure from his normal romantic comedies. Gene Hackman also stars as the "evil" doctor who it turns out is doing illegal surgeries on homeless subjects who get "selected" by special ID work at the hospital where our hero works. A missing victim soon sends Luthran on a scary search for homeless people deep in the city's subway bowels, where David Morse ("Hack", et al) is stalking him for some unknown "FBI" reasons. Sara Jessica Parker serves as a supporting mild love interest but shows up later as part of the insidious plot. Some ethical issues near the end of the film raise some interesting points to ponder, and leave us guessing 'til the end which way things might go.

A decent plot, good acting, and sustained suspense, with some credible acting by all the name actors, add up to an entertaining movie. The DVD itself has no extra features and comes in a cheap cardboard "keepbox", with only Dolby Surround Sound, not 5.1 Digital. Aside from these quibbles, an enjoyable hour-and-a-half awaits!

TERRIFYING MEDICAL THRILLER - GREAT TRANSFER
"Extreme Measures" is the story of Dr. Guy Luthran (Hugh Grant), a physician working at Grammercy Hospital, whose personal and professional life seem to be right on track until one of his patients unexpectedly dies of mysterious circumstances. Was it medical malpractise, an accident or something much more sinaster? Not since Michael Crighton's "Coma" have we seen a medical suspense/thriller told with such skill and timely shock value. Sarah Jessica Parker, as Luthran's nurse/friend and Gene Hackman, in a diabolical role, that will have you losing sleep the next time you need to go in for check up, both deliver stellar performances in this edge-of-your-seat thriller.
Originally released under the Castlerock label, which used to belong to Columbia Tristar, this movie is now the property of Warner Brothers Home Entertainment and it looks marvelous on DVD. Colors are well balanced, bold and rich. Flesh tones are infinitely more accurate on the DVD than on the previously released laserdisc or VHS versions from Columbia. Contrast and shadow delineation are superb with great background and fine detail visable, even in the darkest scenes. The disc is 2:35:1 and anamorphically enhanced. The audio is a 5.1 mix and nicely balanced with a very aggressive bass in the subway chase scenes and special effects sounds, like gun shots. No extras.
I could fault Warner for not giving us extras but I won't since their transfer is so good.
BOTTOM LINE: A great suspense movie in a snappy looking transfer. YES! - TODAY, IF POSSIBLE!

Is this the same movie as the book?
First of all, LOVED the book. However, the movie might as well have had a different title. The two plots are so different it isnt even funny. If you're expecting this movie to even look a fraction of what the book was, you'll be sorely misled. However, if you havent read the book, and just watch the movie, you may very well be happy. The movie could stand alone rather well on its own accord, but if you read the book, you're just opening yourself to disappointment. I couldnt wait after I read this book to see the movie. I blinked several times to see if I was hallucinating at this poor copy of the book.

I've never been this harsh in a review before, but I was just so disappointed in this movie I had waited through reading the book and waiting for it to come out on HBO, to get this poor excuse of an interpretation.

Read the Book
After having read the book and waiting in anticipation when it first came out, I was extremely disappointed. The movie very well could be alright on its own merits, but the books plot is very different and much more suspenseful.

This Film is Deffirent
Extreme Measures is a different kind of Hugh`s films ..
It`s a serious role but he act it very well :) ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Follow Russell Crowe, the Yakuza, the Mafia, and the FBI....
This Russell Crowe film is one of his least known works. One should realize it is not in the same caliber as his other great films, but one that should be appreciated as strictly an action hero performance instead. "No Way Out" was not a theaterical release, instead it debuted on cable televison. It has the typical elements of a made for t.v. movie fare; weak script and storyline, minimal character development, and strictly action-driven. However, Russell Crowe turns this film around from your typical action genre movie to a well-paced and well-acted film on his part. This is the first role of Crowe's where he plays a father and a widower. It is ashame there was not enough of an established relationship between father and son. However, it was so adorable to see the character of Zack Grant talk to his son as if an adult and have his son call him by his first name. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised by this different kind of film, character, and performance by Russell Crowe in his fourth U.S. film. You will notice how far he has come in his present film career!

Crowe acting like himself or is he REALLY acting?
I like this movie simply because it was entertaining. There's no deep drama, brainiac prose or intense emotional scenes here. It's just a story about your average cop with a major attitude problem who has a somewhat strained relationship with his 7(?) year old son. The reasons as to why there's a seeminly lack of affection from this single father to his son is explained through poignant flashbacks. The movie is LA Confidential meets Rush Hour. I found Crowe's character humorous, simply because he's so grumpy and prickly, one wonders if it's possible for anyone to be that rude! The ending is uncharacteristically endearing for a movie of this genre. Definitely a must see for Crowe fans.

If collecting the lot...
While I am a huge fan of Crowe's... this was NOT one of his better performances.

There is plenty of action, more than average suspense but the dialogue is lacking greatly.

Phrases and sentences that just don't make a lot of sense permeate the entire script. More specifically, I found myself saying "would they REALLY say that in this situation???".

Russell drops in and out of his "American" accent, which is a painful reminder of the fact that this is one of the earlier films in his now stalwartly coral of films.

STILL, that all being said... if you are collecting the lot of them... it is worth the purchase if not for anything other than to be able to see just how far he has come.

Enjoy!

There is "No Way Back"... unless you return it
From the typical action movie title that slips out of your memory within days to the typical overused clichés, I felt like I had seen this one before. Surely Crowe is a good actor, but he isn't exerting himself in this blah flick, and he definitely can't save it from the suspense B-list (at best). There is really no reason to buy this DVD, even with the one talented actor in the cast.

HUGE Russell Crowe fan but hated this movie
I have almost all of Russell Crowe's movies, but unfortuneatly this may be his worst. Everything about it goes against what Russell prides himself in making a movie. His charactar's dialogue is contrived and unrealistic. He is famous for battling directors when it comes to the integrity of his charactar, but he didn't win this battle. His co-star Helen Slater played a stupid girl with stupid lines, again a co-star's charactar the Russell must have had little patience for. I can overlook a bad movie and still enjoy Russell, but I wasn't able to in this one. ... Read more

Description

From the director of ' 'Highlander' ' comes an action-packed thriller. He's a cop accused of murder - and the only man who knows he's innocent, is the killer who framed him. Now the cop must unite with an old friend - and gangster - if he is to defeat the killer, save his reputation and maybe even his life. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

One of my favorite films...
I can remember the first time I saw this movie. It was on HBO right after the George Foreman vs. Lou Savarese fight a few years back. Being a film with Denzel Washington and John Lithgow, I was surprised that I hadn't heard of it before then but was in for a big surprise.

Being a 1991 film (and an HBO Original Production), this was made before Denzel Washington really hit it big but it's one of his finest films in my opinion. While Washington portays a young cop turned bright futured district attorney, the best job in the film is done by John Lithgow, who plays one of the best psychotic yet genius characters in recent memory (Earl Talbot Blake). Lithgow, in fact, does such a good job playing this insane yet calculating killer hell bent on revenge that it's very strange to turn around and watch him on 3rd Rock From The Sun!

The supporting characters played by Ice-T and Kevin Pollak are well done and well written, but also very important in the storyline...something that isn't always true in mainstream films.

The plot is very interesting, and not something that has been 'done to death'. As the film winds down, it seems a little predictable but also the only suitable way for everything to end. Ok, so it's not a blockbuster 4 star masterpiece, but RICOCHET is still a very well written film that is action packed and keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Highly recommended.

A solid MOVIE..
Late one night I went to buy a 6 pack and to my surprise I noticed a stack of DVDS at Sav-On Drugs were on sale for 5.99. To my surprise RICOCHET was on sale...I love denzel..lithgow plays a nefarious villan who mindfu*ks Denzel. Such a good early 90's movie...even the soundtrack is cool. I like the basketball game in the beginning of the movie..where you see Denzel slam dunk the basketball!! "HE GOT GAME" - thats for sure!
The character Denzel portrays in this movie is a mixture of his ...training day character and the character he played in Out of Time. He is a victim, but yet he knows how to mess with bad guys. Great movie...ICE-T did ok..this was during the time period Mr. Ice-T was doing films such as New Jack City and Trespass.....Solid performances....and a pretty decent story line. If you want to sit home one day and drink a beer and watch a suspenseful movie....this is it. I laughed throughout the movie at the characters outfits...because its just funny seeing people wear stuff from the early 90's....No more 80's laughter..pure 90's laughter. Perfect movie to illustrate the
90's.

I watched it because I thought it was about Chile
(spoilers, but don't worry; you'll never want to watch it anyway)

Every few years or so, I come across a movie that seriously contends for the title of "worst movie ever made." Godzilla was one of them, then 200 cigarettes, tomb raider... Anyhow, if it weren't for the respectable effort made by Denzel Washington, this movie just might take the cake..

Denzel plays a cop-turned-DA and Lithgow is a psycopathic hitman who has an obsession with breaking out of prison and getting his revenge on the man who put him away.

Nothing here seems to make any sense. For example, the sword fight at the beginning between Blake (John Lithgow) and his cellmate -- first of all, Blake already established his dominance as soon as he entered the jail cell and beat up his new roommate. This bizarre neo-medeival sequence, using books and newspaper as armor, has no point at all. It's just a excuse to showcase some really bad dialogue.

And as for really bad dialogue, Ricochet is unequalled. I cringed at least once every two minutes. Lithgow is so ridiculously serious in his role that anything he says sounds like it's a mockery of himself. It reminds me of the head gangster in the movie Ghost Dog, except in that movie it's *supposed* to be ridiculous. Who knows - maybe that was the idea here.

The end is totally gratuitous. The plan that Denzel comes up with is completely foolish for one thing - if his plan were to fail, which would almost certainly happen, he would end up completely ruining himself. But in the movie, it doesn't fail. Ok, fine. But then, when he has Blake surrounded and could easily have him captured, or at least video-taped to prove that he's still alive (oh yeah, Blake made a preposterous escape at the beginning of the movie and then faked his death), he draws the charade on longer and has Blake chase him down to the Watts Towers.. (The fact that the towers are used is the only cool thing about this movie besides Denzel..) It just seems like he's making things as difficult as possible for himself. He comes off like an idiot.

A good mainstream suspense movie should have a very intellegent protaganist and a slightly more intellegent antaganist; the only reason the protaganist should ever win is because of his absolute commitment to survival and justice, not because the antaganist is easily tricked into silly little scenarios, like being electricuted on Watts Towers (would those towers really conduct that much electricity??)

I misread the title of the movie on my Satellite TV guide and thought I was going to watch a movie about Pinochet..

ANOTHER GREAT ACTION MOVIE
A MURDERER [JOHN LITHGOW] GETS CAPTURED BY A COP [DENZEL WASHINGTON]. THE MINUTE HE STEPS FOOT IN JAIL, HE SPENDS EVERY MINUTE OF HIS LIFE PLOTTING REVENGE. THIS MOVIE PROVES THAT DENZEL WASHINGTON CAN DO PRETTY GOOD IN ACTION MOVIES. THEN AGAIN, DENZEL CAN DO GOOD IN JUST ABOUT ANY TYPE OF MOVIE. THIS MOVIE IS DEFINITELY A GOOD MOVIE TO ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION.

STARTS POWERFULLY, BUT FIZZLES LIKE "OUT OF TIME"
A sure way to ruin an otherwise intriguing thriller is to loosely tie in patches of action as though someone sat and conceived all these sequences and then threw in a story to somehow tie them in.

"Ricochet" had Dezel W, pretty much the sole reason I picked up this movie. And it started with a bang, literally, followed by some superb action right down to the middle of the film.

Yet, midway through the whole charade I just forgot to care about all the gory violence, not in the least due to its implausibility. Some scenes with Lithgow's terrifying cameo as the bad guy are even quite menacing and impactful. But at the end one only leaves with a taste of crassy action from cardboard characters in a staid plot.

An ignorable number. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Burt Reynolds was getting restless with the good ol' boy screen image he cultivated in Smokey & the Bandit and numerous car-chase flicks of the mid-to-late 1970s, and this brutal 1981 thriller presented the actor with an interesting change of pace. Reynolds directed the film as well, and there was a lot at stake for him both personally and professionally, so Sharky's Machine--based on a gutsy novel by William Diehl--has an urgent, no-nonsense quality that lifts it above most comparably sleazy thrillers. The plot may be sordid, but Reynolds's handling of it is not. This adds another element of freshness to the story of a demoted Atlanta vice cop (Reynolds) who pursues a personal vendetta against a crime boss (Vittorio Gassman) after falling in love with a stunning beauty (Rachel Ward) from the mobster's stable of high-priced prostitutes. The climactic shootout is violent and bloody in keeping with movies of the period (when jarring brutality was beginning to be commonplace in Hollywood films), but Reynolds doesn't go overboard. Sharky's Machine doesn't pretend to be anything more (or less) than a tough-as-nails crime movie, and it's one of Reynolds's most unusual and intelligent films. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Burt Reynolds classic
Sharkey's Machine... A classic. At least if you like Burt Reynolds or the Atlanta of years past. I saw this film for the first time at the theater and have liked it ever since. It paints a picture of the Atlanta I knew as a teenager and miss. The movie is full of witty humor and good old fashioned action. Several co-stars including, Brian Keith, Bernie Casey, Charles Durning, Rachel Ward, Henry Silva and Vitorio Gassman help to make this a believable film, when so many unbelievable films are being made. Reynolds plays the tough "Sergeant Sharkey" opposite a very convincing Italian Drug Dealer(Gassman) as they clash in this good cop verses the bad guys flick. The movie soundtrack is a refreshing Jazz make up and suits the style of the film well. All in all, a winner.

A good break for Burt
Sharky's Machine is a classic thriller, which says a lot considering who the star of the movie turned out to be. I always associate Burt Reynolds with movies like Smokey and the Bear and Cannonball Run - fun, but stupid. This one actually made him think a little bit. The cop-prostitute love affair is just one slice of this complicated tale, and there are some great secondary characters, like the seedy old cop played by the late great ``Uncle Bill'' from Family Affair (I forgot his name, sorry)and the head detective who flies into a rage whenever Sharky gets too close to solving the crime. The whole corrupt politician story line is also a great addition to the drug-crazed murder plot. When Rachel Ward comes off the elevator and gives Sharky that smoky smile she's so well-known for, as he pretends to be a repairman, and the light shines straight through her skirt, you know Sharky is a goner. Also, the investigation of the murder, after Dominoe's friend is mistakenly blown to bits by the pcp sniffing brother, is a cool addition to the story line. It makes you think and keeps you completely in suspense. And the soundtrack is great. Overall, a great flick. It's the kind of movie to watch while nursing a cold one in the bar, or an afghan and a cat on the couch, on a rainy day.

"Do You Think I'll Live?"
I have always been a fan of Burt Reynolds. Sure, the guy has made some of the biggest bombs in Hollywood history, such as "Stroker Ace," "Cop and a Half," and several others too painful to mention. When I say I am a fan, I am not necessarily referring to his best known films like "Smokey and the Bandit,"...or "The Longest Yard." I like Reynolds's seedy looking films, those low budget action flicks that look like they cost five dollars to make. "White Lightening," "Heat," and "Gator" are always worth watching. I used to list "Sharky's Machine" as one of Reynolds's best efforts until I watched it again recently for the first time in many years. This 1981 action/thriller should give the viewer the best Reynolds has to offer: he directed it, starred in it, and made sure to assemble a stellar cast including Richard Libertini, Brian Keith, Charles Durning, Rachel Ward, Vittorio Gassman, and Henry Silva. In fact, you will recognize so many faces in this movie that you will start to wonder how Reynolds got all of these guys together without spending his entire budget on salaries. Unfortunately, Reynolds's directorial debut drags in spots due to the inclusion of decidedly non-action elements and slow pacing. "Sharky's Machine" is the film version of a book written by author William Diehl.

Reynolds plays Atlanta police detective Tom Sharky, a tough as nails cop attempting to crack down on the city's heroin trade. After a failed drug buy results in the death of an innocent bystander, the department ships Sharky off to the vice department as penance for his reckless heroics. Located in the dingy basement of police headquarters, the vice room is about as filthy as you could imagine. The other police officers consider vice as the bottom of the barrel, and so does Sharky until he uncovers a prostitution ring with links to a gubernatorial candidate...

The cast is the main reason to watch "Sharky's Machine." Libertini is a hoot as the scatterbrained Nosh, Durning plays Sharky's supervisor Friscoe with lung shattering intensity, Brian Keith is the always hungry Papa, and Bernie Casey plays the philosophical Arch. Rachel Ward is effective as Dominoe, and Vittorio Gassman oozes his way through the role of crime kingpin Victor. Henry Silva steals the movie as the ominous killer who possesses no scruples whatsoever. Silva was born to play bad guys on the silver screen, and that is what he has done throughout his career, but in "Sharky's Machine" he turns in the performance of a lifetime. It is regrettable that Silva does not get more screen time. Until I rewatched the film, I thought Silva appeared in nearly every scene but that's only because his performance is so over the top that it dominated my memories of the movie. If you watch "Sharky's Machine" for no other reason than Henry Silva's performance, you will still get a thrill out of this movie.

With the exception of a few of the characters and a several gritty scenes of violence including chopped off fingers, a gory shotgun blast to the head, and some shootouts, "Sharky's Machine" is a good, not spectacular, movie. I took particular offense with the romantic subplot between Sharky and Dominoe. These scenes seemed to drag on forever, with heavy doses of melodrama piled on top of a mountain of implausibility. Are we really supposed to believe that these two will get together? I recognize that most films always rely on a romance to help propel the narrative, but in a sleazy story like "Sharky's Machine," I want that interaction minimized. Too much emphasis on the relationship between Dominoe and Sharky seriously hampers the flow of this movie.

The DVD version is weak, with zero in the way of extras and a full screen picture transfer. How about having Burt Reynolds do a commentary for a widescreen edition? Since Reynolds directed and starred in the film, I am sure his insights would be more than sufficient in explaining the nuts and bolts of the movie. I would secretly appreciate a contribution on a potential commentary track from Henry Silva, but that will surely never happen. If you can stomach the cheesy disco soundtrack and the large injections of romantic interludes, you will probably enjoy watching "Sharky's Machine." At the very least, you get to see Burt Reynolds crack some heads and that is always fun.

Atlanta gets the major city treatment!
Burt Reynolds continued his love affair with Georgia's capital by setting his ultraviolent crime saga in the city of the South. The Atlanta background is only window dressing for a tale that could occur in any metropolis in the U.S.

Reynold's directing is tight and he does well in the title role. Great support comes from Rachel Ward, Brian Keith, veteran heavy Henry Silva, Bernie Casey, Reynold's longtime friend Charles Durning, and the always reliable Earl Holliman.

The film may not make any "best of" lists, but it is still an enjoyable cop drama, with exciting twists and turns, plus it provides an early '80's glimpse of crime in urban America..

Burt's Machine Keeps On Rolling
In "Sharky's Machine" Burt Reynolds plays Sgt. Tom Sharky, a case-hardened (tough outside, soft inside) Atlanta vice cop investigating the possible extortion of a gubernatorial candidate. During wiretaps and stakeouts Sharkey falls in love with Dominoe (Rachel Ward), the candidate's spoiled call girl girlfriend. When the candidate offers to take Dominoe out of 'the life' and to support her, Dominoe's gypsy owner/trainer Victor feels his control over the candidate threatened. Victor arranges for Dominoe's murder. By coincidence Dominoe escapes, Sharkey hides Dominoe, and they work together to end Victor's reign of terror.

Burt Reynolds directed "Sharkey's Machine" and he plays Tom Sharkey with his "Deliverance" bravado but without the hard edges. Burt assembled a strong cast. Rachel Ward is *stunning* as Dominoe. Brian Keith, Bernie Casey and Richard Libertini are Sharkey's police buddies -- his 'machine' which is destroyed in the process of bringing down Victor. Vittorio Gassman plays cold threatening Victor and Henry Silva plays his Dilaudin/cocaine-wired shootist associate -- both deliver extremely strong performances. And Darryl Hickman effectively uses brother Dwayne's 'Dobie Gillis nice guy' persona in an interrogation/torture scene.

Years have passed since Burt Reynolds' football days and Burt has played many characters. Burt still plays rough today. "Sharkey's Machine" is a superior showcase for Burt Reynolds' many talents. ... Read more

Amazon.com

An odd combination of consciousness-raising and run-of-the-mill action,Dangerous Ground features Ice Cube, mostly unbelievably, as a one-timeSouth African native named Vusi. Vusi came to America at age 14 to escapepolice repression, and eventually reinvented himself as an American scholarand community-oriented volunteer. Called back to the old country to bury hisfather, Vusi discovers the new South Africa under Mandela, but also gets asnootful of the nation's surge in crime and drug usage. Sent to Johannesburgto retrieve a long-missing brother, Vusi allies himself with a coke-addicted stripper (Elizabeth Hurley) who knows the vanished man. The script anddirection by Darrell James Roodt (Cry, the Beloved Country) seems to beserving various masters: viewers interested in epochal changes in SouthAfrica, and viewers who want to kick back and watch a suspense movie aboutdrugs, a hooker, and a nasty crime lord (Ving Rhames). The result is unwieldy,and Cube's thumping performance doesn't do much to bridge the gap.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Between his directorial duties on A Perfect World and The Bridges of Madison County, Clint Eastwood starred in this pulse-racing 1993 thriller. In the Line of Fire was directed by Wolfgang Petersen, the brilliant director of the World War II U-boat masterpiece Das Boot.Eastwood gives one of his best performances as Secret Service agent Frank Horrigan, who still feels responsible for the death of JFK 30 years earlier. Horrigan gets a shot at redemption when challenged by a psychotic but highly intelligent assassin (John Malkovich) who intends to kill the current U.S. president. Tension builds as this intellectual cat-and-mouse game reaches its climactic confrontation, but not before we've seen the killer at work, covering his trail with ruthless precision. Tightly scripted by Jeff Maguire, the film cuts Malkovich loose as one of the most memorable screen villains of the 1990s, and costars Rene Russo as Eastwood's sharp Secret Service colleague and romantic partner. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Description

In the future, death is only the beginning. In the tradition of such science fiction classics as "Blade Runner" and "Escape From New York" comes a terrifying vision of a future unlike any seen before. When John Wade (Rutger Hauer) tries to smuggle fantasy chips for the city's cyberjunkies, he is betrayed by his partner, Merrick (Mark Dacascos), and killed. Authorities resurrect him with bio-synthetic cyber-implants to interrogate him regarding the Troika, a crime syndicate that counts Merrick as a member. Once alive, Wade escapes and begins an intensive search for Merrick in the underworld of the future--seedy cyber-slums and sex dens--to exact revenge on the traitor in a blaze of gunfire. After dodging assassins and scavenger bounty hunters, Wade realizes that in this world, he can trust no one. ... Read more