Martial Arts Masters - Who Needs a Plot?
Bruce Lee was the first martial artist whose skills alone would bring an audience to the cinema. It took 15 years to properly emulate that, at least with a Westerner. Some may say that we always had Chuck Norris after “Return of the Dragon”, but with him taking from Lee, “Never let the other guy look better,” his Cannon Group schtick got old pretty quickly.
We may have got conned by Steven Seagal, and even Jean-Claude Van Damme since Frank Dux is full of excrement, but how could you not admire these almost normal looking guys who did not need powerful guns to save the day. Perhaps Arnie and Sly should have laid off the weights and calories to become true killing machines.
Action Cinema: Bang for Your Buck
-
4 Got 10 (The Good, the Bad and the Dead) (2015)
An amnesiac story about a drug deal gone horribly wrong. The real crime is wasting the talents of Danny Trejo, Michael Pare, and Dolph Lundgren.
-
Against the Dark (2009)
Steven Seagal lazily fights the Undead while the producers waste roles for Keith David and Linden Ashby.
-
Angel of Death (2009)
It amazes CatBusRuss that he can only come up with one feature that focused on making Zoe Bell the lead star. This picture does not have the budget she deserves, but she gets to display what she does best.
-
Armed Response (2017)
Per IMDb: A remote facility, built as a prison with a secret super lie detector, is compromised and the five guarding it are possibly dead. An armed team of six investigates what's wrong.
-
Blood and Bone (2009)
A recap of Twin Cities 2024’s panels, Brian Posehn stand up and Michael Jai White movie “Blood and Bone (2009)”.
-
Pik'n Away at "Hard Target" with CouchManBakes
Andrew "CouchManBakes" Tiede must have been sure that CatBusRuss was going to get his panel approved for Fan Expo New Orleans 2025. Why else would he have requested to cover perhaps the best narrative Jean-Claude Van Dammehad ever starred in, John Woo's "Hard Target"?
-
Hawk's Vengeance (1996)
Gary Daniels is an SAS soldier who goes on leave to seek out his brother’s killers who are led by a master of Filipino martial arts.
-
Invasion USA (1985)
Terrorists are attacking major cities in the United States. They are bombing churches and malls during the Christmas season. Only a Chuck Norris with a kill them all attitude can possibly save the day.
-
The Last Dragon (1985)
Leroy Greene is a young black man in New York who is trying to become the ultimate kung-fu master. This makes him the target of Sho’nuff, the Shogun of Harlem in his quest to be the best and a crooked TV producer who will do whatever he can to rule music television including holding the hottest VJ hostage.
-
Mark L Lester Christmas: Showdown in Little Tokyo & Bloodsport
CatBusRuss and Gregory Carl discuss the greatest DVD two-pack, “Bloodsport” & “Showdown in Little Tokyo”.
-
Pray for Death (1985)
Sho Kosugi moves his family from Japan to Houston to start their own business. Unfortunately, the house they bought is being used by criminals as a front for jewel smuggling. Too bad for the baddies because Kosugi also left Japan to escape his ninja pass.