Who cares how a claymore is supposed to work?

Action movies may call for the greatest suspension of disbelief. How can anyone end up in a situation where a particular set of skills may come in handy? When will they run out of bullets? The fall could not have been that painful if they are back on their feet ready for round two. These are the films where you are seated to cheer on the impossible and the art makes you believe it is plausible. And then you try it at home.

Action Cinema: Bang for Your Buck

  • Prime Video promotional image for "12 Rounds 3"

    12 Rounds 3: Lockdown (2015)

    A low-budget “Die Hard” knock off starring Jon Moxley, f.k.a. WWE Superstar Dean Ambrose. As long as you are not expecting a foreign villain or explosions, the film is a lot of fun.

  • 2020 Texas Gladiators (1983) poster - Image from IMDb

    2020 Texas Gladiators (1983)

    Italian “Mad Max” exploitation. It was a door prize at the first B-Fest that CatBusRuss. If you like what Mike and the Bots watched from the Mediterranean, this will be fun.

  • DVD artwork (I hope) for "4 Got 10" - Image from IMDb

    4 Got 10 (The Good, the Bad and the Dead) (20215)

    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.

  • Prime Video promo image for Zoe Bell in "Angel of Death"

    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.

  • Prime Video promo image for Ballerina 2024

    Ballerina (2024)

    “The World of John Wick” is expanded with the tale of Eve, a fellow Rusko Roma (Ana de Armas), seeks vengeance against the cult that murdered her father for trying to keep her away from the world of assassins. With the New York Continental on her side, she may stand a chance.

  • Blood and Bone poster from IMDb

    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)”.

  • Civil War poster. Image from IMDb

    Civil War (2024) & The Dogs of War (1980)

    During a break from his conversation about C2E2 2025 with ThePoeticCritic, CatBusRuss reviews the excellent (and sadly relevant) Alex Garland feature. He also gets a chance to talk Christopher Walken’s British mercenary classic.

  • Eva the Queen Kitty is Death Proof

    A 100% "Death Proof" Podcast with Gregory Carl

    Gregory Carl and CatBusRuss discuss the under-appreciated Quentin Tarantino feature, “Death Proof” to warm up for “Ninety For Chill: The Panel” at Indiana Comic Convention.

  • Eva the Queen Kitty is the most dangerous game

    Pike's 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"?

  • DVD art for "Hawk's Vengeance" from IMDb

    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.

  • Poster for "Invasion USA" from IMDb

    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.

  • Eva the Queen Kitty has the glow

    The Last Dragon (1985) & Death Wish 3 (1985)

    CatBusRuss looks at 1985 cinema to prepare for an Indiana Comic Convention. This includes action classics along side coming of age tales.

  • Eva the Queen Kitty eats Green Berets for breakfast.

    Mark L Lester Christmas: Commando (with Scattered Sharknados)

    CatBusRuss’s first conversation with Michael Dubois. They discuss the first solely Schwarzenegger movie, “Commando”

  • Eva the Queen Kitty with the best curated action double feature DVD

    Mark L Lester Christmas: Showdown in Little Tokyo & Bloodsport

    CatBusRuss and Gregory Carl discuss the greatest DVD two-pack, “Bloodsport” & “Showdown in Little Tokyo”.

  • The heroes from "Resident Evil: Extinction" - Image from IMDb

    Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)

    It is not CatBusRuss’s favorite RE movie, but it maybe the best directed of the series. Russell Mulcahy shows that he still had it, 20 years removed from “Highlander”.

  • Prime Video promo image for "Thor: Love and Thunder".

    Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

    CatBusRuss efforts to catch up with the MCU led him to the fourth “Thor” movie. It is a fun comedy, maybe too much so, and an interesting experiment with StageCraft’s Volume sets.

  • Venom: Let There Be Carnage - Image for Amazon Prime Video menu

    Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)

    A a fun flick, but when the alien-symbiote got a hold of glow sticks, the thoughts of ⁠⁠Joel Schumacher⁠⁠'s ghost taking the reigns of the franchise were scarier that anything the Anderson's space hell could offer.

  • Eva is the Queen of the Regulators

    Young Guns: Truly, Truly Outrageous History with CouchManBakes

    CatBusRuss and Andrew Tiede discuss the historical accuracy of the Billy the Kid story and if the over-the-top violence made sense.