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Swiped from @NateMing. Why not?
1. EXILED (2006), Directed by Johnnie To
Triad hitman discover their latest target is a childhood friend and decide to get him out of the country instead...at which point things go very wrong. Shootouts emphasize more stylish imagery vs. Woo's operatic carnage.
Triad hitman discover their latest target is a childhood friend and decide to get him out of the country instead...at which point things go very wrong. Shootouts emphasize more stylish imagery vs. Woo's operatic carnage.
2. THE STEEL HELMET (1951), Directed by Sam Fuller
War movie on a budget. A group of American soldiers during the Korean War hole up in an abandoned temple and have to deal with threats without and within. You can see its fingerprints on everything from THE WILD BUNCH to ALIENS.
War movie on a budget. A group of American soldiers during the Korean War hole up in an abandoned temple and have to deal with threats without and within. You can see its fingerprints on everything from THE WILD BUNCH to ALIENS.
3. DRIVE (1997), Directed by Steve Wang
Mark Dacascos has an experimental implant that turns him into a super fast, super strong martial arts bad ass. One of the few American martial arts movies that could hang with Hong Kong's output. It's on Tubi!
Mark Dacascos has an experimental implant that turns him into a super fast, super strong martial arts bad ass. One of the few American martial arts movies that could hang with Hong Kong's output. It's on Tubi!
4. THE KILLER CONSTABLE (1981), Directed by Kuei Chih-Hung
A swordsman discovers too late that his vicious brand of justice maybe in service to the real bad guys. Whatcha get when you let a horror filmmaker take a crack at a martial arts film? Bleak, brutal and great visuals.
A swordsman discovers too late that his vicious brand of justice maybe in service to the real bad guys. Whatcha get when you let a horror filmmaker take a crack at a martial arts film? Bleak, brutal and great visuals.
5. WHERE EAGLES DARE (1968), Directed by Brian G. Hutton
Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood kill a shit ton of Nazis! If you dubbed in shouts of "MEIN LEBEN!" whenever one got smoked you'd have a perfect WOLFENSTEIN movie.
Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood kill a shit ton of Nazis! If you dubbed in shouts of "MEIN LEBEN!" whenever one got smoked you'd have a perfect WOLFENSTEIN movie.
6. FULL CONTACT (1992), Directed by Ringo Lam
Chow Yun Fat as a biker badass out for revenge against a psychotic Simon Yam. You know a movie's good when it has a band as wussy as Extreme on the soundtrack and manages to make that work.
Chow Yun Fat as a biker badass out for revenge against a psychotic Simon Yam. You know a movie's good when it has a band as wussy as Extreme on the soundtrack and manages to make that work.
7. THE WILD BUNCH (1969), Directed by Sam Peckinpah
The original bloody western. Every action filmmaker in the past fifty years owes something to this movie. One of my three most favorite films.
The original bloody western. Every action filmmaker in the past fifty years owes something to this movie. One of my three most favorite films.
8. GOLGO 13: THE PROFESSIONAL (1983), Directed by Osamu Dezaki
Super assassin Duke Togo is hunted by the father of a man he killed. Unhinged and hyper masculine with stylish animation out the ears.
Super assassin Duke Togo is hunted by the father of a man he killed. Unhinged and hyper masculine with stylish animation out the ears.
9. REDEEMER (2014), Directed by Ernesto Díaz Espinoza
Good low budget actioner where Marko Zaror plays an ex-hitman turned avenging angel. Dude straight up does a FIST OF THE NORTH STAR style rapid punch finisher on one guy.
Good low budget actioner where Marko Zaror plays an ex-hitman turned avenging angel. Dude straight up does a FIST OF THE NORTH STAR style rapid punch finisher on one guy.
10. A BETTER TOMORROW (1986), Directed by John Woo
It might not hit the heights of THE KILLER or HARD BOILED but this is still a damn good movie that birthed the heroic bloodshed genre and made Chow Yun Fat an icon.
It might not hit the heights of THE KILLER or HARD BOILED but this is still a damn good movie that birthed the heroic bloodshed genre and made Chow Yun Fat an icon.
11. THE TRAIN (1964), Directed by John Frankenheimer
Killing Nazis always makes for a good time! Burt Lancaster has to stop a Nazi train carrying priceless art stolen from the French. The granddaddy of big-scale-yet-tight, propulsive action thrillers like DIE HARD and SPEED.
Killing Nazis always makes for a good time! Burt Lancaster has to stop a Nazi train carrying priceless art stolen from the French. The granddaddy of big-scale-yet-tight, propulsive action thrillers like DIE HARD and SPEED.
12. THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123 (1974), Directed by Joseph Sargent.
Speaking of DIE HARD's ancestors, mercenary hijackers take a subway train hostage demanding ransom and its up to schlubby Walter Mathau to outsmart them. Has one of the greatest final shots out there.
Speaking of DIE HARD's ancestors, mercenary hijackers take a subway train hostage demanding ransom and its up to schlubby Walter Mathau to outsmart them. Has one of the greatest final shots out there.
13. THE TERMINATOR (1984), Directed by James Cameron
A movie that's every bit the perfectly designed, relentless machine that its titular menace is.
A movie that's every bit the perfectly designed, relentless machine that its titular menace is.
14. POINT BREAK (1991), Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
When your movie has an absolutely daffy premise but also a talented director who is 100% committed. To quote @KelvinHatle on another Swayze vehicle, "Kraft singles becomes fine camembert."
When your movie has an absolutely daffy premise but also a talented director who is 100% committed. To quote @KelvinHatle on another Swayze vehicle, "Kraft singles becomes fine camembert."
Bonus Lori Petty appreciation.
15. THE KILLER (1989), Directed by John Woo
Woo marries LE SAMOURAI with high melodrama and the "10,000 Bullets" finale channels the "out in a blaze of glory" ethos of THE WILD BUNCH's climax before yanking the rug out from under it. Good shit.
Woo marries LE SAMOURAI with high melodrama and the "10,000 Bullets" finale channels the "out in a blaze of glory" ethos of THE WILD BUNCH's climax before yanking the rug out from under it. Good shit.
16. POLICE STORY (1985), Directed by Jackie Chan
How the fuck is Jackie Chan not dead? No, seriously, how the FUCK is Jackie Chan not dead?
How the fuck is Jackie Chan not dead? No, seriously, how the FUCK is Jackie Chan not dead?
17. ROYAL WARRIORS (1986), Directed by David Chung
This movie had the bad guy steal Michelle Yeoh's boyfriend's corpse and strap a bomb to it, to which Michelle's response is to crash into his hideout with an assault vehicle and get into a chainsaw fight. Nuff said.
This movie had the bad guy steal Michelle Yeoh's boyfriend's corpse and strap a bomb to it, to which Michelle's response is to crash into his hideout with an assault vehicle and get into a chainsaw fight. Nuff said.
