If I were to attribute my interest in film to one movie, it would be this. Watching "Raiders of the Lost Ark" as a kid got me thinking not just about story, but also about set design, special effects, physical acting, and the list goes on. This
debut of Indiana Jones follows him in 1936, as he is called to retrieve the Ark of the Covenant, a Jewish artifact that the Nazis want to exploit for its power. The story constantly keeps him moving, from Peru to Nepal to Egypt, and along the way,
he reunites with his on-and-off girlfriend, Marion Ravenwood, who finds herself between Indy's quest for the Ark and the Nazis' quest for world domination.
Although real locations were used, they are fused with set design that reminds me of the Golden Age of Hollywood. While the movie is inspired by 1930's adventure serials, it's elevated to a Blockbuster production, which had never been done before.
The fight scenes are visceral, and there are moments that push the PG envelope, such as when a Nazi is absolutely clobbering Indy, but gets hit by the propellor of an airplane moving behind him. What makes this installment in the series unique is its light tone
combined with relentless action that puts Indy in a vulnerable position. Industrial Light & Magic did the special effects, and some of the visuals will be seared into your head, particularly in the climactic sequence. "Raiders of the Lost Ark" helped usher in the modern action film,
and while "Temple of Doom" is even more enjoyable, I deeply appreciate this one for its impact.
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Grade: A
In this teen comedy, an accelerated student named Mitch is sent to an engineering university, where he is paired with Chris, a senior student known for being a genius. They are assigned to build a laser that is secretly being used by the CIA as a political assassination device, while the professor uses the money
he was given to build a mansion. Slowly, the two students learn that they are being set up, and work to get even.
This movie comes off a wave of teen-oriented movies that revolve around science experiments, but what stands out in this one is the chemistry between Mitch and Chris. Mitch has a love interest named Jordan, and while she brings chemistry, it's a little uncomfortable how she's 19 and he's 15. Still, "Real Genius" is a fun time,
even with a typical story and atypical age gap.
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Grade: B-
Being the first PG-13 movie, "Red Dawn" shows you immediately that it's not messing around, with Soviet paratroopers attacking a high school. There's little reason or rhyme, but that's what makes it so sudden. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie has a hard time matching the intensity of that fantastic hook.
It features a group of teenagers who are displaced from their homes, and start their own small army against the Russians.
The movie has a degree of shock factor, starting with the "what-if" premise of the U.S. homeland being invaded for the first time in American history. It also has an unprecedented level of violence for a movie not rated R. While there are no over-the-top deaths, the impact isn't cut away from either, setting it apart
from the commercialized, edited PG-13 movies you see today. While some critics in 1984 accused the movie of being military propaganda toward youth, my main issue is that the characters aren't given the same level of attention as the action, causing the excitement to wear off. "Red Dawn" is far from the best action movie,
but it serves as an interesting experiment.
Available on VHS, Betamax, CED, LaserDisc, DVD, Blu-Ray, and UHD
Grade: B-
I wasn't aware that Dick Clark produced movies, nor was I aware that this one existed. "Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins" is also where the adventure ends, because it didn't make enough money at the box office to motivate Orion to make a sequel.
But it's not bad. It begins with a police officer being killed in the line of duty, but revived by a strange organization that gives him a new face and lets him live on the condition that he completes a mission. With the help of a martial arts master,
he works to stop a faulty weapons manufacturer from covering up their failures.
Joel Grey, a white actor, plays the Asian instructor by means of heavy makeup, which hasn't aged well. Although the soundtrack features an arrangement of orchestral and synthesized tunes, the action is anticlimactic, with the best fight scenes taking place long before
the movie ends, such as when Remo is chased on the scaffolding of the Statue of Liberty. The runtime is also longer than it needs to be, with extended training sequences that try to emulate the structure of "The Karate Kid", but feel weightless due to their use of slapstick.
"Remo Williams" is better than its box-office performance suggests, but it's not the most exciting action movie.
Available on VHS, Betamax, LaserDisc, DVD, Blu-Ray, and UHD
Grade: C+
Cannon Films isn't known for generating quality content, but you'd be surprised by this one. "Runaway Train" begins with a bank robber released from solitary confinement, who is viewed as a hero by the prison. He and a man convicted of statutory rape
escape through a sewer, boarding a train. After the conductor suffers a heart attack, they find themselves stranded at high speeds with no brakes.
Jon Voight plays the bank robber, and he commits to the role with an unpredictable energy. While the film is constantly moving with the train, the characters are isolated, creating a unique structure. It's also noteworthy how the other criminal is sympathetic despite what he did
to get sent to jail - this could be read as a character study of prisoners with differing levels of humanity. Most Cannon films feel generic, but this one is based off an Akira Kurosawa screenplay, and blows the other filmography out of the water. "Runaway Train" might not look like much,
but it's one of the better thrillers you've never seen.
Available on VHS, Betamax, LaserDisc, DVD, Blu-Ray, and UHD
Grade: B+