Shameless Self Expression

Blowhard trucker Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) takes his buddy Wang (Dennis Dun) to a San Francisco airport to meet his green-eyed girlfriend Miao Yin (Suzee Pai). Also at the airport is lawyer Gracie Law (Kim Cattrall) similarly there to meet someone. All of a sudden, a gang known as The Lords of Death turn up and whisk Miao Yin away. When Jack and Wang go after them in hot pursuit, they end up in Chinatown where a street funeral procession turns into gang warfare between rival gangs the Chang Sings and the Wing Kongs. Meanwhile, it appears that The Lords of Death were doing the bidding of one David Lo Pan (James Hong), whom Jack runs over with his truck…only to find that Lo Pan is no mere man but an ancient sorcerer who needs a green-eyed girl to offer as a sacrifice to lift a curse that he has been living under. Lo Pan wants to be young again, basically. Jack also has his truck stolen, and he’s not happy about that. He’s also seriously confused, so it’s a good thing he has Wang and tou...

Set in the late 1400s, the feeble King Henry (Miles Mander) gets overthrown by the ruthless King Edward IV (Ian Hunter). King Edward’s most trusted advisor is Richard AKA The Duke of Gloucester (Basil Rathbone), a treacherous villain who does not have King Edward’s best interests at heart whatsoever. Hunchback schemer Richard is sixth in line to the throne…but not for long if he has any say in it! Boris Karloff is the bald, club-footed executioner Mord, Barbara O’Neil the pretty Queen, Vincent Price plays the gullible and immature Duke of Clarence, and Leo G. Carroll turns up briefly as Lord Hastings.   I first saw the 1962 Roger Corman version with Vincent Price in the lead, and was (surprisingly) completely underwhelmed. After having watched the Price/Corman/Poe films, it seemed like a cheap bore. Even Price’s hammy theatrics somehow rang hollow and dull after a short while. I was shocked, because Price is usually great ham value, especially under Corman’s direction. However,...

In events very slightly based on a factual incident, Lebanese terrorists headed by Robert Forster (!) hijack a plane and force the pilot (Bo Svenson!) to head for the Middle East. Meanwhile, Forster forces the German flight attendant (Hanna Schygulla) to round up all the Israelis among the passengers, to be taken to a terrorist hideout as hostages. The solution? The Delta Force, headed by Lee Marvin and Chuck Norris (and Steve James), who await orders to move into action. Among the toughest of passengers are Martin Balsam and George Kennedy (as a brave priest), whilst Shelley Winters plays Balsam’s frightened wife, Lainie Kazan is another passenger who hopes no one notices she’s Jewish (it’s obvious), Susan Strasberg, Joey Bishop, a young Kim Delaney plays a nun (!), and Robert Vaughn is a General on the ground.   There aren’t that many Chuck Norris films I’d say are truly watchable. There’s “Code of Silence” , “The Octagon” , “Lone Wolf McQuade” , “Missing in Action” , and “De...

Teenager Millie (Kathryn Newton) is set upon by a serial killer known as The Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn), and stabbed with a ritual knife called La Dola. He grabbed it during his previous slashing. Millie survives the stabbing, unfortunately the knife has powers that result in her swapping bodies with The Butcher! Katie Finneran is Millie’s loving (but somewhat smothering) mother, Alan Ruck plays a bullying woodwork teacher who loathes Millie.   A body-swap horror film isn’t an inherently bad idea. In fact, my favourite 80s horror film “Child’s Play” is essentially a body-swap horror film (Wes Craven used it in a couple of films too like “Shocker” ). Unfortunately, once again director/co-writer Christopher Landon has taken a workable idea and done the least interesting thing with it (previously he made the “Groundhog Day” horror-comedy “Happy Death Day” and its equally unimaginative sequel). Basically, this is “Freaky Friday” Blumhouse-style, a mostly unsurprising hor...

Captain Robert Falcon Scott (Sir John Mills) makes a second trip to the Antarctic in the hopes of finally achieving the feat of reaching the South Pole. He and his accompanying party encounter all manner of issues on the expedition, which becomes more about grim survival than seeking fame and glory in being the first person to reach the South Pole. Harold Warrander plays Scott’s scientist friend E.A. Wilson, whilst others accompanying Scott are played by the likes of James Robertson Justice, Kenneth More, and Christopher Lee.   Rock-solid 1948 adventure/drama from director Charles Frend ( “The Cruel Sea” , “Lease of Life” ) about the famed Naval officer and explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott (John Mills) and his doomed second attempt at reaching the South Pole. John Mills isn’t the first person I think of when I think of adventurers, but he’s terrific in the title role. It’s sturdy adventure stuff with a British stiff upper lip, for those who like this sort of thing. Although...