Shameless Self Expression

Set in your standard post-apocalyptic worldview where Richard Lynch and John Saxon run the world in fascist, militaristic fashion. Into this horrible scenario drops a beautiful alien (Elizabeth Kaitan) here on a research mission, and unsurprisingly she attracts the attention of our villains and is quickly imprisoned. There she will be freed and team up with motorcycle-riding Jay Roberts Jr., and smart-mouthed Chuck Jeffreys to take part in a resistance. Christopher Mitchum plays the leader of the resistance who has past ties to Roberts. Chris De Rose plays a bounty hunter, whilst James Lew is Saxon’s chief henchman, and Michael Standing plays an Australian member of the resistance group (and does a more than decent Aussie accent).   “Low Blow” and “Killpoint” director Frank Harris, screenwriter-actor Michael Standing, and a cast full of cult actors and stunt performers. The result? A mixed bag that probably should’ve played to the strengths of the majority of its cast and the...

On Christmas Eve, disillusioned Santa Claus (David Harbour) stumbles onto a heist in progress as ‘Scrooge’ (John Leguizamo) and his criminal team (Mitra Suri and Brendan Fletcher among them) pose as caterers for a wealthy family hosting a family Christmas party. They’re there to rob the vault of family matriarch Gertrude (Beverly D’Angelo). Santa was just stopping by for the free alcohol but his better/violent instincts kick in and he decides to help young Trudy (Leah Brady) and her affluent brood. Cam Gigandet plays the idiot actor boyfriend of D’Angelo’s alcoholic daughter Alva (Edi Patterson).   Mel Gibson gave us a gun-running Santa in the slightly underrated “Fatman” , and now David Harbour and director Tommy Wirkola (the slightly overrated “Dead Snow” ) put their own spin on the ‘Christmas Action Movie’ idea with this 2022 film. I’m still likely to go with “Die Hard” , “Lethal Weapon” , or “First Blood” (yes, there’s Christmas decorations in it) for my ‘Christmas Action...