Action Rod Lott
Although my bank account thinks otherwise, I miss the early-aughts craze
of DVDs, in which one count upon pristine prints of one martial-arts
film or another hitting store shelves. Many of them starred Jackie Chan
or Jet Li.
A state question on next month’s ballot seeks to ban affirmative action in the public sector.
News Rachel Curtis
A state question appearing on the Nov. 6 ballot would effectively end
affirmative action for women and racial minorities in the public sector
statewide.
For pure automobile action, it’s ‘Gone,’ baby, ‘Gone.’
Action Rod Lott
Compared to its 2000 big-budget remake, H.B. Halicki's Gone in 60 Seconds
is deficient in slickness, star power, performances, plotting and
humor. Yet the 1974 indie original decimates the Hollywood version as an
all-around entertainment. Why? Two simple reasons, boiled down to
numbers: some 500 vehicles wrecked and a 40-minute chase scene.
Action Rod Lott
In Maximum Conviction, Steve Austin forever speaks like there’s a pinch of Skoal eating through the corner of his bottom lip, but I have no idea
what’s going on with Steven Seagal’s accent attempt: Southern? Cajun?
Ebonics? An overly phlegmy head cold? Your guess is as good as mine, and
unfortunately, I’ve seen the movie.
Action Rod Lott
I still don’t know why Hollywood felt that Spider-Man, all of 10 years young, needed to be remade — I suspect it has to do with selling toys. Enough of calling The Amazing Spider-Man a “reboot,” too; this is a remake through and through.
Action Rod Lott
In the heyday of DVD, 20th Century Fox brought a lot of contemporary
Asian actioners to disc in affordable, collectible editions under the
“Hong Kong Legends” banner: Eastern Condors, Magnificent Butchers, Knockabout, In the Line of Duty 4, City Hunter, Naked Killer, My Lucky Stars. Watching The Outlaw Brothers reminded me of those glorious times.
Action Rod Lott
Preceding the start of The Expendables 2
is an ad for its tie-in video game. Why bother playing such a thing
when so many sequences of the the movie make you feel like you're doing
so already? I mean that as a compliment, because as directed by Simon
West (The Mechanic), the sequel’s 15-minute prologue is so unrelenting in nonstop action that it’s likely to turn you giddy.
Action Rod Lott
It wasn't too long ago you could find crap copies of 1975's Zorro in the dollar-store DVD bins. For a Blu-ray release, Somerville House has cleaned it all up digitally, improving everything but how dull it sometimes is.
Comedy Rod Lott
Reveals Big Tits Zombie
lead actress Sora Aoi in the disc's behind-the-scenes footage, "We have
action, nudity, striptease, zombies, and splatter." Oh, you guessed
that already? Either way, her eight words could double as a review.
Action Rod Lott
For the first 10 minutes, I wondered if Kill ’Em All
weren’t a movie at all, but a collection of unrelated action vignettes —
a bomb hit here, a knife throw there, fists and feet everywhere — as
seemingly unrelated characters fight, but hardly speak, with no story
given.