Category: Action films

Really Awful Movies: Ep 273 – Mystery of Chessboxing

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On this week’s episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, some 70s kung fu styles with this effort, Mystery of Chessboxing.

The film’s notoriety is twofold: 1) it inspired Wu Tang’s Da Mystery of Chessboxin, a great song by the Wu with RZA and ODB production and a Method Man chorus and 2) it introduced the world to The Ghost Face Killer, a massive eye-browed grey-maned old-timer ass-kicker with a martial arts style based on the Five Elements.

The film focuses on young Ah Pao, who wants to learn kung fu so that he can avenge his father’s death at the hands of the Ghost Faced Killer (Mark Long). He enrolls in a kung fu school, and becomes an apprentice, procuring rice for the faculty and students. And he’s tested, of course, and improves his skills (of course) but not in the way you might think. Genre fans will definitely get a kick out of (no pun intended) the appearance of Simon Yuen, chop-socky stalwart, in the role of a cook at the school (Yuen is known for Drunken Master and Story of Drunken Master).

Ah Pao is eventually booted from the school and eventually comes under the tutelage of a chess master, master Chi Sue Tin (played by Jack Long). Together, they figure out a way they can take out Ghost Face Killer and the film culminates in an outrageous battle to the death.

There’s board games, strategy, montages, and of course, an incredible amount of ass-kicking for which the Golden Era of kung fu films was known.

 

Really Awful Movies: Ep 265 – Silent Rage

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On this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, we get back to our action roots with this, an oddball half action, half sci-fi horror flick, Silent Rage.

We get a prologue, that cheesy staple of 80s horror movies. In it, our antagonist Kirby, a pill-popping lunatic, grabs an axe and goes on a rampage.

Chuck Norris is a sheriff deputy in a small Texas town, who rushes in with backup, and singlehandedly stops the killer dead in his tracks. When Kirby gets loose, Norris’ deputy colleagues put a crap-load of lead into him. And the audience leaves him for dead. But where’s the body?

In this hick town, there’s a research hospital. And under its employ, some devious scientists who figure they’ve got someone who’s near-dead on whom they can test a mysterious serum. They inject Kirby and BAM! He springs back to life, mute (hence the “silent” part of the title). And he’s once again on the loose, murdering anyone in his path, and all this while wearing some weird jump suit.

Silent Rage is full of ass-kicking by Chuck, and of course this is a film with lots of slash and stalk horror elements. But what’s truly surprising is the biker element, the silly side-kick subplot, and also the ridiculous love montages. This is one cheesily enjoyable flick.

Tune in, as we certainly love our action movies. And this one has some whiz-bang bar fights and fisticuffs.

 

Really Awful Movies: Ep 260 – Bloodsport

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On this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, Jean Claude Van Damme’s epic kickboxing tournament movie, Bloodsport.

This flick was one of Van Damme’s first starring films and showcased his formidable kicking and flexibility, and dare we say it, charm.

The “Muscles from Brussels, aka, JCVD plays U.S. Army Captain Frank Dux (as in, “put up your dukes” and not “get your ducks in a row). The film was apparently built on the myth, the legend of the real Frank Dux (whose life has mysterious semi-apocryphal origins, a la JCVD contemporary Steven Seagal).

Dux was trained in the US as a young boy by a Japanese immigrant, Tanaka. And Dux wants to honor his mentor and take the place of Tanaka’s deceased son Shingo in the illegal, underground martial arts Kumite no-holds-barred tournament in Hong Kong. However, his employer, the US Army, ain’t happy about it. And they’ve sent two guys to go intercept him in Asia (it’s a dumb subplot, but whatever, it gets us Forrest Whitaker!).

After arriving in Hong Kong, Dux befriends American fighter Ray Jackson (Donald Gibb, who played the hulking Ogre in Revenge of the Nerds). The two hit it off over a mutual love of cheesy video games and get ready to fight in the early UFC-style round robin.

Chong Li (Bolo Yeung) is the powerful pec machine and ruthless Kumite champion—and he’s the betting favorite by the hordes of degenerates who’ve descended on the arena.

Gotta love pit fight action flicks, the rip-roaring excitement, the rippling muscles, the bloody tournament theatrics, UFC-style theatrics, and of course, different styles of fighting (from the ridiculous, to the even more ridiculous)

Since its release Bloodsport has achieved cult status, and for good reason. This flick was followed by a bunch of mediocre sequels, none of which involved our man, JCVD.

Tune into the Really Awful Movies Podcast every week, and our reviews at www.ReallyAwfulMovies.com