When Jean Baudrillard published his philosophical treatise Simulacra and Simulation in 1981, he had no way of knowing that Hollywood would take the ideas within and construct a science fiction action film. But this is exactly what the Wachowski brothers did when directing The Matrix. … [Read more...]
Hard Boiled (1992) review by That Film Guy
In the late 1990s John Woo's name was synonomous with high-adrenaline action films. He's the man that gave us Hard Target, Broken Arrow and Mission: Impossible II, but before making the transition into Hollywood he had honed the art of action films in Hong Kong. Hard Boiled represents the best action film he developed during this period, and while it lacks the slick visuals of … [Read more...]
Alien vs. Predator (2004) review by That Film Guy
From the moment Predator was released in 1987, fans of it and the previously released Alien began speculating about a confrontation between the eponymous hunter and the H.R. Giger designed xenomorph. In 1989 a graphic novel pitted them against each other and an option was bought by Hollywood to turn it into a film. 15 years later, and after numerous script edits and changes in … [Read more...]
True Lies (1994) review by That Film Guy
In 1984 James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger teamed for the genre-defining action film The Terminator. A decade later they teamed up again in an attempt to fulfill the promise made on from the critically and commercially panned Last Action Hero, namely a satire of the action genre. And in typical Cameron fashion they succeed through a high-tempo script, over-the-top and … [Read more...]
The Terminator (1984) review by That Film Guy
The Terminator was a film that spawned one of the most film franchises of all time, solidified Arnold Schwarzenegger as an A-list star and set writer/director James Cameron on the path to some of the biggest box office returns of all time. The story of its creation is almost as far-fetched as the premise of the film itself. The story goes that while filming Piranha II: The … [Read more...]
Aliens (1986) review by That Film Punk
Rewind about twenty years, find the right school playground in a suburb on the outskirts of south London, and you will find the childhood form of That Film Punk. Step a little closer, and you will notice that little TFP is circling the painted lines of a netball court , holding an invisible pulse rifle and chirping out a pitch-perfect imitation of its gunfire. Two of his … [Read more...]
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) review by That Film Guy
In 1979 a low-budget Australian film called Mad Max was released starring an almost unheard of actor named Mel Gibson. Made on a tiny budget, the film would go onto to become a box office success, leading to the option for follow-up films being taken. In 1981, it's sequel, the more modestly budgeted ($4m) Mad Max 2 (titled The Road Warrior in the USA) introduced the world to … [Read more...]
Review: Point Break (1991)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B004MW57HS][/pullquote] To pigeon-hole Point Break would be to call it an undercover-surfing-crime-drama-action film, and while that sounds ridiculous, it is an accurate way to describe what on paper should be a ridiculous film. Director Kathryn Bigelow was given the … [Read more...]
How I Spent my Summer Vacation (2012) review by That Film Guy
Of all the megastars of the 1980s and 90s, none have seen a decline in popularity quite like Mel Gibson. A series of public relations disasters and a mixed bag of directorial and starring films, critically and commercially have seen the star of Lethal Weapon become something of a relic in modern cinema. It's rather apt then that his latest starring role, How I Spent my Summer … [Read more...]
Face/Off (1997) review by That Film Guy
Released around the same time as Con Air and The Rock, Face/Off completes a trilogy of action films in the late 1990s starring Nicolas Cage. Directed by famed Hong Kong action film connoisseur John Woo, it represents one final hurrah for the seemingly dying breed of action films that were so popular from the late 1980s. In coming years comic book films would surpass the modern … [Read more...]