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Reviews
Bloodmatch (1991)
Albert Pyun's own Martial Arts/Vigilante/Shlockfest.
Now I do recall seeing this film a long time ago, but I was beginning to forget the absolute awesome cheese this flick brought to my eyes, so of course, like any action junkie, I watched this film again. Bloodmatch (released a couple years after Cyborg) stars Thom Mathews as Brick Bardo, a man on a mission to avenge his dead brother.
In my eyes this is a strange mix of Kickboxer and Bloodfist, with an additional revenge plot that comes along for the ride. Despite the obvious budget and not-so-competent dialogue, Bloodmatch is definitely full of action scenes from start to finish. (Remember those "repeat hits" in films where a punch for example is shown three times, with three different angles? Pyun takes this and turns it up to 11.)
Besides the action, the rest of the cast has some notable action stars alongside the main star- this includes Andy Sidaris regular Hope Marie Carlton, legend Benny "The Jet" Urquidez, Thunderwolf, Dale Jacoby, and even Michel Qissi.
In conclusion, is this Bloodsport? No. Is it a truly good movie? No. But does it hold itself up with true 90s cheese that can't be replicated? Hell yes.
Final rating is a 6/10.. I recommend watching if you're into cheesy or crappy movies, and don't act like a wannabe Roger Ebert.
The Night Stalker (1986)
A decent Z'Dar slasher flick.
Just finished this film recently, and I'll have to say I was quite impressed with the quality of this film. Knowing this had a lower rating on IMDB, I expected something within "so bad it's good" territory, but instead I got a fairly decent crime thriller / slasher that embodies the cheese of the mid 80s.
To put the plot simply, recognizable actor Charles Napier (from First Blood, Hard Justice) plays a grizzled, alcoholic detective who pursues the mad killer Chuck Sommers (played by the man, Robert Z'Dar), who preys on prostitutes. Following this are iconic scenes of dialogue, and some decent action scenes as well. To add, asian actors George Cheung and Eric Lee make apprearances in this as well.
Overall I rate this a 6/10 for a flimsy but decently fleshed out story, Z'Dar, and that good old 80s cheese.
Fists of Steel (1989)
A perfect whirl for action junkies alike.
Before I start my review, I'll have to say that this flick definitely left a smile on my face from beginning to end.
Fists Of Steel stars Alexis Argüello, an ex-vet who's tasked with taking down the rather eccentric gangster Shogi (played by the awesome Henry Silva.)
For a film that's a little lower on the totem pole in terms of budget, this definitely kept me on my feet with several action scenes and a few shootouts peppered throughout. This film also has some more notable faces, such as Robert Tessier, Carlos Palomino, and stuntman Bob Apisa.
And since I don't want to spoil the fun of this movie, all I'll say is that the ending will definitely surprise some of you. And to end this, I'll say that this movie deserves more attention.
The Final Alliance (1990)
Decent "revenge on the bikers" actioner.
Watched this for the first time today, and I'll have to say it's exactly what I expected from an Italian made, low budget action flick. Rated this a 6 out of 10 mainly from the cast (The one and only Hasselhoff, Bo Svenson, and the legend John Saxon as an albino, gun toting villain) and a fair portion of the action (preferably the bar fight and car flip stunt that occur in the middle of the film). What lowered my score was simply the bad and sometimes obvious dubbing.. as expected from a film of this caliber.
If you're into David Hasselhoff, Italian flicks, or simply just low budget action films, then this is for you.
Angel of Destruction (1994)
A remake of Blackbelt?
After watching this, I can simply say that Angel Of Destruction is an almost on par remake of Roger Corman's action flick Blackbelt, which dated this film by two years. The only changes made include the film's setting, Don Wilson's character being swapped out for Maria Ford, Jimmy Broome being selected as the "John Sweet" of the film, and of course, the soundtrack. Some notable scenes are also left in, including the opening hotel fight scene, and the bar fight later in the film, which is watered down quite a lot.
Other than that, this film is decent at best. Plenty of fight scenes (which are better than the shootouts) and the cheese level is just enough for me to give this one a 6.