The Exterminator (1980)

'The Exterminator' is a 1980 independent movie directed by James Glickenhaus. Knowing it was a vigilante flick I expected the movie to be some kind of 'Death Wish' knockoff (which I by the way would've been more than okay with). It is however not quite like that.

In a firefight during the Vietnam War the American soldiers John Eastland and Michael Jefferson are captured by Viet Cong. They get tied to poles and questioned by a VC officer who cuts the head of another US soldier with a machete in front of them. John appears to be in shock, but Michael manages to get loose. He kills the enemy soldiers and frees John before an American helicopter comes to their rescue. Back in America John and Michael are co-workers at a warehouse in New York. Michael got his life well together with a wife and two kids. John seems more affected by the war, but Michael looks out for him just like he did in Nam. One day John walks in on some gang members stealing in the warehouse. They threaten him with a knife, but Michael comes to the rescue. Later that day Michael is attacked by the same gang members and is left paralyzed. John sets out to find and kill the people who did it. He does however develop a taste for vigilantism and decides to clean up the city.

The plot might sound quite standard, but the movie defiantly got some original qualities. Robert Ginty is very good as John, and makes him an interesting character. He's vulnerable and kind, and identifies with the suffering of others because he knows what it is to be a victim. He's in other words not your typical movie tough guy. I think thats the big difference between him and other movie vigilantes like Charles Bronson's character in 'Death Wish'. John is more of a victim. He's been to war and carries those memories with him. He tries to live a normal life, but realizes that there is a new war going on at home.

The friendship between John and Michael feels very genuine and it's easy to imagine John getting pushed to become a vigilante when he looses the stability of Michael in his life.

'The Exterminator' was a pleasant surprise to me. It got heart and soul and manages to be both touching and badass at the same time. If you have an affection for the vigilante genre or revenge movies in genreal you shouldn't miss out on this one.

Invasion U.S.A. (1985)

In my teens I went through a phase where I just couldn't get enough of Chuck Norris. I bought all the movies of his which I could get my hands on, made my karate instructor teach me the spinning hook kick and even read his autobiography. There was however one Norris movie I never got to see before now, 'Invasion U.S.A.' from 1985.

The plot is straight forward. Matt Hunter (Chuck Norris) is a former CIA agent who's living a quiet life in the Florida swamp lands. When a group of international terrorists invades the country and starts launching attacks, he's forced out of retirement. He and the terrorist's leader, Mikhail Rostov, are former enemies and Hunter still haunts Rostov's dreams.

It's as cheesy and awesome as it sounds like, but strangely enough, the premise of the movie is perhaps more current today than when it was made.

Chuck Norris is awesome and the movie really made me travel back to the days when I thought he was the coolest person on the planet. Unfortunately we don't get to see that much of his awesome matrial arts skills in this one, but we do see him dual wielding a couple of mini uzis while wearing a full demin outfit, and that's pretty damn sweet. Richard Lynch with is signature burned face is so creepy. My favourite scene is when he blows upna whole neighbourhood with grenade launcher. It obviously gives him so much joy, and he comes across as a complete psychopath.

In my opinion this might not be the best Norris movie, but it's still very enjoyable. It got some sweet action scenes and got that nice low budget, 80s feeling to it. I'm glad I finally got to see it.

RoboCop (1987)

Growing up in the 90s I remeber a lot of kids talking about 'RoboCop' in the schoolyard. Some had seen the tv-series, and a few had even seen the movies. For me 'RoboCop' became something surrounded with mystique, and I was always curious to learn what it was all about. Several years later I finally got to see the movie and it totally blew me away.

It starts of in a not so distant future Detroit where crime has overtaken the city. We meet Alex Murphy, a police officer who has just been transfered to the worst part of town. On his first day he and his new partner, Lewis, go after a gang of robbers, lead by the crime boss, Boddicker. They chase the robbers down to an abandoned factory building and split up to find them. Lewis is knocked out by one of the robbers, while Murphy is captured, tortured and shot to pieces. In the hospital he's declared dead, and his body is then given to an organization wich is trying to develop a cyborg that will be more efficient in dealing with crime than any human cop ever could be. Thus Murphy becomes RoboCop, the most badass machine since 'The Terminator'. Problems arise when his brain, which they tried to erase for memories, starts to remember things from the past.

'RoboCop' is one of those amazing action movies that could only be made during the 80s. It's violent, mind blowing and just totally awesome. The look of RoboCop is so iconic and the sound effects when he moves are a pure joy. I love that they used stop motion for the ED-209 robot. It's really a lost art within special effects. 'RoboCop' does however have a lot of other things to it as well. It's a great social satire, and comments on media and society in a funny and clever way. In adition to being action packed and funny, it also has its fair share of tragedy. It's really heartbreaking when RoboCop starts to remeber things from his previous life and don't know how to process the memories. The whole take on existential questions like 'what makes us human?' are both interesting and intelligent.

The movie has a very strong cast of actors. As a die hard Twin Peaks fan I'm delighted to see people like Dan O'Herlihy, Miguel Ferrer and Ray Wise in this, but other actors such as Ronny Cox and Kurtwood Smith must not be forgotten either. Peter Weller does a great job both as Alex Murphy and RoboCop. He manages to give us a clear image of who Murphy is in a very short amount of time. We get attached to his character and actually care when he dies even though we've just met him. This makes it even more awesome when he becomes RoboCop. It must have been hell to act in that big robot suit, but Weller does a great job bringing life to it. Kurtwood Smith is a magnificent bad guy. He's so over the top and evil. My favourite in this movie is Miguel Ferrer as the sleazy, ambitious businessman behind the RoboCop project. He's just an amazing actor and I was deeply sorry to hear about his  death earlier this year.

If you haven't seen 'RoboCop' I envy you, cause you're really in for a treat. It got so many layers and mixes different genres like sci-fi and cop movies in a playful and elegant way.

Lone Wolf and Cub: 'Sword of Vengeance' (1972) and 'Baby Cart at the River Styx' (1972)

My first introduction to the series of samurai movies known as 'Lone Wolf and Cub' was through the film 'Shogun Assassin', where parts of the first two movies were cut together. The story was changed, the voices were dubbed and they added a voice over. I did like it a lot, and when I found out there were acutally a six part series of movies, I was head over heels with joy. This review will be a double feature of the first two movies, 'Sword of Vengeance' and 'Baby Cart at the River Styx', both from 1972.

The first film introduces us to the premise of the series. Itto Ogami is a highly respected samurai and the shogun's chief executioner. One day his wife is killed and he gets framed as a traitor by the Yagya-clan. He's ordered to commit seppuku, but refuses and kills of the men who tries to force him. Accompanied by his three year old son, Daigoro, whom he pushes in a baby cart, he becomes a wandering assassin for hire. Each of the movies focuses both on his conflict with the Yagya-clan, who tries to kill him, and on the assignments he's hired to do.

Tomisaburo Wakayama is awesome as Ogami. He's not a very handsome man, but his wild hair, deep booming voice and effortless handling of the sword make me forget that he doesn't exactly look like the traditional action hero.

The fight scenes in both of these movies are beautiful, absurd and over the top with violence. We're literary talking fountains of blood. Ogami is first and foremost a master swordsman, but he also fights with knifes and spears hidden on the baby cart. Even the baby cart istelf can funtion as a weapon with the three year old Daigoro operating it. The movie does however have a buch of great non fighting scenes. The classic one is of course when Daigoro has to choose between a ball and a sword. If he chooses the ball Ogami will kill him so that he can get reunited with his mom, while if he chooses the sword he will accompany Ogami on his journey. There are also several small scenes which just show the everyday interaction between Ogami and Daigoro that i like.

Personally I love samurai movies. As with western movies there is just something about the mythology of the genre that appeals to me. The characters, the setting, the code of honor and the secret sword technics, it's all so good. I love for instance how people, after being cut, remain standing for a little while before falling to the ground, or the way a samurai puts the sword back in its sheet after use. It's so cinematic and so wonderful.

The 'Lone Wolf and Cub'-movies are very different from the more traditional samurai films directors such as Kurosawa made. They're dirtier, more violent, more absurd and not as epic, but they're so much fun. I think both of these 'Lone Wolf and Cub'-movies are mandatory for any fan of the genre.

Mean Streets (1973)

When I first saw Matin Scorsese's 'Mean Streets' from 1973 several years ago, I was a bit disappointed. I had recently seen 'Goodfellas' and 'The Godfather' and was looking for the next 'grand' gangster movie. 'Mean Streets' however was nothing like that. It was more low key and didn't deal with organized crime on the same scale. Even though this was my initial reaction 'Mean Streets' has grown on me during the years, to the point where it's now one of my favourite movies within the genre, and i consider it a masterpiece.

The plot is fairly simple, but it got a lot to it, and it's difficult to summarize it in just a couple of sentences. We follow Charlie, a young Italian American man, played by Harvey Keitel. He's the nephew of a local mob boss and has ambitions of climbing the ranks. Charlie is a devoted catholic, but finds it hard to believe that simply saying a cuople of Hail Marys can get him off the hook when he's done something wrong. He feels that the only proper way for him to do it, is to make up for himself on the streets.

Charlie has a childhood friend called Johnny Boy, played by Robert De Niro. He is a complete fuck up and owes money to a bunch of different people in the neighborhood. One of these is Michael, who's another friend of Charlie. Michael is determined to get his money back and Charlie takes Johnny Boy under his wings and tries to help him get his act together. At the same time Charlie is trying to hide this from his uncle who doesn't want him to have anything to do with either Johnny Boy or Johnny Boy's cousin, Theresa, whom Charlie is in a relationship with.

Harvey Keitel is just amazing in his role and really brings the complexity of Charlie to life. He's a tough and street smart, but more sensitive than his friends. He likes to trust people and gets hurt when he's let down. Charlie seems to struggle a lot between what others expect from him and his own wishes. He's a very genuinely nice guy, and cares about his friends and the people around him. You really feel for him, being caught in the middle of his uncle's wishes and his own abitions on one side, and his wish to help his friend and have a relationship with Theresa on the other. De Niro as Johnny Boy is also very good. He's funny and charming in his own way, but it's frustrating to see how much he messes things up for himself and refuses to take responsibility.

I really like the realistic tone of this movie and how well it portrays the characters. It's easy to sympathize with them even when they sometimes do bad things. I believe that 'Mean Streets' shows a far more truthful picture of the life of the Italian American society and culture than say 'The Godfather' does. It's less of an opera, and more a realistic depiction of life on the streets. That being sad I don't necessarily think one is better than the other.

Personally I consider 'Mean Streets' a masterpiece and think it's one of Scorsese's best and most interesting films.

Conan the Barbarian (1982)

'Conan the Barbarian' from 1982 is easily one of my favourite movies of all time. Based on the character created by Robert E. Howard, directed by the legendary John Milius and starring the one and only, Arnold Schwarzenegger. How can it get any better?

Conan is just a boy when his home village is attacked by a snake cult, lead by the mystical, Thulsa Doom. The village is destroyed, his mother is decapitated right in front of him and Conan is sent to work as a slave. For years and years he pushes a huge mill wheel, and builds up an enormous strenght. He's then sold and used as a pit fighter. Because of his talent he gets advanced training in wepons and warfare and thus becomes the ultimate warrior. More years go by, and in the end Conan is granted his freedom. He immediately starts searching for the snake cult to revenge his people and now the adventures really begin.

The 80s were probably the best decade when it comes to action and adventure and 'Conan the Barbarian' is one of the finest examples of this. It's a mixture of pulp literature, history, comic books and mythology with stong elements of Nietzsche, Kurosawa and Shakespeare thrown into the blend. Everything is grand, majestic and just epic in every sense of the word.

The action scenes are top notch and must have required a ton of training from actors and stunt men alike. The practical effects are unlike anything you'll see in modern films, and the music by Basil Poledouris is amazing. John Milius is of course a master of storytelling, and was the best director possible to bring the world of Conan to life. Arnold Schwarzenegger was really the only logical choice for playing Conan, and nobody could have done a better job. The suporting cast is also superb. Every actor, from the well known professional one, to those who are more known as athletes (whom there are a lot of) are perfect in their roles.

It's really difficult for me to do this movie justice because it got so many qualities to it. I could talk about it for hours, but in short I will say that it's a must see for anyone who enjoys great storytelling, action and adventure.

The Deadly Companions (1961)

'The Deadly Companions' from 1961 is another western gem from legendary director Sam Peckinpah. It was his first feature film and stars Brian Keith and Maureen O'Hara.

Keith plays an ex-army officer out for revenge, but during a shootout he accidentally kills a young boy. In an attempt to make things right he teams up with the boys mother (O'Hara) who is determined to bring her dead son to a desserted town in the wilderness so that he can be burried next to his father. The movie follows their journey together and focuses on their tense relationship.

Both Keith and O'Hara give very good performances and the chemistry between them is excellent. The movie is sweet and touching and has a beautiful score. I like how it manages to depict feelings like hate, love and sorrow without forcing it. Everything is very low key and more traditional than Peckinpah's later films. It shows his love for classic western movies and proves that he can play in the same league as the masters.

'The Deadly Companions' might not be the first film I would show someone as an introduction to Sam Peckinpah, but as lover of the genre I enjoyed it very much. 

Pumping Iron (1977)

'Pumping Iron' from 1977 was just a small independent documentary, but it became a massive success and introduced the world to Arnold Schwarzenegger and the world of bodybuilding.

The movie follows the training of the bodybuilders at Gold's Gym in Venice Beach, California, before the upcomming Mr. Olympia competition. Along the way we get to know the different characters. We listen to their thoughts about what they're doing and we see them interact with each other and their families.

The movie especially foocus on the rivalry between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno. Arnold is the king of this world. He hasn't been beaten in years, and is determined to stay on his throne. He plays mind games on his competitors and does his best to psych them out before the competition. Lou Ferrigno on the other hand is the underdog. He's younger than the rest, he lives with his parents and is dominated by his father who oversees his training.

It's a fun mixture of drama and documentary. The training, interaction and competition are all real, but certain scenes might build up to be more than they really are and some of the things Arnold says are exaggerated quite a bit. If you have already seen the movie you know what I'm talking about and if you haven't I won't spoil it.

'Pumping Iron' is probably the movie I have seen the most most times in my life and I hold it very close to my heart. I used to have the movie on while working out in my living room and to this day I can put on any time to get motivated and pumped up before going to the gym. It's an unique timecapsel of what used to be a subculture. It's fun and charming and has a innocence to it which today's bodybuilding scene has lost. I believe it can be very much enjoyed whether you're a fan of the sport or not.

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)

'Halloween 4' from 1988 is widely regarded as a shitty movie, but personally I beg to differ. Is it flawed? Yes, very much so, but that doesn't stop it from being a pretty damn good flick just the same.

Unlike most other horror movies, 'Halloween 4' actually features several likable characters, and I really wanted to see them to pull through. The movie also shows of some fine acting. Donald Pleasence as Dr. Loomis is always great. I really felt for his character at the same time as he's a pretty badass old dude. Another great one is Danielle Harris who plays Jamie Loyd. Child actors often tend to be rather bad, but I thought she was just magnificen and I rooted for her the whole time.

The movie got several great individual scenes. I loved the opening credits where they showed images from a bleak farmland with traditional halloween decorations. There was just something eerie and unsetteling about it and sat the tone perfectly. Another great one was when Dr. Loomis had his encounter with the whiskey drinking reverend who gave him a ride and talked about batteling evil. The best scene for me was however the ending. I won't spoil it, but it really gave me the chills, and was both tragic and disturbing at the same time.

All in all I think 'Halloween 4' doesn't deserve the bad reputation it has acquired. Sure it got its more silly moments that doesn't make sense, but I'm perfectly willing to look past them and enjoy the movie as a whole. It managed to drag me into the story and keep med there most of the time. I would encourage people to check it out if they haven't already, or to give it a second watch if they didn't like it the first time.

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)

Sam Peckinpah was a true master of cinema and especially the western genre. 'Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid' from 1973 is probably the Peckinpah movie that I find myself going back to the most. I find it incredibly beautiful. The way it is shot is absolutely stunning and there are so many memorable scenes. The whole atmosphere in the movie is wonderful and it's like you can taste the whiskey and smell the gunsmoke. The music by Bob Dylan (who also plays a part in the movie) is amazing and adds so much depth to the scenes.

The movie is rather slow, which I like, but it might drag a bit for some viewers. It really takes its time to build up the story and present the characters. I freakin love both James Coburn and Kris Kristofferson, and they got a great chemistry playing two friends on different sides of the law.

I think 'Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid' might be somewhat overshadowed by 'The Wild Buch', which of course is another Peckinpah masterpiece. Do however not hesitate to check this one out if you are a fan of the western genre.

Death Wish (1974)

Now we're talking. Charles Bronson, a man of few words, but with an amazing screen precence. 'Death Wish' from 1974 put him on the map as cinema's number one vigilante and spawned a number of sequels. He plays Paul Kersey, a middle class family man with liberal beliefs. Everything changes however when his home gets invaded by street punks who kill his wife and leave his daughter traumatised. Shocked by the police's inefficiency Kersey decides to clean up the streets on his own.

Charles Bronson gives a great performance. He is given a lot to work with in this movie and his transformation from being an everyday joe to a complete badass is gradual and very believable. The director, Michael Winner, obviously knows what he's doing and the music, composed by the legendary Herbie Hancock, is just fantastic and creates an amazing atmosphere.

The movie has a very dark outlook on modern day civilization and life in the big city. During the pursue of getting more and more civilized, human beings have lost their ability to deal with violent attacks. When threatened, modern people have to rely on the police, but what happens if the system doesn't work?

'Death Wish' seems to imply that it's not only a right, but a necessity for people to take the law into their own hands. Even though this solution of course is highly debatable, it's satisfying as hell to watch Kersey blast away crimminals with his six shooter and bringing old west justice back into the big city. It's uncomplicated, politcal incorrect and feels very refreshing.

In short this is exciting, old fashioned, no nonsense action at its best.

The Warriors (1979)

Walter Hill is definatly one of my all time favourite directors. His resymé is incredible and I just can't praise him high enough. When it comes to creating stories and characters dripping with machismo he thrones right at the top together with John Milius.

'The Warriors' is set in a not so distant future where outlaw gangs rule the streets of New York City at night. The gangleader Cyrus calls for a meeting and encourages all the gangs to unite, but he is shot during his speech and the killer blames it on The Warriors. The rest of the film we follow The Warriors as they try to get home to Coney Island while all the other gangs are out to get them.

The movie is based on a book by Sol Yurick which again is based on Xenophon's epic 'Anabasis'. What I really like are the dynamics between the characters, especially Swan and Ajax who rival about the leadership after The Warriors' leader Cleon is killed. The look of the different gangs are amazing, and they all got their very distinctive style. It's like right out of a comic book.

While the movie depicts a brutal and dangerous world filled with crimminal gangs, everything got a certain naivety and charm to it. 'The Warriors' is playful, cartoonish, unpolished and rough around the edges. I love it and can watch it over and over again.

Bad Lieutenant (1992)

'Bad Lieutenant' is like the movie version of a Nick Cave song. It's raw, brutal and deals heavily with themes like vengeance, forgiveness and religion. Harvey Keitel gives one of those rare performances that can only be described as sublime. While abusing his power as police man, scoring drugs, sleeping with hookers and racking up gambling debt, he's also investigating the rape of a nun.

It got an early Scorsese feel to it and brings to mind other New York based films like 'Mean Streets' and 'Taxi Driver'. I kinda miss the time when New York was Hell on Earth. It had such a great cinematic look and almost became a character of its own.

One thing I must adress is how freaking jacked Keitel is in this movie. Pretty damn good for a man in his fifties. Combined with his dangerous performance it makes him look like a steel spring ready to snap in your face.

Give it a watch if you got a fascination for self destructing men, bad cops, violence and Catholicism.