I thought it was time to try a top ten. I like top tens - reading them and writing them - but I want to try to keep a fresh outlook on them. I thought I’d try my favourite hardcore action films full of blood and gore . This rules out kidde action movies like Pirates seiries and most of the superhero movies which are for the family audiences (but they’re movies that I still like.)
Here we go On!
10. Die Hard (and the rest of the lot but nothing beats the original)
Starring Bruce Willis as detective John McClane, this movie was released in 1988. It has terrorists, explosions, and a full building full of people that McClane has to mow his way through.
Some movies are good. Some movies are not. Whatever you want to say about Die Hard, it has certainly been influential. With the basic concept of a lone “good guy” trapped in a situation fighting alone against overwhelming odds, Die Hard has been remade countless numbers of times since its release in 1988 (see Air Force One and Under Siege.) In the spirit of seventies’ disaster films such as The Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure, Die Hard has spawned almost a new genre of film, and that alone (it’s also a very good action movie) makes it worth examining
9. Demolition Man (1993)
Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes star in this futuristic action thriller with Sly as a tough cop sent in the near future to catch an incredibly overtly villanous Wesley Snipes. Sandra Bullock appears as damsel in distress cum sidekick and Dennis Leary plays Edgar Friendly - an underground (literally) criminal who wants earth to return to the way it was.
8.The Running Man (1987)
The story of Ben Richards (Arnie) who is wrongly convicted of killing innocent people in Bakersfield, California. It is the future, and convicted felons are sent to battle it out in an earthquake ravaged section of Los Angeles against a group of WWF wrestler types with fancy weapons. Of course Ben is just what the doc ordered.
Movie sports some wicked gadgets like neck collars that blow up when a convict attempts to escape and a wicked x-ray machine in the airport.
The movie really deals with tough issues like government propaganda, the use of media to dupe the public, and the potential horrors of reality TV (although we may have reached the peak with American Idol).
7. Universal Soldier (1992)
The 1992 science fiction stars Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren as soldiers who kill each other in Vietnam but are reanimated in a secret Army project along with a large group of other previously dead soldiers. Most famous scene involves a scene where terrorists have taken over the Hoover Dam and the police agencies are ordered not to intervene or make any attempt to rescue the hostage. Ally Walker also stars as a TV news journalist.
6. Blade (1998)
Vampire movies are always one up on action/grisly death scenes and all. Wesley Snipes stars as Blade, the ‘Daywalker’ - a half man half vampire - who protects humans from the reams of vampires that live in and among us. They are rich, powerful and feed off of humans, so this is a concern. Blade is a capable warrior with cool weapons and a good sidekick - Whistler - played by Kris Kristofferson.
5. Cliffhanger (1993)
Gabe Walker (Stallone) is an expert climber. He feels responsible for the loss of his best friend’s fiance/girlfriend, in a freak climbing accident. Years later, he still blames himself and doesn’t want to go back to the mountain.
A government transfer plane goes down in the mountains with a huge sum of cash that is being transported over the mountains for some forgettable reason. Hostages have been taken, and Stallone needs to go back to the mountain to rescue his old friends.
Apparently the most expensive aerial stunt in the history of Hollywood happens in the film when an aerial transfer happens between two planes. The stunt man was paid over 1 million dollars for the trick, and it and other stunts and effects are pretty seamless. Remember this (and other movies on this list) was filmed nearly 15 years ago, before CGI, but the film still looks great.
4. The Game (1997)
The Game is psychological thriller film directed by David Fincher that tells the story of a wealthy businessman who is gifted with prepaid access to a game that integrates in strange ways with his life. As the lines between the businessman’s real life and the game become more and more uncertain there are hints of a larger conspiracy.
The game in the movie can be viewed as sort of alternate reality game with a large live action role-playing game component. Participants in real life versions of alternate reality games and live action role-playing games find the movie interesting and a source of inspiration for this reason. It stars Michael Douglas, and is really worth watching!
3. Total Recall (1990)
Imagine being able to go on a vacation, without ever leaving a chair. Apparently in the future, you can inject youself with a virtual holiday, including all the pain of getting there.
This is the situation Arnold (yeah, him again - and two more times to come in the list too) finds himself in. He takes a virtual holiday to Mars, and then finds out he’s actually a secret agent with incredible abilities and high-powered friends.
The whole movie’s premise plays on the idea that you don’t know if what you’re watching is real or made up in the main character’s mind. It even ends with the viewer not knowing the real answer to what may or may not have happened.
If you like mutants, three-breasted women and weird technology, this is the show for you.
Most amazing scene: Arnold pulls a large tracking device out of his brain through his nose with a metallic pincer. Gross!
2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
This is almost a perfect action movie. It has a super hero, an incredible villain, cutting-edge special effects, and a huge budget to blow things up, crash vehicles and break windows. Arnie is a super strong robot out this time to save the real hero of the story — John Connor (a human who will lead humans in a final battle of resistance against evil robots in the future), from the evil new t-1000, a liquid metal robot that can do just about anything, including taking the form of anything it touches. It was Arnie as a bad robot in part 1 that was really quite something. Now he’s back as the good guy. Despite the fact that he’s not a really good actor, Arnold does have the ability to mix corny one line humour with incredible action sequences.
1. Predator (1987)
Not the only movie on this list nominated for an Oscar (best visual effects), Predator is the story of a group of elite commandos in the Costa Rican jungle (doing something that nobody remembers anymore) but are eventually hunted by one kick-butt alien. This thing is one mean son-of-a-you-know-what and rips through the commandos like a hot knife through butter.
Standing in the way of total destruction is Earth’s hero Dutch (played by the gubernator - Arnold Schwarzenegger). This is his greatest role and includes the horribly good line “If it bleeds…we can kill it”. How can you resist?
Also starring Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed from Rocky fame, who gets his arm blown off), Jessie (the body) Ventura (who ends up with a huge hole through his chest), and a sweet Mexican tracker named Billy who meets a particularly greusome end (and incidentally who later ran for congress). Sound gross? It is. But in a way, its very cool too. I don’t normally go for just violence, but this movie rocks.
So as you can see, I seem to love Arnie and Sly’s pretty high on my list too. I hate the slasher/horror genre, but the sci-fi, action movies are my favourites. I haven’t seen a good new one for a long time.
Here we go On!
10. Die Hard (and the rest of the lot but nothing beats the original)
Starring Bruce Willis as detective John McClane, this movie was released in 1988. It has terrorists, explosions, and a full building full of people that McClane has to mow his way through.
Some movies are good. Some movies are not. Whatever you want to say about Die Hard, it has certainly been influential. With the basic concept of a lone “good guy” trapped in a situation fighting alone against overwhelming odds, Die Hard has been remade countless numbers of times since its release in 1988 (see Air Force One and Under Siege.) In the spirit of seventies’ disaster films such as The Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure, Die Hard has spawned almost a new genre of film, and that alone (it’s also a very good action movie) makes it worth examining
9. Demolition Man (1993)
Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes star in this futuristic action thriller with Sly as a tough cop sent in the near future to catch an incredibly overtly villanous Wesley Snipes. Sandra Bullock appears as damsel in distress cum sidekick and Dennis Leary plays Edgar Friendly - an underground (literally) criminal who wants earth to return to the way it was.
8.The Running Man (1987)
The story of Ben Richards (Arnie) who is wrongly convicted of killing innocent people in Bakersfield, California. It is the future, and convicted felons are sent to battle it out in an earthquake ravaged section of Los Angeles against a group of WWF wrestler types with fancy weapons. Of course Ben is just what the doc ordered.
Movie sports some wicked gadgets like neck collars that blow up when a convict attempts to escape and a wicked x-ray machine in the airport.
The movie really deals with tough issues like government propaganda, the use of media to dupe the public, and the potential horrors of reality TV (although we may have reached the peak with American Idol).
7. Universal Soldier (1992)
The 1992 science fiction stars Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren as soldiers who kill each other in Vietnam but are reanimated in a secret Army project along with a large group of other previously dead soldiers. Most famous scene involves a scene where terrorists have taken over the Hoover Dam and the police agencies are ordered not to intervene or make any attempt to rescue the hostage. Ally Walker also stars as a TV news journalist.
6. Blade (1998)
Vampire movies are always one up on action/grisly death scenes and all. Wesley Snipes stars as Blade, the ‘Daywalker’ - a half man half vampire - who protects humans from the reams of vampires that live in and among us. They are rich, powerful and feed off of humans, so this is a concern. Blade is a capable warrior with cool weapons and a good sidekick - Whistler - played by Kris Kristofferson.
5. Cliffhanger (1993)
Gabe Walker (Stallone) is an expert climber. He feels responsible for the loss of his best friend’s fiance/girlfriend, in a freak climbing accident. Years later, he still blames himself and doesn’t want to go back to the mountain.
A government transfer plane goes down in the mountains with a huge sum of cash that is being transported over the mountains for some forgettable reason. Hostages have been taken, and Stallone needs to go back to the mountain to rescue his old friends.
Apparently the most expensive aerial stunt in the history of Hollywood happens in the film when an aerial transfer happens between two planes. The stunt man was paid over 1 million dollars for the trick, and it and other stunts and effects are pretty seamless. Remember this (and other movies on this list) was filmed nearly 15 years ago, before CGI, but the film still looks great.
4. The Game (1997)
The Game is psychological thriller film directed by David Fincher that tells the story of a wealthy businessman who is gifted with prepaid access to a game that integrates in strange ways with his life. As the lines between the businessman’s real life and the game become more and more uncertain there are hints of a larger conspiracy.
The game in the movie can be viewed as sort of alternate reality game with a large live action role-playing game component. Participants in real life versions of alternate reality games and live action role-playing games find the movie interesting and a source of inspiration for this reason. It stars Michael Douglas, and is really worth watching!
3. Total Recall (1990)
Imagine being able to go on a vacation, without ever leaving a chair. Apparently in the future, you can inject youself with a virtual holiday, including all the pain of getting there.
This is the situation Arnold (yeah, him again - and two more times to come in the list too) finds himself in. He takes a virtual holiday to Mars, and then finds out he’s actually a secret agent with incredible abilities and high-powered friends.
The whole movie’s premise plays on the idea that you don’t know if what you’re watching is real or made up in the main character’s mind. It even ends with the viewer not knowing the real answer to what may or may not have happened.
If you like mutants, three-breasted women and weird technology, this is the show for you.
Most amazing scene: Arnold pulls a large tracking device out of his brain through his nose with a metallic pincer. Gross!
2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
This is almost a perfect action movie. It has a super hero, an incredible villain, cutting-edge special effects, and a huge budget to blow things up, crash vehicles and break windows. Arnie is a super strong robot out this time to save the real hero of the story — John Connor (a human who will lead humans in a final battle of resistance against evil robots in the future), from the evil new t-1000, a liquid metal robot that can do just about anything, including taking the form of anything it touches. It was Arnie as a bad robot in part 1 that was really quite something. Now he’s back as the good guy. Despite the fact that he’s not a really good actor, Arnold does have the ability to mix corny one line humour with incredible action sequences.
1. Predator (1987)
Not the only movie on this list nominated for an Oscar (best visual effects), Predator is the story of a group of elite commandos in the Costa Rican jungle (doing something that nobody remembers anymore) but are eventually hunted by one kick-butt alien. This thing is one mean son-of-a-you-know-what and rips through the commandos like a hot knife through butter.
Standing in the way of total destruction is Earth’s hero Dutch (played by the gubernator - Arnold Schwarzenegger). This is his greatest role and includes the horribly good line “If it bleeds…we can kill it”. How can you resist?
Also starring Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed from Rocky fame, who gets his arm blown off), Jessie (the body) Ventura (who ends up with a huge hole through his chest), and a sweet Mexican tracker named Billy who meets a particularly greusome end (and incidentally who later ran for congress). Sound gross? It is. But in a way, its very cool too. I don’t normally go for just violence, but this movie rocks.
So as you can see, I seem to love Arnie and Sly’s pretty high on my list too. I hate the slasher/horror genre, but the sci-fi, action movies are my favourites. I haven’t seen a good new one for a long time.
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