The 21 Best Action Movies That Still Hold Up Today

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Philip Pirrello has compiled a list of The 21 Best Action Movies That Still Hold Up Today.  Pirello’s list contains the movies you’d expect, although we probably all would disagree on the order.

For the record, my top three films from the list would be (in alphabetical order):

  1. Cliffhanger
  2. Point Break
  3. Terminator 2

Several actors made two appearances on the list: Tommy Lee Jones, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Will Smith, Wesley Snipes and Sly Stallone.  Only two actors had three appearances and they may surprise you (they did me): Keanu Reeves and Harrison Ford!

The “Donnybrook” Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Donnybrook wasn’t even on my radar until a couple of days ago.  You can believe it is now.  I read the novel Donnybrook by Bill Frank when it was first released and really enjoyed it.

The Donnybrook is a three-day bare-knuckle tournament held on a thousand-acre plot out in the sticks of southern Indiana. Twenty fighters. One wire-fence ring. Fight until only one man is left standing while a rowdy festival of onlookers―drunk and high on whatever’s on offer―bet on the fighters.
Jarhead is a desperate man who’d do just about anything to feed his children. He’s also the toughest fighter in southeastern Kentucky, and he’s convinced that his ticket to a better life is one last fight with a cash prize so big it’ll solve all his problems.
Meanwhile, there’s Chainsaw Angus―an undefeated master fighter who isn’t too keen on getting his face punched anymore, so he and his sister, Liz, have started cooking meth. And they get in deep. So deep that Liz wants it all for herself, and she might just be ready to kill her brother for it. One more showdown to take place at the Donnybrook.
As we travel through the backwoods to get to the Donnybrook, we meet a cast of nasty, ruined characters driven to all sorts of evil, all in the name of getting their fix―drugs, violence, sex, money, honor. Donnybrook is exactly the fearless, explosive, amphetamine-fueled journey you’d expect from Frank Bill’s first novel . . . and then some.

Here’s the trailer!

Sean Phillips’ Jimmy Cagney!

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Sean Phillips is an amazing artist as you can see from his James Cagney piece above.  The art appears with an article on Angels with Dirty Faces by Kim Morgan that will appear in Criminal #2 dropping on February 12th.

The great thing about the Criminal comic series by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips is that each issue is packed with a great comic story PLUS bonus features and art.

Source: Kim Morgan.

Which ’80s Action Character was the Deadliest?

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I imagine that many of our regular readers will get a kick out of Evan Hopkins’ The 20 Deadliest ’80s Action Movie Characters Ranked.  Evans’ list is a good one.

Some actors had multiple characters who made the list.  Chuck Norris had 4, Arnold Schwarzenegger had 3, Sly and Mel Gibson had two characters.

Sly Stallone’s Rambo came in first place and Cobra showed up at #11 and you know I won’t argue that.  🙂

The 7 Deadly Sins / Z-View

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The 7 Deadly Sins is available as a graphic novel, a six part mini-series and a digital download published by TKO Studios.

Writer: Tze Chun
Artist: Artyom Trakhanov
Color Artist: Giulia Brusco
Letterer: Jared K Fletcher
Cover Artist: Artyom Trakhanov

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***

THE 7 DEADLY SINS
SEVEN DEADLY SINS.
ONE DEADLY MISSION.

1857. Texas. A group of death row criminals is recruited by a Mexican priest for a suicide mission into Comancheria.

Seven death row prisoners are recruited to accompany a Priest on a suicide mission into Indian territory to recover a child stolen from settlers.  Each of those on the mission have reasons to go above and beyond avoiding the gallows.

Tze Chun has created a story much more aligned to The Wild Bunch and The Searchers than most western comic book stories.  His characters all have individual personalities, depth and backstory.  Chun developed excellent twists that, although you won’t see coming, feel true.  Chun is a writer to watch!

Artyom Trakhanov’s art is beautiful.  I’ve followed his work in other stories but The 7 Deadly Sins is his masterpiece (at least so far).  Trakhanhov has the rare ability (think Eduardo Risso and Palle Schimdt) to make all of his characters, including those in the backgrounds, have their own unique feel and personality.  Trakhanov’s style is his own, but reminds me of a young Michael Golden. (High praise, indeed!)

Giulia Brusco’s colors compliment Trakhanov’s art and enhance the story. Brusco’s color’s are beautiful without being overbearing or drawing attention away from the story.

 TKO Studios releases all of their comics in three different formats: digital download, as individual comics in a collector’s box and as a graphic novel.  The comics and graphic novels are slightly larger than traditional comics/graphic novels.  With TKO Studios there is no waiting for individual issues month to month — all issues are available from day one of publication!  Also, each first issue is available to read online for free!  Hats off to TKO Studios for these welcome innovations.

If I was going to nit pick, I’d ask TKO Studios to include the individual comic series covers with the graphic novels.

The 7 Deadly Sins is the complete package – great story and art – and gets my highest recommendation.

Rating: 5 of 5 stars.

The “Lost” Cody Starbuck Story and a Cody Starbuck Omnibus is Overdue!

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My introduction to independent comics was the first issue of Star*Reach.  It featured a Howard Chaykin Cody Starbuck story. Starbuck was a swashbuckling space pirate. Over the years I followed his all-too infrequent adventures.

Cody Starbuck made appearances in…

  • Star*Reach issues #1 and #4
  • Cody Starbuck (self-titled issue published by Star*Reach)
  • Heavy Metal issues #2 through #6
  • a portfolio of prints published by Sal Q. (I still have mine!)
  • The Star*Reach Companion reprinted some Cody Starbuck stories.

There was also another Cody Starbuck story published in Spain back in the early 80’s.  Sadly, I like many Chaykin/Cody Starbuck fans never got a chance to see it.  It was never reprinted in the US.

Isn’t it time we got a US version of the Cody Starbuck story published in Spain?  Better yet, how about a nice hardcover omnibus reprinting all the Cody Starbuck stories, the portfolio and other bonus materials?  

R.I.P. – Andrew Vanja

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Andrew Vanja, one of the producers behind the Rambo franchise has died at the age of 74.  Vanja’s producing credits include many of my favorite films including: First Blood, Rambo, First Blood, Part II, Angel Heart, Extreme Prejudice, Rambo III, Total Recall, Tombstone, The 13th Warrior and many others.

Thanks for the hours of entertainment, Mr. Vanja.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Andrew Vanja’s family, friends and fans.