The Best Action Film for Each Year of the 1980s!

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Ben Sherlock at ScreenRant decided to take on the task of determining The Best Action Movie From Each Year In The ’80s and then he ranked them.  Ben’s list is a good one and it got me thinking about the best action movie I’d choose for each year in the 80s.  So here we go…

  • 1980:  The Empire Strikes Back.  This one surprised me since I’m not a big Star Wars fan.  Truthfully, there wasn’t a lot of competition for the 1980 title and I ended up going with Ben’s choice.

  • 1981: The Road Warrior.  Ben selected Raiders of the Lost Ark.  1981, was for me, one of the toughest years of the decade because we had so many films in the running.  I considered Raiders, of course, but I also looked at Escape from New York and Nighthawks before deciding on The Road Warrior.  All of the others had merit and are great films, but for pure action, give me The Road Warrior.
  • 1982: First Blood.  Ben and I agreed again.  First Blood it is

  • 1983: Sudden Impact.  Again, Ben and I agree.  I was surprised because going in, I didn’t think that Sudden Impact would be my top action film for the year, but 1983 wasn’t a strong year for action films.  Sudden Impact is good, but not great, yet it still got out votes.

  • 1984: Terminator.  Again, Ben and I agree.  The only other contender in my view was Red Dawn and Terminator is so much better.

  • 1985: Rambo: First Blood, Part II.  Ben went with Jackie Chan’s Police Story.  I considered it as well as Commando and Runaway Train but ultimately went with Sly Stallone returning as John Rambo.

  • 1986: Aliens.  Ben and I are back on the same page.  Aliens was so amazing, how could any other film get the nod?

  • 1987: Lethal Weapon.  Ben went with Robocop.  I considered that and Predator.  1987 was a tough year with three great action films but ultimately I went with Lethal Weapon.

  • 1988: Die Hard.  Ben and I agreed that Die Hard was the best for 1988.

  • 1989: Lethal Weapon 2.  Again Ben and I were on the same page.

  So Ben and I agreed on 7 of the 10 films.  I’d be curious as to how many you agreed with and were there films you would have picked that I didn’t even consider?  Comments below!

Andrew Farago Takes on Jack Carter and John Wick!

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I recently saw that several artists were doing commissions at reduced rates in support of The Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco.  How could I pass on a chance to get a new commission for my Stallone-themed Sketch Collection AND support a good cause at the same time?

I couldn’t.

I looked at the list and decided to go with Andrew Farago.  Andrew is not only an artist and author but also the Chairman of the Northern California chapter of the National Cartoonists Society and the curator of the Cartoon Art Museum! I asked for Jack Carter and John Wick and Andrew came through like a champ!

If you’re a sketch collector, The Cartoon Museum’s Sketch-A-Thon gets my highest recommendation.  The prices are super reasonable, there are several artists to choose from and there is even a digital sketch option!

Thanks again to Andrew Farago for the cool sketch and super service!

Chris Peterson’s Stanley from “Lords of Flatbush”!

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Christopher Peterson is a Shuster-nominated comic artist who has worked for Dark Horse, Boom Studios, Image, Black Mask, and other companies.

Back in 2016, I saw that Chris’ computer died and he was sketching to raise money to replace his work station.  I set up a commission with Chris and he sent me this cool digital rendition of his take on Sly from Lords of Flatbush.  You can check out more of Chris’ art here or follow him on Twitter.

“Yakuza” Starring Robert Mitchum

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Rob Hunter at Film School Rejects presents 35 Things We Learned from Sydney Pollack’s The Yakuza Commentary.  I like the Yakuza and think it was ahead of its time as far as the subject matter.  Having a legend like Robert Mitchum as your star doesn’t hurt either.  Before you click over, here are three of my favorite comments…

He (Director Sydney Pollack) loved Brian Keith and describes him as a sadly underrated actor for most of his life.

(I 100% agree.  Growing up I just knew Brian Keith from the tv sitcom Family Affair where he played good old Uncle Bill.  It wasn’t until I became an adult and started seeing Keith in westerns and crime movies that I realized his talent.  – Craig)

He (Director Sydney Pollack) was concerned that American audiences “don’t really like to read subtitles,” and Warner Bros. was hoping he could avoid using them all together.

(I think that subtitles, so you can hear the natural dialogue, adds  depth to a film.  Would The Godfather or Godfather II lost something without them?  I think they would have.  – Craig)

“He was capable of a lot,” says Pollack about Mitchum, “but you had to push him.” He thinks the actor, who often referred to himself as “an actress,” didn’t consider himself to be all the good without being ridden hard. “He was a real mule. He would give you what you wanted, but you had to beat him.”

(Mitchum comes off as a tough guy in film and I think that was just a reflection of his true life persona.  I also think that he and guys like Bogart felt that acting wasn’t a manly profession, but it was their calling. – Craig)

Sly Stallone & John Herzfeld’s “Horses” Gets New Art by John Rivoli!

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If the art from the print above looks familiar, it probably means you’re a long-time reader here or StalloneZone or you’re a fan of Sly Stallone.  Sly recently posted the art above on his personal Instagram site.

The painting was created by John Rivoli based on the movie poster created for Sly and John Herzfeld’s small budget student film, Horses, created in 1970!  You can learn more about the film Horses here.

“The Comeback Trail” Starring R. DeNiro, T.L. Jones & M. Freeman – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster and trailer for The Comeback Trail are here.  Ignore the poster and check out the trailer.

Two movie producers who owe money to the mob set up their aging movie star for an insurance scam to try and save themselves. But they wind up getting more than they ever imagined.

Starring Academy Award winner Robert De Niro, Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones, Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman, Zach Braff, Emile Hirsch, Eddie Griffin & Kate Katzman.

Directed by George Gallo

“Challenger: The Final Flight” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The Challenger explosion is one of those moments, like 9/11, that if you’re old enough, you remember exactly where you were when you heard the news.  I was a second year science teacher in Holly Hill, Florida.  Although I’ve always had an interest in space exploration, being a science teacher in Florida made following the progress of our shuttle program a natural.  For the first time ever, a civilian, a teacher was riding along!

I had just taken my students to lunch and was heading in to the teacher’s lounge when the lift-off occurred.  Most of us went outside because we knew we’d be able to see the trail left as the shuttle headed up.  As we watched we could see what appeared to be a separation and two different trails forming.  Someone said what I was thinking, “This doesn’t look right.”  We all headed to the tv to learn that the shuttle had exploded.  We were stunned.  Afterwards, it felt like the nation was in mourning.  We had lost true American heroes.

I look forward to Challenger: The Final Flight.

Executive produced by J.J. Abrams and Glen Zipper, Challenger: The Final Flight is a four-part docuseries that examines the 1986 Challenger space shuttle, which tragically broke apart 73 seconds after launch as millions of Americans watched live on television. Incorporating never-before-seen interviews and rare archival material, this series offers an in-depth look at one of the most diverse crews NASA assembled, including high school teacher Christa McAuliffe, who was selected to be the first private citizen in space.

John Woo’s “The Killer” Trivia!

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I remember the first time I saw John Woo’s The Killer.  My mind was blown.  I called my best bud, John Beatty to talk about the amazing action movie I had just seen.  This cat Chow Yun Fat was just too cool and the director John Woo?  Forget about it.  This dude had guys shooting with two guns while doing crazy stunts, gun to gun stand-offs from guys close enough to touch each other, and just all out over the top action.  I still have my The Killer poster (the same as the one above and a gift from Mr. Beatty) hanging in my fortress of solitude (right behind me).

Rob Hunter at Film School Rejects reminded me of all this with his post, 26 Things We Learned from ‘The Killer’ Commentary.  Before you click over, here are three of my favorites…

Woo has previously acknowledged that the film was inspired by Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samurai (1967) which was in turn inspired by a novel titled The Ronin by Joan McLeod. Other inspirations mentioned include Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets (1973), Francois Truffaut’s Jules and Jim (1962), and the films of Sam Peckinpah.

(I haven’t seen Le Samurai, but it does show up on TCM, so I will.  Jules and Jim is another I’ll have to watch for.  I’ve seen Mean Streets and of course many of the films of Sam Peckinpah. – Craig)

The commentary was recorded in 2002, and even back then there’s mention of rumored US remakes of the film. He mentions supposed remakes with Denzel Washington & Richard Gere and Michelle Yeoh & Sharon Stone. A Hollywood redo is still currently listed on IMDB.

(Sly Stallone was also attached to a US remake — he was working on the screenplay and it was titled Maggie’s Eyes. – Craig)

Fat turned down offers to star in Alien: Resurrection (1997) and as Morpheus in The Matrix (1999). He chose The Replacement Killers (1998) and The Corruptor (1999) instead.

(I always thought that Chow Yun Fat should/could have been a much bigger star in the US.  I actually would have preferred him in Alien Resurrection (which I really liked) or The Matrix (the first one I loved). – Craig)

TV Western Stars – Which Role was Better?

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MeTV put together a piece on The Overlooked Second Roles of TV’s Greatest Western Stars and it’s a good one.  I actually liked some of the second roles better than the ones the stars are more famous for.

James Arness began world-famous for his role as Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke.  The show ran for 30 years and then spun-off into tv movies when the series ended. Yet, I prefer Arness as Zebulon “Zeb” Macahan in How the West was Won.  I used to make it a point to see each weekly episode.  Remember this was back in the pre-dvr, pre-vhs days.  I wonder if the show holds up.

Everyone knows Chuck Connors as The Rifleman, but I preferred him as Jason McCord, the only survivor of Custer’s Last Stand, and wrongly accused of being a coward and kicked out of the army.  Again, I haven’t seen Branded in years and wonder if it would still be as enjoyable.

Richard Boone’s most famous role was as the gentleman gunfighter, Paladin, on Have Gun Will Travel.  I liked him better as Hec Ramsey, an older cowboy in a world that has moved on to the early 20th century.

I also watched and enjoyed Nichols starring James Garner.  It’s another show I’d like to revisit.  I do remember being surprised and disappointed when they killed off the character and brought in his “twin brother” for the second season.

“Columbo” Trivia!

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My wife and I have been watching Columbo quite a bit lately.  Since the show is available on several networks throughout the week, we’ve been DVRing them all to watch at our convenience.

I watched Columbo pretty regularly when it first aired, but I was at the age where I missed more than a few due to other priorities.  My wife never really tuned in.  We’re both enjoying the show now.  It’s fun to see the number of stars appearing as the murderer (or murdered) and even more fun spotting future stars getting their first breaks as a background player.

The fine folks at MeTV posted 13 Little Details You Probably Missed in Columbo.  It’s a fun piece you’d probably enjoy even if you don’t watch Columbo.  Before you click over here are three of my favorites and my thoughts (but for the full details click over)!

Columbo does secretly reveal his first name, once.

(This was a surprise to me.  I didn’t think Columbo’s first name was ever revealed.  In fact we just watched an episode where Columbo was flat out asked his first name.  His response was something to the effect of only his wife uses it and everyone else calls him, “Columbo”. But thanks to MeTV, now we know! – Craig)

The author from the first episode has books in later mysteries.

(I love this.  It shows that the people who made the series were paying attention to what went on before, and it creates a universe for Columbo that feels real. – Craig)

Captain Kirk makes a cameo.

(Ha!  This is a great trivia item.  Captain Kirk makes a cameo. Not William Shatner – he guest stars, but Captain Kirk appears in the same show.  Eagle eyed viewers would catch that.  I’ll be on the lookout when I see the episode. – Craig)