Five Essential... Anime Movies

Cherokee Summer selects her Five Essential Anime Movies...

I must confess that once (and I emphasis on the ‘once’) I was an anime nerd. A big one. I’d watch anything and everything to do with anime, read tons of manga, became obsessed with the Japanese culture, and attended yearly conventions to meet like-minded people who were just as obsessed as me - and also couldn’t string a coherent sentence together without shouting ‘Kawaii’ and various other Japanese phrases.

Thankfully, that time has long gone (and it’s good to get it off my chest too) but something that has remained with me are some of the select anime’s that I watched in my phase (a few being from many years before) that are powerful films in their own right.

Rather than opting for the doe eyed, big chested and short skirted heroine of many anime shows and films nowadays with the same romantic comedy storyline, these anime’s take on darker and haunting roots. From Hitchcockian style themes to a cyberpunk head spinner, here is my run down of the Five Essential Anime Movies...

5: My Neighbour Totoro (1988, dir. Hayao Miyazaki)

The term should not be used lightly, but I’m sure that next-to-everyone will agree that Hayao Miyazaki is a genius. He’s created modern day fairytales that will, and have been able to stand the test of time. From his breakout into the mainstream audience with the Alice in Wonderland inspired Spirited Away, to his delightfully fluffy fun Porco Rosso, the tale of Pilot cursed with the appearance of a Pig, Miyazaki has a backlog of top-notch work, all of which should be seen – post haste.

Studio Ghibli’s 1988 hit My Neighbour Totoro, a marvellously told childhood story of curiosity, cracks into the stiff competition of the top 5 must-see anime at No.5.

Moving to a new home with their father closer to the hospital where their mother is suffering from an unnamed illness, sisters Satsuko and Mei try to pass the time and ignore the worries they have for their mother’s health by setting into their new rural neighbour and exploring their home. Playing without her sister outside one day, younger sibling Mei follows two magical creatures who take her to the domain of another worldly mythical being Totoro, whom she quickly befriends.

Twenty years on, My Neighbour Totoro still possesses the ability to tell a story sensitively with a hint of poignancy, proving how important the power of imagination is for every child’s childhood.


4. Ghost in the Shell (1995, dir. Mamoru Oshii)

One of the many inspirations for The Matrix comes in the form of cyberpunk movie Ghost in the Shell, another landmark film out of the five featured in this list. Cyborg officer Major is assigned the duty, with partners Bato and Togusa, to track down the Puppet Master, a computer hacker who infiltrates the minds of humans, leaving false memories in their place.

Adapted from his own manga, like one of the other films coming up on the list, Mamorou Oshi manages to infuse the general themes of Ghost in the Shell’s original form of art, into something colossally spectacular, a work that questions are existence and what is really humanity – themes that run through blockbuster hits The Matrix and Inception. Spawning a great sequel and a not-so-good T.V. series, this is the Ghost in the Shell you should really check out. The one that turned the sci-fi genre upside down and influenced many of the films you love.

James Cameron digs it too.


3. Grave of the Fireflies (1988, dir. Isao Takahata)

This is the second turn from Studio Ghibli in the list, but surprisingly, not a Miyazaki creation. Well, it’s not all that surprising once you see the beauty of Grave of the Fireflies – there is no fairytale like qualities about it. It’s a hard-hitting World War II drama that will kick you right in the stomach and have you blubbering like a baby.

With their father fighting for his country and losing their mother through the horrific firebombing of Kobe, we follow Seita and his little sister, Setsuko, in their quest for survival as they are handed down to uncaring relatives and forced to fend for themselves through one of the most humanely disastrous years in Japanese history.

War films have the knack for being slow and tedious, trying to shove a message of goodwill down your throat, but Grave of the Fireflies takes on a subtle approach to say the least. The war is just a backdrop for their misfortune, as the real story lies in the relationship between two siblings - where the elder has to step into adult shoes in order to survive, something no child should have to succumb to.


2. Akira (1988, dir. Katsuhiro Otomo)

Regarded as one of the greatest Japanese films of all time and the landmark of anime (that has been hard and almost impossible to reach), Akira has held onto its rightful place as a cult classic and a cinematic masterpiece.

World War III hit Tokyo in 1988 with devastating consequences, leaving the capital in a mess and forming Neo-Tokyo, an anti-government society built on Tokyo Bay where gangs run riot and terrorism is a common occurrence. Confident teenager Kaneda leads his biker gang, the Capsules, through war-torn Neo Tokyo, with his best friend Tetsuo in tow, as they find themselves in a gang fight between rival bikers, led by Joker, the Clowns.

Tetsuo, trying out his new bike, shifts into full speed, unaware that a child, Takashi, is crossing the highway. When Tetsuo spots Takashi, he crashes his bike and it explodes, injuring both him and the child. A government aircraft docks on the highway, and as Kaneda and co. are arrested, Tetsuo is taken on board with Takashi and flown out of sight. When running tests on Tetsuo, Colonel Shikishimi and Doctor Onishi, members of a secret government project, discover that he possesses a similar mind to Akira, the real culprit responsible for destroying Tokyo decades ago.

Akira is mind-blowing; there is no doubt about it. On first viewing, the confusion may get to some, but the set pieces and animation are in a different league compared to most films produced today. You’ll be swept up in the Tokyo landscapes that have envisioned a decadent world that has yet to be triumphed and hopefully one we will never have to experience.

An American remake has been on the cards for quite some time, and the plan, as of yet, is to have the directors who took on The Book of Eli to helm the project and for the focus to be more on the Otomo’s very own six volume manga from which Akira was loosely adapted from. Let’s hope that it’s another doomed Hollywood production that’ll find its way to the bottom of the slush pile.


1: Perfect Blue (1998, dir. Satoshi Kon)

Number one was the tricky toss-up between Akira and this film. Akira has been my favourite film for seven years, and still remains on top (tying 2010’s The Illusionist and Tokyo Story), but oh isn’t this one a good ‘un and it goes by the name of Perfect Blue, the late Satoshi Kon’s directorial debut – one of the most haunting pieces of art you’ll ever bear witness to.

Chronicling the downfall of singer-turned-actress Mima as she takes on a risqué television role to up her acting cred and get rid of her innocent pop idol image, Perfect Blue manages to wield Hitchcock’s masterful craft of suspense and mould a product David Lynch would have been proud to call his own.

As shown with his later work (particularly in the mindboggling T.V. show Paranoia Agent) Satoshi Kon’s psychotic, creepy direction marked him as one of the best in the business – not just an influential anime director, but an influential filmmaker - and one that hasn’t gotten the credit he so dually deserves.

Maybe with his passing, more will discover what a craftsman of film he truly was, and that’s why Perfect Blue sits on top at No.1.


Agree? Disagree? We'd love to hear your thoughts on the list and please feel free to tell us your own picks...

Cherokee Summer

Essentials Archive

Drawn to Anime: A Hayao Miyazaki Profile

Indie-Credible: Festivals Hint at the Year's Best Indie Productions

Emma Farley casts her eye over the latest happenings in the indie movie scene...

With the 35th annual Toronto International Film Festival coming to an end, the film world is abuzz with news of the latest indies to keep an eye out for. It’s just a shame that UK cinemagoers are going to have to wait so long for them to get a wide release. In the mean time, a fortunate few will be able to catch the likes of Blue Valentine, Black Swan and Catfish at the BFI London Film Festival which will take place 13th-28th October.

This week’s indie news:

• Mark Ruffalo continues his foray into the mainstream with a motion-capture version of Hulk.
• Arthur Penn, godfather of independent cinema and director of Bonnie and Clyde, has died.
• The Guardian has launched its film season, complete with handy tips for wannabe filmmakers and free DVDs including Mulholland Drive.

New releases:

In cinemas now – Made in Dagenham

Sally Hawkins, Bob Hoskins, Rosamund Pike, Jaime Winstone and Miranda Richardson star in this 1960s-set drama about the real-life strike that took place when female workers fought back against sexual discrimination at the Ford Dagenham car plant. Directed by Nigel Cole (Calendar Girls), this British film is already tipped for award success and has received high praise from the likes of Time Out, The Guardian and Screen Daily.


Out on DVD Monday 4th October – The Disappearance of Alice Creed, Se7en

Continuing the festival/British theme this week is the DVD release of The Disappearance of Alice Creed. Starring Bond Girl Gemma Arterton, this gritty British thriller co-stars Mike Leigh favourite Eddie Marsan and Sweet Sixteen’s Martin Compston as her kidnappers. The film has proved to be a huge success on both sides of the Atlantic and has taken American festivals by storm.

“A terrifically enjoyable British film from debut writer-director J Blakeson, who on the tightest of budgets delivers a professionally honed thriller… It's taut, claustrophobic and very well put together, with nice performances all round… Blakeson is a name to watch.” - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

Also released tomorrow is the Blu-ray edition of David Fincher’s modern masterpiece Se7en. I’ve pre-ordered my copy from HMV and I can’t wait to see it in all its fabulous Blu-ray glory, packed full of extra features. I have to admit I already have the DVD and I can’t normally justify buying re-releases on Blu-ray. Se7en, however, definitely calls for forking out a few quid. It’s hard to believe this intense thriller is fifteen years old as Fincher’s flick is still as hard-hitting today as it was in 1995. Of course it doesn’t hurt that Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kevin Spacey have barely aged. Se7en is one of the most original, shocking and well-written whodunits of recent years. If you haven’t seen it yet, grab the Blu-ray. You won’t be disappointed.

Hot new trailer: Barry Munday

Patrick Wilson stars as a guy who loses his testicles, only to find that he has knocked a girl up who he can’t remember (Judy Greer). He decides to get involved and be a ‘proper dad’ but then has to deal with the sexual advances of her much hotter sister (Chloe Sevigny).


It looks suitably quirky and funny enough for my tastes and I’m a sucker for anything starring Patrick Wilson. I also think Judy Greer is often over-looked as she is a fantastic comedienne and I’ve been a fan of Chloe Sevigny since her incredible Oscar-nominated performance in Boys Don’t Cry. Which leads me to…

Actor or filmmaker of the week: Chloe Sevigny

This young lady is just too damn fabulous for her own good. Aged just 35, she is an accomplished actress, model and designer, but the ‘it girl’ didn’t appear on the big screen until 1995 with Kids. Her breakthrough role came in the Oscar-nominated Boys Don’t Cry in 1999 which she followed with the likes of American Psycho (2000), Dogville (2003), The Brown Bunny (2003) and Shattered Glass (2003). In the last few years she has really come of age in her film roles, appearing in Woody Allen’s Melinda and Melinda (2004), Jim Jarmusch’s Broken Flowers (2005) and David Fincher’s Zodiac (2007). She rounded out her collection of big-name collaborations last year with a leading role in Werner Herzog’s My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done. She is also currently starring in the TV show Big Love and her next film releases will be the Rhys Ifans drug flick Mr Nice and the 2011 film The Wait, about two sisters who keep their deceased mother in their house when they are told she’ll come back to life.

Indie great you might have missed: Little Children

Going back to Barry Munday and the gorgeous Patrick Wilson, my indie recommendation this week is the Todd Fields’ drama Little Children. Based on the novel by Tom Perrotta, Wilson plays Brad Adamson, a married father of one who meets Kate Winslet’s lonely mother in a playground. Things soon heat up between the couple (take note – both gorgeous stars get their kit off!) but the most interesting part of the film is the pedophile subplot. Jackie Earle Haley is captivatingly revolting as a registered sex offender living in a perfect suburban community and it is testament to his acting ability that we find ourselves sympathising with him.

So that’s it for this week. See you next time, same bat time, same bat channel.

Emma Farley a.k.a. filmgeek

Short Film Showcase - 9 (2005)

9, 2005.

Written and Directed by Shane Acker.

Produced as a student project at the UCLA Animation Workshop, Shane Acker's 9 is an 11-minute short about a rag doll living in the decaying ruins of a post-apocalyptic Earth. Through flash-backs we learn that 9 is the last of his kind, his people having been hunted down by a mysterious creature known as the Cat Beast, who now pursues 9 across the wasteland leading to a final, climactic confrontation.

Originally intended as a stop-motion project, Acker spent four and a half years working on the computer animated film and it went on to earn a host of awards and accolades including a Student Academy Award for Animation, SIGGRAPH Best in Show, Best Animated Short (Florida Film Festival) and the Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Animation (Indianapolis International Film Festival), in addition to an Academy Award nomination for Animated Short Film in 2005, where it lost out to John Canemaker's The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation.

9 soon came to the attention of filmmaker Tim Burton, who produced a full-length feature adaptation in 2009 with Acker handling directing duties and a cast that included Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Crispin Glover, John C. Reilly, Martin Landau and Christopher Plummer.


Click here to view more short films and public domain features.

Frustrated Ramblings: First Assistant Director For Hire

DJ Haza discusses the trials and tribulations of breaking into the movie industry with more 'Frustrated Ramblings Of An Aspiring Filmmaker"...

I’m sick to the back teeth of my day job. It bores me. It’s absolutely no challenge for me and does not inspire me in any shape, way or form. I want to make it in the film industry. I don’t have to be Martin Scorsese, but regular work and a decent pay cheque would suffice. However, the issue is that in an industry as poor as British cinema how can anyone make a living?

As an aspiring filmmaker with only a few credits to my name I’m finding it difficult to get paid work as a first assistant director. I’ve worked several times this summer as a 1st AD, but I’ve offered my services for free in order to gain some credits and put a bit more meat on my curriculum vitae. And that’s the problem. When do you stop working for free and start requiring a wage?

If you work for free you work more often and build your CV quicker. You meet more people and build more relationships. You have more chances to work with someone special who is going to make it and take you with them. Free doesn’t pay the bills though. If you work for free you also need to keep down a part time job in order to keep that roof over your head. Without a paying job on the side you’re screwed. However, the more shifts you do in the day job the less time you have for filmmaking. If you begin to charge for your services you may be able to earn a small living from filmmaking, but if someone else will do the same job for free the chances are you’re not going to get the job. Either road leads to poverty and a penniless existence.

What I need is a part time job that I can do from 12 til 1 with an hour for lunch and get paid for a full day. The chances of that are slim to none at best. Maybe I need a rich Uncle to pass away and leave me his fortune. To my knowledge none of my Uncles are that well off. And even if they were I’d still have to fight my cousins for the fortune. Neither way looks any more likely than a lottery win. Maybe I should buy a ticket?

I often wonder if I can increase my employability by moving to the big smoke. With a lot more films in production at every end of the scale surely there is more chance of getting a job. The problem is because there are more jobs there are also more filmmakers. With the living costs being so much higher than those in South Wales I’d need to work more in London than I would here. Again poverty prevails. However, you don’t have to live in London to work in London. It is possible to get work and find somewhere to stay during filming.

I’ve seen loads of work advertised for features in London, but they are all for free or expenses only. The problem is that expenses only means that if you live in London they will pay your tube fare, but not bed and board for four weeks solid. So what you need is a family member in London who is willing to put you up. Hang on, I’ve got an Aunty who lives in West London. I shall have to give her a call. But then, I’d need to travel up there by plane, train or automobile, pay for at least one meal a day at extortionate London prices and I wouldn’t be able to frequent the day job to prop up my penny jars. Maybe it isn’t such a good idea.

The problem is that everyone wants to make a film and no one wants to spend anymore than they have too. Directors, producers and director’s of photography are happy to splash a bit of cash on a fancy piece of camera equipment for their seminal shot of the film or a named actor who they think will bring some notoriety. Possibly even a top-notch location that will give their film character or a key prop that will look shit hot in the background of their main location. Splashing money on a 1st AD is much, much, much further down the list.

Being a 1st AD is a thankless task at the best of times. You’re the person who does the dirty work, thinks quickly to solve the major logistical and time consuming problems, you have to make the team work late if required, you are the one cracking the whip, kicking arses, shouting and making sure the show runs to plan and schedule. Personally I take a more relaxed stance of firsting. I make sure that I keep the show running on time and that every member of the team is giving their all, but I prefer to keep a cool head. Calm. A relaxing influence on those around me. My view is that if I can keep my head and control what I can then it allows those in more artistic roles to flourish. And I’ve been told that I’m good at what I do. But, a pat on the back doesn’t pay my phone bill. And when the film reaches the masses my name will be shunted down the list passed the point where an audience will be taking note of the names before them. Passed the point of acclaim. Credit. Praise.

As I said earlier - I’ve worked several times this summer for no pay so I can build the old curriculum vitae and build some working relationships, but I’m now on the bare bones of my arse. I’ve decided that when I’ve finished my next 1st AD job I’m going to have to charge. Not loads, but I need to earn a living away from the day job. If not, you may just see the headline of the South Wales Argus read ‘Mobile Phone Salesman Beats Customer To Death With His Own Phone’.

First Assistant Director for hire. Great rates. Hard worker. Talented and driven young man committed to building a career in filmmaking. Contact djhaza@hotmail.co.uk.

Follow my blog at http://djhaza.blogspot.com/
Follow me at http://www.facebook.com/djhaza

D.J. Haza

DVD Review - The Real Band of Brothers

The Real Band of Brothers (US: Brothers in Arms: True Stories of the 101st Airborne)

Directed by Edward Feuerherd.

SYNOPSIS:

"It's fifteen minutes past midnight on June 6th 1944. A C-47 Dakota is humming over the skies of Nazi-occupied France. Perched at the aircraft's open door is Captain Frank Lillyman. He gives the signal and jumps into blackness over Normandy, followed by the six thousand other paratroopers on the first combat mission of the 101st Airborne Division soon to be forever known as 'The Screaming Eagles'."

Regular visitors to this site may have realised that I’m a bit of a WWII buff, and if you’ve read my Desert Island Collection then you’ll also know that the classic British documentary series The World at War and the Steven Spielberg / Tom Hanks-produced Band of Brothers are my two favourite television series of all-time. So with that in mind I was immediately drawn to The Real Band of Brothers, a three-part documentary recounting the history of the 101st Airborne, the US Army division that included Band of Brothers’ Easy Company, and although it bears no official relation to the HBO miniseries or Stephen Ambrose’s 1992 book, it certainly provides a nice companion piece with first-hand accounts reminiscent of the series’ introductory segments.

The Real Band of Brothers is actually a collected version of a US TV documentary entitled Brothers in Arms: True Stories of the 101st Airborne, and is split across three episodes. The first two follow a similar path to Band of Brothers, beginning with the formation of the 101st and recounting their heroic exploits across Europe, parachuting into Normandy as part of the D-Day invasion and taking in Operation Market Garden and the Siege of Bastogne en route to their final port of call at Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest retreat. Meanwhile the third episode skips forward a generation to detail the 101st’s exploits in Vietnam, where the Division were quick to discover that the tactical knowledge and experience gained during WWII were of little use against an unconventional and fanatical guerrilla enemy.

If you’ve ever caught a WWII documentary on The History Channel or one of its many competitors then you’ll already have a pretty good idea of what to expect, with fascinating and often harrowing interview segments accompanied by footage taken directly from the Division’s own archives. It really is difficult to understand how ‘matter-of-fact’ these men can be as they recount their horrific experiences and at times it makes for uncomfortable viewing, particularly when the anguish of such memories is all too clear to see, and of course it serves as a strong reminder of the sacrifices made in the name of freedom.

Although I thought it strange to have the Vietnam War included in a DVD set promoted as the true story behind Band of Brothers, I actually found this episode to be the most insightful and for me it was the highlight of the set. Of course most people will purchase this for its rather tenuous Band of Brothers connotations and while there are much better WWII documentaries out there, if you want to find out more about the Eagles’ march across Nazi-occupied Europe then The Real Band of Brothers is a decent effort and worth checking out.

Gary Collinson

Movie Review Archive

Thoughts on... The Other Guys (2010)

The Other Guys, 2010.

Directed by Adam McKay.
Starring Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Steve Coogan and Michael Keaton.


SYNOPSIS:

Two mis-matched New York City police detectives take on an innocuous-looking case and have to step up when it begins to unravel and reveals the city's biggest crime yet.


It felt like, for a while, that Will Ferrell was destined for an eternity of sports-based comedies. Blades of Glory, Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Kicking and Screaming and Semi-Pro formed a relentless flow of laughter, still funny, but, as the word ‘relentless’ suggests, were becoming increasingly tiresome. Stranger than Fiction provided brief relief, but it appeared only as an oasis in Ferrell’s exhausted desert of bawdy, sport narratives. How long ago Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy seemed…

However, Will Ferrell is among a group of actors (Steve Martin, Charlie Sheen, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase…) whose mere onscreen presence triggers a fit of uncontrollable giggles. They all share a certain comedic intensity, so I apologise if this review reads somewhat biased. Though it does not exempt Ferrell from rehashing the same, stagnant formulae.

Thankfully then, The Other Guys sees Ferrell abandon the sports-based narrative. The leap is not far as he simply turns to mock another genre, the buddy-cop movie. But the plot holds an additional novelty; the film focuses not upon the reckless, wisecracking, get-the-girl, save-the-town heroes of old, but the office-bound, bickering, paperwork-shackled, suited men of the background; the extras; they aren’t the hyper-machismo, they’re the other guys.

This allows the film a self-awareness of the genre it exists within. For instance, after being hurled in the air and onto the ground by an explosion, Allen Gamble (Ferrell) laments the movie characters that walk away from them so easily. It burns and his ears are ringing.

From this self-awareness spawns the film’s greatest trait and what makes Gamble and Terry Hoitz’s (Mark Wahlberg) relationship so farcical; its reflexive irony – where all are oblivious to something glaringly obvious bar one character and the audience. This is most effective in a running joke of Gamble’s absurd success with women. His wife is Eva Mendes. Gamble constantly dismisses her as “the ball and chain” while Hoitz stands there as the straight-man, mouth agape and eyes wide, uttering “seriously?” A much needed swipe at “Adam Sandler syndrome”, perhaps, where unfeasibly attractive women are cast as being attracted to average/below-average looking guys in films.

For all of Wahlberg’s straight-man heroics, which he performs with escalating exasperation, he often attempts the fool himself. Ferrell, however, tops him at every turn. There is a moment in The Other Guys’ trailer where Hoitz suggests they use ‘good cop/bad cop’ on David Ershon (Steve Coogan). After Hoitz goes in angry, threatening Ershon and hoisting him up by his shirt, Gamble, having misheard ‘good cop/bad cop’ as ‘bad cop/bad cop’, enters the interrogation even more insane, howling strange animal noises and throwing Ershon about his office. One presumes Hoitz becomes the funny-man role when he executes a complex ballet routine because he learnt it at school (maintaining the tough-guy image) to “make fun of the posh kids”. But Gamble somehow out-stupids him by shouting unnecessary encouragement from the wings. Funny cop/funny cop, indeed.

The plot itself is surprisingly rather engaging. Strange for such a film, as these are often inconsequential, 100 minute long threads only used to string together the comedy. The Other Guys, however, at least attempts an undertone of actual socio-political critique with its end credit sequence; animated infographics of various corporate swindles that preceded and aggravated the recent global banking crisis.

This has led Mark Kermode to call the film schizophrenic - not with venom, but with a sense of intrigue. Whether the contrast between slapstick comedy and a serious message works or not, it still prompts a thought or two. One wouldn’t have predicted a discussion of corporate fraud and exploitation over the post-cinema pint.

The serious, however, is hardly serious, and comes across at the end as a semi-poignant afterthought. The Other Guys true strengths are Wahlberg and Ferrell’s comedic relationship, the latter’s release from sport-comeback narratives, and cinema’s greatest, and possibly only, running TLC gag ever. And Kermode may have been onto something when he labelled the film schizophrenic. Not because of The Other Guys’ odd dynamism, but for Ferrell’s creation of an alter ego even more abnormal than Old School’s ‘Frank the Tank’; a white-trash, aggressive pimp called ‘Gator’.

Oli Davis

Movie Review Archive

Five Essential... Dolph Lundgren Films

Tom Jolliffe selects his Five Essential Dolph Lundgren films…

From duking it out with Sly Stallone, to being Master Of The Universe, to taking on intergalactic drug dealers (yes… really!) or tearing up the desert in a Ferrari, Dolph Lundgren has pretty much done it all in the action world. He’s fired an array of weapons, kick a multitude of assess, and despatched hundreds of disposable henchmen (his movie kill count dwarfs that of Arnold's and Sly's). With that in mind, and with my ridiculously vast knowledge of his CV, I give you the essential Dolph Lundgren!

5. I Come In Peace a.k.a. (and in my opinion much preferred) Dark Angel (1990, dir. Craig R. Baxley)

Dolph takes on a drug dealer from outer space. Said drug dealer is huge, making Lundgren look like Woody Allen. For me as a Lundgren fan, trying to bring others into the Lundgren world, I’ve always found this was an easy in for the non-affiliated. It’s cheesy, it’s ridiculous, but it’s action packed, and it’s funny. Lundgren gets great support by his comic relief partner Brian Benban as a stuffy, by the book FBI agent. The title itself refers to the Alien's only line of dialogue. “I come in peace.” he says, before inevitably killing the recipient of the line, and then ramming a spiking into their head to drain endorphins from the brain. That is until he dares utter the line to Lundgren, who delivers the payoff retort and despatch. See for yourself.

4. The Punisher (1989, dir. Mark Goldblatt)

Initially something of a disaster, the film’s popularity has grown over the years, aided by two poor attempts at re-launching the franchise in recent years. Lundgren remains the toughest Mr P though. The film itself is pure meat and potatoes old school action. There’s plenty of action too, and the body count is high. The fight scenes are well crafted, and grounded in reality. Lundgren’s martial arts prowess is put to good use here. Action aside the film is hit and miss, but there are some dramatic moments which work, and Lundgren is aided by a fine cast, including Jeroen Krabbe as the bad guy and Louis Gossett Jr. as his former partner. Lundgren effectively portrays Frank Castle as a soulless entity, drifting through the sewers just waiting for his moments to emerge and seek bloody revenge. While he’ll never be considered an accomplished actor, this is one of his better performances, and he also manages to raise his game when sharing the screen with the better co-stars.

3. Masters Of The Universe (1987, dir. Gary Goddard)

For many Lundgrenites, this would be the film that started the fandom. This was the case for me. Okay, it gets a lot of it wrong, and it’s clear with the benefit of adult judgement, that the film is set on Earth for no more reason than to save money, but, like a lot of these sort of films from the 80’s, there’s a real charm to it. Despite Cannon cost cutting, everyone involved tried their best to make something of the film. Lundgren makes a convincing cartoon hero with his physique, while Frank Langella is brilliant as Skeletor. He’s playing him almost as if he’s treading the boards, doing a Shakesperean villain. Langella gives an absolute masterclass in chewing scenery. Despite the Star Wars riffing, this is pretty fun even now, but for me carries such fond memories from childhood. As a kid this was my favourite film bar none.

2. Universal Soldier (1992, dir. Roland Emmerich)

Roland Emmerich spent most of the last 15 years destroying the world in a series of awful disaster movies. Lifeless, soulless, characterless. However before that, he did Universal Soldier. The premise simple. “Lets pit two action stars up against each other!” It works. Universal Soldier is great fun. Borrowing from Robocop and The Terminator, it delivers some brilliant set pieces and an underlying sense of humour. Van Damme plays the hero with a gormless and childlike quality which works well, particularly in scenes like the motel, or the diner scene. Lundgren is full blown Tom Berenger in Platoon and then some. He really immerses himself in the role and makes for a very effective villain, comfortably taking stealing the movie. If you’re looking for a simple piece of action entertainment with some imaginative carnage, all filmed in camera, then look no further.

1. Rocky IV (1985, dir. Sylvester Stallone)

Essentially an 85 minute music video, Rocky IV borders on cartoon at time. The concepts at play and the delivery were truly ludicrous, making one wonder just what the hell Stallone was thinking. However, Sly (like Rocky would) overcomes the hurdles to deliver a chest thumping piece of entertainment. The soundtrack is fantastic, as are the countless montages that accompany the songs and fill out the short running time. The fights are brutally brilliant and fantastically edited. I would even go as far as to say the film features the most stupendously pointless and inconceivable robot ever committed to film. It’s ridiculous. But as the larger than life, cartoony centre piece, Lundgren again steals the show, as the seemingly indestructible Ivan Drago, who with ease kills Apollo Creed. Can Rocky defeat the behemoth? Sly though always has you rooting for Rocky. He gets the bloody pumping, and the audience cheering in the Stallion's corner. The film is as good an example of style over substance as you’re likely to find, but it’s brilliant none-the-less and extremely easy to watch.

Honourable Mentions

Tough choices indeed, particularly for the number 5 spot, with Dark Angel pushed mightily close by Showdown In Little Tokyo and Men Of War. Other worthy mentions go to Army Of One (a.k.a. Joshua Tree), Red Scorpion, Universal Soldier: Regeneration and The Mechanik. There is of course The Expendables, but given it’s recentness it’s not quite at the re-visiting stage yet.

Related:

Dolph Lundgren is out for Round 2!

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Tom Jolliffe

Essentials Archive