Spring Break...and whatnot

Loved this movie as a teen.

This week is Spring Break for everyone.  Well, not for me.  I still have discussions to post, a research paper to plan, and plenty of academic reading to do.  But my kids are all home.  And I mean ALL of them.  My daughter is here for the week from Vegas.  That provided some tension at first, since her now ex-boyfriend, Isaac is still living with us.  But, it seems to have sorted itself out, and all is right in the world.  They may not be dating anymore, but they are obviously good friends.  And at their ages, that's really how it should be right now.

The only downside of this week is that my wife has to bear the brunt of the stress involved with a crowded apartment by herself, for the the most part; I still have a 9to5-er to go to during the day.  But, she will get her break in the evenings, when she has to go to work, and I get to stay home.  Oddly, the biggest problem we run into, it seems, is figuring out how to feed this army of finicky eaters.  But, my wife generally has a good handle on that, so it's not too bad, all things considered.

I spent the day lazing around the house yesterday.  I didn't actually go outside for anything all day.  I should have spent the time reading.  Either for school or pleasure (or even... *GASP* ...writing!!).  But my brain just wasn't having it.  Besides there were bad guys to shoot in CoD: Black Ops II.  The funny thing is that both Isaac and I play that game the same way.  A lot of profanity, cries of cheating, and even more profanity and creative insults.  We had my wife and daughter in stitches yesterday.

I did manage some reading, though.  I finished the third story arch in the Punisher MAX series, entitled "Mother Russia."  Very brutal, tense, and foul-mouthed, and it included a guest appearance by Nick Fury (and not the Sam Jackson version).  I loved the relationship between Nick and Frank, and I hope that continues on occasion in the future.

Also watched a movie I had been eying for a while; Abduction with Taylor Lautner.  I should state that I actually like him.  I think he's a good actor, and has a pretty good screen presence (he plays one of three characters I like from the Twilight movies...Jacob, Charlie and Felix).  This movie was pretty good, and the only reason I can imagine it didn't do well was because of Twilight.  Lautner is going to have to work hard to get past that.  This was a decent start, though.  It had good action, pretty believable characters, and the acting was spot on.  The cast even surprised me a little, as I didn't expect such big names to be in supporting roles.  It was worth a rental for sure (though we saw it on NetFlix).

I don't think we have anything planned for this week.  Tomorrow my in-laws are coming down to have lunch with us and visit with Faith.  Other than that, it's just hanging out at home for the kids.  But, they're all Xbox-babies, so it shouldn't be too bad.  There will probably be some major cleaning and organizing this week, as well.  The Spring Cleaning bug has already hit my wife (despite the snow we were having yesterday), and frankly, our place needs it.  With that many people living in such a small space, it's hard to keep up with it all.  So, we will need to buckle down and get into it this week.

On a final note, I should be getting my copy of Writing Fantasy Heroes: Powerful Advice from the Pros today.  Very much looking forward to digging into this.  I will post a full review somewhere down the line, for sure.

Yep, still here

This one is still my favorite Punisher movie.

It's been over a week since I rambled on here, so I thought I should pop in.  Because I just know all of my devoted fans out there are hanging on every word I say, right?

Life is simply moving forward here.  Some days it feels stagnant, and others it feels like I need off this crazy train.  But usually, it's somewhere in the middle.  I just started my new term, and I had forgotten that I don't care for this instructor.  I had him for an Historiography class, and he gave me a C (but that's not why I don't care for him, let me make that clear).  I actually got an academic warning for that one.  Fortunately, haven't gotten any more since.  All A's and B's for me.  Anyways, this instructor comes across as rather conceited and self-important.  In his syllabus he states that it is vitally important for us to know his background, and provides a link to what is basically his CV.  I'm not really sure how it is relevant to a survey class in World History.  And I just found out today that he is currently teaching 24 online courses at once.  Either he has no life, or he is a glutton for punishment, IMO.  Anyways, I think I can do ok in the class, as long as I keep up with his odd scheduling habits.

Work is work.  And in the interest of not causing my readers to fall asleep, I will say no more about that.

Writing is still hit or miss.  With all of the personal stuff that is going on lately, writing has taken a backseat.  Plus, I'm just lazy.  I wish I could blame something or someone else, but the fact is I am just an unmotivated individual.  I'm not clear on why that is, but I'm sure a good psychologist could pick apart my past and my personality and tell me exactly what causes me to be a mental layabout.

I have noticed that most evenings, I just want to veg in front of the XBox, or watch a movie.  Unfortunately, even these experiences are often trumped by the fact that we have one good TV, and 4-5 people at any given time vying for its use.  Add to that the fact that most of the movies I want to watch are not age-appropriate for my son and younger daughter, so they have to wait until after the two of them go to bed.  Last night I watched the Extended Cut of Thomas Jane's The Punisher (which I reviewed today at The Action Elite), but it wasn't done until nearly midnight.  And with the alarm set for 5:30 am, you can imagine how I feel today.

Honestly, that's probably half my problem.  Life is kind of on hold in the evenings until after the kids go to bed.  So, in order to do anything for myself, I have to stay up late.  The lack of sleep tends to catch up with me some days.  Another big part is my fitness.  This cold weather always makes me lethargic.  I'm fairly certain I'm part bear, and need to hibernate.  I'm looking for ways around that, but honestly, until it warms up a bit, my options are limited.

But, despite all of the Resistance I encounter, I have managed to get bits and pieces of writing done; a few hundred words on this story, a few hundred on that one.  I figure in a couple of months I'll have a handful of completed works.  Today it's my Orc Vigilante story.  This is mainly due to my recent obsession with The Punisher, and the fact that I am currently reading a pretty good Mack Bolan novel.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring...

Ethnicity in Entertainment

Here’s a subject that has long been a debate: Whether to maintain the ethnic origins of literary characters in their screen adaptations. A lot of people scream for ethnic diversity in films, and for ethnic updates to iconic characters (I am opposed to this last part for reasons I will not go into here).  For me, it’s not a black and white situation (no pun intended). It’s really a case-by-case decision.

This whole thing started over a friend posting an article that called for Gina Torres (Firefly) to be cast as Wonder Woman. Ok, first, let me say this, Gina Torres is awesome. She is gorgeous, talented, and can portray a commanding female character quite well. The only problem is, she’s black…er, excuse me…African American. Why is this a problem? Because Wonder Woman is not black (sorry, it’s easier to type).

Here’s my view on why this is a problem. When you are translating from one visual medium (comic books) to another visual medium (movies) you should not mess with the visuals. That being said, artistic license is ok, and re-imagining is fine. But at the core, the character has to be recognizable as the same in both.

For instance, there have been many actors to portray Superman. And all of them have been fair-skinned white men with black hair and blue eyes (well, a couple of them didn’t have blue eyes). If one were to cast Denzel Washington as Superman, how would people feel? He could do an amazing acting job, and he could make a great Superman. But he would not be Clark Kent/Kal-El Superman. He would be someone else.

Similarly, Gina Torres could do a wonderful acting job, and could make a great Wonder Woman. But she wouldn’t be Diana Prince. She would be someone else. To try to portray her as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman would be an insult to the fans of the comic book. And, IMHO, that’s who superhero movies are supposed to be made for. Yes, we want them to have a wider appeal. But honestly, is having a black Wonder Woman going to broaden her appeal enough to offset all of the pissed off fans?

All of that being said, there is a sliding scale on this point. The more iconic the character, the more close to the original they should be; the less iconic, the less strict. Case in point, the best part of the Daredevil movie with Ben Affleck was Michael Clark Duncan as the Kingpin. In the comics, the Kingpin is basically a white guy with the build of a sumo wrestler. However, by making him a black guy in the film, they were able to give him a more realistic “criminal rags to riches” background. Let’s face it, street gangs are not populated with white folk. And that’s not a call for social commentary, that’s just a statistical fact. And it worked because, outside of comic book fans, and fans of the 90’s Spiderman cartoon, no one really knows who Kingpin is. Therefore, less iconic character = less strict adherence to the source material.

And even so, the studio got a lot of flak for his casting. It was just that the film had so many other flaws, that that one was pretty minor in the grand scheme.

In my opinion, the bottom line is this: when dealing with iconic characters, either stick to the source material as closely as possible, or re-invent the character to be someone else. So, Gina Torres could make a very good Amazon, but she would have to be someone other than Diana.

5 Movie scenes that never fail to make me cry

Ok, I don’t always “cry” per se during these scenes. But they always manage to choke me up, to a greater or lesser extent, depending on how invested in the movie I am at the time. And I’m sure if I gave it some real thought, I could come up with at least 20 more of them. But these are the five that came to mind as I thought about this topic.

Renaissance Man (1994) – “Private Davis gets his father’s medal”
Remembering this scene is what brought this subject up, so I figured I would list it first. Throughout the movie, Pvt. Davis talks about his daddy dying a hero in Vietnam, much to the derision of the rest of the crew. But in this scene, all of his feelings are vindicated. As a military brat and vet, this hits me right THERE. We all want to honor our fallen heroes. But when it’s a personal need, it’s just that much more important.

Fellowship of the Ring (2001) – “Boromir’s death”
Boromir is, by far, my favorite character from LotR. And even in the Ralph Bakshi animated movie, his death saddens me. Sean Bean and Viggo Mortinson play this scene out so wonderfully. And with him laying there dying in the midst of literally a field of slain foes…it’s the most heroic scene in the entire movie, IMHO. Maybe in the entire trilogy. Boromir is the Middle Earth equivalent of Captain America. His only fault was loving his country so much that it blinded him to the dangers of the Ring. But he atones for his sins, and sacrifices himself in an attempt to save two hobbits. And in the end, this sacrifice is probably the moment that turned Mary and Pippin into the heroes they needed to be later in the story.

Braveheart (1995) – “William Wallace’s death”
This is one of those movies that drags your heart in every direction throughout. It is as much a relentless emotional journey as it is a violent historical epic. But the moment when the inquisitor leans in to hear Wallace’s last word, and it comes out “FREEDOM!”…that slays me. The fact that Steven and Hamish are standing there to see it makes it all the more poignant. And it really makes Robert the Bruce’s final speech even more cheer-worthy. “You bled with William Wallace. Now bleed with me!”

The Notebook (2004) – “Allie regresses back into dementia”
I have to admit, this movie is a guilty pleasure. It’s a pure romance movie, and I love it. It pulls the heartstrings on many levels, but none so much as at the end, when Duke (James Garner) and Allie (Gena Rowlands) are enjoying a lucid moment for her, and then she suddenly regresses. My heart breaks as Duke is forced to watch her slip away once more. James garner is a brilliant actor, and his performance in this scene is legendary. I can’t watch it without actual tears rolling.

Dead Poets Society (1989) – “Oh captain, my captain”
This was a film that really showed how Robin Williams is an amazing actor, as well as being one of the funniest men alive. The entire film is stuffed with great and brilliant moments and performances. Several of them are tear-worthy (especially when Neil’s dad finds him dead). But the moment that makes my heart swell the most is when Mr. Keating comes to gather his things, and as he is leaving, his students stand on their desks. It is such a powerful scene. You now at that moment what a difference a good teacher can make. If I ever become a teacher, Mr. Keating will be one of my role-models.

Honorable mention: Casino Royale (2006) – “Aston Martin crash”
Alright, I don’t actually cry during this scene, but my inner car guy bawls like a mewling babe. Such a beautiful car.

Ok, man up, gents. What movies and scenes make you cry?

PS - I was planning on linking YouTube clips to all of these, but really, do I need to?  Plus, I don't think I could handle watching them all in one sitting.

Marvel Musings

Probably one of my favorite illustrations of Cap.
So iconic.

So, this weekend was the opening of Captain America. And I have yet to go see it.

Normally, when a big movie comes out, I am more than willing to forgo the crowds on opening weekend and wait a good week or two. But for this one, I am chomping at the bit. I have been waiting for this movie for over 20 years. I still get giddy when I see the trailers (which I periodically watch, just to get my temporary fix). And after seeing a low-quality pirate of the after-credits Avengers teaser, I almost want to cry. So, it’s with some great sadness and frustration (mainly due to financial hiccups) that I sit idly and await the time when I do get to see what is, for me personally, the ultimate superhero movie so far.

I have always been a Marvel fanboy. I mean, I loves me some DC; Batman and his family (particularly Nightwing), Superman, and Captain Marvel have always been cool characters. But there is something about the Marvel Universe that always pulls me in. And within that universe, Captain America has long been my favorite. That’s probably due to some really great writing in the 80’s. Particularly the story that introduced John Walker as Super Patriot, who then went on to take over as Cap, and Steve Rogers became The Captain…anyways, yeah. Big Cap fan here.

I’ve spent the last week watching all 26 episodes of season 1 of Disney DX’s The Avengers cartoon on NetFlix. It is amazing! The animation is pretty tight, the action is nice and fast, and the stories and characters are so well-done. They take familiar character traits and story elements, mix in some elements of the new wave of movies, and come up with a show that is both fresh and exciting for new fans and old alike. If you have NetFlix, and can stream instantly, I highly recommend them.

But, I have one gripe about the “new” Marvel. Editor in Chief Joe Quesada came out with an alternate universe a few years back in which to re-invent the iconic characters of the Marvel Universe. He called it the Ultimate Universe, and it’s still around and has a lot of followers and fans. For the most part, they did a lot of cool things. But one change is both cool, and disheartening at the same time. Nick Fury.

As a lark, they modeled the Ultimate Nick after Samuel L. Jackson, with his permission. I thought it was a cool idea, and worked for the Ultimate Universe. But, it became so popular, that it worked its way into the movies. And even in the Avengers cartoon, Nick is a black guy. Why does this bother me?


This is the Nick Fury
I grew up on.


Because Nick Fury is white. He is a hero of WWII, leader of the Howling Commandos, he was created before Captain America*, and later fought alongside him. Nick took an experimental serum, meant to try to replicate the Super Soldier serum that created Cap. It didn’t work quite right. All it managed to do was to slow Nick’s aging down. So, even though he is over 90 years old, he looks and fights like a man of 30-35 years. That was one of the things that made Nick so cool. He had a huge amount of experience, and provides a good bridge for Cap, who is a man out of time.

But now, that Nick is slowly being forgotten. I would wager that there are many fans who don’t even know about the original Nick Fury. And that saddens me a little. But, times change, and so do comic book characters (despite them not ever seeming to).  Still, he does get some play.  He is featured (in a different form) in recent issues of Steve Rogers (a spin-off series after Steve was "killed" and gave up being Cap...again).  But it's not really Nick Fury.  Not the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D.  And who knows, maybe I am missing something.  Admittedly, I don't read comics nearly as much as I used to.

All that being said, as long as they are writing and telling good stories with the new Fury, I’m ok with it. I still have the memories of my old Nick, and he will always have a place in my geeky little heart.

So, here I sit, looking at the Captain America action figure on my desk, and eagerly anticipating this weekend, when I can finally see a dream come true. I tell ya, I actually get a little lump in my throat when I think about how wonderful this movie will be.

*EDIT: According to the Marvel Wiki, his first appearance was in 1963.  However, in the continuity of the Marvel Universe, Nick was fighting Nazis in WWII before Steve Rogers became Captain America.  So, technically I'm at least half-right.

Old blogs and new Flicks

You see what I did there?

The other day, after suggesting to a friend that maybe a private journal would help him sort through some tough times, I dug up my old Xanga page.  I blogged there daily (often multiple times in a day) from late April to late November of 2006.  Mainly it was a place for me to try to sort my feelings about a very tumultuous time in my personal life.  It dealt with a huge break up, new romances, old romances renewed, and financial struggles.  I also talked about fitness, gaming and various and sundry other things.  But, it was mainly about relationships with women.

Looking back on those posts, I can't help but laugh.  I spoke so much of endless love and "soul mates".  Funny thing is, the last entry was just about the time I met Michele online.  It's pretty amazing how she came in and just swept all that crap away without even trying, or even intending to.  My life has taken some major turns since that time, and I have to say, I am ten times happier now because of those turns.

I had briefly considered recycling that account for my own use now.  But, really, why?  I don't have any personal demons to excise there anymore.  And I have this blog to chat about what is important now.  So, I'm just going to delete the account.  I mean, I skimmed through the whole thing this morning, just to see if there was anything worth saving.  Nope.  It's all pretty whiny and all over the place.  Nothing even worth talking about anymore.

Anyways, less than two weeks until Captain America opens in theaters!  I am positively quivering with excitement over this one.  Cap has been my favorite superhero since high school.  I mean, when I first started reading comics regularly, Spider-man was my favorite.  But I still loved Cap.  Eventually, Spider-man just kind of fell away, and Steve Rogers took the throne as the Coolest Superhero.  The movie looks amazing.  With enough old-school Cap, mixed with some updated designs and such.  Like all of the recent Marvel movies, it definitely draws a lot from their Ultimate Universe.  But, in the end, it's still the classic WWII super-soldier.

Also looking forward to Peter Jackson's The Hobbit.  When I first heard they were doing it as two movies, I was hesitant.  The Hobbit has always been my favorite of Tolkien's books, and I still occasionally watch the old Rankin-Bass animated movie.  But, I trust Pete to do the book justice.

In other news, been having a hard time concentrating on writing any fiction lately.  I have a bunch of ideas in my head, but when I sit at the keyboard to get them down, nothing comes out.  It's frustrating, but not uncommon for writers, so I hear.

Other than that, life moves on.

Only a ninja can stop a ninja!

Today, I am thinking of the martial arts.  Last night I wanted to watch something that wouldn't tax my brain, and would be filled with the awful awesomeness that I so enjoy in my films.  So, browsing through the NetFlix instant view selections, I found it.  Sho Kosugi's first starring role, Revenge of the Ninja (1983).  Though not his first ninja film (that would be Enter the Ninja, which, incidentally, was much cheesier), it was the one that put him on the map, and really started the ninja-craze of the 80's.  The whole thing is filled with camp, cheese, over-the-top acting, sub-par acting, cliche villains, and a surprise plot twist that was revealed much too soon.

This movie got me to thinking about martial arts again.  And, since I'm a dork, and this is how my gamer-brain works, I immediately started thinking about martial arts-themed Role-Playing Games.  Back in the days before the d20 OGL, (pre-WotC) TSR put out a PDF game called DragonFist.  Based on the AD&D (2E) system, it was heavily inspired by the Wuxia films of Hong Kong, and did an admirable job of representing that.  At least, from what I remember.  Unfortunately, my copy is long gone, and the original game is not available anywhere that I can find, on account of Green Ronin buying it and then letting it sit.

During the heyday of the Street Fighter craze, Capcom contracted with White-Wolf Games to create an RPG based on their IP, using the Storyteller system.  I have that game, as well as all of the supplements.  Very cool stuff.  Even managed to play it a little.  But mostly, it's just a collector's item.  because I am a HUGE Street Fighter fan.

This morning I browsed John Kim's Free RPGs on the web, and found a couple of games to download and look at.  Slayer of Dragon looks pretty cool, though I can't figure out how to print it so it's readable.  I also grabbed Final Stand.  This one looks less "fun" but I haven't really reviewed the rules yet.

I don't know.  What do you guys think?  Should I do a list of my favorite Martial Arts movies?

Top Five Sci Fi films

Once again, Charles Gramlich has inspired a post (though this time he flat out suggested it). The subject of his own post was top movies of all time, and then broken down into sub-categories. He focused on Sci Fi, which I love, so I will also.

However, in thinking about this, I have come to the conclusion that I need to set a couple of rules for myself. Mainly because I am a Moviephile, and any list of “favorites” or “Top #” will invariably be longer than intended, and will certainly be missing entries that didn’t pop into my mind until later.

Rule #1 – Trilogies and Series count as one entry. When you see my list, this will make more sense. Suffice it to say, when a movie spawns sequels that are inter-related with the original, it’s often (but not always) hard for me to separate them and judge them as individual movies. I prefer to judge the whole story presented.

Rule #2 – This list represents what I think as of right now, and is subject to change on a whim. More than likely, there will be other entries that will make me slap my forehead for forgetting later.

Ok, so here’s my list:

5. Pitch Black/Chronicles of Riddick – Though only slightly interrelated, these two movies relate a story about some really interesting characters. Riddick is one of the coolest characters out there. And Pitch Black was a sci fi/horror film that I consider on par with Alien. Then they took those same characters and progressed them into a whole new film style, expanding on the universe. I love these films. And I am stoked to know that they are planning a third film.

4. Firefly/Serenity – Like many of my favorite films and TV shows, this property is highly character-driven. I think there is a little of everyone in at least one of the characters. Wash’s fate was definitely one of the most shocking moments in non-horror film history for me. This is also one of those “genre benders.” It really was a space-western (the first aired episode was about a train robbery, if I recall).

3. 2010 (The year we make contact) – Though the prophetic title and premise didn’t quite pan out, this movie still stands as a very gritty, realistic sci-fi film. Aside from having the ever-cool Roy Scheider in the starring role, the film introduced scientific principles and scenarios that make you wonder what the future holds for us. And, let’s face it, HAL is about as creepy-cool as you can get. I still get geeked out when I see a reference to him in another movie. This is one of those instances where I thought the sequel was better than the original film. 2001 was great, but the last half hour of it seemed drag on, and was a bit too “trippy” for my tastes.

2. Star Trek (II, III, IV & VI) – I remember developing a love of all things Star Trek when I was about 13 years old. Just prior to III coming out, I met one of my all-time best friends, who was a huge Trekkie (a term I personally carry with pride). We would sit and discuss the movies, the show and the technology of Star Trek. When taken together, II, III and IV tell a complete story arc, that includes some of the best dialogue in ST history…

Kirk: (Giving the Vulcan hand greeting) How many fingers am I holding up?

McCoy: That’s not very damn funny.

…as well as having my all-time favorite Klingon character, Commander Kruge (Christopher Lloyd). Star Trek VI, I felt, was a fine capstone on the whole TOS era, and though I like Generations well enough, I’d have been happy with ending it on that note.

And of course…KHAAAANNN!!!!!

1. Star Wars (Eps. IV, V & VI) – The original trilogy. This is one instance where, had Lucas stopped with the very first film, it would have been wonderful. And the other two (even with any shortcomings) really only added to the overall awesomeness that is Star Wars. I saw it twice in the theatre when it first came out (I was 6 when the original was released) and I was immediately in love. My personal favorite of the three has always been The Empire Strikes Back, and it alternated with Conan the Barbarian as the “Movie most likely to be playing in the background” in my room at any given time. I’m not a huge fan of the prequel trilogy, though I do like certain parts of all three (and I know I am in the minority when I say that I didn’t find Jar Jar all that annoying, beyond the amount he was supposed to be). And, on any given day, I prefer the Originals.

At various points in my life I have carried the monikers of Conan-Fanboy, Trekkie (or Trekker), Comic Book Geek, and Dragonlancer. But my first sci-fi/fantasy love will always exist “A long, long time ago…in a galaxy far away.”

Honorable mentions:

Demolition Man (had to get a Sly reference in here somewhere)

Total Recall

Aliens

The Road Warrior

The Matrix

Police Action

My wife and I are huge movie buffs. I love action movies a bit more than she does, but she is usually willing to sit through just about anything I want to watch. Anyways, when we have the time (which, unfortunately, is not too often these days), we like to have a Movie Theme Day. That's where we pick a common theme, and watch 3-4 movies that fall under that.

So, I thought I would occasionally share some of my choices for certain themes. Today's theme is what I call "Police Action." Basically action-adventure movies where the protagonist is a cop. Here is my top five (in no particular order):

1. Cobra - Almost any list of mine would be incomplete without a Stallone entry (though he's never done a fantasy film). I love this movie. The character is so over the top and bad ass. And the villain is effing scary! The cast is great (including the pre-psychotic, one-time Mrs. Stallone, Brigitte Nielsen), and the action is top notch. Even the music is anthem-worthy. I have the soundtrack on LP somewhere, and I downloaded "Voice of America's Sons" by John Cafferty for my iPod (it plays over the end credits). This movie was meant to be the first of several, but that never came to fruition. That's too bad. Of all of Sly's one-shot characters, Marion Cobretti is probably the one I would most liked to have seen more of.

2. Lethal Weapon - The ultimate Buddy Cop action film. This one started it all, I think. Say what you will about Mel's off-screen antics, he has always consistently given great performances, and is an iconic action star. And Danny Glover…well, he’s Danny Glover! What the hell else could you want? I even enjoyed Gary Busey’s villainous turn. The dynamics of the relationship between Riggs and Murtaugh are amazing. They’re about as close to “real” people as you can find in Action World. The best part about this film is that there are three sequels. Each one strong in their own way, and each showing some real character development.

3. Dirty Harry – Clint Eastwood is legendary. He is an icon. He is the standard that all Hollywood tough guys aspire to. And in the first installment of this series, he shines brilliantly. And that fabulous gun! A Smith & Wesson Model 29 (I own an AirSoft version) will blow your head clean off. Inspector Harry Callahan of the SFPD is not one to be trifled with. This movie represents the justice we all (sometimes secretly) want for the real-world psychos out there. The action and dialogue even stand up today (though costuming and set pieces definitely date it). And with four sequels, there is enough Harry to keep you entertained for a long time.

4. Raw Deal – Though technically not a “cop” movie (he’s a an Ex-FBI agent brought out of forced retirement to exact revenge on the mob), it still qualifies in my book. One of The Oak’s best acting jobs in an action film, this one has everything. Car chases, gun fights, fisticuffs, hot chicks. You name it, this movie delivers. Even a couple of plot twists and surprises. Over all, this movie is a roller coaster of action-packed fun. Definitely one for the archives.

5. Die Hard – Former lounge singer and TV private eye, Bruce Willis turned out a surprise performance as everyman of action, John McClane. This movie delivered a unique combination of action, suspense, and comedy gold, to create one of the most endearing cop heroes in film history. And Alan Rickman is just BRILLIANT as Hans. But then again, when is Alan not brilliant, really? Of the Planet Hollywood Trio, Bruce is definitely the best actor. And there are some really great scenes of him showing off his chops in that regard.

One thing you will notice is that the majority of my favorites are from the 80’s. That’s partially due to my upbringing, and my obsession with what I consider the greatest decade in history. But it’s also indicative of how I view Hollywood. Action movies today are all about slick special effects, with little to no substance. And cop movies are a dying breed (being only slightly more widespread than the Western, sadly). The 80’s were the heyday of the action film, and of cop films in particular. I hope this is a trend that comes back around. I would love to see more movies like these being made. With real men, rather than the Hollywood pretty boys who all look like they just stepped off the cover of Men’s Health Magazine.

Honorable Mentions:
Demolition Man
Red Heat
Action Jackson
Tango & Cash

Also see this interesting article.