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Here's a quick list of all movies watched by the SMC. Or if you prefer, here's a more detailed examination.
@jeicex is up this week and as always he has put together his own OP. So I'm going to step aside and turn the floor over to him:
I've combined the themes of all four suggestions into an even more challenging and fun set of selections. Using shadow_priest_x's "underrated martial arts movies" as an overarching theme (maybe to get Bullitt to join us and subsequently convince him to stick around), while adding in europe1's "movie that centers on a duo", Cubo de Sangre's "revenge movies with female protagonists" and the muntjac's "movie made in or near your hometown". What could possibly go wrong?
Best of the Best (1989)
Theme: Underrated Martial Arts Films
Director: Bob Radler
Genre: Martial Arts
Length: 97 minutes
Stars: Eric Roberts, James Earl Jones, Christopher Penn, Sally Kirkland
Premise: A scrappy US team faces off against a Korean team in a Taekwondo tournament.
Why @jeicex picked it: One of the first underrated martial arts films that came to mind. When you think of those kind of tournament movies, this isn't mentioned nearly enough. A lot of "triumph of the human spirit" and "united we are strong, divided we fall" inspirational stuff in here. Makes you feel good in the end, sort of like if you liked the movie Miracle and you are an American.
Trailer:
Double Impact (1991)
Theme: Underrated Martial Arts Films About A Duo
Director: Sheldon Lettich
Genre: Martial Arts, Action
Length: 107 minutes
Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bolo Yeung, Geoffrey Lewis
Premise: Long-lost twin brothers reunite to take down a criminal organization.
Why @jeicex picked it: Two brothers, in a van, and then a meteor hits. And they ran as fast as they could from giant cat monsters, and then a giant tornado came. And that's when things got knocked into twelfth gear...A Mexican armada shows up, with weapons made from tomatoes. And you better bet your bottom dollar that these two brothers know how to handle business. Hold on, there's more. Old women are coming, and they're also in the movie and they're gonna come and cross attack these two brothers. But let's get back to the brothers, because they have a strong bond. You don't wanna know about it here, but I'll tell you one thing. The Moon, it comes crashing into Earth, and what do you do then? It's called Two Brothers.
Trailer:
The Next Karate Kid (1994)
Theme: Underrated Martial Arts Films that Take Place Near Your Hometown
Director: Christopher Cain
Genre: Martial Arts, Drama
Length: 107 minutes
Stars: Pat Morita, Hilary Swank, Michael Ironside
Premise: Mr. Miyagi is back with a new student: his buddy's granddaughter.
Why @jeicex picked it: Hardest pick I had to make, because I couldn't think of (or find many) martial arts movies that took place in New England, where I grew up, let alone underrated ones worth revisiting. Sure, this film has been billed as completely unnecessary, but Morita and Swank are still good in it. It gets dumped on a lot, but I found it better than "The Revenge of Cobra Kai" of Karate Kid Part III, and I don't think it deserves the hate it gets if you look at it objectively as a separate film and not as a bizarro sequel/spinoff to Karate Kid.
Trailer:
Chocolate (2008)
Theme: Underrated Martial Arts Films where a Female Protagonist Seeks Revenge
Director: Prachya Pinkaew
Genre: Martial Arts
Length: 92 minutes
Stars: Yanin Vismistananda, Hiroshi Abe, Pongpat Wachirabunjong
Premise: The daughter of a gangster does anything she can to save her mother.
Why @jeicex picked it: Three movies immediately came to mind for this one. Kill Bill Vol. 2 (because everyone always talks about the first), The Bride with the White Hair (Romeo and Juliet and swords vs a cult) and this one. This girl, in her first film, was really impressive - you will be able to see her again in Triple Threat coming soon, which is a film I am excited about more than any other. Chocolate, not to be confused with Chocolat which is just delightful, is definitely strange, but has some fantastic fight scenes and went totally under the radar.
Trailer:
Members: @shadow_priest_x @europe1 @jeicex @MusterX @Scott Parker 27 @the muntjac @Caveat @Cubo de Sangre @sickc0d3r @jasonrest29
Honorary Member: @Bullitt68
Here's a quick list of all movies watched by the SMC. Or if you prefer, here's a more detailed examination.
@jeicex is up this week and as always he has put together his own OP. So I'm going to step aside and turn the floor over to him:
I've combined the themes of all four suggestions into an even more challenging and fun set of selections. Using shadow_priest_x's "underrated martial arts movies" as an overarching theme (maybe to get Bullitt to join us and subsequently convince him to stick around), while adding in europe1's "movie that centers on a duo", Cubo de Sangre's "revenge movies with female protagonists" and the muntjac's "movie made in or near your hometown". What could possibly go wrong?
Here are our candidates!
Best of the Best (1989)
Theme: Underrated Martial Arts Films
Director: Bob Radler
Genre: Martial Arts
Length: 97 minutes
Stars: Eric Roberts, James Earl Jones, Christopher Penn, Sally Kirkland
Premise: A scrappy US team faces off against a Korean team in a Taekwondo tournament.
Why @jeicex picked it: One of the first underrated martial arts films that came to mind. When you think of those kind of tournament movies, this isn't mentioned nearly enough. A lot of "triumph of the human spirit" and "united we are strong, divided we fall" inspirational stuff in here. Makes you feel good in the end, sort of like if you liked the movie Miracle and you are an American.
Trailer:
Double Impact (1991)
Theme: Underrated Martial Arts Films About A Duo
Director: Sheldon Lettich
Genre: Martial Arts, Action
Length: 107 minutes
Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bolo Yeung, Geoffrey Lewis
Premise: Long-lost twin brothers reunite to take down a criminal organization.
Why @jeicex picked it: Two brothers, in a van, and then a meteor hits. And they ran as fast as they could from giant cat monsters, and then a giant tornado came. And that's when things got knocked into twelfth gear...A Mexican armada shows up, with weapons made from tomatoes. And you better bet your bottom dollar that these two brothers know how to handle business. Hold on, there's more. Old women are coming, and they're also in the movie and they're gonna come and cross attack these two brothers. But let's get back to the brothers, because they have a strong bond. You don't wanna know about it here, but I'll tell you one thing. The Moon, it comes crashing into Earth, and what do you do then? It's called Two Brothers.
Trailer:
The Next Karate Kid (1994)
Theme: Underrated Martial Arts Films that Take Place Near Your Hometown
Director: Christopher Cain
Genre: Martial Arts, Drama
Length: 107 minutes
Stars: Pat Morita, Hilary Swank, Michael Ironside
Premise: Mr. Miyagi is back with a new student: his buddy's granddaughter.
Why @jeicex picked it: Hardest pick I had to make, because I couldn't think of (or find many) martial arts movies that took place in New England, where I grew up, let alone underrated ones worth revisiting. Sure, this film has been billed as completely unnecessary, but Morita and Swank are still good in it. It gets dumped on a lot, but I found it better than "The Revenge of Cobra Kai" of Karate Kid Part III, and I don't think it deserves the hate it gets if you look at it objectively as a separate film and not as a bizarro sequel/spinoff to Karate Kid.
Trailer:
Chocolate (2008)
Theme: Underrated Martial Arts Films where a Female Protagonist Seeks Revenge
Director: Prachya Pinkaew
Genre: Martial Arts
Length: 92 minutes
Stars: Yanin Vismistananda, Hiroshi Abe, Pongpat Wachirabunjong
Premise: The daughter of a gangster does anything she can to save her mother.
Why @jeicex picked it: Three movies immediately came to mind for this one. Kill Bill Vol. 2 (because everyone always talks about the first), The Bride with the White Hair (Romeo and Juliet and swords vs a cult) and this one. This girl, in her first film, was really impressive - you will be able to see her again in Triple Threat coming soon, which is a film I am excited about more than any other. Chocolate, not to be confused with Chocolat which is just delightful, is definitely strange, but has some fantastic fight scenes and went totally under the radar.
Trailer:
Members: @shadow_priest_x @europe1 @jeicex @MusterX @Scott Parker 27 @the muntjac @Caveat @Cubo de Sangre @sickc0d3r @jasonrest29
Honorary Member: @Bullitt68
