Those DTV movies with big stars that keep coming out? I want to find out if any of them don't suck.

[Guestx]

I suppose I have to admit that Cody Hackman had the restraint to not have his character kicking the shit out of Anderson and Lyoto right out of the gate. Though I have to assume that was in the original version of the script and that he simply couldn't afford to pay Anderson and Lyoto enough for them to lose to him on camera.

Bloodsport is a very good version of its (slightly limited) genre of film. It is a few changes away from being a true classic, but it's still a lot of fun. And it's several orders of magnitude better than Tapped Out.

And it's also not as good as Rambo 2.

Well we agree on Bloodsport. It's a great example of its genre (tournament martial arts movies).

BTW, out of curiosity, what did you think of Never Back Down? And how do you think it compares to Tapped Out?

 

[BisexualMMA]

Well we agree on Bloodsport. It's a great example of its genre (tournament martial arts movies).

BTW, out of curiosity, what did you think of Never Back Down? And how do you think it compares to Tapped Out?

My opinion of Never Back Down is basically your opinion of Tapped Out. Unoriginal, uninspired, cliched storyline with cliched characters and tropes, mostly adequate acting, executed effectively on camera, a solid 5.0. Maybe a 4.5 if I'm grumpy that day.

Needless to say, I think it is several tiers above Tapped Out.

 

[Guestx]

My opinion of Never Back Down is basically your opinion of Tapped Out. Unoriginal, uninspired, cliched storyline with cliched characters and tropes, mostly adequate acting, executed effectively on camera, a solid 5.0. Maybe a 4.5 if I'm grumpy that day.

Needless to say, I think it is several tiers above Tapped Out.

This is the summary of my thoughts on Tapped Out: Not bad for a first film (if in fact it is the director's first). For someone who had never made a movie, if they made Tapped Out, I'd say, "It's a solid first effort."

Regarding Never Back Down, I pretty much think the same as you do, but I think the execution is above a 5. I'd probably give it a 6.5 or possibly a 7. It is a TRUE rip off of The Karate Kid, almost copying the story exactly, but it does it in an effective way.

Are you familiar with Armond White? He is a movie critic who is known for his against-the-current reviews. I obviously don't agree with this, but he called Never Back Down--and this was near the end of March--"the year’s first good-looking and fully enjoyable American movie."

You may find his thoughts on the film interesting, or at least perplexing:

http://www.nypress.com/karate-kid-grows-up/

 

[BisexualMMA]

First, I had no idea he was a co-writer. It didn't even cross my mind, since I remember in the 80s and early 90s I saw plenty of karate movies that followed very similar story ideas, and the stars were never the writers. Bear in mind that the director also has a very interest in the star "looking cool."

In reference to this particular point, which I overlooked before, there is a subtle difference between making your protagonist look cool, even to a fault (Cobra, Hard Target) and making (or trying to make) your lead actor himself look cool, even at the expense of the character and/or story.

Tapped Out is on the wrong side of that line.

 

[Guestx]

In reference to this particular point, which I overlooked before, there is a subtle difference between making your protagonist look cool, even to a fault (Cobra, Hard Target) and making (or trying to make) your lead actor himself look cool, even at the expense of the character and/or story.

Tapped Out is on the wrong side of that line.

 

[TheRuthlessOne]

DTV
Semi Big Stars
Doesn't suck
It is almost 10 years old at this point tho so I figure most of you guys have probably watched it already

 

[Sturm]

I actually really likes the trust.

 

[BisexualMMA]

DTV
Semi Big Stars
Doesn't suck
It is almost 10 years old at this point tho so I figure most of you guys have probably watched it already

This one was actually decent.

Animal Factory and Last Light (from the early 90s, starring and directed by Kiefer Sutherland) are two more lesser known prison movies that are all right.

 

[Guestx]

DTV
Semi Big Stars
Doesn't suck
It is almost 10 years old at this point tho so I figure most of you guys have probably watched it already

Can't say I've ever heard of this one. I'll have to give it a look.

Dorff has always struck me as a guy who should've had a bigger career.

 

[Guestx]

I actually really likes the trust.

I'll probably watch that one within the next few days.

 

[BisexualMMA]

Whos going to watch this?

I actually watched part of this. It was bizarre. Nicolas Cage literally plays the exact same character he played in Deadfall, right down to toupee, mustache, delivery and mannerisms. Strange thing to do, considering that Deadfall wasn't particularly well received.

John Cusack has officially entered Cameron Mitchell territory. He looked half-asleep for every scene, like they dragged him out of bed hung over and gave him just enough espresso to open his eyes halfway and deliver his lines while standing upright. And his wardrobe as an undercover cop was fucking hilarious. The most obvious Narc in movie history. Watching this decline from someone who used to take his roles and projects very seriously is sad and strange.

If you want a slight pick-me-up with respect to relatively recent John Cusack, I'd suggest checking out Adult World. He plays an interesting character and does it with some commitment and passion.

Just like in Marauders, Jonathan Schaech steals the show. He is running circles around his fellow actors when it comes to these shitty DTV movies. He is running his scenes and committing to his characters as though someone told him he was on the set of Goodfellas 2 or something. I wonder how long he can stay this committed in these crappy movies where the performances go entirely under the radar and the movies get a 4.0 on IMDB. Hope he doesn't get discouraged, and that Willis, Cusack and all his other indifferent co-stars don't start to rub off on him.

I didn't finish it, and won't. But the 3.9 or whatever it has on IMDB isn't too far off the mark.

 

[Guestx]

Watching this decline from someone who used to take his roles and projects very seriously is sad and strange.

Cusack is definitely one of the weirder examples of guys who have gone to play in DTV Land.

The thing about a lot of the big DTV actors, like Steven Seagal for instance, is that most of them ended up there because the studios just didn't really want them anymore. If they wanted to keep working, this was the way to do it.

But with guys like Cusack and Willis, it's not like they don't still get offers to appear in major motion pictures.

Just like in Marauders, Jonathan Schaech steals the show. He is running circles around his fellow actors when it comes to these shitty DTV movies. He is running his scenes and committing to his characters as though someone told him he was on the set of Goodfellas 2 or something.

LOL

I didn't finish it, and won't. But the 3.9 or whatever it has on IMDB isn't too far off the mark.

You might be surprised to learn that Tapped Out has a 5.4 on IMDB.

 

[BisexualMMA]

You might be surprised to learn that Tapped Out has a 5.4 on IMDB.

Oh, it takes more than that to surprise me.

Transformers 2 has a 6.0.

 

[Guestx]

@BisexualMMA, stack up Warrior against Tapped Out for me.

 

[BisexualMMA]

@BisexualMMA, stack up Warrior against Tapped Out for me.

I'd give Warrior somewhere between a 7.0 and an 8.0. Tapped Out, maybe a 2.5.

 

[method115]

I'd give Warrior somewhere between a 7.0 and an 8.0. Tapped Out, maybe a 2.5.

Warrior was great I really enjoyed it.

 

[BisexualMMA]

Warrior was great I really enjoyed it.

A lot of good things about it, and a few great moments. Kurt Angle as Fedor was actually really good and needless to say, Nick Nolte was on his game.

I could have done without frequent reaction shots from the Tapout Crew during the fights. It's like this serious movie still somehow felt beholden to the SpikeTV influence. And Kevin Dunn is a good actor, often even in terrible movies like Transformers 2, but the "principal secretly into MMA" angle was a bit much in the corny way it was executed.

These are pretty minor complaints though. It's close to as good as an MMA movie is ever going to be.

 

[Jack Reacheround]

These are the only movies Netflix carries now, along with the odd mainstream movie, because they just want to populate their entire roster with nothing but their own shows and movies and get the rest of them on the cheap. It's really annoying. I think I need to drop Netflix.

 

[method115]

A lot of good things about it, and a few great moments. Kurt Angle as Fedor was actually really good and needless to say, Nick Nolte was on his game.

I could have done without frequent reaction shots from the Tapout Crew during the fights. It's like this serious movie still somehow felt beholden to the SpikeTV influence. And Kevin Dunn is a good actor, often even in terrible movies like Transformers 2, but the "principal secretly into MMA" angle was a bit much in the corny way it was executed.

These are pretty minor complaints though. It's close to as good as an MMA movie is ever going to be.

Yea I thought the brother Tommy was a little to over the top at times to with his attitude but like you said minor complaints.

 

[method115]

These are the only movies Netflix carries now, along with the odd mainstream movie, because they just want to populate their entire roster with nothing but their own shows and movies and get the rest of them on the cheap. It's really annoying. I think I need to drop Netflix.

I like having netflix but I can't just have netflix. I had to build a media server because I like a lot of 80's\90's movies and I want to make sure I have them for life regardless if Netflix wants to keep them on their library or not.