Point Blank (1967)Lee Marvin has never been better as the thief left for dead who will stop at nothing to recover the $93,000 he is owed. Director John Boorman (Deliverance [1972]) mixes Hollywood noir with the French New Wave to create a highly stylized and super cool thriller.
Fact: Point Blank was the first major picture to be shot on Alcatraz Island after the closure of the prison in 1963.
Man on Fire (2004)Overlooked by many upon its theatrical release, Denzel Washingtons turn as alcoholic bodyguard/one man army John Creasy is among the finest of his career. Man on Fire also has the honour of featuring the worst line uttered by Christopher Walken in a film to date: "Creasy's art is death. He's about to paint his masterpiece." Ouch.
Fact: Robert De Niro, Tom Cruise, Bruce Willis and Will Smith were all offered the role of Creasy.
Death Wish (1974)Frequently described as a fascist's wet dream, the reputation of the original Death Wish has suffered due to its low quality sequels, but if you've never had the pleasure of watching Charlie Bronson's mild mannered architect blaze a trail of destruction through the New York underworld, then we urge you to ignore the politics and enjoy the madness.
Fact: Jazz legend Herbie Hancock composed the original score
Straw Dogs (1971)Somewhat overshadowed by its notorious rape scene, Sam Peckinpah's tale of a man pushed over the edge by a bunch of a slack-jawed Cornish men is well worth a look. As for that matter is last years remake which is much better than some reviews suggested.
Fact: The title comes from the Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu who wrote, "Heaven and earth are not humane, and regard the people as straw dogs."
Commando (1985)Cartoon villains, a wafer thin plot and Arnold Schwarzenegger in his monosyllabic prime. Arnie plays John Matrix (no really), a retired elite commando who only has a few hours to rescue his daughter from a dictator he once pissed off. Excessive mindless violence doesn't get any more beautiful than this.
Fact: A sequel written by Steven de Souza and revised by Frank Darabont was eventually reworked into a little film called Die Hard (1988).
Look out for our DVD review of Rolling Thunder on 30 January, 2012.
Lee Cassanell
