Predator (1987)

Starring:

• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Carl Weathers
• Bill Duke

IMDB.com
A team of special force ops, led by a tough but fair soldier, Major "Dutch" Schaefer, are ordered in to assist CIA man, George Dillon, on a rescue mission for potential survivors of a Helicopter downed over remote South American jungle. Not long after they land, Dutch and his team discover that they have been sent in under false pretenses. This deception turns out to be the least of their worries though, when they find themselves being methodically hunted by something not of this world.

McTiernan's Predator released in 1987 and has stood the test of time as a Sci-Fi classic. A fitting and elaborate cast (Arnold, Carl Weathers, etc.) help viewers come to grips with the environment of the movie. Silvestri's soundtrack kicks in with excellent timing as do the sound effects which remain crisp and heart-stopping. The cinematography is good and the action scenes are smooth, realistic and fun to watch.

The characters are commandos targeting renegade forces in Central America to rescue a diplomatic hostage. Watching them transcend from macho-man confidence to panicky prey-like paranoia creates a perfect atmosphere for the film, which plays off your imagination until the climax where Dutch, played by Arnold, relies on wit and instinctual strengths to combat the terror at any cost. The effects are impressive and are excitingly original, especially with the creation of such a sophisticated beast as the Predator.

Perhaps what makes the film have a such a raw, earthly quality is its relation to settings of man vs. nature in the modern world. Facing something infinitely more powerful than man is what the story comes down to; perhaps even man can conquer the unknown if he remains true to his natural powers than his ammunition.

Survival suspense of the purest kind. Predator deserves higher ratings. 10/10.

The Predator was played by a black male -Kevin Peter Hall. That makes him a supervillain!

Kiss of Death (1997)

Starring:

• Vanity
• Cristi Harris
• Daniel McVicar

IMDB.com
ONE POSSIBLE MINOR SPOILER

So somebody finally bothered to add this film to the IMDb. That's good cause maybe I can find somebody else to discuss this with.

Bizarrely this movie only seems to be available in Germany. So I got the (cheap) DVD and watched. Hmm, a cheap movie. Now maybe somebody can help explain what exactly is going on.

The set up was crazy. The Al Capone foundation? I think we could have had a little elaboration with that one...it could have been an intriguing development of the plot (like Peggy and Aldo slowly discover there's some devilish price to pay for their house). But no...

I understand the main story. But what I suppose were meant to be subplots were a complete mystery to me. And the ending? Well, rarely has any movie had such a depressing, empty finish.

But the strangest part was (and if you've seen it I'm guessing you know what I'm about to say) is the moment when Peggy starts to undo her top in that guy's office...AND THE FLIPPING MOVIE PAUSES! YES PAUSES RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SHOT! Then it cuts back to the guy. What the hell was the idea of that? There's plenty of T&A elsewhere in the film so why clumsily edit what would have otherwise been a decent scene?

And the photo shown on the DVD case doesn't appear in the movie.

The only way I can explain all this is maybe the filmmakers couldn't have actually finished shooting the movie.

Having said all that, this film is a brilliant purchase if you like Christi Harris.

Anybody want to comment? Then get onto the message board and let's thrash this one out.

Major Payne (1995)

Starring:

• Damon Wayans
• Michael Ironside
• Scott Bigalow

IMDB.com
Major Benson Winifred Payne is being discharged from the Marines. Payne is a killin' machine, but the wars of the world are no longer fought on the battlefield. A career Marine, he has no idea what to do as a civilian, so his commander finds him a job - commanding officer of a local school's JROTC program, a bunch or ragtag losers with no hope. Using such teaching tools as live grenades and real bullets, Payne starts to instill the corp with some hope. But when Payne is recalled to fight in Bosnia, will he leave the corp who has just started the believe in him, or will he find out that killin' ain't much of a livin'?

Very rarely do I see a movie that makes me laugh out loud, much less one that makes me REALLY want to buy it. This was one of those rare times. This is the kind of movie that you tell your friends they just HAVE to see, and HAVE to buy to watch over and over.

I was an ROTC student in high school, and while it's not even remotely as melodramatic as this movie, the drill team scene at the end brought back fond memories (yup, we really did cool drills like that)...

Damon Wayans is just...damn, he's funny. The one-liners he delivers, and the way he delivers them, is too much. I'd love to see the blooper reel. If the movie was that funny, the bloopers would probably make you pee on yourself.

It's funny, funny, funny.