I ventured myself into go over for treasure of VHS in these glorious nineties. And I couldn’t bear the most of what I launched by watching on poor approach by that I did shutdown after few minutes or when it was almost half an hour later. I saw movies with grandiose talented people on whom I say “unfortunately” about they didn’t conquer silver screens or haven’t commonsense screenplays: Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Gary Daniels, Olivier Gruner, Matthias Hues, Jeff Speakman, Paco Christian Prieto, Matt McColm, Brian Bosworth, Jerry Trimble. I was looking through scriptwriters and directors who have authorship of spectacular flick for video. I was learning and digging out films, which are known for tiny limited people. Approximately in five dozens were chosen for watching and of whom I discovered treasure.
Deadly Past (1995). Basic Instinct had 49 million dollars, which much for erotic thriller, and it’s story was foolish. Sharon Stone’s heroine would be in jail after writing of the first book. I know real stories on people exposed themselves who thought that changing names will evade them from prison, but their written is confession and evidence. Deadly Past was for few million dollars with no less wonderful actors who weren’t lucky for be on a big screen by didn’t reach it or their movies became non-profitable there. A screenplay has usual for erotic thrillers link in a main character whose cheating gives troubles for him, but it’s inventive story. A femme fatale in not typical stance, multiple wonderful twists and Mark Dacascos isn’t an action personage by whom I was in joy in his showing of martial arts and to his role itself in which he plays a wise friend of protagonist. Deadly Past stays likeable though a final confrontation requires a thoughtfulness and committed act by one character to a cop who was only on duty reminds that usual carelessness of movies made for video. If put it outside, the last doesn’t deserve sympathy in the end.
Equalizer 2000 (1987). A peculiar post-apocalyptic future from Cirio H. Santiago, a director who usually staged Vietnam War films, doesn’t hurt screenplay, which has of interesting (despite my lips rise into smile on looking on this high-technological weapon.) and wonderful by a scene in the end. Shooting made with solid wit. A lead starring role had an Australian (my condolences) actor and incredible martial artist Richard Norton who is exciting in any role. And 1987 was entering in cinema for Robert Patrick for whom it was a second of four released flicks in that year.
Top of the World (1997). Nineties for Sidney J. Furie, a director of excellent anti-Bond spy film IPCRESS File and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, was relocation to studios who make movies for video. I saw masterful directing and properly developed personages in watching his films, which hadn’t decent screenplays even written by Furie. Top of the World is one resulting. Light and little absurd screenplay with much comedy and plenty of splendid-made action. However, climax cracks it’s strong by thinking in how Tea Carrere situated on a roof in hostages, on easy escape of Martin Cove and on fates of some characters, but it’s a capturing flick and, certainly, lovable nineties became more beautiful since that.
High Voltage (1998). A symphony of directing. It is art in each episode. Isaac Florentine’s shots are beautiful as painting and effective. Impressive action has attachment to Hong Kong heroic bloodshed and there should be a lot of inspiration of John Woo. A whistling soundtrack will grandiose in the end. An intricate screenplay in which I relaxed on few misfires and detail that not all Vietnamese in Vietnamese mafia. This supreme shooting and fighting has unique opportunity to see Shannon Lee whose acting somewhere asks learning when she is impacting in action. Her personage makes to recall actress’s father when she gives wisdom of other end of the world. The East is one of feels and it will in the ending credits in this incredible weaved movie, which cast with gems. Maybe I heard on Antonio Sabato Sr. and Antonio Sabato Jr.. I saved in memory after this film. What an amazingly beautiful body has Antonio Sabato Sr. whose personage emits Italy for which I adore him. I was excited to cameo of Donald Gibb. And to that thing – Vietnamese singing a French song does it with a tender soul.
Live by the Fist (1994). Legendary Roger Corman had in nineties some productions in familiar for him Philippines. He produced in one 1994 three movies with director Cirio H. Santiago and actor Jerry Trimble. Live by the Fist is memorable of them. And that’s foremost by inventive fighting presented by brilliant work with cameras. You see that wonderful Jerry Trimble (on whom I didn’t know although I supposed to see him in five movies as I checked his filmography.) shows his advance in combats and he wouldn’t allow these beatings and happening of this attack, but everything of that was put for drama what is acceptable in oppose to music, which misfire in that it doesn’t stick and sounds separately. A screenplay has fortress in development of story, personages, idea of oppression on prisoners and impressive with twists. It loses ground to the end in abscond of reality, inconsideration and no motifs in characters as mostly in prisoners who become amoebas. It’s dropping of efforts of elaboration. This influences on actors, who were ideal before that. They stop to be realistic. I couldn’t perceive serious and got corroboration in minutes in shotgun causing helicopter explosion (why it doesn’t happen in reality?) and after taking a boat where a woman, who lost colleagues, builds relationship with one personage by speaking sultry. However, I still love this movie.
Acts of Betrayal (1997). A flick has things not for logic, which possible to put away and have astonishing entertainment from action, divine in martial arts Matt McColm and Maria Conchita Alonso is hitting with her personage whose acts and saying cause laughing (her mentioning “donuts” of my favorites.). Collaboration of Avi Nesher who wrote stories and Steven Hartov adapted into screenplays has five movies, which four of them were made in nineties and of them Acts of Betrayal and Mercenary show a pair as platinum professionals while that doesn’t exist in other two films.
Trimark Pictures, which combined in production for home video and cinemas, entered in time of appearance of DVD in merging with Lionsgate happened in 12 March 2001. One year before, founders of PM Entertainment Joseph Merhi and Richard Pepin sold their company for 6,5 million dollars in cash and 1,45 million dollars in stock to maker of comics The Harvey Entertainment Group who willn’t such longer control it. Producer, director, actor and creator of Film One Jalal Merhi was unchangeable in new age. Nu Image created subsidiary Millennium Films, which was for producing of movies with fallen from big screen action actors.
Less known war flicks.
Taras Bulba (1962). American adaptation of eponymous Nikolay Gogol’s novel. I still didn’t read this small composition and therefore I can compare by telling and knowledge.
At first the bright and clean costumes as well as decorations catch an eye, but everything disappears in watching in which I was enjoying of magnificence fused in mighty of the composition, imposing actors (as Yul Brynner in performing of title personage infiltrates in soul.), and the large-scale battles. Powerful basis in Gogol's work demonstrates depth and diversity in characters, nations and situations. Every character, even in small appearance, is personally and sufficiently shown and each of them gives food for mind in motives of his actions and behavior. Director J. Lee Thompson succeeded to present everyday life of Cossacks what constantly captivated me in how they get drunk and walk on a plank under which bears, breaking on the ride of pots with wine standing on heads, dances and heartfelt songs. The film ideally reveals the difference between two nations as that civilized Poland has barbarism whereas wild Ukraine has quite of nobility.
Those were the glorious days when thousands of people used for a scene with thousands of people, which didn’t draw as it will in awful future. J. Lee Thompson was better till perfection approached in staging of battles than Stanley Kubrick in Spartacus (no doubt, and it's also a wonderful film.) and Sergey Bondarchyuk in Waterloo. He tied together the beginning, the action and the denouement while aforementioned two directors throw pieces.
Despite on having of non-following to the original text and certain historical nuances, I always say that can allow a little deviations if do it wisely. The director was proportional in using of it.
