| The
Batman Pages
Assault on Precinct 13 The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
|
Bondage:
Ragin' Asians: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Female Convict Scorpion: Jailhouse 41 Female Prisoner Scorpion: Beast Stable |
Action films are the province
of the male filmgoer. There is a whiff of testosterone in any given action
film. That hint of testosterone has grown stronger over the years. As a
result, many of the elements of the Adventure film (the Action film's close
relative) have fallen into disuse. In days of yore, a film like Captain
Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood, or The Mark of Zorro
could appeal to a broad audience of men AND women because they had everything:
daring do, romance, charm. A female friend of mine watched Against All
Flags with me some years ago and declared that it was a Romance Novel.
Today's testosterone-addled action epics tend to leave out the romance and
the charm, and the daring do tends to be accomplished with a machine gun
or an automobile. I miss those old fashioned adventures.
The fallout from the Hong Kong Action New Wave of the 1980s and 1990s continues to settle over film industries the world over. Asian action films get their own subheading here. The next wave has seen terrific films from Korea and Japan, but China remains the 800 lb gorilla in this category. I have also grouped the comic book movie here. I could easily fit these movies into the sci-fi page, but I think they belong here. So when I get around to, say, the Superman movies or The Shadow or The Rocketeer, they will show up here. I've separated the Batman movies and given them their own page, but there's a link to them here. |