Stuck at home? Let Arnold guide you through his personal ‘stay at home’ workout routine.
This ‘guest article’ comes directly from Arnold Schwarzenegger himself from a post-thread found on Reddit. Copied in its entirety below (with edits made for formatting):
This coronavirus pandemic is unprecedented. I have heard from so many of my fans that you are anxious and scared.
Almost everything happening around the world right now is out of our control. Almost everything. Instead of worrying about the things we can’t change, let’s focus on the things we do control.
First, and most importantly, we can control how responsible we are right now. We can slow down the spread of the virus by staying at home as much as possible. I know that isn’t easy, but right now it’s our responsibility. Most of us will be fine if we get the virus. This is a time not to think about yourself, but to think about the people you could be infecting. Be a part of the solution, and stay home every chance you can. That means no bars, no restaurants, no gatherings, and you’ll all be shocked to hear this from me, but no gyms.
Even without a gym, we can also control our physical fitness during this pandemic. Body weight, or freehand, training is the oldest method in the world. Gladiators and Vikings didn’t have gymnasiums. I started my own fitness journey with chin-ups on a tree branch by a lake in Austria. My father would encourage my brother and I to train by following the footsteps of a boxing hero of ours, László Papp, who chopped wood when he was preparing for a fight (this was a great trick to get us to do our chores).
And once, when I found myself in New York to promote fitness, but ironically I couldn’t find a gym, I still found a way to train. I ran up the steps of the Park Lane Hotel where I was staying, all 46 stories, and by the end I was completely schvitzy and my legs got an incredible pump.
You don’t need a gym to be fit. I’ve written a program for all of you. You can do it every other day and it will cover all of your muscle groups.
The system is simple. If an exercise says 50 reps, you are doing 50 reps however you can. You can do 10 sets of 5 reps, 5 sets of 10 reps, 2 sets of 25 reps. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you finish 50 reps with perfect form. Once you complete the reps of one exercise, move on to the next exercise.
A note on form: if you cheat at an exercise, you are only cheating yourself. Don’t let your ego do the movements for you. You might want to show off to me or your friends and do 50 push-ups in one set, but if you can’t do them with perfect form, I’ll be more impressed by 5 sets of 10 perfect push-ups.
I have given repetition guidelines for beginners who don’t train very often and for more advanced trainers. But if you have actually never worked out, spend your first few workouts just getting used to the movements. I don’t want you to force yourself through 25 rows or knee-bends and then be unable to do the workout again in two days because you are too sore. And adjust the exercises for yourself – if a push-up is too much, instead of putting your hands on the floor, put them on a counter to make the movement a little easier. If a dip between chairs is too much, use your feet on the floor to take some of the weight off of your upper body. Don’t feel bad about working your way up to the full workout – we all start somewhere.
You aren’t adding weight like you would be in the gym, but you can still track your progress. If you could do 5 perfect push-ups today, do 6 in your next workout. Track the number of sets it takes you each time to hit your total reps, and watch as the number of sets goes down over time.
Here is your workout:
Pushups
Beginner: 25 Reps
Advanced: 50 Reps
Dips between chairs
Beginner: 20 Reps
Advanced: 50 Reps
Row between chairs
Beginner: 30 Reps
Advanced: 50 Reps
Sit-ups
Beginner: 30 Reps
Advanced: 100 Reps
Bent-leg raises
Beginner: 25 Reps
Advanced: 50 Reps
Bent-over twists
Beginner: 25 Reps
Advanced: 50 Reps
Knee bends (squats)
Beginner: 25 Reps
Advanced: 50-70 Reps
Calf raises
Beginner: 25 Reps
Advanced: 50 Reps
Chin-ups
Beginner: 10 Reps
Advanced: 30 Reps
We’ll get through this together, and hopefully, we’ll all emerge in a few weeks fitter than ever. Let’s do this.
Edit: please don’t use your money to give me awards! My after-school program is providing meals to their families, give them the money instead. www.afterschoolallstars.org
Here are some of our top Ultimate Action movie picks for March 2020.
It’s officially time get your stream on o’clock here at the Ultimate Action Movie Club! If you’re stuck inside and feeling blue, then there’s only one thing that can instantly guarantee a pick-me-up. And that’s a heavy dose of ultimate action!
And Netflix is still the world leaders in online streaming. Whether it’s on your laptop, your phone or any of your streaming devices like your smart TV, Roku, Amazon Fire stick, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, TiVO or anything else. We have some of the best action movie selections that are full of great, mind-numbing ultimate action!
Gotta start off with our man Scott Adkins. He’s basically the ultimate reincarnation of Jean-Claude Van Damme (not that he’s dead, but from where his career peaked in the 1980s/01990s). It’s a fascinating lens to watch how Adkins has taken the lead for a new generation of action stars, and this British beat-’em-up by the up-and-coming director Jesse V. Johnson fits the bill. Watch it here!
From action movie future to action movie past, Dirty Harry is probably the best example of a prototypical action star of the golden era (1980s and 1990s, read more about it here). Clint Eastwood is also the fitting star to transverse the 1960s western genre into the bounty hunter lawman cop – now in a suit – but still brandishing a Smith & Wesson. And Dirty Harry remains as the tentpole for a hugely successful and absolutely ultimate franchise. Watch it here!
While Netflix might leave you searching a bit more for classic action titles than some of the other streaming apps, their international programmers have done a great job of tracking down and snagging some of the best up-and-coming action stars from all across the globe. Take this under-the-radar Vietnamese actioner starring Ngo Thanh Van (who made a brief appearance in The Last Jedi) as an ultimate example of some kick-ass entertainment worthy of your time. Watch it here!
We also have to explore some of the best and biggest action blockbusters of our time. James Bond, not sure if you’re heard of him or not, but he’s this English gentleman / spy who likes to sip martinis and kick plenty of ass. At least by the 90s he was, and Pierce Brosnan’s GoldenEye might be the most kick-butt of the entire franchise, fitting perfectly in a top the box office during the heights of ultimate action. Watch it here!
Another Scott Adkins feature, Triple Threat might have been the littlest known mega-actioner of the past decade. Adkins is one small piece in a very ultimate action movie star cast also including Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Tiger Chen, Michael Jai White, Michael Bisping and Jeeja Yanin. Yeah, it slaps. Once again with Jesse V. Johnson at the helm we get so much ultimate action movie fights and sequences that you can watch it 10 times in a row (trust us, we have). Watch it here!
Netflix you’ve done it again! While we’re still waiting on the platform to drop the latest installment, Donnie Yen’s career defining performance as the legendary “Ip Man” (the famous grandmaster who trained Bruce Lee) is one of the best feats of martial arts cinema for our generation. Now is the perfect time to catch up on the trilogy before diving into the (hopefully) continuing saga. Watch it here!
It’s with great pride that we get to present a Quentin Tarantino movie as an “ultimate” action flick. You could make some great arguments for Reservoir Dogs and some of his other stylized creations to be action, but his cross-genre-isms make it hard to say, “yeah that’s definitely an action movie”. Uma Thurman in Kill Bill though, delivers enough hits, long and extremely well choreographed fight sequences and just badass-ness to warrant a UAMC viewing. Watch it here!
As mentioned above as a star of Triple Threat, Iko Uwais is fast rising as one of – if not the de facto – biggest action movie stars on the planet. And before he blows up any bigger (since apparently pairing with Mark Wahlberg in Mile 22 didn’t quite do it for him), you have to trace back through his roots and watch where it all started. Discovered by Gareth Evans, who eventually launched him with The Raid films, Merantau is actually their first feature together. Watch it here!
This one goes out to all those who might need a little reassurance than, especially in the world of big budget blockbuster action, that the good guys win and everything works out in the end. While more of a disaster film, Outbreak is a sneaky action classic. It has some very ultimate sequences with two great stars – Dustin Hoffman and Cuba Gooding Jr. – together fighting one of the deadliest forces known to mankind. Watch it here!
Finally, going to leave you with one more Iko Uwais banger to tide you over until our next list. I actually caught this at Fantastic Fest back in 2018 and this Indonesian action thriller is just another example that the ultimate action movie tradition of the 80s and 90s in America wasn’t lost, it was just picked up overseas to continue the rich tradition of smart, fast and very ultimate action. Watch it here!
Just to keep the list going, here are some additional UAMC-approved actioners to dive into at night (or heck, even to kickstart your morning). Check them out below:
The latest book from the legendary action director Sam Firstenberg!
Throughout time, we’ve had many great filmmakers who’ve tackled the action genre. Don Siegel. Sam Peckinpah. Walter Hill. Richard Donner. John Mctiernan. Exceptional filmmakers who made iconic action movies that have shaped our minds and stayed with us for as long as we can remember. One of those filmmakers was the incomparable Sam Firstenberg.
Firstenberg is without a doubt one of the most revered directors in all of action cinema with works like the quintessential Cannon Group 80s action classic American Ninja, as well as American Ninja 2: The Confrontation, Avenging Force, Cyborg Cop 1 & 2, American Samurai, just to name a few. He has also worked with such amazing action stars like the icon himself Michael Dudikoff, David Bradley, Bryan Genesse, Frank Zagarino, and the immortal one himself, the late, great Steve James.
Now, a new book from author Marco Siedelmann is bringing us the true tale of the legend himself for us to take in. And I must say, it is glorious!
Told in interview format, this massive 750 page book covers everything from his early days, to the golden years of Cannon, to his days at Nu Image, all the way up to now. And when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING!
Simply put, this is an action fan’s dream come true. An epic life lived and told by one of the founding fathers of not only 80s action, but 90s action as well. But it’s not just Firstenberg giving up the goods.
We also get a who’s who of guest appearances from past collaborators such as Dudikoff, Genesse, Steve Lambert, Keith Vitali, Lucinda Dickey, Michael Chambers, Adolfo Quinones, Judie Aronson, Tadashi Yamashita, as well as an archive interview from Steve James.
This book is such an incredible journey through time. And Siedelmann is a wonderful tour guide, maintaining such an insightful, engaging and entertaining conversation with Firstenberg. I especially loved reading their back and forth over the classics, where Firstenberg reveals such tidbits as Steve James’ hatred of Avenging Force, his creative battles with David Bradley, working with young Mark Dacascos, and so on.
Any drawbacks? I wish they could’ve gotten David Bradley to participate in some way with the book. But I know he’s retired from the film industry and has moved on with his life. Still, it would’ve been cool if he could’ve at least given Siedelmann 5 minutes. But hey, if he couldn’t get him, that’s fine. The book is a blast without him.
All in all, this is an absolutely fantastic read about a legendary filmmaker that every action purist should have in their collection. I cannot recommend this enough!
To give you more of a glimpse, check out the table of contents and some more ultimate images from the book below!
Got Amazon Prime? Well then we got the hookup for some Ultimate Action Movie Club-approved classics!
As a PSA to action movie fans all over the world: don’t let getting stuck inside limit your ULTIMATE action movie watching! Yes, you can always (and should always) work your way through your VHS collection first and foremost. But even those after a while might leave you wanting more.
One great resource for action-heads is in the vast libraries of Amazon Prime. If you aren’t a member, you should consider it. Especially if you’re a student. It’s also great as a streaming app to download to your smart TV, Roku, Amazon Fire stick, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, TiVO or anything else that applies.
And Amazon Prime has millions of action movies to choose from (most of which that can be rented or purchased thru Prime), they also have a very ultimate selection of UAMC-approved action movies.
Movie #1. Bloodsport. End of list! This is all you need to get through several months of action movie watching. It’s no secret that we love Bloodsport here at the Ultimate Action Movie Club. We’ve written about it, time, and time, and time, and time, again. It’s the movie that keeps on giving! From the ultimate training montage, to “brick not hit back”, to the gratuitous scene of Forest Whitaker chasing Van Damme around Hong Kong, this is the one you have to watch right now. Seriously. Watch it here!
Good thing you’re still reading this article because #2 on our list is – just about – as awesome. It also has Patrick Swayze in HIS most iconic role. And you can’t really pick Van Damme or Swayze over each other, it’s like ultimate apples and ultimate oranges. Road House needs no introduction beyond whatever promotional materials you’ve ever seen for it. Swayze plus Sam Elliot is one helluva rugged pairing. Watch it here!
A newer, modern take on the ultimate action movie genre, we have an against-type Vince Vaughn pulling out his meanest Stone Cold Steve Austin impression as he rattles and battles his way through one of the grind-iest action movies of the last several decades. S. Craig Zahler is a man of our ultimate hearts as he channels his inner John Carpenter to create a slow burn actioner indie that deserves your attention. Watch it here!
One of the more genre-niche films on this list, if you’re looking for an awesome teensplotation / vigilante action movie starring stalwart scream queens Linda Blair and Linnea Quigley, then look no further than Savage Streets. This 1984 actioner has all the b-movie mayhem that any film buff can handle and highly deservers your consideration. Watch it here!
Keeping the Jean-Claude Van Damme hits coming, we have one of my personal non-Bloodsport favorites of his: Sudden Death! Yes, you guessed it, it’s Van Damme’s turn to rip of Die Hard, but he does it so well! We also have Powers Boothe as the Hans Gruber and plenty of absolutely over-the-top action pieces that John McClane himself would be jealous of. Watch it here!
“When war hits the streets, no one is safe…” reads the tag of L.A. Wars. Another deep cut that you have to check out, L.A. Wars stars champion kickboxer Vince Murdocco in a surprising stunner of an actioner that checks every Ultimate Action Movie Club box that you can find. Watch it here!
How about some Arnold when you’re feeling blue? A huge blockbuster that is still highly regarded by action fans, it kind of gets lost still in the great careers of both Arnold and director James Cameron. But believe you me, True Lies is right there in that sweet spot of Arnold at the height of his game where he can be James Bond one moment, then a badass Commando in the next. Watch it here!
What Ultimate Action Movie Club screening night would be complete than to visit an old friend – Thomas Ian Griffith. And while Excessive Force might always be our TIG go to, Crackerjack delivers the goods. Like Van Damme in Sudden Death, or Seagal in Under Siege, it’s Griffith’s turn to take on the “Die Hard but in a…” and man, does he knock it down! Watch it here!
While we at the Ultimate Action Movie Club would never be so bold to say that this reboot starring Bruce Willis is better than the Charles Bronson original (or maybe even better than any of the great and ultimate sequels). We can make an argument that Willis actually brings a great new chapter to this saga with his interpretation that is still quite moody, modern and brilliant. Watch it here!
Finally, we have another Direct-to-Video classic which you probably missed. It’s Olivier Gruner kicking butts and taking names once again in Mercenary. This time, however, he’s pitted up with John Ritter for an ultimate buddy cop – of sorts – adventure that provides all the b-movie action shenanigans you can handle. Watch it here!
A look into how the legendary action director Kathryn Bigelow created the singular greatest achievements in cinema ever!
In honor of Women’s History Month let’s take a look back Point Break a classic piece of action cinema directed by Kathryn Bigelow. This is the movie that solidified Keanu Reeves as a movie star and reminded everyone why Patrick Swayze had been one for so long.
What makes Point Break so great? I could say everything and while that would be cliche it wouldn’t be wrong. Point Break is the kind of action movie all action movies only dream of being.
We can talk about Keanu Reeves all day. He’s a national treasure. A hero who doesn’t wear a cape but let’s start by talking about Patrick Swayze. If he’d only done Road House he would be an action icon but he went on to do so much more and transformed himself into a legend. Point Break would be the cherry on top of his entire career. His performance as the bank robbing, righteous surfer Bodhi was a transcendent moment in film history. The idea of a charismatic villain, while not original (James Earl Jones in Conan the Barbarian) became an action staple from Raoul Silva in Skyfall to Villanelle on the TV show Killing Eve.
Bigelow brought out some great work from both actors along with the rest of the cast. Lori Petty also stars as Tyler Endicott and despite being the only key female role she makes it immensely memorable. Lori Petty, recently starred on Orange is the New Black, but after roles like this and Tank Girl she deserved so much more from Hollywood. She made every scene better and actually had some chemistry with Reeves, a rarity in most of his films. Beyond this movie and Speed I can’t recall a single Reeves film that had real, honest chemistry. Love Keanu but not quite one of his strengths. Sorry Ted “Theodore” Logan.
Bigelow also creates some incredible action scenes. That’s why we’re all here right? The action! And this action is flawless. The bank robbing scenes certainly feel like they must have influenced Michael Mann’s Heat. No small feat considering how well respected that film has become. The action is visceral, the camera keeps moving and the editing never gives you to time breathe while also making sure you as the audience never gets lost.
The action is impressive enough but Bigelow also had to masterfully figure out a way to film the various surfing scenes. This is no small task. Prior to this film the biggest surf movie was the documentary Endless Summer, hardly the movie you’d take notes from for filming heart-pounding surf footage. She handles the surfing moments with a confident style that immerses you in the scenes.
The fact that you might never consider the effort that went into these scenes is reason enough to celebrate and acknowledge this monumental effort. It’s hard to say what’s more edge of your seat, the action or the surfing. It’s enough to keep you hooked no matter what’s happening on screen.
This glorious piece of celluloid would be nothing if not for the talent of one Keanu Reeves. His aggressive almost angry approach is the perfect reflection of Swayze who is as Zen as you would expect him to be. Reeves’ one-liners from his brooding Johnny Utah character becomes one his most well-remembered characters right next to Neo and John Wick.
The movie culminates with an aerial ballet that for a short time felt like the thing Hollywood would try and emulate to little success much like the copy cats of Die Hard, primarily with the film Drop Zone. No need to discuss that. The scene itself is one of a kind filled with tension, drama and real character stakes. It isn’t simply punch and shoot. They fall and they argue and they argue some more. This divergence of character philosophies is not only a highlight of the scene but also a strong point of the movie.
It’s something that helps separate this film from most others of its time. You can have all the action scenes you want but if they’re not grounded in something empathetic the audience won’t care as much. This isn’t to say those movies can’t be fun (ie Firewalker) but a little empathy can go a long way.
Bigelow took Point Break from what could have been an average, almost forgettable film to something truly earth shattering thanks to some great casting and her fearless approach to taking charge of every scene. Thanks to her talent nothing falters. She leads the way and ensures that this film is nothing short of classic.
All the top ultimate action movies currently streaming – FOR FREE – on the Vudu app.
Tired of not knowing what action movies to watch? Well let us here at the Ultimate Action Movie Club help ya out. Because we know action! And not just regular action, but ULTIMATE action. We’re talking about those classics from the 1980s and 1990s, when action movies were awesome. And just because you might not have all your VHS anymore, here are some options online.
Today we’re looking at the best ultimate action movies streaming on Vudu, which is an app that you can download on your Roku, Amazon Fire stick, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, TiVO or anything else just searching it or following the link here!
Note: while you can make a paid account for new releases, these are a list of the FREE MOVIES which you can access by simply creating a free account and skipping the payment section. Do it online here!
We have to start with one of the best action movies of all time! Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in the original Lethal Weapon. Not only is this the best buddy cop movie of all time, it might just be the best action movie of all time. (It’s also our pick for the best Christmas movie of all time!) Richard Donner directs this Shane Black script to perfection and it is every bit deserving of its sequels and a watch here now today. Watch it here!
Bonus! Vudu is actually currently streaming all the sequels! And while Lethal Weapon 2 might be the best of the lot outside of the original (you disagree? Well then respond in the comments!) we have to absolutely recommend that you stream them all over and over again until your brain melts in UAMC-ultimateness. Watch it here!
My personal favorite on this list. And in fact, I’d argue my favorite ultimate action movie of all time. We have Point ‘M-F-ing’ Break streaming on the Vudu app! There are no better performances by the likes of UAMC greats Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves and Gary Busey. And man, the action direction from Kathryn Bigelow is on that next level. Seriously, put this on now! Watch it here!
No, Point Blank is not a sequel to Point Break. It’s its own unique animal starring literal animal Mickey Rourke at his action movie peak. This is what UAMC is all about, these under-the-radar lower budget B-movie actioners that slap harder than they have any business slapping. Plus we have Danny Trejo – what more do you want! Watch it here!
One of the members of our UAMC hall of fame, Chuck Norris deserves no introduction. YET, if you haven’t seen him in Lone Wolf McQuade, I’d argue that you haven’t seen the man at all. As Ranger J.J. McQuade (yes, he’s a Texas Ranger), we have Chuck in his most ultimate form as he single-handedly creates the ultimate action movie tradition as he blends western cowboy, action movie cop and martial arts master all at the same time. Watch it here!
Forget Star Wars, Starship Troopers is the greatest ultimate action sci-fi movie of all time! There so much to love about this space war saga brought to us by Robocop stalwarts director Paul Verhoeven and writer Edward Neumeier. These dudes know action! They also know satirical comedy, great characters and some of the best effects that have actually aged quite ultimately. Watch it here!
Probably gonna get some fists thrown our way for this one, but in light of actually watching the Jean-Claude Van Damme classic Kickboxer (which you should do!), Vudu offers a very surprisingly great alternative as well. Kickboxer 2 stars Sasha Mitchell in lieu of JCVD, but still very much kicks just as much ass. Watch it here!
Everything about Last Man Standing is awesome on paper. Bruce Willis plus Walter Hill in a prohibition-era remake of a Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo, plus throw-ins Christopher Walken and Bruce Dern. That should be a mega-franchise! For whatever reason, it didn’t become a box office hit. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t appreciate some Willis / Hill greatness in what is always an enjoyable feature. Watch it here!
Oh man, I can’t really explain this movie in one paragraph. So much of what makes Surviving the Game great is the performances. We have a UAMC all-star cast pitting Ice-T up against Garey Busey, Rutger Hauer and that jealous composer dude from Amadeus. Man might be the deadliest game, but Ice-T is the most ultimate version of the hunter turning into the hunted. Watch it here!
So… Knightriders is a movie that you kinda just have to see to believe. George A. Romero creates a story that – almost 40 years later – feels so fresh, different and ridiculous that it’s worth seeing just for the concept: medieval jousting knights, but on motorcycles. Boom! What? And it’s not a horror! It’s a drama / action movie. Watch it here!
That’s just our shortlist. There are plenty of other ultimate options on Vudu currently. All for free – with ads. Check out some more selections below.
Let’s get one thing abundantly clear: Die Hard 2 was a humongous deal for moviegoers back in the summer of 1990. If you lived around that time in your teenage or adult years chances are you saw the previews, the billboards, interviews on late-night shows, the full-page adds in the newspapers with glowing reviews. “It’s the best of the blockbusters!”, announced Joel Siegel on Good Morning America. 20th Century Fox was confident to open it on the Fourth of July weekend and you can bet theaters were jam-packed with moviegoers all across the board.
It amazes me in this era of fast-paced media interaction and screen accessibility that the majority of commentators dismiss this action-packed sequel like none of the build-up, expectations, and first reactions from the multitude as they walked out of the theater never meant a thing. Nowadays many go the usual route, hailing the first one as the best ever (which it surely is!) or cramming all the entries -five so far- to see which ones are disposable or not. Even its lead Bruce Willis has been on record saying it’s one of his least favorite.
Well, excuse me. Die Hard 2: Die Harder was not only one hell of a good time at the movies, it is to this date the closest to a Die Hard sequel out there. It was released two years shy after the original, so the John McClane character and his way of facing adversity was still very fresh on people’s minds. Producer Joel Silver, alongside Charles and Lawrence Gordon (they conformed Silver Screen Partners IV) were still in command and brought back screenwriter Steven E. De Souza, now sharing credits with Doug Richardson instead of Jeb Stuart, and music composer Michael Kamen. Not only did Willis reprise his moviestar-making role, audiences were pleased to see Bonnie Bedelia again as Holly “McClane”, William Atherton as the unscrupulous reporter Richard Thornberg and, although briefly, Reginald VelJohnson as Sargeant Al Powell.
Two key players behind the camera that didn’t come back due to commitments on The Hunt for Red October were director John McTiernan and cinematographer Jan De Bont. And it shows. One could only wonder what the results would have been with their involvement. The former eventually returned to the series with Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) and the latter was already calling his own shots in Speed (1994).
Hiring a young Finnish and yet-to-be-proven Renny Harlin, alongside DP Oliver Wood, was a big gamble. That year the same studio gave Stephen Hopkins (also an up-and-comer) the reigns of the another McTiernan-less sequel: Predator 2. And both turned out highly competent if you ask me. You could sense that the foundations of the formula and structure were intact, but the energy in the way they were told was somewhat different. Die Harder delivered true to its words. It was bigger, faster, bloodier, heavier on the one-liners, and ultimately colder. It was set yet again around Christmas, only this time on a busy and very snowy Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C.
“Oh, man, I can’t fucking believe it. Another basement, another elevator. How can the same shit happen to the same guy twice?”, complains McClane inside the furnace of the new setting, always thinking out loud like he were sitting next to some other member of the audience.
Long gone are Hans Gruber and his band of fully armed thieves. For this occasion the antagonists are a group of ex-military men lead by Colonel Stuart, played with stone cold intensity by William Sadler. He has one of the best villainous introductions in movie history: practicing Tai Chi, naked, in his hotel room while the expository newscast covers the extradition of General Ramon Esperanza (Django himself Franco Nero). You can see the inprint from screenwriter De Souza as the fictitious Republic of Val Verde is borrowed directly from Commando (1985), which he also wrote, only this time it’s subbing for Panama and its overthrown dictator Manuel Noriega, although in the movie the character looks more like Fidel Castro.
This is the first indication that Die Hard series has now entered the movie-movie world and guys like McClane and John Matrix existed in the same universe. Remember subtleties like the rumor that Arafat bought his John Phillips suits in London? That doesn’t apply here.
How Do You Make a Sequel of a Perfect Action Movie?
Honestly, Die Hard didn’t require a sequel. It is perfect as it is. I happened to find out there was a one the moment I caught the trailer on a Saturday afternoon while visiting some relatives who owned one of those huge satellite dishes. I remember some scenes from the airport, a military squad coming in response to a threat and the alert inside the control tower. In-between sequences the title was spliced by a letter. D… I… E… H… Like Wheel of Fortune, I was figuring out the name Die Hard (?) when… number 2 appeared, now cutting to John McClane, who comes rolling out over the floor to dodge some bullets, aiming his gun back and shooting at the viewer. I literally jumped out of the couch. Unbelievable! My instant second reaction was: What would his purpose be this time? He killed all the bad guys in the first one. Or did he?
One possible scenario came to mind. Straight from Argyle’s mouth, the limo driver outside of what was left of Nakatomi: “If this is their idea for Christmas, I gotta be here for New Year’s”. Perhaps on his way back to New York to settle pending commitments, McClane is intercepted at LAX not by poser thieves but by the real terrorists, ex-comrades of Gruber from the earlier days, in retaliation to his actions.
I happened to watch Die Harder twice in theaters some months later with my parents and siblings (yep, Die Hard is kinda a family thing). It was my first weekend off military boarding school (I was there by choice, although grades from my previous school would say otherwise). It was like a gift from heaven. My first reaction was a glimpse of nostalgia over the first one, but what a great ride this new one was.
A true sequel would have started with McClane at the hospital recovering from his flesh wounds, specially his cut foot. Then you’d have authorities coming in and out of his room to question him, like it happens to Bradley Cooper in The Place Beyond the Pines (2012). Holly would be by his side, at some point bringing Lucy and Jack to reunite them with their father. The media outside trying to get a scoop on the heroic cop. Later own, an investigation would force the New York policeman to go back into Nakatomi and explain West Coast officials where he hid originally, how he confronted the perpetrators one by one. This would make him face the aftermath of his actions while contemplating the wreckage and the victims that were left behind. McClane is emotionally broken at this point. He has trauma. Some detractors, like Dwayne T. Robinson, keep coming at him to falsely accuse him of being part of the heist. Will the newfound romance with his wife last? Together, he and his buddy Al Powell cope with everything while the kids are playing Jungle Jim in the backyard and eating ice cream.
But nobody goes to Die Hard to watch a drama. As a moneymaking rule in Hollywood every sequel stays true the bloodline of its genre. And then some. Fittingly so, a prerequisite to helm an entry of this caliber seems to call for a director who has made his bones through some elements of gore. McTiernan as we know tackled Predator, while Harlin dreamed of A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988).
Every death must be larger-than-life. One bad guy gets shot in the knees while running immediately jumps head-on to a thick office window. That’s a “die hard” moment. What Harlin brought to the sequel was truer to a horror catalogue: head gets smashed by a luggage compressor, construction ladder breaks a guy’s spine in half, sticking an icycle into someone’s eye, getting sucked by a 747 turbine…
Then you have McClane against the odds. “So much for the element of chance”, as Stuart would say believing that the man has died. No other sequel justified his return like the scene he ejects his seat out of the exploding military plane. That money shot of Willis flipping out in the air is all entertainment. “You lucky fuck”, says the voice of Don Harvey, playing one of the mercenaries. Nobody at my screening was not laughing right then and there. Kudos to Industrial Light & Magic, the company responsible for the visual effects.
Besides those super delayed hand-grenades or falling from the wing of the plane without a broken bone, the character was kept mostly grounded. There was still a human side to him. He bled, sweated, and even cried. Notice how he walks in the airport at the beginning when he comes to pick up his wife. He’s not a celebrity, just another individual walking among the crowd. He still smokes. When he randomly bumps into the villain, both men seem familiar to one another. “I get that a lot. I’ve been on TV”, says Stuart, to which McClane replies: “Yeah, me too” (Moonlighting, anyone?).
Nosy female reporter Samantha Coleman (Sheila McCarthy is likable in the role) does recognize him on the spot while awaiting for the deposed military man to arrive in Washington. “The ghost of Christmas past!”, she greets him in one of the terminals, as does the stubborn airport police chief Carmine Lorenzo (Dennis Franz at his ranting best) in his office. And one crisis one platoon leader Major Grant (John Amos, another great supporting player) angrily admits: “You’re the wrong guy in the wrong place at the wrong time”. McClane’s reply? “Story of my life”. Classic!
Later on in the game it only takes to mention the hero’s last name through walkie-talkies for Stuart to finally remember and sum him up: “Oh, McClane. John McClane. The policeman hero who saved the Nakatomi hostages. I read about you in People magazine. You seemed a bit out of your league on Nightline, I thought”. Funny to compare that Hans Gruber was the type of man who read his articles in Forbes and Time… and somehow must have missed 60 Minutes.
That McClane is now a L.A. officer to live with his wife and kids and that Thornberg got two of his teeth knocked out by Holly (and now have to face her and interact without a truce on the same commercial flight to Dulles) are the minor aftermaths that have evolved from the prior events. Is kinda brilliant that every tidbit here and there blends into the story accordingly, considering that it is the adaptation of the Walter Wager book 58 Minutes. Add to the fact that it’s totally unrelated to the Roderick Thorpe novel Nothing Lasts Forever, the source material to the events in… oh, you know that already.
The second Die Hard benefits from being the adaptation of an established property, too. It’s not just that the setting has changed to an airport or the one-liners have gotten broader: “Hey, Carmine, let me ask you something. What sets off that metal detector first? The lead in your ass or the shit in your brains?”. It’s also about how the character fits into the new plot: mercenaries take over airport to retrieve dictator to his freedom while keeping dozens of planes hostages in the air.
That’s one hell of a premise, sure, but there must be some sacrifices to keep the bigger picture going. There are more places for McClane to run around, he’s not as isolated anymore and is fully clothed this time around. One minute he can argue with those in charge of the air traffic control tower (Fred Dalton Thompson and Art Evans… man, does this cast get any better?), the other he finds a sidekick in an underground janitor named Marvin (Tom Bower), who listens to Patty Page’s Old Cape Cod on a record player, makes references to past US wars and knows every corner of the airport. The media is even painted on a brighter side, although pricks like Thornberg like the blow the whistle and spread panic (the chaos at the airport was very well staged). Even authority figures like Lorenzo might turn in McClane’s favor this time with the right amount of blanks fired. But John always ends up walking the walk alone, with his shoes on this time.
Die Harder doesn’t waste any time. It starts with the sounds of the words -and number- colliding together on the big screen. It opens and closes with McClane’s in-law’s car getting towed only to have the fine pardoned by the end of the incredible ordeal. The first action set piece clocks in at the fifteen minute mark and it involves emergency lights, steam and steel structures. There’s an icy blue feel in Wood’s camera that contrasts the brown and grey edges of De Bont’s in the first one. The pacing is fast and efficient, thanks to maverick editor Stuart Baird. It’s broad. Characters abound on the ground as they do up in the sky. The march of Colonel Stewart and his men getting out in a hallway and into the elevators in cover formation with the doors closing with them inside is pretty cool. Kamen’s score is more playful in looser segments while attuned to the fundamental key notes of the character’s dilemma.
With McTiernan we had a slower build-up abrogated with Beethoven’s Ode to Joy (Ninth Symphony, Fourth Movement) while Harlin goes for extreme gamesmanship like the snowmobile chase and technological achievements of the era that included air phones and faxes to identify a dead man’s fingerprints (McClane thinks progress peaked with frozen pizza). By the time we have reached the spectacular annex skywalk shoot-out the viewer is sucked in. “Damn it, I hate it when I’m right”. We’re back in Die Hard territory, baby, no questions about it. You barely know there’s a thing called reality outside the walls of the theater.
One glaring plot hole involves the Justice Department representatives that had no comments when their presence at the airport was first reported. They’re nowhere to be seen for the rest of the movie. Was it really just routine? Then there’s a worn-out twist by now that caught many off-guard back in the day, hinted minutes before during a firefight that involved red tape and blue tape mags. However, once you’re caught in the middle of the spectacle you don’t rush to such hints or jump to quick conclusions. The rollercoaster is still going.
I’m drawing these impressions from a 70 MM screening I happened to catch at the Alamo Drafthouse in downtown Austin a couple of Christmases ago. It was a grandeur. Movies like these belong up there, never on TV. Such edge, vibrant colors and rousing noises at play… it’s criminal to just own it in a cramped box set movie collection. (Mr. Harlin, if you are reading this, a new 4K transfer, special edition and/or director’s cut would be much appreciated).
Now, Bruce Willis. The man was at his peak at this point. Die Hard was a runaway hit in ’88 and this project was to be his first tentpole as an established star. McClane’s everyman was a welcomed return by action fans. Turns out his wit and determination, mixed with a little bit of sarcasm and street-smartness, was still pretty much needed. In our eyes he is the hero. Flawed, foul-mouthed but good-hearted. To other characters in his surroundings he is very much a pain in the ass.
He asks an airport staffer if he has the key to the door after witnessing some early suspicious activity and flashes his badge with arrogance. “Because I want you to open it up. That’s why”. He can also be gentle. When the car dealership lady flirts with him, he in return shows his wedding ring. “Just the fax, ma’am. Just the fax”. Then you have the defeated and humane moments after the shocking crash of a British airliner. “I wanted to help those people tonight. I was pretty goddamn useless”, he laments.
Other delightful character treats abound when he talks to himself, ranging from “Oh, we are just up to our ass in terrorists again, John?” to “Just once, I’d like a regular, normal Christmas. Eggnog, a fuckin’ Christmas tree, a little turkey. But, no. I gotta crawl around in this mutherfuckin’ tin can”. All leading up to his signature “Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker!”, where he finally acknowledges to the audience the genesis of his own heroics last time around, right before he is about to blow the enemy’s getaway plane up in flames, thus creating the much needed landing lights for the other “stranded” aircrafts.
Yes, it seems repetitive that he’s out saving his wife again and ride off to the sunset to the tune of Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! by Vaughn Monroe one more time (… for old times sake?). When John finally reunites with Holly, she says she was told there were terrorists in the airport. “Yeah, I heard that too”, replies the husband, all banged-up and a bloody mess. Another rousing laughter from the audience.
Nevertheless, much more was at stake this time. Earlier when it was suggested that the planes flying around might run out of fuel and land on the White House lawn, there’s a quick cut of McClane not liking the sound of that. The character became the unwarranted patriotic banner the summer of 1990 needed (a month later after its release the Gulf War started). He’s not only out there risking his neck for someone he loves and save thousands of innocent people along the way, he is also up to defend the United States and its Presidency, namely George Bush, Sr. “I don’t like to fly”, reminds us McClane when he hops in a TV news helicopter. “So, what are you doing here?”, asks reporter Coleman. His reply is true national sentiment: “I don’t like to lose, either”.
It was unfortunate Willis didn’t embrace that Great American Action Hero title for long as he expressed he was done with the series and wanted to return to his comedic origins with Hudson Hawk (1991). And we know how “that” turned out (note: I really like Hudson Hawk). He and producer Silver would bounce back a fourth time with The Last Boy Scout before the partnership split for good. Because in this world of action and mayhem nobody wants to go on a whimper, everybody wants to die hard. Or die harder. Accept no substitutes.
Feeling quarantined? Here are the best action movies available to watch FREE on the Tubi app.
For all those across the world that are sitting on their couch staring at a blank TV screen. Don’t worry! It might seem like there are somehow both too many options and too few to choose from. But listen to your heart. You should be watching an ULTIMATE action movie right now!
So, the question is: what ULTIMATE action movie? And also, where do you want to watch it? One platform that is available for FREE to everyone is the Tubi app. If you have any sort of smart TV, Roku, Amazon Fire stick, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, TiVO or anything else all you need to do is DOWNLOAD THE APP. (You can also access Tubi online here.)
And even better yet – for your viewing pleasure – here are the Ultimate Action Movie Club’s recommended top 10 best action movies currently streaming on Tubi. Check them out!
One of our top ranked ultimate action movies of all time, this is hands down the Chuck Norris of Chuck Norris movies! If you haven’t watched it, you absolutely have to watch it now. And if you have seen it, you absolutely have to revisit it time and time again! Seriously, it’s Chuck at his most ultimate best. Watch it here!
A little off the beaten path, The Hunted is a great drama and action filled thriller pitting Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio del Toro against each other. Directed by William Friedkin we basically get a story of dueling Rambos in the woods. It has all the twists, turns and great action sets that you’ll want to keep your mind sharp. Watch it here!
If you’re a traditional 80s and 90s action movie fan but haven’t given many of the “newer” stars a chance yet, now is the time to check out Michael Jai White in all his ultimate glory. While the movie didn’t “land” with audiences enough to warrant the action-franchise sequels it promised, it is still a hum-banger of an actioner that showcases the ultimate potential of Jai White’s star power. Watch it here!
Thank you Tubi for keeping some of the great JCVD classics going! If you’ve seen Bloodsport a million times and want to try out something else by the Van Damme man, then look no further than Lionheart. Directed by UAMC-friend and notable Van Damme partner Sheldon Lettich (read our full interview with Lettich here), we get Jean Claude in one of his most raw and viseral performances. Watch it here!
While one can debate the merits of having in consideration for an “Ultimate” action movie, there is no doubt that this quasi-modern actioner slaps. Hard! It’s like flipping through a comic book drawn up by the most ultimate fans of The Matrix and Scorsese’s Mean Streets, but then with tons of over-the-top craziness thrown in. It’s a great action flick to put on repeat and check out scene by scene. Watch it here!
Good god what an ultimate treat! You might not know the name the same way you know, say, James Bond, but after you watch Burt Ward in action you’ll shout from the rooftops how Remo Williams is the ultimate American Bond. It’s cheesy, it’s awesome. It has some killer performances. And it’s a great action movie watching experience for the whole family. Watch it here!
A personal favorite of mine, Rutger Hauer in Wanted: Dead or Alive is essential ultimate action movie viewing in my book. It’s also notable for being the remake of a serialized cowboy tv show from the a bygone era brought masterfully into the 80s action lexicon. But you don’t have to get all heady about it, just bask in the glory of Hauer being the best action movie cop since Stallone’s Marion Cobretti. Watch it here!
Ha, no one said this list was going to be all great movies. In the case of Highlander II: The Quickening, we have a great example of how an action movie doesn’t have to make any damn sense – or even at times be good – to still be ULTIMATE and awesome! No movie perplexes more while being so downright explosive and action-filled than Highlander II. Put it on and I’ll guarantee that while you cringe at times, you’ll laugh and cheer even more. Watch it here!
More Van Damme! More Van Damme! Thank you Tubi for keeping JCVD at the forefronts of our mind. In Hell is another classic Van Damme actioner that deserves much more love than its Bloodsport, Kickboxer and Hard Target brethren. Ringo Lam is a great action director and a 2003 prison fight-em-up setting is amble space for Jean-Claude to flex his action movie muscles. Watch it here!
Similar to Michael Jai White above, Scott Adkins is one of those chosen few action stars to take on the ceremonial UAMC crown of the modern equivalent to the names like Arnold, Stallone and Van Damme. And Ninja II: Shadow of a Tear, director Isaac Florentine showcases Adkins charismatic, power kicking ultimateness off in spades. If you’re ready to go down a deep and awesome Adkins wormhole, this is a perfect place to start. Watch it here!
No Time to Die just yet, so let’s look back at the 80s Bond action classic ‘Licence to Kill‘!
It was recently announced that No Time to Die would be delayed until November due to world health concerns. It would have been the first James Bond film not released in the fall since Licence to Kill.
Let’s take a look back this 007 entry which debuted in the United States on July 14th 1989. Despite its mixed quality James Bond never stood a chance in the summer getting unceremoniously crushed by Tim Burton’s Batman.
The second and ultimately last Timothy Dalton film took the fun, quippy style of his first outing and traded it in for something much darker and crueler. Gone is Bond’s sense of fun. He no longer rides on the back of cellos or battles headphone wearing villains. Instead he wears a constant glower and does everything he can not to enjoy his job. This attempt at such a bland, incomprehensible devotion to idea of revenge wasn’t revisited with any ernest again until the lackluster film The Quantum of Solace.
Licence to Kill centers around Bond’s attempt to annihilate, Franz Sanchez, a vicious drug lord and dole out some vengeance for his good friend and longtime Bond ally Felix Leiter. Despite its masterfully dark tone, slow pace and bland locations the movie does know how have fun once in a while. Sharks eat people, pressurized chambers explode people and then there’s Benicio Del Toro, who just enjoys killing people.
These may not be the perfect ingredients for an action movie but they definitely don’t hurt. It’s all incredibly brutal but it’s also strangely unique. I defy you to list any number of movies that killed anyone using a pressurized chamber. It’s the kind of thing that puts Licence to Kill on the map.
Del Toro is a treasure unto himself and as always he manages to stand out here. He’s creepy, suave and sports the kind of bravado that Bond relishes destroying with little thought for anyone else’s pain and suffering. His bone-crushing death is one of the movie’s more memorable moments. Looking away is expected but impossible.
Gladys Knight’s Licence to Kill song that opens the film is a hidden gem among the many James Bond theme songs. A throaty, iconic number gave Knight some terrific high notes along with her first British top-ten hit since 1977.
Not everything stays rosey in Licence to Kill country. Eventually, Wayne Newton makes a cameo appearance as a phony TV evangelist. He’s the kind of actor who would need to say a prayer just to make it through a scene. Carey Lowell as Pam Bouvier doesn’t do much more to help the film stay above water. She’s about as flat and dry as almost everything else in the movie. Lowell struggles to overcome the movie’s tepid script and slow moving plot.
The end of the film finally ratchets up the action including a harrowing oil tanker chase and an explosion that reminds the audience Bond is not to be trifled with. Bond himself retains a personality that is never trifled with or all that terribly interesting. His dial is set to anger or really angry and no one and nothing changes that.
Licence to Kill may be an average Bond film but it still manages to let its hair down once in a while. If only those man-eating sharks got a few one-liners of their own.
All the martial arts fantasy ultra-violence that you can handle, baby!
You ever watch the action classic The Raid, and think to yourself “You know, this is good, but what would make this even better is if they were all fighting demons.”??
Well my friends, fret not, as I have just the movie for you! And it is called… Blood Hunters.
UAMC Reviews Blood Hunters
An avenging aswang killer teams up with a hybrid and a team of demon hunters to attack the lair of the most powerful underworld warlords, only to find themselves in a twisted trap and a fight to the death.
Blood Hunters: Rise of the Hybrids is the newest action packed production from writer/director/co-star Vincent Soberano (The Trigonal: Fight for Justice, Police Story: Lockdown) and it is a real treat for action fans. Featuring expert choreography and nice bloody kills, Blood Hunters is a damn good action packed time.
One thing I appreciated about it was how it allowed the audience to get to know our heroes and villains first. While the pace of the first half may be considered slow going by some, I found it kind of nice that a movie in this day and age would give us the time to get familiar with its characters.
But don’t worry folks, you don’t have to wait too long. At only 70 minutes, the movie moves pretty fast. And once the action hits, it hits like a supercharged freight train. The last 40 minutes are a non-stop barrage of bloody, martial arts carnage. And it is glorious!
Think The Raid meets From Dusk till Dawn, and you’ll immediately catch my drift. Bad ass martial arts and bloody, gory stabbings. That’s my kind of deal, and I loved every minute of it. Just a nice, frenzied bit of the old ultra-violence.
Any issues? Some of the editing choices were puzzling. A scene that looked like it should’ve been there instead went there. And the audio on one of the main demons should’ve been redone, as the fangs he wears make it kind of hard to understand him.
But other than that, I really enjoyed this. A rock ’em, sock ’em action/horror hybrid done well is really hard to come by these days, so enjoy the good ones when we get them. Good ones like Blood Hunters.
