Under Siege (1992) – A Rewatched Quick Capsule Review

Under Siege (1992) – A Rewatched Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Under Siege was yet another Die Hard clone – this time it’s Die Hard… On A Boat.  With added Gary Busey.  At the height of his success Steven Seagal made what was then his biggest film and, to be fair to him, he’s never looked leaner or more sharp.  The central concept  is barking mad – former & current soldiers lead a hostile take over of a military ship for some reason that mostly you don’t care about.  Ultimately this is about Seagal being Seagal and beating the snot out of a LOT of bad guys. Which is something he does very well indeed.  There’s nothing new here, even for 1992, but years later the film still works well and is never dull.  So not groundbreaking but for sure it’s a whole lot of fun and well worth a rewatch.

Best Bit: Busey is obviously having the time of his life.

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Die Hard, Speed, Toy Soldiers 

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) – A Quick Capsule Review

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Other Cr*p

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is often considered to be a classic Christmas Movie. And whilst it’s not up there with the likes of Home Alone and Die Hard (Yes Die Hard IS a Christmas movie) it’s still pretty funny stuff, even if I am watching it for the first time some 30 years after it’s original release date.  Chase was always good value in the 80’s and early 90’s and gives it all here whilst the support cast equally seem to be enjoying themselves.  Yup time hasn’t always been kind but for the most part National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation deserves it rep as an essential Christmas text.

Best Bit: The Lights

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: Home Alone, Die Hard, Gremlins

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Die Hard (1988) – A Hall of Fame Quick Capsule Review

Die Hard (1988) – A Hall of Fame Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Hall of Fame Quick Review Uncategorized

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Die Hard is for sure the best action film of the 80’s.  Hell is probably the best action film ever made.  Directed by John McTiernan at the top of his game and starring Bruce Willis when he gave a fuck, Die Hard is a super tense, super creative genre defining (and creating) film that changed cinema forever.  But beyond the incredibly staged action, the tense script and the career making performances by Rickman & Willis, you forget just how beautifully shot Die Hard is. Dutch cinematographer (and now director) Jan de Bont creates a gorgeous film that breaks all the rules around lens fair as it makes the most of it’s confined spaces  Films genuinely don’t get any better than Die Hard and 31 years on it still holds up like it was made yesterday.  And yes… Die Hard IS a Christmas movie so there.

Best Bit: Lift shaft + C4 = Boom!

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Buy

If You Liked this Try: Die Hard 2: Die Harder, Die Hard: With A Vengeance, Speed

★★★★★★★★★★

 

Hall-of-Fame

 

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Henchman: The Al Leong Story (2019)- A Quick Capsule Review

Henchman: The Al Leong Story (2019)- A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
If you grew up watching action films in the 80’s & 90’s, whether you knew it or not you grew up watching Al Leong – the legendary henchman/stunt performer/action man with his distinctive Fu Manchu moustache and balding hair.  From Big Trouble In Little China to Die Hard, Lethal Weapon to Rapid Fire, Leong fought (and was killed by) them all.  This documentary tells his story, his rise to legendary status and the sad twists and turns that saw him sidelined from the early 2000’s.  It’s a hugely affectionate film, made by and featuring some heavyweight talent who all wax lyrical about the king of the henchmen.  From triumph to sadness, the film is an amazing tribute to a real unsung hero of action cinema.

Best Bit: The affection for Leong

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Buy

If You Liked this Try: Big Trouble In Little China, Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Rapid Fire

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Phil’s Quick Review’s 100 Best Films… #25-1

Phil’s Quick Review’s 100 Best Films… #25-1

by Phil's Quick Review A Blog

The final part of our run down of Phil’s Quick Review’s 100 Best Films as chosen by a select team of hosts, podcasters, fans and writers from Ross And Phil Talk Movies, The Smoking Lamb Podcast, Filmsploitation and the Phil’s Quick Review Facebook group.

And the winner is…

So here’s numbers 25-1…

 

 

 

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Podcast: Ross And Phil Talk… The 12 Films Of Christmas 

Podcast: Ross And Phil Talk… The 12 Films Of Christmas 

by RossAndPhil Ross and Phil Talk Movies The Podcasts

 

On this episode of the podcast we talk about our favourite Christmas movies and come ups with a final 12 recommended festive films.   You could say it’s the 12 Films of Christmas! Oh and for the record Die Hard is very much a Christmas movie…

Hosted by Award winning filmmaker Ross Boyask and blogger/writer/failed filmmaker Phil Hobden.

Films Discussed: Die Hard, Gremlins, Trading Places, National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, Batman Returns, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Scrooged, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Lethal Weapon In Bruges, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Elf, Love Actually, Home Alone, The Ref, Love Actually, It’s A Wonderful Life, Edward Scissorhands, Bad Santa, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Spectre, The Shape Of Water, Moonlight, la La Land

#RossAndPhil #RossAndPhilTalkMovies #MoviePodcasts #Podcasts

For more on Phil Hobden check out www.philhobden.co.uk , Twitter (@PhilQuickReview) and Instagram (RossAndPhilTalkMovies)
For more on Ross Boyask search @RossBoyask on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook

   

 

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Podcast: Ross And Phil Talk… 2018 Blockbuster Season

Podcast: Ross And Phil Talk… 2018 Blockbuster Season

by RossAndPhil Ross and Phil Talk Movies The Podcasts

On this episode of the podcast we talk about the summer (well kinda) 2018 blockbuster season whilst also picking our best and worst Summer blockbusters ever.  Ross ends up on a rant about football and makes a shocking revelation.  All this and more…

Hosted by Award winning filmmaker Ross Boyask and blogger/writer/failed filmmaker Phil Hobden.

Films Discussed: Jurassic Park 3, Sex And The City 2, Transformers: Age Of Extinction, Speed 2: Cruise Control, Star Wars: Attack of The Clones, Pearl Harbor, The Festival, Die Hard, Independence Day, The Spy Who Dumped me, Bridesmaids, The Meg, Avengers Infinity War, The First Purge, Antman & The Wasp, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Solo, Mission Impossible Fallout, Mission Impossible: Fallout, Skyscraper, Rampage, Spectre, Justice League, All The Money In the World, Equalizer 2, The Happytime Murders, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Incredibles 2, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Tag, Ocean’s 8, Deadpool 2, Sicario: Day of Soldado, The Meg

#RossAndPhil #RossAndPhilTalkMovies #MoviePodcasts #Podcasts

For more on Phil Hobden check out www.philhobden.co.uk , Twitter (@PhilQuickReview) and Instagram (RossAndPhilTalkMovies)
For more on Ross Boyask search @RossBoyask on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook

   

 

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Skyscraper (2018) – A Quick Capsule Review

Skyscraper (2018) – A Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review Uncategorized

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Skyscraper is probably the first time I’ve felt let down by a film starring Dwayne Johnson. Don’t get me wrong – he’s fine in it and the film could be far worse – but much like this years The Meg, the lean towards Chinese audiences (Box office… MONEY!!!!) seems rather forced.  And whilst The Meg (just) got away with it, here it feels all very cynical and by the numbers.  It’s also silly on a level that I haven’t seen in some time but is so unaware of itself it just comes off as a bit stupid.  With it’s tongue planted in cheek they MAY have pulled it off but in a film when even Dwayne Johnson seems bored you know it’s going to be a struggle.

Best Bit: Getting into the tower

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream

If You Liked this Try: The Towering Inferno, Rampage, The Fate Of The Furious, Die Hard

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Speed (1994) – A Classic Quick Capsule Review

Speed (1994) – A Classic Quick Capsule Review

by Phil Hobden Quick Review

Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Speed is one of the 90’s best action films.  And that’s saying something in a decade that gave us Point Break, Con Air and many more.  Director DeBont never topped his work here, a tight, tense, high concept premise that Reeves, Bullock and Hopper sold the shit out of.  What’s best about Speed is that years later (and this film was out in 1994) the film holds up so well.  Like Die Hard it’s a genre defining film that cemented Reeves and Bullock as stars.  Brilliant.

Best Bit: Pop Quiz Hot Shot…

Buy, Stream, Avoid: But

If You Liked this Try: Die Hard, Under Siege, Point Break 

★★★★★★★★★★

 

 

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Phil’s Top 5… Summer Blockbusters Of All Time

Phil’s Top 5… Summer Blockbusters Of All Time

by Phil Hobden Other Cr*p Top 5

Each week Phil, from Phil’s Quick Capsule Review, takes a look at a different movie or TV related Top Five… this time out: The Top 5 Summer Blockbusters Of All Time

 

Close but no cigar: Speed, Jurassic Park, Ghostbusters, Aliens, ET, Top Gun

 

5 – Die Hard (1988)
Possibly the best action film ever made, Die Hard is iconic from start to finish.

 

4 – Back To The Future (1985)
Innovate for it’s day, Back To The Future is still fantastic all this years later.

 

3 – Jaws (1975)
The original blockbuster.

 

2 – Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
One of the best sequels ever made, James Cameron’s second Terminator film is an action epic from start to finish full of iconic moments and groundbreaking FX.

 

1 – Star Wars (1977)
One of the best sci-fi action films of all time, Star Wars does everything right, cemented a legacy and still holds up all thee years later.