Swashbuckler (1976)

Directed by James Goldstone (The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight, Rollercoaster, When Time Ran Out...)1976s Swashbuckler was unfortunately a flop at the box office when originally released. It's not a perfect film, but by my estimation the first 15 minutes (not to mention the film in it's entirety) of the movie better captures the spirit and excitement of The Pirates of the Caribbean ride than what's found in the recent big budget, cgi bloat-fests bearing the rides name.

Filmed in Mexico, the set pieces are incredible and the action keeps coming at a fairly steady pace. The cast is loaded with great actors. Fresh from Jaws, Robert Shaw looks to be having a blast as the pirates leader, James Earl Jones is his often shirtless right hand man, and a bewigged Peter Boyle is the corrupt and evil governor. Also on hand are: Geneviève Bujold, Beau Bridges, Geoffrey Holder, Avery Schreiber, Anjelica Huston, Tom Clancy, and a favorite character actor of mine, Sid Haig.

the trailer

the feature

The Crazies (1973)

Released in 1973, The Crazies (aka Code Name: Trixie or The Mad People) was directed by George Romero with many of the same crew/production staff from his ground breaking feature Night of the Living Dead and has since been the subject of a Hollywood remake.

The plot plays out as an unknown, untested bio-toxin is released into the drinking water supply of a small Pennsylvania town after a military plane crashes nearby. The toxin causes strong, visceral reactions in those exposed as it creates an unrestricted id with extremely violent urges. The government storms into town, establishes martial law, and begins a round up of the townspeople. Some folks are understandably leery of the occupying force and find themselves caught between the infected "crazies" and the increasingly trigger happy "peacekeepers" sent in to maintain order. Screen time is also given to scenes illustrating the government/military's ongoing attempts to quell and localize the growing problem by any means necessary.

the trailer

the feature

Thief (1981)

1981s Thief is Michael Mann's directorial debut. He also served as the screenwriter and producer. The film was based on the book The Home Invaders: Confessions of a Cat Burglar by Frank Hohimer aka real-life jewel thief John Seybold.

The stylishly filmed story follows James Caan as the title thief. He operates a very lucrative, high end burglar operation (with Jim Belushi as his assistant and Willie Nelson as his incarcerated mentor) that includes a used car dealership and a bar as fronts for his activities. After his middleman to the fence is killed while returning from the meeting with his sizable portion of the proceeds, his life is turned upside down in a series of trying and troubling encounters with the heavy hitters who have been fencing his stolen goods, unbeknownst to him, for years.

Curious to note that Thief was the film debut for actors James Belushi, William Petersen, Dennis Farina, John Kapelos, as well as Robert Prosky.

the trailer

the feature

Fort Apache, The Bronx (1981)

I have multiple airings on early eighties cable television to thank for turning me on to Fort Apache, The Bronx, a modern age noir, crime drama. Paul Newman stars as a veteran cop, trying to do good and keep on the straight and narrow while policing a very active section of New York City. Ken Wahl makes the scene as his equally minded partner with Ed Anser amping up his stern glares and barely checked anger as the newly installed captain. Exploitation favorite Pam Grier vies for a lions share of viewers attention in a too slim role as a malevolent junkie hooker.

During filming local resident groups protested the movies negative depiction of both the area and those living within and threatened to file lawsuits against the production.  

In 1982 director Daniel Petrie followed up Fort Apache, The Bronx with the oddly hypnotically watchable but poorly received Kenny Rogers vehicle Six Pack.

the trailer

the feature

Adiós Amigo (1976)

Released in 1976, Adiós Amigo was created following Richard Pryor's negative experience on the film Blazing Saddles. He had collaborated with Mel Brooks on the Blazing Saddles script and had planned on being cast as the town's new sheriff but his on screen involvement was snubbed. Pryor expressed this frustration to Fred Williamson, who disliked Brook's film for being too silly. Williamson wanted to provide Pryor a vehicle that would spotlight his comedic talents while also being an action packed western.

Proving very committed to the project, Williamson served as the screen writer, producer, director (this being the second feature he directed), as well as taking on a lead acting role. Allegedly the initial script was very brief, only a few pages in length, with Williamson hoping that Pryor could fill in the blanks with ad-libbed, improv comedy. Unfortunately, neither of the two principals were very enthusiastic about the completed film with Pryor even apologizing for it in a 1976 Ebony interview.

the feature

When Time Ran Out... (1980)

Producer Irwin Allen made this film towards the end of the disaster movie heyday. In this case, a volcano provides the destructive mayhem when it erupts near a newly constructed Pacific island resort, also threatening a local village. 

As is usually the case with his disaster films, Allen had a multitude of name actors under contract and this feature was loaded with stars, including: Paul Newman, Jacqueline Bisset, William Holden, Edward Albert, Barbara Carrera, Burgess Meredith, Ernest Borgnine, James Franciscus, and even Pat Morita. Legend has it that Paul Newman refused to appear in The Towering Inferno 2 and instead took this role to finish off a contractual obligation to Allen plus use his salary as seed money for his salad dressing company.

 

Dark of the Sun (1968)

Director Jack Cardiff's Dark of the Sun (1968) is a wild, action packed movie starring Rod Taylor as a mercenary leader on a mission in the Congo. Known to many primarily as an excellent cinematographer, but the same year as this film Cardiff also directed Marianne Faithfull in The Girl on a Motorcycle.