Will and Matt

JCVD writes, directs, stars in this... fighting tournament movie? Look, I'd like to explain in this summary how he's this street clown in New York and is chased by the mob, and abducted by pirates, and enters a fighting tournament, but really, just watch the movie to see what's up. Oh and James Bond is in this, and Annihilation's Raiden.

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!!

THE QUEST

dir. Jean-Claude Van Damme

starring: Jean-Claud Van Damme; Roger Moore; James Remar

Flash Gordon stars alongside John Saxon and the guy that played the Rusty Griswold in European Vacation to take down a kingpin in the most ridiculous way possible...

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!!

MAXIMUM FORCE

dir. Joseph Merhi

starring: Sam Jones; Sherrie Rose; Jason Lively

**Note: Our episodes are pre-recorded a few weeks in advance and it is with tremendous sadness that Richard Riehle - who is discussed in this episode - passed away a few days ago on October 15, 2026. A true legend of movies and tv. Will and myself send our deepest regards to his family and loved ones.**

This third in the Hard Time/Burt Reynolds made for TV films... we've covered the first previously, the second will come up whenever the randomizer picks it for us. Reynolds stars as a former cop and Durning stars as someone who wants badly to just go to sleep.

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

HARD TIME: HOSTAGE HOTEL

dir. Hal Needham

starring: Burt Reynolds; Charles Durning; Keith Carradine

The first appearance of Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan to hit the big screen (not our podcast however, thanks randomizer...) Will and Matt discuss the IRA, Sean Bean, and do a lot of accents.

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

PATRIOT GAMES

dir. Phillip Noyce

starring: Harrison Ford; Sean Bean; Anne Archer

We go back to cover the original basis for Point of No Return... this time directed by the brilliant and problematic Luc Besson. It's like Pygmalion but with weapons.
(Does contain spoilers for both La Femme Nikita as well as Point of No Return.)

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

LA FEMME NIKITA

dir. Luc Besson

starring: Anne Parillaud; Jean Reno; Tcheky Karyo

This 1990 film is an absolute MUST-SEE! Hands down, potentially the best film we have ever attempted to cover on this podcast. So legit, go watch it, and then come back here and listen to us wax poetic about how amazing this film is. Shiva might just be PEAK cinema.

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

SHIVA

dir. Ram Gopal Varma

starring: Nagarjuna Akkineni; J.D. Chakravarthy; Amala Akkineni

There may be more than a few movies named Hybrid, but there is only one vision that could be brought to us by Fred Olen Ray! That's this one... for better or worse... that's this one. Long Live Fred Olen Ray!

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

HYBRID

dir. Fred Olen Ray

starring: John Blyth Barrymore; Brinke Stevens; J.J. North

The year was 1995...
And cinema threw an elephant out of an airplane...
I mean, not really, but kinda!

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

OPERATION DUMBO DROP

dir. Simon Wincer

starring: Ray Liotta; Danny Glover; Denis Leary

Another in the Charles T. Kanganis filmography but now with Traci Lords, Luke from Gilmore Girls, and Yaphet Kotto giving his best "I really don't want to be here" performance.

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

TW: SA

INTENT TO KILL

dir. Charles T. Kanganis

starring: Traci Lords; Scott Patterson; Yaphet Kotto

Let's walk like an Egyptian through an intergalactic portal through the stars... almost like a gate... through stars... maybe one could say it is a... Star... gate...
Get ready for the most patriotic movie not made by Paul Verhoeven!

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

STARGATE
dir. Roland Emmerich
starring: Kurt Russell; James Spader; Jaye Davidson

Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs steps behind the lens to bring us Quiet Fire! An action packed movie? Or a disaster waiting to happen? Who cares when Robert Z'Dar is in it!

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

QUIET FIRE
dir. Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs
starring: Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs; Nadia Marie; Lance Lindsay

Matt went ahead and watched the first one before watching this one...
Will did not...
And both of them were starting fresh because this sequel has nothing to do with the original (which we will be covering later on). So tune in to whatever this movie is because it's wild and hilarious (we'd like to think intentionally, but we all know better.)

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

EXCESSIVE FORCE II: FORCE ON FORCE
dir. Jonathan Winfrey
starring: Stacie Randall; Dan Gauthier

For the 200th episode of Missing in Action:
Originally titled Drunken Master II and released in 1994, it would later hit America in 2000 as Legend of Drunken Master. Jackie Chan was born to be a world famous star, and this sequel to the the 1978 film (also starring Chan), sees him return as folk hero Wong Fei Hung (also played by Jet Li in the far more dramatic wuxia film Once Upon a Time in China.)

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

LEGEND OF DRUNKEN MASTER (aka, DRUNKEN MASTER II)
dir. Lau Kar-Leung
starring: Jackie Chan; Anita Mui; Ti Lung

First, there are multiple films called Riot from the 90s... so rest assured, this is the one done by Joseph "Las Vegas Pizzeria" Merhi that starred Gary Daniels and Sugar Ray Leonard...
Secondly, want to learn who was really behind the L.A. Riots? Well, Gary Daniels is about to find out... because... sure, why not?

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

RIOT
dir. Joseph Merhi
starring: Gary Daniels; Sugar Ray Leonard; Paige Rowland

The Boz is back... and so is Bruce Payne from Warlock III... in a weirdly disjointed action drama... let's roll the hawk screech sound effects!

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

ONE MAN'S JUSTICE
dir. Kurt Wimmer
starring: Brian Bosworth; Bruce Payne; Jeff Kober

A buddy cop sequel about Jim Belushi and a dog? Clearly this is going to be peak action! We also discuss potentially bringing justice to Jim Belushi's name.

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

K-911
dir. Charles T. Kanganis
starring: Jim Belushi; Christine Tucci; Wade Williams

Every now and again we get a movie that absolutely blows us away... this IS that movie...

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA
dir. Tsui Hark
starring: Jet Li; Rosamund Kwan; Biao Yuen

A comical and yet sweet (?) action film that may be too much of a cartoon for its own good. Hackman, Aykroyd, and DeLuise star.

DISCLAIMER: LANGUAGE AND SPOILERS!

LOOSE CANNONS
dir. Bob Clark
starring: Gene Hackman; Dan Aykroyd; Dom DeLuise

What could possibly be bad about an action film where Mickey Rourke plays Harley Davidson and Don Johnson plays The Marlboro Man? Absolutely nothing, obviously.

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

HARLEY DAVIDSON AND THE MARLBORO MAN
dir. Simon Wincer
starring: Mickey Rourke; Don Johnson; Tom Sizemore

Scott Glenn is awesome until he isn't as he chases down Andrew McCarthy who is doing everything he can to get caught...

DISCLAIMER: LANGUAGE AND SPOILERS!

NIGHT OF THE RUNNING MAN
dir. Mark L. Lester
starring: Scott Glenn; Andrew McCarthy; John Glover