DISCOVER--twenty of the very best 1980s/1990s violent senseless macho shoot-'em-ups
This list is in alphabetical order. Yes, a couple of early 2000 films snuck in, mainly because the Asian market hasn't watered down its movies for mall-friendly low ratings certificates.
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20 titles
- DirectorJohn WooStarsLung TiLeslie CheungChow Yun-FatA reforming ex-gangster tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break.
- DirectorRichard DonnerStarsSylvester StalloneAntonio BanderasJulianne MooreProfessional hit-man Robert Rath wants to fulfill a few more contracts before retiring but unscrupulous ambitious newcomer hit-man Miguel Bain keeps killing Rath's targets.
- DirectorPhillip NoyceStarsRutger HauerTerry O'QuinnBrandon CallA blind Vietnam vet, trained as a swordfighter, comes to America and helps to rescue the son of a fellow soldier.
- DirectorRenny HarlinStarsSylvester StalloneJohn LithgowMichael RookerA botched mid-air heist results in suitcases full of cash being searched for by various groups throughout the Rocky Mountains.
- DirectorMark L. LesterStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerRae Dawn ChongDan HedayaA retired Special Forces colonel tries to save his daughter, who was abducted by his former subordinate.
- DirectorJohn McTiernanStarsBruce WillisAlan RickmanBonnie BedeliaA New York City police officer tries to save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.
- DirectorRenny HarlinStarsBruce WillisWilliam AthertonBonnie BedeliaJohn McClane attempts to avert disaster as rogue military operatives seize control of Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C.
- DirectorChuck RussellStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerVanessa WilliamsJames CaanA Witness Protection specialist becomes suspicious of his co-workers when dealing with a case involving high-tech weapons.
- DirectorRingo LamStarsChow Yun-FatSimon YamAnn BridgewaterTwo disreputable friends get tied in with a group of criminals who turn out to be excessively violent and deceptive.
- DirectorJohnnie ToKa-Fai WaiStarsAndy LauTakashi SorimachiKelly LinTwo very different hitmen find themselves to be in each other's way. They use all their skill to solve the problem.
- DirectorJohn WooStarsChow Yun-FatTony Leung Chiu-waiTeresa MoA tough-as-nails cop teams up with an undercover agent to shut down a sinister mobster and his crew.
- DirectorJohn WooStarsChow Yun-FatDanny LeeSally YehA disillusioned assassin accepts one last hit in hopes of using his earnings to restore vision to a singer he accidentally blinded.
- DirectorChris NahonStarsJet LiBridget FondaTchéky KaryoA betrayed intelligence officer enlists the aid of a prostitute to prove his innocence from a deadly conspiracy while returning a favor to her.
- DirectorDwight H. LittleStarsBrandon LeePowers BootheNick MancusoWhen student Jake Lo witnesses a killing, he finds himself caught between two feuding drug lords. Betrayed and set up by the federal agents, the only person he can trust is Ryan, a Chicago cop who reminds Jake of his deceased father.
- DirectorJohn IrvinStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerKathryn HarroldSam WanamakerA former FBI agent turned small-town sheriff agrees to help the FBI chief infiltrate the Chicago mafia when the FBI chief's son is killed by them.
- DirectorWalter HillStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerJim BelushiPeter BoyleA tough Russian policeman is forced to partner up with a cocky Chicago police detective when he is sent to Chicago to apprehend a Georgian drug lord who killed his partner and fled the country.
- DirectorMark L. LesterStarsDolph LundgrenBrandon LeeCary-Hiroyuki TagawaTwo L.A. cops with opposing views on what is the best way to uphold the law have to work together to bring down the Yakuza, while trying to protect a beautiful woman.
- DirectorChia-Liang LiuStarsChow Yun-FatNina Li ChiConan LeeA seasoned cop and his rookie partner are a pair of mismatched partners in this Hong Kong action-comedy in the style of 'Lethal Weapon'. The wacky twosome are up in arms as they try to solve the murder of a heroin trafficker.This is Tiger on the Beat.
- DirectorAndrew DavisStarsSteven SeagalGary BuseyTommy Lee JonesAn ex-Navy Seal turned cook is the only person who can stop a group of terrorists when they seize control of a U.S. battleship.
- DirectorGeoff MurphyStarsSteven SeagalEric BogosianEverett McGillCasey Ryback hops on a Colorado to LA train to start a vacation with his niece. Early into the trip, terrorists board the train and use it as a mobile HQ to hijack a top secret destructive US satellite.Jon is not on Facebook, but can reply to comments here, at the base of this list.
Obsessed with the popular culture of the 1960s and surrounding decades, Jon Abbott has been writing about film and TV for over thirty years in around two dozen different publications, trade, populist, and specialist. He is the author of several books, including
Irwin Allen Television Productions 1964-1970,
Stephen J. Cannell Television Productions: A History of All Series and Pilots,
The Elvis Films,
Cool TV of the 1960s: Three Shows That Changed the World, and Strange New World: Sex Films of the 1970s.
See his Amazon author's page, and his other lists on the IMDB, all under the pre-fix DISCOVER. ” - jonabbott56