Thursday, December 19, 2019

Action Films Make Great Stocking Stuffers!


*This is a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% mine.


There are only a few days left to finish your Christmas shopping, and I know how difficult it is to find the perfect gift for your loved ones. If you have any family members or friends who love action films full of car chases, shoot outs, and fights, then I'm recommending getting a classic action flick on Blu-ray or DVD.


The Take & Black Gunn
(PG/R; 3 hrs 7 mins; $14.98; Mill Creek Entertainment)


The Take (PG; 91 mins) is a 1974 crime drama directed by Robert Hartford-Davis and is based on the novel Sir, You Bastard by G. F. Newman. The film centers around Terry Sneed (played by Billy Dee Williams), a corrupted police officer who's handed pick by police chief Ray Berrigan (played by Eddie Albert) to investigate a series of crimes in Paloma, New Mexico. Frankie Avalon and Sorrell Booke costars.

Black Gunn (R; 96 mins) is a 1972 Neo-noir blaxploitation movie directed by Robert Harford-Davis. The film stars NFL legend Jim Brown as Gunn, a nightclub owner who goes on a revenge mission after his brother is murdered. Brenda Sykes and Martin Landau costars.

Final Thoughts


For the me, the best film on this "double feature" is The Take starring Billy Dee Williams. I used to watch this movie several times on television during the early '90s. It's a pretty good film that deserves to find new fans on Blu-ray.

I had never seen Black Gunn before watching it on Bu-ray and it's not a bad movie. Actually, I quite enjoyed it.

Both films have to share one-disc but the video and sound qualities are good. There are no special features or bonus extras.

Overall, this "double feature" Blu-ray would make a great gift for any action fan.




Cold War Thrillers
(NR/PG/R; 10 hrs 10 mins; $14.98; Mill Creek Entertainment)


This two-disc set features six spy-themed movies all set during the "Cold War". The movies include:

Man On a String (1960; NR; 93 mins)  - Directed by Andre De Toth, the film stars Ernest Borgnine as a Russian-born movie producer who becomes a spy for the "CBI."

The Deadly Affair (1966; NR 107 mins) - Directed by Sidney Lumet and based on the novel Call for the Dead by John le Carré, the film centers around secret agent Charles Dobbs (played by Jason Mason) who's investigating a so-called suicide. 

Otley (PG; 1968; PG; 91 mins) - Directed by Dick Clement, the film centers around Gerald Otley (played by Tom Courtenay), a freeloader who finds himself caught up in an espionage conspiracy.

A Dandy In Aspic (R; 1968; 108 mins) - Directed by Anthony Mann and based on the 1966 novel by Derek Marlowe, the film centers around MI6 Agent Alexander Eberlin (played by Laurence Harvey) being assigned to find a double-agent in their organization. 

Hammerhead (R; 1968; 100 mins) - Directed by David Miller and based on the 1964 novel by James Mayo, the film centers around Charles Hood (played by Vince Edwards) being recruited by British intelligence to travel to Portugal to stop the criminal known as Hammerhead (played by Peter Vaughan).

The Executioner (PG; 1970; 111 mins) - Directed by Sam Wanamaker, the film centers around MI5 Agent John Shay (played by George Peppard) going on a personal global mission to clear his name for crimes he didn't commit.

Final Thoughts


I'm a big James Bond fan and many of these films in this DVD set reminds me of 007. All the movies are pretty decent, if you're into old spy flicks. There are three movies per disc, so the video and sound qualities aren't top notch, but they're watchable. There are no special features or bonus extras.

Overall, I enjoyed watching all the films on Cold War Thrillers collection. It would make a great gift for any amateur spy.




Soul Team Six
(R; 8 hrs 47 mins; $14.98; Mill Creek Entertainment)


The Soul Team Six collection features six blaxploitation films from the 1970s. The six films on the two-disc set are:

The Black Six (1973; R; 85 mins) - Directed by Matt Cimber, the film centers around a biker gang, The Black Six, on a quest to avenge a black high school student's death. It stars Gene Washington, Carl Eller, and 'Mean' Joe Greene.

The Black Gestapo (1975; R; 89 mins) - Written and directed by Leo Frost, the film centers around a group of African-Americans living in Watts who creates the "People's Army" to protect the citizens against the Mafia. The film stars Rod Perry, Charles Robinson, and Phill Hoover.

Black Brigade (1970; R; NR) - Directed by George McCowan, this WWII drama originally aired as "Carter's Army" in 1970 on ABC. The movie centers around an African-American army company who are on a mission to destroy a German dam. It stars Richard Pryor, Billy Dee Williams, and Robert Hooks.

Black Fist (1974; R; 93 mins) - Directed by Timothy Galfas and Richard Kaye, the film centers around Leroy Fisk, a young streetfighter who open a  nightclub after winning a big fight. It stars Richard Lawson, Dabney Coleman, and Phillip Michael Thomas.

The Black Godfather (1974; R; 90 mins) - Written and directed by John Evans, the film centers around J.J., who becomes a street boss after being taken in by the "Black Godfather." It stars Rod Perry, Damu King, and Tony Burton.

Fighting Mad (1978; R; 90 mins) - Directed by Cirio H. Santiago, the film was originally released under the title Death Force. The plot centers around an American solider being left for dead on a remote island. He is rescued by two Japanese WWII veterans and they train him to become a samurai.

Final Thoughts


I would like to point of that these aren't the best movies every produced. Black Brigade is only good film in the bunch and it's not what I would consider a blaxploitation flick; instead it's a WWII drama. The other movies haven't aged very well over the years and they come off as a bit cheesy. There are three movies per disc so the picture and sound qualities aren't exactly the best, though they're watchable.

There are no special features or bonus extras. The DVD set does come with a Digital Code, though it's probably no longer valid as it was for Mill Creek Entertainment's former streaming service. Their new streaming app is called movieSPREE.

If you like blaxploitation movies from the '70s, then the Soul Team Six DVD would make a good stocking stuffer for you.




No comments:

Post a Comment

I adore reading reader feedback! I will, however, remove all spam and pointless comments.

Please take note that I have the right to delete comments from this site. Please only post constructive and respectful feedback.