Tag: Michael Biehn

  • Aliens (1986, James Cameron)

    Thirty-six years after its release, recreating the original Aliens (albeit on home media) experience is difficult. Not only has there been a direct sequel, there have been multiple reboot sequels, and the extended, “special edition” version has been readily available for nineteen years now. I’m not ready for an Aliens canon deep-dive, but when did…

  • Puncture (2011, Adam Kassen and Mark Kassen)

    Puncture is a crusading attorney picture with a couple twists. First, there’s no trial and, specifically, no eureka moment in the trial. Second, the crusading attorney in question–played by Chris Evans–is haunted by more than demons or the bottle, he’s a rabid drug fiend. Oddly, Puncture never condemns the character’s drug use. In fact, he…

  • Aliens (1986, James Cameron), the special edition

    I always think of Aliens as a precisely choreographed ballet. Director Cameron moves his large cast–though it does winnow over time–around in these cramped sets and everyone has something to do; Cameron draws the viewer’s attention to one character, but the rest are in motion setting up the next moment in the scene. Watching the…

  • Streets of Blood (2009, Charles Winkler)

    Of all the crap Millennium Films has released theatrically, it’s shameful they let Streets of Blood go straight to DVD. Sure, there’s an absolutely ludicrous Sharon Stone (playing a faded Southern belle Ph.D., the worst Ph.D. casting since Will Smith), but it’s a solid cop thriller slash character study slash Katrina exploitation film. It’s even…

  • The Terminator (1984, James Cameron)

    I remember The Terminator being a lot better. Even as it started–I think during the first chase sequence (Michael Biehn in the department store)–I thought about the great highway chase sequence at the end. Then, as things went sour during, I kept waiting for that sequence, sure it would bring things around. But it doesn’t…

  • The Abyss (1989, James Cameron), the special edition

    Running almost three hours, the special edition of The Abyss manages to be too long in an interesting way. It forgets its story. There’s about an hour there with the valiant undersea oil workers battling the psychotic military man–there’s fight scenes and chase scenes and drama scenes and all sorts of scenes… just nothing about…

  • Jade (1995, William Friedkin), the director’s cut

    Stupefyingly bad “steamy,” “sexy” thriller about San Francisco DA David Caruso getting involved in the shenanigans related to old pal Chazz Palminteri and old flame Linda Fiorentino. Fiorentino married Palminteri instead of Caruso, adding to the angst. Lousy script by Joe Eszterhas, lousy direction by Friedkin–the film utterly wastes its three leads, though–at best–it only…