Although by no means do I think it's a great movie, I enjoyed "Sharky's Machine." I miss the gritty action films from the 70's and 80's. The glossiness, rapid cutting and stylized violence of action movies made in the last decade or so has really worn out its welcome. I would like to see a return to the character driven, realistic feeling police/detective films of the past.
shareOther good Burt Reynolds films worth seeing are Deliverance, White Lightning and Gator.
If you want to see a REAL action film, try Rambo. Many people are hailing it as the most violent movie in ages.
If you want to see a REAL action film, try Rambo. Many people are hailing it as the most violent movie in ages.
Ok, calm down. I meant in terms of gritty action.
Going back to police/detective thrillers, besides Sharky's Machine, other hardboiled favourites are Bullitt, Dirty Harry, Lethal Weapon and Die Hard. All these flicks were suitably dark, violent and character-driven (although Die Hard was slightly more feelgood).
Heat was another classic.
Haha, don't you hate when people get needlessly angry and irrational like that? I mean, seriously, what was with the gratuitous ball-breaking that the one poster had to do? Jesus...
Anyway, I agree, h-ahmad-1, that the new RAMBO film manages to be as dark and gritty as you've said. Likewise with SHARKY'S; it gave a certain raw edge to the cop drama made mostly famous back in the 70s. Burt probably tried to recapture the nitty-gritty magic that Clint Eastwood had during his DIRTY HARRY days.
Haha, don't you hate when people get needlessly angry and irrational like that? I mean, seriously, what was with the gratuitous ball-breaking that the one poster had to do? Jesus...
It doesn't, the dude wasn't making a totally direct comparison between the two movies. He just noticed a few similar parallels in terms of cinematic glossiness and grit. You didn't have condescend the guy, is what I'm saying.
shareThis is condescending - "If you want to see a REAL action film, try Rambo."
Pointing out how Rambo has nothing to do with the movie this board is about (or what the OP was asking) isn't.
Gritty crime dramas of the 70's...
Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Brannigan
The Seven-Ups
Serpico
French Connection, French connection 2
Shaft (71)
Laughing Policeman
Death Wish
Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, The Enforcer
McQ
Assault on Precinct 13
Walking Tall
I thought McQ was weak, but you're right on the money with all the other movies.
shareAcross 110th Street is another good 'un.
shareOh they did come back for a while in the 80's, don't forget stuff like Wanted: Dead Or Alive and Murphy's Law.
"If i wanted your opinion, I'd have beaten it out of you"
Well...he`s right.
I miss them too.
Those were the good old days when a actionfilm was a good actionfilm.
Not like the Dolph Lundgren-crap.
`` I kill a communist for fun, but for a green card, I gonna carve him up real nice. ``
Gritty crime dramas of the 70's...
Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Brannigan
The Seven-Ups
Serpico
French Connection, French connection 2
Shaft (71)
Laughing Policeman
Death Wish
Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, The Enforcer
McQ
Assault on Precinct 13
Walking Tall
Some good examples there. Here are some gritty faves from the 80's:
Nighthawks (1981)
Tightrope (1984)
Fighting Back (1982)
Vice Squad (1982)
To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)
52 Pick-Up (1986)
Prime Cut with Marvin & Hackman was top notch.
Poets are made by fools like me, but only God can make STD.
I know what you mean. These days, a good realistic action movie stars Jason Statham....."The Bank Job" was the closest thing to those 70s and 80s story-driven action films you're talking about. Too bad he ruined the mood with those horrible "Crank" movies. Although I give Ben Affleck credit with his attempt at a throwback crime action movie ("The Town").
In the 70s and 80s, the gritty action movies belonged to Bronson, Eastwood, and Chuck Norris (before he went batty).
Consult:
The Stone Killer
Death Wish
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
The Gauntlet
Death Hunt
Firefox
Code of Silence
Invasion USA
Tightrope
10 to Midnight
Hero and the Terror
Dude means nice guy. Dude means a regular sort of person.
Take those low-rent Cannon films off your list and it might be halfway respectable.
shareTaking of Pelham One Two Three (the real one)
The Seven-Ups
Serpico
French Connection, French connection 2
Laughing Policeman
Dirty Harry
Walking Tall (the real one)
I agree w/you about these.
Carpe Noctem!
Imo some of his other good ones are Hustle, Rough Cut, Stick, Lucky Lady, and Shamus.
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i love this movie. i miss it too, the grit of it all
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"You are literally too stupid to insult."
"Thank you."
I'm with you on that one, recently I started re-watching a lot of 70's & 80's movies I never did see to catch up on some and some are so good I'm upset at myself for missing them when they came out. I also started watching a lot that I did see at the time and there are so many good ones I love it. I have a few friends who are a few years younger then me and they absolutely won't watch anything from the 70's lol they think they are so old and dumb they won't give them a chance. They are missing out on some good cinema
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