Exploding Helicopter

“The rich must pay or the rich will die.”

On the new Exploding Helicopter we’re joined by Doug Tilley from Cinema Smorgasbord to look at a very strange film: ASSAULT IN PARADISE (1977).

We try to decide if the film was trying to make a sophisticated exploration of the exploitation of Native Americans, or if it was just a confused mess of a movie with nothing to say.

We discuss seduction at gunpoint, comedic car chases, wildly inappropriate cultural appropriation, and, of course, the exploding helicopter action!

Listen now, listen later, but just make sure you listen

Show notes

Assault In Paradise (1977)
Director: Richard Compton
Cast: Oliver Reed, John Ireland, Stuart Whitman, Paul Koslo, Deborah Raffin
Plot: An Arizona resort town is rocked when local cops are struck down by a crossbow-wielding assassin dressed as a Native American. The perpetrator of these murders is demanding a million-dollar payoff from the town’s wealthiest citizens – lest they become his next victims. Fearing for their lives – and no doubt hoping to save themselves a few quid – the town’s gentry call in a hard-drinking mercenary to stop the reign of terror before the killer notches up more victims.

Episode 136.

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“Mother goose, mother goose, the quails are in the nest.”

We take a look at the maritime-themed spin on Die Hard that briefly turned Steven Seagal into an A-list action movie star: UNDER SIEGE (1992).

Was this film really a Steven Seagal vehicle though? Why did Tommy Lee Jones never record a blues rock album? And was the action in this film really no better than the Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman ‘Oirish’ drama Far And Away? All these points and the exploding helicopter action are discussed in our new show.

Episode 135.

Show notes

Under Siege (1992)
Director: Andrew Davis
Cast: Steven Seagal, Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Busey, Erika Eleniak
Plot: An 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.

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“What are you worried about? They’re only toys.”

On this episode we’re reviewing Joe Dante’s SMALL SOLDEIRS (1998).

We discuss this surprisingly dark kids flick, subversive messaging and, of course, the exploding helicopter action.

Show notes

Small Soldiers (1998)
Director: Joe Dante
Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Kevin Dunn, Dennis Leary, Phil Hartman, Robert Picardo, Dick Miller, Tommy Lee Jones, Ernest Borgnine, Frank Langella, Bruce Dern, George Kennedy, Christina Ricci and Sarah Michelle Geller. 
Plot: When missile technology is used to enhance toy action figures, the toys soon begin to take their battle programming too seriously.

Episode 134.

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“Some of the men say it’s one of those abdominal snowmen.” 

On this episode of Exploding Air Boat we take a look at one of the classics of the propeller assisted water transport genre, SWAMP THING (1982).

We’re joined by Nick Rehak to discuss the film’s strange cult status, monster costumes and the spectacular air boat action. 

Episode 133.

“Only a lunatic would build a world class resort on a ticking time bomb of molten earth.”
 
On this show we do the deep dive on the shallowest volcano movie ever made, SKYFIRE (2019).

We’re joined by disaster movie aficionado Fred Andersson to discuss spectacular set-pieces, one dimensional characters, and a classic exploding helicopter.

Show notes

Skyfire (2019)
Director: Simon West
Cast: Hannah Quinlivan, Wang Xue-Qi, Jason Isaacs
Plot: Geologist Wentao Li (Xueqi Wang) vowed he would never return to Tianhuo Island after a catastrophic volcano eruption tragically killed his wife. But 20 years later, his daughter Meng works on the island that took her mother's life, developing an eruption forecasting system. The island has now been transformed into a theme park by greedy businessman Jack Harris (Jason Isaacs) despite Meng's warnings. As the volcano begins to erupt, it's a race against the clock to save the tourists and villagers from the apocalyptic chaos.

Episode 132.

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”Somebody - for some reason - wants us to believe that we’re back in 1941.”

On this show we spiral backwards through the time tunnel to review THE FINAL COUNTDOWN (1980).

We discuss time paradoxes, marvel at the art of background acting, and admire the film’s military hardware. Oh, and we of course discuss an exploding helicopter which may secure the outcome of WWII.

Show notes

The Final Countdown (1980)
Director: Don Sharp
Cast: Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, Charles Durning, Ron O’Neal, Katharine Ross
Plot: A modern aircraft carrier is thrown back in time to 1941 near Hawaii, just hours before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Episode 131.

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“Where’s the Sixties music dude?”

On this show we take a look at the insane genre mash-up SOLDIER BOYZ (1995) – a film that attempts to fuse a prison movie, a teen drama with a ‘back to Vietnam rescue mission’ action film.

Matt Poirier from the DTV Connoisseur returns to the show to discuss young offender rehabilitation, the film’s computer game spin-off and the only collaboration to date between Michael Dudikoff and Darren Aronofsky.

Show notes

Soldier Boyz (1995)
Director: Louis Morneau
Cast: Micahel Dudikoff, Cary Tagawa, Don Stroud, Jacqueline Obradors
Plot: After the daughter of a wealthy American businessman is captured by a Vietnamese guerrilla group – an ex-Marine turned juvenile prison counsellor - is hired to lead a rescue mission alongside six young offenders.

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Novel: Holtman Arms by Matt Poirier

“You wait – my travel agent is going to hear about this.”

On this episode we take a look at EVASIVE ACTION (1998) a film which tries to recreate the magic of Con Air, but this time on a train.

Jay Cluitt from the Con Air: The Podcast joins us to look at the uncanny and shameless similarity to the Nicholas Cage classic. We also examine the little known musical career of one of the film’s stars and, of course, the exploding helicopter action.

Show notes

Evasive Action (1998)
Director: Jerry P Jacobs
Cast: Dorian Harewood, Roy Scheider, Ray Wise, Sam Jones, Clint Howard
Plot: A group of dangerous prisoners need to be transported to a new, maximum security, prison. Having witnessed the disastrous events of Con Air – when the authorities tried to transfer prisoners by plane – the criminals here are to be transported in a special rail carriage attached to a regular passenger train. But it soon becomes apparent that some of the prisoners have an escape plan. 

Episode 129.

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“Did your date lose the handcuff key?”

On this episode we don our tin foil hats to review the conspiracy thriller SHADOW CONSPIRACY (1997).

We’re joined by Nick Rehak to discuss conspicuous hitmen, the cinematic significance of basketball, and Stephen Lang’s hair through the ages. Oh, and we also talk about an exploding helicopter that one of our hosts declares the best they’ve even seen!

Show notes

Director: George P Cosmatos
Cast: Charlie Sheen, Linda Hamilton, Donald Sutherland, Sam Waterston, Ben Gazarra, Gore Vidal, Stephen Lang
Plot: Bishop, trusted advisor to the president, has shots fired at him when Pachenko comes to him about a traitor in highest level of government. He gets away from the cold blooded assassin twice. Will he find the traitor before getting killed?

Episode 128.

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Twitter: @chopperfireball
Website: explodinghelicopter.com
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Website: Rehak Radio

“They call him GORR-Z-YAH!”

After punishing ourselves by reviewing Roland Emmerich’s 1998 version, we turn our attentions to the Gareth Edwards helmed reboot, remake, re-quel GODZILLA (2014).

Big G superfan joins us to discuss how this version honours/besmirches (delete as appropriate) the monster series traditions. And we of course look at the exploding helicopter action. Or, in this case, the exploding helicopter chain reaction.

Show notes

Director Gareth Edwards
Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston, Juliette Binoche, Ken Watanabe
Plot: Ford Brody - a Navy bomb expert - has just reunited with his family in San Francisco when he is forced to go to Japan to help his estranged father, Joe. Soon - both men are swept up in an escalating crisis when Godzilla - rises from the sea to combat malevolent adversaries that threaten the survival of humanity.  

Episode 127.