“Can anyone douse the fire of truth?”

We make a return to the world of Bollywood action cinema to review BAAZI (1995), a film that could, most politely be described as, being ‘inspired’ by Die Hard. Not to mention borrowing scenes from half-a-dozen other action films. 

Our guest on this show is Asim Burney from the Khandaan podcast. We try and pin down just how many films Baazi ripped off, the career of its star Aamir Khan, and an exploding helicopter that may be one of the most embarrassing ever committed to film. 

Show notes

Baazi (1995)

Director: Ashutosh Gowariker

Cast: Aamir Khan, Mamta Kulkarni, Paresh Rawal

Plot: A tough police officer wages a one-man war against terrorists and a corrupt politician who have planned to assassinate a top government official.

Episode 101.

“No more Mr Nice Guy.”

We’re joined by Doug Tilley from Cinema Smogasbord to discuss Sam Raimi’s Darkman (1990). We discuss the film’s origins and inspirations, its place in the development of superhero movies and its subsequent comic book adaptation. Oh, and we also look at the spectacular exploding helicopter action.

Show notes

Darkman (1990)

Director: Sam Raimi

Cast: Liam Neeson, France McDormand, Larry Drake

Plot: A brilliant scientist left for dead returns to exact revenge on the people who burned him alive.

Episode 100.

“There goes my safety record”

We’re joined once again by Brett and Ty from Comeuppance Reviews to shine a light on one of the undiscovered gems of DTV action: CRACKERJACK 2 (1997).

We discuss the film’s (sadly) unsuccessful attempt to turn Judge Reinhold into an action movie film star, the weird world of unlikely DTV action heroes, and the exploding helicopter action. 

Show notes

Director: Robert Lee

Cast: Judge Reinhold, Carol Alt, Michael Sarrazin

Plot: A policeman working alone must rescue his girlfriend and a trainload of other hostages from vicious criminals in a mountain tunnel hideout.

Episode 99.

“We’re lions – and that ain’t ever gonna change.” 

On this show we’re joined by Todd Gaines of Bulletproof Action and Letterboxd fame to review ANGEL HAS FALLEN (2019).

We discuss the most surprising entry in the Has Fallen franchise and one of the few films where we get to see the Presidential helicopter blown up.

Show notes

Director: Ric Roman Waugh

Cast: Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman, Danny Huston, Piper Perabo, Lance Reddick, Nick Nolte

Plot: Mike Banning is framed for the attempted assassination of the President and must evade his own agency and the FBI as he tries to uncover the real threat.

Episode 98.

“Free hots dogs for life. No drinks.” 

On this episode Will is joined by Nick Rehak from French Toast Sunday to take a look at the buddy cop genre parody THE OTHER GUYS (2010).

They also take a look at a very special and unique exploding helicopter.

Show notes

Director: Adam McKay

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell, Dwayne Johnson, Samuel L Jackson, Steve Coogan, Michael Keaton, Eva Mendes.

Plot: Two mismatched New York City detectives seize an opportunity to step up like the city's top cops, whom they idolise, only things don't quite go as planned.

Episode 97.

“Meat Inspectors – don’t even fart.”

On this show Exploding Helicopter pays tribute to one of its favourite actors, Brian Dennehy, who died earlier this year.

We’re joined by the DTV Connoisseur himself, Matt Poirier to reminisce about our favourite Dennehy performance and take a look at his vigilante cop thriller THE LAST OF THE FINEST (1990).

Show notes

The Last Of The Finest (1990)

Director: John Mackenzie

Cast: Brian Dennehy, Joe Pantoliano, Bill Paxton, Jeff Fahey

Plot: An elite group of vice cops resign from the L.A.P.D. amid the full out from a botched drugs bust. Suspecting a bigger conspiracy, the former cops band together to bring down the drug ring as vigilantes. 

Episode 96

“My name is Alice and I remember everything.”

We return to the world of video game adaptations once again to take a look at Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004).

Guesting on this show is Nick Rehak from French Toast Sunday. 

Show notes

Director: Alexander Witt

Cast: Milla Jovovich, Sienna Guillory, Iain Glen, Jared Harris

Plot: Alice wakes up in the Racoon city hospital after the city has been overrun by zombies, and must now make it out of the city before a nuclear bomb is dropped on the city.

Episode 95.

“That’s what we call women empowerment.”

On this show we make another visit to the world of Indian action cinema to take a look at TIGER ZINDA HAI (2017). 

Once again Nick Rehak from French Toast Sunday joins us to help review the film.

Show notes

Tiger Zinda Hai (2017)

Plot: When a group of Indian and Pakistani nurses are held hostage in Iraq by a terrorist organization, a secret agent is drawn out of hiding to rescue them.

Director: Ali Abbas Zafar

Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Anupriya GoenkaEpisode 94.

“You’ve lived through the collapse of vaudeville and burlesque.”

On the episode we take a look at the volcano-themed, disaster film WHEN TIME RAN OUT… (1980). A notorious critical and commercial flop, the movie has now passed into legend as the film that killed off the Seventies disaster genre. 

Helping Will to review the film is When Time Ran Out super-fan Fred Andersson from Schmollywood Babylon. 

They discuss the film’s “beautiful melodrama”, its questionable special effects, and why this film is the last great flowering of the Seventies disaster genre. 

Episode 93. 

Show notes

When Time Ran Out… (1980)

Director: James Goldstone

Cast: Paul Newman, Jacqueline Bisset, William Holden, Edward Albert, Red Buttons, Barbara Carrera, Burgess Meredith, Ernest Borgnine, James Franciscus, Pat Morita. 

Plot: An active volcano threatens a south Pacific island resort and its guests as a power struggle ensues between the property's developer and a drilling foreman.

“Can I hitch a ride to the liquor store?”

Helicopter explosions in films are very much an international phenomenon and on this episode we cast our cinematic eye on the Swedish cop thriller MAN ON THE ROOF (1976).

To discuss the film we’re joined by Anders and Jonas from the Pod Hard podcast to discuss the film’s strange blend of gritty social realism and Dirty Harry-style maverick cop action.

We also take a look at a helicopter explosion that’s considered the ‘proudest moment in Swedish action cinema’.

Episode 92.

Show notes

Man On The Roof (1976)

Director: Bo Widerberg

Cast: Carl-Gustaf Lindstedt, Sven Wollter, Thomas Hellberg

Plot: After a policeman is murdered in his hospital bed, detective Martin Beck and his colleagues must solve the mysterious murder. But as they investigate they discover that the murderer had more than one target. 

Social media: Follow Anders or Jonas on Twitter.