Will and Matt

Before they were known as the brilliant creators of Bound and The Matrix... the Wachowski fought hard to have their names taken off of the screenplay for today's film, Assassins, and Will & Matt discuss whether or not that was really warranted. 

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!!

ASSASSINS

dir. Richard Donner

starring: Sylvester Stallone; Antonio Banderas; Julianne Moore

JCVD writes, directs, stars in this... fighting tournament movie? Look, I'd like to explain in this summary how he's this street clown in New York and is chased by the mob, and abducted by pirates, and enters a fighting tournament, but really, just watch the movie to see what's up. Oh and James Bond is in this, and Annihilation's Raiden. 

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!!

THE QUEST

dir. Jean-Claude Van Damme

starring: Jean-Claud Van Damme; Roger Moore; James Remar

Flash Gordon stars alongside John Saxon and the guy that played the Rusty Griswold in European Vacation to take down a kingpin in the most ridiculous way possible...

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!!

MAXIMUM FORCE

dir. Joseph Merhi

starring: Sam Jones; Sherrie Rose; Jason Lively

**Note: Our episodes are pre-recorded a few weeks in advance and it is with tremendous sadness that Richard Riehle - who is discussed in this episode - passed away a few days ago on October 15, 2026. A true legend of movies and tv. Will and myself send our deepest regards to his family and loved ones.**

This third in the Hard Time/Burt Reynolds made for TV films... we've covered the first previously, the second will come up whenever the randomizer picks it for us. Reynolds stars as a former cop and Durning stars as someone who wants badly to just go to sleep.

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

HARD TIME: HOSTAGE HOTEL

dir. Hal Needham

starring: Burt Reynolds; Charles Durning; Keith Carradine

The first appearance of Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan to hit the big screen (not our podcast however, thanks randomizer...) Will and Matt discuss the IRA, Sean Bean, and do a lot of accents.

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

PATRIOT GAMES

dir. Phillip Noyce

starring: Harrison Ford; Sean Bean; Anne Archer

We go back to cover the original basis for Point of No Return... this time directed by the brilliant and problematic Luc Besson. It's like Pygmalion but with weapons.
(Does contain spoilers for both La Femme Nikita as well as Point of No Return.)

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers! 

LA FEMME NIKITA

dir. Luc Besson

starring: Anne Parillaud; Jean Reno; Tcheky Karyo

This 1990 film is an absolute MUST-SEE! Hands down, potentially the best film we have ever attempted to cover on this podcast. So legit, go watch it, and then come back here and listen to us wax poetic about how amazing this film is. Shiva might just be PEAK cinema. 

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

SHIVA

dir. Ram Gopal Varma

starring: Nagarjuna Akkineni; J.D. Chakravarthy; Amala Akkineni

There may be more than a few movies named Hybrid, but there is only one vision that could be brought to us by Fred Olen Ray! That's this one... for better or worse... that's this one. Long Live Fred Olen Ray!

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

HYBRID

dir. Fred Olen Ray

starring: John Blyth Barrymore; Brinke Stevens; J.J. North

The year was 1995... 
And cinema threw an elephant out of an airplane...
I mean, not really, but kinda!

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

OPERATION DUMBO DROP

dir. Simon Wincer

starring: Ray Liotta; Danny Glover; Denis Leary

Another in the Charles T. Kanganis filmography but now with Traci Lords, Luke from Gilmore Girls, and Yaphet Kotto giving his best "I really don't want to be here" performance.

DISCLAIMER: Language and Spoilers!

TW: SA

INTENT TO KILL

dir. Charles T. Kanganis

starring: Traci Lords; Scott Patterson; Yaphet Kotto