Winston T. Boogie
Senior HTF Member
I've been meaning to make this post for some time. What triggered the idea was when I moved last year I came across a variety of items that had been packed away in the attic of my old house. One of which was a copy of a magazine with the 100 Best Action movies on DVD on the cover. So, yes, the list I am going to run through here is really from February of 2003, so it is 20 years old. The point of posting this list is to first generate discussion of what you might feel are the best action movies and the Blu-ray versions of them but also, and to me this is one of the big things about this list, to show how in the last 20 years what we think of not just as a great action film but what an action movie is in general, has changed kind of radically. I think some of the films on this list would not even be viewed as action movies at all by today's standards. This sort of fascinates me.
Once upon a time, an "action" movie might have only one or two action scenes in it. A great car chase, a huge shootout, a massive fight. The idea way back when was to make a great action scene, you built up to it. There was an art to pacing. So, you could spend an entire picture building up to a great action scene.
Now action movie means it is nonstop, wall to wall action, with nothing more than very brief breaks in between. The cutting is so fast paced that there will be hundreds of cuts in single action sequence rather than staging the action in front of the cameras so you can shoot it in longer takes and actually see it. Now the editing is a lot of how the sequences are presented and to give a sense of motion to the scene. I would also say with today's pictures they now like to have some sort of action scenes in all of them no matter the genre. The action hybrid is kind of the way they roll.
Now, upfront here, this list is 20 years old and about pictures released on DVD. I have not checked to see if all of these pictures have had a Blu-ray release, I suspect they have, but part of the fun with this is that you will be able to check and comment on if they have been released on Blu and how you feel about the Blu-ray. Also, obviously these were considered the 100 best action films on DVD 20 years ago, so it is not, unless you still feel it is, the 100 greatest action films out now on Blu.
I am using the list as a jumping off point for discussion, to show how what we think of as an action film has changed and so that perhaps we eventually come to a list of great action films with everybody's additions and comments. A lot of films have been released in the last 20 years.
OK, so obviously all the films are open for discussion. What you feel are great action films are certainly allowed to be suggested and discussed. What you feel makes a great action movie, sequence, set piece, is all open for discussion. Lists are designed to be picked apart, so feel free to pick this one apart.
I will list the pictures 10 at a time starting from 100 and working my way up to number 1. I think you will be surprised and entertained by this list. What I like about this list is it covers many decades of film and includes pictures from around the world. So, there is a nice diversity to it that considers what action films were in previous decades. I won't comment on the films as I first list them just to allow you to soak them in and to keep it short. I figure as films get listed people want to comment on we can get deeper into the discussion of individual films.
I think current day action films are much different than what an action film was in the past. It will be fun to see how people react to this list and what films not on this list that you would add. So, please enjoy the list and have fun discussing it and adding to it.
So, here we go...lights, camera, ACTION:
100 - Zulu (1964)
99 - You Only Live Twice (1967)
98 - Yojimbo (1962)
97 - The Wild Bunch (1969)
96 - The Warriors (1979)
95 - The Wages of Fear (1954)
94 - The Untouchables (1987)
93 - Unforgiven (1992)
92 - Twelve O'Clock High (1949)
91 - True Romance (1993)
Once upon a time, an "action" movie might have only one or two action scenes in it. A great car chase, a huge shootout, a massive fight. The idea way back when was to make a great action scene, you built up to it. There was an art to pacing. So, you could spend an entire picture building up to a great action scene.
Now action movie means it is nonstop, wall to wall action, with nothing more than very brief breaks in between. The cutting is so fast paced that there will be hundreds of cuts in single action sequence rather than staging the action in front of the cameras so you can shoot it in longer takes and actually see it. Now the editing is a lot of how the sequences are presented and to give a sense of motion to the scene. I would also say with today's pictures they now like to have some sort of action scenes in all of them no matter the genre. The action hybrid is kind of the way they roll.
Now, upfront here, this list is 20 years old and about pictures released on DVD. I have not checked to see if all of these pictures have had a Blu-ray release, I suspect they have, but part of the fun with this is that you will be able to check and comment on if they have been released on Blu and how you feel about the Blu-ray. Also, obviously these were considered the 100 best action films on DVD 20 years ago, so it is not, unless you still feel it is, the 100 greatest action films out now on Blu.
I am using the list as a jumping off point for discussion, to show how what we think of as an action film has changed and so that perhaps we eventually come to a list of great action films with everybody's additions and comments. A lot of films have been released in the last 20 years.
OK, so obviously all the films are open for discussion. What you feel are great action films are certainly allowed to be suggested and discussed. What you feel makes a great action movie, sequence, set piece, is all open for discussion. Lists are designed to be picked apart, so feel free to pick this one apart.
I will list the pictures 10 at a time starting from 100 and working my way up to number 1. I think you will be surprised and entertained by this list. What I like about this list is it covers many decades of film and includes pictures from around the world. So, there is a nice diversity to it that considers what action films were in previous decades. I won't comment on the films as I first list them just to allow you to soak them in and to keep it short. I figure as films get listed people want to comment on we can get deeper into the discussion of individual films.
I think current day action films are much different than what an action film was in the past. It will be fun to see how people react to this list and what films not on this list that you would add. So, please enjoy the list and have fun discussing it and adding to it.
So, here we go...lights, camera, ACTION:
100 - Zulu (1964)
99 - You Only Live Twice (1967)
98 - Yojimbo (1962)
97 - The Wild Bunch (1969)
96 - The Warriors (1979)
95 - The Wages of Fear (1954)
94 - The Untouchables (1987)
93 - Unforgiven (1992)
92 - Twelve O'Clock High (1949)
91 - True Romance (1993)
