Another Reason I Love The 80s

I have very fond memories of being a teen in the 80s. The home video market was just getting started so we still went to the theatre at least twice a week. Two dollar Tuesdays was just too good a deal to pass up. Many movie companies sprang up all over the world, hoping to get in on some of the dollars to be made even if their movies only went directly to video. There was that much demand for content of any kind to fill video store shelves and pay television movie only channels. That is where Golan and Globus come in. They made some of the worst movies EVER but I will bet you that I have seen most of them - in a THEATER where they definitely don't belong.

Gymkata is a prime example of their type of filmmaking and maybe the best example of their lunacy. The concept looks good on paper and the execution is certainly 'full retard' but not in the good way. I should have worked. It had everything that non-discriminating action fans like me were looking for - mountain fortress, shady 'tournament', balletic fight scenes, gymnastics....wait a minute.

I'll admit that some of the stuntwork looks good but everything looks to staged. Bad guys WAIT to be hit or punched while our star takes a few more turns around the parallel bars. And what ancient mountain fortress just happens to have a freakin' pommel horse in it's main square? Just in case a secret agent who is well versed in the apparatus needs to use it to keep from getting stabbed with a pitchfork?

Of course, like the Matrix, I can't tell you how bad it is. You have to see that for yourself. But the trailer should give you enough to wet you appetite for a really bad 80s movie. So bad it's actually the perfect film to watch with friends who like to make comments at the screen. There is much to mock here my friends.

http://crustaceanhate.blogspot.ca/2008/04/gymkata-1985.html