Iirc it was originally about being the B reel, a secondary movie of a double feature. That came with a lower budget and thus less quality.
Think pretty much any Roger Corman movie lol. Mind you, Corman was brilliant with the budgets he had, they stand the test of time imo.
But the term has shifted to encompass anything cheesy (which big trouble is for sure), low budget, or even indie movies sometimes.
The budget wasn't really lacking, something close to 20 mil. And it certainly had a good cast with an experienced and marketable lead. Though Cameron has said the effects budget was bare bones, which does show despite them being effective.
It was a bit of a bomb in theaters, but was massively loved in home video where it didn't have to compete with other films as much.
And, despite it not being a B film by the original definition, it actively drew inspiration from B movies, particularly some of the kung-fu genre and horror.
It's in my personal top twenty, even over some of the other movies released around the same time, including Aliens. It's definitely my favourite Kurt Russell movie and character, even over Snake Plissken or his more serious stuff. Dude just chewed all the scenery and owned it.
The last time I watched it I couldn't help but wonder if the neon lights in the boss room were actually supposed to be neon lights, or some kind of magic shit.
I was pleasantly surprised by it too, glad I ended up giving it a shot. Turned out to be a deeper movie than I was giving it credit for even if a lot of tropes still showed up throughout
I didn't like the training montage where he levels up his fighting skills, I wished it had been magic or divine intervention that made him a better fighter, or maybe if he just gradually progressed throughout the movie.
I was surprised it took him forever to be a better fighter. During those scenes right before hes taken in by the religious people I kept saying "you fight every night, what are you doing!?"
Yep, absolutely loved it. Decent story, excellent action, well acted…. If you like action movies, you’ll love this one. Saw it the day it came out because of how much I liked the trailer.
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