The Ultimate Nu Image Countdown
It could be said that Nu Image walked so that Millennium could run.
Long before Millennium Films (now Millennium Media) resurrected the Rambo franchise and launched The Expendables and Has Fallen franchises, Nu Image was churning out a steady stream of action movies that became video store and late night cable TV staples continuing the tradition of Cannon. And that makes sense since Nu Image’s founding fathers all had Cannon blood running through their veins.
Today we will pay tribute to Nu Image’s best of the best, the movies that helped pave the way for Millennium Media. This countdown is part of Bulletproof Action’s 9th Anniversary celebration… a tradition that began back in 2018 when we paid tribute to Cannon films with some help from our friends. That tradition continues, as we have invited some longtime friends of the site to help us give Nu Image the recognition they deserve…
- Will Slater – He’s the expert on Exploding Helicopters.
- Matt Poirier – He’s the Direct to Video Connoisseur.
- Andrew Babcock – His mantra is Physical Media Forever.
- Dominik Starck – He makes movies and writes books.
- Saurav Dutt – He talks about important things on various mainstream outlets, he talks about the really important stuff here.
Let me get this party started…
Chris the Brain: It is fitting that 1995’s Human Timebomb kicks off our countdown as it was the movie that not only cemented my Bryan Genesse fandom, but also sent me down the Nu Image rabbit hole that helped better prepare me for our Ultimate Nu Image Countdown.
Also known as Live Wire 2: Human Timebomb, the movie features Bryan Genesse as F.B.I. Agent Jim Parker… when he’s not wearing a kickass duster, he’s having a a top secret military computer chip surgically implanted inside him by the bad guys he was trying to take down. That means Parker ends up doing the bidding of the bad guys looking to take control of Cuba and destroy diplomatic relations with the United States… at least temporarily.
Human Timebomb also stars another Nu Image favorite, Joe Lara giving Genesse’s Parker a worthy adversary.
Dominik Starck: There is no honor among thieves, nightclub owner Eric Roberts knows that much. That’s why he sets up teams of two for a coordinated heist campaign that couldn’t be more opposite, so they don’t double-cross him and run off with the loot. A white racist gets together with a black man, an emancipated woman with a macho etc. The night of robberies culminates in shocking realizations and bloody confrontations of the expendables…
The gangster ensemble piece was staged in the wake of the Tarantino wave by music video director Brian Grant, who packed the bullets tale into dark, gritty images. The script was primarily written by Kevin Bernhardt, who also plays one of the gangsters. Best known as J.P. Monroe in Hellraiser III, Bernhardt moved more and more into writing after The Immortals and wrote or rewrote numerous other Nu-Image and later Millennium Films titles (including the two post-80s Rambo films). His work in the ’90s included the terrific Hollow Point as well as Top of the World (both directed by Sidney J. Furie) and the Dolph Lundgren flicks Sweepers and The Peacekeeper. If that’s not enough, the ensemble of the much too unknown The Immortals is excellently cast with Roberts, Tony Curtis, Tia Carrere, Joe Pantoliano, Clarence Williams III, William Forsythe and Chris Rock.
Finally, the film, which was released in Germany under the somewhat more direct title Gun Power, also has some cool twists in store, which shall not be revealed here. In any case, it is immortal for the probably largest, exaggerated to the surreal and just therefore the best Mexican stand-off scene in film history. No irony: Watch it!
Matt Poirier: I mean, I don’t know that camp gets any better. Whether it’s the 1950s, and sharks are poorly superimposed, or it’s 2002, and the sharks are either made of foam or poorly Photoshopped, it all works for me. I don’t know how much of this was serious, and how much was a joke and on purpose, but I don’t care, it was freakin’ hilarious. Oh, and then there’s that great line. If you don’t know it, I won’t give it away. I guess Barrowman was told by the director to say anything he could think of to get a rise out of his co-star, and that’s what we got, one of the greatest lines in movie history. As Billy Ocean would say, it’s “simply… awesome.”
Matt Spector: I once read that the Nu Image founding fathers had Cannon blood running through their veins. For any of you looking for a little proof, you don’t need to look farther than Armstrong. Directed by none other than Menahem Golan and featuring one of the all time great cameos with Menahem as the Russian President, Armstrong couldn’t get any more Cannon. Frank Zagarino shines as Rod Armstrong and if you thought that was good name, Joe Lara as the villainous Ponytail might be better. However, leave it to Kimberly Kates to steal the show by showing everything.
Andrew Babcock: Cyborg Cop is certainly a product of its time, but in the same breath, is also a snapshot of what made 80s and 90s b action movies great. It didn’t take itself too seriously and took multiple things and threw them into a blender… you have the steel-jawed, fanny pack wearing martial arts hero David Bradley, going up against a former friend turned cyborg! Plus, Double Impact‘s Alonna Shaw along for the ride. It’s a blast from start to to finish.
Saurav Dutt: This is a hard one to come by these days on any format so consider yourself fortunate if you get an opportunity to watch this under-the-radar scorcher. With Marshal Teague leading the action proceedings and an early assignment for Scott Adkins, Special Forces throws as much gunplay, action, martial arts and asskicking as is possible into 90 minutes that simply fly by. Here’s a perfect example of using a limited budget wisely and concentrating on the charisma of its leads and their martial arts expertise; some of the action sequences and fights are a joy to behold and it’s no surprise that Adkins is front and centre for most of them.
Saurav Dutt: Just as Dolph Lundgren was on the precipice of stumbling into Seagal straight-to-DVD mediocrity, he pulls out a scorcher with this brutal, low-budget affair that takes action back to its basics-and which he directs too. We see Lundgren present a more involved style to his acting, brutal and bloody beatdowns that make the most of the budget, as well as nasty villains we’re rooting against to get brutalised. Lundgren is ably complemented by British actor Ben Cross in his quest for vengeance in a neat little potboiler that restores faith in the Dolph brand after a few ropey efforts that showed lack of commitment and imagination. You’ll get the action bloodlust you need with this one with some gory kills too amidst the explosive gunplay. This one is also known as The Russian Specialist.
Chad Cruise: Fans of Jeff Speakman’s breakout performance in The Perfect Weapon were left in utter heartbreak when it turned out that Speakman wasn’t going to be a massive star with a dozen incredible action movies under his belt. Instead, we got The Perfect Weapon and then a couple of pretty decent flicks that lack the punch (hehe) and strength of the supporting actors that he had in his first go. Deadly Outbreak feels very much like an early 90’s Die Hard ripoff, which it is, but it does so in a very charming and sometimes well-executed fashion. There were dozens of Die Hard clones in the years following the smash hit but not many of them have Ron Silver playing the villain. Deadly Outbreak also gives Speakman ample time to kick ass, shoot people, and smash a dude’s balls in with his boot heel.
Dominik Starck: “Made it, Ma’. Top of the World!” – James Cagney yelled in ’49’s White Heat. And in 1997, Canadian auteur Sidney J. Furie released the third feature film titled Top of the World. Furie had earned a stellar reputation in the ’60s with films like The Ipcress File. His answer to Top Gun called Iron Eagle became cult. With the commercial and critical fiasco Superman IV, his star began to decline – without Furie losing any of his talent.
His incredibly entertaining Hollow Point for Nu Image was immediately followed by Top of the World, which is a bit more serious, replacing Thomas Ian Griffith with RoboCop Peter Weller, keeping John Lithgow with Easy Rider Dennis Hopper and Tia Carrere in the female lead. In best John McClane fashion, Weller gets caught up in an elaborate heist – and in the line of police fire – while on his way to divorce in Las Vegas. Supporting roles feature B-action nobility like Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Martin Kove, Kevin Bernhardt, Joe Pantoliano and Peter Coyote. Strong cinematography was provided by the experienced Alan Caso, whose images here are more reminiscent of his later work in Reindeer Games than Six Feet Under, which is what he is best known for. Peter Weller is always reliable, but here he’s at work with particular gusto, and the climax escapes the trepidation of the sprawling casino in favor of stately stunts at Hoover Dam.
If there’s any doubt left about how competently Furie’s trip to Vegas was realized, just be aware that the excellent truck-chase sequence in the 2005 Steven Seagal throwaway Today You Die was recycled secondarily for added value. Even more spectacular scene material (including from the Hoover Dam) ended up in Disaster (2003). Top of the World probably suffered a sadder fate only in Germany, where the widely shot film was released exclusively in full frame format. After all: the various German titles (“Showdown”, “Countdown Las Vegas”, “Escape from Las Vegas” and “Showdown – Countdown in Las Vegas”) could be worse.
Verdict: A Filmmaker’s Filmmaker rolls the dice in Vegas, with crashes and bangs that are a joy to behold. Beautiful B-action isn’t a case of luck, but talents and passion.
Matt Poirier: This is really awesome. It’s like a western, set in the future, with some really cool Hong Kong style fights. Daniels is sick, Genesse brings it, and Isaac Florentine shows us why he’s one of the best in the DTV business at directing action and martial arts. I loved the aesthetics–the mix of modern with Wild West–I loved how he mixed western style shootouts with Hong Kong style fight choreography. This whole thing just worked.
This is up there for me with Bloodmoon and Rage as Daniels’s best. Florentine really allows him to get after it with the martial arts scenes, and Daniels embraces the western aspects. And how do you not love Bryan Genesse? He has a sort of Evil Corey Haim style to him as a baddie, which is really fun–plus, he can really kick ass. His final fight with Daniels is up there with some of the best DTV work of the decade, which is a bold statement, considering we’re talking about the 90s here.
Will Slater: With his box office star fading, the late Nineties found Dolph Lundgren trying to adjust to the DTV phase of his career. Dissatisfied with Keoni Waxman’s sloppy direction in the previous year’s Nu Image produced, Sweepers, the Big Swede resolved to make sure that he worked with ‘someone who understood action’, on his next film. Step forward, Isaac Florentine.
The Israeli director had just made Cold Harvest for Nu Image and Bridge of Dragons would become the next in a run of four films he would make for the company. As you would expect from a master like Florentine, we get lots of ambitiously staged gunfights and explosions (even if there’s a disappointing lack of hand-to-hand combat).
More impressive is the way the film marries its action with its aesthetic. Set in a fictional country, the story takes inspiration from classic fairy tales and ingeniously blends the medieval world with WWII-chic and 21st century weapons tech. The artful set and costume design gives the film an otherworldly, out-of-time feel. Through in charismatic turns from Dolph, Cary Tagawa as the villain, and you have a genuine B-movie gem.
Andrew Babcock: If ever there was a hidden gem, this would be it. Everyone in this movie is having a blast and it makes it a blast to watch. Thomas Ian Griffith shows that he not only has the moves, but also can be very funny. He is full of himself here and full of one liners. Donald Sutherland having the time of his life as a hitman. Jon Lithgow effortlessly playing the big bad with a grin. Then of course a shining role for Tia Carrere! What more could you want?
Chris DePetrillo: Action movies set inside of a prison are nothing new; there’s been a seemingly endless supply of them released through the years, and I’m sure there will be plenty more to come. Still, even thought it didn’t break any new ground, 1995’s Hard Justice remains one of the most recognizable films of the kind. David Bradley isn’t someone I’d call one of my favorite action movie stars, but I’d put Hard Justice on the list of one of my favorite 90’s action movies. In fact, that’s exactly what I did, since I’m here writing this blurb for our Nu Image countdown! Featuring plenty of prison fights, an explosive climax, and a supporting cast that includes Toru Tanaka, Vernon Wells, Yuji Okumoto, and the scenery-chewing Charles Napier as the corrupt warden, this movie is pure adrenaline from start to finish. It thrived as a rental in the video store era, and its frequent rotation on cable in the mid-late 90’s is the reason why it’s burned into so many people’s brains (like mine!). Plus, Vince Russo named a TNA pay per view event after this film, giving us further proof at how impactful (see what I did there) Hard Justice truly was! It also doesn’t hurt that the film was directed by Greg Yaitanes, who would later become executive producer of one of my favorite television shows of all time, Banshee.
Matt Spector: I don’t know if there are bigger fans of Bryan Genesee and Frank Zagarino than those at Bulletproofaction.com. I have never seen a better role (and character reveal) for Frank Zagarino than as the Android in Project Shadowchaser II, in a role that fits his skills to a T… or should I say to a Z. Genesse is filled with charisma as Frank Meade, head of maintenance at a government nuclear facility who unwittingly needs to save the day. Did I mention Genesse is stuck in a building with terrorists inside? And it happens on Christmas Eve? That is right, completely unique and a Christmas movie!
Will Slater: The label ‘cult film’ has become so misused that it has almost become meaningless, but if any film deserves that tag its Isaac Florentine’s tour-de-force, US Seals II.
An insane compendium of action and stylistic excess, Florentine turns the dial up to 11 (perhaps he misread the title as an instruction?). Choreographed by Andy Cheng – a former member of Jackie Chan’s stunt team – the second half of this film is near non stop barrage of hand-to-hand combat (a convenient gas leak plot point prevents guns being used). And, in a choice likely to divide viewers, every punch, kick and even turn of the head is accompanied by a ‘swoosh’ sound effect.
It’s all though part of the film’s unrelenting commitment to delivering an over-the-top experience. Florentine has made better films than US Seals II, but he has not made one that is as memorable.
