Operation Nam (1986)

It's ten years after the end of the Vietnam War and a bunch of old army buddies have gotten together to talk about old times. While hanging out at a bar, they see a news story about a POW who has just been returned from Vietnam. The guys decide that they should go back to Vietnam and liberate any remaining American soldiers that are still held there in prison camps. However they come up against some resistance when they try to recruit professional soldier Major Morris (Italian director Enzo Castellari) and find that he has been ousted from the army by Colonel Mortimer (Gordon Mitchell). Seems the military doesn't want anyone snooping around over there. The guys decide to go anyway and get assistance from French priest Father Lenoir (Donald Pleasence). However it seems that someone has tipped off the North Vietnamese army. The guys have an uphill battle as they fight the soldiers and the Vietcong who still have resentment for the Americans.

The cast includes Christopher Connelly, Ethan Wayne (son of John Wayne), Richard Lester, Oliver Tobias.

Alternate Titles: Cobra Mission, Commando Cobra

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Death Raiders (1984)

This Philippine action film starts off (as these bottom of the barrel films usually do) with a guns-blazing, explosion-laden extravaganza. I'm not really sure what's going on but I think we are supposed to be witnessing a jungle rebel group at their violent best. Soon afterwards, this revolutionary force kidnap the governor of some region during his daughter's birthday party. The young adult daughters are also held hostage by the renegades. The army decides to re-form the "Death Raiders" commando team to rescue the Governor and his girls. We are introduced to each of the team members as they show off their skills of martial arts and cunning battle strategy. And while they are gearing up for the mission, there are those within the guerrilla camp that also have plans to save the hostages. Looks like the captives really don't have anything to worry about.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Mannigan's Force (1988)

This terrible movie stars George Nicholas as Mannigan, a mercenary that loves to scream as he double-fists a couple of machine guns. After a 9-minute opening sequence of explosions and slow-motion deaths, we fast forward to present day. Mannigan and his gang are hired to rescue some US hostages that were taken when some rebels hijacked an arms delivery in a South American country. Of course the odds are against the them as the military dictatorship closes in on them but for $1 million, Mannigan stops at nothing.

Alternate Titles: American Wardog

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Strike Commando (1987)

This Italian action film directed by Bruno Mattei is an blatant rip-off of Rambo, First Blood Part II, not to mention several other films. It stars Reb Brown as Sgt. Ransom, the lone survivor of mission gone bad during the Vietnam War. He is saved and nursed back to health by some benevolent Vietnamese villagers. Ransom returns the favor by taking it upon himself to lead the natives to safety and away from the Communist enemies that continue to attack their community. Unfortunately, the band of refugees are attacked by not only the Viet Cong, but actual Russian soldiers. Ransom is not able to fight them all although he is able to reach the rendezvous point and be picked up by his men.

Back at base, Ransom has some words with Colonel Radek (Christopher Connelly), the commanding officer that was responsible for his squadron's massacre. He tells Radek that he can get proof that the Russians are in Vietnam and volunteers to return to the village to get that evidence. Once there he runs into Jakoda (Alex Vitale), the Russian killing-machine. It's up to Ransom to take down Jakoda using all means available to him.

Alternate Titles: Kobra Commando

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Sweetie (1989)

This is the first feature film by New Zealand director Jane Campion. It stars Karen Colston as Kay, a timid, superstitious young woman. Her relationship with her boyfriend Louis (Tom Lycos) is starting to cool off after Kay covertly removed a tree that he had planted for them. It doesn't help matters much when Kay's unstable sister Sweetie (Genevieve Lemon) shows up at their home. Soon after that, their father (Jon Darling) also arrives, upset that his wife has left him. Kay can't get her own life together until she deals with her insane family.

Available: Netflix, Amazon 

The Meaning Of Life (1983)

When I saw this movie in the theater when it was initially released, it was my first real exposure to the guys of Monty Python. Needless to say, it totally blew my mind as I had never seen anything like it in my life. It still works.

Like their debut film "And Now For Something Completely Different", this film is basically a series of unrelated sketches. Unlike that film, these vignettes are brand new and are utterly inappropriate for television viewing. It includes Michael Palin as a Catholic father with too many children singing about how "Every Sperm Is Sacred"; John Cleese as a public school teacher trying to teach bored schoolboys the ins and outs of sexual intercourse; and the now classic Mr. Creosote (Terry Jones) exploding after having a "wafer-thin" after-dinner mint. What's your favorite?

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Hopscotch (1980)

Walter Matthau stars as Miles Kendig, an excellent CIA field man. He regretfully gets unceremoniously demoted to a desk job by his new boss Myerson (Ned Beatty) after he fails to apprehend a key KGB agent (Herbert Lom). Kendig decides to go rogue and travels to Saltzburg, Austria to hook up with Isobel (Glenda Jackson), an old friend and former agent. Once there, he resolves to get back at the agency by writing his explicit memoirs and sending copies to all the intelligence agencies around the world. As each chapter gets sent out, more damaging information about the CIA and their methods gets publicized. Determined to stop Kendig, the agency sends out its top agents including Cutter (Sam Waterston), Kendig's replacement. However, Kendig is always one step ahead of them, leading them on a wild goose chase.

Available: Netflix, Amazon, Amazon Instant

Straight To Hell (1987)

Wacky film directed by Alex Cox who is a big Spaghetti Western fan. He takes the love of that genre and applies it to this film of his.

The film starts off with a bumbling group of criminals who mess up a hit in a hotel and then clumsily rob a bank in Mexico. They make their escape in a crappy car that barely works. They end up hiding out in a desolate desert town that is inhabited by some gunfighters with an addiction to coffee. There isn't much else coherent to the story except that every once in a while one of the baddies asks where the guys have hidden the money.

The cast is just as bizarre with appearances by Joe Strummer of The Clash, Grace Jones, Elvis Costello, Dennis Hopper, Courtney Love,  and Jim Jarmusch among others.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Battletruck (1982)

In the desolate countryside after the Oil Wars, a group of ruthless bandits are outfitted with a massive truck that doesn't back down to anyone. A young woman named Corlie (Annie McEnroe) has just escaped from these outlaws and finds herself at a peaceful community where she hopes to make a new start. Her tranquility doesn't last long however, as the marauders soon show up to destroy the commune and basically make the residents (including John Ratzenberger of "Cheers") their slaves. Corlie escapes and finds refuge with Hunter (Michael Beck of "The Warriors"), a dirt-bike driving, self-sufficient loner. Hunter takes up the challenge to destroy these desperadoes and their Battletruck.

Alternate Titles: Warlords Of The 21st Century

Available: Amazon

One Down, Two To Go (1982)

Fred Williamson may be a great action hero and leading man, but he isn't the best director (Sorry, Fred!). He directed and starred in this sequel to Three The Hard Way joined by a trio of other black cinema greats: Richard Roundtree, Jim Kelly and Jim Brown.

The film starts off with a martial arts tournament. Obviously, the outcome is fixed. But for some reason Jim Kelly's team does win. Richard Roundtree as the manager tries to get his winnings from the unscrupulous promoters. This leads to Roundtree and Kelly getting shot at and kidnapped. Luckily Kelly was able to get word out to his buddies (Brown & Williamson) who sweep into town to help put things right.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Dead End Drive-In (1986)

Another film by Brian Trenchard-Smith, this one takes place in an apparently post-apocalyptic world where teenagers seem to continue on their normal ways. The violence and menace that is just lurking around the next bend doesn't cause them to stop hanging out on the corner at night and going to the movies with their dates. One night, however, Crabs (Ned Manning) and his girlfriend take his brother's vintage American car to the local drive-in. While there, someone steals his tires and they are force to stay the night. Unfortunately they find out the next morning that they are not allowed to leave. It seems that the drive-in is a sort of concentration camp for the deadbeats of society. Most of these kids don't seem to mind though, except for Crabs who is determined to get out.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Turkey Shoot (1982)

This Ozploitation classic is directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith. It is set sometime in the near future of 1995 when "social deviants" are sent away to re-education camps. These prisoners will supposedly be released one day when they have been rehabilitated. However it doesn't seem likely, as the guards torture and kill inmates as they please.

Newly arrived at the camp are Paul (Steve Railsback), a political dissident and Chris Walters (Olivia Hussey), mistaken as a rebel sympathizer. They happen to show up just as the camp commander has arranged for a little game with his sadistic friends. Simply, it's a turkey shoot: the prisoners are let loose and the hunters just pick them off.

Alternative Titles: Escape 2000, Blood Camp Thatcher

Available: Netflix, Amazon

The Monster Squad

Time for a short rewind to the 80s with The Monster Squad. The story centers on a group of young kids who are really into monsters, the Universal Horror variety of Frankenstein, Wolfman and Dracula. Fortunately (or unfortunately) for them, they get to do battle with those very creatures. While watching it, I felt like it was the younger cousin of The Goonies or Lost Boys.

Most of the plot details leave a lot to be desired such as why this actually happens where it does, where the Van Helsing book comes from, how did the crystal get in the basement of the house, etc. And all of this written by Lethal Weapon scribe Shane Black! However, this movie is obviously for young kids with a love of classic monsters so you can't fault it too much...or can you? Check out the trailer and judge for yourself.

The Black Cat

The Black Cat is loosely based on the Edgar Allen Poe story of the same name. This version is directed by Italian horror movie favorite Lucio Fulci who is best known for his gory (but convoluted) zombie movies. Luckily this movie is fairly cohesive with only a few minor bits that don't make sense; just don't think too hard about the details and you'll be fine.

The story concerns a psychic (Patrick Magee) who communicates with the dead, and his evil black cat who likes to kill people. There doesn't seem to be any real explanation as to why the cat is killing but that's okay because the killings are done well. And even though this is a Fulci film, the deaths aren't overly gory but that's okay too.

Check out the trailer to get a better idea of what to expect from this film.