Grab your rocket launcher and your parkour shoes! We’re revisiting the late Ray Stevenson in the best Punisher movie, PUNISHER: WAR ZONE.

Hearing about Ray Stevenson’s unfortunate passing made me want to revisit one of his best movies….

Punisher: War Zone (2008)

Director: Lexi Alexander
Stars: Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Julie Benz

IS THERE A PLOT?

Former family man Frank Castle spends his time violently eradicating organized crime, but after an eventful night of sending a mob boss face-first through a glass crusher and accidentally killing an undercover FBI agent, The Punisher finds himself being hunted by those on both sides of the law.

WHAT’S THE DAMAGE?

The Punisher has had an interesting foray in to live action over the years. The 1989 Dolph Lundgren movie still holds up, but he honestly could’ve been any generic vigilante. Jon Bernthal gave us a more psychologically complex Frank Castle in his Netflix series, while Thomas Jane provided what fans had long been clamoring for…The Punisher punishing Tampa, Florida. However, Punisher: War Zone with Ray Stevenson stands on their shoulders as the best of the best.

You’ll know you’re in good hands by the first scene, when the film opens with the title character single-handedly taking out an entire crime family in the most gruesome ways possible—no unnecessary setup or origin story needed. And not long after, around the time Frank Castle watches some guys doing rooftop parkour and kills one in midair with a rocket launcher, you’ll realize that you will love this movie forever.

The biggest compliment I can pay Punisher: War Zone is that it manages to feel like both an accurate comic book adaptation AND a loving homage to unapologetically violent action movies from the 1980s. It’s pretty much exactly what you want out of a film like this. The action is unflinching with a slightly tongue-in-cheek humor to it, enough to make the graphic murders palatable, but not constantly undercutting its effectiveness with jokes. There’s also the right amount of story and characterization to give the movie stakes and provide a glimpse of the Punisher’s humanity and personal demons, but not so much that the film drags in between all the headshots and broken bones.  

But mostly it’s just a lot of fun and a blast to watch, chock full of the utter carnage and excess a Punisher flick should have. This is a video game world of endless ammo and magically appearing guns, where ridiculous-looking vigilantes and villains can run down a busy New York City street  without anyone batting an eye, and where facial bones apparently don’t exist and a man without superpowers can punch a giant hole through your skull. It also takes place in a society where crazed serial killers can murder multiple cops, get arrested and make a plea deal with the feds, and walk free that same day. If ever there was a city that needed The Punisher, this is it.

Director Lexi Alexander, who made the also-underrated Green Street Hooligans, deserves most of the credit here for absolutely nailing both tone and the visuals of the movie, each bouncing between dark and gritty or delightfully outlandish when needed. (There are some excellent shots in Punisher: War Zone, with Castle always being framed as larger-than-life or his skull logo getting illuminated in darkness.) Alexander, a former world champion kickboxer and black belt in karate, also ensures that the action is *ahem* well-executed. The fight scenes and action sequences are all expertly-shot, easy to follow, and appropriately brutal. It’s a veritable smorgasbord for connoisseurs of skull stabbings, blown out kneecaps, beheadings—both via blade and shotgun, human arson, and even a chair leg through the eye. The missile launcher kill is probably my favorite, but I have to give credit to the scene where The Punisher  throws a man off a building, impaling him on the gate below and then jumps off the roof, landing on his head and breaking his neck. It’s a level commitment and dedication most vigilantes don’t have.

Also amazing—the effects are almost all practical, with a level of violence that might remind discerning viewers of the over-the-top gore in Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky. It’s honestly all just so well-done that I don’t know why Hollywood didn’t throw every action franchise at Alexander after this came out. (You know, aside from standard discrimination against female directors, especially in this genre.)

The cast is also icing on the violence cake. The Wire’s Dominic West gets the showiest role, playing Jigsaw with a wonderfully ludicrous accent and making full use of his makeup—giving a bigger and wilder performance as the movie goes on. He gets the honor of delivering a rousing Patton-style speech in front of an American flag, attempting to build an army of henchmen for the sole purpose of giving Frank Castle an endless supply of bodies to mow through in the last act. Doug Hutchinson is also delightfully unhinged as Jigsaw’s brother Loony Bin Jim, whether that means he’s hissing like a cat or chomping on people’s internal organs.

Colin Salmon, who you may recognize from the Brosnan Bond movies, has the unenviable task of playing the serious-minded straight man to all the insanity happening around him, but he still manages to hold his own by utilizing the legendary thespian tactic of…randomly yelling his lines. His “Goddammit, Castle!” reaction to the Punisher casually blowing off a man’s head with a shotgun actually made me do a spit take.

And then there’s the late Ray Stevenson as Frank Castle. Stevenson was one of those actors who was so effortlessly good in everything that he rarely called attention to himself–like playing the sneering villain in RRR, the boisterous Volstagg in the MCU, or delivering one of my favorite lines in The Other Guys. After Punisher: War Zone, I think he’s still the best Frank Castle, handling both the action and the occasional dramatic moments with ease. He’s just such an imposing, powerful presence in this movie and manages to do a lot with very little, considering the title character doesn’t need to speak much. So when he does open his mouth, Stevenson makes stellar one-liners like this really shine (said right before he sets this guy on fire):

“BEST” PARTS

ENJOYABLENESS CONTINUUM

PLAY ALONG AT HOME!

Take a shot or drink every time:

• The punisher reloads
• You have an audible reaction to an on-screen death
• Someone looks in or breaks a mirror
• Someone does cocaine
• A mid-2000s rock song plays

Double shot if:

Seen a movie that should be featured on this column? Shoot Jason an email and give him an excuse to drink.

With Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 wrapping up at Marvel, we began to wonder what were the best space operas? Let’s find out.

Movie goers have always been fascinated with films that take place in outer space. Infuse that with some fun adventures, and you’re guaranteed a big hit. With Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 hitting big in theaters and bringing fans to tears since it’s their last adventure, now is the time to look for other space operas to fill that gap. What should you be watching?

T​his film starts as a joke, making fun of the culture that can spring up around franchises like Star Trek. We see the cast attending a convention celebrating this long over TV series. Most of them seem like they want to be doing anything else, but we hear about the problems of them being typecast as their characters. At first, they think they are being courted for a new show but quickly find out that they are actually being recruited to help an alien race free themselves from being enslaved.

E​ssentially, Star Trek gets the Three Amigos treatment. While they feel entirely out of their depth dealing with this very real situation, they all step up and do what they can to complete their most important mission. The film works way better than it has any right to. The world they build within the movie feels vast and lived in while also being something new in the genre at the time. It works great and is a fun watch. A great twist that makes it one of the best space operas.

F​irefly started as a series on FOX, and while only lasting one short season, it gained enough of a following to warrant a full-length theatrical film. The series centered on the crew of the ship Serenity. Most of them are people looking to disappear or hoping to make some money pulling any job they can get hired for. This helped the show have a great variety in storytelling during its small run.

W​hen it jumped to the big screen, they tried to take everything they had done on the show previously and put it on a bigger scale. It was great to see all the characters fans loved returning and participating in the big adventure while we also got to revisit some fun locations from the series. One of the great things the series did was make this feel like a real world. People acted naturally, and we got to see how things operated outside of the confines of the ship. This feels like the closest thing to the Guardians movies that existed before they joined the MCU. Even though it lived a short life, it is still one of the best space operas.

Based on the old comic strips and movie serials, this 80s update to the character hit theaters trying to ride the wave of space films in the wake of Star Wars. An American football star and his girlfriend get mixed up with a Russian scientist. Before long, they find themselves on a trip to the planet Mongo. The planet is ruled by the evil Ming the Merciless, who intends to destroy Earth. Now Flash has to use his athletic ability to bring together the citizens of Mongo to stop Ming once and for all.

T​his film got a boost once again after the star and the film itself showed up in the Seth MacFarlane film Ted. The main characters were obsessed with the film and Flash himself, Sam J. Jones even shows up as himself. He would come back in the sequel as well. While it’s a little cheesy now, the film is still a lot of fun, and who can argue that the title song by Queen isn’t amazing?

T​his troubled series has had many ups and downs throughout its production history. The original 1984 film went through various versions before David Lynch could finally make the one released in theaters. He has talked about the horrible time he had making the film and how it was taken from him before he could complete it. Denis Villeneuve has been given a shot at it and has tried to take it back to what it was initially supposed to be from the book series.

A​ young man with an important destiny is charged with controlling the most valuable element in the universe. Spice. As many factions begin to fight over control of the planet, he is thrust into the middle of a war. While only the first part of the film has come out so far, fans have been positive about its direction and are excited to check out the next installment.

W​hile Star Wars seems to get the praise for its world-building, Star Trek helped push the outer space set adventures to a whole different level over numerous different incarnations. Starting back in 1966, the crew of the USS Enterprise was tasked with exploring space while trying not to interfere in the workings of other worlds. We followed the cast as they visited a new world almost every episode. T​his spawned multiple series that continues to this day and even a film series with the original cast.

Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan is probably the most well-known of those films. The crew of the Enterprise run into an old enemy and learns that he has plans to steal Project Genesis. With this device, he can destroy any world he wants while also bringing dead planets back to life. Since he blames Kirk for all his misery, he plans on destroying him and anyone else that gets in his way. T​he sprawl of Star Trek is vast, and there are always great stories to check out, no matter what generation you are into. It really is one of the best space operas.

T​his is the franchise probably most associated with the phrase Space Opera. In 1977, George Lucas wanted to make a fun space adventure that reminded him of old serials from his youth. He ended up making one of the biggest franchises in the world. Now owned by Disney, Star Wars is still going strong, with numerous series airing on Disney+ and more films in the works.

The original film now retitled A New Hope, was a great example of the hero’s journey and featured the evil Darth Vader as the main antagonist. As the film series went on, more and more lore was added to grow the world of Star Wars in numerous directions. Cartoons, films, and even cereal followed from the supernova that A New Hope spawned.

Out of the original Trilogy, most fans point to The Empire Strikes Back as the favorite film. The story goes a little darker, and various characters have to confront their flaws and mortality. With the big reveal that Darth Vader was, in fact, Luke Skywalker’s father, fans could not wait for another entry into the series. We see our heroes left in tatters as Han Solo is frozen in carbonite, Luke loses his hand, and the Empire seems unstoppable. Luckily we had plenty more Star Wars to come to keep fans hooked.

W​hat do you think are some of the best space operas? Let us know in the comments.

WandaVision’s Elizabeth Olsen has some strategic words to actors hoping to get into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Scarlet Witch can control minds, energy and time, but can she one-up some of the most important studio executives in the movie industry? Elizabeth Olsen, who plays Scarlet Witch aka Wanda Maximoff, has detailed her advice on how prospective Marvel actors can use their debut to their advantage…Now all they have to do is land that first movie, no big deal.

Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Elizabeth Olsen said the tactic to solidifying yourself as a powerful force within the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes down to the contract. “I’ve had some people ask about it…Just give them one [movie]…I think that way you have more control over…If you, let’s say, ‘Oh my God, this is the most fun I’ve ever had and I love this character so much, I want to do it again,’ you now have more creative control for the next one.” Um, Elizabeth, we have Edward Norton and Terrence Howard on the phone…

Elizabeth Olsen has of course played Wanda Maximoff several times for Marvel beginning with an uncredited cameo in 2014’s Captain America: Winter Soldier before landing more prominent roles in the third Captain America, the second, third and fourth Avengers entries, and of course headlining her own series, WandaVision (playing Wanda/Scarlet Witch), even earning an Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Pretty good for being the other Olsen sister for so long…Your move, Shecky Hemsworth.

Elizabeth Olsen has been open about her Marvel contract before. While she didn’t strictly adhere to her own advice, it was far more limited than some of her counterparts at just two movies and a cameo. She also noted that, as of 2021, she had gone through three contracts with the studio. This, it turns out, has proved beneficial for her character. “It really has benefited me because they only continue to use me, not cause they have to, but because they think there’s a story that can be used….I have always felt like they had a plan for me, and never really let me in on what that plan was, but I knew that they would only use me if it was useful.”

What is your favorite Elizabeth Olsen moment within the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Are you hoping to see even more of Scarlet Witch? Let us know below!

Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth holds the record for longest standing ovation ever at the Cannes Film Festival at 22 minutes.

With the 76th Cannes Film Festival nearing its conclusion, it has been apparent that the most frequent stories have leaned heavily on how long the standing ovations have been. Johnny Depp’s Jeanne du Barry opened the fest with a seven minute standing O, while Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon landed nine and on and on and on. But none of these—or any others—have matched the reigning champ of Cannes ovations: Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, which clocked in at an astounding 22 minutes.

Pan’s Labyrinth may not have won the Palme d’Or at the 59th Cannes Film Festival, but it did set the new record for standing ovation length, topping 2004’s Fahrenheit 9/11’s reported 20-minute reception. (Michael Moore’s film at least also received the festival’s top honor.) Reflecting on that memorable moment, director del Toro said such a response is overwhelming and creates a little confusion as to what to do. After all, he could have watched a standard sitcom episode during that time. “Twenty-five minutes is the commute to my office. It’s hard to describe what it is, to go that long, because the first three, four minutes, you’re bathed in a sort of realm of acceptance and joy. Ten minutes in, you don’t know what to do.”

However, del Toro had one of his trusty amigos there to give him a quick pointer: “And in the middle of that, Alfonso Cuarón, who was next to me, gave me a strong pat on the back and he said, ‘Allow yourself to be loved, man.’ And then I just opened myself up to that ovation and it went for the full 22 minutes.”

But did the 22-minute standing ovation at Cannes truly feel like it for del Toro? “It felt like 22 minutes…There was no way you didn’t notice.” Certainly del Toro also took notice of the recognition it received after the festival, as the film went on to earn six Academy Award nominations with three wins (although it got snubbed for Best Foreign Language Film, with all due respect to Germany’s stellar The Lives of Others).

Are you surprised that Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth has the record for standing ovation at Cannes? Do you typically applaud at the theater?

Arnold Schwarzenegger would suit up to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the right project came along.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has just about accomplished it all: three Mr. Universe titles, a two-term stint as governor of California, over $5 billion at the global box office…But Arnold hasn’t done something so many major seasoned actors have, which is appear in a Marvel blockbuster. But that doesn’t mean he has entirely ruled it out…

Speaking with Men’s Health, Arnold Schwarzenegger said he would have no problem joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, under one condition: “If the role is right!” Arnold joining the MCU? Now that would kick some ice!

Of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger does have a brief history with superhero movies. The most infamous was his turn as Mr. Freeze in Batman & Robin, which, despite its reputation, Arnold isn’t ashamed of, once saying, “I don’t regret it at all. I felt that the character was interesting and two movies before that one Joel Schumacher was at his height. So the decision-making process was not off.” There was also Jingle All the Way, where he chased–then played–Turbo-Man, a character who, let’s be honest, deserved his own spinoff movie. He even has a slight link to Marvel, as he headlined the last project Stan Lee personally worked on, the animated series Superhero Kindergarten, voicing Arnold Armstrong aka Captain Fantastic.

If Arnold were to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it would again put him toe-to-toe with career rival Sylvester Stallone, who joined the MCU as Stakar Ogord in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (returning for Vol. 3 earlier this year). Stallone also starred in last year’s superhero movie Samaritan, not to mention 1995’s Judge Dredd, based on the 2000 AD comic. (For an in-depth look at the battle between Schwarzenegger and Stallone, check out our edition of Face-Off!)

While fans await news on whether Arnold Schwarzenegger will ever sign a Marvel contract, he is currently serving as Chief Action Officer for Netflix, who handled his latest series, FUBAR, currently streaming on the service.

Do you think Arnold Schwarzenegger would be a good fit for the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Which character could you see him playing? Let us know in the comments section!

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Cynthia Rothrock is one of the best movie martial artists of all time. We pay tribute to “Lady Dragon” by counting down her best movies.

Also known as The Lady Dragon, Cynthia Rothrock first started acting in Hong Kong films in the 1980s following a very successful career as a competition martial artist. She holds 5 black belts and is ranked 8^th Dan Grandmaster. She competed against men for a good part of her competition days due to there not always being a women’s category, where she won many times over. Her achievement in the martial arts world got her the first female cover of Karate Illustrated and her film career is filled with action and a bit of humor. Here are 5 of the best Cynthia Rothrock movies:

Yes, Madam (1985) 

Her very first movie role, the part of Inspector Carrie Moss was designed for Rothrock and her skills, or so it would seem while watching the film. Directed by Corey Yuen (So Close, The Transporter) and co-starring Michelle Yeoh, a woman who needs no introduction at this point, the film is a fun action romp with plenty of fight scenes, including the last one of the film that is quite something, allowing Rothrock to truly show her skills here with kicks, hits, jumps, splits, and using a pole as a weapon and to jump. This film is credited for being the first Hong Kong film with a Caucasian lead actress in Rothrock. This lead was meant to be a male one, something in the vein of Bruce Lee’s work, but when the casting saw Rothrock and her skills, she was offered the part on the spot leading to a very dynamic duo with Yeoh. This intro to Rothrock is one that is memorable to this day and truly showcases her capacities. 

Righting Wrongs (1986) 

Also from director Corey Yuen, this one co-stars Yuen Biao and has Karen Sheperd in the cast. Rothrock’s fight with Sheperd at the mall is fantastic to watch and the fights she gets to have with Yuen are great. The film itself is highly entertaining and has a rather grim original ending with a happier alternate ending filmed. This film shows that with the right fight choreography, a fighter as skilled as Rothrock is can really show what they can do on the screen. Here work here is solid, giving the viewer some fight scenes to remember and giving a performance that shows why she kept getting more and more roles after this one. As one of her many films with Corey Yuen, Righting Wrongs is one that is worth looking for to see what Rothrock can do, who she is as an actress and a fighter, and to have some fun. 

China O’Brien (1990) 

This film is what some consider the ultimate Cynthia Rothrock film, China O’Brien was built just for her, mixing her American identity with her Asian influences and career, this film takes her martial arts, adds some drama, puts the stakes up, and releases the lady on a town needing some cleaning up from bad elements. Here, Rothrock gets plenty of fights and gets to be joined by Richard Norton, another action film regular, on the good guy side. These two have costarred in films before and since, creating a great duo for fights and fun scenes. China O’Brien was a loved film when it was released and really helped put Rothrock on the map for American audiences even though it was not her first release in the US. Her work here is strong as usual and really sets her up to be the force to be reckoned with that she became in American action films of the 1990s.  

Tiger Claws and its sequels (1991, 1996, 2000) 

One film that led to 2 sequels, the first and second films are about a martial artist who goes around killing other martial arts masters using Tiger Claw style of fighting. As Detective Linda Matheson, Rothrock plays the rookie detective on her first case, one that will put her character in danger and allow the actress to show her skills. Her fight with Bolo Yeung in his character’s lair leads to Rothrock not only showing her hand-to-hand combat skills, but also her sword fighting skills. She also gets to have an impressive fight with a boat oar, showing that anything can be a weapon in this lady’s hands. Considering these are but a couple of fights in a film series filled with them, Tiger Claws (and its sequels) are worth checking out for these in particular. The third film goes in a fully new direction with a supernatural element brought in, but it’s still a lot of fun. 

Sworn to Justice (1996) 

One of the many films released in the 1990s starring Rothrock, this one may seem a bit off in terms of story making her a psychologist who often serves as a expert witness in court who finds herself thrown into a case as her sister and nephew are murdered and she develops ESP capacities that lead her to find criminals and fight them. While this is a very 1996 movie in terms of story, the ESP angle, the wardrobe, and how it’s filmed, it’s a fun, enjoyable watch. Rothrock gets to stretch her acting muscles a bit more here than in many of her other films as the grieving sister/auntie and she gets to have plenty of fight scenes and moments to show her martial arts skills. The film is also fun to watch for the presence of Mako and Brad Dourif. Also, keep your eyes peeled for a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle out of costume with actor Kenn Scott getting to play a bad guy. Of course, this is a film all about Rothrock and she does quite well here. 

Cynthia Rothrock has been active in films since 1985 and still is very active to this day with 14 films at different stages of pre-production and post-production at the moment. She also maintains an active online presence, teaches seminars, attends non-profit events, and meets fans as often as she can. She’s a presence that is very magnetic everywhere she goes, showing that her acting career is something that made a lot of sense after she stopped competing and winning all the titles.  

George Maharis, the star of TV’s Route 66 at the cult fantasy film The Sword and the Sorcerer, is dead at 94.

George Maharis, a big TV star in the sixties but probably best known to JoBlo readers from his role in Albert Pyun’s The Sword and the Sorcerer, is dead at 94. According to social media posts via the actor’s caretaker, he actually passed away on Wednesday, with the cause of death not revealed. Maharis was a pretty trendy leading man in his day, with him having starred in the hip TV series Route 66, in which he co-starred with Martin Milner as two young men driving across the United States, getting involved in adventures. Taking a page from Jack Kerouac, the show made Maharis a star, but he left it prematurely due to being diagnosed with hepatitis. In 1965 he starred in a pretty good spy thriller called The Satan Bug, which came from the director of The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape, John Sturges, in which he played a spy trying to prevent a pandemic.

The film, while well-reviewed, didn’t make Maharis a movie star, and later in the decade, he guest-starred on the TV show Hullabaloo, with his appearance (embedded below) a key inspiration for a similar scene involving Leonardo DiCaprio as the (late) Rick Dalton in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Unlike DiCaprio’s Dalton, he could actually sing, with him scoring a top 40 hit in the sixties for the song he sings here, “Teach Me Tonight.”

Maharis’s career cooled in the seventies, with him mainly guest-starring on TV shows like The Bionic Woman and Fantasy Island. However, he had a hit with Pyun’s The Sword and the Sorcerer, in which he played Count Machelli. He stepped away from acting in the mid-nineties and spent the last twenty years of his life living in comfortable retirement.