Action
The enduring popularity of the action movie has drenched the genre in cliche yet glorious invention abounds around the globe - fighting is the international language. Fashionable styles of film-making come and go but action movies just change their shoes and remain centre-stage.
Great glittering galaxies of genre from across the Alice universe have been gleaned to assemble a suitably kick-ass selection of ballistic ballet and poetic pugilism to scintillate the delicate senses of our discerning clientele. Are you ready to rumble? Are you feeling lucky, Sir/Madame? Our suggestions for a hearty evening of action are listed below.
Pictured: Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang springs into action. Sean Connery as agent 007 in "Diamonds are Forever" (1971).
Young Guns (1988)
Director: Christopher Cain
Starring: Emilio Estevez, Dermot Mulroney, Lou Diamond Phillips, Charlie Sheen, Casey Siem...
The legend of William H Bonney, alias Billy the Kid, notorious back-shooter and cult western figure, gets still another shot at cinematic immortality.... Read more
Young Guns II (1990)
Director: Geoff Murphy
Starring: Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Christian Slater
The Old West's meanest, wildest and hippest-looking outlaws are back behind, and under, the gun in the hit sequel. Emilio Estevez, as Billy the Kid, r... Read more
Zatoichi (2003)
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Starring: Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano, Michiyo Ogusu, Yui Natsukawa
Aka "The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi". The sightless Zatoichi - hero of over two dozen films from 1962 to 1989 - is revived by scripter/director/star Ta... Read more
Zatoichi 16: The Outlaw (1967)
Director: Satsuo Yamamoto
Starring: Shintaro Katsu, Rentaro Mikuni
Zatoichi, played of course by the brilliant Shintaro Katsu, wanders into yet another village in turmoil as rival gambling houses are putting the squee... Read more
Zatoichi 1: The Tale of Zatoichi (1962)
Director: Kenji Misumi
Starring: Shintaro Katsu, Masayo Mari, Ryuzo Shimada
This is the movie that introduced the legend of Zatoichi and its star Shintaro Katsu, ushering in a new era of the Japanese samurai film. Practicing h... Read more
Zatoichi 20: Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (1970)
Director: Kihachi Okamoto
Starring: Shintaro Katsu, Toshiro Mifune
Two of Japan's legendary actors star in this classic tale of greed and misfortune. Zatoichi the Blind Masseur (Shintaro Katsu) revisits a village he h... Read more
Zatoichi 21: The Festival of Fire (1970)
Director: Kenji Misumi
Starring: Shintaro Katsu, Tatsuya Nakadai, Reiko Ohara, Masayuki Mori
In a town where women are bought and sold, Zatoichi stumbles upon a secret organisation headed by the Dark Lord Yamikubo. Also blind, Yamikubo befrien... Read more
Zatoichi 22: Zatoichi Meets the One Armed Swordsman (1971)
Director: Kimiyoshi Yasuda
Starring: Shintaro Katsu, Jimmy Wang Yu
On the outskirts of the town of Furukawa, Zatoichi meets a young boy whose parents have been murdered by a corrupt local samurai. Accompanying the boy... Read more
Zatoichi 23: At Large (1972)
Director: Kazuo Mori
Starring: Shintaro Katsu, Rentaro Mikuni, Hisaya Morishige, Etsushi Takahashi, Fujio Morit...
One of the best of the original series of 25, this sees our blind hero deliver the baby of a dying mother (and breastfeed it!), then set off to find t... Read more
Zatoichi 24: In Desperation (1972)
Director: Shintaro Katsu
Starring: Shintaro Katsu, Kiwako Taichi, Kyoko Toshizawa, Yasuhiro Koume, Fujio Morita
Directed by the actor who plays Zatoichi, this is possibly the darkest and most sombre of the series; the yakuza are meaner and the body count is high... Read more