'80s Action Movies on the Cheap: 284 Low Budget, High Impact Pictures

by Daniel R. Budnik

The 1980s was the decade when the action film as it's now known came into being. Nonstop, big-budget excitement became the standard as epic adventures like Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Road Warrior set the tone for the summer blockbusters of Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Chuck Norris. Homages (and ripoffs) made with lesser budgets followed every hit, especially with the advent of direct-to-video releases. Providing detailed commentary on 284 films, this book explores the excitement, audacity and sheer weirdness of '80s low budget action cinema, from the American Ninja series to dime-a-dozen barbarian pictures to such bargain-basement productions as The Courier of Death, Kill Squad and Samurai Cop .

Genres: Film

260 pages, Paperback

Published April 7, 2017

Reviews

[Christin Haws · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enter the world of Ho-Lai, Reb Brown, and so many heroes named Steve. Filled with insightful reviews about the films made during the decade that gave us big hair, shoulder pads, and yuppies, this book is an excellent guide through the action movies that didn't quite make blockbuster status (or in some cases, any status at all). Written with wit, good humor, a definite fondness, and minimal spoilers, this book is a must-have for film lovers.

[Gregg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Budnik's review style. The reviews come off like a good friend chatting up a movie they just saw. Both hilarious and insightful. I scour Amazon Prime for the movies reviewed here and you will surprised how many turn up! At any rate, I look forward to more from Mr. Budnik.

[David Sodergren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book with a notepad next to you to jot down all the garbage 80s action that you never knew you needed to see. Surprisingly heavy on great Italian schlock, it’s a must read for Bleeding Skull fans.

[Mfaiella2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always love the idea of these tomes to certain disrespected genre films (see the work of Mike "McBeardo" McPadden for another wild ride). No doubt that the author has gone deep and brought both the trash and the gems you're looking for. That said, I thought the review style relied too much on summary. I also wish there was more awareness of each review to the others in the book so that references could be made and thoughts repeated less often.