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Bill--if you like Charles Bronson movies, check out "The Mechanic" and "Telefon" both very good movies. "Death Wish" was pretty good as was the sequel, but it's better when it's not all chopped up on regular cable and yet still fun to watch--worthy rentals or look for them on TCM. What newer action movies have you seen that you thought were good and how do you think they compare to that of the action/crime dramas of the seventies and eighties?

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Okay, so I'm 30 years late on this one, but I finally saw Death Wish. It was on tv this weekend, and being an action fan I thought I'd give it a shot. It's not as gratuitous as the title might suggest, and it had some good character development with Charles Bronson. I can't speak for the sequels because I haven't seen them yet, but I definitely recommend the original.

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Jeremy, As I suggested in my 1/4/08 blog, the alternative ending to I Am Legend works with the evolution of the vampires that is suggested by the "trap" scene. It makes a bit more sense, and it leads to one neat scene. In the end though, the alternative ending is no more satisfying than the one in the theatrical release. Both are weaker than the body of the film.

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Has anyone seen the alternate ending for "I am Legend" that will be included on the dvd? You can check it out through the link below, but let me just say that it would have been awful if they went with this one. Kinda cool that they shoot multiple things though: http://www.wooohah.com/2008/03/i-am-legend-vid.html

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Meg, Yes, Shutter is yet another remake. I agree that Jason Statham has an unusual appeal. I like him in those no-frills Transporter action flicks. In Bank Job, he shows a little more range as an actor and does everything that the role requires. And he gets a lot of help from the supporting cast.

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Mike--I just read your review of "The Bank Job". It sounds good--love the "Transporter" movies and "Crank" was not too bad either. Jason Statham is a believable character (off-center) in his films and the fast action-paced movies are always a plus too. He reminds me of Jackie Chan. I haven't seen the movie yet, but now I'm looking forward to "The Bank Job". The movie is set in the seventies? The other movie I was curious about was "Shutter." I just recorded an Asian film by the same name--I wonder if it's another American knock off, if it is, I hope they've done it justice. I love Asian horror. I sure do miss your radio show, but so glad for the message board and your input!

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Roland, I thought Beowulf was interesting in both the good and bad senses of the term. Was intrigued by the visuals, that weird half-cartoon aspect of the characters, and I thought the story took some curious turns. Really liked the big golden dragon. That said, I was never at all emotionally involved with the film.

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What did everyone think of Beowulf? I just rented it and found it better than expected, but I'm not sure how much I liked whatever kind of animation it uses. One pleasant surpise in particular was John Malkovich having a couple of very funny lines.