Damn, was this a tough category to comb through. Both High-Def formats have an insatiable thirst for loud noises, taking to things that go BOOM like a politician to babies. There are a lot of deceptive titles out there, like Shooter and Shoot ‘Em Up, purporting to be the ultimate purveyor of balls-out ballistics. Don’t you believe it. To paraphrase Shakespeare, those titles “be bullshitin’ on Front Street.”
Easy readers, we’re here to provide clarification. There’s a lot of bang out there, but these are the best for your buck.
Hard Boiled | 1992
If you’ve seen our heartfelttribute to Inspector Tequilaand his gift of gun, then Hard Boiled’s inclusion shouldn’t surprise. This flick made John Woo known worldwide, kicked off a new era of cinematic violence and earned Chow Yun-Fat cushy action movie asylum in these here United States. Look for Mr. Fat next in the live-action Dragonball Z movie. Seriously?
When not endangering the lives of doves, John Woo makes sweet, sweet love to the pistol, considered by many to be the Larry Flint of cinematic lead peddlers.Entertainment Weeklycalled Hard Boiled the 9th greatest action film of all time. Yet, the real number to keep in mind is the body count. 307. That's three-hundred cadavers - and seven more for good luck. Peep the hospital blowout for nearly three minutes of mayhem in single take.
The Disc
Hard Boiled got an interactive sequel in the form ofStranglehold. Bestest of all for gamers, thePS3 Collector's Editioncontains the only High Definition version of Hard Boiled. Most have said the quality is lacking for an HD release, but at $40, a good game and a great movie on Blu-Ray is a goddamned steal.
Trivia
There were 200 guns in this movie, allreal and loaded with blanks.
