The Mechanic

Legendary badass Charles Bronson shares celluloid space with...Jan Michael Vincent. Don't let the JMV get you down, though, this is Bronson at his Bronsonest, an old assassin gearing down and teaching the new kid all his tricks of the trade. Like in an old kung-fu movie, the STUDENT must become THE TEACHER (put in a gong sound effect here), however, Bronson isn't content to go gently into that good night, so all the killing becomes secondary to the on-screen battle between master and apprentice, kinda like the first couple new Star Wars movies, but bleak and depressing rather than hilarious and depressing.

Watch the trailer for the movie here.

The Tai Chi Master

If you loved the wire-fighting in The Matrix and Kill Bill, see where fight choreographer/director Yuen Woo Ping got his start. Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh highlight a stellar cast in a tale of high-flying betrayal and revenge that also involves lots of fighting. This is one of the best films from the 90s martial arts boom and Jet Li is at his physical peak, so if you've only seen him in some of his more recent work, you're definitely in for a treat.

Watch a fight scene from the movie here.

Duck, You Sucker/A Fistful of Dynamite

One of Sergio Leon's most-overlooked films, Duck, You Sucker! not only has the misfortune of no Clint Eastwood, it also comes between the justly-celebrated Once Upon A Time In The West and Once Upon A Time in America, making it the Empire Strikes Back of that particular triology. It also has the misfortune of two terrible titles. You almost feel bad for it, because this is one of Leone's best and while Clint is gone, James Coburn and Rod Steiger are plenty manly in the leads. Ennio Morricone also contributes one of his best soundtracks, if you're a fan of that particular brand of film score. Ignore the goofy title(s) and focus on the good, which is plenty of Leone grit and style, with all the cred of seeing something most other people haven't.

Watch the trailer for the movie here.

Versus

Versus is a samurai flick meeting a gangster flick, and the car containing them both runs headlong into a a metaphorical schoolbus full of zombies and a Mini Cooper of mysticism and clowns. The collision produces something bizarre, yet awesome, as the dead are walking the earth and all you can do is pick up a gun and a sword and try to shove them back in it. Good, evil, swords, guns, reincarnation, and some bizarre humor all collide in a fun-to-watch cinematic trainwreck.

Check out the trailer for the movie here.

Master of the Flying Guillotine

A classic, ridiculous 70s martial art movie, Master of the Flying Guillotine has received homages ranging from Kill Bill to Street Fighter. While it is faintly ridiculous, in the grand tradition of all the classic martial arts movies, the grand showdown in the martial arts tournament features an incredible range of styles, and the flying guillotine is one hell of a cinematic weapon, right up there with Freddy's glove and Ash's chainsaw. And it always pays to know your kung fu movie roots.

Watch a clip from the final fight here.

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