When David J. Moore’s The
Good, The Tough, and The Deadly: Action
Movies & Stars 1960s-Present showed up, we could hear the sound of it
dropping onto the stoop from the other side of the building. It’s a veritable
tome — much like Moore’s prior book, World
Gone Wild: A Survivor’s Guide to
Post-Apocalyptic Movies, this is the size and heft of a college textbook.
However, the content is by no means as dry as what you’d
find in your standard college reader. Filled with reviews, interviews, and
commentary, The Good, The Tough, and The
Deadly covers each and every film, actor, and director you could hope for,
along with dozens (if not hundreds) you’ve never heard of, but will feel the
need to track down the instant you read about them.
Part of the book’s appeal is due to the fact that — unlike World Gone Wild — the reviews aren’t tackled
by Moore alone. In addition to himself, he’s enlisted the likes of Vern, Mike
“McBeardo” McPadden, and Destroy All Movies’ Zack Carlson, among others, all of
whom contribute their take on underrated, classic, and not-so-classic rock-’em,
sock-’em flicks.
It’s an absolute batty collection of reviews, and whether
you’re a fan of stars such as Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Cynthia Rothrock,
Sylvester Stallone, or the films of directors like Mark Goldblatt, you’re set.
Now, to be fair: there are rules which will frustrate the hell out of some
readers. The stars and directors featured in The Good, The Tough, and The
Deadly are those who brought to the screen “physical strength, prowess, and
abilities lost through time.”
Because of this, you’ll find the likes of of a nearly
five-page interview with American Ninja star Michael Dudikoff within the first
thirty pages, but nothing regarding Die Hard or its myriad sequels. It seems
like a strange thing, but there have to be rules, or Moore’s book would just
end up more massive than it already is. And, really, Moore’s logic is solid:
action stars are those who built their careers on kicking ass and taking names.
While the likes of Clint Eastwood and Bruce Willis made some great action
movies, their careers have been too varied to be considered “action stars,” per
se. At this point, Eastwood’s better known as a director, and Willis has gone
on to more standard fare.
I kind of take exception to the exclusion of Kurt Russell,
especially given his latter day return to the the sorts of roles with which he
began his career, but when stacked up against the likes of Arnold
Schwarzenegger, who’s still going to be remembered for destroying an island
full of baddies in Commando or nuking a rain forest in Predator, despite having
been governor of California for most of a decade.
David J. Moore’s The Good, The Tough, and The Deadly might
not contain everything you want it to, but it certainly contains everything it
should, and more. Any more than a couple minutes’ perusal will reveal half a
dozen films of which you’ve never heard, but will immediately have a profound
need to see. Be it the Chuck Norris grindhouse action slasher Silent Rage or
the forgotten blaxploitation of The Slams with Jim Brown, there’s bound to be a
hidden treasure or twenty to pique your interest.
Add in interviews with directors and stars — including an
in-depth chat with Dolph Lundgren which gave us a newfound appreciation for the
man — and this book is a must for fans of genre movies. Even the most dedicated
video hound is going to get something new out of Moore’s book, even if it’s
just looking at the hundreds of images source from the writer’s personal
collection.
THE GOOD, THE TOUGH AND THE DEADLY / AUTHOR: DAVID J. MOORE / PUBLISHER: SCHIFFER PUBLISHING / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
