Jul 19, 2018 17:32:17 GMT Emperor said:

Terminator is better.

You're wrong , and that's okay.

This is what my list would have looked like...

1. Rocky IV
2. Rocky III
3. Predator (#3)
4. Empire Strikes Back (#10)
5. Big Trouble In Little China
6. Return of the Jedi
7. Bloodsport (#8)
8. Road House
9. They Live
10. The Terminator (#2)

I am always going to vote for Rocky I-IV and Star Wars Episodes 2-6 if possible. Not 100% sold on Terminator at #10 but haven't thought of anything better yet. Terminator suffers from the same problem as Die Hard & Lethal Weapon in that I watched/remembered/liked the 90s sequel more than the 80s original. Big Trouble In Little China is the movie I would have voted for that I'm most upset about not cracking the Top 10. 

Jul 19, 2018 18:09:01 GMT UT said:

Jul 19, 2018 17:32:17 GMT Emperor said:

Terminator is better.

You're wrong , and that's okay.

You don't like Arnie. I can't take anything you say seriously.

Lots of my favourite films are really pretentious. I love Citizen Kane and The Tree of Life and Foreign Language films and I've been getting into silent movies from the 20s recently...and I still think Die Hard is a perfect film and one of the greatest ever made. When I think action movie it's the first thing that pops into my head and is the pinnacle of the genre. Great acting, tight script, iconic moments and best of all...it's a Christmas film. I love Terminator too, but I'm really glad Die Hard has its rightful top spot.

Oh by the way here's my list. I only just realised that there's five Arnie films on there. To be honest, I'm mostly indifferent to #6-#10, but I had to put some films there.

1. Commando
2. The Terminator
3. Scarface
4. The Untouchables
5. Die Hard
6. Conan The Barbarian
7. Raiders Of The Lost Ark
8. Lethal Weapon
9. Red Sonja
10. The Running Man

Jul 19, 2018 21:09:52 GMT Emperor said:

Jul 19, 2018 18:09:01 GMT UT said:

You're wrong , and that's okay.

You don't like Arnie. I can't take anything you say seriously.

Yeah well PB nailed the point even further home. And PW spoke hard - Die Hard is king of movies.

1. Die Hard
2. Aliens
3. The Terminator
4. Predator
5. Raiders Of The Lost Ark
6. Robocop
7. First Blood
8. The Road Warrior
9. Top Gun
10. Bloodsport

Like PB Die Hard is the first movie that I think of when the action genre is brought up. It has great tension and an incredible script that balances that tight rope of having the right amount of cheesiness. Later films in the franchise took the law enforcement community a little more seriously but I like how the first two portrayed the police as being more misguided than outright buffoons. It doesn't take the edge away from the movie.

Top Gun is a standard bearer and poster boy for how a movie can be done without CG. Those flying scenes still amaze to this day and no movie sounds better on surround sound. Plus a lot of action movies after this (even Die Hard) used the white blocked letters and orange sunset background as an opening. No movie starts off better than Top Gun.

Like Top Gun, the Road Warrior was pure adrenaline only on land. It also has many memorable characters and I prefer bad ass Mel over comedic Mel.

Raiders is more adventure but again I like how it paid tribute to a much different flavor of action.

1.Terminator
2.Die Hard
3.Aliens
4.The Predator
5.Lethal Weapon 2
6.Lethal Weapon
7.First Blood
8.Commando
9.Above the Law
10.Bloodsport


Terminator was my #1 and it was never in doubt. The first time I saw it was at the last drive-in theater in Fayetteville NC, when I was 8 years old. I was completely blown away by it and now almost 34 years later I still get that same feeling when I watch it. What James Cameron was able to do with only a 6.5 million dollar budget is nothing short of breathtaking. EVERYTHING in this movie works and there is not a single wasted moment From Arnold's casting as the Terminator, to Michael Biehn as a soldier sent on one desperate final mission to Linda Hamilton as a relatively naïve young women thrust into the most terrifying and highly unusual circumstances. The badass Sarah Connor of T2 does not work without the character development you see the original. Even some of the subpar make up and special effects work as it made Arnie's Terminator seem that much more terrifying in my book. The Terminator is an absolute masterpiece rightly selected for the Library of Congress for it's impact on film and American culture as a whole.


Fun fact, Arnie was originally supposed to be cast as Reese and Michael Biehn was supposed to be cast as the Terminator. Arnie was giving Biehn some pointers on his body language and it inspired James Cameron to switch their roles. I think we can all agree that Cameron made the right choice here.


Die Hard was the #2 movie on my list and was the only serious contender with Terminator for my #1. Where else would I put the greatest Christmas movie ever made? Much like Terminator this is another classic movie where everything works and every right decision was made. Bruce Willis as the everyman hero John McClane, Alan Rickman as one of the most iconic action movie villians ever. Even starring the guy from Family Matters as a beat cop serving as McClane's only life line to the outside world.

The influence this movie had on the action genre is unprecedented. When you look at action heroes today you see a lot more John McClanes than you see John Rambos or Dutch Schafers. Die Hard was the film that made the everyman action hero possible and opened up action roles to a MUCH wider range of actors who don't have the physical presence of an Arnie, Sly, or Carl Weathers. You wouldn't see movies like The Rock or The Bourne Identity if Die Hard had never come about. Die Hard even influenced Arnie to a degree with his portrayal of Quaid in Total Recall and Harry Tasker in True Lies. And just like The Terminator Die Hard was selected for the Library of Congress, and rightly so.

Another fun fact, this movie was supposed to be a sequel of sorts to The Predator (also directed by John McTiernan) Arnie was originally supposed to reprise his role as Dutch Schafer and HE was supposed to be the poor schmuck stuck battling terrorists on Christmas Day. I'm glad Arnie turned the role down as Die Hard would have had a much different tone with the somber and possibly PTSD stricken Schafer rather than Willis's wisecracking and relatively upbeat John McClane. I think we can agree once again that it worked out for the best.

suck it Arnie).

With 2 films in the top 3 and 3 Films featured in this countdown overall Arnie reaffirms his status as The GOAT action star.

The bigger piece of trivia is that Die Hard is somewhat of a sequel to the 1968 film The Detective starring Frank Sinatra. Frank was pegged to play the lead in the sequel but was 70 and turned it down because of his age. The Detective was also a novel and was followed up by Nothing Lasts Forever which is what Die Hard was based off of.

I had it the other way around, but have no real problem either way.

1. The Terminator
2. Die Hard
3. Empire Strikes Back
4. Blood Sport
5. Lethal Weapon
6. Predator
7. Mad Max 2
8. Raiders of the Lost Ark
9. First Blood
10. Above the Law

I also want to add that there were a few travesties in this list , the obvious being Road House left on the outside of the top ten but there was another glaring omission.

All I have to say is this , and to be ashamed.

Fuck, I've been MIA for a bit and feel like I missed so much.

I'll catch up on the convo when I can.

In the meantime, my list:


1. Die Hard
2. Predator
3. Aliens
4. The Terminator
5. First Blood
6. RoboCop
7. Top Gun
8. Lethal Weapon
9. Beverly Hills Cop
10. The Road Warrior

Sorry about Road House! :lol:

You should be sorry , and I figured it would totally be a movie that ranked high on your list. At least your #1 was correct.

Much as I like Roadhouse there isn't a single movie on my list I would replace it with. Just shows the depth of 80's action.

Same with Top Gun.  Both it and Roadhouse were difficult cuts.

My list was a mess because it was a last minute deal, i left off Terminator for reasons i cant quite remember but found room for American Ninja and Enter The Ninja both Cannon Films classics. American Ninja was really not that good, certainly not top 10 good. Enter The Ninja though c'mon, this was the movie that popularized ninjas and made them a big deal in pop culture plus its cheesy as hell and has an outstanding main villain.

Also had Best Of The Best with Eric Roberts and Chris Penn from 1989 on my list, one of my favorite martial arts movies growing up.

Jul 21, 2018 2:20:12 GMT shinobimusashi said:

My list was a mess because it was a last minute deal, i left off Terminator for reasons i cant quite remember but found room for American Ninja and Enter The Ninja both Cannon Films classics. American Ninja was really not that good, certainly not top 10 good. Enter The Ninja though c'mon, this was the movie that popularized ninjas and made them a big deal in pop culture plus its cheesy as hell and has an outstanding main villain.

Also had Best Of The Best with Eric Roberts and Chris Penn from 1989 on my list, one of my favorite martial arts movies growing up.

I so underrate Best Of The Best, now that you mention it I would have to put it in my top 20. If you wanted your revenge flick fix just tune into TBS in the 90's and watch Rocky IV, Bloodsport and Best Of The Best back to back.