Welcome back to my ongoing series exploring the mystique and joy of the 80s Action Film (approximately 1983 - 1992). This time, we feature two action film cliches.
First up is The Kick-Ass Fight Scene. This would be your classic mano-a-mano fight, with two guys toughing it out. I could have pulled clips together from almost every film of the era for this section, but really there is one scene that just says it all. And so, engaging in the awesomest buddy fight in cinema history, please enjoy Roddy Piper and Keith David in They Live.
Which leads us nicely into our next cliche: Male Bonding and Homoerotic Subtext. Sure, you may argue that these scenes only seem homoerotic out of context, but even within the confines of tough guy macho Reagan-era action these moments really do play out like the love scenes that they are. The entire middle of this section is devoted to one film in particular, Showdown In Little Tokyo, which is so loaded with innuendo that I would actually recommend it for inclusion in any Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.
yes! that fight scene is pure concentrated classic awesome. it only clocks in at a few minutes but feels like about 15 or 20.
Posted by: zom-bot | August 18, 2009 at 11:14 AM
That is the longest fist fight scene. I think it held the record until Kill Bill came out and even then if you time Kiddo's fights with each individual it may still stand.
Posted by: Hartley Batchelder | August 18, 2009 at 10:16 PM
SOUTH PARK paid homage to THEY LIVE's epic fight in their infamous "Cripple Fight" episode.
Posted by: buzz | August 18, 2009 at 11:52 PM
I think the fistfight over sunglasses is actually homoeroticer
Posted by: bartelby | August 19, 2009 at 10:20 PM
Both THEY LIVE helmer John Carpenter and Richard Donner the director of LETHAL WEAPON (featuring an 80's action movie mano a mano fight scene nearly as paradigmatic as the one in THEY LIVE) have said in interviews/commentaries that they were inspired by the sorta father/son (and kinda homoerotic in its own right, depending on who you talk to) punch up between Duke Wayne and Montgomery Clift near the end of Howard Hawks' 1948 RED RIVER.
Posted by: Bruce Bennett | August 24, 2009 at 06:04 PM
the shower scence with stalone...pure 80's reagan era macho homoerotic tough buff grade A expolsive American smack talk... LOL
Posted by: **JaY.1.Way** | September 07, 2009 at 01:54 AM
beautiful
Posted by: Charlotte Louise | October 08, 2009 at 08:39 AM