12 Badass Action Movies You Need To See Before You Die
10. The Street Fighter (1974)
Few realize, but Samuel L Jacksons Ezekiel 25:17 speech in Pulp Fiction derives not from scripture but from Sonny Chibas The Bodyguard (1974), and thats not even one of the martial artists best films. Though hes also done corny sci-fi (Invasion Of The Neptune Men) and creature features (The Terror Beneath The Sea), Chiba is best known for The Street Fighter series, which Christian Slater watches at the beginning of True Romance. Tarantino also cast Chiba in Kill Bill, and with such an enthusiastic response from the man himself, you know Street Fighter is going to be something special. Well-staged, and loaded with bone-crushing action sequences (be sure to watch the 91 minute version for the full impact), Street Fighter not only confirmed Chiba as the rightful heir to Bruce Lee, but also breathed new life into the kung-fu genre after the Little Dragons passing. You know youve entered the Badass Hall Of Fame when the lead character is introduced with the line, Hes a karate man, sir a mean bast**d!
Ian Watson is the author of 'Midnight Movie Madness', a 600+ page guide to "bad" movies from 'Reefer Madness' to 'Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.'
