CinemaBall 08: Hard Target (1993)

Explicit content warning

06/22/18 • 52 min

This week on Cinemaball, Carolyn scores a field goal with the John Woo-directed Jean-Claude Van Damme action flick, Hard Target! It’s got JCVD as a New Orleans drifter named Chance Boudreaux, Lance Henriksen in a scenery-chewing performance as Emil Fouchon, a man who makes his fortune by letting rich people hunt poor people, and Wilford Brimley as Chance’s Uncle Douvee. (It’s also got a scene in which Van Damme punches a snake.) It may not be a good film, but it is a fun one, and Ebony and Carolyn savor the film’s Louisiana setting, its seeming concern with the economic struggles of New Orleans and its people, and the glorious Woo-ness of it all.

View the basic rules of Cinemaball and a history of all episodes and ratings at goo.gl/ePDPuQ

View the basic rules of Cinemaball and a history of all episodes and ratings at goo.gl/ePDPuQ

Previous Episode

Cinemaball 07: The China Syndrome (1979)

This week on Cinemaball, Ebony and Carolyn endure the nail-biting tension of the 1979 nuclear disaster thriller, The China Syndrome! We discuss the ways in which the film taps into very real concerns of the period about the safety of nuclear power, the ways in which TV news can be a tool of corporate propaganda or a force for justice (yes, it’s about ethics in journalism), and how it functions as a critique of capitalism run amok. We applaud the film’s authentic little observations about TV news production, as well as Jack Lemmon’s wonderful performance. In a new segment called Sommovier, Caro and Ebony each suggest fine films with which you could pair The China Syndrome to make for a great double feature. Finally, Carolyn excitedly reveals what we’ll be discussing on next week’s show. It’s gonna be a good one.

View the basic rules of Cinemaball and a history of all episodes and ratings at goo.gl/ePDPuQ

Next Episode

Cinemaball 08.5: Midseason Report

It’s time for our Cinemaball Midseason Report! Join Ebony and Carolyn as they provide a quick summary of the Cinemaball rules and a spirited recollection of the competition up to this point. Then, it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for as Carolyn reveals what movie we’ll be kicking things off with when Cinemaball resumes next week! If you’re new to Cinemaball, there’s never been a better time to hop in and become a listener!

View the basic rules of Cinemaball and a history of all episodes and ratings at goo.gl/ePDPuQ