In the 1980s, it was perfectly acceptable for American studios to churn out film after film involving one totally ripped white man wiping out populations of Asian people with a machine gun that never ran out of ammunition. The Rambos and Chuck Norrises of that decade have lost a bit of their edge at this point, mainly existing on warbly VHS cassettes in mildewed basements.
But a theater in Arizona has unearthed a VHS copy of Strike Commando, a low-budget action film from 1987 that involves all the trappings of 1980s American military heroes: rock-hard abs, lots of screaming while shooting up jungle vegetation, emerging from various bodies of water while shooting randomly at jungle vegetation, knife fights, sweat, helicopters helicoptering above jungle vegetation. If you’ve worn out your copy of Predator, this might be the screening for you.—Finn Cohen
Strike Commando (1987)
Friday, July 15
9 p.m.
The Royale
108 W Main St.
Mesa, Ariz.
Tickets $6
