Captain America
Dir: Albert Pyun
1990
**
Albert Pyun has become known as the Ed Wood of the 80s and 90's. However, much like Ed Wood I find his films charming and entertaining in their own special way. They're awful, but awfully good fun, the 1990 version of Marvel's Captain America being a good case in point. It is universally accepted that Captain America 1990 is awful, and it really is, but there are elements you have to give it credit for. The Red Skull is pretty cool, even (especially) in his sharp Italian suit and heavy plastic surgery, as his futuristic alias. It stars Otis and Dick Jones (or Vilos Cohaagen depending on what side your bread is buttered), the cult heros; Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox and it's funny. Okay, so unintentionally but the hilarity got me through. Cheesy story-lines might work in the comics but they very rarely work on screen but it's the late 80's/early 90's that is the problem here. Soft focus, electrical rock music, giant shoulder pads...and wonderful tools for any director worth his salt but sometimes it just doesn't work. The fact that the bad guys are a smug looking bunch of yuppies doesn't help either and alas there is no tension and very little excitement to be had. Firmly in 'So bad it's good' territory but you'll only want to watch it once.