Instant Justice (1987)

Well, I was going to write something about an Italian action film I've recently watched, but I'm afraid that a week battling with the cold which has reduced my voice to a croak, has left me exhausted.  That and all the depressing news about the coronavirus and the UK government's apparently inability to mount an effective response, which is now really getting me down.  I've already written too much about Covid-19 and it is everywhere in the media, so I'll confine myself to noting that there are a lot of people out there spouting all manner of opinions on this pandemic, how long it is going to last, how our lives are going to be changed forever - it is all speculation.  The only guide as to how this might pan out, if our governments have the will and observe the facts - lies in what is happening in places like China, South Korea and Singapore, where, the evidence suggests, they have managed to turn the tide and are beginning to return to some semblance of normality.  All achieved in a matter of months.  Still, if nothing else, my employer has finally heeded to pressure and withdrawn myself and my colleagues from the streets - it took them until lunchtime yesterday, though.  My current status is unclear - I'm classified as 'vulnerable' to the virus due to my diabetes and am being advised by the government to spend the next twelve weeks at home, avoiding social contact.  Now, other government departments have put their 'vulnerable' employees on 'special leave', on full pay.  Mine is still obsessed with the idea that I can work from home - which, due to the nature of my job, is actually pretty much impossible.  There might be some movement on the issue next week, as my union is pushing for a consistent policy across departments.  We'll see.

But enough doom and gloom.  As I'm not going to talk about that Italian film, (not today, anyway), I thought that I'd instead give you the trailer from one of those direct-to-video action films which turn up on B-Movie TV, this one's Instant Justice (aka Marine Issue), from 1987:




It is actually pretty slickly made, far superior to many contemporary direct-to-video productions.  For one thing it actually looks as if it was shot on film and it is shot on location, mainly in and around Barcelona.  It stars Micheal Pare, who comes from the Sylvester Stallone school of acting, in that he delivers all of his lines as if having recently suffered a head trauma and Tawny Kitaen (just before she was briefly married to Deep Purple and Whitesnake front man David Coverdale).  While not exactly acting heavyweights, they are more than adequate for their roles here, backed up by B-movie veteran Charles Napier.  The film's biggest plus lies with the action sequences which, for this sort of film, are extremely well choreographed.  It is actually worth a look if you can get to see it, providing an undemanding but smoothly put together hundred minutes or so of entertainment.