Excerpt from bandsaboutmovies:
Why Columbia Pictures released The Beast in only two theaters (for a $160,000 take against $8 million), then both mothballed it — even with rave reviews from the Lost Angeles Times, PBS-TV Sneak Previews, The Christian Science Monitor, and the Lost Angeles Daily News is anyone’s guess. The film, however — based on its many Euro IMDb reviews — received a wider, as most failed U.S. theatricals do, overseas theatrical release.

…

The Beast follows the exploits of a Soviet tank crew that becomes lost in the desert during the 1981 invasion of Afghanistan** (the invasion began December 24, 1979, ended on February 15, 1989, the U.S.S.R fell on December 26, 1991). Following the heartless assault of a Pashtun village and the resulting slaughter of mujahidin freedom fighters by a tank unit, that lone tank commanded by Daskai (an incredible, Oscar-level turn by George Dzundza; he campaigned hard for the role and went on a heavy diet and workout routine prior to filming, losing over 50 pounds) becomes lost in a mountain pass.

That wrong turn becomes the catalyst for the tribe’s new khan, Taj (a really incredible Steven Bauer of Scarface fame; later of TV’s Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul), to ban with Moustafa, his warring, desert scavenger cousin (a fine Chaim Jeraffi; sorry Sam, he was the Jiffy Dump Guy / Jiffy Park Guy in two Seinfeld episodes). Together, reluctantly, they gather up the survivors and, manned with a captured RPG anti-tank weapon, seek bloody revenge. The same stress and betrayals also plague the Soviet tank crew, jeopardizing their escape (the crew stars India-born Erick Avari of Stargate (1994) and The Mummy (1999) fame as the crew’s Afghani guide).

To say anymore would be plot spoiling: this is a film to be experienced and not by a review read. Everything works in this second, overly ambitious film by Kevin Reynolds — and foretells his directorial skills in pulling off the “Mad Max on the Water” effort of Waterworld, itself a film that languished in development hell since 1986 because no one knew how, or was confident enough, to make that liquid apoc’er, work. The Beast truly is a tour de force masterpiece in writing and directing, acting, set design and costuming. I loved Waterworld . . . but I love The Beast, even more. This is a repeat-viewing movie.

The.Beast.of.War.AKA.The.Beast.1988.576p.BluRay.AAC.x264-HANDJOB.mkv

General
Container:  	Matroska
Runtime: 	1 h 49 min
Size: 	2.76 GiB
Video
Codec: 	x264
Resolution: 	1024x574 
Aspect ratio:  	16:9
Frame rate: 	23.976 fps
Bit rate: 	3 233 kb/s
BPP: 	0.229
Audio
#1:  	English 2.0ch AAC LC @ 279 kb/s
#2:  	English 2.0ch AAC LC @ 85.9 kb/s (Commentary by author David J. Moore)

https://nitro.download/view/A17BECF6A92F535/The.Beast.of.War.AKA.The.Beast.1988.576p.BluRay.AAC.x264-HANDJOB.mkv

Language(s):English
Subtitles:Engish

The post Kevin Reynolds – The Beast of War (1988) first appeared on Cinema of the World.

SYNOPSIS
Two small-town Texas cops go undercover to catch a major drug dealer and are sucked into the drug culture, compromising their assignment.

Extras:
01-Audio commentary by director Lili F Zanuck
02-Filming Rush featurette + ‘Tears in Heaven’ music video by Eric Clapton
03-Theatrical Trailer

1.76GB | 2h 00m | 640×336 | avi

https://nitro.download/view/3FCE676DB714627/Rush.avi
https://nitro.download/view/CDB500D12F198D1/Subs.rar
https://nitro.download/view/7E63C07760615DE/Rush-EN.srt
https://nitro.download/view/2445579F0837CF8/Rush-ES.srt
https://nitro.download/view/83409DA5C457FD3/Rush-FR.srt
https://nitro.download/view/5BE09EF84E2F9E4/The_Gold_Rush_Extras.rar

Language:English
Subtitles:English, French, Spanish .srt

The post Lili Fini Zanuck – Rush (1991) first appeared on Cinema of the World.

The intriguing relationship between three desperados, who try to kidnap a wealthy child in hope of turning their lives around.

Letterboxd reviews
Quote:
★★★★ Rewatched by Waldo 10 Feb 2021

A kinda forgotten film noir, from a Jim Thompson novel. James Foley’s adaptation is a straightforward, desperate thriller about an equally desperate kidnapping. No one is at their best at the present stage of their lives here. Fay, played with elegance and sex appeal by Rachel Ward, is a borderline alcoholic widow who lives alone in a big but decrepit house. Kid Collins is a drifter ex boxer, played real well by Jason Patric, is lured into a criminal scheme that catches him off guard. Finally, there’s Uncle Bud, a slimy ex cop played by the legendary Bruce Dern. This trio kidnaps a kid from a rich family. Razor sharp and brimming with rage, sex and murder. I tell ya! It’s still pretty great.

2.85GB | 1h 51m | 1024×440 | mkv

https://nitro.download/view/289848D2438E66D/After.Dark.My.Sweet.1990.576p.BluRay.AC3.x264.mkv

Language(s):English
Subtitles:English,French

The post James Foley – After Dark, My Sweet (1990) first appeared on Cinema of the World.