HOOP-TOBER 8
8 Decades (1980s)

For the 1980s I feel like I could have picked out of about 5000 options, but I decided to go with one that didn’t make my country, POC, or Asian category cut. That is, The Boxer’s Omen. 

Holy balls what an insane movie. 

I don’t easily get grossed out in horror movies, but this one nailed it. There are scenes in here that were clearly beta-tested and focus grouped in order to get your gag reflex going. But that feels so reductive. There’s clearly a TON of artistry going on here with practical effects and some shot construction that had me feeling like I was witnessing something truly iconic yet largely unknown. 

Mystical shamans, naked zombie ladies, astral plane battles with alligator skulls and demon bats, blood sacrifices, all work in favor of a plot that essentially feels like the second half of Rocky IV. 

This movie is off the wall crazy but never in ways that feel out of character or overly campy. It’s a pitch perfect action horror comedy.