First up, Martin Blank vs. Felix La PuBelle - Gross Point Blank. Until this movie was released, I could never see John Cusack as an action star, let alone in the same league with Benny “The Jet” Urquidez (who has gone toe-to-toe with Jackie Chan and managed a 58-0 professional kickboxing record).

When Blank and La PuBelle finally come to fisticuffs in the hallway of a high school, it forever changed the way I looked at Cusack as a leading man. The brawl itself is straightforward, two men and a camera. This scene works on so many levels. First and foremost it truly serves the story and provides a penultimate conflict for the main characters. Second, this scene (especially its climax) smacks of the same wit and dark humor that makes this film such an enjoyable watch. In addition, for those obsessed with the coincidental and fortuitous, I view this scene as the fulfillment of the Dobler Prophecy. If this doesn’t sound familiar, run a search for the following string “Lloyd Dobler, Benny the Jet” and you’ll understand what I’m referring to.

I think a lot of modern fight scenes seem to forget that threat and menace are the drippings your tussle turkey must baste in. Without them, you have no juice, no tension. Without tension you might as well watch two kittens pawing at each other. I love this scene because I believe in the danger, as represented by one of the most underrated action stars of the 80’s and 90’s, Mr. Urquidez.

Although I’ve only enumerated upon a small section of this film it has so much more including brilliant turns from Alan Arkin, Joan Cusack, Mini Driver, Dan Akroyd and Hank Azaria. The verbal play between Cusack and Arkin is of particular note.