Tough And Deadly - A Tough Piper and A Deadly Banks
Director: Steve Cohen
Cast: Billy Blanks, Roddy Piper, Richard Norton
It's been a while since I saw this brilliant action film with tons of action and it sure is a very underrated film that can easily compete with any big-budget action film. It may not be as popular among mainstream audiences, but it sure has a cult following of its own.
The film features two icons of the 90s' B-movies Roddy Piper and Billy Blanks. WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper is a name that needs no introduction, and even though he is not considered as big a movie star as Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, he sure has worked in a hell lot of movies including the John Carpenter classic They Live. Billy Banks also worked on a handful of action films during the 90s' and made quite a name for himself.
Tough and Deadly has some amazingly choreographed fight scenes, and there's plenty of them. The chemistry between Piper and Blanks is also very impressive. The story is decent - a private detective and a CIA agent suffering from amnesia try to solve a drug smuggling case that involves high-level state conspiracy. Director Steve Cohen, who has directed several Billy Joel Videos, delivers one of the best B-movies to come out of the 90s'. Sadly, his career never took off beyond music videos.
Tough and Deadly is undoubtedly one of the essential action films that action fans should have on their list. There are cheesy moments in acting, direction, and story, but that can be easily overlooked once the action starts. So, mark my words and don't miss it.
Note: B or not to B is series of articles based on the B Action movies of the 80’s and 90’s. I am a big fan of these movies because they have a certain flavor not everyone can cherish. Many may cite them as sheer work of misdirected minds, but to me, they are a source of real inspiration. These movies never had the budget to back them but still, the action and stunts were no less than any big studio. This is my tribute to some of the unsung films of the past.
Soumit 'The Top' Nath
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