Get To The Chedda! The Retro Action Movie Podcast

RAW DEAL (1986) — Schwarzenegger goes undercover. The mob doesn't see it coming. Forty years on, the question is: does it hold up? Matt and Malcolm dig into John Irvin's crime thriller — the one where Arnie trades the jungle and the battlefield for the Chicago mob. Arnold Schwarzenegger as disgraced former FBI man Mark Kaminsky, dragged back in by his old boss Harry Shannon (Darren McGavin...

No Retreat No Surrender (1986) He had no billing. He had almost no lines. He stole the entire film. Matt and Malcolm dig into Corey Yuen's scrappy, electrifying 1986 martial arts sleeper, one of the great 80s movies you've never given enough credit — and the film that put Jean-Claude Van Damme on the radar a full two years before Bloodsport made him a household name. Jason Stillwell's underdog jou...

Is The Delta Force actually Chuck Norris’s best film… or is he the least interesting part of it? In this episode of Get To The Chedda! , we break down one of the most bizarre success stories of 80s action cinema. A film that feels like two completely different movies stitched together: part 70s-style disaster thriller, part full-blown Cannon Films spectacle. Along the way, we dig into a stacked su...

Dark Angel (1990) a.k.a. I Come In Peace — Dolph goes dark, Baxley lights the fuse. Dark Angel (1990) — released as I Come in Peace in the US — is Craig R. Baxley at his most unhinged: a 90-minute science fiction action movie with more explosions than plot logic, a 7-foot alien harvesting human endorphins to fuel an intergalactic drug trade, and Dolph Lundgren at his physical peak paired with the...

Steven Seagal was unstoppable in the early 90s — and Marked for Death might be the purest example of that era. This week, we break down Seagal’s third action outing and one of the wildest films of his career. From bone-snapping aikido and whisper-threat dialogue to voodoo gangs, nightclub massacres, and the infamous Screwface twist, Marked for Death is confidence dialled up to dangerous levels. We...

In this episode of Get to the Chedda, we dive into Sylvester Stallone’s Cobra (1986) – the 80s cop thriller critics trashed but fans turned into a cult classic. We break down why this Sylvester Stallone cop thriller deserves way more respect:• The mythical 2-hour workprint cut that may – or may not – still be sitting in a vault• Arrow Video’s recent 4K release and why the censored TV cut on it is...

Welcome to Get To The Chedda - where Malcolm Martin and I dissect the action movies that defined the 80s and 90s.. It's a time before Charlie Sheen became the highest-paid TV actor in history—before the tiger blood and the goddesses—he starred in what should've been his Top Gun moment. Instead, Navy SEALs (1990) is a masterclass in wasted potential, questionable decisions, and possibly the worst j...

Is RoboCop just a sci-fi action movie—or a savage satire of corporate greed? We dive into the futuristic chaos, dark humor, and outrageous violence that make this 80s classic unforgettable. In this episode of GTTC, hosts Matt and Malcolm Martin dissect Paul Verhoeven’s 1987 cult hit RoboCop . From over-the-top action sequences to biting social commentary, we explore how the film mixes outrageous v...

What makes Road House a quintessential 80s action movie? We break down Dalton’s three rules, epic bar brawls, and why Patrick Swayze’s coolest cooler-than-cool hero still rules the screen. In this episode of GTTC, hosts Matt and Malcolm Martin dive into the 1989 cult classic Road House . From intense fight choreography to memorable one-liners, we explore why this film remains a standout of 80s act...

Did Enter The Ninja kickstart a martial arts revolution in Hollywood? We break down the movie that launched a craze and reshaped 80s action cinema forever. In this episode of GTTC, hosts Matt and Malcolm Martin dive into the 1981 cult classic Enter The Ninja . From its groundbreaking fight choreography to its influence on a generation of martial arts films, we explore how this movie sparked a wave...

Could Invasion U.S.A. be the ultimate 80s action movie? We break down the over-the-top action, Reagan-era vibes, and Chuck Norris at his unstoppable best. In this episode of GTTC, hosts Matt and Malcolm Martin dive into Chuck Norris’s 1985 action classic, Invasion U.S.A. From explosive shootouts to iconic one-liners, we explore why this film perfectly captures the spirit—and absurdity—of 80s cinem...

Why does Steven Seagal seem virtually unstoppable on screen? We break down his iconic moves, indestructible characters, and the action formula that made him a martial arts legend. In this episode of GTTC, hosts Matt and Malcolm Martin dive into Steven Seagal’s unique brand of 80s and 90s action cinema. From unforgettable fight sequences to his calm-but-deadly screen presence, we explore what makes...

BLOODSPORT (1988) — The underground tournament that turned a Belgian unknown into a global icon. In memory of Donald Gibb — Ray Jackson — who we lost this week. Matt and Malcolm dig into Newt Arnold's sweat-soaked martial arts grindhouse classic: Jean-Claude Van Damme's career-defining turn as Frank Dux, Donald Gibb's raw, big-hearted Ray Jackson — the soul of the film — and Bolo Yeung...

Is Schwarzenegger’s Commando the most ridiculously over-the-top action movie of the 80s? We break down the explosions, one-liners, and sheer absurdity that made this film a cult classic. In this episode of Get to the Chedda! , host Matt dives into Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1985 action epic, Commando . From outrageous fight sequences to unforgettable quotes, we ask the big question: is this the most...