Good Movies Starring the Machete Cast

Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 10:51 am

Machete, yet another Robert Rodriguez ode to exploitative cinema, stars Danny Trejo as a pissed-off Mexican in search of revenge. Along the way, he’ll team up with a nun, priest, DEA agent, and taco vendor to take down a corrupt politician, sword-wielding drug lord, and plenty of assassins. If you’re a fan of this type of film, be sure to check out my list of good movies starring the Machete cast.

There are ten major names attached to Machete, and I’ve combed through each of their filmographies to find a movie worth recommending. Some are easier than others, of course, but everyone on the list has at least one or two flicks that don’t entirely stink.

Once you’ve seen Machete, be sure to give one of these films a try. I’d recommend Netflix for this, as they deliver right to your mailbox and never charge any late fees. They also have over 100,000 motion pictures to choose from, so you’ll never find yourself at a loss for entertainment.

Michelle Rodriguez
Good Movie: S.W.A.T. (2003) – Nobody plays female badasses like Michelle Rodriguez, and she gets plenty of opportunities to shine in this remake of the television series from the ’70s. Sergeant “Hondo” Harrelson (Samuel L. Jackson) is called upon to help upgrade L.A.’s S.W.A.T. division, and he forms a team consisting of Jim Street (Colin Farrell), Chris Sanchez (Michelle Rodriguez), Deacon Kaye (LL Cool J), T.J. McCabe (Josh Charles), and Michael Boxer (Brian Van Holt). But their skills will be put to the test when transferring a drug lord into federal custody, as the sinister Frenchman (Olivier Martinez) offers one-hundred-million dollars to anyone who can free him. This draws the criminals out of the woodwork, as well as enticing current and former S.W.A.T. members to seek a piece of the reward. A fun action film that provides the expected amount of gunplay, attitude, and hot bodies.

Danny Trejo
Good Movie: The Devil’s Rejects (2005) – While Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses was more of a traditional monster/slasher film, this sequel is a road film on acid. The murderous Firefly family (Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon) is on the run, and they’re being pursued by the vengeance-minded Sheriff John Quincey Wydell. During their blood-soaked journey, they terrorize a band of musicians at a hotel, seek refuge in a brothel, and even have time to stop for ice cream. Danny Trejo co-stars as Rondo, one half of the “Unholy Duo” (along with Diamond Dallas Page), psychotic bounty hunters hired by Wydell. Rednecks will be especially delights by the film’s climactic scene, in which no sounds are heard save for “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Jessica Alba
Good Movie: Sin City (2005) – Nobody’s going to accuse Jessica Alba of being a great actress. She is, however, hotter than a forest fire in the middle of July. Her good looks are certainly on display in this Robert Rodriguez adaptation of the Frank Miller comics, as she plays brainy stripper Nancy Callahan (yeah, right). Rescued as a child from a deranged pedophile, she’s long held a torch for the man who saved her, honest cop John Hartigan (Bruce Willis). But Hartigan’s release from prison (for crimes he didn’t commit) and his subsequent meeting with Nancy draw them both into a lethal plot involving a yellow-tinted madman. Two other major stories are told during the film’s runtime, and those feature such stars as Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, and Rosario Dawson. But it’s the image of Alba wearing chaps and twirling a lasso that always gets my attention.

Robert De Niro
Good Movie: The King of Comedy
(1983) – De Niro established himself as one of the finest actors in the world during his longtime collaboration with director Martin Scorsese. The duo turned out such films as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and this often overlooked dark comedy co-starring Jerry Lewis and Sandra Bernhard. De Niro stars as Rupert Pupkin, a stand-up comic who’s low on talent but full of ambition. When he runs into talk show host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis–the role was originally offered to Johnny Carson), Rupert believes that his big break has arrived. But after continually getting the brush-off from Langford and his staff, Rupert decides to seize his fame by slightly illegal means. A pitch-perfect mediation on the obsession with celebrity.

Cheech Marin
Good Movie: Up in Smoke (1978) – While calling Up in Smoke a good movie might be a little much, it is a likable and thoroughly goofy look at the drug culture of the late 1970s. Cheech Marin (Pedro) and Tommy Chong (Anthony) star as a pair of stoners who become pals and proceed to get into one wacky situation after another (including driving a van made of “fiberweed” across the US/Mexico border). Stacy Keach is the cop on their trail, and Tom Skerritt is memorable as Pedro’s Vietnam veteran cousin, Strawberry. The whole affair culminates with a Battle of the Bands, and our heroes take the stage as Alice Bowie, performing their hit song “Earache My Eye.” Oh, and everyone gets high. It’s the type of movie that would get you thrown out of film school, but it did big business at the box office and spawned a number of sequels. Go figure.

Lindsay Lohan
Good Movie: Freaky Friday (2003) – Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan co-star as a mother/daughter duo who end up switching bodies thanks to an enchanted fortune cookie. As you might imagine, hilarity ensues. This was the third time that Disney had adapted the story, and Curtis in particular was praised by critics for her ability to play both concerned parent and rebellious teen. A great option if you’re looking for something appropriate for the entire family.

Jeff Fahey
Good Movie: Silverado (1985) – Lawrence Kasdan’s rollicking western brings together a number of heroes to take on the corruption and crime in an Old West town. The white hats include Kevin Kline, Danny Glover, Scott Glenn, and Kevin Costner. The black hats, meanwhile, are played by Brian Dennehy, Ray Baker, Jeff Goldblum, and Jeff Fahey. The characters have more depth than expected, and the climactic showdown features heroes and villains running all over the town of Silverado (concluding, of course, with a one-on-one duel in the middle of the street).

Steven Seagal
Good Movie: Above the Law (1988) – In Machete, Seagal plays a Mexican drug lord who wears lots of loose-fitting clothes. But believe it or not, there was a time when Seagal was lean and mean, ready to beat down the bad guys in a heartbeat. Above the Law marks his feature film debut, rapidly establishing his on-screen persona as a bone-breaking badass with really great hair. Pam Grier co-stars as his partner, a then-unknown Sharon Stone plays his wife, and Henry Silva is the heavy. One of the must-see action films of the 1980s.

Don Johnson
Good Movie: Tin Cup
(1996) – Since I’m not a fan of golf, I was initially skeptical about this Kevin Costner comedy revolving around Roy McAvoy, a middle-aged golfer who takes a shot at love and the U.S. Open. I couldn’t have been more wrong, as the film perfectly captures the lazy rhythm of life in a sleepy West Texas town (complete with a tribute to the Waffle House franchise). Costner is all kinds of likable, Rene Russo is suitably sexy, and Don Johnson is perfectly oily as a golf pro and romantic rival. Cheech Marin, who also stars in Machete, has a major role as McAvoy’s caddy and best friend. Golf enthusiasts will enjoy all the cameos, including Gary McCord, Peter Jacobsen, Phil Mickelson, and Craig Stadler.

Rose McGowan
Good Movie: Scream (1996) – Sporting a tight sweater that’ll make men everywhere sit up and pay attention, Rose McGowan co-stars in Scream as Tatum Riley, the best friend of Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell). Alas, her friend has plenty of problems, as a knife-wielding psycho in a white mask has started killing locals and making rather unpleasant calls to Sidney. Almost single-handedly reviving the slasher genre, Scream delights in references to other horror films and sly in-jokes. The film would spawn two more sequels, and look for another one to be hitting theaters in 2011. Co-starring David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Skeet Ulrich, Jamie Kennedy, Drew Barrymore, Liev Schreiber, and Henry Winkler.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this list of good movies starring the Machete cast. Keep in mind that the actors and actresses listed above have appeared in many other films, so feel free to do your own research and come up with additional options. Netflix is a great place to rent these films, as you never have to worry about late fees or obnoxious clerks. We do get a commission if you become a member of Netflix, but it all goes right back into the site.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 at 10:51 am and is filed under Good Movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

6 Responses to “Good Movies Starring the Machete Cast”

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September 3, 2010

Chris

I’ve loved the idea for Machete since I saw the fake trailer in Grindhouse. I can’t wait to see it.

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