Bail Out (1989) is a direct-to-video action-comedy that showcases David Hasselhoff in a role reminiscent of his iconic Michael Knight persona, albeit with a slightly edgier twist. The film follows three Los Angeles bounty hunters tasked with protecting heiress Annette “Nettie” Ridgeway (Linda Blair) after her ex-boyfriend, linked to a drug cartel, is murdered. When Nettie is abducted and taken to the cartel’s Mexican hideout, the trio embarks on a mission to rescue her before she can testify against her ex’s killers.

Directed by renowned stunt coordinator Max Kleven, the film delivers a series of action sequences that, while entertaining, often border on the absurd. Hasselhoff’s performance is marked by his signature smirk and charm, though it doesn’t deviate much from his established screen persona. Linda Blair’s portrayal is serviceable, but it doesn’t really stand out as a highlight in her career. The film’s made-for-TV aesthetic is evident, with minimal effort invested in character development or plot depth.

Despite its shortcomings, Bail Out offers a certain cheesy charm that may appeal to fans of late ‘80s action comedies. The film doesn’t take itself too seriously, embracing its role as a generic, entertaining romp. For viewers seeking a nostalgic trip into the realm of forgotten, campy cinema, this movie provides a lighthearted and amusing experience.

80s-o-meter: 95%

Total: 60%

Movie number #600 – a VHS tape this time around – seems like a good moment to talk the home video revolution that took place in the 1980s. Both already released during the mid seventies, it was only in the early 80s that VHS and Betamax became cheap enough to manufacture and to purchase to really became household items. Video rental shops started popping up on every street corner, allowing people to rent out their favourite films and watch them back home at their own pace, any day of the week. Prior to this, if you didn’t own a 8mm or 16mm film projector, the only way to see a movie was to go to a theatre when it was released or catch it a few years later when in was broadcast on a TV.

Home movie watching is so commonplace today that it’s hard to fathom a world without being able to do so and the change was nothing less than a revolution in the film history. Additionally, the whole VCR thing fundamentally changed the way movies could be shot, produced and distributed. Although the aim in most cases was always to get a proper theatre release, by the mid 80s the user base for home movies was so vast that movies could also be released as direct-to-video – particularly sequels to known movies – and still make proper cash. Cheaper VCR alternatives to film cameras were released and could be edited in a home studio with equipment worth a few thousand dollars – a fraction of the cost of producing a movie on film. Needless to say, the amount of movies released per year pretty much skyrocketed.

Sure, some these movies were generally of a lower quality, but sometimes also gave big movie studios run for their money, either taking more risks or more often skipping the whole burden called the manuscript, betting on delivering just some unfiltered entertainment. Sometimes the outcome made Hollywood movies look tame, but even more often the movies became horrible failures – but still in a hilarious and entertaing way!

Overall, It’s safe to say these movies were not written to win awards.

Hollywood Cop is a prime example of late 80s direct-to-video movie that obviously takes cues from many big budget films that preceded it. It checks most boxes you’d expect; from fire fights, to car chases, to (well above average) cheesy dialogue. Made with a home video equipment, it’s the kind of movie where you see plenty of clumsy editing and microphone cords hanging from the backside of the jeans as the hero exits the room – and it’s all somehow much more entertaining than it should be.

80s-o-meter: 96%

Total: 76%