clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Terrence Howard and Dolph Lundgren defend a movie theater from greedy capitalists in Showdown at the Grand trailer

Now this looks like a fun time

Pete Volk (he/they) is Polygon’s Senior Curation Editor, with a particular love for action and martial arts movies.

Sometimes, you have to stick up for your dreams. And when that involves coaxing an aging action star into your violent scheme to protect your historic movie theater? Well, that’s just a bonus.

That’s the premise for writer-director Orson Oblowitz’s (Trespassers) new action-comedy Showdown at the Grand, which looks like a raucously fun old school time at the movies. George Fuller (Terrence Howard) is a proud movie theater owner who finds himself facing down a group of real estate developers looking to shut down his family-owned business for good. The good news for George? He’s just run a retrospective on legendary action star Claude Luc Hallyday (Dolph Lundgren).

Dolph Lundgren, with long black hair, looks in a mirror in a dressing room with a troubled expression. Terrence Howard, wearing a cowboy-type outfit, looms in the doorway, in Showdown at the Grand. Image: Shout! Studios

The pair team up to fight off the development group, using a variety of tricks (and a surprising amount of weapons) to hold onto the theater. It looks like a loving ode to The Movies, but without the self-seriousness that many of those projects get stuck in. Plus, there’s a tangible grain to the movie’s look that helps accentuate that old-school feel, even though it was shot on digital — an impressive feat from Oblowitz, who is also a cinematographer, and DoP Noah Rosenthal.

Just take a look at this sweet, sweet, retro-style poster.

Poster for Showdown at the Grand, an old school style of movie poster. There’s a movie marquee at the front, two people sword fighting in front of it, and a lot of faces engaged in various forms of action. Image: Shout! Studios

Showdown at the Grand will be in theaters and available on demand November 3, via Shout! Studios.

newsnewsseoseogamesmedicalgamesgamesnewsnewsnewsnewsnewshealthnewsgamesnewsseogameshealthgameshealthnewsgamesgamesnewsseohealthnewsnewsnewsnewsgamesgamesgamesseogamesgamesseogamesgamesgamesseohealthgamesgamesgamesgamesmoviegamesgamesgames