Timerider, subtitled The Adventure of Lyle Swann is an odd little movie, but a fun one. The premise is not that far removed from Back to the Future III - cool guy uses amazing technology to go back into the old west, has high adventure and danger, and has to deal with the repercussions of his past actions on the future.
When I saw that it starred Fred Ward, I immediately raised my eyebrows and said "whaaaaat??" thinking it was the comedian, best known for his hysterical roles in mockumentaries. But no, I was thinking of Fred Willard and Fred Ward, aka Freddie Joe Ward, is a longtime character actor and sometime boxer and lumberjack. This was his first starring role.
In this movie Freddie plays a motorcycle stuntman who is practicing out in the desert with his team for a big race. He accidentally rides through a government test site for an experimental science project and is sent back to Mexico, 1870 (!). And, predictably, all hell breaks loose. Kind of literally.
You see, he wears a red jumpsuit and helmet while racing and rides a red bike. The Mexican locals who come across him pretty much assume he is the devil when they see him, with the exception of one real asshole whose first reaction is "I must steal the devil's motorcycle," and shoots at him.
The movie from there is a fun exploration of how Lyle Swann (our stunt hero) interacts with the good and bad Mexicans he meets ... including one sexy lady who seems him dressing after a swim and realizes he's just a man, not El Diablo. He also must retrieve his bike when it's stolen by jealous evildoers.
There really isn't a lot more to say that won't spoil the plot, including how he overcomes the villain and eventually gets home, but I will say that I would have loved this movie as a kid, and enjoyed it heartily as an adult. It's a simple movie, with none of the flash or pizzazz of Back to the Future, but on the other hand it's a lot more realistic. Freddie Ward really looks, speaks, sounds, and appears to be a stuntman stuck in Mexico of a hundred years ago.
No Way Out (1987) is kind of a divisive movie. Some love it, some hate it. There's no disputing it made Costner a star, or that Hackman is great as always. And yet ... I for one have always found it cold and kind of boring, and the Big Twist Ending to be unearned and ridiculous.
The general plot is easy, and I'll avoid spoilers: Costner is a Lt. Cmdr. in the Navy, and is dating Sean Young. Gene Hackman is U.S. Secretary for Defense ... and also dating Sean Young. Problems arise from this, and one night Sean Young is killed in an accident. Costner is assigned to discover the killer, except the more he investigates the more the clues point right back to him.
Any reader who loves film noir might recognize this as essentially a remake of the 1948 noir classic The Big Clock, starring Ray Milland. But it's not as good. Even though this movie is what really launched Costner to the big time, I find him bland and boring and completely unbelievable as a love interest to Sean Young. Sean Young, meanwhile, overacts every line and gesture until you realize the actress named Sean Young who made Blade Runner is long gone. Only Gene Hackman is really good, as he always is, providing a really believable character who is capable of being remorseful and sincere then sly and dishonest in quick turns.
It cost $15 mil to make, but made back $35 mil - a great return. It was directed by Australian director Roger Donaldson, who is best known for movies like Cocktail, Species, and Dante's Peak. Worth watching maybe once, especially to judge your reaction to the infamous ending and see on what side of the love it/hate it fence you fall.
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