Countless videogames, films, and television series utilize this shorthand. Think of almost any piece of media set in World War II; the countless zombie films, games and TV shows. Demons are admittedly less utilized outside of games; however, trade them in for generic “aliens” in Hollywood and you have a pretty close match. We are then allowed to be happy to kill these “enemies,” and see them die in horrific ways because they are morally bankrupt.

This movie is like a slasher flick crossed with “Fury Road,” and while the kills can get creative and ridiculous in a fun way, I wish there was more heart underneath all the blood and gore. If the movie didn’t have the budget for constant spectacle or complicated choreography, then it would have been nice if it fleshed out the main character to be more interesting, but he doesn’t say a word for most of the movie.

In an new video, Highbrow Magazine writer and film critic Forrest Hartman reviews director Joe Carnahan's latest thriller, COPSHOP, which stars Gerard Butler. Typical of Carnahan's films, COPSHOP delivers the usual gore and violence, but the storyline is nothing new and is reminiscent of his previous films. Hartman gives the film 2 1/2 stars.

These films are still considered exploitation films in the same sense that most 1980s  horror and comedy films from the U.S. can also be categorized as exploitation. They have nudity, violence, and sometimes even torture and bondage, but what separates the Toei films from their lesser  competitors are the victories achieved by the protagonists – often against incredible adversity, and invariably with a social message.