Explodobook: The World of 80s Action Movies According to Smersh Pod

by John Rain

Weapons. Wounds. Warlords. Watford! Explodobook is a hilarious, gripping and muscular flex through every bulge and bruise of 80s action cinema, and a truly heartfelt paean to the lost joys of VHS culture. I LOVE this book’ – Séamas O'Reilly

‘Funny, hilarious, comic and very well-informed, Explodobook is the ultimate guide to every apocalypse movie ever made’ – David Quantick

‘John Rain’s hilarious new book is a laugh-out-loud, impeccably detailed nostalgia trip through the golden era of Action Movies. It’s like watching these films again with an old friend. I loved it’ – Jim Howick

‘In shades and a bloodied vest, bogies everywhere, John Rain kicks down the doors and gloriously celebrates the Great Action Movies of the 1980s. Pulse pumping, hilarious and deeply affectionate, I fell in love with those films all over again. Yippee Ki Yay Motherf*****’ – Alistair Petrie

The eighties.

A time of fear – fear of the unknown, fear of your neighbours, fear of drugs, fear of sex, fear of strangers, fear of videos, and the very real fear that the world might end at any moment in an awful, and very sudden, nuclear attack.

However, in those times of turmoil and worry, there was a comfort that soothed the mind: action movies. Video shops were bursting at the seams with rampant gunfire, sex, drugs, rock, roll, cars on fire, people on fire, guns, bombs, and people dressed in army fatigues (and that was just the staff).

Driven by violent revenge, heroes were born amidst fire, dystopian cities and, in some cases, outer space. Not only armed to the teeth with massive guns, they tossed off red-hot quips that served as a muscly arm around the shoulder and a wink that everything was going to be OK.

And together we were OK, and together we got through it, with the help of a select band of freedom fighters and reprobates, without whom the whole era would have been rubbish.

So, thank you, Arnold, Sylvester, Sigourney, Bruce, Eddie, Charles, Patrick, Mel, Chuck and everyone else who made it happen. You saved the world in your own inimitable way.

And now join me, John Rain, as we go back and examine a choice selection from the decade where the explosion was king.

244 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Laurence Boyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Rain's Smershpod started out as a concentrating on the Bond films, but soon branched out into others including a number of 80s actioners ranging from huge blockbusters to more obscure schlocky titles.

Here Rain takes some of the most 80s of titles - synth/sax music, muscly heroes, females with a cleavage you could ski down and lots of snarling bad guys (many of whom are foreign) are all featured plenty here - and casts his on eye on a childhood being raised by Hollywood.

There is lots to like here - Rain's account of his childhood video store haunt was fun (and reminded me of my misspent youth in the video store at Morley Market) and he has a nice turn of phrase that can be both withering and silly

The trouble is he doesn't really do much with the material - he basically gives you a lengthy run down of films (including Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Action Jackson and Missing In Action) but doesn't really do much more. There's a smattering of trivia here and there, but basically these amount to very large synopses with the occasional joke thrown in. It just cries out for a bit more editorialising - a little bit more background, a little bit more about what he thinks about the films. This doesn't have to be heavily academic - he could keep going in his own insouciant style.

Yet while Explodobook can a bit thin, it's still a lot of fun. There's a lot of nostalgia here and Rain's heart is definitely in the right place. So dust off that wide shouldered suit, stick on some Harold Faltermeyer and shove a banana up someone's tailpipe (NOT a euphemism) and head back to the 80s when we weren't still too old for this shit.

[Wil Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a big fan of John Rain and his podcast, Smershpod, for years. Initially used as a vehicle for comedically analysing the James Bond films (Smersh being the over-arching evil organisation in Ian Fleming’s original books), the podcast eventually branched out into other films that caught Rain’s fancy. Rain’s thoughts on the James Bond franchise were compiled into a book a few years ago, with the insanely funny “Thunderbook” being the result.

Now, we come to Rain’s analysis of 1980s action movies, “Explodobook.” Offering dry, humour-laced synopsises of 20 classic 1980s romps, Rain maintains his excellent sense of comedic timing and ability to pick apart the often-ludicrous plots of the time.

‘The Terminator,’ ‘Beverly Hills Cop 2,’ ‘Die Hard’ and ‘Top Gun’ are among the films covered. Rain’s love for each can be seen in his ability to perfectly capture the feel of them, while the humour radiates from every page.

If you’re a fan of 1980s action movies, then you owe it to yourself to check this book out.

[Stefan Nordin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is just recaps of the plot in various 80s action blockbusters. No reviews, analysis or even trivia. Some people might find it funny. I on the other hand don’t need a recap of Terminator or Die hard. I guess fans of the podcast might like it? I’ve never heard it.

[Brighty · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, breezy, dip in and out read. Bringing back fond memories of repeated VHS viewings back in the good old days of video rentals.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another very enjoyable book by SmershPod King, John Rain. Like the podcast, there are a lot of laugh out loud moments and a lot of memory jogs of growing up in the VHS world of the 80's. Go for it!