FX Turns 40: The Practical‑Effects Thriller We All Forgot

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F/X (1986) turns 40 this year, making it the perfect time to revisit the practical‑effects thriller that blended movie magic, fake murders, and ’80s paranoia into something totally unique. In this 40 Frames Ago review, I break down why F/X became a cult classic, how its practical effects were created, and what still works four decades later.

This video covers:
• F/X (1986) movie review
• Opening the Arrow Box Set
• Cast and Crew Breakdown
• How the film holds up 40 years later
• Cast performances, production history, and VHS‑era nostalgia

Whether you rented F/X on VHS back in the day or you’re discovering it for the first time, this deep dive looks at why the film still stands out among ’80s action thrillers and practical‑effects showcases.

Welcome back to THE BEST MOVIE YOU NEVER SAW! What would happen if a horror movie special effects artist was framed for murder? That's the question F/X (1986), a movie I absolutely loved as a child of the eighties asks in this week's edition of "The Best Movie You Never Saw". Bryan Brown stars as Rollie Tyler, a VFX guru who does a job for the government but then finds himself framed. With a ragged cop (the late Brian Dennehy) on his trail, Tyler has no choice but to open up his bag of tricks and go to war with the organization that wants him dead.

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Episode 401: F/X Murder by Illusion (1986)

• Special Guests: Robert Mandel, Alan Ormsby, Cliff DeYoung
• Guest Co-Hosts: Adam Schartoff, Jedidiah Ayres

Robert Mandel's F/X (1986) (AKA FX: Murder by Illusion) is the story of Rollie Taylor (Bryan Brown), a movie special effects man who is hired by two government agents (Cliff DeYoung & Mason Adams) to stage the public assassination of a mob boss (Jerry Orbach) who’s turned state's evidence. What better way to keep the mob off the tail than by “killing him”? But things don’t turn out as easy as that.

Jedidiah Ayres and Adam Schartoff join Mike to discuss F/X, its sequel, and the spin-off TV series.

Interviews on this episode include director Robert Mandel, writer Alan Ormsby and actor Cliff DeYoung.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVKkZmgu3w4

Everyone talks about the massive blockbusters, but the real soul of 80s cinema got buried in the back of the video store. We're pulling out eight of the sharpest, grittiest, and most overlooked films from the decade. These are the movies that actually hold up today.

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:11 My Bodyguard
• 01:28 Robot Jox
• 02:47 Secret Admirer
• 03:39 Tuff Turf
• 05:27 River's Edge
• 06:42 Into The Night
• 08:09 F/X
• 09:41 At Close Range