(themoviedatabase.org)THE HOWLING: REBORN-2011-This boring shit has something to do with a nerdy kid and a bunch of assholes who are werewolves. There's a lot of talk, overacting and eventually some werewolves show up at the end. Obviously made to cash in on the success of the TWILIGHT franchise, this was filmed in Canada and co-written and directed by Joe Mimziki who was once an executive with Sony Pictures.
Thanks for reading!
(imdb)THIS IS NOT A TEST-1962-A bunch of motorists are held at a roadblock by a dictatorial traffic cop (Seamon Glass) during the start of a nuclear war. The cop seems determine to keep everyone there even if by force. He makes then all unload a tractor trailer that he says they can hide in when the bombs fall. Meanwhile a young killer hangs around.
This is at times a chilling low budget cold war drama directed by mystery man Fredric Gadette in his only feature film although according to one source he also directed episodes of TV's “You Asked For It” and “ABC's The Wide World of Sports”. He died fairly young in 1967 of lung cancer.
(imdb)
(imdb)AVENGED-2013-Zoe (Amanda Adrienne) deaf woman traveling alone in California is tortured and killed by a group of white trash scumbags. An American Indian Grey Wolf (Joseph Running Cloud) finds her body. During some kind of burial ritual, she's brought back to life now inhabited by a vengeful Apache spirit. She screws most of up her killers pretty good, mostly with a bow and arrow. The spirit is a mean looking green guy who's getting revenge because a retarded redneck family killed a lot of Indians.
Lots of flashing lights, yelling and emoting. It might sound good but it's badly made by director Michael S. Ojeda.
Thanks for reading!
(imdb)THE CRIMSON KIMONO-1959-A standard crime drama is taken one step further by writer/director Sam Fuller's unique touch. In LA's Little Tokyo, American detective Charlie Bancroft (Glen Corbett, in his film debut) and Japanese American detective Joe Kajaku (James Shigeta) are trying to catch the murderer of a stripper. They are best friends until Christine Downes (Victoria Shaw) comes between them.
Interesting love triangle twist that also touches on Asia-American racism. Also with Anna Lee and Paul Dubov and Water Barry and Stafford Repp in uncredited roles.
Thanks for reading!
(imdb)WHEN WERE YOU BORN?-1938-Interesting but forgotten Warner Brothers mystery feature with Anna May Wong as astrologer Mei Lei Ming and her pet monkey. She predicts the death of a merchant named Corey (James Stephenson) who's partner (fake Chinese) Mr. Gow (Leonard Mudie) wants some letters Corey had in his safe. Through the use of the horoscope Mei helps fat police Sgt. Kelly (Frank Jacuet) and Inspector Gregg (Charles Wilson) solve the case. Who's the culprit? Doris Kane (top billed Margaret Lindsey), Corey's fiancée? Her brother Harry (Anthony Averell), who had an argument with Corey? How about Shields (Eric Stanley), Corey's butler? Olin Howland is a lawyer in one scene.
Bela Lugosi's pal, Manly P. Hall (who's credited with the original story) explains that astrology is a science in an introduction to the film. Also Jack (Clayton) Moore and Maurice Cass. Director William C. McGann (SH! THE OCTOPUS (1937)) made over 50 movies and also did SFX on many others (THE HORN BLOWS AT MIDNIGHT (1945), THE BEAST WITH 5 FINGERS (1946)).
It's a shame this wasn't considered for a whole or at least a sequel but perhaps Hollywood's prejudice toward Asian actors (American born or otherwise) at the time had something to do with it. A white American actress has top billing over the Asian American real star after all!
Thanks for reading!
(imdb)BLACK ENFORCERS aka THE BLACK GESTAPO-1975-The People's Army, a black military like group formed by “white money” for “blacks to help blacks” wear red berets and arm bands. Their leader The General (Rod Perry) is sincere but his second in command, the Colonel (Charles Robinson) wants war, especially after some thugs hassle nurse Marsha (Angela Brent) and beat up one of the army's members. Later, after dirt bags Vito (Phil Hoover) and Ernie (Wes Bishop, one of the writers) beat up and rape Marsha, the Colonel and his small faction castrate Vito while he's taking a bath. His group eventually drive the wig wearing crime boss (the movie's director Lee Frost) and his gang out of town.
The Colonel and his troops occupy a mansion and train for battle. They switch to all black uniforms and Swahili names and take over the numbers, protection and prostitution rackets. This all goes on right under the General's nose as he's too busy trying to save the neighborhood and having sex with Marsha. Eventually, the General brings them all down. Uschi Digard makes a brief appearance.
Terrible Blaxploitation movie with a bad script and ridiculous acting. Director Lee Frost started his career in the early '60's and seemed to make every kind of exploitation film: HOUSE ON BARE MOUNTAIN (1962), MONDO BIZARRO (1966), CHROME AND HOT LEATHER (1971), THE THING WITH TWO HEADS (1972) among them.
Thanks for reading!
(themoviedatbase)OPIUM AND THE KUNG FU MASTER-aka LIGHTENING FISTS OF SHAOLIN-1984-Tieh (Lung Ti; THE SENTIMENTAL SWORDSMAN (1977)) is the leader of a Chinese militia and martial arts teacher. A master turns his place into an opium den. Many of the men become addicts, abandoning their wives, losing their jobs and generally slacking off. Ti is defeated by his nemesis Yung Feng (Kuan Ti Chen) because of his own addiction to opium. After his son is killed, a blind priest helps Ti break his habit. He goes through the usual back breaking retraining. In a rematch, Tieh not only has to fight Yung but his two henchmen who have huge shields.
The movie features some great fights but the strangest part is that a kind of comedic character becomes an addict, leading to the deaths of his wife and children and his suicide. One of three movies actor Tang Chia (SHOALIN INTRUDERS (1983)) directed for the Shaw Brothers.
Thanks for reading!
