John Ashley

HIGH SCHOOL CAESAR-1960-At a high school for over aged teenagers tough guy Matt Stevens (John Ashley) and teen thug buddies rule with fists and intimidation. He even rigs the school election so he becomes class president and his little boy toy Cricket (Steve Stevens) becomes treasurer. The principal is a real dullard who has no idea what's going on. Matt is actually a spoiled rich kid whose parents aren't around. Despite being a big bully he’s unhappy and after ripping off some student dance money he goes home and cries. Trouble starts when Matt plans to set up Cricket with a girl named Wanda (Judy Nugent). He dispatches his girlfriend Lita (Darla Massey) to set this up but Wanda wants no part of it. Lita doesn't tell Matt and pretends the whole date is ready but Wanda only has eyes for Bob (Gary Vinson). At a place called The Wagon, Matt confronts Bob who punches Matt after he slaps Wanda (who called Matt a “pampered pretty boy”). Then Bob’s friend Kelly (Lowell Brown) wins Matt’s gold coin in a drag race. Later Matt forces Kelly off the road and he’s killed in a crash (Matt takes his coin back). Everything seems ok until two of his henchmen are almost caught stealing from the school. And when Matt kidnaps and tries to molest Wanda, Cricket in a jealous rage admits to everyone that Matt was responsible for Kelly's death. Matt’s birthday party is ruined when everyone turns against him and Bob roughs him up. He’s left alone in the dirt a whimpering jerk. 

HIGH SCHOOL CAESAR really pushes the envelope on adults playing teens and it's obvious this kind of teen drama was on the way out by 1960 to be replaced with “beach” movies. Ashley would co-star in a few (and suffer a starring role in Larry Buchanan's ATTACK OF THE EYE CREATURES) before acting in and producing horror movies in The Philippines. Writer/director O'Dale Ireland also made a movie called DATE BAIT (with Gary Clarke) the same year. Other than that his claim to fame is having edited Al Adamson's PSYCHO A GO GO!

Thanks for reading!

Japan

I WAS BORN, BUT...-1932-The great but sometimes overlooked Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu made this silent film after the advent of sound (Chaplin made MODERN TIMES in 1936). It's about a family that moves to a new town and the trouble two brothers have with some bullies at school but later with the help of an older delivery boy they become the leaders. Their dad is a clerk who constantly acts subservient to his boss to try and improve his position. When his two sons realize this they have a mini-revolt. They question their father about his behavior but don't like his answers. They throw temper tantrums that result in a spanking but later after his children are asleep he confides to his wife how he hates what he does and hopes his sons will never have to act the same way. Eventually the boys learn and accept the strange ways of adults.



This is a very touching comedy drama with good acting especially from the two brothers (Tomio Aoki & Hideo Sugawara). Some of the "little rascals" type humor with the kids is very funny. Ozu who's career started in silents wasn't nearly as well known in the US as fellow countryman Akira Kurosawa due to the fact that Japanese International distributors thought his movies were "too Japanese" for western audiences. Thankfully he's now getting some long overdue respect. The actor who plays the father Tatsuo Saito had over 140 film credits (and some as director). One of his last was in LORD JIM.

Thanks for reading

Karate kid? He's learning Kung-Fu!

THE KARATE KID-2010-A 12 year old boy (Jaden Smith, right after another remake THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL) and his mom (Taraji P. Henson, later a regular on TV's PERSON OF INTEREST) move to China where he encounters language problems and very violent bullies who know Kung-Fu. He meets a cute local girl but gets beat up very badly by the martial arts bullies. He's saved by his apartment's handyman Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) who decides to teach him "real Kung-Fu". He trains a lot and absorbs the cultural and philosophical aspects of his new home and the art he is learning. Later he competes in a tournament where he has to fight most of his tormentors.

I won't tell you what happens but do you think if your Dad was the executive producer of a movie you were starring in would you lose the big fight in the climax? I found the first half of this movie very slow going. Also everyone might think Will's boy was a cute wise guy but I found him rather bratty and way to small to be taken seriously as a fighter no matter who trains him.

In the second half the story picks up (after Mr. Han's past demons are revealed) but the final battle is too over the top. Still Chan is very good in the serious role.

Director Harald Zwart had previously made ONE NIGHT AT MCCOOL'S, THE PINK PANTHER 2 and AGENT CODY BANKS.

Thanks for reading!