Yes!

 

 (imdb)

YES MADAM-1985-Inspector Ng (Michelle Yeoh) reluctantly teams up with hard ass Scotland Yard detective Carrie Morris (Cynthia Rothrock in her film debut) to investigate some murders in Hong Kong. It's related to some microfilm that 2 dumb brothers Stepilsi (John Sham) and Aspirin (Hoi Mang) stole from a motel room. They and a third brother Pandopen (director Hark Tsui) are trying to raise money to buy a house for their father (Sammo Hung!) who's in an old age home. Meanwhile, a hit man chases them hired by a pipe smoking mobster boss Tin (James Tien) who wants the film.

 I didn't like the freeze frame ending or the terribly cheesy '80's synth score. Despite a lot of good fights, bloody shootouts and killing, there's a lot of comedy courtesy of director Corey Yuen (THE TRANSPORTER (2002)).

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Headless Horsing Around

 

HORSE WITHOUT A HEAD: THE KEY TO THE CACHE-1963-A mobster (Herbert Lom) and his gang (including Leo McKern) rob a train. One of them hides a key to the cash in a toy horse (with no head) that some annoying kids (including Pamela Franklin from THE INNOCENTS (1961)) in a French village like to ride. Jean Pierre Aumont is Inspector Sinet and Michael Gwynn and Peter Vaughan are also in it. 

This was shown in the US on TV's “The Magical World of Disney”. It was directed by Don Chaffey, a British TV director who made a few interesting features like JASON AND THE ARGONAUNTS (1963) and ONE MILLION YEARS BC (1966).

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Ozu Double Feature (sort of...)

 

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A STRAIGHTFORWARD BOY-1929-Once a 38-minute silent short, all that remains of this adaptation of an O. Henry story by Yasujiro Ozu is about 14 minutes. You get the gist of the comic tale, two kidnappers grab a little boy but he proves too much for them. It has a funny final scene.

 (imdb)

I GRADUATED, BUT…-1929-Unfortunately, this feature silent film by Ozu is very incomplete. Only around 10 minutes survives! A recent college graduate turns down a receptionist job thinking it's beneath him. He has no other offers and has to keep his secret from his wife and mother.

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Yeoh

 

 themoviedb.org)

THE TOUCH-2002-A woman (Michelle Yeoh) and her brother (Brandon Chang) try to retrieve an ancient artifact containing the essence of an age-old monk with the help (?) of a moronic thief (Ben Chaplin). A pompous treasure hunter (Richard Roxbury) is also after it. There are some decent fight scenes at the beginning but the video game like climax isn't very good and Chaplin's semi-comical smart ass acting brings the cliched story line down a bit more, once again pandering to western audiences casting a white guy in the lead instead of an Asian. 

Director Paul Pau was the cinematographer who shot CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (2000).

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Hunter

 

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THE GOLDEN ARROW-1962-Hassan (Tab Hunter with a dubbed in voice) leads a band that kidnaps Jamila (Rossana Podesta; in HORROR CASTLE by the same director the next year), a princess and holds her for ransom. At night, he takes the ransom and the princess and makes his getaway. He abandons her in a market and is promptly arrested. 3 genies help him escape because he is actually the real sultan of Damascus. 

With a flying carpet, fire monsters and a serious story that switches to comedy whenever the genies show up. Low budget Italian “sword & sandal” production directed by Antonio Margheriti.

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ET Go Home

 

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MAC AND ME-1988-Widely panned as one of the worst movies ever made because of its ET rip offs and gratuitous product placing of McDonald's and Coca cola, this family oriented sci-fi comedy features a kid Eric (Jade Calegory) in a wheelchair who befriends a small alien being accidentally transported from his home planet to earth. They get into a lot of mischief and dangerous situations but have time for a big dance number at Mickey's D's which even features a cameo by Ronald McDonald himself! The tragic/happy ending was changed before release but remained in a Japanese version. 

Director Stuart Raffill had previously made THE ADVENTURES OF THE WILDERNESS FAMILY, ICE PIRATES and THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT.

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What Is The Law?

LAW OF THE JUNGLE-1942-Nona Brooks (Arline Judge), an American singer is stranded in African and sings at a sleazy cafe for creepy owner Simmons (Arthur O'Connell). 

She meets American paleontologist Larry Mason (John “Dusty” King) who she hopes will help her but Simmons convinces Mason she's a con artist. When a guy is killed in the cafe, she wanders into the jungle to get away! To appease his native safari Mason agrees to re-bury some bones he dug up but the job falls to his assistant Jeff (Mantan Moreland) who hears Nona but thinks she’s a ghost. Mason takes her in but insists she return to the town. Meanwhile 2 German spies want some secret papers accidentally given to Nona. They kill Simmons and hunt for Nona in the jungle. They get another tribe (with rifles) to go after Mason's group. Mason, Nona & Jeff wind up hiding in a dark cave. After an encounter with a gorilla they are captured but things take a comic turn when a native female takes a liking to Jeff and the tribal chief (Lawrence Criner) is Oxford educated and speaks English. 

Criner was also in THE GANG'S ALL HERE and FRECKLES COMES HOME both made by LAW OF THE JUNGLE'S director Jean Yarbrough for Monogram Pictures.

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They're Back!

THE GANG’S ALL HERE-1941-Once again Frankie Darro is “teamed” with Mantan Moreland, this time in the trucking business. Pop Wallace (Robert Homans) is finding it hard to get drivers. His mechanic Chick (Jackie Moran) hires Frankie (Darro) and Jeff (Moreland) to drive a rig to Fresno. Unbeknownst to them “Pop” has been in cahoots with a crooked lawyer to collect insurance money. The duo due a pretty good job but almost get fired anyway. Wallace's daughter Patsy (Marcia Mae Jones; also in LET'S GO COLLEGIATE with Darro & Moreland) pretends to be sweet on Frankie to make Chick jealous. In an unusual turn a green horn Asian American named George Lee (Keye Luke; also in LET'S GO COLLEGIATE) is actually an investigator for an insurance company. Although Frankie insults and bosses Jeff most of the time they do use teamwork at the climax. 

This was one of several Monogram programmers director Jean Yarbrough made featuring Darro who sometimes acts like a third rate Leo Gorcey and not very likable especially when teamed with the outrageously funny Moreland.

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Ghost?

THE BLACK DOLL-1938-Forgotten murder mystery that goes from serious mystery to comedy murder case. A mean millionaire (C. Henry Gordon) with a second wife (Doris Lloyd) and a no good stepson (William Lunigan) also has a long suffering daughter (Nan Grey) who's in love PI Nick Halstead (Donald Woods). When the millionaire is killed Halstead and a dumb sheriff (Edgar Kennedy) and his deputy (Syd Saylor) investigate. It seems the millionaire and three cronies were responsible for the death of his wife's original husband years before. After every death a weird voodoo like black doll is found. Is the dead man still alive or is it his ghost? 

This average whodunit was the first of 11 features directed by Otis Garrett, a former film editor for Universal who produced this as an entry into their 11 part “Crime Club Mystery” series.

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Murder Mystery

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THE HIDDEN HAND-1942-A rich woman Lorinda Channing (Cecil Cunningham) helps her crazy serial killer brother John (Milton Parsons) break out of jail so she can use him in a scheme to test her relatives' faith. Two uncaring nephews (and their snooty wives) are invited to her house as is her secretary Mary (Elizabeth Cunningham) (who's been made her sole heir), her doctor (Frank Wilcox) and his bitchy nurse (Marian Hill). Mary is engaged to Lorinda's lawyer Peter Thorne (Craig Stevens). Lorinda wants to fake her death with the help of her doctor and a drug but he lets her die. Only she doesn't die and comes back to life and she and bro John start killing. 

Despite the premise this is actually a comedy mystery with secret panels, clutching hands, real eyes behind a painting and too much “scared tactics” from Willie Best who refers to a razor he carries as “my persuader”. 

Director Ben Stoloff started his career in 1920 with a short called PLAY BALL WITH BABE RUTH. I guess it's only fitting that his last work was directing 26 episodes of TV's HOME RUN DERBY! THE HIDDEN HAND is based on a 1934 play “Invitation To Murder” by Rufus King.

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Rudy Returns!

THE HUMAN TORNADO-1976-If there's one movie worst than DOLOMITE it's this sequel with Rudy Ray Moore reprising his too hip foul mouthed rhyming jive talking moron. Only this time there's more intentionally comedy, racism and overall stupidity. I don't know who decided a sequel would be a good idea. I mean Moore isn't just a bad actor. He's no actor good or bad. He just seems to spit out lines, mispronouncing most words. The fight scenes are some of the worst ever filmed and this time they are "enhanced" by comic SFX.  It seems like Moore knew nothing about fighting and just made it up as he went along. The plot involves Dolomite and his band of Karate hookers (once again lead by Queen Bee) battling stupid white rednecks while Dolomite screws white women. He does a bit of his X-rated stand up routine at the beginning which is him mainly cursing and insulting audience members. He doesn't wear that many outrageous outfits this time out. 

The director Cliff Roquemore later made another outing with Moore, PETEY WHEATSTRAW.

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It's A Hoot!

HOOTENANNY A GO-GO (aka ONCE UPON A COFFEE HOUSE)-1965-Johnny (Curtis Taylor) likes Vicki (Karen Thorsell) so he buys the coffee house where she sings and waitresses. A lot of not much happens and there's some really silly parts like a pizza fight and an espresso machine that looks like a robot but it's mostly singing by Oscar Brand, Jim, Jake and Joan (Rivers in her film debut), The Goldebriars and The Free Wheelers. Deanna Lund (tv'S LAND OF THE GIANTS) is also in it. The director Shepard Traube didn't do much else.

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8 Drunks

 

KUNG-FU OF THE EIGHT DRUNKARDS-1980-More inebriated Kung-Fu hi-jinx. An alcoholic martial arts master, Wu Tseng tries to teach his student Chan Kung (Meng Fei). After some fool who looks radiation scarred causes trouble with some firecrackers Chan Kung meets another fighter named Monkey Thief. They fight in an “8 Immortals Style” tournament. Kung becomes a waiter and that seems to help improve his Kung-Fu but he gets beaten up anyway. When some idiots refuse to pay their check a woman named Pie Yu beats them up. Meanwhile a mysterious figure in black hangs around in the background. There's more plot but it gets very confusing (probably due to the bad dubbing and editing) but there is some intense training sessions for Chan Kung and most of the fights are humorous (despite the serious story line) until the finale which is very violent but it all ends comically.

Director Ma Wu (the word director is spelled wrong on the print I saw) was also a busy actor as well as directing over 40 martial arts films (including WU TANG CLAN and ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA).

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Lyle Talbot!

SHRIEK IN THE NIGHT-1933-Two reporters from rival newspapers Pat Morgan (Ginger Rogers) and Ted Rand (Lyle Talbot) investigate the death of a well known millionaire after his accidental fall from a high rise apartment is ruled a homicide. After Rand gets Morgan accidentally fired they two team up. It turns out the victim was connected to a mobster and other murders occur. There's some weird characters like a serious police inspector (Purnell Pratt) with a clumsy comical assistant named Wilfred (Arthur Hoyt), an always frightened dumb maid and Louise Beavers in a degrading, stereotypical role as an hysterical cleaning lady. It's a little slow going and has the usual stilted "stage" acting common to early talkies (although there is some clever dialogue and the fate of the murderer is a little different) but Talbot is great as the wise talking reporter. Harvey Clark is a suspicious janitor.

This low budget comedy-mystery is in the public domain and used to play a lot on various TV stations in the 1990's. The year before director Albert Ray (who made many silent shorts) made THE THIRTEENTH GUEST also starring Rogers and Talbot. Rogers would team with Fred Astaire for the first time the same year in FLYIN' DOWN TO RIO and achieve stardom soon after (she's win an Academy Award in 1940).

Bad People

THE MACHINE THAT KILLS BAD PEOPLE-1952-In a small seaside village in Italy, Celestino, a portrait photographer (Gennaro Pisano) is given the power to destroy "evil people" by a demon posing as St. Andrew. All he has to do is take a photograph of a photograph of his intended victim and they die. At first he uses it to get rid of the rich people in town who he believes are exploiting the poor residents. Later he even turns his power on them when he realizes no one is perfect. This is an unusual comedy directed by Italian neo-realist Roberto Rossellini. Parts of it are funny and the ending was unexpected. The story seems like a TWILIGHT ZONE episode if it had be written by Jim Thompson! 

 MACHINE was once thought to be lost but was restored a few years ago. Lead actor Pisano seems to have made only 3 movies. One actress Marilyn Buferd, who plays an American tourist some male villages lust after, was a former Miss America who later played John Carradine's up tight assistant in Brooke L. Peter's THE UNEARTHLY.

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Your Kung-Fu's Good

THE SHAOLIN AVENGERS-1976-This Hong Kong produced martial arts period piece is based on the legend of Shaolin martial artists Fong Si Yu (Alexander Fu Sheng) and Hu Wei Chien (Kuan-Chung Chi). In flashbacks Fong is violently (and comically) trained by his mother (!) who beats him with a bamboo stick and dunks him in a vat of wine. Parts of it are very funny (a scene with a matchmaker is hysterical) and the Fong character does a lot of dumb things but basically the story is serious and violent. Director Cheh Chang made nearly 100 martial art movies including the classic FIVE DEADLY VENOMS.

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Dead On

DEAD TARGET-1991-A young woman (Sharon Kwok) in Hong Kong receives a letter from her grandfather asking her to come to Thailand and bring with her a special pendant which is the key to finding a priceless crown the old man hid years before. She's fighting and on the run almost from the first time she gets off the the plane. Besides lots of fighting she also winds up dancing in a drag revue and becoming a call girl! She keeps running into a guy (Chin Siu Ho from MR. VAMPIRE) who seems to be working for a white gangster trying to find the crown. Fortunately he's actually an Interpol agent.  There are a lot of fights but most of them are clever and comical. There's a shootout in a cattle car, drag queens, an elephant raid but mostly everyone fights. Apparently around this time many Hong Kong produced movies were filmed in Thailand.

Director Siu-Wah Lee may have been married to star Kwok.

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Drunk Mantis Dance Fever

DANCE OF THE DRUNK MANTIS-1979-Jackie Chan style martial arts comedy full of stupid characters, terrible dubbing and hackneyed editing but it's slapstick acrobatic fights are great! An old woman beats up a much younger money lender and two bullies cluck like a chicken and a duck when they fight. An old Kung-Fu master, Sam the Seed (Siu Tin Yuen also in SNAKE IN THE EAGLE'S SHADOW who died soon after this) teaches his adopted son Foggy (Shun-Yee Yuen  also in INFRA-MAN) "drunk fighting". They have a falling out but later get back together to fight the old man's white bearded former pupil Old Rubber Legs (Jang Lee Hwang also in BRUCE LEE: A DRAGON STORY). After getting beat the son meets his thought to be dead uncle who teaches him some new moves so he can destroy Rubber Legs. 

Director Woo-ping Yuen (Siu Tin Yuen's son) directed several movies with Jackie Chan and was stunt coordinator on many more.

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More Hing Kong

MY YOUNG AUNTIE-1981-An old man doesn't want his brother to get his "assets" after he dies so he marries the young woman who's taking care of him. She goes to Canton to meet the old man's nephew who of course thinks she's an old woman (she's younger than he is) and to turn her husband's estate over to him. No sooner do they meet than she bats up 5 guys. Evil younger brother is after the will. This is full of dumb humor and silly dances but the highlight is a martial arts sword fight during a costume party. The director Chia-Liang Liu also made THE LEGENDARY WEAPONS OF CHINA.

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Shaolin Prince

SHAOLIN PRINCE-1982-The last survivors of a clan must protect two princes. 2 "prime ministers" each take a boy and flee. This martial arts drama starts off with a bang as the guardians are attacked by warriors representing fire and water. A guy with an iron glove who can break swords is also featured. One prime minister arrives at a safe destination with one of the kids but the other  kid is thought dead. Of course he's alive and is taken in by 3 Shaolin holy fools who raise the boy in secret. The trio due a lot of slapstick Kung-Fu. During an exorcism a women grows long finger nails and kills. The "twin princes" eventually meet and team up to fight the evil "9th prince" in a truly whacked out ending! Director Chia Tang was a stunt coordinator on many films and only directed a few himself.

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