TV Pilot From Canada

 

 (imdb)

984: PRISONER OF THE FUTURE-A group called "The Movement" (headed by an old fart Dr. Fontaine (Andrew Foot)) has taken over the US and charges a guy named Weston (Stephen Markle) with "crimes against humanity" and locks him up in a prison run by "The Warden" (Dan Francks), a bad Dr. Smith wannabe. Flashbacks tell a lot of the story but I was still confused as to exactly what this whole thing was about.

Director Tibor Takacs (before his more well-known movies) does try hard to present a Kafkaesque nightmare with a few doses of The Prisoner and Brave New World but a minuscule budget, poor script and only so-so acting undermine it. Actually, a CBC unsold TV pilot.

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Jack Town

 JACK TOWN-1962-In Michigan lay about dullard thug Frankie (Richard Meade) lives with his parents, won't get a job and pulls petty crimes with his dimwit juvenile delinquent friend Vince (Russ Paquette). His mom thinks he's "a good boy" but doesn't like him listening to that "awful rock and roll". After he has sex with a fourteen year old waitress he's convicted of statutory rape and sent to prison even though Vince made a threatening phone call to the girl's mother and got the charge dropped. He's sent to the state's largest prison nicknamed "Jack Town". Suddenly the film turns into a into a documentary about the 1952 Jack Town prison uprising. When it gets back to Frankie he's being harassed by some inmates because he's a rapist. Meanwhile his buddy Vince is shot and killed by the police after he robs a grocery store. 

The warden takes pity on Frankie and gives him a job as a gardener at his house. There he meets Margaret (Patty McCormick), the warden's daughter who takes a liking to him. The warden (Douglas Rutherford) doesn't appreciate it and gives him another job as a driver. When Frankie and a guard accompany a wounded prisoner to get medical help, the prisoner tries to escape. They two have an awkward tussle and the prisoner is shot. Frankie steals a car and hightails it. Surprise! Frankie is now a kidnapper too. There's a four year old in the back seat! He reports it to the cops and goes to Margaret's place. She tries to get him to give himself up but he's an insincere creep who only cares about himself. Eventually she talks him into going back and after serving his time becomes a model citizen (well, that's what the narrator says as anyway….). 

This is typical misunderstood youth type crime drama and rather outdated by 1962 (despite the rape angle). It was written and directed by William Martin.

Alcatraz!

EXPERIMENT ALCATRAZ-1950-Four inmates on “The Rock” are promised freedom if they agree to allow an experimental drug be injected into them. One of the bunch Barry Morgan (Robert Shayne) kills his friend Eddie (Sam Scar) after procuring a pair of scissors. Chief doctor Lt. McKenna (Joan Dixon) is kicked out and Dr. Williams (John Howard), head of the project sees it closed down against his will. Later Williams investigates Morgan and his auction house which is really a front for illegal gambling. After he gets beat up Williams and McKenna learn more about the relationship of Morgan and Eddie (they were suppose to be good friends but actually Morgan wanted him out of the way). Along the way they meet Max Henry (Frank Cady) a convict who collects postcards, Byron Foulger as a relator and Myron Healy as a reporter. Unfortunately Williams doggedly refuses to drop his investigation and Morgan kills him. It's up to Williams' friend Dr. Finley (Walter Kingsford) to set a trap to catch Morgan and avenge his friend's death. Kenneth MacDonald has a small role. 

This is another documentary style crime drama for the much maligned Edward L. Cahn who a few years later made some memorable low budget horror movies. Shayne, a familiar character actor was two years away from playing His most famous role as Inspector Henderson on TV's THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN. 

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Death Row

CELL 2455, DEATH ROW-1955-Little juvenile delinquent Whit Whitter (R. Wright Campbell) grows up to become a full fledged murdering thug (William Campbell; Wright's real older brother) gaining fame as the vicious "red light bandit", pistol whipping men and molesting women at local lover's lanes. The smug and unrepentant Witter is eventually arrested and sentenced to death. He wages a successful effort to win stays of execution on death row. It's based on the then well known book by death row denizen Caryl  Chessman (who was executed in 1960 for similar crimes; at the time he was the longest serving death row inmate) although the character's name is changed (Whittier was Chessman's middle name) and a disclaimer says the whole thing is a work of fiction. 

Less workman like than other outings by the prolific Fred Sears, it is unusual for a film at the time to spotlight such a slimy character in a kind of “justice story”. Today most lead characters in movies are slimy assholes you couldn't give two shits about and they are usually the heroes!

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It's the Pirate Life for Lee

PIRATES OF BLOOD RIVER-1962-Huguenot John Standing (Kerwin Matthews) is sent to a penal colony after being convicted of adultery. He breaks stones, is whipped and hung by his wrists. He escapes but is picked up by a band of pirates lead by LeRosch (Christopher Lee with eye patch and French accent). His crew includes Peter Arne, Michael Ripper and Oliver Reed. John takes the pirates back to his village and no sooner do they get there when they kill one of John's friends. The pirates want to take over the village (where Andrew Keir plays a town elder) and the residents put up a good fight until the pirates capture the women and children. A treasure is found and John and his friend Henry (Glenn Corbett) team up to stop the invaders. Later the pirates revolt against LeRosch and he winds up impaled. No pirate ship is ever seen. 

This color Hammer production was directed (and co-written) by John Gilling who went on to make THE REPTILE and THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES for Hammer. And despite the fact that there's no sea faring this was a big hit in England. Hammer followed this with THE DEVIL SHIP PIRATES (also with Lee, Keir nad Ripper).  

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Vigilante

VIGILANTE-1983-After his child is killed and his wife brutally beaten by a crazy street gang iron worker Eddie Moreno (Robert Forster) tries to seek justice through the court system but a stupid judge and a crooked lawyer (Joe Spinell) let off the one gang member on trial. Eddie goes bonkers in the courtroom and somehow winds up doing 30 days in the state penitentiary. Meanwhile Nick (bearded Fred Williamson) fights crime in his own way leading a vigilante force that beats up drug dealers and muggers. While in prison Eddie befriends Rake (Woody Strode) who helps him beat up some guys while he's taking a shower (did we really need a shot of Forster's naked ass?). The force beats up Horace the pimp and when Eddie gets out he joins the illegal crime fighters and kills the gang member who got off (Nick shoots the whore he was with) and then kills the gang member who actually killed his son. He even blows up the judge!

Bronx born Willam Lustig (MANIAC) directed this mean, depressing and violent exploitation movie (vigilantism themed movies were quite popular in the '80's) which also features Carol Lynley in a small role as Eddie's lawyer and Steve James as a cop. A few years later Lustig was back with MANIAC COP and its sequels.

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60's Western

HOSTILE GUNS-1967-This AC Lyles production features George Montgomery as US Marshall Gid McCool who transports convicted criminals to the state pen. He needs a deputy but can find no one willing so he "recruits" bad boy Mike Reno (Tab Hunter). Their first prisoner is Hank Pleasant (Leo Gordon) on his way to the gallows for killing a child. They later pick up a corrupt railroad official (Robert Emhardt) and a goat thief (Pedro Gonzales-Gonzales who croons a tune). Their fourth pick up is Laura Mannon (Yvonne DeCarlo), who shot her boyfriend. Laura (she and McCool had once been lovers) manages to come between the duo which leads to them fighting and almost being killed by Pleasant's brother (John Russell) and other family members.

This low budget western has lots of witty dialogue and a great cast which also includes smaller roles with Brian Donlevy, Richard Arlen, James Craig, Fuzzy Knight, William Fawcett, Emile Meyer and Don Barry. It was directed by RG Sprignsteen, a veteran of Westerns since the late forties but by this time (not untypically) he had done a lot of TV. Unfortunately the low budget shows through several times especially with camera crew lights reflecting off the scenery at times!

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Hanzo

Sandy screwed everything around here! Another short review!

GOYOKIBA-(HANZO THE RAZOR: SWORD OF JUSTICE)-1972-Shintaro Katsu (in between Zatoichi films) plays Hanzo, a strange law enforcement officer in feudal Japan. He uses self-flagellation to make himself tougher and tortures a female prisoner in this very weird period piece that caught me by surprise although I didn't find it that entertaining. It's violent and crazy and has a modern '70's action soundtrack.

Director Kenji Misumi made several Zatoichi entries and a little later did the notorious LONE WOLF AND CUB series.

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