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 (imdb)

YOU'RE OUT OF LUCK-1941-Frankie O'Reilly (Frankie Darro), an elevator operator and Jeff Jefferson (Mantan Moreland), a porter, are witnesses to the murder of Mr. Dayton, a pro gambler. Darro's policeman brother Tom (Richard Bond) investigates. Dayton's roommate Whitney (Tristram Coffin) seems a likely suspect. Tom enlists his brother and Jeff to aid him. This doesn't work out so well. The duo trail Whitney to a nightclub where he forces owner gangster Johnny (Willy Castello) to give him 60 thousand dollars. When Whitney realizes if he leaves the club he'll be killed he gives the money to Frankie to give to his late partner's sister Joyce (Janet Shore). Whitney is killed and Frankie almost gets his brother thrown off the force but everything works out in the end. Moreland has some good lines but should have been used better. Director Howard Bretherton had directed Darro & Moreland in UP IN THE AIR the year before.

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Chan's Magic

BLACK MAGIC aka MEETING AT MIDNIGHT-1944-With his boss Charlie Chan going back to Hawaii, Birmingham Brown (Mantan Moreland) gets a job as a domestic servant at the home of a medium named William Bonnar (Richard Gordon). During a seance in which Chan's daughter Frances (Frances Chan) is attending Bonnar is shot and killed after a mysterious voice asks him where he was on Oct. 5 1935. Police Sgt. Matthews (Joseph Crehan) arrives on the scene and soon the great detective (Sidney Toler) is involved. No gun can be found and there's no bullet in the body! While Charlie does his investigation, Frances and Birmingham do their own. 

Suspects include Nancy Wood (Helen Beverley) who's father was driven to suicide by Bonnar, his jealous wife Justine (Jacqueline deWit) who's in cahoots with a couple who provide effects for the seance, Edwards (Harry Depp) a guy who makes magic props, Hamlin (Paul Jacquet) also being blackmailed by Bonnar and jilted mistress Harriet Greene (Geraldine Wall). 

After Mrs. Bonnar in a trace state jumps off a building to her death Chan discovers she was under the influence of a powerful drug and hypnotized. Later he's drugged and hypnotized and almost commits suicide. Matthews more competent assistant Rafferty (Ralph Petters) helps out. Chan reveals the murderer and murder weapon at his own seance. 

A not bad mystery that again can't help but throw in some racist humor with Moreland but uses Chan's daughter to good effect and should have used her in future stories. Director Phil Rosen directed many more in the series. For it's re-release the title was changed to MEETING AT MIDNIGHT to avoid confusion with another film called “Black Magic” starring Orson Welles.

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Next in the series: THE JADE MASK

Jackie Chan is Back

THE ACCIDENTAL SPY-2001-A fitness equipment salesman in China named Buck (Jackie Chan) inherits a fortune from his biological Korean father but becomes involved with the search for a powerful new drug and a war between Turkish and Chinese drug lords. This has the usual great semi-comic fights but is a lot more serious and violent than most of Chan's earlier US releases. A real crazy but kind of typical scene (at least for a Jackie Chan movie) has him fighting nude in a mall! The superb climactic ending features a flaming gas truck. Director Teddy Chan (no relation to the star) had been an actor, production assistant and wrote BLACK MASK with Jet Li.

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Kung Fu Method

AVENGING BOXER (aka METHOD MAN)-1979-Young Shao Yung (Peter Chang) witnesses his father's death at the hands of Wu Pa Fong (Casanova Wong). He hides out with his uncle's traveling martial arts show, trains and plots revenge. There's a lot of comedy in this Jackie Chan inspired story but there's also long stretches of boredom (made even longer for me since I saw a DVD version in Chinese with no sub-titles) but the exciting well choreographed  finale makes this worth watching. Director Jimmy Shaw also made FISTS OF FURY 2.

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No Pain, No Money

THE BRASS TEAPOT-2012-A married couple of likable losers Alice (Juno Temple) & John (Michael Angarano) find a ancient teapot that gives them money every time they feel pain. Of course this leads to many comic situations as they try and figure out new ways to feel more pain and get more money. After the guy has it appraised on an “Antiques Roadshow” type TV show many people want it including some Hasidic Jews who beat John up to try and steal it! A Korean doctor (Steve Park) shows up and explains the history of the 2000 year old teapot and how the couple are actually in a lot of trouble. Things get a little more serious later on but the story goes on too long. Apparently director Ramaa Mosley used a short film with the same title as basis for this, her first feature film.

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