Before He was A Friend To All Children

 

 (imdb)

GAMMERA THE INVINCIBLE-1966-A trio of Japanese scientists, Dr. Hidaka, his assistant Kyoko and reporter Aoyagi are exploring the Arctic. When the Russians accidentally drop a bomb nearby, it unleashes a giant turtle from the ice. An Eskimo chief gives them an ancient stone carving and tells them about Gammera, a legend who is “evil and very frightening”.  At US army headquarters, Gen O'Neil (Dick O'Neil) tries to figure out if there really is a giant turtle roaming around. Cut to a NY TV show hosted by a guy (John Baragrey) who looks like Gore Vidal and a discussion between two doctors (Allan Oppenheimer & Mort Marshall). It's pretty funny. At a meeting in DC headed by the secretary of defense (Albert Dekker), Gen Arnold (Brian Donlevy) explains that large turtle footprints were found near a shipwreck. 

Back in Japan, a little brother Toshio loves turtles and is doing bad in school. He's forced by their father to free his turtle but meets a bigger one, Gammera who invades their village. Toshio almost falls to his death but Gammera saves him. Later it's discovered that Gammera can fly and eats fire to survive. After trying to freeze him fails, Gammera attacks Tokyo. Young people refuse to leave a dance club until the building comes down. Toshio gets in the way of destroying “his friend” a couple of times. Gammera really does appear invincible but with the help of Prof. Murase they send Gammera to Mars. Toshio says “Sayonara Gamera”...

Director Noriaki Yuasa went on to direct many more of Gammera (Gamera) adventures for Daiei Studios and making the only real rival to Toho's Godzilla. The added American scenes by Sandy Howard are pretty laughable.

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Kaiju Contest

 

 (imdb)

WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS-1966-A giant green monster fights a sea serpent and sinks a fishing boat. It then invades Japan and wrecks an airport and eats a woman. At first scientists think it is related to the Frankenstein monster but American Dr. Stewart (Russ Tamblyn) and Japanese partners Akemi (Kumi Mizumi; in several of the director's films) and Dr. Majida (Kenji Sahara; RODAN (1956)) prove this false. The monster attacks a nightclub where a singer (Kipp Hamilton) does a terrible song and is killed. The monster doesn't like light. After a long battle, the army seems to defeat the green giant but it's rescued when a gold furry giant appears. They name green giant Gaira (Haruo Nakajima) and the lighter one Sanda (Yu Sekita). They come to believe that Sanda is the offspring of their Frankenstein and Gaira is it's offspring. Sanda shows its good side when it saves Akemi when she falls off a cliff. The two eventually have a knocked down drag out that ends with an erupting volcano! 

The great Ishiro Honda co-wrote and directed this fun destruction outing, a sort of semi-sequel to FRANKENSTEIN VS. BARAGON (1965) that has since gained a cult following. It's always noted that Tamblyn behaved like an asshole on the set, doing the opposite of Honda's instructions. The actor later stated that the only reason he did the picture was to get a free trip to Japan. Tab Hunter had originally been Toho studios first choice.

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Coming And Going

 

 (imdb.com)

EXIT THE DRAGON, ENTER THE TIGER-1976-On a movie set, martial arts actor Dragon Bruce Lee tell his friend Tiger David Lee (Bruce Li) that if something happens to him, Tiger will be Dragon's successor. Of course Bruce dies. In Singapore, Tiger David suspects foul play. He's pretty upset. He goes to Hong Kong to check it out. It seems some gangsters led by The Baron (Yi Chang), tried to blackmail Bruce into carrying drugs for them and his mistress movie star Susie (Hsin-Yi Chiang) has an incriminating tape they want. Tiger's friend George is killed and his girlfriend is raped but Tiger triumphs in the end in this sub-par Shaw Brothers production.

Director Tso Nam Lee also made FIST OF FURY 2 (also with Bruce Li) and THE TATTOO CONNECTION with Jim Kelly.

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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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He Who Walks Behind The Rows

 

 (themoviedb.org)

CHILDREN OF THE CORN V: FIELDS OF TERROR-1998-A young kid has an episode in a cornfield. Then he goes and kills a farmer and a bunch of kids bludgeon his wife to death. Later a guy (Ahmet Zappa) and his girlfriend are killed by some strange kids in the cornfield. 2 more couples (Stacy Galina, Alexis Arquette, Eva Mendes, Greg Vaughan) appear looking for the first pair and one girl's brother Jacob. After their car breaks down, they wander into a town full of asshole hicks (Kane Hodder is a bartender). To top it off, the unhelpful sheriff is played by Fred Williamson. The idiots miss the only outgoing bus and their car is set on fire. They find a semi-abandoned house and stay the night. Later they meet Luke (David Carradine), a way-out guy who seems to have a community of children he wants to save from adulthood, but little punk Ezekiel (Adam Wylie) seems to really be in charge. The only good part is the whacked confrontation between Luke and the sheriff. 

From Ethan Wiley, director of HOUSE 2: THE SECOND STORY (1987) and writer of the original HOUSE (1985) and BLACK OPS (2008). These corn kid sequels are of course all “based on” Stephen King's short story.

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It Can't Happen Here

 

 (alarmy)

EAT THAT QUESTION: FRANK ZAPPA IN HIS OWN WORDS-2016-If you like the music of Frank Zappa (I do) then you should like this bio/documentary about him. Many interviews are shown (US and Europe) along with concert footage (some with the original Mothers Of Invention and various incarnations), rehearsals, scenes from 200 Motels and Baby Snakes, his very early TV appearance on “The Steve Allen Show”. Even his appearance as a mystery guest on "What's My Line?". Director Thorsten Shutte includes a lot of rare footage too.

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Reality??

 

 (themoviedatabase)

DIE FIGHTING-2014-A group of martial artists, The Z Team, go to Hollywood. Their kind of leader is Fabien (director/writer Fabien Gorchon/Garcia). His girlfriend Meilu (Adelyne Liu) is kidnapped by some nut who blackmails the group into making a "reality" martial arts film. He sets them against various deadly scenarios. Robbing an armored car, fighting a SWAT team, battling a dojo of black belts, a gang of killers, LA street gang and finally each other. 

The fights are very well done, some resemble the old classic ones from the Shaw Brothers. It draws some inspiration from the SAW movies. Ludicrous plot with not great acting but great fights. Twist ending goes on way too long.

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