Savage Justice (1988)

For decades, the Philippines was a hotspot for cheap action cinema aimed at westerners (along with many other genres). Some of these were filmed by Yanks, and often produced by Roger Corman, but many Filipino directors would do it themselves. Among these was Cirio H. Santiago, a popular name in certain circles...

A non-descript country in South East Asia has been wracked by war, and the brutal Sanchez and his group of bandits have caused much suffering, including kidnapping Sarah, the daughter of the U.S. ambassador. A year later they attack again, and after pacifist expat Rick refuses to help defend the town, his wife is killed in the crossfire. Sarah is also injured during the battle, and now free from Sanchez's control, she is determined to get revenge, whether Rick trusts her or not...

Savage Justice is quite a downer of a movie! By no means bad, it's a fairly serviceable action film. It's never boring, and is brisk enough to not overstay its welcome.

In many ways Savage Justice is generic, but what makes it stand out a little, besides its grim tone, is the places it goes. These range from an idyllic farming village, a barricaded town, a peaceful mountaintop monastery, and a full-on post-apocalyptic city!

The film's setting and backstory are pretty vague. A revolution has happened, although it's never clear if it was because of Sanchez and his gang, or unrelated. If unrelated, what did happen? And what are the characters gonna do if Sanchez's gang was just a bunch of bandits taking advantage? I don't think that is the case though. Sanchez and his band of a dozen really do seem to be the ones single-handedly responsible for plunging an entire country into darkness.

Sarah starts out as a frightened young woman before her capture by Sanchez. She's practically brainwashed during her time in captivity, but a chance event leads to her escape. After her recovery she's suddenly a lot more talkative, and is determined to get revenge. Naturally mistrusted at first, Sarah quickly proves her worth, and steps up to be a good protagonist.

Rick wants to get away from fighting, and live the pacifist life of a rice farmer, yet for some reason chose a warzone to live in. He's a little self righteous in not wanting to help train the villagers, and thankfully he's called out on this after Sanchez attacks the undefended town. Where his character shines the most is in his partnership with Sarah. The only part I didn't like so much was them sleeping together near the end. Keeping the memory of your dead wife alive there, mate!

Rick disappears for the whole midsection, and his absence is never once felt. This is effective in letting Sarah be the main lead though, and step up in a way she may have been unable to with another hero tagging along.

Sanchez is a good villain, violent and nasty. His crew has a little personality too, including one poor bastard who's had enough of Sanchez's reckless obsession with Sarah, and takes early retirement...before getting shot. Then there's the psychotic Angelica, who is jealous of Sarah and determined to see her dead.

The supporting cast is fairly decent, from the proactive town doctor, to Sarah's old nanny, the Buddhist monks, the street rats, and their diminutive leader Corlon.

Fun is a strong word for a movie such as this, but Savage Justice does verge on being downright entertaining when we see a squad of badass Buddhist monks fight street gangs in a post-apocalyptic city ruled by a dwarf! It's such a fun high concept idea, I only wish the rest of the movie embraced fun instead of dourness!

Low budget can often get in the way of a movie's vision, but in Savage Justice's case, it's set in a South East Asian country, and shot in the Philippines! You need idyllic fields of green, with misty mountains in the distance? You got it! The waterfall from Predator? Naturally! You want bombed out streets full of refuse? Check!

There's some good action here. Nothing amazing, but it's good to watch, and there's a nice mix of hand-to-hand combat, and gunplay, with explosions galore.

The effects are decent. You've got enough explosions, blanks, and squibs to keep you satisfied. For a cheap film they used their resources well. Which doesn't surprise, since Santiago had made around 100 films! After a while you pick up a few things.

The cast is decent. Julia Montgomery is a good lead, and looks convincing as a tough mercenary. Steven Memel is alright, and has good chemistry with her. Ruel Vernal does well as the villain, along with Chanda Romero. And the tiny Rey Big Boy has a lot of personality! He was having the most fun.

The music is alright, with the film getting its own theme song-Savage Sarah. It's an ok song, if a bit gloomy, and once it gets going it's got a nice ring to it. It also has some amusingly on the nose lyrics at times. Funniest of all is during the credits, when the song finishes two minutes early...so they just wind back and repeat it from the beginning!

Savage Justice is a fairly middling affair, but gets better as it goes on, and isn't the worst Filipino action movie you could watch..

Hard Rock Zombies (1985)

Indie rock band Holy Moses is going from gig to gig, having fun, when they are warned away from the town of Grand Guignol by teenager Cassie. They take it as a strange invitation, and encounter a frosty reception. The band are taken in by a seemingly hospitable family, but soon end up on the chopping block when it turns out they're in the den of a family of deranged serial killers. At their funeral, Cassie plays their demo tape of a mysterious resurrection song, and suddenly the rocking dead rise, ready to take revenge on this town...

Hard Rock Zombies has gotten quite a cult following, which is unsurprising when you see the film. It's not well made or a good movie in the same sense as something like, let's say, The Shawshank Redemption, but it's definitely worth a watch-Many watches! There's an argument to be made that it's trying to be bad, and this could strip the movie of enjoyment, and in some ways I agree. Some moments land, others don't. But for the most part it's a fun movie, with more than enough to keep you entertained.

The plot here gets off to a nice start, with the music tying in in a nice way. As it goes on it gets thinner and thinner, and trying to dissect the how's and why's is pretty fruitless. Like why are Jesse and the band good zombies, but all the people they kill just the regular kind? And it is a bit weird that the whole zombie invasion of the town is the fault of the heroes (though at least they take care of it but good in the end!).

Where the movie gets weird is first in its general concept, which it lives up to in spades. It's refreshing to see a high concept title being brought to life so honestly. There are also werewolves, incest, killer dwarves, and nazis, led by a certain familiar face...! Then there's the love story, which has to be seen to be believed! It's a mix of normal and sweet, mixed together with potentially eyebrow raising elements.

I can't praise the soundtrack enough. There are various songs throughout the movie, all of them good, from the opening concert, to the love song (which skirts the line between heartwarming and creepy). Shake it Out, Baby is a great mix of contemporary 80s rock, while also sounding like a great 60s throwback. It has a classic timeless feel in a way. Na Na Na is a simple fun track. The instrumental that plays during the revenge is a cool electronic piece, and feels straight out of a video game (I mean that in the best way possible!).

Street Angel is a pretty standard rock song, coming in fairly late. The undead revival song has a few different variations throughout, with the main one recited at the end being a badass theme that really sells the premise. And lastly, Cassie is another great. It's a sweet tune, with a ballad-y feel. I honestly think Shake it Out, Baby and Cassie could have been legit bonafide hits if they were ever given a chance on the chart!

The acting in Hard Rock Zombies is pretty over-the-top, and some performances work better than others. E.J. Curcio and Jessica Coe are good in their roles, having nice chemistry (questionable love story aside). Ted Wells as band manager Ron is fun and probably one of my favourite parts of the movie. He's a great straight man, and he's able to deliver hilarious lines like "They're gonna tie her up and let all the ghouls screw her to death! Is that what you want? Ghouls you created screwing her to death?" in total seriousness, without cracking up!

Apparently Ted Wells was a 'serious actor' and so was not pleased to be working on a movie called Hard Rock Zombies. I really hope that he thinks differently now, because

Other performances are weaker, and you can tell a lot of the cast were probably amateurs, many with just this one film to their name. I'd say no-one does terribly, or at least, not without trying. I particularly enjoyed the extras we see in one scene! You can tell the locals in the Na Na Na number were actual townspeople with genuine reactions, and it's cool to see. Especially when compared to the hostile and insular characters in the movie.

The effects are designed by industry legend John Carl Buechler, and they're neat! Cheaper than his usual designs, but often convincing, or at least creative. We get a good variety of violence and make-up, with decapitations, stabbings, and other creative demises. Most of it's implied, but what we do get is enjoyable enough. Standouts include the zombie eating himself (that last shot is great!), and the zombie make-up is good, especially for the main band.

Hard Rock Zombies isn't for everyone, but for those who enjoy cheesiness, schlock, 'so bad they're good' movies, or appreciate such things with sincerity, this is the movie for you! It's a great way to spend an afternoon, and if nothing else you'll get to hear some nice tunes. And really, isn't that the greatest victory a movie like Hard Rock Zombies could walk away with?...

Dead Heat (1988)

If you ever left Re-Animator, feeling that it was a good movie, but were disappointed that it wasn't enough like a buddy-cop action movie, then Dead Heat is the movie for you! Pull up a chair and I'll tell you all about it...

Roger Mortis and Doug Bigelow are two beat cops, working the streets of San Francisco when they're engaged in a bizarre shootout. No matter how many times the robbers get shot, they just won't go down. After some explosive persuasion, the duo put an end to the heist and begin an investigation into where these people came from. This takes them to a mysterious facility, where everything seems above board, until Roger digs a little deeper, and is caught in a lethal trap. His friends find a strange device that resurrects him, and now they must race against time to solve the case before Roger's body decays permanently...

Dead Heat is a surprising time! I had never heard of it back when I bought the DVD, and didn't know what to expect. What I got was some high concept horror meets buddy cop comedy, that never pulls its punches. It gets to business very quickly, and introduces lots of crazy elements, while still remaining a police story at heart. Roger may be dying (again), but that won't stop him from solving his last case before he goes.

The movie can get a little overzealous at times (how many police officers died in that opening shootout?!), and the endless zombie shootouts can get a little tiring by the end, but at least the usually fun tone alleviates this slightly.

We have a likeable cast here, who all complement each-other well. They fit fairly common buddy cop roles (including a briefly appearing grumpy black chief), but they also move beyond that, showing that the movie isn't just wasting its time retelling obvious cliches and nothing else.

The characters are thankfully quick to adapt to the science fiction elements that gradually surround them. I really like an early moment when the leads are speculating on these unstoppable robbers. Roger suggests it could be PCP, but then the movie actually debunks that myth, with Doug flat out saying "But against bullets, Rog? Nah man, it's bullshit."

Aside from being funny in general, Dead Heat is also extremely quotable!

Said after another undead shootout: "Remember the good old days when guns killed people?!"

Doug on revenge: "I'll personally rip his heart out with my bare hands, Roger, hold the heart in the palm of my hand, and we'll watch it stop beating together."-"That's good, Doug. But let's find him first."

"Mind if we ask you a whole lotta questions?"

"Hey, you're hurt!"-"Lady, I'm fuckin' dead."

And the great "Welcome to zombieland, Doug."

Where Dead Heat starts to fall down is the plot! The setup is a great one, and it's very seamless for such a mix of genres. But the first problem some might have is that the movie gets a bit too downbeat after a while. Too much death and misery, not enough laughs. I wouldn't say it ever gets overbearing or depressing, but it's still a bit of a bummer. Especially after what happens to Dough. And with him dies the comic relief, because god knows straight man Roger's not the life of the party.

More damning are the plot holes! They are numerous and impossible to ignore. Why were goons sent to kill Randi? Why'd she have that tape in her purse? How come she's XX when there's at least 4 different reasons that's impossible? Just what is the villain's game? Who wrote the number in the crypt? And do the baddies have a longer resurrection process or don't they?? These are so numerous and egregious that they actively spoil one's enjoyment of the plot. One could be overlooked, but half a dozen? And that major? It's hard to have fun and get invested when the story doesn't feel focused or thought-out, and fights your attempts to figure it out. A zombie cop film should not be this confusing!

The acting in Dead Heat is all good! Treat Williams and Joe Piscopo are great leads. Lots of fun, with good chemistry. Lindsay Frost is nice as Randi, as is Claire Kirkconnell (who sadly phases out of the movie halfway through). The villains are a real special attraction here, played by Darren McGavin, Keye Luke, and Vincent Price! A shame they never really share the screen as a trio until the end, but ah well, if it means the movie's not crowded, I can deal with that.

My only issue with the casting is that they cast VP as a dead man. That is, a character who's already dead before the movie began. Obviously you want as much Vincent as you want  so to cast him as the already deceased victim of the villain's conspiracy, which means the movie has to bend over backwards to bring him back, hampering the plot in the process. I wish they'd have just cast him in a different role, or changed the script.

The effects are another highlight, with cool zombie make-up, great (and plentiful) violence, a few monsters and strange creatures, and some impressive set design. The gunplay is all handled very well, and with experience.

Overall, despite its issues Dead Heat is a fun time! Brisk, rewatchable, crazy, and does not skimp on the gore, it's a ball, and well worth checking out...

Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin (1978)

Jackie Chan's career began with some minor roles, before the studios attempted to turn him into the next Bruce Lee. This was unsuccessful, mainly due to his own insistence on being the first Jackie Chan. One of the first movies he made that really cemented his new status was 1978's Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin...

After developing a powerful new martial art technique, the Snake and the Crane, the 8 masters of the Shaolin temple mysteriously vanish, along with the new manual. Soon after, a man named Hsu Yin Fung wanders the land holding the book. This attracts all manner of bandits, martial artists, and competing houses, all determined to have the manual for themselves. But there's more to the situation than meets the eye, and Hsu has his own motivations...

Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin is a great example of Jackie's early career, and considered one of the high points amidst a sea of mediocrity. This is especially a surprise given it was a Lo Wei production! He was a known drunk, gambler, and lazy lump, who by sheer luck managed to crank out a few genre classics, usually thanks to the talents of everyone else involved. In some cases, Jackie often had to step into the director's chair himself, which would inform his own career, as directing became second nature.

The plot is fairly thin, but sustains itself well over the course of the runtime (even if it does stretch on a bit too long), and the central mystery is enough to keep you engaged. This leads to a reveal that pays off, answering the questions in a neat and satisfying manner.

The characters are the bigger highlight. Hsu is a fun hero, enigmatic and talented enough to keep out attention, and cheeky enough. He's also a bit of a sexist knob in places! Although in fairness he's probably only doing it to provoke a reaction. I like his behaviour in the final act, when he finally lets everyone else in on the truth.

The film's comic relief is scruffy ragamuffin Hong Tu. She could be either fun or obnoxious. I liked her, even if she is sneaky. One thing we can all agree on though is that she's a badass! She comes across the main villain, an unstoppable killing machine so powerful that he doesn't even notice most people, and she decides to piss him off into noticing her!

The remainder of the cast is made up of various different personalities, from beggar masters, to gorgeous heiress's, etc. The interplay between all these different clans is fun, if occasionally confusing, and it's nice seeing them all unite at the end, after a whole movie of duplicity.

The villain cuts an imposing figure, but mainly just shows up in the last 15 minutes, and doesn't get to leave much of an impression. The other villains are ok, but either die too quickly, disappear, or come out of nowhere.

The climax has plenty of great fighting and thrills on display. It is a bit weird when a random trio sent by the villain interrupt the final fight, but this does have a purpose. It felt unsatisfying that Hsu only wins the final fight after being given metal ball weapons, like even with his immense skill, the hero can't win without added enhancements.

As for a certain death that occurs, I have mixed feelings. On one hand it's the one thing that actually shakes the previously unflappable Hsu, and it acts greatly as the galvanising event to unite all the warring clans against this common enemy. On the other hand, it's bloody depressing! I mean, geez!

The ending itself is fairly satisfying, albeit pretty abrupt, as is common for most kung fu films of the era.

Snake and Crane has really good visuals, particularly when large groups are involved. This makes for a great image during the climax. Fight scenes are shot well too, whether close-up or wide and open.

Perhaps the best part of the film is the opening credits. Running at 6 minutes, they showcase various martial arts moves we'll be seeing, as the actors spar in front of a big red background and demonstrate weapons, all while...familiar music plays. I swear it took me a while to figure out. I KNEW this music, but just couldn't place it! Then a grin spread on my face as I realised what it was-The intro music to Monty Python and the Holy Grail! It's funny seeing it used in a sincere way, without any taking the piss. Apparently the tune did exist before Monty Python.

The cast here is a good one, with Jackie making for a perfect lead, in terms of action, and in charisma. Gam Ching Lan is a fun sidekick, Nora Miao is gorgeous, and the rest of the cast is full of beautiful, evil, comedic, and other over-the-top performances, doing their jobs well.

The version I've seen most is the subtitled one, but I have also watched the dubbed version (with comparatively less video quality!). It's typically goofy, and full of clunky dialogue. It streamlines the movie a little, trimming 10 whole minutes from the runtime. On the other hand though it removes some plot critical moments, as well as cutting down the awesome intro.

Ever since I first saw it over 10 years ago, I've had a soft spot for Snake and Crane: Arts of Shaolin. I definitely recommend it, especially if you're keen on Jackie Chan's early career, and especially if you're sick and tired of all the bait-and-switches in his early filmography. This is a great introduction...

Young Tiger (1973)

Before Jackie Chan was a megastar, he was like any other jobbing actor. He'd take any gig that paid well, and he had quite a few minor parts, before the studios realised they could have a new leading man on their hands. After which they promptly began making him into the next Bruce Lee. It's our luck that Chan sought to be unique, and instead of another copy, we got the world's next martial arts icon in earnest. And what happens when a new icon has a dozen minor roles to his name? Why, cash-in releases making it out like he's the star, of course!...

When a young woman dies in Chin-Chen's taxi after being pursued by gangsters, a series of events are set into motion. Before dying, the woman hid something in Chin-Chen's cab, and the gang keep harassing him for it. While he may not know what they're looking for, he's not going to take it lying down, and fights back, together with his colleagues, and a roving police woman...

Young Tiger, more appropriately known as Police Woman, and hilariously as Rumble in Hong Kong, is a fairly serviceable Hong Kong crime flick. It's a cheap and low-rent movie, but there's nothing egregiously bad about it as far as chopsocky cinema goes. Obviously you should never seek it out, not when there are so many amazing movies out there, but there is worse.

Chin-Chen is an alright protagonist, and his friends are ok. I felt sorry for their boss. He's just trying to run a business, but all his cabbies keep going rogue to bust crime syndicates! Look, I know you all wanna make a difference, but maybe do it off the clock?

Young Tiger's more peripheral hero (and bearer of the original title) is police woman Ho Wai-ma. She kicks ass, gets results, and makes for a much better protagonist! I wish she had've gotten more to do. It's half an hour before she appears consistently, but thankfully she's a constant presence by the last act. I quite liked the friendship she strikes up with the crime lord's druggie woman, initially sent as a spy. It was a sweet and well-portrayed relationship, even though it comes late in the picture.

The villains are typical gangsters. Little substance, which can be fine in a movie like this, as long as they're fun. They're a bit on the dull side here, but not horrible. The most notable thug is Jackie Chan's character, not because he has a particularly big role, but because of the absurdly large mole on his face! It's distracting, and when the hero does comment on it, the police responds by saying "So what? Lots of men have got moles." Not the size of a bloody pikelet though! 

The worst scene (or best, depending on your enjoyment of corny drivel, or opinion regarding society's ills), is when Chin-chen and his fellow taxi drives have a discussion about what's wrong with kids these days. The scene is so overly preachy and un-subtle, heavily blaming books and films for having a bad effect on the morals of 'today's' youth. Hey, I resent that! Also I feel it's a little rich when a crime movie is moralising about how crime movies are responsible for corrupting the youth.

The main message of the movie is actually a decent one, about how it's up to us to help make a change in the world, rather than just go on by and ignore anything rotten. That only a contributing effect can cause any lasting change. Which is a good message to teach. A shame the rest is so hamfisted.

There's some other amusingly corny dialogue here too, such as the whole 'pregnancy' exchange, or the golden line "You're not a nice person. If that's what you were, why all the bodyguards? And the secret tunnel, and hidden doors? Nice people don't have those".

The action here is fairly basic. It's watchable stuff, and I did enjoy a couple of scenes, mainly due to the setting. Jackie Chan's involvement is minimal. He throws a few punches in a couple of scenes, and that's it. You wouldn't expect any more from a supporting gangster, but it is amusing considering where he'd soon be.

The cast is likewise fairly standard, but beyond Chan there are a few familiar faces of Honk Kong cinema, including a young Yuen Qiu! You may know her as the landlady from Kung Fu Hustle, and she kicks a good amount of ass here!

Lastly, the music is nothing to write home about, except for one track! It's a nice melody, even if it is cut short when it garbles out of existence. Apparently it's an existing song (who would have guessed) called The Rising of the Moon.

Overall, Young Tiger isn't a great movie as far as 70s HK kung fu is concerned, but for what it is, it ain't half bad, and worth checking out as a brief popcorn flick...

Not This Time, Nayland Smith's 10 Year Anniversary!

Hello everyone. It's that time of year again, for this blog's anniversary, but this time it's special. Because it was at this time in 2011 when Not This Time, Nayland Smith was founded! That's right. It doesn't feel like it's been more than a couple, but it's somehow been 10 years! A whole decade! It'd make me feel terribly old, if I wasn't so young.

I've been through a lot, from blogging alongside studies, to uncooperative computers, etc, and have always enjoyed writing about the things I do. I'm most proud of all the obscure films, genres, or countries I'm able to discuss. From horror, to cheesy kung fu, action, comedy, musicals, etc, as well as periods of cinema, like the Golden Age of Hollywood, the glories of the 80s, and very occasionally some newer films. I'm glad to have had the opportunity to dip deeper into genres I was already a fan of, to discover areas of cinema I hadn't as much experience in, and to showcase particular actors, famous or underlooked.

Blogging has done much for me. While it might not exactly be a lucrative hobby, that doesn't interest me anyway. What it has done is bring me enough attention to have been published in three books on film! And a lot of what I've talked about has inspired me with some of my own writing. I've already been writing since forever, but ever since the May Monster Madness blogathon of 2016, where I reviewed as many female themed B-movies as I could, that inspired me to write a book based on all these ridiculous films and their cliches. Having seen so many movies too, good and bad, has also increased my confidence in one day taking up a video camera of my own.

I will continue to write as much as I can, about whichever fun, terrible, or bizarre films that cross my mind. Thanks to all who read and comment, and here's to many more years in the future...