exoticafan

Taking various elements from La Femme Nikita, Charlie's Angels and numerous women-in-prison movies, Guardian Angel is a hodge-podge for sure. The film begins with internecine conflicts between Interpol and the Hong Kong police, and throws into the mix three reasonably-hot female agents who are actually assassins. The "plot" follows efforts by Interpol to kill rampant drug lords using the female agents, while Hong Kong police try to intercede. That's it. Think no more about the plot, as it is almost non-stop action and surprisingly explicit nudity (which would probably rate an NC-17). The violent action, while not up to highly technical standards, is still constant. It appears everyone in Manilla and Hong Kong knows karate and carries heavy weaponry! I also guess that this movie is culled from shorter features (possibly a TV series?) as the ending is abrupt, and does not come to a final conclusion (however, the final "shot" should please Charles Bronson fans!) Recommended for the mindless entertainment that it is.

Please refer to the other well-reasoned reviews here for the details of this weird effort by unknown filmmaker Tony Zarin Dast. I just have two brief observations. The "surprise" appearance by the protagonist's supposedly-deceased brother would have you believe that he transforms into some sort of were-thing (?). In his two murkily-lensed attacks, he sports extreme facial hair and elongated nails, all the better to slash one of his victims with. In the second killing, he strangles another with a length of chain while grunting and groaning like a wild animal.

The last observation I have is actually a question...what ever happened to Tony Zarin Dast, where did he come from, where did he get his financing? There are previews at the end of my OOP video for ANOTHER of his films, "The Guns and The Glory" which appears to be an action/adventure about oil wars starring Peter Graves and Cameron Mitchell.

This seventies reincarnation of the classic Thriller series for British television created a few gems, and more than a few fillers. This Brian Clemens scripted psychological thriller has quite a few red herrings (that is expected of the genre), but has a thoroughly satisfying ending, in which two entirely different plot arcs verge nicely. Carroll Baker is the one to watch, still elegant though bound to a wheelchair. Ronald Lacey is the creepy apartment repairman who may or may not be harboring secrets. I believe this is only available Stateside through an OOP Thriller Video.

This film was one of two videos featuring Carroll Baker that I found in a resale shop in Portland, Oregon. The reason I say this is that they both seem to be specialty videos dubbed from international sources and initially sold on a "request only" basis. Being a fan of La Baker, I was anxious to try both. This movie was lensed by a director primarily known for peplum and spaghetti westerns, but manages a nice steady clip and passable performances from the international cast. The plot involves Baker and her "twin sister" with international jewel thieves and a missing diamond. It appears that the criminal element believes Baker is her sister, involved with the potentate whose gem was stolen. Baker approaches solicitor Stephen Boyd and sidekick George Hilton for protection. Those with even a cursory knowledge of Italian gialli know that "all-is-not-what-it-seems" and perhaps knowing this will dilute some of the surprises.

The music is gloriously overblown Morricone-esque lounge, and Baker's blue wig worn at seaside is worth the price of viewing. If you can find this film, I recommend viewing for the sheer brilliance of having an action pursuit taking place in and around a windmill! The setting has been used before and since (most memorably in Black Windmill), but creates a nice frisson not usually associated with Italian thrillers.

Though she is credited for two films since, this film is essentially the swan song for Ms. Wishman; the final two were either unreleased, or released sporadically. It is Wishman's attempt to update her tease-and-sleaze formula of the 50s and 60s for the Milennium. Even though the elements she chose to use have crept steadily into mainstream cinema (hookers, drug addiction, strip bars, etc.), there remains an unaltered twisted quality to her protagonists/antagonists. There are nods here that remind us of her influence on modern filmmakers--David Lynch specifically--with the use of brooding music, attention to bizarre details, and the loving affinity for footware. I found the movie to be one of her more enjoyable efforts, and a nice return from her misstep in A Night To Dismember. A bit long with repeated scenes used to segue action, it is nonetheless disquieting and ominous in the Wishman pattern. Don't expect great acting by any means, and the women (especially the lead) are suitably stern, heartless or vapid, but the discerning viewer should be able to wallow in the low-budget smell of female and the gospel of smoke.

This Texas-made tale of corruption, greed and Mafia vengeance tries for a number of parallel stories that culminate in two scenes of action and violence. This is itself is admirable, as most modestly budgeted films of this type are lucky to accomplish a single storyline. The umbrella story is of Steve King, financed by The Mob, attempting to open a direct "sno-line" between Texas and New York (contrary to the Tagline on IMDB, he is not a "District Attorney"). The first arc is that of a number of King's employees attempting various heists on their boss' holdings. Second occurs when a rival of King wants him eliminated from his Texas Coast territory. The last involves the appearance of a mysterious con-woman and her manipulation of King into being his confidant and co-hort.

The production employs a number of reliable mid-card and B-movie performers, including stalwart Vince Edwards as King, man-mountain Paul Smith as a West-Indies drug smuggler, and the voluptuous June Wilkinson as King's new consort. The dialog is smart, with detail given to the procedures of both the smuggling operations and the employee thefts.

What I find most interesting is that there are no "good guys" in the traditional sense: all are basically corrupt...there are just some that are "more" corrupt than others. The audience is almost forced to support the least heinous of the various culprits, and the film makers want viewers to identify with the young couple who carry a suitcase full of money stolen from King (the fact that the boyfriend's actions lead to the killing of all his friends appears to be irrelevant). There are crosses and double-crosses, all handled with a deftness that belies scrutiny. There are ingenious twists; the final two scenes will leave a smile on the audience's face.

Recommended for fans of regional film making, June Wilkinson and Paul Smith.

The main reason to search out this OOP video is for the presence of figure-model June Wilkinson, and regional character actor Bill Thurman. As most fans know, Wilkinson was a sometime model for Playboy and various "glamor" magazines in the 60s and 70s. With her 44" bust and exotic good looks, it is a shame that she was not featured in more movies. The Florida Connection gives her two scenes that show off her best physical assets in skimpy bikinis, and at least three scenes that show her dramatic intent. The most uncomfortable of these is an extended attack by a drunken henchman on Wilkinson, with her expression of revulsion rather than fear. Wilkinson has other scenes that hint of a latent acting talent, but this laid-back tale gives her precious few opportunities to show them. Wilkinson fans may be disappointed that she does not show up until 23 minutes into the movie that she "co-stars" in. Thurman gained limited cult status usually portraying sweaty, beefy, obnoxious support characters. Mostly known for appearing in Larry Buchanan features like Mars Needs Women and Curse of the Swamp Creature, Thurman appeared in other exploitation movies filmed in the South and Texas like S.F. Brownrigg's Keep My Grave Open and the rare John Agar effort, Night Fright. The Florida Connection features his quintessential role as a slovenly kidnapper and rookie drug smuggler. His first scene establishes his character; he is seen with unbuckled overalls huddled over a barely legal, naked teen in the corner of a messy horse stall. The movie itself is, at times, ponderous, with an atmosphere that spends more time establishing the breezy, palm tree ambiance of the Florida coast than a sense of impending danger. One would expect at least a little tension in a movie about drug smugglers. The limited action is handled well, as well as the detail given supplementary characters: racist sheriff, the alcoholic lackey, etc. Recommended to followers of regional film making (especially the state of Florida) and fans of the above actors.

Another reviewer mentioned torture and pity as key elements to this movie, and I would like to support this idea. There is a grim, sleazy venear to this movie that is not easily forgotten. I too (like another reviewer) saw this when I was kid, and the feeling of depression and dread followed me for days. It was one of the few movies that when it was repeated on the Saturday afternoon program Theater X, I declined to watch it; not that it was a bad movie, but because of the feelings of fear and pity it generated in me (not valuable emotions for one so young).

Unlike other "keep-the-head-alive-in-a-box" movies, this one effectively makes you empathize with the victim forced to submit to Nazi torture. You cannot distance yourself and enjoy slummy "fun" like you can with The Brain That Couldn't Die, which had the head scheming from the outset for revenge; it takes a while for this victim to come to terms with her power and state in life (?). The almost subliminal, eerie, atonal score that accompanies the various "unveiling" sequences puts nerves on edge as well. This is a truly unsettling movie.

The final words of the various "heads" in both movies are telling as well: Brain... has the disembodied exclaiming, "I told you to let me die!", followed by a vengeful cackle, while the Frozen... victime rasps in barely intelligible tones, "Bury me."

Disturbing.

The current DVD edition contains the feature itself, and a selection of well-worn trailers from other Sam Sherman/Independent International releases. These "coming attractions" are featured on a multitude of releases by Image, and it is curious that they did not offer an audio commentary by Sherman. This would have been especially helpful in determining which footage was newly shot by Al Adamson/Gary Graver, and which were from the feature Lucifer's Women (the only new trailer listed in the extras). It is also unclear whether Lucifer's Women was also released on it's own, or whether the footage extant in Doctor Dracula is the only stock currently available. I'm sure Sherman could have clarified all of this. Curiously, of all Adamson films released on DVD, this is the one that cries out for an audio track the most.

As for discussion of the movie itself, other comments in IMDB will suffice, this only to say that I find it an interesting salvage job. After all, in what other movie will you find Count Dracula disguised as a psychiatrist, an author possessed by a fictional character, and Regina Carol wearing too much makeup? (Oops...that's right. Any Adamson film for the latter).

Emerald of Artatama is one of 25 films made by producer Sid Pink in an amazingly prolific period while he was in Spain during the seven year period of 1961-1968. Other notable films of this output were Pyro (a colorful prefigurement of the slasher film), Finger on the Trigger (first Western made in Spain) and Madigan's Millions, famous for the first screen appearance of Dustin Hoffman. Pink's recollections of this hectic yet productive period are detailed in his autobiography, So You Want to Make Movies, published by Pineapple Press of Sarasota, Florida.

Veteran tough guy Rory Calhoun stars as a hard-drinking, two-fisted womanizer and (lovable) con-man attempting to find the Tomb of Artatama, rumored to house an emerald as large as a man's fist. The story follows his attempts to find a crew, get financing, and the inevitable search for the lost tomb. Along the way, he must tackle hijackers, loan sharks, desert bandits, clinging women and a writer/friend who has long since found solace in alcohol.

This kind of film was probably dated even as of 1967, but Pink peoples it with quirky characters and dialog that knowingly winks at its anachronistic origins.

My OOP video boasts lush colors and a well-crafted, comic-book influenced video jacket. The movie itself is visual impressive, with bustling bazarre scenes, majestic vistas of Egypt, and a sense of timelessness that suggests modern audiences who enjoyed the new Mummy movies, the TV series The Search, and various Tomb Raider knock-offs will find much to appreciate here.

With the recent passing of Sidney Pink, it is hoped that his monumental output will find its eventual home on DVD.

This is another wonderful feature presented to US audiences by Sid Pink, who recently past away in 2002. It was produced during an incredibly vibrant period for Pink, when he was making pictures in Spain during 1961-1968.

Starring Jeffrey Hunter as Joe Novak, The Christmas Kid is a not-quite-perfect Christ parable with the lead role essayed by the actor most notable as Jesus from King of Kings. It follows his birth in a makeshift shelter, his troubled teen years as an angry--yet non-violent--youth, culminating in his about-turn as an adult gunfighter. Along the way, he is tested in New Testament fashion by a prostitute, the promise of riches, and by an ersatz Satan (in the form of profiteer Louis Hayward). The analogies don't end there. His birth is visited by three wayfarers from the neighboring town who are following a light from the ramshackle "manger", and there appears to be a possible "crucifiction" Western-style, set for Joe's future.

The cast is uniformly excellent, with many appearing in several of Pink's movies at the time: Gustavo Rojo appeared in Fickle Finger of Fate, Witch Without a Broom, Tall Women and Madigans Millions; Perla Cristal also appeared in Witch.., Tall Women and another Pink feature called Sharaz.

Rojo should be memorable to "Spaghetti Western" fans for his role in A Bullet for Sandoval, and Cristal appeared in the first two Jess Franco Orloff movies, as well as appearing as the nefarious bi-sexual mad scientist in Paul Naschy's Fury of the Wolfman. Veteran character actor Jack Taylor appears as Novak's unforgiving father, still blaming his son for his mother's death at childbirth. Taylor still acts, appearing to US audiences most recently in Polanski's The Ninth Gate. Genre fans remember Taylor for his numerous roles in Franco movies such as Female Vampire, Count Dracula, Eugenie and Succubus.

With a cast like this, Pink did not fail.

My OOP video boasted an effective cartoon graphic of the climactic confrontation between Joe and the townspeople.

This, along with other features in Pink's canon, should be allowed a DVD release.

Shock-A-Rama offers this DVD edition which features two different versions of the movie, commentary track on one feature by producer Sam Sherman, and the usual assortment of trailers that come with the majority of DVDs released under the Seduction Cinema umbrella.

Essentially, there are two different movies presented: Possession of Nurse Sherri, a remastered release of the horror cut with optional track with Sherman, and Nurse Sherri, the original drive-in release of the sexploitation version. Sherman provides juicy details on the canny presentation of the "horror" version, detailing what was edited/added to the initial release. At a glance, 70% of both movies are the same, but with noticeable differences: the horror cut has at least three additional scenes with character actor JC Wells being pursued by the disembodied spirit of a dead spiritualist, while three edited scenes of sex/nudity are provided by the sexploitation cut. These last three scenes are certainly eye-openers: a scene of hospital seduction between a buxom nurse and blind patient, another that has the chief surgeon receiving oral gratification at his podium while giving a lecture in front of a college classroom (!), and an extended scene between the surgeon and our Nurse Sherri with ardent lovemaking culminating in Sherri's flashback of her sole lesbian encounter. These last two segments show how Sherri fills that nurse's uniform with more than ample results!

Previous reviews at IMDB have decried the lack of horror elements and nudity, one even saying that if released today the movie would probably get a PG rating! I can assure anyone that neither of these versions are remotely PG.

Al Adamson--along with Jerry Warren and Jess Franco--had the notoriety of "film doctor", constantly re-editing and re-marketing product that had already saturated a film niche. This wonderful DVD shows how Sam Sherman and Adamson worked in that process.

A highly recommended DVD (regardless of the quality of the movies) which begs one question; whatever happened to star Jill Jacobson, and where is the inevitable Celebrity Sleuth layout?

Even though listed (when you can find it) in reference books as a "horror/comedy", the shiver quotient is woefully absent. This is essentially a screwball comedy with a highly capable cast, in the typical "scare-the-newlyweds-out-of-the-abandoned-house-to-get-the-treasure" movie mold.

Though dated by today's standards, most of the witty dialog (supplied by Dick Van Dyke's "Buddy Sorrell" Morey Amsterdam)brings a smile, with nary a straight man present. Florence Rice as bride Jackie seems to have a character that prefigures Lucy Ricardo, and husband Webster (James Dunn) attacks the role like Jack Haley. Chauffeur Harmony Jones (played by Sam McDaniel)seems the only sensible one in the bunch, wanting to return to New York where the only people wandering the streets are alive!

The pace is quick, with nary a moment to think of the ludicrous plot machinations (a police chief who has time on duty to write pulp fiction) and illogic (the newlyweds move into the wrong house which is not questioned until the end of the movie). A bit of macabre humor is added with the inclusion of a retired county executioner who constantly wants Harmony to try on a noose for size ("You have the perfect neck for hangin'!"); the racial subtext is not lost on the modern audience.

In all, a harmless and painless way to spend an hour.

Okay, forget Ed Wood, Jess Franco or even Al Adamson. If you are interested in investigating quirky filmmakers, try Larry Buchanan. Perhaps best known for Mars Needs Women, The Naked Witch and TV re-makes of AIP drive-in classics, Buchanan was responsible for this quickly and cannily lensed piece of exploitation shot in Malibu State Park and "dressed" as Africa. Of main interest to fanboys is the presence of the exaulted Barbara Leigh as the wife of an unscrupulous profiteer. A knowing finger on the pause/slow advance button on the remote about 45 minutes into the movie will prove why she is so venerated.

The story is not really worth detailing; just the elements that are intriguing or shocking: Stuart Lancaster plays his usual lecherous self, Barbara Leigh gets raped not once, but twice (and quite unnervingly, too), the young bride breast-feeds a "near man" baby, and the recurring "Ape Woman/Ape Love" song that completely undermines any serious consideration of the subject matter. I mean, this is BAD 70s white-boy funk. Finally, the miscogenation of the lead actress with one of the "near men" is enough to raise some eyebrows.

The dialog--as is usual for a Buchanan opus--is priceless and quoteable. To detail these joys would be gilding the lily of audience investigation...

My source is an OOP video from Pan-Canadian (cover by Boris Vallejo!)

The above tag line is a tip-of-the-hat nod to a previous IMDB user, and I agree. Seriously, I have never read such a deep divide in viewers over a horror movie! I have to wonder about people who call this movie "boring." What do audiences want from horror films today? There is real fear, dread and (most importantly) disorienting. I must agree that many younger minds with short attention spans will not enjoy this movie, but if you were intrigued by 12 Monkeys, Memento, Eraserhead, and other movies you HAD TO WATCH AND THINK ABOUT, I highly recommend this movie. Don't like loose ends? Tough! Want everything explained? Out of luck! But if you read Phillip K. Dick, H.P. Lovecraft or William Hope Hodgson, you will be pleased with this highly literate movie. I am looking forward to more from the director.

I've heard so many "critics" carp about this movie that it astounds me...Let's remember that this was a LOST movie for many years. Thousands of us grew up with tantalizing pictures of the movie in Famous Monsters and Castle of Frankenstein. Along with Horrors of Spider Island and The Awful Dr. Orloff, it was the Holy Grail of Silver Age Horrors. Don't listen to detractors...this is EVERYTHING you want in a low-budget monster film; the compact running time actually adds to its appeal. I want to join with the fans in getting FOX to release this on DVD, or have them release the rights to some company who would embrace the project.

This film fits in nicely to the Euro spy/crime thriller genre typified by movies like Danger: Diabolik, Modesty Blaise and Operation: Kid Brother. The anti-hero, Mister X, is played by an actor who has a striking resemblance to Tom Adams, who played master spy Charles Vine in Second Best Secret Agent and Where the Bullets Fly. The music is loud, sharp and abrasive, like so many of the psychedelic thrillers of the period.

The movie appears to be the sequel to another film, with references to other capers engineered by our suave daredevil. As a matter of fact, it takes a while to actually understand how all the characters fit together; even the fact that Mister X is not a traditional hero. The opening credits support the idea that it was based on a comic book, much in the same style of the credits for Baba Yaga.

Seldom slow-moving, my only carp is that it takes a long time before we see our dashing leading man in costume, and that the story often gets more complex than I would have liked. The brutal dispatching of the lead criminal is inventive, and the coda is actually played in total black! (It doesn't seem to be a fault of the video transfer)

My source is an OOP copy from Wizard Video. I would be interested in hearing from other fans about this neglected genre of film making.

I found this video, used, at a Mom-and-Pop video store in an obscure little town in Oregon (like vinyl and book aquisitions, look for out-of-the-way places). The video box boasted the Private Screenings label, usually known for releasing European and American soft-core features from the 60s and 70s. What interested me was the presence of Erika Blanc and Farley Granger. The box itself boasted an annonymous tart that had no connection with the movie.

What evolves is a (poorly edited) Italian giallo told in basically reverse order. Granger is an alcoholic artist bereft of inspiration, who may (or may not) be visited by a mute beauty borne of a lifeless mannequin (?) Granger had previously been involved with temptress Erika Blanc, and may (or may not) have murdered her. To tell more would reduce the fun quotient. Beware the Private Screenings release if you can. At least two scenes have been cut, and a rearranged sequence throws the narrative out of whack. Still, an interesting find and worth the hunt, especially for fans of Euro-babe Erika Blanc.

If you are looking for intellectual stimulation from a film, look elsewhere. If you are looking for a movie that is plain FUN, look no further. Witch's Academy is a wicked romp with bountiful babes, inspired slapstick, and an exaggerated script that would fit in well with Li'l Annie Fannie strips published in Playboy during the 60s and 70s.

A notorious sorority known for S&M and Bondage (the "witch" connection is never established), is compelled to humiliate a new pledge who is honest and faithful (and a dweeb). Unknown to the sisters, The Devil has plans for her and her evil compatriots. Much of the fun is seeing each of the leads in various enticing outfits and in various stages of dress and undress (a HEAVILY edited version was shown on USA). The presence of cult icon Robert Vaughn is an asset, and shows that he has the gift of comedic timing. If you have not seen the Retromedia DVD, you have NOT really seen this film. There are worthwhile extras on the DVD...but the "Stills" section features several shots of another cult icon, cinematographer/director Gary Graver, whose name appears nowhere on the credits?!

Fred is a master of supplying the most on a limited budget. He has his roots in fandom, and knows what his audience wants.

The version to own is the copy offered by Video Search of Miami that culls the best available footage from all the disperate versions of this film. Be forewarned that it is for serious adult fans only and is definitely not for anyone under 21.