Yul Brynner Brings It As ...

The Ultimate Warrior

(1975)

Set in a future decimated by a plague, the Spartan populace of New York City is dispersed into pockets of survivalist groups. The civilised, the lawless and the scavengers each battle to survive in a world where food and water supplies are sparse. The cultivation of new crops is nigh on futile due to ecological devastation. There is hope, however, in the guise of Cal, a horticulturalist who has rediscovered successful seed growth in soil. He resides with the Baron (Max Von Sydow) in a fortified sanctuary within the city. Under the leadership of the Baron the people of this community have security and hope, but across the street resides Carrot (William Smith), a physically dominant figure of leadership to his anarchic followers. Carrot wants what the Baron has, and will do anything to acquire it !.

Fate plays its hand when a lone stranger appears one day. A warrior for hire, prominently standing for all to see in the centre of the dilapidated city. The Baron steps out from his protective haven with a small band of protective men, his intention to offer the stranger food and shelter in exchange for his services. Initially giving no response or indication of acceptance to the proposition made, the Baron makes his way back to his stronghold, but he and his men are set upon by the street scavengers. To their aid comes the stranger, bare chest displaying his strong physique, and a knife wielded in his hand clearly showing his intent. This man for hire is clearly all that the Baron believed him to be, a warrior !.

Yul Brynner is The Ultimate Warrior, and in great shape for such a physical role here at the age of fifty five, clearly setting a great example to the future senior Action stars of today who too have maintained their health and fitness regimes, enabling them to still be doing the physically demanding roles with believability, such as Sylvester Stallone. Brynner’s character introduces himself to the Baron as Carson. The Baron sees in him a man of honour and the perfect person he has been waiting for to entrust with a mission to benefit the future of mankind.

With Carrot and his mob gaining greater strength, and becoming more of a threat to him and his peoples good intentions, the Baron entrusts Carson with the sustainable plant seeds and the protection of his child bearing daughter. Carson tells the Baron that there is an island off the coast where decent people have settled, and are together striving to rebuild a new world together. He gives his word that he will get the seeds to them to continue Cal’s work, along with the Baron’s daughter and child to be.

The first part of the movie sets the scene of the plague decimated world environment, and dresses the screen stage of opposing factions fighting to survive in the dilapidated landscape of New York City. The second act plays out like condensed chapters of good and evil torn from the very bible itself !. A bleak yet intelligent story interwoven with a parable of hope, with the seed of life growing in the womb of a mother, and life giving seeds carried by a strong and good man to a new beginning !.

Yul Brynner puts in a solid performance, and Max Von Sydow delivers a consummate characterisation, in a decently developed production, well delivered under the experienced direction of Robert Clouse (Enter The Dragon 1973). William Smith plays the archetypal villain of the piece once again with screen stealing menace, soon leading him to one of the most memorable villainous roles ever as Falconetti in the epic television Best Sellers series Rich Man, Poor Man (1976).

Carson takes the seeds, and the Baron’s pregnant daughter surreptitiously away from the flailing colony, exiting underneath the compound, down into the long since dormant underground tube way system. Their departure does not however go unnoticed, and word soon reaches Carrot, who deploys his best trackers to stop their escape.

The underground setting is very well structured and dressed, convincingly portraying the look of a future ravaged period set almost forty years on from the films production back in 1975.

With a heavily pregnant young woman under his guardianship, and a band of thugs hunting him down, Carson has his hands full. Things get even tougher as the mother to be goes into early labour, and having to stop, in order to facilitate the birth, Carson must truly prove himself to be The Ultimate Warrior as Carrot himself catches up to them !.

Terrific stuff, and a movie that still holds up extremely well today. The role of Carson was as perfectly sculpted for the role of Yul Brynner as you could ever imagine, and it stands tall as an enduring representation to the quality of its genre and time. The visual introduction of Yul Brynner standing resplendent and proud, at the beginning of the movie, is a memorable tribulation to the screen presence of this movie great, and the gruelling conclusion to his fight with William Smith, as Carrot, is what good old fashioned, gutsy Action film making, is all about.

The Ultimate Warrior Movie Clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Sy4stNmkRc

Movie Details IMDB

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073835/

Ray Milland Heads Up Horror In ...

The Thing With Two Heads

(1972)

Blaxploitation meets Grind House in this bizarre ‘B’ movie exploitation flick. Ray Milland stars as Maxwell Kirshner, an eminent surgeon working in the field of body part transplantation. He has found a way to attach a second living head to an ape, whilst the original one still functions, only then to remove that and leave the newly grafted head in its place. Successful in the operation he seeks to do the same with a human subject, that subject being … himself !.

Kirshner has been working flat out on his pioneering transplant technique due to having incurable cancer, and his efforts are self motivated, as he wants to live on with another body harbouring his head. When he divulges to his long time professional colleague, personal physician and friend, that he only has a few weeks to live they have to act immediately to acquire a suitable host.

The theme of the movie is not just one of fantastical science fiction but also that of race, and the colour of a mans skin. Maxwell Kirshner isn’t just a brilliant surgeon, he is also a blatant racist !. When a black doctor, Fred Williams, played by the instantly recognisable Don Marshall (TV’s Land Of The Giants), a welcome regular of popular television shows during the Sixties and Seventies, joins Kirshner’s staff it is made clear that his contract was compiled without the usual cross referencing, and Dr. Williams ‘kind’ is not welcomed !. Dr. Williams properly stands up to Kirshner, holding him to his contract and fulfilling his position in order to further his want to improve himself under such a revered physician in the field of transplantation.

A truly wry quirk of fate plays its hand when Kirshner’s time to undertake the transplantation comes around. With his body giving itself up to the cancer his friend and aid has no alternative but to turn to an inmate on death row. Someone prepared to turn their body over to science in order to avoid the death sentence. That someone is Roosevelt Grier (Rosey Grier aka Jack Moss), a man sentenced to death for murder. A crime that he still pleads he is innocent of, and any further time extension affords his friends and family time to prove his position. The ironic twist is of course that Roosevelt Grier is a black man !.

The reactions of both actors upon the realisation, after the operation, that they have been surgically conjoined at the neck, as a two headed being, is priceless !. Great credit must be given to the creators of Ray Milland’s false head and features as the attention to detail, when not reliant upon the real star in close up shots, is exceptional. It truly is a believable prosthetic and is freakily functional. During the operation, when Milland’s fake head is manoeuvred across to be attached to its sedated host body, seeing the eyes open and move is, for a film at this time, perhaps as audience reactive as that of witnessing the classic scuttling head sequence in John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982).

Two heads are better for fun should have been the slogan blurb for the movie, as splicing Ray Milland’s characters head upon the black neck and shoulders of Rosey Grier’s character Jack Moss works with entertainingly unexpected results. Props to both actors for keeping straight faces and dealing with the obvious cultural clash and race issues from a truly bizarre view point.

Jack Moss manages to overcome the effects of his induced drugged state and escapes from the shackles of Dr. Kirshner’s home medical facility. He goes on the run, taking Dr. Fred Williams as hostage, in order to reunite with his girlfriend and to pursue proving his innocence. A task more difficult than ever when you are sporting an extra head !.

Unbelievably the movie never actually plunges to the depths of complete farce, despite how preposterous the premise, retaining a typically seventies grind house stature that keeps things gritty and salacious in a good way. All three main actors draw the best out of their characters to keep a doubtlessly original audience open mouthed and aghast at what they were witnessing.

One of the stand out moments, of this strictly ‘B’ movie, comes just after the midway point when Moss and Kirshner, along with Dr. Williams, jump aboard an off road motorcycle, to be pursued across the off road mud track by the police in their standard cop cars. This quite long scene delivers car carnage akin to The Blues Brothers (1980), which of course actually came after The Thing With Two Heads. Car upon car crash and smash all over the place, left in the wake of their intended pursuit.

The longer that Dr. Kirshner is attached to Jack Moss the stronger his bond with the body becomes, and as Moss concentrates on eluding recapture and clearing his name, Kirshner focus’s his will upon taking control of the host bodies functionality. A battle to take control plays out, and Dr. Williams has to decide which of the two men his ethical loyalties should side with.

A wild oddity for sure, but one that deals with the issues of bigotry, and science playing God, with a transient proprietary that for its time was as bold as its precociousness. Dealing with issues that are not so far removed from the realms of reality of a spoon fed society today !. Seek it out, but be sure to leave your dismissive mind behind, and engage your thinking head to fully appreciate the underlying cautionary poignancy within the films generic veneer.

The Thing With Two Heads Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irQf50m5Jvw

Movie Details IMDB

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069372/

Femme Fatale Blows A Fuse ...

Eve Of Destruction

(1991)

When U.S. scientists play God, in creating their own synthetic being in female form, which also just so happens to be a global threat deterrent, all hell lets loose when her circuitry gets frazzled. Modelled upon her creator Dr. Eve Simmons (Renée Soutendijk), this robotic chick is just one automated click away from going nuclear. Once her internal twenty four hour clock kicks in, and when the countdown concludes, anything, and anyone, within a ten to twelve block radius gets obliterated !.

Robotic humanoid Eve VIII is being monitored out on a field test in the real world environment. She is in a bank when a robbery takes place, and the instigators of the act start shooting. Eve is shot and the result triggers a defence mechanism within her that sends her off out into the wide world environment. Her purpose is to act upon memories inherited from her blueprint creator Dr. Eve Simmons. It later transpires that Dr. Simmons experienced a traumatic youth that involved an alcoholic father, one who would beat his wife, and Eve’s mother. Tragedy would also befall as Eve’s mother gets killed in a car collision, brought about by being pushed into the oncoming vehicle in a drunken rage by the husband.

The military call upon their top problem solver Colonel Jim McQuade (Gregory Hines) to reel Eve back in. Brought up to speed with the humanoids capabilities, and week points, by Dr. Simmons, Colonel McQuade is not told the complete picture, and is unaware of Eve’s true purpose of being. When the military receive notification of Eve’s destruction mode becoming live they have to tell McQuade the whole truth, and implore him to render Eve defunct within twenty four hours. The robots area of vulnerability lays in her eye sockets. McQuade must use his precision targeting hand weapon to deploy the bullet direct to the eye of Eve in order to close her down, or her destructive device will explode as per her initiated directive.

A race against time unfolds as Colonel McQuade and the military track the Eve VIII model down. Intermittent action plays out as Eve adapts to her new found surroundings and situations, but another trigger, recessed in her human counterparts shared memory, brings out a violent side in her nature. Whenever anyone calls her a bitch to her face it unleashes her wrath, and this bionic babe is one striking lady you do not want to offend !.

Another very nice quality high definition enhanced showing for the MGM HD Channel. It is good to see that MGM is proudly showing off their back catalogue of movies, be they blockbusters or reasonable enough mid range fare. This film as a whole has a well intentioned made for television movie feel to it. Its identity is somewhat clouded also. There is the evident comparison to The Terminator (1984) and Terminator II (1991) films, but Eve Of Destruction seems to try and avoid sending its humanoid creation directly down the robot out of control route, and rather go for a more creative and emotive one. Ironically it is a more obscure Indonesian film called Lady Terminator (1989), which does not hide its rather obvious intent to ‘borrow’ heavily from The Terminator theme, with a rampaging female robot out of control on the city streets, that gives the rather promiscuous appearance and makeup of Eve VIII her look. Red leather jacket and tight fit, knee length skirt, totting a machine gun, is exactly the image torn from Lady Terminator (1989), made just two years earlier.

Neither main stars help raise proceedings, as Gregory Hines is just not believable in the Schwarzenegger, Willis or similar hard action guy role. The film would have been far better suited to someone like Dolph Lundgren. Renée Soutendijk does not convince either, coming across too cold and unapproachable in her role as Dr. Simmons, which curiously enough still does not greatly bear fruit when aptly applied to her robotic counterpart Eve VIII.

The film elevates itself in the action and excitement department enough to conclude things satisfactorily. Eve VIII clicks into the memory mode of Dr. Simmons as a mother, and in so doing goes in search of her young son. The race to stop her in time comes to New York City, and Colonel McQuade gets his chance to come eye to eye with the object of his pursuit in the New York subway. This is where it definitely turns Terminator, and both Sci-Fi and action fans get a pay off pick me up to end upon.

Eve Of Destruction Trailer

http://www.videodetective.com/movies/trailers/eve-of-destruction-trailer/1232

Movie Details IMDB

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101831/

Patrick Wayne Dukes It Out With ...

The People That Time Forgot

(1977)

Good old fashioned Saturday morning at the movies action adventure fun. Following on from the earlier made The Land That Time Forgot (1975), Colonel Ben McBride (Patrick Wayne) heads up an expedition in search of his friend Bowen Tyler (Doug McClure), a fellow officer lost at sea in an uncharted area during world war I. Several years have gone by, and the war is at an end, but Tyler’s notes have been retrieved from the ocean, and they tell tale of an incredible lost world. One where caveman fights to survive in a prehistoric land, dominated by dinosaurs !.

Lady Charlotte ‘Charly’ Cunningham (Sarah Douglas), is a newspaper writer and photographer, who joins the exploration, and hopeful rescue party, due to her rich uncle financing the enterprise. Norfolk (Thorley Walters) and Hogan (Shane Rimmer) complete the team as resident scientist, and trusted war comrade. Together they journey as far as they are able by ship to the Antartic, and then fly into the anachronistic region where time has virtually stood still for hundreds of thousands of years.

The small parties first encounter with the creatures that Tyler describes in his retrieved journal is a run in, amongst the clouds, with an attacking Pterodactyl !. The creature does enough damage to force the aircraft down, with a hefty bump. Colonel McBride has no choice but to leave Hogan to make repair to the plane, whilst he, Norfolk and Charly head off into the island in search of Tyler.

It’s not long before the outsiders encounter the humongous prehistoric wildlife, and are beset upon by an indigenous tribe who seek to offer them as sacrifice to one of the carnivorous creatures.They are aided by a friendly native girl named Ajor (Dana Gillespie), a buxom beauty clad in a revealing tan leather, figure hugging costume. She speaks the language of the outsiders, and reveals that she was taught their ways by Tyler !. Ajor informs McBride and the others that she fears Tyler is dead, or still captive of the superior tribe that rule the island. When Tyler helped Ajor and her people to cultivate the land, and learn new skills, this more aggressive tribe destroyed everything that they worked for, and killed most of the people.

The dominant tribe are a hideous race, covering their faces with masks, curiously akin in both their tribal attire and characteristics to a clan of Japanese samurai. Resplendent in battle gear, bearing swords and wielding spears, and riding horses. A curious mix of cultures and time periods, oddly placed in a prehistoric environment !?. Their threat to the island populace, and indeed to McBride and his people, is none the less most evident.

It’s all silly family fun that plays out entertainingly enough right through to the volcanic explosive finale. Doug McClure makes his guest star appearance midway through proceedings as the captive Bowen Tyler, and Patrick Wayne gets to play the hero well enough. Both men were popular matinee fantasy film stars during this period. Patrick Wayne played Sinbad in Sinbad And The Eye Of The Tiger (1977), and also starred in the action fantasy Beyond Atlantis (1973). Doug McClure starred in a whole host of fantasy adventure flicks during the seventies such as, The Land That Time Forgot (1975), At The Earth’s Core (1976) and Warlords Of Atlantis (1978), before moving into more mature variations on the theme with the equally enjoyable likes of, Humanoids From The Deep (1980) and The House Where Evil Dwells (1982).

The People That Time Forgot delivers a reasonably expansive exterior location shoot, and does its best to create the illusion of a prehistoric environment with matte effects and old style hand built monsters. Some of the creatures up close show up their artisan engineered shortcomings, and a couple of digitised scenery effects are woeful, but the miniature work is well realised, and over all it is in keeping with the entertainment value of what is effectively a reasonably budgeted ‘B’ movie. More dinosaurs would have been welcomed, but overall its good old fashioned general audience entertainment value for money.

Yet another cleaned up print of a twenty five plus year old movie, given the high definition treatment, and shown on the MGM HD Channel. Enjoyable hi-jinks monster action fare to colourfully dazzle your HD home cinema system as never before.

The People That Time Forgot Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT1PBjG4fY0

Movie Details IMDB

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076535/

Island Of Pernicious Primates ...

The Lost Tribe

(2010)

A group of friends out at sea run into trouble when their yacht hit’s a coral reef, tearing into the hull of the boat. The shipwrecked companions are washed ashore upon the beach of an uncharted island. Within the inland jungle something far more inhospitable than the wake of the ocean awaits them. A wave of tribal terror follows !.

The mysterious island and its even more mysterious inhabitants seem not to be a mystery to the U.S government forces. A scientific research team had set up base camp there, but having all fallen prey to the native primate creatures a clean up military team, headed up by Lance Henriksen’s character, is sent in to cover the incident up and to leave no witnesses.

This is actually a pretty well done, low budget, tried and tested horror formula, that runs at a good pace throughout. The threat of the movie indeed comes in the form of the island primates. Their basic instincts of survival within a tribal regime, with an alpha male leader, is realistic. When the creatures attack their victims it is primarily unexpected and well done, swooping down from above, out of the trees, and carrying off their targets to immediately feast upon them.

Lance Henriksen’s character is pretty much a cameo, but his presence always adds credence to proceedings in these low budget outings. He believes that the stranded companions are a part of the island scientific team, and so continues to follow his brief in killing all human life, as pre-ordered.

Most of the cast are there for creature fodder, and fulfil their intended roles dutifully enough. Throat severing and creature chow downs come in equal measure, with a modicum of blood to raise the rating to an ‘R’.

What keeps the movie going is the lead character, a strong female with a presence about her that plays a little off the Ripley character type from Alien (1979). Apply a Predator (1987) scenario to the primate creatures upon the island and you have a familiar mix. The introduction of our heroin discovering a gooey grape like plant extract that upon bodily application gives a masking effect, that the short sighted creatures senses are thrown by, and it all adds up to a faux coming together of the two big budget Hollywood action movies.

Fun enough though for a throw away view. Undemanding entertainment with enough action and creature attacks, along with the welcome Lance Henriksen cameo, to keep it interesting till the inevitable showdown ending.

The Lost Tribe Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sW71K149xI

Movie Details IMDB

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0811124/

Way Out West With ...

Lucky Luke

(2009)

Daisy Town is blooming … with bandits and outlaws. The townspeople hide away and the only law in town is the unscrupulous, money loving gambler known as Pat Poker (Daniel Prévost). He holds all the aces, that is until Daisy Town’s favourite son returns to shuffle up the pack. Hold onto your hats, Lucky Luke is back in town !.

Industry and commerce are flourishing in the Wild West, and the best way to bring in more trade is to open up the United States Of America to customers far and wide. The president of the United States Of America himself heads the push to build more railways throughout the land. One problematic point on the map is Daisy Town. Its reputation for lawlessness is well known, and a stumbling block for progress. The president calls upon one of America’s favourite sons to bring law and order back to Daisy Town, Lucky John Luke (Jean Dujardin).

Lucky Luke is a laid back, easy going decent guy, out to do no harm but sure to stop those that mean harm. He’s the fastest gun in the west, but he has never killed anyone. There’s never been a need to as his gun hand is so swift, his aim so sure, that no man stands a chance against him in a fight. Since his parents were both shot down dead, before his very eyes as a young boy, Luke has sworn never to take a life. With the skill and confidence he possesses, along with a very healthy slice of luck, he has never needed to. The day that he meets Pat Poker though is the day that his luck changes !.

This French film is a near perfect modern interpretation on the Lucky Luke comic book, colourful, comedic and thoroughly entertaining. Light hearted entertainment to please the masses. It’s like a Wile E. Coyote cartoon with Acme like gadgetry aplenty, all magnificently built to order rather than reliant on CGI, and all the better for it. The end showdown in the Arizona desert with a stupendous multi faceted casino, structured upon a one armed bandit, is quite brilliant. A poignant representation of the birthright of Las Vegas for sure.
Jean Dujardin makes for an amicable enough Lucky Luke, and his cowboy strut and cocksure stature is in keeping with the character. His talking horse adds to the fun, along with quirky appearances from western legends Jesse James, Calamity Jane and Billy The Kid.

Purchase the disc on Blu-ray and this movie will be a showcase shiny for viewing purposes alone. The vibrant colour and pin sharp contrast is luscious to behold.

The fun of the cowboy piece is more Meatballs than spaghetti, but its effusive qualities are impossible to ignore.

Lucky Luke Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SPrxloqaeY&feature=related

Movie Details IMDB

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235536/

The New Kind Of Cops ...

Hawaii Five-O

(2010 TV Series)

Updated and upgraded Hawaii Five-O hits the TV screen with all the action force of a mighty new wave hitting the beach. What a refreshing contemporary take on a genuine classic show, and all in glorious high definition. Grab your surf boards and enjoy the ride ahead !.

Commander Steve McGarrett is hunting down terrorist Victor Hesse (James Marsters). In the mix is the factor that McGarrett has Hesse’s brother in custody, Hesse however has McGarrett’s father held hostage. There is no trade off as both men held are killed. The difference in the two is that McGarrett shoots the brother in self defence, whereas Hesse retaliates in cold blooded murder !.

Returning home to Oahu in Hawaii Steve McGarrett buries his father, and focuses on tracking down Hesse. With news of Hesse running a human trafficking operation in Hawaii, ex navy seal McGarrett is approached by the governor of the island to head up a new task force to fight crime. Offering him the freedom to select his own team, and run the force without any interference from upon high. To do the job his way !.

It’s pretty much an adrenaline rush from the get go with a very cool cast to enhance the electricity between the main characters. Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) first teaming up with Danny Williams (Scott Caan) is superb testosterone overload, with the high spirited individuals not holding back on cutting home truths, and exchanging both verbal and physical blows at each other. The future development of these two characters playing off each other, earning mutual respect and watching each others backs is buddy cop brilliance in the making.

Daniel Dae Kim, most recognisable from his long stint in the massive hit series Lost, plays Chin Ho Kelly. A man trusted by Steve McGarrett’s police detective father, and so a natural inclusion into his new squad. Rounding off the team in all the right places is the stunning Grace Park as the rookie cop Kono KalaKaua, with a fast track potential that qualifies her for McGarrett’s elite task force. This beauty with brains is a surfing babe with a lean and lithe figure, not to mention kick ass moves out of the water.

With the team in place Steve McGarrett sets about tackling the immediate issue of human trafficking, and a second opportunity to take down Victor Hesse. Its infectious rejuvenation of the tried and tested TV cop show formula is so refreshing, with snappy dialogue, quirky dry humour, and smart character interaction at its driving heart.

A highly entertaining opening show stopper, and a superb sign of things to come from this top quality produced show. Respectful of the original pioneering heritage its appeal to both old school fans, and modern day action loving audiences, on the back of this, should prove highly beneficial to the longevity of, ‘the new kind of cops’. What a rush and tingle down the back of the neck sensation when that classic theme music kicks in, and Steve McGarrett first utters the immortal phrase ‘book him Danno’. Brilliant. Expect great things from this new version of Hawaii Five-O. Be sure to... catch the wave.

Hawaii Five-O Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46Wk3OBKffU&feature=related