TWO FEMALE SPIES WITH FLOWERED PANTIES -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

 Originally posted on 9/2/2017

 

I continue to find the cinematic output of prolific Spanish filmmaker Jess Franco to be a mild diversion at best, as in VAMPYROS LESBOS and SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY.  (Or at worst, as in PAULA-PAULA.)

But whatever it is about Franco's work that has attracted so many avid followers over the years, they're likely to find it in his 1980 softcore-sex-and-spy potboiler TWO FEMALE SPIES WITH FLOWERED PANTIES, aka "Ópalo de fuego".

As usual, Franco shoots with a half-artistic, half-artless style that's slapdash one moment and somewhat striking the next--owing some of the latter, it seems, to good fortune.  The shaky zooms and pans characteristic of his work go hand-in-hand with some shots that have sort of a rough-hewn arthouse look.

Franco's lifelong love Lina Romay (THE HOT NIGHTS OF LINDA) stars as Cecile, an exotic dancer whose year-long prison sentence for "indecency" will be erased if she agrees to go to the Canary Islands and spy on some suspected sex-slavers for the French secret service. 

Cecile agrees and, along with her beautiful but airheaded dancing partner Brigitte, is soon occupying a posh hotel suite next to the mansion of main suspects Mr. and Mrs. Forbes.

They also end up dancing (if you can call it that) in the Forbes' swank nightclub where Cecile's contact, Milton, also works.  Milton's one of those "is he or isn't he?" characters who's gay one minute and straight the next, and some comedy is derived from Brigitte becoming infatuated with and practically raping him.

Franco, in fact, seems to enjoy juxtaposing such lighthearted scenes with those of rape (the Forbeses breaking in a new captive meant to be sold as sex slave to some perverted millionaire) and sadism (a captured Cecile being sexually tortured by evil Forbes henchwomen who enjoy inflicting pain).

While there's certainly nothing here on the level of one of the "Ilsa" flicks, some scenes are quite startling in their strong content compared to the almost innocuous spy antics of the rest of the film.

For the most part, however, TWO FEMALE SPIES WITH FLOWERED PANTIES is pretty unremarkable as either comedy or suspense thriller.  While passable entertainment for the patient viewer, many scenes tend to drag, even those meant to be erotic (as when Mr. and Mrs. Forbes hash out their weird marital sex problems).

The film's main appeal, as it were, is a likable performance by the voluptuous Romay, portraying a character whose lack of spy smarts is made up for by tons of spunk and a kind of fearless innocence. 

Some political intrigue and a couple of shocking murders (with more of that jarring torture which seems almost out of place) build to a fairly lively action climax involving members of a hippie/biker commune who have taken a liking to Cecile and decided to come to her rescue.

The 2-disc set from Severin Films (with reversible box cover) contains the movie proper on Blu-ray disc, in both English and French with English subtitles.  In addition to a trailer and some silent outtakes, the bonus menu contains interviews with Franco and film composer Daniel White, along with an informative and insightful look at the film by Stephen Thrower.

Disc two (DVD) is the alternate cut of the film entitled "Ópalo de fuego" which differs considerably, containing much that is missing from the longer cut while also lacking many of its key scenes, especially those of a sexual nature.  The reason for this odd alternate cut is a mystery even to Franco expert Thrower, making it an interesting novelty.

Generally speaking, this tepid spy adventure barely gets by on Lina Romay's charm and a wealth of nudity and twisted eroticism.  But as a Jess Franco film, TWO FEMALE SPIES WITH FLOWERED PANTIES will no doubt be of great interest to those who find the study of both him and the evolution of his filmography to be an object of endless fascination.

Buy it at Severin Films

TWO FEMALE SPIES WITH FLOWERED PANTIES -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

QUANTUM OF SOLACE -- Movie Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 6/4/16

 

First things first--much of the editing in QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008) is horrible.  I mean, it's shockingly bad.  Sometimes damn near incomprehensible, in fact.

If you're going to stage elaborate and expensive action setpieces, you don't chop the footage into confetti and blast it at the audience with a salad shooter.  Imagine the best scenes in CASINO ROYALE done in this style.  It would've been a jumbled mess, too, instead of a generally recognized success.

I'd love to see the raw footage of this film given over to someone who knows what to do with it. Imagine it in the hands of original Bond editor Peter Hunt, who helped create the series' style.

 

Fun stuff like Bond's womanizing and sexual innuendos have been toned down.  (At the time I feared this was because everyone was afraid of offending Barbara Broccoli.) He doesn't even score with the main "Bond girl" of the film, Camille, well played by Olga Kurylenko ("Magic City") as an emotionally-damaged survivor out for revenge.

Bond does have a quick fling with MI6 field agent Miss Fields (Gemma Arterton, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED).  We never learn her first name, but being that she's a redhead and this is a Bond film, it isn't hard to imagine. 

At any rate, subsequent viewings of QUANTUM OF SOLACE, during which I no longer have to spend all my time figuring out what's going on, have caused me to grow increasingly fond of it.

 

Not only is there a whole lot of action, but the continuation of the previous film's storyline relating to Vesper Lind and the mysterious "Quantum" organization is quite satisfying to me, as is its resolution, which is like something right out of a bonafide spy thriller. (Shades of DR. NO and FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE.)

Some sequences, such as the airplane setpiece, the various hotel scenes, and the explosive desert finale, are quite well done.  There's a nice scene between Bond and his CIA friend Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) in a seedy bar, and a reunion with Mathis (Giancarlo Giannini, HANNIBAL) from CASINO ROYALE which is sublime.

We get what may be the first "breaking the fourth wall" moment in an Eon Bond film [not counting the one in the pre-titles sequence for ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE] when 007 is pulled over by Bolivian cops and ordered to open his trunk.  Bond glances right at us for half a tick and mutters aloud, "Now why would he want me to do that?"

 

The evil megalomaniac Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) isn't the best Bond bad guy of all time, but this neurotic, narcissistic flake isn't the worst either. And his scheme to control all the precious water rights in an entire South American country is plausible enough, even if it isn't all that exciting.  (It's just a McGuffin anyway.)
    
Plus, we finally get to see what all the hostility between Bond and M (Judi Dench) has been leading up to.  With her faith in everyone else around her eroding, and the supposed good guys making Faustian deals with the bad guys left and right (this is the most politically pessimistic of all the Bond films), M realizes that Bond is the one person she can depend on because he's the only one who doggedly insists on actually trying to do the right thing.

"He's my agent," she tells her aide Tanner, "and I trust him."  And Bond proves that he's been worthy of this trust all along. It's a cathartic moment, one of the most important of the entire Daniel Craig era.

But best of all...we finally get to see the return of NUDE SILHOUETTE BABES in the title sequence!

Not all that crazy about the theme song, though.  Here's one I came up with, which I think is much more Bond-like:

GREENE FINGER (to the tune of "Goldfinger" by John Barry, Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley)

Greene Finger
He's the man, the man with Polanski's puss
An evil wuss

Thus, a mean finger
Buying up, the stuff that's worth more than gold
His water's cold

H2O he will pour up your nose
And no telling what else, I suppose
For an oily girl, knows when he's dipped her
It's the dip of death, from mister

Greene Finger
Beckons you to jump in his lake of sin
But don't dive in

Stay away from his desert abode
If you go there, you just might explode
When he catches you, trying to sneak out
He will grab an axe, and freak out

Greene Finger
Pretty girls, you're not what excites him so
It's H2O

He loves H2O, H2O
He loves H2O, H2O
H2 OOOOOOOOOOOOOH

QUANTUM OF SOLACE -- Movie Review by Porfle

JAMES BOND: Breaking the Fourth Wall (video)

Sure, he's always shooting at us through that gun barrel. 

But how many times has James Bond really broken the 4th wall and acknowledged our presence? And maybe even talked to us?

I count three, and here they are... 

 

I neither own nor claim any rights to this material. Just having some fun with it. Thanks for watching!

JAMES BOND: Breaking the Fourth Wall (video)

JAMES BOND AND THE TIPSY TOURIST (video)

On three separate occasions, James Bond's incredible escapades are witnessed by the same hapless tourist. 

Wherever in the wide world this poor guy goes on vacation...he can't get away from Bond.

And the wilder Bond's antics, the more this guy wonders what the heck's in his drink.

THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977) Sardinia
MOONRAKER (1979) Venice
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY (1981) The Alps

Hopefully, his next vacation will be blissfully Bond-free. But one thing's for sure...

This guy needs a new travel agent! 


Tipsy Tourist: Victor Tourjansky

I neither own nor claim any rights to this material. Just having some fun with it. Thanks for watching!

JAMES BOND AND THE TIPSY TOURIST (video)

Bond Girl Falls Flat in "THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN" (1974) (video)

Britt Eklund signed on to the ninth Bond picture as a featured actress, not a stuntwoman.

Yet during the traditional "exploding of the bad guy's base" finale...

...she takes a rather impressive (and unscripted) header.

And Bond comes tumbling after.

Flat on their coup de grâce!


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it. Thanks for watching!

Bond Girl Falls Flat in "THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN" (1974) (video)

Why "OCTOPUSSY" Is The WORST James Bond Movie (video)

There are more reasons why OCTOPUSSY is the worst James Bond movie ever, but these are the most egregious. 

Gags, gags, and more gags--all of them bad.

And culminating in our having to see James Bond 007 not only reduced to wearing a gorilla suit, but to being literally turned into a clown.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material. Just having some fun with it. Thanks for watching!

Why "OCTOPUSSY" Is The WORST James Bond Movie (video)

ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE -- Movie Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 8/25/20

 

Currently rewatching: ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (1969).

This was the first Bond movie I was allowed to go see at the theater as a kid. I remember it being rated "M" (recommended for mature audiences), the forerunner to "GP" and then "PG."

George Lazenby's performance has aged well over the years, and Diana Rigg is great, especially for us "Avengers" fans. As the troubled countess Tracy, she is perhaps the best Bond girl of all, and certainly one of the best actresses ever to fill that role.

And then there's Lazenby, who had the unenviable task of stepping into Sean Connery's shoes as Bond. He used to strike me as a bit of an "aw, shucks" doofus at times, but I've learned to enjoy his approach to the character, which can go from boyish and casual to hard-edged and tense.

Lazenby also has the ability to convey not only the usual bravado but also genuine fear, which raises the stakes during some of the more suspenseful scenes.

This is especially true during the frantic chase in which Bond is almost captured by Blofeld's henchmen before being rescued by Tracy (this leads to one of the best Bond action sequences ever as the resulting car chase spills over into a stock car rally).

Oddly, however, Lazenby's at his best while under the guise of foppish, kilted genealogist Sir Hilary Bray, hired to help Blofeld trace his family roots. It's during this lengthy sequence that the actor's likability and sense of humor really shine.

The fact that the screenplay sticks closely to Ian Fleming's book makes it a tense, relatively realistic spy thriller, although it does have its share of the usual Bond movie excess--enough, in fact, to make it one of the most thrill-packed of all the Bond films.

This includes a real avalanche with tons of snow thundering down toward Bond as he skis frantically away from it, a spectacular final battle at scenic Piz Gloria, the mountaintop lair of evil mastermind Blofeld (Telly Savalas), and a hair-raising toboggan chase.

Dramatically, the story is given considerable gravitas by its portrayal of what is doubtless the most important, and ultimately devastating, event in Bond's life, and the film handles it perfectly. The ending is still powerful after all these years.

ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE -- Movie Review by Porfle

A Trip Down Product Placement Row In "Moonraker" (1979) (video)

 

When you watch the 1979 Roger Moore/James Bond flick "Moonraker"...

Don't be surprised if you get thirsty for a particular soft drink.

Or have a craving for a certain cigarette.

Or find yourself motivated to spend money on various other products for some strange reason.

 

Video by Porfle Popnecker. I neither own nor claim any rights to this material. Just having some fun with it. Thanks for watching!

 

A Trip Down Product Placement Row In "Moonraker" (1979) (video)

SMILEY'S PEOPLE -- DVD Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 2/9/12

 

If someone were to walk in on you watching the last ten minutes of SMILEY'S PEOPLE (1982), they'd have no idea that it was the exciting conclusion to a six-part BBC spy thriller and that you were on the edge of your seat in suspense.  John le Carre's story is one of the most low-key and relatively static of spy thrillers that you'll ever come across, yet in its own modest way it is as powerfully engaging and full of intrigue as one of the early Bond films.

That exciting conclusion, which consists solely of some people waiting patiently for a man to walk across a bridge at night, comes at the end of a long and arduous investigation by former British intelligence agent George Smiley.  Alec Guinness, once again playing the role to perfection as he did in the previous series TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (1979), shows remarkable restraint throughout his portrayal of the withdrawn, meticulous, and emotionally distant protagonist.

This time, the murder of an elderly Russian double agent who once worked for the British (Curd Jergens as "The General") threatens to open up a can of worms that the British government wants to stay closed.  Their supercilious liason, Lacon (Anthony Bate), enlists the retired Smiley to wrap the matter up discreetly, but when it's revealed to be merely one element in a conspiracy involving Smiley's old nemesis Karla, the Russian intelligence mastermind whom he once dedicated his life to apprehending, then all bets are off. 

Smiley's rogue investigation takes him through a maze of mystery involving current and former agents and peripheral characters who each hold some clue that he must discern in his doggedly persistent manner.  One of them is a Russian woman (Eileen Atkins) who defected to France years ago but is being lured back by the promise of a reunion with the daughter she abandoned, the offer coming from a vile little man named Oleg Kirov (Dudley Sutton) with sinister ulterior motives.  Another is The General's lieutenant, Otto Liepzig (Vladek Sheybal, best known as SPECTRE agent Kronsteen in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE), who holds damning evidence against Kirov that could turn the tide in Smiley's favor.

Since it isn't dependent on action to maintain our interest, the aptly-named SMILEY'S PEOPLE gets its strength from Smiley's often riveting dialogues.  Beryl Reid is once again the crotchety old Connie Sachs, whose photographic memory Smiley mines for information during a melancholy afternoon in her retirement hovel, while Bernard Hepton returns in a marvelous performance as old inner-circle colleague Toby Esterhaus, a key ally itching to get back into the game.  Michael Gough and Ingrid Pitt make small but welcome appearances as The General's devoted staff. 

As current head of intelligence Saul Enderby, Barry Foster's delightfully impish performance turns a top-secret bull session between Smiley and his former associates into an amusing sequence filled with subtle wit.  Best of all, perhaps, is Michael Lonsdale (MOONRAKER) as the henpecked Grigoriev, an unwitting pawn in Karla's mysterious scheme.  His capture and subsequent interrogation by Smiley and Esterhaus provides some of the most scintillating dialogue in the entire series, with Lonsdale's twitchy performance a joy to watch.  There's a nice bit of symbolism when Grigoriev is slowly surrounded by Esterhaus' team just as the pieces in the chess game he's watching surround their oppenent's king.

The key attraction of the series, of course, is Guinness.  Where a faster-paced film might cut briskly from one dialogue scene to the next, this story is as much about Smiley himself as anything--how he gets from one place to another, what he does when he gets there, and what thoughts and feelings we can read on his face during moments of contemplation.  We're interested in how he deals with people in a seemingly impersonal manner even as they try to make a personal connection to him, and wonder how much emotion he's suppressing or if he's even feeling anything at all.  This is especially true when he meets with his estranged wife Ann (Sian Phillips, DUNE), who once had an affair with a fellow agent, and treats her in a calculated way that gives little hint of what lies beneath the surface.

While less complicated and dense as its predecessor, and lacking its sheer number of characters and plot points to juggle, SMILEY'S PEOPLE is nevertheless the kind of mentally involving story that demands careful attention lest the viewer be lost.  This, of course, is one of the things that makes it such a satisfying watch as we weave our way along the investigative trail with the main character.  John Hopkins' screen adaptation of the novel is delectable, and Simon Langton directs in an unobtrusive but keenly capable style.  The stately score by Patrick Gowers is a perfect compliment to the somber, "Cold War Europe" mood of the series. 

The three-disc set from Acorn Media is in 4:3 fullscreen with Dolby Digital sound and English subtitles.  Extras include an interview with John le Carre, a biography of the author, filmographies, and production notes.

The fascinating George Smiley, so aloof and efficient throughout SMILEY'S PEOPLE, allows his fascade to slip ever so slightly at the prospect of ensnaring the elusive Karla (once again strongly portrayed by Patrick Stewart without a single word of dialogue) after so many years.  The prospect is so overwhelming, it even seems painful for him to bear.  Unlike Ahab, however, Smiley is less apt to self-destruct when denied his prey as much as he'd simply fade slowly out of existence.  But this sharp old former spy is too cunning, and much too solid, to let that happen.

SMILEY'S PEOPLE -- DVD Review by Porfle

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (1979) -- DVD Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 10/31/11

 

I've always been a big fan of over-the-top depictions of the international spy as a glamorized action hero, as best typified by Ian Fleming's James Bond.  But author John le Carré's realistic world of workaday intelligence agents toiling at a thankless and often soul-deadening job filled with real danger and paranoia has its own dark fascination.  

 Capturing this like an absorbing Cold War novel come to life is the first-rate BBC mini-series adaptation, TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (1979), starring Alec "Obi-Wan Kenobi" Guinness as the indefatigable George Smiley. 

The aging Smiley is "retired" from the agency known as The Circus due to being one of the fall guys after a botched mission in Czechoslovakia ends in chaos and the near-fatal shooting of agent Jim Prideaux (Ian Bannen).  Smiley's former boss, known only as "Control", has been replaced by the ambitious Percy Alleline (Michael Aldridge) and his close-knit circle of associates--Haydon (Ian Richardson), Bland (Terence Rigby), and Esterhase (Bernard Hepton). 

When one of these men is suspected of being a mole supplying vital information to a sinister Russian contact named "Karla", Smiley is pressed back into service at the behest of a top government official in order to head a secret investigation.  But his efforts only seem to uncover deeper mysteries involving internal corruption, deception, and betrayal on a grand scale, with the evil spectre of Karla lurking behind it all.
 


Alec Guinness is pitch perfect as the enigmatic George Smiley, a keenly intelligent, emotionally distant man constantly haunted by reminders of his wife's infidelity.  Guinness' dry performance is an ideal match for this restrained, slow-burn production whose story slowly and methodically pieces itself together like a jigsaw puzzle. 

There's very little of the standard action-movie stuff save for Prideaux's ill-fated affair in Czechoslovakia early on, and even the suspense scenes--such as Smiley's young assistant Guillam (Michael Jayston) burgling files from their own agency--are staged in a realistic, matter-of-fact way without the usual cinematic frills.

The very literate script by Arthur Hopcraft is so subtle and low-key, in fact, that a lot of viewers may have trouble following it.  Crucial names and references necessary to understanding the increasingly complex plot are hard to keep up with for those without photographic memories.  So, when I finished the fourth episode out of six and realized that I pretty much had no idea what the hell was going on, I actually went back and started over. 

This time, fortunately, everything fell into place and became extremely absorbing, and I found the last couple of episodes riveting.  It may take some patience getting there, but the final revelations in episode six, which come after a highly suspenseful build-up, prove extremely satisfying. 



Among the supporting cast are Hywel Bennett as "scalphunter" Ricki Tarr, who sets events into motion after his chance encounter with a Russian woman seeking help in defecting in exchange for sensitive information.   Ian Richardson of FROM HELL plays Circus inner-circle member Bill Haydon, and Ian Bannen is outstanding as the unfortunate Prideaux, who takes up teaching at a boys' school until he's sufficiently recovered from his wounds to seek revenge. 

Joss Ackland (LETHAL WEAPON 2, HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER) appears briefly as an old friend of Smiley.  As "Karla", a young, dark-haired (but already bald as a cueball) Patrick Stewart displays considerable bad-ass presence during an interrogation scene in which he doesn't speak a single word.

The film has the usual early-BBC filmed look, which is perfect for the dark and rather dreary world in which these agents operate.  Direction by John Irvin is lean and efficient.  Geoffrey Burgon's cello-heavy original score helps push the suspense along very nicely.

The three-disc DVD set (approx. 324 min.) from Acorn Media is in 4:3 full-screen with Dolby Digital sound, with closed-captioning but no subtitles.  Extras include a 28-minute interview with John le Carré along with text-based production notes, cast filmographies, a glossary of main characters and terms, and a le Carré biography and booklist.

Whereas the 007 films serve as flamboyant, thrill-packed eye candy, TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY takes us on a gripping and mentally stimulating journey through the cigarette-smoke and stale-coffee netherworld of spydom.  Once I got my head around all the myriad characters and subplots I found it to be one of the most richly rewarding films of its kind that I've ever seen. 

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (1979) -- DVD Review by Porfle

THE SEARCH FOR WENG WENG -- DVD Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 12/9/16

 

If you're unfamiliar with Weng Weng, all it takes to remedy the problem is seeing the trailer for the James Bond spoof "For Y'ur Height Only" which kicks off writer-director Andrew Leavold's affectionate documentary THE SEARCH FOR WENG WENG (2007). 

For the next two minutes or so, we see the diminutive Filipino movie star (all 2'9" of him) going through all the familiar Bond motions, such as the gun-barrel sequence and a wobbly-wired imitation of his celebrated rocket pack flight from THUNDERBALL, in addition to all the shooting and fancy fighting (not to mention romancing) we're used to seeing from Sean Connery.

Needless to say, watching the vertically-challenged Weng Weng as Agent 00 doing all this action-oriented secret agent stuff in a spiffy white suit is the very definition of the term "novelty."

It's this quality that prompted the film industry in the Philippines to churn out a number of Weng Weng films in quick succession, one of which ended up in the hands of Australian cult video store owner Leavold in the form of an obscure VHS copy and sparked in him the keen desire to do a film biography of the tiny actor. 

But finding out about him proved an elusive prospect at best, so, Mini-DV camera in hand, Leavold took the bold step of traveling to the Philippines in order to track down anyone he could find who could help shed light on his elusive subject. 

As we see here, he pretty much hit the jackpot, running across not only former cast and crewmates of Weng Weng but the man's only living relative, brother Celing de la Cruz, all of whom are only too happy to share their fond reminiscences.

Sadly, all was not happiness and success for Weng Weng--as we discover, he was taken advantage of by some whom he trusted while never finding the fulfillment in life that a man of normal stature might have. 

Still, as we find in what is probably the most fascinating segment in the film, Weng Weng was a favorite of his country's political royalty, Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos.  Leavold scores a major coup by being invited to the palace by an enthusiastic Mrs. Marcos herself and treated as a special guest to whom she is quite talkative and candid.  (The film's weirdest moment for me: visiting Ferdinand's embalmed body, which is still lying in state for all to visit.)

Of immense importance to him as well, of course, are the interviews with Weng Weng's brother and those who worked with him.  Leavold is able to extract much interesting information with which to construct a picture of the man's life and give us an empathetic understanding of what it was like to be an irresistible novelty to some and a freak to others.

All of this is enhanced not only by nicely-shot interview footage but also with copious amounts of film clips featuring Weng Weng in all his glory.  The films themselves are incredibly cheap and sub-par technically, and I seriously doubt than their plots would be of much interest, so it's nice to simply get an entertaining montage of scenes from all of them which are made more interesting by the knowledge that Weng Weng performed all of his own stunts.  After all, where would they find a 2'9" stunt man to stand in for him?

The DVD from WildEye Releasing contains an informative commentary track from Leavold, a trailer, deleted scenes, an "I Love Weng Weng" music video, and extended interview segments.  There's also a trailer for Leavold's upcoming Doris Wishman parody "Gone Lesbo Gone." 

THE SEARCH FOR WENG WENG isn't just a filmed biography, but also a detective story in which the director, obsessed with his subject, tracks him down as Holmes might track Moriarty.  The result is a true story with equal shares of triumph and tragedy, and an opportunity to get to know this sweetly likable little man who made a big mark on the Filipino film industry while gaining fans all around the world.

THE SEARCH FOR WENG WENG -- DVD Review by Porfle

TOM & JERRY: SPY QUEST -- DVD Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 6/19/15

 

When the evil Dr. Zim's henchcats kidnap Dr. Benton Quest and his pilot/bodyguard "Race" Bannon, along with Quest's powerful energy-generating invention, the "Q Sphere", it's up to Quest's son Jonny, his Indian friend Hadji, their dog Bandit, and new friends Tom & Jerry to find their way to Dr. Zim's volcano hideout and save the day.

That's right, Tom & Jerry, the cartoon cat-and-mouse team who've been chasing each other around our movie and TV screens since King Kong was underage.  It seems  they've been getting paired up with a series of unlikely co-stars in TV movies these days, from Sherlock Holmes to the Wizard of Oz, and in the original feature-length cartoon TOM & JERRY: SPY QUEST (2015) they inadvertently fall in with one of the most action-prone animated clans to ever grace Saturday mornings. 

"Jonny Quest" started out in primetime back in 1964 with surprisingly violent and adult-tinged adventures that we kids went crazy over.  The show seems to have been influenced by James Bond's 1962 movie debut DR. NO--the Quests' main adversary is Asian baddie Dr. Zim, who is often found hanging out in an empty volcano and doing things like toppling rockets.  In the episode "The Fraudulent Volcano" (included on this disc), a sleeping Dr. Quest is even threatened by a deadly tarantula as is Bond in his first film. 

TOM & JERRY: SPY QUEST continues this Bond vibe but with additional elements from such films as RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, CASABLANCA, and even Rob Zombie's own full-length cartoon THE HAUNTED WORLD OF EL SUPERBEASTO. The latter two are particularly evident in sexy leading lady Jade's big song-and-dance number which she performs in her nightclub, Jade's Cafe' Americain.  (Jade, it turns out, is one of Race Bannon's old girlfriends, and their breakup wasn't on good terms.)  This elaborate sequence, with MGM star Droopy putting in a droll cameo appearance, is one of the film's highlights.

The RAIDERS influence is the most obvious--the action sequences are fast and furious, packed with plane crashes, chases, hand-to-paw combat, et cetera.  Everything zips along as though the filmmakers are deathly afraid we'll doze off if things slow down for five seconds.

Of course, the juxtaposition of all this with comedy stars Tom & Jerry is sometimes just as awkward as it sounds, but there are stretches in which either the Quest bunch do their thing or Tom and Jerry go about their business as though they were back in one of their regular cartoon shorts. 

Actually, the combo isn't really all that bad once you get used to it--it's kind of like one of those Colgate Comedy Hour sketches in which Martin and Lewis are their usual wacky selves while guest stars such as Humphrey Bogart or Burt Lancaster spoof their own serious personas. 

The pre-titles segment of the movie is a separate Tom & Jerry short unto itself, with the adversarial duo getting in each other's way while hanging out at the beach.  It isn't until Jonny and Hadji show up, followed by a trio of Zim's attack cats (Tin, Pan, and Alley--get it?) in power suits, that the odd clash of sensibilities begins.  The titles themselves harken back to the original Jonny Quest show's classic opening sequence and thrilling musical theme. 

Strangely, we get the same unequal relationship between housecat Tom and the talking, uniformed bad-guy cats that exists between Disney's canine characters Goofy and Pluto.  (One of Dr. Zim's feline henchcats is even based on Dustin Hoffman's "Rain Man.") 

Dr. Zim and his gang are played for laughs more here than ever before, although the final phase of his scheme turns into a thrilling suicide attack on Washington D.C. in which his entire volcano hideout takes off and is set to crash into the White House with all of our heroes aboard.  (Dr. Quest's solution to this, involving the Washington Monument, is a bit of a stunner.)

Once again, Tom gets the brunt of the most sadistic gags--and for no apparent reason, since he's mostly just minding his own business while Jerry's being his usual insufferable, hateful little self.  One running gag has the starving Tom being constantly denied food while Jerry, of course, gets to gorge himself.  (A scene in which Jerry snatches a juicy steak right out of Tom's mouth just before he bites down on it--and then SLAPS him with it--is especially galling.) 

This is partially made up for by having Dr. Zim mistake Tom for a fearless, super-efficient action hero thanks to the hapless cat accidentally defeating Zim's henchmen during their various attacks while wearing one of their power suits.  Still, this movie only serves to increase my utter hatred for Jerry the mouse while causing me to cringe every time Tom is unfairly made the brunt of the usual sadistic and humiliating gags. 

The character design and backgrounds are eye-pleasing, with Tom and Jerry looking much like they did back in the 40s and 50s and the Quest crew rendered better than in previous reboots of the original series.  The story zips along with nary a slow spot to catch our breath, culminating in an effectively suspenseful climactic sequence that's very nicely done. 

Voice talent includes original Jonny Quest voice actor Tim Matheson (ANIMAL HOUSE, A VERY BRADY SEQUEL) as the President, James Hong (BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA) as Dr. Zim, and Tia Carrere (WAYNE'S WORLD) as femme fatale Jade. 

The DVD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is in matted widescreen format, with Dolby 5.1 sound and subtitles available in several languages including English, Spanish, and French.   Extras include four recent "Tom & Jerry" cartoon shorts ("Birthday Bashed", Feline Fatale", "For the Love of Ruggles", and "Sleuth or Consequences"), an episode of "The New Jonny Quest" ("Deadly Junket"), and, best of all, an episode from the classic original series entitled "The Fraudulent Volcano" which beats "You Only Live Twice" and its secret volcano bad-guy lair by several years. 

TOM & JERRY: SPY QUEST isn't nearly the mutant mess I was expecting, although funny animal comedy and hard-bitten action and intrigue being shoehorned into the same frantic film does lead to a somewhat uneasy alliance.  Still, I got a kick out of the novelty of it all and enjoyed seeing these characters given such a lavish vehicle that's worthy of their stature. 

Buy it at WBShop.com
Street date: June 23, 2015

TOM & JERRY: SPY QUEST -- DVD Review by Porfle

CHESTY MORGAN'S BOSOM BUDDIES -- Blu-Ray Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 9/8/12

 

When adult filmmaker Doris Wishman got together with bazooka-boobed Polish stripper Chesty Morgan in the mid-70s, the result was two of the most head-scratchingly cockeyed and totally off-the-wall nudesploitation flicks ever made.  "Deadly Weapons" and "Double Agent 73" are now together on the same Blu-Ray disc along with an unofficial non-Chesty follow-up, "The Immoral Three", to form the Something Weird Video collection CHESTY MORGAN'S BOSOM BUDDIES.

It was a match made in junk-film heaven--Wishman, a filmmaker with an abundance of energy and enthusiasm but little actual skill, and Chesty, a stunning human visual effect who nevertheless displays absolutely no natural talent whatsoever in front of the camera.  In fact, her absolute lack of any discernible acting skill makes everyone and everything else around her seem better by default.  And yet, with those mind-bogglingly huge all-natural hooters and preternaturally unaffected (some might say "spaced-out") expression, she somehow demands our disbelieving attention every second she's on the screen.

"Deadly Weapons" (1974) features Chesty (here billed as "Zsa Zsa") as the faithful wife of a mob wiseguy named Larry who gets whacked after he steals an incriminating address book and tries to blackmail his boss with it.  The grief-stricken Chesty vows revenge.  Overhearing one of her hubby's killers referring to his addiction to "burlesque", Chesty knows what she must do--get a job as a stripper and wait for him to show up at the club. 

Naturally, she has no trouble doing so after the bug-eyed manager gets a load of her blouse-bursting knockers, which gives Wishman a chance to include scenes from Chesty's burlesque "act" as part of the plot.  When the killer shows up, she gets him alone long enough to wield the only weapons at her disposal, smothering him to death with her enormous cleavage in a scene that has to be gaped at to be believed. 

Later, porn star Harry Reems (DEEP THROAT) meets the same fate despite sporting what must be one of the most formidable moustaches in film history.  But screenwriter Judy J. Kushner (Doris' niece) saves the most shocking twist for the final minutes of the film, which should leave viewers shaking their heads in dismay.

With "Double Agent 73", Chesty portrays secret agent Jane Tennay, who, in service of a plot that doesn't really bear keeping track of, has a camera surgically implanted into her left boob.  That way, whenever she kills an enemy agent she can snap a photo via her Nipple Cam for use back at headquarters in identifying the big cheese, "Mr. T." (no, not THAT "Mr. T."). 

This gives the robotic Chesty an excuse to doff a variety of hideously unflattering outfits throughout the story, beat up bad guys with her wrecking-ball boobs, and snap their pictures.  But first, we meet her while inexplicably sunbathing in a black bra, hot pants, and pantyhose while watching that old nudie-flick standby, naked coed volleyball. 

Later, there's a weird slow-motion sequence with her beating up an attacker with her boobs while taking pictures of him, leading to a hilarous speeded-up car chase that's like a cross between "Bullitt" and "The Road Runner."  In another highlight, Chesty's pretty blonde houseguest is mistaken for her by an assassin, giving director Wishman a chance to duplicate the shower scene from "Psycho" but with a decidedly different approach than Hitchcock.  To her credit, Wishman does manage a couple of semi-cool action scenes in which Chesty is manipulated into looking like she's actually doing something, a feat even Hitch probably couldn't have pulled off.

Wishman's directorial style is primitive, but it's always watchable.  She even shows a little imagination here and there, particularly during scenes of people getting beaten up, and there are flashes of rudimentary style.  But the main fun here (aside from the inescapably nightmarish 70s decor and fashions) is in watching Wishman try to coax a performance out of Chesty Morgan the way nature photographers attempt to manipulate animals into "acting" for the camera.  

While listening to breathless dramatic dialogue being dubbed over Chesty's expressionless closeups, to hilarious effect (Doris and her husband dubbed ALL the voices themselves), it finally occurred to me that these films reminded me of the 1970 TV series "Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp", in which footage of chimpanzees dressed as human characters was coupled with voiceover dialogue to create modest little spy spoofs.  Even the look of the film, sets, and costumes is similar, and it wasn't hard to imagine Chesty fitting right in as Lancelot Link's female sidekick Mata Hairy ("Oh, Lancie!"), albeit with less acting ability than the original ape actress.

Since there were only two Doris Wishman epics produced with Chesty Morgan as the star, the third film in this collection, "The Immoral Three", aka "Hotter Than Hell" (1975), is more of a generic offering.  That is, the three women who star in it have more generic physical endowments, although star Cindy Boudreau as "Genny" is still pretty conventionally stacked.

This time, agent Jane Tennay (also Boudreau) is murdered by a mysterious assailant.  We discover that she had three daughters who were the result of "carelessness" during missions involving sexual relations with the enemy.  The half-sisters Genny, Sandy (Sandra Kay), and Nancy (Michele Marie), strangers to one another until now, must find out who killed their mother and avenge her in order to inherit her $3,000,000 estate.

What follows is some dull softcore sex stuff such as a bikini-clad Sandy fellating a banana to entice the pool man and a drunken Genny doing a seductive dance in bra and panties (the elevator scene is actually kind of funny), mixed with scenes of abrupt, bloody violence as the girls' search for their mother's killer draws some desperate characters out of the woodwork.  The final minutes are rather intense in their own haphazard way, with a surprise ending from right out of left field.

The triple-feature Blu-Ray from Something Weird Video is in 1080p high-definition widescreen 1.78:1 with mono sound.  Bonus features are a gallery of Doris Wishman exploitation art and a sizable collection of entertaining trailers from her many films.

In recognition of one of his major influences, John Waters has the teenage son in "Serial Mom" breathlessly watching Doris Wishman's Chesty Morgan flicks on home video in the privacy of his bedroom.  I, too, rented these movies back in the early 80s and found them, while not exactly "sexy", to be delightfully odd artifacts from a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration of cinematic forces.  With CHESTY MORGAN'S BOSOM BUDDIES, we can revel once again in the bizarre.

CHESTY MORGAN'S BOSOM BUDDIES -- Blu-Ray Review by Porfle

SSI: SEXY SQUAD INVESTIGATION -- DVD Review by Porfle

 

(NOTE: This review originally appeared online at Bumscorner.com in 2006.)

Remember how a lot of cheap porn movies tried to be comedies, and between the old in-out, in-out scenes there would be embarrasingly lame attempts at humor by people who had absolutely no comedic skills, or acting ability in general?  You don't?  Uh, me neither.  Heh...I never watched movies like that. 

But it's a sure bet that those movies would've been a heck of a lot funnier if Thomas J. Moose and Andy Sawyer had made them, because their SSI: SEXY SQUAD INVESTIGATION (2006) is a scream.

Of course, this isn't a porn flick--there's nothing here that you couldn't see in the latest issue of Playboy, or at least Penthouse.  But the emphasis is on T & A, and there's plenty of it.  There are some really hot women in this movie.  One quick shot of a gorgeous black actress named Lexi Martinez reclining naked on a couch almost made me choke on my bean burrito.  "HOOO-LY SH**!" I cried, hastily grabbing for--the remote control.  (What did you think I was going to say, Mr. Dirty Mind?)

There are several other moments in SSI that are similarly inspirational, though these scenes are pretty brief.   Since this movie is as much a comedy as it is a gawkfest, the sex stuff isn't allowed to drag on to the point of boredom like it does in porn films.  Or so I've heard. 

However, the keepcase contains a coupon you can send in, along with three dollars postage, to receive an "unrated" version in which, I would assume, these scenes are much longer and more...uhh..."useful."  If you're a PERVERT, that is!

The story, such as it is, takes place in New York, although most of it was shot in Manchester, England, with actors valiantly struggling to simulate American accents with wildly varying degrees of success.  The guy who plays President Shrub (Frank Bowdler) sounds about as Texan as Leslie Howard, and his cowboy hat looks more like a pimp hat.  But it doesn't matter, because he's funny. 

President Shrub's decree that all sex outside the bonds of holy matrimony is now illegal necessitates the formation of the titular Sex Squad, who tirelessly peep around corners and through windows trying to catch perps in the act of "gittin' it on."

SSI agent John Honeysuckle (John Paul Fedele) is haunted by memories of the day his partner and brother Mickey (director Thomas J. Moose) was accidentally shot in the head by a farmer as they were spying on some sex-criminals while disguised as a pantomime horse.  This is the first of several laugh-out-loud scenes in the movie. 

Another is when Agent Honeysuckle is gazing at his new partner, Officer Katrina Lightbody (the lovely, flourescent-eyed A.J. Khan) while she examines some evidence.  The camera slowly pushes in on her as she picks up a cheerleader's pom-pom in slow motion, and the close-up of Honeysuckle's lovestruck face informs us that he's having a feverish fantasy.  He's imagining her dressed as a cheerleader, right?  No, he's imagining himself dressed as a cheerleader. 

Later, when he has another flashback about his former life as a welder who dreams of being a dancer, Fedele's goofily energetic spoof of Jennifer Beals in FLASHDANCE is a howl.  And then there's Honeysuckle's Viet Nam flashback, where a grenade went off in his lap and blew his balls off, and they landed in "Oozedick" Kawalski's mess kit, and...

Anyway, Honeysuckle and Lightbody's investigation of a mysterious woman who is going around seducing people into illegally having sex with her leads them to uncover a sinister plot that is directed at the President himself, and his virginal daughter, Jessica (Natalie Heck). 

But that's about as much of the story as I need to yak about, since it's really just an excuse for one comedy bit after another.  Much of this is similar to stuff like Mr. Show or SCTV, with generous helpings of Benny Hill thrown in.  There are a few slow spots along the way, but heck, even BLAZING SADDLES has a few slow spots. 

The commentary track features Thomas J. Moose (I wonder if he's any relation to Bullwinkle?) and Andy Sawyer, but I could only get through about half of it because almost everything they start to say is cut off by cries of intense pain.  For some reason they decided to play an old Victorian parlor game that administers electric shocks while talking about the movie, so the commentary sounds pretty much like this:

"So, these shots were taken in Manchester, and John Fedele, who stars in the movie as 'Honeysuckle', shot all the New York material, and we found that--AAAAGGGGHHH!!!"

"In fact, there were a couple of streets in Manchester that we used a couple of times, you'll see one later...in fact, there it is GAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!  BASTARD!!!"

Along with a short blooper reel and some trailers, the DVD also contains a thirty-minute short called FBI GUYS, which is a black-and-white mock episode of a 50s-type cop show that won "Best Program" in the 1992 USA Hometown Video Awards, whatever that is, and it's also hilarious.

No, this isn't a Woody Allen film, and it's not likely to pass within range of Roger Ebert's eyeballs any time soon, but SSI: SEXY SQUAD INVESTIGATION is brimming with babes and it's cheap, stupid, and funny.  As Major Kong might say, "a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff."

SSI: SEXY SQUAD INVESTIGATION -- DVD Review by Porfle

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON -- DVD Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 2/2/16

 

This time several decades ago, you might have found me sitting crosslegged in front of the family TV watching one of my favorite shows, "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", which ran for four seasons back in 1964-1968. 

Back then I never could've imagined that someday I'd be able to own entire seasons of the show on magical discs that I could watch whenever I felt like it, as with the new 10-DVD set THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

These second-season episodes are much more fun and, surprisingly, a bit less tacky-looking than I remember from when they originally aired.  There's a breeziness to the action and character interplay that skirts the edges of self-parody while occasionally stepping right in it. (Which, as I recall, became a much bigger problem in season three.)

Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, as top U.N.C.L.E. agent Napoleon Solo and his Russian partner Illya Kuryakin, even seem to be having more fun here than in the previous season.  Everything's lighter and there's a sense of fun about the whole thing that makes even the most outlandish and/or least substantial plots not only bearable but rather amusing in their own way.

Speaking of plots, they're fairly paper-thin and not all that important anyway except as vehicles for the raucous action scenes and tongue-in-cheek character interplay complete with willfully clunky dialogue--which is one big reason I liked the show so much as a kid. 

U.N.C.L.E. (which stands for "United Network Command for Law Enforcement", a multi-national organization that polices the world) must remain forever vigilant against the evil forces of their main adversary, THRUSH (I can't remember what that stands for, but it's bad), a global gang of bad guys who use advanced technology, biological weaponry, etc. to terrorize the world.






In the episode "The Birds and the Bees Affair", they actually wipe out an entire European branch of U.N.C.L.E. using tiny poisonous bees introduced into their headquarters through the ventilation system.  (John McGiver guests as the sinister THRUSH boss "Mr. Mozart.") In "The Ultimate Computer", Charlie Ruggles and Roger C. Carmel have developed a 1960s version of a super-computer that will threaten to rule the world with its superior brain power. 

Other nefarious THRUSH schemes include a machine that reads people's thoughts ("The Foxes and Hounds Affair"), a highly corrosive new substance which resembles soap suds and dissolves human flesh ("The Arabian Affair"), and a boys' academy where Jeanne Cooper as "Mother Fear" trains the impressionable lads to be junior assassins ("The Children's Day Affair").  

One of the more noteworthy guest appearances is by Martin Landau as Zark, a cape-wearing Transylvanian villain with a Bela Lugosi accent, in "The Bat Cave Affair."  Not only does Landau get to chew the scenery as only he can while his character plans to attack the entire continent of Europe with bloodthirsty vampire bats, but he gives us a preview of his Oscar-winning performance as Lugosi in Tim Burton's 1994 film ED WOOD.

As in the first season, these episodes whisk us off to various exotic hot spots all over the world, each of which is represented by the same familiar backlot locations, fake city streets, and grainy stock footage with intertitles to let us know where we are.  These fake locales are invariably populated by caricatures with really bad accents, which becomes part of the show's charm after awhile.

Technically, "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." is no better or worse than the usual low-budget TV comedy-drama from the mid-60s. Direction, camerawork, and editing range from workmanlike to downright slapdash at times, with frenetic fight sequences that are hardly more realistic  or well-choreographed than those in Adam West's "Batman."  Missing here is the talent of director Richard Donner from season one.    

Most of the semblance of seriousness that ran through the first season has begun to fade away in favor of a decidedly tongue-in-cheek atmosphere.  This is reflected in Vaughn's performance, which is casual to say the least.  McCallum's Kuryakin maintains a bit more Russian reserve although he's often the butt of comedic misfortune.

I like the way the two avoid the usual sentimentality by keeping their interplay light and sometimes caustic.  Often a story will end with one of them cock-blocking the other as he tries to make time with their current leading lady.  Even the dignified Mr. Waverly gets in on the act in some cases.  But Leo G. Carroll (NORTH BY NORTHWEST) is such a distinguished actor that he manages to lend needed class and believability even when things border on the farcical.

A large part of the show's charm is the fact that our heroes tend to recruit a different civilian woman in each episode to help them in some way against THRUSH.  (This happened often in season one but has become a standard feature in season two.)  Some of the more likable actresses to fill this role include "Laugh-In" star Judy Carne, Joyce Jameson, Julie Sommers, Dorothy Provine, Juliet Mills, Jocelyn Lane, France Nuyen, Sharon Farrell, Joan Freeman, and, notably, McCallum's wife at the time, Jill Ireland in her second guest appearance.

In addition, the show is a cornucopia of notable guest stars for viewers who enjoy spotting familiar faces.  Among those in season two are Rip Torn, James Hong, Madge Blake, Vincent Price, Patricia Medina, Ray Danton, Joy Harmon, Harvey Lembeck, Eric Braeden, George Macready, Theo Marcuse, Vic Tayback, "Three Stooges" regular Gene Roth, Michael Ansara, Phyllis Newman, Mala Powers, Lawrence Montaigne, George Sanders, Claude Akins, Jessie Royce Landis, Sig Ruman, Warren Stevens, Victor Buono, Maurice Evans, Gil Perkins, Angela Lansbury, John Hoyt, Jay North, Arnold Moss, Diane McBain, Lee Bergere, Florence Marly, Vera Miles, James "Scotty" Doohan, Michael Pate, Norman Fell, Kevin McCarthy, Nancy Kovack, Ricardo Montalban, Jack Weston, Bruce Gordon, Whit Bissell, Eve Arden, Paul Winfield, and Victoria Vetri (aka Angela Dorian).

Bad sci-fi fans should be especially pleased to spot King Moody of TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE in the episode "The Minus-X Affair."  Of special interest as well is "The Moonglow Affair", which serves as a pilot for the later spin-off series "The Girl From U.N.C.L.E." with Mary Ann Mobley and Norman Fell in the roles of agents April Dancer and Mark Slate (played in the series by Stephanie Powers and Noel Harrison).

The 10-disc DVD set from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment is in full screen with Dolby English mono sound.  Subtitles are in English.  Aside from a paper episode guide insert, there are no extras.

One of the nicer surprises I got from watching THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON is that not only is season two better than I remembered from its original airing, but a lot more fun as well.  If you're into 60s television that doesn't take itself too seriously, the adventures of Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin are a real hoot.

Read our review of Season One

Stills are not taken from DVD

Episode Titles:

The Alexander the Greater Affair, Part I
The Alexander the Greater Affair, Part II
The Ultimate Computer Affair
The Foxes and Hounds Affair
The Discotheque Affair
The Re-Collector's Affair
The Arabian Affair
The Tigers are Coming Affair
The Deadly Toys Affair
The Cherry Blossom Affair
The Virtue Affair
The Children's Day Affair
The Adriatic Express Affair
The Yukon Affair
The Very Important Zombie Affair
The Dippy Blonde Affair
The Deadly Goddess Affair
The Birds and the Bees Affair
The Waverly Ring Affair
The Bridge of Lions Affair , Part I
The Bridge of Lions Affair , Part II
The Foreign Legion Affair
The Moonglow Affair
The Nowhere Affair
The King of Diamonds Affair
The Project Deephole Affair
The Round Table Affair
The Bat Cave Affair
The Minus-X Affair
The Indian Affairs Affair

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON -- DVD Review by Porfle

Spy Thriller "ECCO" Opens Nationwide August 9th on 350 Screens -- See Trailer HERE

Spy Thriller ECCO Opens August 9th
on 350 Screens Nationwide

Writer-director Ben Medina's feature debut delivers spectacular action, character-driven drama, and an ending that will have audiences talking long after the credits roll.

Michael (Lathrop Walker) is a ghost. Living in the shadows with his new family, years away from his past life as a covert assassin, his peace and anonymity are shattered when his former employers return to bury their last surviving operative.

With his truth exposed, Michael must protect his family and pursue his only chance at redemption by hunting down those behind the organization where all his sins were born.   

 Written and directed by award-winning commercial director Ben Medina and starring Lathrop Walker (Leverage), Tabitha Bastien (The Wonderland Murders), Helena Grace Donald (Hellraiser: Judgment), and Michael Winters (Gilmore Girls, NYPD Blue), ECCO was filmed throughout the gorgeous Pacific Northwest and features an atmospheric score by Chris Morphitis. 

ECCO is a singular thriller in the tradition of Drive, Hanna, and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, helmed by a visionary director about to break big. A thinking person's action film filled with cinematic signatures and unexpected plot turns, Medina is a director to watch and his feature debut will not be forgotten.

-----

Nationwide theatrical release: August 9, 2019

Running time: 123 minutes | Feature | MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by Citadel Film Group

Official website: https://www.ecco-movie.com/


 WATCH THE TRAILER

Copyright © 2019 Smarthouse Creative, All rights reserved.

Spy Thriller "ECCO" Opens Nationwide August 9th on 350 Screens -- See Trailer HERE

Sean Connery's Kid Brother In A James Bond Rip-Off? ("Operation Kid Brother", 1967) (video)

Sean Connery's James Bond movies were so popular in the 60s...

...that in 1967, Sean's younger brother Neil was courted to star in a Bond clone.
It was called "Operation Kid Brother", aka "O.K. Connery."

Neil bore a resemblance to Sean, but with little of his screen presence.
And although he sounded much like his brother, Neil's voice was dubbed by another actor...
...because he'd suffered a throat injury prior to the ADR sessions.

The producers cast as many familiar faces as possible from the actual Bond films.

The music was composed by Ennio Morricone and Bruno Nicolai.
The movie itself was your typical Italian "spy-ghetti" romp.

Sean Connery was so upset by it that he didn't speak to any of the participants for some time.
But most earned more for this film than for their Bond movie roles.

And it still has its fans.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Sean Connery's Kid Brother In A James Bond Rip-Off? ("Operation Kid Brother", 1967) (video)

James Bond Car Stunt Blooper: "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971) (video)

Sean Connery's final official Bond film... 

...contains a cool car chase in downtown Las Vegas...
...as Bond and Tiffany Case (Jill St. John) elude the local police.

In some shots you can see the crowds gathered on the sidewalks to watch the filming.

The scene's highlight is when Bond navigates a narrow alley on two wheels.
But it contains a blooper.

The stunt begins with Bond's side of the car in the air.
The car seems to level out.
But now, inexplicably, Tiffany's side is in the air.

But it's still a cool stunt...and a fun scene.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

James Bond Car Stunt Blooper: "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971) (video)