The mighty warrior Ursus (Samson Burke) has retired to his farm, where he lives a peaceful life with his young brother. But things change when Princess Sira (Wandisa Guida), whom Ursus loves, is kidnapped, and when the evil King Zagro (Livio Lorenzon) plans to marry her. A less-than-charismatic lead undermines this fairly standard sword-and-sandal flick. …
Read the full post →“<em>The Vengeance of Ursus</em> (1961)”
A year has passed since the events of Zatôichi monogatari, and the blind masseur/swordsman (Shintarô Katsu) is on a journey back to the locale to pay his respects at the grave of a friend. First, however, he learns of a yakuza leader’s secret and is pursued by the man’s minions to silence him, though he …
Read the full post →“<em>Zoku Zatôichi monogatari</em> (1962)”
In this grim movie, also known as Super Gun Lady Police Branch 82, two policewomen investigate after a company official is murdered in a crime that is dressed up as suicide. Excessive violence and the degradation of one protagonist and of others make for unpleasant viewing, and a bank robbery-hostage “diversion” drags on for far …
Read the full post →“<em>Sûpâ gun redei Wani Bunsho</em> (1979)”
Richard Johnson returns as Bulldog Drummond, super-spy, continuing the character portrayal begun in Deadlier Than the Male, though this time around there’s no nephew. Drummond is charged with investigating a series of accidents befalling those working on the SST, and he eventually must confront an evil mastermind who has created an army of female robots …
Weng Weng returns as Agent 00 in the follow-up to For Y’ur Height Only. This time around, the 2’9″ secret agent is working for Interpol, and his mission involves foiling Mr. X, a master criminal who is menacing the country and whose identity is unknown. More fun fights and amusing shenanigans make this an OK …
The 2’9″-tall Weng Weng stars as Agent 00, a Filipino secret agent tasked with foiling a villain’s plans to use a scientist’s lethal invention to blackmail the world. Amusing sequences and lines, clever gadgets, and a rather wild plot help explain why the movie was a surprise success. Fans of the spy genre are likely …
Pedestrian pacing and a poor script, together with a less-than-likeable main character, sink this 1970 action movie, based on the novel by Mickey Spillane and starring Christopher George as Morgan, the freelancer forced into helping out the government in a plan to rescue an imprisoned scientist. Yvette Mimieux is the agent assigned to work with …
A mad scientist (Gina Romand) descended from Baron Frankenstein, one who has discovered how to make a youth serum and has used it to extend her own life, needs the blood of Santo to devise a stronger serum as the older formula loses its effectiveness. She has her henchmen, whom she also treats with the …
Read the full post →“<em>Santo vs. la hija de Frankestein</em> (1972)”
Elke Sommer and Sylva Koscina as clever and ruthless killers are perhaps the chief reasons to watch this movie recasting Bulldog Drummond (played by Richard Johnson) in the mold of the cinematic James Bond, though Johnson is fine as the suave and skilled, if a bit too off-putting, agent, and Nigel Green makes for an …
Read the full post →“<em>Deadlier Than the Male</em> (1967)”
There’s over-the-top action as superhero Argoman, who is in reality Sir Reginald Hoover (Roger Brown), battles and romances the archvillain Jenabell, aka Regina Sullivan (Dominique Boschero), after she has stolen the crown of King Edward. Sir Reginald has a far-out seaside home, and Regina drops in via her personal hovercraft, and then the sparks fly. …
Read the full post →“<em>Argoman the Fantastic Superman</em> (1967)”
