David McCallum falls short as a special agent sent to Mexico undercover as a would-be drug dealer in an effort to trap a Mafia boss (Rip Torn). The complicated plot involves partnering with a drug lord (Telly Savalas) who has lost access to the U.S. and thus luring the Mafia to try to shut down …
Casus Kiran (1968)
More superhero action in Turkey, as “Spy Smasher” (the English title, an older comic book hero who also was the subject of a 1942 Republic serial), together with his girlfriend (top-billed Sevda Ferdag), battles an archcriminal, The Mask, and his minions. There are the usual violence and odd situations, but it’s not really worth a …
Demir pençe (korsan adam) (1969)
The superhero Iron Claw (hence the movie’s English title, Iron Claw the Pirate) and his assistant battle the evil criminal Fantomas, who has set his sights on Turkey. Wild and violent, with some amusing touches in the fast-paced but rather jumbled story. Mildly recommended as a curiosity. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but …
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Daughter of the Tong (1939)
FBI agent Ralph Dickson (Grant Withers) goes undercover as a crook to infiltrate a gang involved in smuggling in illegal aliens, a gang led by the mysterious Carney (Evelyn Brent) and based in Chinatown. Modest amounts of action and a few engaging performers, including both Withers and Brent, but also Dorothy Short and Dave O’Brien, …
Cry Danger (RKO, 1951)
Rocky Mulloy (Dick Powell) is back in town after five years in prison, freed because an old pal (Richard Erdman) has at last come forward to back up his alibi, though the viewer quickly learns that Rocky has never met this “old pal” before, and the guy is hoping to cash in on some hidden …
Onna hissatsu ken: Kiki ippatsu (1974)
Etsuko Shihomi is back as Koryu in thesecond Sister Street Fighter movie, also known as Sister Street Fighter: Hanging by a Thread. This time around, she again travels to Japan looking for a woman who has gotten involved in smuggling diamonds in a very uncomfortable fashion, and Koryu learns to her dismay of a family …
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Robo Vampire (1988)
Incoherent mix of futuristic policing (à la RoboCop), horror, and crime, edited together from two other movies, fails to gel and in the end doesn’t really manage to entertain. Not recommended. Otto thinks you should avoid this movie. Movie 506 for 2021.
The Diplomatic Corpse (1958)
Moderately entertaining but unmemorable British thriller gets its start when a body is found floating on the Thames. A reporter is tasked with getting the story behind the killing and Scotland Yard is on the case as well, with the trail soon leading to a foreign embassy, whose inmates may be beyond the reach of …
Son of Superbug (1979)
The Dudu series draws to a close with this movie, originally titled Zwei tolle Käfer räumen auf, and a disappointing close it is, with the fun little Beetle destroyed at the beginning of the movie and the rest of the film devoted to El Guancho (Rudolph Zehetgruber) contending against assorted bad guys for a hidden …
Counter-Espionage (Columbia, 1942)
The Lone Wolf (Warren William) is in London, where he steals important plans from an official’s home safe, putting Scotland Yard, and the visiting New York police, on his tail. Unbeknownst to them, he is working with the official to try to trap a ring of German spies, but his efforts are endangered after the …
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