TNT JACKSON (1974, ROKU CHANNEL) PRIVATE DUTY NURSES (1971, PLUTO) WAVELENGTH (1983, YOUTUBE)
"TNT Jackson" came at just the right time to help me get over the Junesploitation! fatigue hump. Courtesy of a script originally written by Dick Miller (!) and director Cirio H. Santiago's typical Philippines-as-Hong Kong production acumen, this blaxploitation/martial arts hybrid delivers the entertainment and sexy goods. A low-level drug dealer is killed in the HK underground, and her karate-expert sister comes from America seeking to upset the drug dealing trade. No disrespect meant to leading lady Jeannie Bell when I say her Diana 'T.N.T.' Jackson is a great poser (still images of her in this role are iconic) who looks/talks/acts tough. It's when the camera undercranks and a wig-wearing stuntman takes over Bell's fighting duties against waves of baddies that things turn ridiculous and hugely entertaining. Diana's friends/allies (Chiquito's Joe and Pat Anderson's Elaine) hold their own during (topless) fights, Stan Shaw's Charlie makes a great henchman and the nudity (from Filipino locals and both leading ladies) plentiful. The finale set during a parade with tons of extras slaps, and at 72 minutes it's a fat-free fun ride. 4 AIRPLANE LANDING GEARS MAKING TOUCHDOWN NOISE BEFORE TIRES TOUCH THE GROUND (out of five).
Tamer than advertised (though there's plenty of nude/s%x scenes to qualify as softcore), "Private Duty Nurses" is the middle of a trilogy of unrelated-to-one-another features ("Student Nurses" in '70 and "Night Call Nurses" in '72) with different casts/stories. Like medical TV shows there are 'A,' 'B' and 'C' stories intercutting the three attractive nurses as they go about their lives on and off the hospital. Nurse Lynn (Pegi Boucher) falls in love with a Vietnam vet bike rider (Dennis Redfield's Domino) whose war injuries could end his life. Blink and you'll miss Paul Gleason ("Breakfast Club," "Die Hard") in an early role. Black nurse Lola (Joyce Williams) tries to help a militant black doctor (Herbert Jefferson Jr.) get a staff position from an indifferent administrator (Robert F. Simon, Jonah Jameson on the '70's "Spider-Man" TV show). And nurse Spring (Katherine Cannon) tries to uncover the source of potential beach contamination with the help of a smitten doctor (Joseph Kaufmann) while fending off the harassment of a one-night stand lover (Paul Hampton in a quirky, meant-to-be-annoying role) who won't take no for an answer. More of a sexy hangout melodrama than anything, this is classic Corman formula filmmaking at its passable best. 3 DEAD TURKISH DRUG DEALERS (out of five).
Last and certainly least, "Wavelength" (available on YouTube since March of '13) feels like a poor man's "E.T./Close Encounters..." sci-fi rip-off whose finale looks an awful lot like the end of John Carpenter's "Starman." Despite having a twenty-something lead couple (Robert Carradine and Cherie Currie) helping a trio of space children escape from a military facility (with the help of a bearded Keenan Wynn and some Native American extras) the narrative constantly switches back to the clueless military to see what they're up to. Tangerine Dream delivers a neat electronic score that gives "Wavelength" something every other aspect of this production lacks: personality. Easily the most boring and forgettable movie I've seen all month.1.5 GUARDIAN DOGS NAMED FRANK (out of five).
I watched the Director's Cut. The first half was quite breathtaking, especially the explosive scenes with Stowe and Costner—starting with the rain scene strongly drawing you into what's developing between them. The second half was slower but was aided with the appearance of a very good Miguel Ferrer.
I want to see the theatrical version to see if it has more to say about the "love triangle", or if the second half feels more significant. But this was pretty good already, and Tony Scott didn't disappoint.
Only one week left of Junesploitation 2025! I feel the fatigue but am pressing on till the calendar changes over to July. The list of candidates for viewings is being whittled down every day now. This month has been a highlight of the year for me since 2018, and I am always a little sad to see it conclude. Oh well, on with the watching.
THEY'RE PLAYING WITH FIRE (1984, dir. Howard Avedis)
Having watched so many 1970s productions so far this month, I wanted go with a 1980s film. When I saw They're Playing With Fire show up in the Wikipedia listings for New World, I remembered the DVD that has been sitting around here for many years.
The experience of watching the film was… interesting. Sybil Danning is great in the film, and Andrew Prine was never dull in anything I have seen him in. The actor in the lead role of Jay, however, I did not like at all. There is no chemistry with Danning, and his character comes across as unlikeable throughout the film. The switching up of genres as the film progresses can be jolting. There is a general trashiness to everything after a while. In the end, I had more fun with the film than unpleasantness, making it a watch I do not regret. I would likely choose this over Howling II most days.
Looking back at what people wrote about They’re Playing With Fire on Sybil Danning day in 2017 (I was observing Junesploitation with some participation that year), I can see that my reaction was not uncommon.
My Pam Grier fix this year is this cool little swords-and-sandals jam that belatedly delivers on the promise of Black Mama, White Mama, big time. Margaret Markov should've had a bigger career - she's so good in this, she almost outshines Pam Grier (almost, because that's prime Pam Grier we're talking about.)
'NEW WORLD PICTURES' VALUE MENU' TRIO
ReplyDeleteTNT JACKSON (1974, ROKU CHANNEL)
PRIVATE DUTY NURSES (1971, PLUTO)
WAVELENGTH (1983, YOUTUBE)
"TNT Jackson" came at just the right time to help me get over the Junesploitation! fatigue hump. Courtesy of a script originally written by Dick Miller (!) and director Cirio H. Santiago's typical Philippines-as-Hong Kong production acumen, this blaxploitation/martial arts hybrid delivers the entertainment and sexy goods. A low-level drug dealer is killed in the HK underground, and her karate-expert sister comes from America seeking to upset the drug dealing trade. No disrespect meant to leading lady Jeannie Bell when I say her Diana 'T.N.T.' Jackson is a great poser (still images of her in this role are iconic) who looks/talks/acts tough. It's when the camera undercranks and a wig-wearing stuntman takes over Bell's fighting duties against waves of baddies that things turn ridiculous and hugely entertaining. Diana's friends/allies (Chiquito's Joe and Pat Anderson's Elaine) hold their own during (topless) fights, Stan Shaw's Charlie makes a great henchman and the nudity (from Filipino locals and both leading ladies) plentiful. The finale set during a parade with tons of extras slaps, and at 72 minutes it's a fat-free fun ride. 4 AIRPLANE LANDING GEARS MAKING TOUCHDOWN NOISE BEFORE TIRES TOUCH THE GROUND (out of five).
Tamer than advertised (though there's plenty of nude/s%x scenes to qualify as softcore), "Private Duty Nurses" is the middle of a trilogy of unrelated-to-one-another features ("Student Nurses" in '70 and "Night Call Nurses" in '72) with different casts/stories. Like medical TV shows there are 'A,' 'B' and 'C' stories intercutting the three attractive nurses as they go about their lives on and off the hospital. Nurse Lynn (Pegi Boucher) falls in love with a Vietnam vet bike rider (Dennis Redfield's Domino) whose war injuries could end his life. Blink and you'll miss Paul Gleason ("Breakfast Club," "Die Hard") in an early role. Black nurse Lola (Joyce Williams) tries to help a militant black doctor (Herbert Jefferson Jr.) get a staff position from an indifferent administrator (Robert F. Simon, Jonah Jameson on the '70's "Spider-Man" TV show). And nurse Spring (Katherine Cannon) tries to uncover the source of potential beach contamination with the help of a smitten doctor (Joseph Kaufmann) while fending off the harassment of a one-night stand lover (Paul Hampton in a quirky, meant-to-be-annoying role) who won't take no for an answer. More of a sexy hangout melodrama than anything, this is classic Corman formula filmmaking at its passable best. 3 DEAD TURKISH DRUG DEALERS (out of five).
Last and certainly least, "Wavelength" (available on YouTube since March of '13) feels like a poor man's "E.T./Close Encounters..." sci-fi rip-off whose finale looks an awful lot like the end of John Carpenter's "Starman." Despite having a twenty-something lead couple (Robert Carradine and Cherie Currie) helping a trio of space children escape from a military facility (with the help of a bearded Keenan Wynn and some Native American extras) the narrative constantly switches back to the clueless military to see what they're up to. Tangerine Dream delivers a neat electronic score that gives "Wavelength" something every other aspect of this production lacks: personality. Easily the most boring and forgettable movie I've seen all month.1.5 GUARDIAN DOGS NAMED FRANK (out of five).
Revenge 1990
ReplyDeleteDirected by Tony Scott
I watched the Director's Cut. The first half was quite breathtaking, especially the explosive scenes with Stowe and Costner—starting with the rain scene strongly drawing you into what's developing between them. The second half was slower but was aided with the appearance of a very good Miguel Ferrer.
I want to see the theatrical version to see if it has more to say about the "love triangle", or if the second half feels more significant. But this was pretty good already, and Tony Scott didn't disappoint.
Only one week left of Junesploitation 2025! I feel the fatigue but am pressing on till the calendar changes over to July. The list of candidates for viewings is being whittled down every day now. This month has been a highlight of the year for me since 2018, and I am always a little sad to see it conclude. Oh well, on with the watching.
ReplyDeleteTHEY'RE PLAYING WITH FIRE (1984, dir. Howard Avedis)
ReplyDeleteHaving watched so many 1970s productions so far this month, I wanted go with a 1980s film. When I saw They're Playing With Fire show up in the Wikipedia listings for New World, I remembered the DVD that has been sitting around here for many years.
The experience of watching the film was… interesting. Sybil Danning is great in the film, and Andrew Prine was never dull in anything I have seen him in. The actor in the lead role of Jay, however, I did not like at all. There is no chemistry with Danning, and his character comes across as unlikeable throughout the film. The switching up of genres as the film progresses can be jolting. There is a general trashiness to everything after a while. In the end, I had more fun with the film than unpleasantness, making it a watch I do not regret. I would likely choose this over Howling II most days.
Looking back at what people wrote about They’re Playing With Fire on Sybil Danning day in 2017 (I was observing Junesploitation with some participation that year), I can see that my reaction was not uncommon.
The Arena (1974)
ReplyDeleteMy Pam Grier fix this year is this cool little swords-and-sandals jam that belatedly delivers on the promise of Black Mama, White Mama, big time. Margaret Markov should've had a bigger career - she's so good in this, she almost outshines Pam Grier (almost, because that's prime Pam Grier we're talking about.)