El Professore Movie Reviews: Battling Butler

1926
Director: Buster Keaton
Starring: Buster Keaton, Sallo O'Neil, Walter James
* * * 1/2

I am a huge Buster Keaton fan. The Great Stone Face is by far my favorite of all the silent comics. I always found that I could relate to him better than say, Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp whom I found to be too annoyingly cute as well as too schmaltzy and sentimental. Keaten despite his ultimately lovable, downtrodden characters, had more of an edge and that in part seems to have helped age his films a bit better. This film, Battling Butler is one of his edgiest.

Full review after the break.

El Professore Movie Reviews: The Yakuza

1975
Director: Sydney Pollack
Starring: Robert Mitchum, Ken Takakura, Brian Keith, Herb Edelman, Richard Jordan
* * * *

So there was director Sydney Pollack, fresh off the huge financial success of the Barbara Streisand/Robert Redford romancer, 'The Way We Were'. So successful was that film that Pollack could now hand pick his next picture with the studio's blessing. Pollack took advantage of this and lensed his dream project; a film that he knew would not be a success and would only find a very specific audience. If he were to make such a picture, now would be the time. Basing his story from a script penned by a then unknown Paul Schrader, Pollack along with the great Robert Mitchum flew to Japan to film, 'The Yakuza', one of the finest of all Neo Noir thrillers.

Full review after the break.

El Professore Movie Reviews: Righting Wrongs (aka Above the Law)

1986
Director: Coey Yuen
Starring: Yuen Biao, Cynthia Rothrock, Melvin Wong
* * * 1/2

Before lensing the international hit 'The Transporter', director and master fight choreographer Corey Yuen Kwai was responsible for two of the top action films of the '80s, both co-starring Pennsylvania-born action actress, Cynthia Rothrock. The first was the groundbreaking 'Girls With Guns' smackdown, 'Yes Madam (which marked the lead debut of one Michelle Yeoh - then known as Michelle Khan). The second was the blackhearted, 'Righting Wrongs'.

Full review after the break.

El Professore Movie Reviews: Ninja Thunderbolt

1984
Director: Godfrey Ho, Ming Chin
Starring: Richard Harrison, Don Wong Tao, Yasuaki Kurata
* * * 1/2

Godfrey Ho (birth name Chi Kueng Ho); one of the most reviled names in Hong Kong cinema yet paradoxically one with a feverish cult following that few can match. His directorial credits are so numerous that it is difficult to come up with a full and accurate list. The reason for much of this confusion and notoriety is Ho's patented "cut and paste" technique. Ho will often shoot thirty-odd minutes of cheapo, yet outrageously hilarious footage (usually involving Ninja) and edit it (seemingly randomly) into an another, older (and usually unidentified) film, often leading to schizophrenic results. Most will either love his work or hate it for this very reason. There is no middle ground here. For me, I find that at their best, these can be wonderfully weird anomalies. Since I almost always seem to really enjoy Ho's goofy inserts, my recommendation (or not) of these films would rest on the hour or so of older footage used. If that footage (the bulk of each film) is entertaining, then we have a winner. Which brings us to the topic at hand, 'Ninja Thunderbolt'.

Full review after the break.

El Professore Movie Reviews: The Golden Voyage of Sinbad

1974
Director: Gordon Hessler
Starring: John Phillip Law, Caroline Munroe, Tom Baker
* * * *

With the sad passing of Ray Harryhausen, it felt right to travel back in time to the film that started my lifelong affection for all things stop motion animated.

Full review after the jump.

El Professore Movie Reviews: The Raid (aka The Raid Redemption)

2011
Director: Gareth Evans
Starring: Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, Donny Alamsyah, Yayan Ruhian
* * *

I hate trends and avoid being trendy if at all possible. That's why when I won the dvd of this highly touted Indonesian action film on ebay last summer, I stashed it away. There were plenty of other, rarer films I hadn't yet seen (that's ALWAYS the case, though) and I wasn't too interested in watching a film that has been the rage of the blogosphere, no matter how highly praised it was. But now that the hype has finally died down, I decided to dig it up and see what the big shit deal fuss was about.

Full review after the break.

El Professore Movie Reviews: Cherry, Harry & Raquel

1970
Director: Russ Meyer
Starring: Larissa Ely, Linda Ashton, Charles Napier
* * * 1/2

For me, Russ Meyer films can be broken down into two categories; pre and post 'Beyond the Valley of the Dolls'. I enjoyed nearly every one of Meyers early low budget, independent features and found them in their brief running times to be filled with colorful characters, wild action, clever humor, brilliantly filmed rapid fire editing... and of course sexy women with huge breasts who are filmed at every conceivable angle. The pinnacle of these was 1966's 'Faster, Pussycat Kill! Kill! (ironically or perhaps not, Meyer's lone entry that was devoid of nudity). After a good many of these glorified home movies, Meyer was offered a deal at the prestigious 20th Century Fox and lensed '... Dolls' (co-scripted by non other than the late Roger Ebert) and for me, this was the start of Meyer's decline. The film played like a big budget parody of his earlier work and it's large budget seemed to not jibe with his cinematic sensibilities. The fact that the film was also his first to feature some true mean spiritedness in it's violence added to the whole forced feeling of the production. Meyer appeared to have lost his touch and his career took a nosedive after that (my opinion of course as there are those who loved '... Dolls' as well as his subsequent features). 'Cherry, Harry and Raquel' is one of Meyers' last independents and one of his best... just not for the usual reasons.

Full review after the break.

El Professore Movie Review: Creature With the Atom Brain

1955
Director: Edward L Cahn
Starring: Richard Denning, Angela Stevens, Michael Granger, Gregory Gale
* * *

Directed by the ever dependable low budgeteer Edward L Cahn, 'Creature With the Atom Brain' is a fun, exciting and creepy addition to the 50s sci fi cycle.

Full review after the break.

El Professore Movie Reviews: It Came From Hollywood

1982
Director: Malcolm Leo, Andrew Salt
Starring: Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Cheech and Chong, Gilda Radner
* * *

I was lucky enough to have seen this rarity in theaters (twice!) way back in 1982 and have had nothing but fond memories of it since.

Full review after the break.

El Professore Movie Reviews: The Gong Show Movie

1980
Director: Chuck Barris
Starring: Chuck Barris, Robin Altman
* * 1/2

Oh Chuckie-baby, what the hell were you thinking? Apparently, Barris had career suicide on his mind when he wrote and directed this Gong Show behind-the-scenes vanity project which was unleashed upon an unsuspecting world in 1980, near the end of his beloved show's run. It signaled the end, alright...

Full review after the jump.

El Professore Movie Review: Night of the Lepus (aka Rabbits)

1972
Director: William F. Claxton
Starring: Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh, Rory Calhoun, DeForest Kelly
* * 1/2

It must have sounded like a terrifying idea; giant flesh eating bunny rabbits on the rampage. Yeah...

Full review after the jump.

El Professore Movie Review: The Return of Ringo

1965
Director: Duccio Tessari
Starring: Giuliano Gemma, Fernando Sancho, Lorella De Luca, Nieves Navarro
*** 1/2

It's Homer's 'The Odyssey' re-imagined as a Western.

To be honest, El Professore tends to prefer his Italo Westerns when they go Goth and/or are overtly violent. This early and highly regarded entry really is neither, but it is such an involving and well crafted piece that it's impossible not to come away from it without realizing you've just witnessed a genre classic.

Full review after the jump.

El Professor Movie Reviews: Robowar

1988
Director: Bruno Mattei
Starring: Reb Brown, Catherine Hickland, Massimo Vanni, Romano Puppo
* * * 1/2

Italy's loveable hack, Bruno Mattei created a bad movie masterpiece in 1987 when he directed 'Strike Commando'. This was a hilariously warped Rambo ripoff staring Reb Brown whom 'Mystery Science Theater 3000' fans will know as Big McLarge Huge in the classic episode 'Space Mutiny'. The following year, Bruno and Reb returned to the Phillipine jungle to film 'Robowar' which managed to simultaneusly trample on the good names of both 'Predator' and 'Robocop' (O.K. mostly Predator).

Full review after the jump.

El Professore Movie Reviews: Angel Terminators 2

1992
Director: Simon Yun Ching (aka Tony Liu)
Starring: Moon Lee, Yukari Oshima, Sibelle Hu, Jason Pai Piao
* * * 1/2

After first appearing together in the seminal film, 'Angel' (which I previously reviewed here), both Moon Lee and Yukari Oshima became hot properties in the suddenly booming 'Girls With Guns' subgenre in Hong Kong cinema. Moon Lee with her combination of incredibly cute looks and newly developed physicality (due to her extensive dance background) was groomed as a major action heroine and she tackled her new found popularity with mucho gusto and surprising grit, appearing in dozens of like movies from the late '80s through the early '90s.. Yukari Oshima on the other hand being Japanese, was often relegated to supporting roles as it appears that Hong Kong wasn't quite sure what to do with her. Tough, tomboyish, unglamorous and a real life karate black belt, Yukari bucked nearly ever trend going as she seemed content in taking whatever part was offered, no matter how small and no matter how bad the film itself sometimes was. This was really a shame as she had proven to not only be tough as nails in the combat department (nobody fought quite like she did), but also displayed untapped acting skills. Thank goodness then, for director Simon Yun Chung who consistently gave both ladies some of the best roles of their careers. This film is a prime example of that.

Full review after the jump.

El Professore Movie Reviews: The Street Fighter (aka Sudden Attack! The Killing Fist)

1974
Director: Shigehiro Ozawa
Starring: Shinichi (Sonny) Chiba, Yutaka (Doris) Nakajima, Goichi (Gerald)
Yamada, Masashi (Milton) Ishibashi, Jiro Chiba, Etsuko (Sue) Shihomi, Masafumi Suzuki
* * * *

Who hasn't heard of this one by now? Yep, it's the legendary freakout fest starring Sonny Chiba as mercenary Terry Tsurugi; just possibly the most amoral protagonist in the history of the cinema. Hiring himself out (unknowingly) to the Yakuza, before being targeted by his employers for knowing too much, Tsurugi (along with his sidekick, Ratnose) uses his bare fists to smash, crush, and rip apart any who oppose him.

Full review after the jump.

El Professore Movie Reviews: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

1978
Director: John DeBello
Starring: David Miller, George Watson, Costa Dillon
* *

"It's man vs vegetable!"

Watching this wannabe cult item from the 70s is a bit like going to a friend's party and having to deal with that one guy who has to be the life of it, but really isn't.

Full review after the jump.

El Professore Movie Review: The Man From Hong Kong (aka The Dragon Flies)

1975
Director: Brian Trenchard-Smith
Starring: Jimmy Wang Yu, George Lazenby
* * * 1/2

The year was 1975 and the Australian film industry found itself knee deep in it's incredible exploitation cycle (Ozzploitation as it has since been dubbed). The current craze for Hong Kong action cinema had reached it's peak and the Aussies were anxious to attempt a hybrid Chinese/Australian action fest. They imported well known, yet somewhat faded Hong Kong star, Jimmy Wang Yu (the most popular action star in Asia prior to Bruce Lee's arrival; hence the fading) to play a Chinese Dirty Harry-like hero and landed failed James Bond, George Lazenby to play the debonair, yet sinister villain. Up and coming British born director Brian Trenchard-Smith (in only his fourth lensed film) was assigned the task of brining the proceedings together. The resulting film was 'The Man From Hong Kong', a fairly amazing collage of heavy hitting martial arts and ahead of their time stuntwork.

Full review after the jump.

El Professore Movie Reviews: The Creation of the Humanoids

1962
Director: Wesley Barry
Starring: Don Megowan, Erica Elliot, Francis McCann, Don Doolittle
* * * *

The setting is a post nuclear war society where blue/green skinned, silver eyed human looking robots have become commonplace. The surviving human population are suffering an ever decreasing birthrate and are dependent on their self thinking, self motivated creations for assisstance in trying to rescue the human race. Meanwhile, a fanatical organization ('The Order of the Flesh and Blood') is attempting to stop the robots from appearing (and becoming) too human, fearing they will go from helping to taking over. They are especially distressed when they discover that a scientist is experimenting on human replicas and giving them genuine emotions and memories.

Full review after the jump.

El Professore Movie Reviews Karate, The Hand of Death

1961
Director: Joel Holt
Starring: Joel Holt, Frank Blaine, Akira Shiga
* 1/2

An important, pioneering effort in the development of the martial arts film. It's also pretty dreadful...

Full review after the jump.

El Professore Movie Laments 'The Day the Clown Cried'

Sure there are many lost or unreleased films that ol' El Professore Movie would love to be able to take a gander at (The first filmed version of Tarzan Escapes aka The Capture of Tarzan, King Kong Appears in Edo, Bruce Lee's The Big Boss with the missing 'saw in the head' moment, the complete 160 minute version of A Better Tomorrow 2...), but none (absolutely none) have held the same perverse fascination as Jerry Lewis' unfathomably wrongminded, 'The Day the Clown Cried'.

More info after the jump.