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mikepaton
Reviews
1990: I guerrieri del Bronx (1982)
aka Bronx Warriors
aaah, an Italian 'Warriors' rip off! While not as good as Walter Hills classic, this is still a good film. Lots of running around and fighting, including a sexy chick in leather boots and a whip! Some of the set-pieces are a little cheesy (the gang members forming a 'W' is one of them) but as a piece of exploitation cinema, its up there. The lead cant act for toffee, and Fred Williamson is doing his only role ever, so fans of him wont be disappointed. Worth checking out, and the sequel (Bronx Warriors 2: Return to the Bronx) if you come across them.
This film was released in the UK as Bronx Warriors, on the Entertainment in Video label
Vigilante (1982)
If the law wont stop them....we will!
Directed by William Lustig (of Maniac fame), this thriller is quite good. Fred Williamson is magnificent as the leader of a group of vigilantes, and Jackie Brown star Robert Forster also stars. The version i watched suffered badly from a 'pan-and-scan' transfer, which is a shame because the movie is quite well made. Loads of running about, shooting and vengeance for dead family members. Seems run of the mill now, but worth watching none the less.
Released in the UK on Intervision Video
Kill or Be Killed (1976)
The greatest hollywood martial arts film?
...or so reads the tagline on the box. This is a curious little film, and from what i can gather it seems south african, famous for their kung fu films(!). Mind you, it has nazis and midgets in it (he has a cool name, but i cant remember it..) and is not a bad film as it goes. bit too much of a enter the dragon rip-off. This video was released in England on the Polestar video label, and is extremely hard to find, so if you see a copy, pick it up.
Dynamite Johnson (1979)
aka The Return of the Bionic Boy
This film is known under several titles. This is pure trash cinema! The boy has special powers, and when he uses them, a prolonged 'waah-waaah-waaaah' sound accompanies him, and every bionic act is done in super slow motion (as in the scene where he throws a man into a basketball hoop, and the dock side scene, when he bends a bumper around a baddie). His sister is a bit of a babe too. Plot-wise, i dont remember, but the 'finale' has to be seen. It inolves a giant fire breathing mecha-godzilla, but on a budget. One of them (i think his sister..) is hit by a boulder, which is obviously made of paper in the climatic scenes. I laughed at how bad it was, yet sat through it all. This really is a gem, and any fan of exploitation or asian trash cinema must see this.
The film was released in various formats in the UK. The version reviewed was available on Cable 2 video.