Rare Filipino action stuff

[Guenter M.]

I recently bought three Filipino action flicks which seem to be very rare (I got the German ex-rental tapes quite cheaply). They are not mentioned in the IMDB and I can hardly find information on them on the net. Perhaps some of you have seen them and can provide some information, i. e. English release title, alternative title(s), release date, and the likes!?

HEROES FOR HIRE

This one's directed by John Lloyd (who also made DOUBLE EDGE and NINJA WARRIORS) and stars Bruce Baron and Mike Monty. There's actually a Ninja amidst the mayhem too and the flick is very entertaining and action-packed to the hilt. If Filipino action is your cup of tea you can't go wrong with HEROES FOR HIRE



MAD DOG

Downbeat crime drama, spiced up with some action and some gratuituous sex. Starring Romano Kristoff, Burce Baron and Gwendolyn Hung. The director is a certain John Gale (Jun Gallardo?), and assistant director is Teddy Page (FIREBACK and NINJA'S FORCE). I enjoyed it pretty much and a few plot elements remember me on Corbucci's excellent IL GRANDE SILENCIO.



SABOTAGE

The German title is GEHEIMCODE DEATH-FORCE, but it is also known as SABOTAGE (in France me thinks). I haven't watched it yet, but the cover artwork promises something like a cheap James Bond rip-off. The director is Efren C. Pinon, the guy who gave us the crazy, delirious THE KILLING OF SATAN. Tony Ferrer stars.

[Fred Adelman]

MAD DOG was indeed directed by Jun Gallardo using his "John Gale" pseudonym. I recently watched his RESCUE TEAM (aka: RESCUE FORCE; INTRUSION CAMBODIA - 1981) with Richard Harrison and Romano Kristoff. Wild stuff! The Filippinos and Indonesians always cranked out the craziest action stuff. I'm still trying to get over director Arizal's FINAL SCORE (1986), with Chris Mitchum and Mike Abbott. It's one of the wildest, insane action flicks I've ever seen.

[Guenter M.]

Originally Posted by Fred Adelman

The Filippinos and Indonesians always cranked out the craziest action stuff.

I can agree with that 100 %. THE STABILIZER and THE INTRUDER, two actionfests from Indonesia, are among my absolute favourites. Thanks for mentioning RESCUE TEAM and FINAL SCORE... I will definitely keep my eyes open for them.

[R.T. Gelling]

My girlfriend is Filipino-Canadian so I'm always on the look out for stuff from there. Where can you pick these action films up? Are they grey market only?

[Nikos D Vassiliou]

MAD DOG sounds interesting. I have a greek tape of that but I was kind of scared to watch it.

[Guenter M.]

Originally Posted by R.T. Gelling

My girlfriend is Filipino-Canadian so I'm always on the look out for stuff from there. Where can you pick these action films up? Are they grey market only?

As I've already mentioned in the beginning, I got the original German ex-rental tapes of these flicks. I have no idea if these movies were released in an English language version also...

[Alex D]

Originally Posted by Guenter M.

As I've already mentioned in the beginning, I got the original German ex-rental tapes of these flicks. I have no idea if these movies were released in an English language version also...

Trash-Online is a good source for Indo/ Filipino action movies

[Alex D]

Originally Posted by Fred Adelman

I'm still trying to get over director Arizal's FINAL SCORE (1986), with Chris Mitchum and Mike Abbott. It's one of the wildest, insane action flicks I've ever seen.

Straight up!

[Jack J]

Originally Posted by Fred Adelman

MAD DOG was indeed directed by Jun Gallardo using his "John Gale" pseudonym. I recently watched his RESCUE TEAM (aka: RESCUE FORCE; INTRUSION CAMBODIA - 1981) with Richard Harrison and Romano Kristoff. Wild stuff! The Filippinos and Indonesians always cranked out the craziest action stuff. I'm still trying to get over director Arizal's FINAL SCORE (1986), with Chris Mitchum and Mike Abbott. It's one of the wildest, insane action flicks I've ever seen.

I watched RESCUE TEAM last night and you're right: Wild stuff!! It was fun, violent, sleazy, and very entertaining. The first half of the film is Harrison and his mates being drunk, going to strip bars, being vulgar, great fun. Why aren't these films coming out on dvd!!!

By the way, Fred; in your eMag you call the film Indonesian; actually it's from the Philippines.


Greek vhs:




Jack

[Fred Adelman]

Originally Posted by Jack J

I watched RESCUE TEAM last night and you're right: Wild stuff!! It was fun, violent, sleazy, and very entertaining. The first half of the film is Harrison and his mates being drunk, going to strip bars, being vulgar, great fun. Why aren't these films coming out on dvd!!!

By the way, Fred; in your eMag you call the film Indonesian; actually it's from the Philippines.


Greek vhs:




Jack

Thanks, Jack. Made the correction. I actually knew it was from the Philippines, but my mind must have been in Indonesian mode when I wrote the review. It's a hard habit to break!

Speaking of the Philippines: I have MUSLIM .357 (1986) and ANG PROBINSYANO (1997), both starring Fernando Poe, Jr., to watch, but people are telling me that they are extremely boring. I guess I'll have to decide for myself.

[Jack J]

I haven't watched either of those two, too bad if they're not good cos for once here's something that's actually easy to get hold of (at least in the case of MUSLIM .357 which is out on dvd).


Jack

[Gary Miller]

I'm glad to see this great thread still has life.

Originally Posted by Fred Adelman

Speaking of the Philippines: I have MUSLIM .357 (1986) and ANG PROBINSYANO (1997), both starring Fernando Poe, Jr., to watch, but people are telling me that they are extremely boring. I guess I'll have to decide for myself.

As an outsider looking in, it's hard to understand the iconic stature of FPJ. Perhaps I've only sampled his later and lesser movies, like the aforementioned. Still, the guy seems like such an authoritarian and dour stick.

Also, as a rule of thumb, I've given up on post mid-90's Filipino action movies. The newer efforts seem pretty dreary, and lack the free spirited insanity of the 70's-80's era.

Since my last visit to this thread, I've viewed (or in many cases, scanned) about a dozen Filipino action movies. A few that come to mind:


Abdul Viva Santiago (80's): This falls into the scan n' view category as it's a tagalog language only VCD. Still, like many movies in this rebel-commando genre, I enjoyed some of the dramatic posturing as I would pantomime, and the well mounted action battles reminded me of old school spaghetti westerns.

This particular title, though, stands out for two reasons, and both of those reasons are eye-candy Melanie Marquez in a dual role. She plays an Indian freedom fighter (a rather wooden Indian at that) and in a smaller role, Ms. Marquez chews the scenery as the gun toting mistress of bad guy George Estregan (I think..I'm not great at identifying Filipino cast members). I only wish this character was given more screen time.

Here's a clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6j6ftQRYzE


Raiders of the Paradise (80's): A group of women find themselves sequestered on a remote island. If this sounds like steamy women-in-prison kind of fun, it's not. In fact, not much happens until the final minutes, and the pay-off action scene is a big booby prize for girls n' guns fans: A gang of island goons battle an army of guys in drag!.......Check please!!!


Jungle Wolf (1986): This is a U.S-Filipino hybrid jungle commando effort starring Ron Marchini, in the first of his recurring "Steve Parrish" roles. The movie is a paint-by-number Americanized imitation of the era's pure Pinoy rebel mayhem. It's dumb, but not dumb enough, lacking the delirious dubbed goofiness of movies like Wild Cats Attack.

The chief villain is clearly a cross between Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. What do you get when you combine these two archetypes? A guy that looks like he jumped off a cigar or cough drop box. Also, the rebel army is pretty ornery, and for good reason. There's only one babe among hundreds of rebels, and I imagine they smell pretty bad, because she takes off with the hero.

There are plenty of gun battles and explosions. It's not very original or inspired, but well worth a look if you can find it.

[Robert F]

I believe FPJ has been making films since the 50's. All sorts of action related stuff (western, crime, war, etc.) Hell I heard when he died a few years ago, the funeral procession lasted over a month since there were lines going for miles in order to view the body.

[Andrew Leavold]

Originally Posted by Jack J

I watched RESCUE TEAM last night and you're right: Wild stuff!! It was fun, violent, sleazy, and very entertaining. The first half of the film is Harrison and his mates being drunk, going to strip bars, being vulgar, great fun. Why aren't these films coming out on dvd!!!

By the way, Fred; in your eMag you call the film Indonesian; actually it's from the Philippines.


Greek vhs:




Jack

Hey all,

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated! Glad you don't mind me swiping your reviews, Fred (always detailed and a very entertaining read!), and if you're reading, Gunter, your Return Of The Ninjas website has been absolutely invaluable.

One of our readers from Finland noted that Intrusion Cambodia (1981) is actually a different film from Rescue Team (actually 1983) despite having the same director Jun Gallardo and an almost identical cast.

I rang Jim Gaines this afternoon and he verified they are in fact two different films; closer inspection of the Finnish VHS cover for Rescue Team/Operaatio Coleman confirms the cast and crew difference. I've since updated the Kinavesa post, and Jim plans on writing notes for each export film he's been involved with.

If anyone's sitting on a review for a Pinoy actioner, or feels like committing finger to keyboard, and donate any writing for our Filipino Action Register, please drop me an email, I'd love to add your opinions!

Email: trash@trashvideo.com.au

[Jack J]

Originally Posted by Andrew Leavold

One of our readers from Finland noted that Intrusion Cambodia (1981) is actually a different film from Rescue Team (actually 1983) despite having the same director Jun Gallardo and an almost identical cast.

, and donate any writing for our Filipino Action Register

Rats!! You beat me to it, Andrew!! Haha. For a week or so I've had a feeling Fred's info (in his Critical Con. review) was incorrect about it being just one film. There are two. I have only watched RESCUE TEAM but some of the plot line in other reviews sounded like a similar film - but not the same film. Actually someone in Finland offered me the Operaation Coleman version this week and I declined cos I thought they were the same! Hopefully he's still got it!!!

I wrote to Gunter (in Austria) recently and tried to get him back here and to bring back his "Wild Asia" site but unfortunately he's too busy doing real life stuff at the moment. He assured me he wanted to bring back "Wild Asia" but didn't know when he'd be able to. The problem with his site is that he used a free webpage that kept breaking down. His "Return of the Ninjas" site uses the same free provider but has for some odd reason never been down.

Andrew, so the two similar films; do you know which is the correct English title for them??

Which is that Filipino Action Register you mentioned?


Jack