The Chooper's Warehouse of the Unwanted

Still kickin' it on eBay

2011-08-19T16:41:00.001-07:00

Just in case anyone reads or follows this blog anymore... I do have some fine VHS titles on eBay at the moment. Just started listing again last week after a nearly 2 year hiatus. Look for the z-grade sign of quality on the bay.

A NYMPHOID IN GUNHED HELL

2008-10-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

I'll make this one short. Needless to say, I've been lacking in keeping this blog up-to-date. Work, work and more work. But, as a consolation, I have included a widget of some of our latest eBay offerings. Z-Grade never sells bootlegs or fake copies. These are the real deal genuine Japanese VHS releases. Back to work...

BLOODY FEUD of THE EWOKS

2008-07-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

It's already another week, and time for another batch of Z-Grade goodness. First off, we have a couple of sacriligious STAR WARS items, THE EWOK ADVENTURE and EWOKS: THE BATTLE FOR ENDOR. Sacriligious because most hard core fans do not consider these made-for-TV gems as part of the rich STAR WARS pantheon. We actually agree, but it doesn't mean that we can't enjoy the cheesiness of watching midgets trounce around in teddy bear outfits hitting others with sticks. And, just for the record, the second entry actually has some moments of stop-motion animated creatures that at least look cool. On a slightly grittier note (...cough...ahem...), we have an over-the-top bloody yakuza film from Nikkatsu Studios in '71 entitled appropriately, BLOODY FEUD (aka: RYUKETSU NO KOSO). Tons of sword slashing and skewering in this modern age samurai in suits actioner. And a lot of red stuff splashing everywhere. This film stars puffy-cheeked idol JOE SHISHIDO along with the ultra sexy MEIKO KAJI, better known for her roles in FEMALE CONVICT SCORPION and STRAY CAT ROCK series of exploitation gems. And she is also known as the star of LADY SNOWBLOOD! But is that all you ask? Of course not. HK gems this week include the rare crime actioner CITY WARRIORS as well as the slapstick horror comedy of MR. VAMPIRE SAGA 4, which at times borrows some scenes from EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN. Also, we have a sort of mystery Taiwanese production entitled MISS GHOST, which we can find very little info about anywhere. It's a fly-by-wire wizards and weirdness fantasy gem that is quite entertaining to watch. If anyone out there in blogland knows more about this film, please leave us a comment. To round out this week's stuff, we've got a modern giant insect movie... BLUE MONKEY aka: INSECT, made-for-TV espionage... A BLADE IN HONG KONG, bully vs nerd spectacle THREE O'CLOCK HIGH, '70s conspiracy theory gem... THE DOMINO PRINCIPLE, the obscure French musical comedy GOLDEN EIGHTIES directed by CHANTAL AKERMAN and starring cult actress DELPHINE SEYRIG, vintage mad scientist anime LOVE CITY aka: AI CITY, made-for-TV Los Angeles period crime drama SHAKEDOWN ON SUNSET STRIP starring JOAN VAN ARK as the madam of a prostitution ring, and last but not least, the stupendous breasts of USCHI DIGARD in the outrageous skit comedy gem from 1977, THE KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE. Get to clicking on the widget above and get your bid on... and remember NO BOOTLEGS EVER with Z-Grade!

My way or THE HIGHWAYMAN

2008-06-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

Are you a fan of the original classic TV shows like KNIGHTRIDER, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, MAGNUM P.I? Well, if so, you are a fan of GLEN A. LARSON Productions... and that means that you have to check out this week's coolest listing... the made-for-TV pilot THE HIGHWAYMAN. It's a post-apocalyptic derivative based on a traveling secret government lawman who drives around in a futuristic armored 18-wheeler truck rig, powered by rockets and lots of other goodies. Cult actor SAM J. JONES of FLASH GORDON fame stars as the tough-as-nails titular character. What blows my mind on this actioner is the amount of cult film star-power in this gem. How many times have you seen ROWDY RODDY PIPER, MICHAEL BERRYMAN, WINGS HAUSER, LYLE ALZADO, JIMMY SMITS, and G. GORDON LIDDY all in the same film? And that's not all. The co-writer of this gem is none other than the Godfather of Gore... Mr. HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS, which also probably explains why WILLIAM KERWIN (star of H.G. LEWIS classicks BLOOD FEAST and TWO THOUSAND MANIACS!) found his way onto the cast. And this space-age truck must be seen if you have never had the pleasure of catching THE HIGHWAYMAN on prime-time before it was canceled years ago. And if you like mean mother truckers, you also might want to check out the other 18-wheeler themed epic this week, THUNDER RUN, starring FORREST TUCKER in his last feature film along with co-star cult hottie ELIZABETH KAITAN. It looks like we are a bit short this week on hard-core gore, but we do have SHALLOW GRAVE, which is a rare slasher film about 4 teenage college girls terrorized, stalked, and murdered in a small Georgian town. For lighter horror-fare, check out I WAS A TEENAGE VAMPIRE, a highly entertaining and likable horror comedy, which might make a nice double feature with the 80s schlock WEEKEND PASS or STEWARDESS SCHOOL, the latter a misfire sex comedy featuring former HAPPY DAYS TV show star DONNY MOST in one of his infrequent starring roles. If you are looking for action, can we recommend SCORPION featuring the awkward acting talent (but truly awesome dry look hairstyle and full mustache to boot! Check out the link...) of TONNY TULLENERS, a former Karate champion that kicked CHUCK NORRIS' ass in a middleweight competition years ago. Or if you're in the mood for INDIANA JONES-like entertainment, and didn't get your fill with the latest installment in theaters, why not watch the slightly obscure Aussie ripoff entitled SKY PIRATES, which throws a bit of sci-fi time travel into the mix. We like this one a lot. WORLD GONE WILD is premium exploitation at it's finest and stars ADAM ANT along with vet BRUCE DERN as a tough hippie dude in charge of a desert outpost. Rounding out this batch is a totally obscure Iranian Cinema gem about the Iraq Iran war entitled DESERT LION aka: PRAYER CARPET OF FIRE. Being that this is an Iranian film, you can guess which side the storyline favors. Gritty, dusty, and brutal, but also strange to watch this semi-propaganda film play out from a different viewpoint other than the good old U. S. of A. It certainly shows the tough conditions of middle east ground warfare as the poorly equipped troops of the Iranian army battle the encroaching armored tanks of Iraq with hand-to-air missiles and machine guns. Another film this week is VIPER, a home-grown terrorist film storyline starring LINDA PURL and KEN FOREE of DAWN OF THE DEAD fame. YAJU DEKA aka: BEAST COP is our Japanese film pick this week... and features the nasty story of a dysfunctional family mixed in with a not so friendly and honest cop. Very weird storyline as the boy has an allegiance with his miscreant father, who also happens to beat his mother on occasion and also does quite a bit of drugs and dealing on the side. Nobody to root for in this seriously downbeat Japanese crime drama. OCEANS OF FIRE is another all-star cast gem... a sort of DIRTY DOZEN taking place on an off-shore oil rig starring GREGORY HARRISON, BILLY DEE WILLIAMS, and DAVID CARRADINE. The convicts enlisted to help include LEE VING from the punk band FEAR, LYLE ALZADO again, and former boxing champions RAY 'BOOM BOOM' MANCINI and KEN NORTON. This is an out-to-sea potboiler featuring lots of explosions both on and off the oil platform. Well, get to it and check out these gems in closer detail. Just click on the widget above and remember... NO BOOTLEGS EVER with Z-Grade!

MARGHERITI in Outer Space

2008-06-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

Well, this will be short little note. This week we have the truly epic TREASURE ISLAND IN OUTER SPACE 4-VHS set (aka: STAR LEGEND - Japanese VHS box title / L' TESORO DEL ISOLA - original Italian title) for auction. I think it's nearly 8 hours of uncut viewing pleasure here, with the legendary ANTHONY QUINN in the part of Long John Silver, Billy Bones played by the manic ERNEST BORGNINE, and euro-star DAVID WARBECK as the Doc. But the most pleasant surprise was discovering Mr. BOBBY RHODES of DEMONS fame playing the part of Black Dog! As you might have guessed, the title of this film mini-series says it all. It's basically ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON's classic novel translated into a space actioner with lots of kitschy futuristic gadgets everywhere. This is pure genius and I believe it to be ANTONIO MARGHERITI's space cinematic triumph, but you will find plenty here to remind you of PLANET ON THE PROWL or THE WAR OF THE PLANETS including some truly awesome miniature sets and space-suit fitted Barbie dolls floating around space stations. Now just because I have an obvious bias towards this particular item, doesn't mean there aren't more cinematic treasures to be had on our listings! Some sleaze, HK horror, action-schlock galore, are all for the taking. But, the TREASURE ISLAND IN OUTER SPACE set is the one item that shouldn't be missed. Just click on the widget above to see a sampling of all the other fine Z-Grade cinema for offer this week. And remember, NO BOOTLEGS EVER at Z-Grade!

DARK ANGEL vs. DEATH SPA

2008-06-05T15:31:00.000-07:00

Hello again. Back with another fine selection of Z-Grade gems. I'll make this brief today as there is a large batch of Japanese VHS to choose from this round. Starting off with action, we have I COME IN PEACE aka: DARK ANGEL starring the ever towering DOLPH LUNDGREN, the car crash spectacular from H.B. HALICKI... THE JUNKMAN, HEATHER THOMAS in the super-bike sci-fi schlock actioner from FRED OLEN RAY entitled CYCLONE, HK assassin gem BLACK CAT starring SIMON YAM, and a Western all-star epic BITE THE BULLET featuring the talents of JAN-MICHAEL VINCENT, JAMES COBURN, and SALLY KIRKLAND. What else? Sleaze you ask? How about DEATH SPA, the notorious gore and sleaze gem about a hi-tech work-out gym gone awry. Some classic horror is available as well including the gothic tale THE OBLONG BOX from '71 starring CHRISTOPHER LEE and SALLY GEESON and the 80s sequel to the '70s classic, THE HILLS HAVE EYES PART 2. And my favorite of this batch, the charming TOUCH OF DEATH directed by maestro LUCIO FULCI. Lots of dismemberment and bloody grue on hand for this one. Well, I'm sure I've left out quite a few choice VHS tapes in this post, so just check out our listings for yourself. Just click on any of the rotating VHS tape images in the widget shown above. And remember... NO BOOTLEGS ever with Z-Grade!

THE BIKINI SHOP tops this latest batch of VHS gems!

2008-05-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome back my friends to this week's latest batch of Z-Grade VHS goodness. Sorry for the lateness in getting this post out as the missus and I were in the Big Apple. Anyway, let's get right into this since there is only 2 days left on these babies! Topping the list this week is the fashion-challenged T&A cinematic masterpiece known as THE BIKINI SHOP. If you like neon colors and granny panties... this wrong-headed 80s exercise in schlock sex comedy 101 should be right up your alley. Pick up SCHOOL SPIRIT and you can have a matching pair of jiggle features. Also available this week is the Hong Kong Cat. III sleaze horror sequel to THE UNTOLD STORY, uninspiringly titled... THE UNTOLD STORY 2. Strange thing on this rare Japanese VHS letterbox release, as there is no optical pixelation or censorship on any of the nudity! Pubic hair fans rejoice! There is also a fine varied horror selection including CREEPSHOW 2 (a guilty pleasure of The Chooper's) along with monster-themed features BLUE MONKEY along with the purposely schlock Troma feature... MONSTER IN THE CLOSET. Also, the interesting 70s GORDON HESSLER POE-based gem, MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE starring JASON ROBARDS, LILLI PALMER, and MARIA PERSCHY. Odder esoteric fare includes the strange live action/anime hybrid from Japan entitled THE TWILIGHT OF THE COCKROACHES as well as the BRAD PITT & CATHERINE KEENER pseudo art house vehicle... JOHNNY SUEDE! And don't forget the near religious propaganda horror rarity, the ultra low-budget direct-to-video period piece... A DAY OF JUDGMENT along with super explosive drug-fueled kidnapping action of PRIMARY TARGET starring JOHN ERICSON and the oddball karate schlock GYMKATA starring ex-gymnastics champ KURT THOMAS. If I forgot to list any other titles, just check out the widget posted here and get all the info on this week's latest batch of gems. And remember... NO BOOTLEGS EVER with Z-Grade.

The latest Z-Grade VHS gems on eBay!

2008-05-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a selection of the latest batch of rare factory original Japanese VHS Z-Grade collectibles currently on auction this week on e-Bay. On tap this week is some rare J-horror (The rarest JIGOKU film version from '79) to a Pink exploitation gem (MOMOJIRI MUSUME: LOVE ATTACK - part of the PEACH BUTT GIRL film franchise by NIKKATSU) along with some assorted horror (GHOULIES and NIGHTLIFE), schlock comedy (BABY LOVE aka: LEMON POPSICLE 5), and sci-fi (the stupendously stupid SPACE MUTINY starring the late JOHN PHILLIP LAW). Z-Grade pick of the week has to be the extremely rare WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND (1961) starring a young HAYLEY MILLS (fresh off her starring role in THE PARENT TRAP) in glorious black & white and presented in widescreen. A twisted strange religious-themed UK drama, based on a novel written by Hayley's mother... MARY HAYLEY BELL. Check out the widget posted here and get all the info on this week's latest batch of gems. And remember... NO BOOTLEGS EVER with Z-Grade.

THE GHOST OF YOTSUYA

2006-10-17T11:04:00.000-07:00

1969 {aka: YOTSUYA KAIDAN: OIWA NO BOREI}
This rare DAIEI horror gem utilizes the legendary Yotsuya Kaidan storyline. This version is by director KAZUO MORI (aka: ISSEI MORI) who is best known for the excellent ZATOICHI series of films. The complicated storyline takes place around 1786 and concerns the life of a masterless samurai, Iemon (KEI SATO) who is unhappy in marriage with his ill wife Oiwa (KAZUKO INENO) and hates working for a living doing assembly piecework for umbrellas. After he hires thugs to be part of an elaborate scheme to attack the young and rich Oume (CHIKAKO MASAGO), Iemon battles them off (all planned of course) so that he appears to be a superior swordsman. In gratitude, Oume (and her caretaker) are grateful... and Iemon concocts a plan for an arranged and profitable marriage to this rich young lady so that he can live the life he desires. Later, Iemon receives a gift of "medicine" from the caretaker to give to his sick wife Oiwa. A few days later, the caretaker drops by to visit, and informs Iemon that the "medicine" is poison and is for the purpose of killing Oiwa. This was not Iemon's original plan, as he had no idea that the elixir was poison. Iemon had already engaged the half-blind masseur Takuetsu (SONOSUKE SAWAMURA), who has a crush on Oiwa... to seduce and rape her, so that he can get a divorce or have her killed for adultery. But now Iemon has a new plan, and begins giving Oiwa the medicine, which slowly begins to poison and disfigure Oiwa's face. Although Oiwa's health continues to deteriorate, it isn't fast enough for Iemon. This is when he informs the blind Takuetsu to murder his wife... not just assault her. While visiting, the masseur tries to have sex with Oiwa, and she fends off his advances with a knife, stabbing a wall instead. Takuetsu, freaking out after seeing her disfigured face, tells Oiwa of her husband's horrific plan. Oiwa is infuriated and wants revenge on her husband and prepares herself to find him. Takuetsu watches her getting ready in horror as she combs out her hair... which creates large bald patches on her scalp... while she kneels weeping and looking at her deformed face in the mirror. Oiwa sits up abruptly and begins to walk, only to stumble across the floor and into the knife stuck in the wall, slitting her own throat. Thus, Oiwa's curse comes into full effect... to exact revenge on all the people responsible for her disfigurement and death... with the curse being strongest upon Iemon. There are tons more plot twists and characters involved in this unique telling of the Ghost of Yotsuya, especially when Iemon's insanity begins to take hold. Watch for glamour girl (aka: the snake woman) IKUKO MOURI who has a small part in this horror gem as well. A definite Z-Grade Japanese horror gem to check out... and it's on auction right now.

KAGE NO KURUMA

2006-09-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

1970 {aka: THE SHADOW WITHIN}
This is an interesting subversive psychological film from the MATSUMOTO SEICHO SERIES of VHS releases in Japan. MATSUMOTO SEICHO is a very famous and gifted writer from Japan, and this series of VHS tapes utilize the best films based on his novels and screenplays. This particular movie starts out like an adultery-themed melodrama, but as the story unfolds, it becomes a strange and twisted tale of deception. In the beginning we meet middle-aged Japanese salaryman Hamajima (GO KATO) who is not very satisfied with his life and marriage at the moment. He is a good husband, kind of shy, and has a steady yet tedious job as a travel agent. One day, a beautiful lady named Taiko (SHIMA IWASHITA) recognizes him on the bus home and they start chatting. It turns out that this woman is actually his childhood friend from his hometown. Soon, they start developing a relationship that is closer than just friends. Taiko is a widow and lives with her 6-year-old son Ken-chan (HISATO OKAMOTO) in a small house, and Hamajima starts spending more and more time with his new-found adopted family, coming over evenings for dinner after work and even on weekends. Of course, during all of this, he is continually lying to his wife who is busy at home with her own business and hobbies, so she barely notices that he is gone.
In time however, Hamajima begins to suspect and believe that the 6-year-old Ken-chan wants to harm and perhaps kill him. Strange occurences like... the gas is left on for the oven while he is napping... and all the windows are locked shut, poisons in his drink, and more. At one point this little terror is even wielding an axe!
Is it just his imagination? Or is it real? The kid actor in this film is fascinating as the menacing and creepy little boy. And as you watch the film, you never really are clear as to whether you are watching imagined (and paranoid) scenarios inside Hamajima's head, or actual situations and events that are taking place. And then the twist in the story begins to take shape. The music score for this gem sounds like something from a European film of the era, with a groovy lounge-style atmosphere. And for you sleazehounds, this film does contain some nudity as well. You naughty people out there! This is a very artistic film with beautiful cinematography... it has that grainy soft & faded 70s look to the film stock. A highly recommended Z-Grade film that works quite well, even if it is lacking English subtitles. If you're interested in checking this gem out, click here.

DEATH WEEKEND

2006-09-14T00:34:00.000-07:00

1976 {aka: THE HOUSE BY THE LAKE}
This is a lesser-known entry into the backwoods brutality genre of films started by the classic DELIVERANCE. Derivative exploitation, but pretty good nonetheless. Please note that a majority of the reviews listed for this film (also known as THE HOUSE BY THE LAKE) in the IMDb are littered with errors in the who, what and where of the storyline... so let me set the record straight, at least based on my own viewing of this rare Japanese VHS release. Fashion model Diane (BRENDA VACCARO) accompanies her playboy swinger dentist friend Harry (CHUCK SHAMATA) to his country house to join several others for a weekend-long party. On the way, he allows her to take the wheel of his souped-up Corvette sports car and she engages a gang of hillbilly hoodlums in a dangerous road chase, which ends with the four miscreants crashing their hot rod Camaro off the road and into a creek bed, and the Vette speeding away. The menacing gang leader Lep (veteran DON STROUD) swears vengeance on the pair, especially the driver. Up at the house, Diane is observed by Harry (the voyeur) via a two-way mirror taking off her clothes and nude in the shower. Nice guy this Harry. Not surprisingly, Diane soon discovers that there are no other guests coming up to the lake for the weekend. She also realizes that sleazy Harry just wants a quickie sex romp and another notch on his belt. Meanwhile, the psychotics in the Camaro are causing havoc all over town, nearly killing a local man of the law, in search of the two in the black Corvette. Of course, the vicious thugs arrive at the lake house, terrorizing Diane and Harry, and really begin messing up the place. Two of the gang members even take Harry's expensive speedboat for a spin out on the lake and kill some drunken hicks in a rowboat, who were out to help the dentist. When doctor Harry is revealed to be a bit of a wimp and the chaos really begins to ramp up, Diane in desperation, takes matters into her own hands and begins to exact her revenge, but not before she is sexually assaulted by Len, the crazed ringleader... and dry-humped by one the creepy gang flunkies while locked in one of the rooms of the house. Strangely enough, the ending of this film has a bit of an ambiguous tone. You'll have to watch it for yourself to see what I'm talking about. Recommended backwoods brutal shocker that is destined for Z-Grade glory. On auction right now, if you are interested in checking this one out!

TIGER JOE & KUNG FU FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE - Martial arts/action VHS rarities on eBay!

2006-08-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

Just a quick notice to let all you Z-Grade film fans that I have listed more Japanese VHS rarities on eBay this bright sunny morning. I was hoping to list more later this evening as well, but since I am still slaving at work, there is a good chance that this might be it for the day. But, up for grabs are two unique gems... both from the early 80s. Keep in mind, that if you like either of these hard-to-find Japanese factory original tapes, put your bids in now, because there's a very good chance that I may never come across these obscure titles again.
TIGER JOE (1982)
The ANTONIO MARGHERITI Vietnam euro-trash gem starring DAVID WARBECK presented in WIDESCREEN.

KUNG FU FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE (1982)
Crazed WIDESCREEN Hong Kong horror vampire weirdness starring BILLY CHONG of KUNG FU ZOMBIE fame.

Check 'em out before the bidding gets out-of-hand.

HAKUJA KOMACHI / WHITE SNAKE WOMAN

2006-08-13T10:48:00.000-07:00

1958 {aka: SHIRO HEBI KOMACHI / WHITE SNAKE WOMAN}
This DAIEI film is a stunning period atmospheric ghost (yokai) story. It's initially a story of love denied. While transporting a bride-to-be in a closed carriage (kago) while during a thunderstorm, a group of servants and onlookers suddenly come upon an apparition of a ghostly white-draped female figure floating down to the ground. As she turns to face the crowd, the woman reveals the disfigured right side of her face. As the procession stands in utter horror, the ghost then takes flight again and down a side street. After the shock wears off, the bride is checked on and everyone is safe in the group. Once the wedding party finally arrives at the groom's home, they apologize for the delay... and proceed to open the kago, only to realize that the bride-to-be is now missing... and all that's left in the carriage is a single white snake slithering about. Cue the title sequence and eerie theremin music score. The future father-in-law then reveals a bit of his past privately to his son, about the fact that he is cursed by a woman named Omiyo (RUMIKO KOMACHI), a servant that worked for his family years ago. Basically, the curse is that he will no longer be able to marry, and either will his sons. The father reveals to his son that he and Omiyo were in love, but he was forbidden by his family to marry her. Then a mysteriously strange accidental(?) fire occurs, and horribly scars the woman's face. Although not made perfectly clear in the film, she commits suicide over being distraught about her disfigured face and her forbidden relationship.
Enter the sensuous carnival snake charmer Okon (IKUKO MOURI) and the plot develops, especially after the estranged brother Genjirou (SHOUJI UMEWAKA) gets involved and begins to suspect foul play. Even though this film is presented in Japanese dialogue only, you will appreciate this vintage horror gem for the cinematography and fantastic eerie atmosphere! HAKAJU KOMACHI has everything you need in a movie including swordfights, murder, deception, mystery, romance, assault and several ghostly apparitions along the way and also... quite a few white snakes, which all combine into a delirious and highly entertaining Z-Grade gem. This is the first movie in the Hebi (Snake) series of films featuring glamour girl IKUKO MOURI. In the course of making this first film, producer SHIN SAKAI came to discover that Ikuko loved the slithery reptiles and quickly she became known as the "snake actress." She plays Okon, a geisha vixen who performs in a carnival act with snakes. In the film, she handles a lot of live snakes and also on hand is some surprisingly near nudity in a few scenes. Ten years later, she was the woman monster with a snake-like neck (a Rokurokubi) in the classic DAIEI gem YOKAI 100 MONOGATARI (100 MONSTERS).

PUSHING UP DAISIES

2006-06-23T16:08:00.000-07:00

1973 {aka: FIVE MINUTES TO FREEDOM}
This is some piece of work. This rare slice of schlock cow-pie is best left for the heartiest of ROSS HAGEN fans... and most cult film fans barely know who he is anyway. The setting is modern times, but concerns a gang of washed-up crooks that get busted while attempting a bank robbery dressed as nuns. After getting locked-up and put on a chain-gang, they eventually plot an escape, get sprung by some of their other buddies, and prepare for their next big score. The hapless crew pulls off their next heist successfully, and they head out into the desert on dirt bikes... runnin' from the law. They wind up in Mexico at a whorehouse and play with the naughty wimmin (hmmm...sound familiar yet?), and then eventually are holed up and surrounded by the cops in a beat-up shack. Cue the slo-mo SAM PECKINPAH cinematography and audio... as all the miscreants bite the dust one at a time, all the while joking and singing a drunken bar tune.

Nonsensical from start to finish, this low-rent ripoff of THE WILD BUNCH on dirt bikes is pitiful at best. You might notice that CHRISTOPHER GEORGE is second billed in this wrong-headed exercise in plagiarism, but the prolific veteran actor only peeks his head into the action early on as a doofus gas station attendant... for just a brief moment.

A footnote to this Z-Grade hall of fame inductee is that the director (IVAN NAGY) later became notoriously famous for his involvement with HEIDI FLEISS and her former celebrity house of prostitution ring. If ya find this anywhere on DVD or VHS, you've found a true bottom-of-the-barrel treasure. Last time I saw this film was on a VHS tape I recorded from a vintage late-night broadcast. Long gone now.

DEAF SMITH AND JOHNNY EARS on TCM

2006-06-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

1972 {aka: LOS AMIGOS}
This was a later Spaghetti Western gem I had not had the pleasure of seeing yet, so it was with much surprise to discover a scheduled showing of DEAF SMITH AND JOHNNY EARS on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) the other night. What a great oddball gem for the genre, with FRANCO NERO hamming it up completely, with ANTHONY QUINN (as the deaf one) playing the straight man. But my main goal in wanting to see this particular film, was to see the lovely PAMELA TIFFIN. I had no idea that she had some brief nude scenes in this, as seen from a distance by both the viewer and Nero's character Johnny Ears. Not sure if she used body doubles or not, but I guess it could have easily been done with a shot like this. Of course, I wasn't even sure this was her at first, regardless, because her trademark brunette hair had been dyed a brash platinum blonde. Later on, a love-making scene, that may or may not have been edited by TCM, nearly reveals a topless Pamela up close, so who knows? At times throughout the film, she is wearing what appears to be a near transparent full-length nightie that reveals peeks now and then. Maybe this was Pamela cutting loose a bit, after her earlier "good girl next door" roles. All in all, quite enjoyable and recommended viewing.

Preceding DEAF SMITH AND JOHNNY EARS was a rare widescreen broadcast of GUNS FOR SAN SEBASTIAN. Far more serious in tone, but another nice Anthony Quinn outing for sure, with a stunning ENNIO MORRICONE score. (My personal favorite Ennio Spaghetti soundtrack after ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST). Unfortunately, I missed this one... and only caught the tail end of the letterbox credits while setting up the DVD recorder for the rare showing of this full-frame print of DEAF SMITH. Damn happy to see it.

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH

2006-06-04T21:07:00.000-07:00

To be honest, I hadn't really spent much time following AL GORE's career path since he lost the election to the big W. I guess in some way I always distrusted him, but ironically it was because of Tipper... and her short-lived music censorship plans of the 90s. I can also vaguely recall the big hullabaloo the media made over Al's new "mysterious beard" look a while back. But then again, I hold the media in the same high regard as I do the latest administration.

But then I caught the latest WIRED Magazine issue where there is a neat article about his upcoming film release... and an insightful interview with the ex-vice president himself, along with the new environmental order being directed by consumers. My interest was piqued.

Today, my wife and I went to our little cineplex in Manhattan Beach and watched the documentary... AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH. From a cinematic perspective, this gem will not win any artistic merits. But that in essence is the charm of the film. Simple, and to the point. And powerful. Both of us came away very impressed with Mr. Gore, his vision, and his slide show (as he likes to call his very compelling presentation*). BTW, at least 80% of the running time of this documentary is watching Al present his slide show in front of several live audiences.

See this movie and prepare to be informed. This is not the hack work our pal Michael Moore likes to produce with sleight-of-hand and editing magic. No, Mr. Gore deals in hard facts and delivers what may be one of the best politically-charged documentaries ever... presented in a straight-forward style, without resorting to name calling or buffoonery... like the aforementioned auteur. This film makes me proud to know there are still American leaders you can look up to in this country.

I won't hold anything against the man any longer. Hell, not even Tipper.

*His "slide show" was created on a Mac, using their fantastic presentation application called Keynote. This program kicks Microsoft's Powerpoint squarely in the balls.

Footnote: I also added this review (under the title: An inconvenient truce) to the Internet Movie Database site as well. Click here to read and vote for my review as well... if you want.

The choop has arrived!

2005-10-25T09:59:00.000-07:00

It's the dawn of a new age kids. It's Z-Grade™ time in blog-land. Here I hope to write and rant about oddball and obscure movies, film-related news items and events, and any other things I can jot down that might be of interest. More reviews and updates to come soon! BTW, this cool picture was taken by our good friend Jose Mandojana, an excellent pro photographer and all-around nice guy. I love this shot!