Caxambu! (1967)

1967 - Caxambu! (W. Lee Wilder Productions) 

[American production shot in the Philippines, perhaps a TV movie for Paramount Television]

Director/Producer W. Lee Wilder Screenplay Waldon Wheeland Cinematography Herbert V. Theis Music Albert Elms Editor Ronald Pope Sound Recordist Levy Principe Assistant Director Francisco McLane Production Manager Vicente Nayve Continuity Mary Abelardo Set Operation Francisco Balangue, Constancio Garcia Property Master Eduardo Urbano Wardrobe Vicente Cabrera Makeup Lili Juaquino Hair Stylist Cecilia Abelardo

Cast John Ireland (Vince Neff), Carol Ohmart (Peggy Garrat), Keith Larsen (Emil Garrat), Gordon Blackmon (Simon), Lucien Pan (Jose), Ben Perez (Rudy), Joseph de Cordova (Missionary I), Isidoro Rueda (Missionary II), Irene Brown (Cherry Blossom), Joaquin Fajardo (Witch Doctor)

Review from the Internet Movie Database:

My summary is hardly a glowing endorsement, but you could certainly do a lot worse than watching "Caxambu!". While the story is a bit familiar and the budget apparently rather low, it worked well enough that after it was over, I was glad I'd seen it--even with its shortcomings.

John Ireland plays the leader of a gang who steal a bag of diamonds in South America. They take a diamond cutter and his wife hostage and steal a plane in order to escape. However, the plane crashes and the group is stranded in the middle of a VERY hostile wilderness. The main problem are the local natives--who pick off several in the group, one-by-one. The other problem is greed, and the thieves soon start bickering with each other.

I've seen several films and TV shows that remind me of "Caxambu!" but despite being familiar and having some difficult to believe characters (particularly Ireland and his unbelievable change of heart), it kept me engaged throughout and was a decent little film. The location shoot didn't hurt.

Vinnie Rattolle's review from the Internet Movie Database:

After their plane is hijacked, a small group of people find themselves wandering in the jungles of Caxambu, where they're stalked by the natives, subjected to local dangers, and paranoia causes them to turn on each other.

It's hardly surprising nobody else has commented on "Caxambu!" -- I can't find any evidence that it ever played theatres or drive-ins before it began airing on TV infrequently throughout the '70s and '80s. It feels like one of those bad public domain b-movies from the era that Elvira and the gang from MST3K would mock.

I don't mind a slow-moving film, but this one is paced at the speed of evolution. It takes a good 40 minutes of the movie's 75 minute running time before much of anything happens. And when stuff finally DOES begin to happen (amazonian and rubber alligator attacks, quicksand, etc.), it really isn't that interesting.

Although the actors aren't bad (for the most part), the characters' actions are questionable and the dialogue is thoroughly inane. (Sample: As the movie begins a telephone rings, and John Ireland exclaims: "That could be the phone!" Duh.) The hypnotic Carol Ohmart spent her too-brief Hollywood career playing an assortment of ballsy, larger-than-life characters, but she's totally wasted here playing what starts out seeming like an interesting part which immediately degenerates into a stock '60s woman-in-peril role. Similarly, western great Ireland has virtually nothing to do but skulk looking badly constipated. I find it baffling that either actor agreed to appear in this movie.

The one thing the film does have going for it is the location. I dunno whether or not it was actually filmed in Caxambu, but there is a great jungle locale that made for some nice visual compositions. Unfortunately, that's not enough to make up for the rest of the movie's shortcomings. Also the ending isn't bad, but it's abrupt and you can see the twist coming from a mile away.

Bottom line: It's only worth seeking out this rarity if you're a hardcore fan of the actors. And even then it's not really worth amazon/ebay reseller prices for the long out of print VHS.

Mutiny In The South Seas (1965)

1965 - Mutiny In The South Seas (Metheus Film/Société Nouvelle de Cinématographie [SNC]/Aragon Brothers [a possible Filipino company])

[A West German-Italian co-production shot in the Philippines, original title “Die Letzten Drei Der Albatros; also released in France as “Aventure à Manille” and “L’Aventure Vient de Manille”, in Italy as “La Morte Viene Da Manila” and in Greece as “Kolasmenoi Ton Notion Thalasson”]

Director Wolfgang Becker Writer Werner P. Zibaso Producer Wolf C. Hartwig Cinematography Rolf Kästel Music Francesco De Masi Editor Herbert Taschner Assistant Director Eberhard Schroeder Camera Operator Klaus Werner

Cast Joachim Hansen (Lieutenant Hannes Carstens), Gisella Arden [listed in Italian credits as “Kim Arden”] (Lieutenant Dany Wilkinson), Harald Juhnke (Kuddel Lehmann), Horst Niendorf (Walter Pitters), Alfredo Varelli [listed in the Italian credits as “Fred Warell”] (Witch Doctor Namu), Jacques Bézard (Chick), Philippe Guégan (Kaminsky), Eva “Montez”/Montes (Mona), Lucita “Sorriano”/Soriano, Lilly Oliveros, Frank Fielding, Horst Frank (Sven Broderson)

Ambush Bay* (1966)

1966 – Ambush Bay (Courageous Films/United Artists)

[Released in West Germany and Austria as “Verrat In Der Bucht”, in Spain as “Emboscada En La Bahía”, in France as “La Baie Du Guet-Apens”, in Italy as “Marines: Sangue e Gloria”, and in Finland as “Väijytysten Lahti”]

Director Ron Winston Writers Marve Feinberg, Ib Melchior Producer Hal Klein Executive Producer Aubrey Schenck Cinematography Emmanuel I. Rojas Music Richard LaSalle Editor John F. Schreyer Makeup Artist Charles Blackman Production Manager Vicente Nayve Assistant Director E. Read Killgore Sound Effects Editor Del Harris Sound Mixer Burdick S. Trask Special Effects Charles Schulthies Head Grip Bud Gaunt Music Editor Edna Bullock Score Mixer Dan Wallin Technical Advisor Lt. Col. Clement J. Sadler USMC

Cast Hugh O'Brian (1st Sgt. Steve Corey), Mickey Rooney (Gunnery Sgt. Ernest Wartell), James Mitchum (Pfc. James Grenier), Peter Masterson (Platoon Sgt. William Maccone), Harry Lauter (Cpl. Alvin Ross), Gregg Amsterdam (Cpl. Stanley Parrish), Jim Anauo (Pfc. Henry Reynolds), Tony Smith (Pvt. George George), Clem Stadler (Capt. Alonzo Davis), Amado Abello (Manuel Amado), Juris Sulit (Midori), Max Quismundo (Max), Bruno Punzalan (Ramon), Tisa Chang (Miyazaki), Buff Fernandez (Lt. Tokuzo), Joaquin Fajardo (Capt. Koyamatsu), Limbo Lagdameo (Japanese man), Nonong Arceo (Japanese soldier)

Ben Cressy’s review from his Sgt Slaughter Goes To War website:

“Ambush Bay” is the poster-child of how to make a World War II film based solely on clichés. This said, the result is a very entertaining but always paper-thin look at espionage in the Pacific Theater.

Four days before General MacArthur’s invasion fleet is slated to return to the Philippines, a squad of Marines is dropped on Mindanao with a risky assignment: penetrate enemy-held territory and contact a spy named Miyazaki who operates out of a heavily-guarded Japanese rest camp. They spy has information vital to MacArthur’s intelligence department. The Marines are all experts in the field of killing, except for Pfc. Grenier (Jim Mitchum, “Leathernecks”), a PBY radio man who was assigned to the team at the last minute when the original radio operator got sick. Grenier doesn’t hit it off with the veterans, especially the macho Sgt. Corey (Hugh O’Brian, “In Harm’s Way”) who winds up in charge of the mission when the Captain (Clem Stadler) becomes a casualty.

The piece is cliché-ridden from start to finish – in what movie have we not seen the characters, setting or mission before? Ron Winston handles every bit of this nonsense seriously – so seriously, in fact, that despite the flaws, it’s very easy to enjoy this movie, even in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way. O’Brian gives a passionate performance, even if his character is anything but original and personal. His Sergeant is virtually a superhero, as Sgt. Wartell (Mickey Rooney!) reveals to Grenier by describing a series of Corey’s early battle exploits on Guadalcanal and Tarawa. Rooney looks to be thoroughly enjoying himself as he scales cliffs and mows down Japanese infantry by the dozen, although he looks way too old and simultaneously boyish to be a believable career marine.

Although he gets third billing, Mitchum’s is the most developed and believable character. He’s a person any viewer can relate to: thrown into a situation beyond his control, Grenier is forced to adapt to ever-changing conditions – and fast – because his life may depend on it. He wants to do his job well, but doesn’t have any natural talent, and therefore his peers look down on him with utter contempt. His performance never strikes a false note, and he even gets to lapse into some voice-overs to keep things fresh.

The on-location photography is stunning from beginning to end. Had this film not been shot in the Philippines, any credibility would have been totally lost. The exteriors are appropriately lush and beautiful. Winston and cinematographer Emmanuel L. Rojas don’t just take us into the steamy jungles; we get to venture into rice patties, across streams and down rushing, crystal clear blue rivers. I absolutely hate it when producers try to make ridiculous locations like North American forests (“The Green Berets”) or rocky plains of Spain (“The Thin Red Line”) pass for Asian or South Pacific jungles. The technique just doesn’t work. Kudos to Winston for choosing to shoot this film in the actual locations it is said to have occurred at.

Although the movie runs nearly 2 hours, the time flies by. The pace is kept fluid in two ways. The characters are constantly on the go. The only reason they stop is rest, and we’re treated to discussion revealing something of their character. For example, we don’t get to know Corey as a person until late in the film when he develops a relationship with Tisa Chang’s character. When the men aren’t hiking or resting, they’re engaged in some sort of combat with the enemy – patrols, tanks and indigenous cannibals constantly hamper their progress. Winston doesn’t dwell on the supporting cast at all: most of them are non-essential characters that he kills off in a few early encounters with the enemy. We constantly ask ourselves “Who is going to get killed next?” This curiosity keeps us engaged right up until the climactic battle inside a fortified Japanese radio installation.

All of that said, it’s necessary to point out several technical flaws which make the proceedings difficult to take seriously. The members of the squad are introduced as crack masters in the art of warfare, but by the half-way point, almost all of them have been killed by your average Japanese draftee - and usually for stupid reasons. The special effects are very below par, even for a low-budget film from 1966. One encounter with a Japanese tank is packed with some most ridiculous elements – including two of the least believable explosions ever caught on film. (It’s also impossible to overlook the fact that later on in the film, Corey, Grenier and Miyazaki take a breather at the exact same outdoor location that the Marines were engaged in a firefight near the beginning of the movie). The rubbery, funky camouflage uniforms and ridiculous baseball-style caps look like something a Green Beret or Navy SEAL might have worn in the 1960s, but are totally out of place in a World War II movie. Wartell’s encounter with a Japanese patrol involving “Baked potatoes” has got to be one of the corniest “stupid typical bad guy” scenes ever. And, finally, when the movie reaches its climax – first of all, how lucky can our heroes get? The way they manage to break into the Japanese fortress is unbelievable, and the amount of bullets Corey takes while blasting at hordes of enemy troops with a machine gun is ludicrous.

Perhaps it’s the unbelievable, overstated corny parts of “Ambush Bay” that make it such an entertaining film; or maybe it’s more serious, sincere performances of Mitchum and O’Brian that make it stand out from the deluge of “jungle patrol” stories out there. Whatever the reason, it’s thoroughly enjoyable has been a perennial favorite of mine since the days of the now-forgotten TNT Memorial Day Marathons. Now that it’s available on DVD, a whole new audience may have opened up.

Mark R. Hasan’s review from the KQEK website:

Executive producer Aubrey Schenck seems to have dusted off the plot of his shorter (and superior) 1954 WWII war flick, "Beachhead," with some tweaking by writers Marve Feinberg, and Ib Melchior (best known for the sci-fi classics "Angry Red Planet," "Robin Crusoe on Mars," and "Planet of the Vampires"). Add veteran TV director Ron Winston and gorgeous Phillippine locations to the stew, and you have a watchable B-movie that manages to entertain in spite of an unnecessarily protracted final act.

Winston's forays into feature films were limited to a tight quartet - of which " Ambush Bay " was his debut - but the prolific TV director had already handled diverse material in shows like "East Side, West Side " and zippy action vignettes in the cult classic series "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." "Ambush" moves well, and in spite of some seriously inconsistent day-for-night photography, the scenes are well integrated with the jungle locales.

MGM's transfer is taken from a very crisp print, and the original mono mix is fairly standard, showcasing the orchestral score by legendary hack composer Richard LaSalles (shamefully imitating music from "Bridge on the River Kwai," and "Mutiny on the Bounty").

Producer Schenck boosted the film's marquee value by adding Hugh O'Brien from the popular Fifties series "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp," former child-star Mickey Rooney, and James (son of Robert) Mitchum. Neither three have much to work with, but play their familiar archetypes well. Director Winston got better material the following year with "Banning," and directed episodes of "McMillan and Wife" before his death in 1973.

Dennis Schwartz’s review from Ozus’ World Movie Reviews website:

Veteran TV director Ron Winston ("The Gamblers"), in his feature film debut, helms this action-packed but thin WWII drama. It's written by Marve Feinberg and Ib Melchior in a no-nonsense taut way, following along the lines of the 1954 Beachhead (but not as good!). It tells of a special reconnaissance unit of nine U.S. marines in October of 1944 who are on a secret mission in the Philippines (filmed on location in the Philippines) in which they have 96 hours to locate a Japanese-American girl, Miyazaki (Tisa Chang), who has information for General MacArthur's planned invasion of the Japanese-occupied island.

When their leader Capt. Alonzo Davis (Clem Stadler, Lt. Colonel military adviser for pic) is killed, the hard-nosed Sergeant Corey (Hugh O’Brian, a former drill instructor in the marines) takes command. The patrol must fight their way through the jungle and only a handful survive when they reach their destination and rescue Miyazaki from enemy captivity. She tells them the enemy has learned of MacArthur's planned invasion route and have mined the bay he will use. The patrol's radio has been destroyed, so they can't communicate this valuable intelligence.

Sergeant Wartel (Mickey Rooney) plays the hero and stays behind to keep the enemy occupied, at the cost of his own life, as Corey and Pfc. Grenier (Jim Mitchum, Bob's son), set out with Miyazaki to detonate the mines. Miyazaki will sacrifice her life to save her rescuers and though Grenier, the only inexperienced member of the marine patrol, is the sole survivor, the mission is deemed a success. It ends with the MacArthur radio broadcast: "People of the Philippines, I have returned."

It's entertaining, especially for those action freaks and those not minding propaganda films about how war is a chance to prove one's manhood.

W.I.A. (Wounded In Action) (1966)

1966 - W.I.A. (Wounded In Action) (Myriad Productions)

Director/Writer Irving Sunasky Producers Irving Sunasky, Samuel Zerinsky Associate Producer Leopoldo Salcedo Cinematography Enrique Rogales Music Polding Silos [as Leopold Silos] Editor Gregorio Carraballo [IMDB also lists Fred von Bernewitz]

Cast Steven Marlo (Private Joe Goodman), Maura McGiveney (Lieutenant Marietta Dodd), Leopoldo Salcedo (Major Armando De Leon), Mary Humphrey (Lieutenant Joan Marsh), Albert Quinton (Major Slater), Victor Izay (Sergeant Roman), Bella Flores (Carmen), John Horn (Corporal Bliss), Pete Duel (Private Myers), Joe Sison (Sanchez), Brennan Wood (Captain Ed Bill), Romy Brion (Ruther)

Synopsis (from the AFI Catalog): In the Philippines during World War 2, US and Filipino soldiers who have been wounded in action against the invading Japanese are taken to a military evacuation hospital. One patient, Filipino Major Armando de Leon, nearly begins an affair with Nurse Joan Marsh but she is transferred from the hospital. US Private Joe Goodman also falls in love with a nurse, Marietta Dodd, but he is returned to the United States when the officers learn of their romance. Before he leaves, however, Joe pledges to marry Marietta when they can be reunited.

Escape To Mindanao (1968)

1968 - Escape To Mindanao (Universal [TV])

Director Don McDougall Story Orville H. Hampton Teleplay Harold Livingston Producer Jack Leewood Cinematography Ray Flin Music Lyn Murray Editor Richard G. Wray Editorial Supervisor Richard Belding Sound Tommy Santos Art Director Napoleon Enriquez Production Managers Nilo Saez, Roberto Mariano Assistant Director Nick Miranda Special Effects Silvane Balicas Color Coordinator Robert Brower Music Supervisor Stanley Wilson Costume Designer Grady Hunt Wardrobe Alice Garcia Makeup Pat de Lara Production Coordinator Ronald Remy

Cast George Maharis (Joe Walden), Nehemiah Persoff (Captain Kramer), James Shigeta (Liutenant Takahashi), Ronald Remy (Lieutenant Parang), Willi Koopman (Anne Kramer), Vic Diaz (Sokuri), Eddie Arenas (Captain Aquino), Gil de Leon (Zairin), Andres Centenera (Viray), Vic Uematsu (Sergeant Major)

The Surabaya Conspiracy (1969)

1969 – The Surabaya Conspiracy (Meyers Productions/American National Enterprises)

[Also released in US cinemas as “Stoney”, in Italian cinemas as “Fino Allo Spasimo” and on Danish VHS as “Deadly Game”. IMDB lists the US TV title as “The Gold Seekers”, unconfirmed]

Director/Producer Wray Davis Screenplay Walter Anton White Based on the novel “Surabaya” by James M. Fox Executive Producers Hal Meyers, Eric Biedermann Cinematography Jules Brenner Music Charles Bernstein Editor James Decker Production Supervisor Vicente Nayve Art Director Francisco Balague Sound Levy Principe Special Sequences Cinematography William Hines Gaffer Al York

Cast “Mike”/Michael Preston (Steven Blessing), Barbara Bouchet (Irene Stone), Michael Rennie (Harvey Ward), Richard Jaeckel (Dirk), Leopoldo Salcedo (High Commissioner Suwono), Pancho Magalona (Captain Haryan), Vic Diaz (Ah Song), Paraluman (Margaret Suwono), Tony Dungan (Colonel Natursian), Vance Skarstedt (Chuck), Gerald Hardig (Jerry), Hernan Robles (Native Messenger), Andres Centenera (Van Randwyck), Bobbi Greenwood (Joan), Frank Pearson (Vern), Ernest Rohoten (Mel), Burt Raymond (Goldwell), Don Wright (Barnett), Clifford Romack (Doctor), Wolfhart Gaush (Mr Cowan), Jesse (Taxi Driver), Karl Heinrich Meyer (Irene’s Friend), Paquito Fajardo (Japanese Victim), Nick Miranda (Hotel Clerk), Jerry Reyes (Mandur), Narciso Inoncillo (Aide de Camp), Paquito Bebitez (Aide de Camp), Carlos Solano (Civilian Aide), Armando Lucero (Ah Song’s Man), Rod Francisco (Ah Song’s Man), Domingo Mendoza (Ah Song’s Man), Tina Adriano (Princess Hegoro?), Boy Ledesma (Prince Hegoro?), Atilano Corpus (General Susho), PMP Commandos, Lucky Nine Stuntmen

Ethan (1964)

1964 - Ethan (Nemours Productions)

Director/Producer Michael Du Pont Story/Screenplay Lea Kim Associate Producer Ferde Grofé Jr Cinematography “Emanuel”/Emmanuel I. Rojas Music Paul Glass Editor George Reys Associate Director? Ricardo Velazquez Camera Operator Vicente Sempio Assistant Editor? Fred Buensuceso Makeup Andrea Manahan Post-Production Supervisor Lee Osborne Gaffer Sylvestry Larrianga Orchestra Manager Martin J. Berman Flute Arthur Gleghorn Trombone Lloyd Ulyate Oboe Bert Gassman Piano Pearl Kaufman Clarinet Mitchell Lurie Violin Henri Temianka Bassoon Norman Herzburg Viola Milton Thomas French Horn James Decker Cello Raphael Kramer Trumpet Charles Brady String Bass Meyer Rubin Saxophone Buddy Collette

Cast Robert Sampson (Ethan), Eddie Infante, Joseph de Cordova, Rosa Rosal, Jennings Sturgeon (Carlos), Vicente Liwanag (Jose), Rod “Navaro”/Navarro (The Doctor), Bruno Punzalan (Alli), Henry Duval (First Thug), J.C. Sturgeon (Carding), Yvonne Nielson (The Singer), George Torres (The Moro)

Chris Koenig’s review on the Yuku forum:

About a year ago, I came across an extremely obscure film on VHS called "Ethan" made in 1964 by producer-director Michael du Pont and filmed on location in the Philippines, yet is an American production. It's a drama-exploitation film about a Catholic priest in a small Muslim town who is seduced by a woman and is almost killed by her father, resulting in the priest to abandon the Church and go off to find "himself". Honestly my plot description doesn't do the film any justice, but I do feel it is a very good film that contains a great music score and honest performances. What makes this film very interesting is some of the cast and crew: playing the woman is Rosa Rosal, who started out in early 40s Philippine cinema and still does small roles, but is heavily involved in the Philippine National Red Cross (check imdb.com for her achievements...very impressive), "Blood Island" regular Bruno Punzalan plays the woman's father, cinematographer Emmanuel Rojas worked with the legendary Geraldo de Leon. Perhaps the most interesting performer is Robert Sampson who plays the priest; Sampson is best remembered for playing the father in The Twilight Zone classic 'Little Girl Lost' and playing Dean Halsey in Stuart Gordon's "Re-Animator" (1985). Despite having a wide variety of TV and movie credits, "Ethan" is Sampson's one-and-only starring role and is quite good in the film.

The info on "Ethan" is very limited; the imdb.com even has two listings for it, one in 1964 and the other 1971. The end credits reveal a copyright date of 1964, so it's quite possible that it had a very scattered release. Its early VHS release came about in the early 90s when Genesis Home Video put it out. As with most of Genesis' releases, the picture transfer quality leaves a lot to be desired: "Ethan" was filmed in the 2.35:1 Techniscope-Technicolor format and thus the image is very badly panned-scanned. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the film so much that I decided to seek out info on it. I was able to get in touch with Ferde Grofe Jr., who was the associate producer on the film. He has been very helpful in giving me what info he has on the film. I'm also trying to get in touch with the producer-director Michael du Pont, as according to Ferde he is the one who owns the rights. So far, it's been a bit difficult to get in touch with Michael so that might take a while. Then, I was able to speak with the music composer Paul Glass two months ago and told me what he knew about the film. Now teaching in Switzerland, Paul did music for such films as "Lady in a Cage", "Bunny Lake is Missing" and "Overlord".

As for trying to get somebody interested in looking into the film, let me restate that. I've been trying to get a DVD company like Severin Films to take note of this, as I feel it's up there alley and I do have some info on it. I do know where a 35mm and 16mm print resides at as well. All that needs to be figured out is if Michael still owns the rights and if any other film elements like a negative is stored. But so far, despite sending e-mails to Severin suggesting this title and willing to help them out, no responses making me wonder if they are taking me seriously or not...or if they are interested...who knows? I've also e-mailed Marc Morris at his Nucleus Films website - he updates Severin's website from time to time - asking if he could pass this along to the Severin crew and so far no response. I've been considering suggesting this title to either Mondo Macabro or Code Red, but still unsure if this film is up their alley or not (Mondo Macabro possibly, Code Red maybe). I've even e-mailed Michael Felsher at Red Shirt Pictures to see if he could lend a hand in finding out who owns the rights, etc...so far, no response. However, because I'm a newbie at this field, maybe they have some doubt on my "legitimacy" and I don't blame them. But I must state that I'm not doing this for money; I'm doing this because I'm a movie-fan and I feel "Ethan" is a good film and I want to see it get a better release than what it had! But until then, who knows where this might lead...

The Omegans (1967)

1967 - The Omegans (Merit Productions Inc)

Producer/Director W. Lee Wilder Screenplay Waldon Wheeland Cinematography Herbert V. Theis Music Albert Elms Editor Anthony Lawson Special Effects Francis Rodker Assistant Director Francisco McLane Production Manager Vicente Nayve Sound Recordist Levy Principe Continuity Mary Abelardo Set Operation Francisco Balangue, Constantino Garcia Property Master Eduardo Urbano Wardrobe Vicente Cabrera Makeup Remy Amazan Hair Stylist Josephine Moreno

Cast Keith Larsen (Chuck), Ingrid Pitt (Linda), Lucien Pan (Valdemar), Bruno Punzalan (Oki), Joaquin Fajardo (Tumba), John Yench (McAvoy), Jeorge Santos (Clerk), Joseph De Cordova (Dr Salani), Lina Inigo (Singer)

Review from the Internet Movie Database:

This particularly low budget Willy Wilder Filipino feature casts Hammer horror star-to-be Ingrid Pitt as an unfaithful wife to Lucien Pan, who has to be the ugliest actor imaginable (so who could blame Ingrid for wanting to conspire against him with handsome co-star Keith Larssen)? At the core of this wildly bizarre quasi-sci-fi melodrama is the old-standard plot involving the cuckolded husband who discovers his unfaithful wife and her lover (his friend) are out to do him in -- and who eventually turns the tables on them. It's a very queer, campy film with a broadly hip score -- music which reinforces the kookiness of it all. Most theatergoers will be appalled by the film, but those able to keep tongue-in-cheek and are fans of the independent oddballs of the cinema may embrace "The Omegans" (though chuckling will be heard, no doubt). The Omegans themselves are a bit of a red herring, the real "demon" here being the tainted water that Pitt and Larssen are fooled to drink and bathe in (which ultimately poisons them). It should be noted that for actress Ingrid Pitt this film curiously forshadows her participation in Hammer's "Countess Dracula" (in which she portrays the true-life countess Elzbet Bathori who, among other atrocities, bathed in the blood of virgin girls presuming it to have the effect of restoring youth and beauty).

Here in "The Omegans" Pitt takes countless baths in the poisoned water, and age-makeup is used extensively grows more ill; in "Countess Dracula" Pitt would be taking baths and wearing age makeup again. A pattern? A stretch? Probably a weird coincidence...If the sci-fi element and exotic locations were removed from this film (along with Lucien Pan's horrid acting) one wonders whether the film's core plot element would have fared better against a more mundane background. That thought posed, it's only fair to say that the Philippine locations are easy on the eye, and while the film is clearly a misfire on practically all levels, it still entertains greatly on the due to its camp and mere obscurity. Look for some wacky scientists who seem more like dirty old men...Keith Larssen's costumes border on the "hello, sailor" type, and Lucien Pan's Filipino sidekick steals the show whenever he's around. One moment sticks out in my mind as being genuinely "good": having had her mirrors all smashed or removed, Pitt can not tell she is turning hideously ugly as the poisoned water does its trick and sits at the river's edge trying to see her visage in the moving water (to no avail). It's a clever touch (one of several), and touching at the same time (one develops pity for the character who first conspired to kill but now is the victim). One can only wish it were better, but it's fun for being as weird as it is!

Review from the Delirious Film website:

Safari guide Chuck looses snake (threat/mistrust of mediator to primal unconscious) on aging artist Valdemar (thwarted by traditional artist’s ally the self against Self) painting young wife Linda (fatal attraction to Beauty), capturing it restraining own phallic impatience (in oedipal affair w/ Linda [Val’s unfaithful muse], who "likes him but loves what Val stands for": guiding force split btwn attraction to world and vision + refinement); cut to Chuck’s business dinner w/ scientist-explorers (logical counterpart to artist Val w/ similarly questing bent) McAvoy + Salani (Yank + Kuala Lumpuri unison of consciousness + unconscious), latter recognizing Val from earlier association (he connection to primal memory) all joining in to journey to "forbidden waters" (oedipal rivalry for Chuck, uncharted psychic terrain for Val + occult knowledge for Mac + Sal) of the Black River (à la snake in grass: thanatos + enmity, water blood in similar arteries).

At END OF ROAD (conscious path [as dir’s career]), Valdemar’s headaches gone (sleep relaxing burden of consciousness), he waking in night to find Linda gone (END also of illusions about + need for her) + "fainted" in Chuck’s arms outside (he emerging from dark into light/awareness, fooled only for nonce); crew makes camp next day (repetitious mvmt à la Wilder’s Snow Creature, whose emergence similar to Val’s above) at waterfall crest of River (Fall also of man into Experience + corruption), which guide Tumba sez is cursed (Original Sin tainting blood, poison in water à la venom in snake), he falling victim (while filling canteen Chuck means for Val, T innocence perishing on oedipal drive) to blue light in water (deadly sperm à la opening snake in grass: man’s creative potential gone bad).

Drs McAvoy + Salani’s Geiger counter most active at falls (locus of psychic activity), where they see darting albinoid figures in brush (title race, primitive Origin similar END OF ROAD for civilized man undone by own instinctual passions), entourage packing after cremating Tumba (return to consciousness on disposal of subconscious link + readying descent to new psychic level on transcending physical self); back home (previous action predisposing material [in primal jungle] forming basis for dream to follow), Valdemar receives telegram (message from dreaming superego, aka Drew Gallery in Chicago – storehouse of unconscious images) commissioning new canvas (dream fodder) + he decides to return to waterfall (poisonous spring of creativity, which he left just as getting ready to paint: indie dir’s 8-yr absence from screen, Linda affirming he "turned out best work away from the studio" tho he worries it "just dsn’t seem to come off right").

Invited by Dr Salani to lab to view experiment (region of consciousness where particular mental process taking place), witnesses thirsty lab rat (lovers’ greed + own lowly impulsive self) drinking "forbidden" Black River water (illicit temptations), Chuck stopping by to shake Sal’s hand (he also having imbibed + driven to want more: addictive effect of transgression) + leaving phosphorescent residue (inevitable trail of evidence), Sal theorizing "Fountain of Youth" (Valdemar’s attraction to Linda atavistic desire for own idealized mother-origin: cf again dir’s late return to former inconstant muse).

At niteclub (internal location of unconscious revelry, similar to lab), notices glowing hand print on Linda’s back (intimation of carnal interest in exalted – + apparently untouched by him – ideal) + orders double whiskey (sudden thirst à la rat/Chuck’s, continuing need to inebriate self concurrent w/ quest for deeper knowledge: 1 + same in dream), thereafter tailing her to Chuck’s hotel (desire for primal scene [child’s witnessing of in flagrante parents recognition of own independence from Family Romance]), where he buys revolver (acquiring own phallus, coincidental w/ gaining knowledge traditional equation of phallus w/ consciousness) but declines to use it (overhearing scheme [on developmental stairway] use enough, gun instrument of awareness); back at lab (un/conscious quarters where he processes new info), observes glowing rat (own luminescent animal-self, having witnessed p-scene) + has martini, also drinking at home while grilling Linda (drink also illuminating her carnality) + determining to commercialize talent (now aware of own vulgarity: "Good or bad, give people what they want, so long as they pay the price for it" also message to Linda, Chuck + self concerning wages of sin).

Rat evaporates on death (contra Shakespeare’s "evil men do": dreamer’s transcendence of physical plane, phenomenon fantasy-replay of Tumba’s similar cremation), result of "omega" radiation (projecting self-terminality, film last in 64-yr-old dir’s 2-decade career) Salani guesses natives built up immunity twd (conjunction of primal + final ambiguity + satisfaction w/ nature-based "primitivism" reason for longevity [à la dir]), he + partner heading home now (psychic investigative work finished, they retired from consciousness) + Valdemar ditching gun on own way home (dismissing consc’ss again: work now to let "nature" take its course); new expedition (this time guided by "man" Oki vs Chuck’s condescending "boy" Tumba: maturation w/i consc’ss) back to Black River, where Val has Chuck take Linda out on raft (directing scene à la dir, film Wilder’s method of exorcising animus – by indulging it) under waterfall (poisonous quality of own anti-fertilization, depleting rather than fecundating).

At riverside assignation, Linda met this time by glowing native (emerging, again, à la Valdemar/Snow Creature, V having transferred i.d. completely to base primitive) + carried away (parody of erotic fulfillment) while Chuck subdues Oki w/ whiskey (by campfire, à la earlier Tumba: deteriorating mind in reiterative mode, "fire water" this time stopping short of killing – no defeating unconscious now) + Val initiates search (concurrent desire to bring to consciousness; not primal scene this time but anima abducted by lower urges), Chuck finding her inexplicably abandoned (point not in loss but absconding: illustrating inner, psychic activity); lovers continue degenerating (loss of ability to unite masculine + feminine qualities [Chuck physically removed, on mission for supplies] i.e. commercial + artistic and un/conscious, Linda/Ingrid Pitt’s deterioration foretelling later Countess Dracula), Val refusing Linda her makeup case (determination to see unvarnished truth, valise à la artist’s oil kit [film similarly becoming more compelling as dir drops cinematic niceties + lets venom work thru]) + breaking mirror (distancing from reality: truth internal, not ex-), wife unmasking painting (allowed only to see his interpretation of her: sole reality in dream, art seemingly engendering her decline) + shrieking Dorian-Gray moment of self-revelation.

Oki shoots disfigured, returning Chuck, who accidentally shoots Linda (apocalyptic mind collapsing on self as characters/archetypes revealed for what they are [luminescent deaths; cf similar conclusion to dir’s ‘51 Phantom from Space]) + Valdemar slashes canvas (film collapsing on self as well: graphic depiction of dir cashing in chips in terminal production) while entourage watches (witnessing barbarous Western Man’s self-immolation [Herzog-like commentary on imperialism à la similarly covetous Chuck sending Tumba to his death then eating his dinner] mind observing own disintegration, dissolving bodies dreamer’s physical connection to world), camera zooming in on mournful Oki (uncorrupted soul of film) just before he disappears into bush w/ fellowmen (return of spirit to nature, film also senior-aged filmmaker’s document of own purifying dissolution + demise; cf ending to Wilder’s ‘56 Manfish, Phantom + Pretender, gathering of witnesses key also to Killers from Space awa Fright conclusions), leaving artist isolated + ruined, nature triumphant, at night + in middle of jungle – what an end to a career!

Michael Weldon review in Weldon (ed), The Psychotronic Encyclopedia Of Film, New York, Ballantine Books, 1983, p.529

An extremely obscure horror/science-fiction film. A strange tribe is immune to radioactive water that causes disfigurement and life after death. An artist makes his wife and her lover pose in the water. It stars horror queen Ingrid Pitt and Keith Larsen.