1980 – Force Of The Shaolin Boxer(Twin Dragon Films)
[Philippines
release date 25th April 1980, original title "Pedrong
Palaka"/"Pedro The Frog"; released internationally by Cinex
Films/F. Puzon Film Enterprises Inc, listed on the Greek VHS cover as
"Forge Of Shaolin Boxer"]
TAGALOG VERSION CREDITS: Director “Reginald King”/Rey
Malonzo Producer [uncredited] Rey Malonzo Cinematography Ver Dauz Music Snafu
Rigor Editor Joe Mendoza Sound Effects Editors “Jhun”/Jun Cabrales, Rudy
Cabrales Sound Supervisor Rolly Ruta Assistant Editors Rogelio Betez, Bonnie de
Guzman
Cast Rey Malonzo (Pedrong Palaka [export version: Pei
Fong]), Boy Fernandez, John Chan (export version: Cobra Po Chan), Christina
Diaz, Don Pepot (export version: Lee Wong), Katherine Santos, Danny Rojo
(Cobra's Fighter), Dante Javier
EXPORT VERSION CREDITS: Director "Reymond"/Rey
Malonzo Cinematography Ver Dauz Music Snafu Rigor Editor Joe Mendoza Sound
Effects Editors “Jhun”/Jun Cabrales, Rudy Cabrales Sound Supervisor Rolly Ruta
Assistant Editors Rogelio Betez, Bonnie de Guzman
Cast “Reginald King”/Rey Malonzo, Johnny Leoncio, Arthur
Simon, Sandra Dee, Sheryl Monario?, Dante Javier
THE PINOY BRUCE LEES: TROVADOR RAMOS Philippines filmography (incomplete)
1974 – Red Belt Master(Gerald Productions)
[Release date 24th June 1974]
Directors Carlos O. Manalastas, Angel Labra Story/Screenplay Jerry O. Tirazona
Cast Trovador Ramos, Rommell Valdez, Gina Pareno, Paquito Diaz, Charlie Davao, Perry Baltazar, Max Alvarado, Protacio Dee, Johnny Vicar, Ernie Ortega, Robert Rivera, Ruben Ramos, Sancho Tesalona, Jun Santos, Pong Pong, SOS Daredevils, PMP [Stuntmen], PIS [Stuntmen], Tracma Boys, Pepe Cruz, Rey Javier, Jim de Leon
1975 – Sandugo: Fury Of The Blood Brothers (Dynasty Films)
[Release date 7th February 1975]
Directors Manuel “Fyke” Cinco, Maning Songco Screenplay A. Buenaventura, R Rustia Cinematography Edmund Cucupin Music Ernani Cuenco
Cast Ramon Zamora, Pilar Pilapil, Trovador Ramos, Paquito Diaz, Aline Samson, Tsing Tong Tsai, Eva Linda, Teroy de Guzman, Tange, Tobert Talabis, Danny Rojo, Rey Javier, Bruno Punzalan, Roderick Paulate, Virginia Montes, Marilou Ver, Mercy Oria, Elizabeth Cruz
1976 - Shaolin Master (Luis San Juan Productions)
[Release date 5th November 1976; exported to Hong Kong, on-screen title “The Shaolin Masters”]
[Release date 5th November 1976; exported to Hong Kong, on-screen title “The Shaolin Masters”]
Directors Luis San Juan, Ronaldo P. San Juan Story/Screenplay/2nd Assistant Director Ben Peralta Producer Benny Manalo Executive Producer Florencia P. San Juan Cinematography Joe Tutanes Music Carlos Rodriguez Editors Jose Mendoza, Joe Solo Supervising Editor Edgardo “Boy” Vinarao [as Boy Vinarao] Trovador Ramos’ Fight Instructors Rey Ognita, Rudy Evangelista Rey Malonzo’s Routines Rey Malonzo, Larry Esguerra Production Manager Baby San Juan 1st Assistant Director Renato L. Villapando Publicity Director Sol Antipala Sales Manager Ella San Juan Manalo Assistant Editors Rafael Alberto, Rene Tien Stills Roger O. Burullo Schedule Master Bong Sagul Makeup Artist Deborah Fernandez Setting Ben Cruz Sr Assistant Setting Sabino P?, Oscar Sapko? Propsman Juanito San Juan Utility Man Moises Bicol
Cast Rey Malonzo, Suzanne Gonzales, Ingrid Salas, Tange, Trovador Ramos, Nello Nayo, Marilyn Gutierrez, Roma Mercado, Penggot, Larry Esguerra, Rudy Evangelista, Chinita, Peping Mendoza, Dagul Se, Ben Peralta, Anthony “John” Kennedy, Andro Andrade, Cito? Santos, Doming Reyes, Mel Esparza, Ric Bautista, Ben Romano, Rico Fariman?, Danny Zurband?, Rey Yemus?, Henry Sapukgaw, Tito Hermosa, Teddy Vito, Pete Francisco, Willie Harris, Cristine Grace, Rose Lacuata, Marites Gonzales, Jack Montes, Gonzalo Ramirez, Jun Matagay, Tracma Consolidateo?, Arap Taipa Boys?, SOS Daredevils, Jessie “Jet” Bullido, Protacio Dee, Ben Perez, Danny Rojo, Louie Florentino, Ruben Ramos
Would-be Lee of the Philippines, Trovador Ramos, 14th Dan Red Belt: his claim to fame was training once with Bruce!
Rey Malonzo fights off three opponents on top of a jeep!
Trovador in Chinese
Rey Malonzo's part in the 30 minute finale, shot in a Cirio-friendly quarry
Rey scissors an opponents head almost clean off
Trovador faces off against a vicious knife-wielding Ruben Ramos
2003 - When Eagles Strike(Concorde-New Horizons Corp/Premiere Productions)
[Released in the Philippines as “Operation Balikatan”]
Director/Producer Cirio H. Santiago Screenplay Michael Kinney Executive Producer Roger Corman Associate Producer Sarah Esberg Cinematography Jun Daleways, Ric Remington Music Nonong Buencamino Editor Roy Stark Production Manager “J.M.”/Jose Mari Avellana Unit Director Bobby Santiago Production Manager Jun Cleofas Assistant Director Robert Rivera Assistants to the Producer Joe Zucchero, Al Gomez Art Director Manny Samaniego 2nd Unit Cameraman Pablo Bautista Assistant Camera Robert Dalawis 2nd Assistant Camera Proceso Lazaro 3rd Assistant Camera Constantino Medes Gaffer Hermogenes Romulo Production Cashier Ma. Fe A. Balderama Production Accountants Armando Lacsamana, Malotte San Juan Script Supervisor Nelia Villaflores Production Nurse Jowana Bautista Production Secretary Baby de Leon Production Assistant Abigail Patacsil Field Soundman Jojo Jacinto Special Effects Rolando Salem Fight Instructor Ronald Asinas Assistant Fight Instructors Manny Samson, Renato Morado, Larry Correa Head Makeup Teresa Villaflor Assistant Makeup Nita Camantigue Legman Jojo Basco Armorers Rolly Sto. Domingo, Tex Molinyawe Meal Checker Al Abendano Stills Nilo Odiaman Wardrobe Head Joey Tajanlangit Wardrobe Assistants Gloria Garcia, Juvy Jorolan, Ronnie Bilinario Set Dressers Erning Delina, Roland Dionisio Utility Ambo Lastimoso, Ogie Delina, Allan Abedano, Paul Forbes Film Loader Rommel Santos Clapper Rey Remias Head Electrician Tony Cruz Assistant Electrician Albert Cabiad Crew Rolando Ramoso, Jonathan Nicolas Dolly Crew Dencio Frilles, Jimmy Cruz Grip Jojo Abedano Cineforce Unit Manager Delfin Betis Caterer Lapid Catering Service Drivers Willer Bulac, Cel Fernandez, Rey Mahinay, Richard Gallega, Bello Hagtusan, Jaime Cleofas Post Production Manager Jun “Cleopas”/Cleofas Post-Production Coordinator Mario Rapinan Special Sound Effects Bert de Santos, Steve Dava Assistant Editors Ben Tala, Erwin Tala, Edmund Tugbo Sound Mixer Neel Bruan Title Design Rolly Santiago
LOS ANGELES CREWDirector Gwyneth Gibby Cinematography Henry Crum 1st Assistant Director Brian Batkin Key Grip Sunny Lee Gaffer Phil Miller Best Boy Grips Brian Christie, Kelly Price First AC Thomas Spingola 2nd AC David Lincoln Production Sound Mixer Josh Steinberg Boom Operator Mycel Stokes Script Supervisor Matt Clements Cosume Designer E. Dee Biddlecome Makeup/Special Effects Karrieanne Heisner Production Assistants Matt Conrad, Mark Messick, Witney Seibold Unit Production Manager Sarah Esberg
Cast Christian Boeving (Andrew), Nate Adams (Darren), Davee Youngblood (Tyler), Stacy Keach (General Thurmond), Jesse Vint (CIA Chief Spencer), Eddie Garcia (General Espino), Rey Malonzo (Rodrigo), Monsour Del Rosario (Ahmed), Jess Lapid Jr (Salek), Archie Adamos (Mag), Jose Mari Avellana (Ibrahim), Carlo Maceda (Dima), Nigel Hogge (Senator Barnes), Joe Zucchero (Greg), Ernie Zarate (Ramiro), James [Gregory] Paolleli (Louis), [uncredited] Patricia Javier (Teresa), “Santi”/Sanit Larrauri (Gus), Mikka Avellana (Jennifer), Robert Rivera (Killer on Motrobike), Jenor Zapanta (Anna), Orlando “Alan”/Estrada (Isagani "POW"), Brian Katkin (Military Inteligence Commander), Mel Lewis (Lieutenant Herbert)
One might be tempted to classify this movie as "ripped from the headlines" when in fact "ripped from the trash heap" would be an infinitely more accurate assessment.
Hoping to use our current state of warfare as a hot-button issue, When Eagles Strike (also known as Operation Balikatan) is just about one of the most laughably inept war movies ever produced.
Stacy Keach (the only recognizable actor in evidence and the one who looks the most humiliated about it) leads a gang of gung-ho U.S. soldiers who have to rescue a Senator who's been taken as a POW by evil Iranians...or Iraqis. As far as this movie's concerned, they're just "evil brown people" lined up to be mowed down in an endless series of Machine Gun Moments.
Words like "Al Qaeda", "Taliban" and "Bin Laden" are strewn throughout the bargain-basement banality in an effort to make the proceedings feel topical and...well, interesting. These attempts are constantly thwarted by the atrociously nonsensical dialogue, the uproariously amateurish acting performances and a meandering plot narrative that can best be described as...retarded.
And shock of all shocks: the DVD comes courtesy of Roger Corman's "New Concorde" schlock-house. Taken as a movie worthy of the Mystery Science Theater treatment (get a few drunk, chatty friends and When Eagles Strike is a certifiable hoot) you might find something of entertainment value within.
If, however, you're looking for a solid war movie, just keep on walkin'.
[Released in Australia as "Naked Fist" and in Sweden as "Kinasmällaren"; also known as "Death Machine"]
Director/Executive Producer Cirio H. Santiago Producer Syde Kechik Associate Producer Ernie Rojas Story & Screenplay Ken Metcalfe, Cirio H. Santiago Music Nonong Buencamino Editor Gervasio Santos Director of Photography Ricardo Remias [IMDB lists cinematography by Benjamin L. Lobo] Unit & Production Manager Aurelio R. Navarro Production Co-Ordinator Martin T. Sagarbarria 2nd Unit Cameramen Proceso Lazaro, Eddie Buenaflor Field Soundman Vicente Dona Associate Director Jose Mari Avellana Dialogue Coach Leo G. Martinez Art Director Ben Otico Finance Officer Roland Castro Field Cashier Bert Dizon General Manager Danilo M. Datu In Charge of Production Ed Santillan Production Accountants Pete Abulencia, Pat Benito, Lili G. Chee Assistant to Producer Mila Raymond Scriptgirl Rachel M. Leuterio
Additional Scenes: Director/Writer Allan Holzman Director of Photography Don Jones Production Manager Mark Allan Music Susan Justin, Paul Fox Stunt Co-Ordinator Ron Pohnel
Cast Jillian Kesner (Susanne Carter), Darby Hinton (Chuck Donner), Reymond King [Rey Malonzo?] (Rey), Ken Metcalfe (Erik), Peter Cooper (Pete), Don [Gordon] Bell, Carolyn Smith, Chanda Romero (Malow), Tony Ferrer (Tony), Vic Diaz (Grip), Omar Camar, Rubiah Suparman, Yasmin Yusuff, Malik Salamat
[Philippines release date 13th June 1980, original title “Hepe”]
Director J. Erastheo Navoa Story/Screenplay Manuel Ramirez Cinematography Pedro Manding Jr
Cast Nino Muhlach, Rey Malonzo [billed as “Reginald King” in the export version], Eddie Garcia, Paquito Diaz, Max Alvarado, Amy Austria, Donna Villa, Ike Lozada, German Moreno, Ed Villapol, Tsing Tong Tsai, Dexter Doria, Don Pepot, Palito, Danny Rojo, Jimmy Santos, Arturo Moran, Larry Esguerra, Paquito Salcedo, Romy Nario
1981 – Deadly Commando (Emperor Films International)
[Philippines release date 4th September 1981, also known
as "Deadly Commandos"; re-released on 29th April 1982 as “Suicide
Force”. Distributed internationally by Atlas Films, released as both “Deadly
Commando” and “Suicide Force”, on French VHS as “Ultime Commando”, on Swedish
VHS as “Dods Kommandot”, on Dutch VHS as “Raiders Of Death” and “Death Commando”and
on German VHS as “Das Selbstmord-Kommando”. A French website also lists two other
unconfirmed retitles, “Codename : Commando” and “The Savage Six”]
Directors Nick C. Casas, “S.C.”/Segundo Ramos “Dialogues”
Donald Arthur [Suicide Force credits English Dialogue/Post Production to “The
Voice Of America” Joe Ellison] Producer Prima Pascual Cinematography Danny
Bustos Music “Derek”/Demet Velasquez Editors “S.C.”/Segundo Ramos, Michael
Preiss [Suicide Force credits Ramos and H. Schulhof]
Cast Johnny Wilson (Commander-In-Chief), “George
Pallance” [real identity unknown], Vic Vargas (Captain Borbon), George
“Regan”/Estregan (Sergeant), “Ray”/Rey Malonzo, “Archer”/Ace Vergel, Rex Lapid,
“Efraim”/Efren Reyes Jr, “Boy Garcia”/Rodolfo “Boy” Garcia (Cris, aka The
Professor), Elisabeth "Rope"/Oropesa (Adora), Jimmy Santos, Freddi
Yance, Ray Tomenes, Danny Riel, Tony Tacorda, Buddy Lanusa, Elly Perez, Nestor
Brillantes, Gary Gallardo, Eliias Akcega, Henry Alducente, Joel Sandoval’s
Group, Claudia Zobel, Rowena Roxan, Marian Abrazaldo, Menchie Roldan, Danny
Amador, Matt Fullosa, George Tormida, Omar Indasan, Boy Sta. Maria, Pungay Sr,
Jimmy Margallo, Cezar Andaya, Colonel Francisco T. Jucatan, Colonel Reynaldo G.
Dilan, Captain Gregorio V. Cabatuando, Sergeant Major Victor Macatanay,
[uncredited] Philip Gamboa [other sources also credit Virginia Montes, Suzy
Garret]
Mini-review by Andrew Leavold:
Virtually indistinguishable from the hundreds of
soldiers-vs-rebels propaganda reels coming out of Marcos-era Philippines, the
seemingly blessed Deadly Commando (aka Suicide Force; dirs. Nick C. Casas &
Segundo Ramos, 1981) enjoyed a remarkable international run for a Pinoy goon
actioner, being less than a handful of local titles sold at the 1982 Manila
International Film Festival and sold for export by German company Atlas
International. A visiting “American” General is kidnapped by Muslim
separatists, and the Commander-In-Chief (Johnny Wilson) sends in Captain Borbon
(Vic Vargas) and his crack unit of black-clad commandos known as the Savage Six
(George Estregan, Rey Malonzo, Ace Vergel, Rex Lapid and Efren Reyes Jr),
recently freed from a military prison, to bring him back alive. The group are
aided by former rebel Adora (Elizabeth Oropesa) who gladly trades her freedom
fighters for the prospect of peace; not so her brother Cris, the General’s
kidnapper also known as The Professor (Rodolfo “Boy” Garcia), an uncompromising
idealist intent on a bloody and protracted war with the Philippines government.
With this and Emperor Films’ follow-up Death Raiders (also dir. Segundo Ramos,
1983) there’s plenty of action of the bland “shoot, fall down” variety,
although kung fu specialist Malonzo gets to trade chops during a bar brawl,
while Estregan, true to form, has his tongue down the throats of not one but
two bar girls! With an uncredited Phillip Gamboa as the General’s driver, and a
very early bit role for doomed bold superstar Claudia (Shame) Zobel.
A
crack unit of Amy soldiers (known as The Savage Six) are sent to rescue
a kidnapped ambassador in this surprisingly expansive Filipino war
action film, filled with stunts, gun battles and explosions. They
successfully rescue the ambassador and celebrate at a bar, where they
get into a (prerequisite) fight with a group of drunk patrons (one of
the soldiers beats up half the bar using nothing but a food plate!)
which ends with them being sent to the stockade. When an Army general
agrees to a peace talk with some opposition guerillas, he's kidnapped by
a group led by someone called the Professor (Boy Garcia). The crack
unit is sent in to rescue the general in a commando raid, but first they
must be freed from the stockade. The Professor's sister, Adora
(Elisabeth Rope), agrees to work with The Savage Six from the inside
(she's a guerilla, too, but it doesn't agree with her brothers
politics), while the commandos parachute out of a helicopter and land
behind enemy lines. The Professor is well aware of their presence and
puts his camp on alert. When the Professor refuses to listen to his
sister's plea for peace, Adora and her group join forces with The Savage
Six, but when they raid the Professor's camp, it is deserted. The
Professor then puts out word that his sister is a traitor and calls for
all the guerillas in the area to kill her and her group as well as the
Savage Six. Almost immediately, they are ambushed by the enemy and must
fight their way out of a sticky situation (and amazingly, walk away
without a single casualty). The Savage Six rescue the general in a cave,
but become trapped there when the Professor and his guerillas surround
them. The finale finds the Savage Six and Adora fighting impossible odds
to bring the general back to safety. After the Professor is killed by a
mortar round (he blows up real good) and our heroes make it to safety
(with only one casualty!), an off-screen voice tells us that the
general's mission was a success and both sides signed a peace treaty.
This
early 80's Filipino action film, directed by Nick Cacas, (FORGOTTEN
WARRIOR - 1986) and Segundo Ramos (DEATH RAIDERS - 1984), is more
political than most Philippines-made actioners (script by Donald
Arthur). This may be because some real-life Army generals and personnel
portray themselves here, as the Americans are portrayed as
understanding, willing-to-make-a-deal patriots, while the guerillas (one
of them sports a mohawk!) are depicted as trigger-happy thugs (when one
of the Professor's men suggests to him in the finale that they should
surrender, he shoots him!). While the violence isn't all that bloody
(just plenty of bullet hits, a couple of head shots and some stabbings),
the action comes fast and furious. Particularly striking is the final
scene of the film, a long shot in slow-motion of our heroes escorting
the general down a hill while it is repeatedly bombarded by shellfire.
It is a striking scene, almost poetic in it's execution. The opening
raid on the bad guy's house to free the ambassador is also a triumph of
execution, as the mansion the bad guy lives in is quite a set piece and
is not the usual choice for explosions and carnage. While the middle
portion of the film drags a little (politics, passion and pathos comes
into play at this time), it's still fun watching a cast of Filipino
pros, including Johnny Wilson, George Pallance and George Estregan
(billed here as "George Regan") playing members of the Savage Six.
Estregan, in particular, is a hoot, as he plays a ladies man who finds
time to makeout with a female guerilla in the middle of a firefight! All
three would basically reprise the same roles in Ramos' DEATH RAIDERS.
Also starring Ray (Rey) Malonzo, Vic Vargas, Archer Vergel, Jimmy
Santos, Red Lapid, Efraim Reyes Jr. and "Joel Sandoval's Group" of
stuntmen. Originally known as SUICIDE FORCE, which is somewhat of a
misnomer since only one member of the Savage Six actually dies.
1984 – Search For Vengeance(Cinex Films Inc/Twin Dragon Films/F. Puzon Film Enterprises)
[Philippines release date and original title unknown; also released as “Night Of Fire” and on French VHS as “City Warrior”]
Director “Raymond”/Rey Malonzo Music Snafu Rigor Cinematography Ver Dauz Editor Joe Mendoza Sound Rolly Ruta Sound Effects Editors Jhun Cabrales, Rudy Cabrales Assistant Editor Rogelio Betez Titles Rudy Quilatan
Cast "Reginald King"/Rey Malonzo (Vito), Charlie Davao (Bono), George Estregan, Johnny Wilson, Fred Param, Liz Allen, Anne Marie, John Reed, Ricky Moreno, [uncredited] Beth Bautista
Fred Adelman's review from the Critic Online website:
This incoherent Fillipino action film opens with one of the worst hostage dramas to hit the screen. Four thieves are caught by the police robbing a bank so they take a blabbering old woman hostage. The police shoot tear gas into the bank and one thief is shot trying to escape. Two more surrender and the last one is shot in the head by Vito, the head of the cop squad, as the thief tries to get away using the old woman as a shield. Vito and his squad get a lecture from the police chief telling them not to use their guns to kill any more. In what can be best described as the worst case of retaining information, Vito and his squad are next seen gunning down dozens of drug smugglers and then Vito shoots and kills the local mob boss' son in a bar fight. Vito is suspended from the force for not listening to the police chief. The mob boss is not so pleased losing a million dollar shipment of drugs to the police, but he's more mad about losing his son, so he vows to get revenge on Vito. He sends a package bomb to Vito's house, but it only kills Vito's wife. Now Vito vows revenge. The rest of the film is a series of shootouts and fisticuffs as Vito and the boss' gang go after each other. Vito becomes legendary and the populace consider him a modern day Robin Hood! That is, until the mob boss makes Vito look like a ruthless killer which force the people catch him and crucify him on a cross! Only an impassioned plea from Vito's young son saves him and then Vito faces the mob boss one-on-one. The mob boss has a few knives up his sleeve in his climatic battle with Vito in a graveyard.
Put your brain in neutral and be prepared to be sent on a very surreal voyage. The kind of voyage where bars play an instrumental version of Michael Jackson's "Beat It", there's an awkward martial arts fight every 10 minutes and the dialogue has to be heard to be appreciated. Director Raymond "Rey" Malonzo, who also acts in this film as Vito using the name "Reginald King" (and also directed CLASSIFIED OPERATION - 1985 [aka FIRE DRAGON]), also tries to inject sappy sentimentalism into the mix, as the scene where we are introduced to Vito's wife and son. Vito gives his son some money to go out and buy candy so he can do the down 'n dirty with his wife, only to have his son say, "Dad, I don't like candy!" I had fun counting the times the mob boss' cowardly gang would plead, "Please don't kill me!", whenever Vito would beat them in a fight. It's also filled with hilarious dubbing, such as, "Stone that son of a bitch!" and "Take him down from the cross. Relieve him from his suffering." I believe Malonzo was also trying to put some religious subtext into this film, but it gets lost among the gunshots and badly-staged fights. This film has a weird type of energy to it, such as the scene when Vito's son pleads for his father's life only to get shot in the arm by one of the boss' goons for his good deed. That alone is worth at least one viewing.
1984 - Classified Operation (Twin Dragon Films International/Cinex Films Inc)
[Philippines release date 2nd February 1984, original title “Hatulan Si…Totoy Angustia”. Export version released internationally by Cinex Films; released on French VHS as “Fire Dragon” and on West German VHS as “Dekta Terror”]
Director “Reginald King”/Rey Malonzo Story/Screenplay “Arthur Simon” [possible pseudonym for Rey Malonzo Producer Rey Malonzo Cinematography Jess Barouleo Music Snafu Rigor Editor Joe Mendoza Sound Mixer Rolly Ruta Sound EffectsEditor Jun Cabrales Production Designer Bonnie de Guzman Assistant Director “Johnny Wood” Special Effects Leoncio Mariano Script Supervisor Noel Mallonga Production Manager Johnny Leoncio Assistant Editor Vergilio Betez
Cast “Raymond”/Rey Malonzo (Ramon), “Mariane Reeves”/Marianne de la Riva, George “St. Regan”/Estregan (Commander Falcon), Maxie Dudale, Jose “Romulus”/Romulo, Conrad Poe, Robert Miller, Andrew Tsien, Karren Joy, Fred Param, [uncredited in export version] Max Alvarado [other sources also list Melissa Mendez]
Fred Adelman's review from the Critic Online website:
Another outrageous actioner as only the Filippinos can make them. After a successful raid on a jungle hideout where Ramon (Rey Malonzo starring as "Raymond Malonzo") and his Army cohorts save women hostages and kill all the guerrillas (including Ramon's amazing acrobatic backflip off the side of a cliff where he shoots the head guerrilla square in the face while in midair!), Ramon is called to be by his mother's side in the hospital. Before she dies, she makes Ramon promise to quit the Army. Torn about his promise, Ramon decides to take his wife and son on a vacation to visit his old hometown and his Uncle Jose. As soon as they get into town, Ramon gets into a fight with a bunch of street thugs, simply for asking directions. Ramon soon discovers that his old hometown is now under the strict rule of Cmdr. Falcon (George Estregan as "George St. Reagan"). Every family must pay their "taxes" (which include their virgin daughters for sale to the slave trade) to Falcon. If they don't, the men will be beat-up (or killed) and the women raped. It's not long before Ramon is knee-deep in shit as the police chief is too scared of Falcon to be any help. Ramon takes on Falcon and his gang single-handedly and suffers a great personal tragedy in the process. Shamed into action (by Ramon's son), the police chief and the town spring into action to save Ramon (who for some reason is now called "Cmdr. .45").
Viewed as a companion piece to 1984's SEARCH FOR VENGEANCE (which was also directed, like this one, by star Rey Malonzo using the pseudonym "Reginald King"), CLASSIFIED OPERATION is the weaker of the two, but not without it's charms. Besides the already-mentioned cliff stunt, there's also an hilarious scene where Ramon shows his quickdraw skills on a gang of gun-toting goons. The incidental dialogue (by screenwriter Arthur Simon) is also a hoot. When a gang of guerillas is walking through the jungle, one can be heard saying, "I killed four men today," like it was a normal thing for him. When Falcon is interrupted while fooling around with two women, he turns to them and says, "Keep it hot while I'm gone. OK?" There's also plenty of hand-to-hand combat (with exaggerated sound effects), numerous gun battles (Ramon likes to shoot people in the face for some reason) and too many explosions to count. Hey, this isn't Shakespeare, but it sure as hell isn't boring. Try not to smile as Ramon does the final barrel-roll stunt with the succession of .45s lying on the ground.
[also released as “Kung Fu Cannibals” and “ShogunIsland”]
Director/Screenplay Edward D. Murphy [Captain in Mad Doctor of Blood Island] Producer Frank E. Johnson Executive Producers Rebecca Bella, Lawrence Woolner Music Walter Murphy Director of Photography Frank E. Johnson Editor Eric Lindemann Fight Co-Ordinator Mike Stone
Cast Cameron Mitchell (Captain Harry Dodds), Geoffrey Binney (Mike O'Malley), Hope Holiday (Hazel Buck), Jillian “Kessner”/Kesner (Cookie Winchell), John Dresden (John Taylor), Jennifer Holmes (Ann Davis), Rey King [Rey Malonzo?] (Go Chin), Carla Reynolds (Eilleen Fox), Carl Anthony (Lloyd Davis), John Locke (Gary Schwartz), Mark Tanous (Cooper), Ralph Lombardi (Thomas Speer), Chanda Romero (Mayloo), Camille Keaton (Girl In Toilet), Maggie Lee (Gun Moll), Garry McClintic (Steve), John Rosselli (Male Stripper), Joe Pagliuso (Milt ), “Robert Dennis”/Dennis Edwards (Man In Toilet), Janelle Pransky (Girl With Balloons), Tony Oliver (Bill), Robert MacKenzie (Clyde), Steve Elmer (Religious Freak), Jewel Shepard (Drunk Sexpot), Michael P. Stone (Bartender), Judi Brooks (Girl With Tattoo), Edward Talbot 'Chip' Matthews (Passenger), Kurek Ashley (Drunk With Cake), Brad Barnes (Passenger), Gerry Bailey (Hood), Don Gordon (Hood), Chip Westley (Hood), Bob Campbell (Hood), Willy Schober (Hood), Maurizio Murano (Hood), Roger Capilitan (Hood), Phil Guerrero (Hood), Vic Diaz (Monk), Mike Cohen (Monk), Binney Villanueva (Monk), Bayani Balingit (Monk), Louie Florentino (Monk), Frank Aguila (Monk) Corpses Geoff Wood, Tony Beso, Frank Belgica, Jimmy Navarro, Ely Refuerzo, Nilo Fortez, Jess Bonzo, Rolly Tan Hookers Anna Torino, Evelyn Beso, Violeta Beso, Evelyn Yap, Vicky Abad, Baby Serrano, Zenaida Luciano, Nannette Caragay, May Bacosa, Sonia Cervantes Crewmen Fred Strong, George Gyenes, Jay Bumpus, Peter Schultz, Roger Searcy Girls In Cabin Mary Miller, Britt Helfer
Review by Andrew Leavold:
When your writer AND director is the old boy who played the Captain in Mad Doctor of Blood Island, you may take this as an SOS call.
But fear not – Raw Force is out of its mind. In a good way, of course, but is also foaming at the mouth and howling at the moon. Imagine a film shot by Americans in the Philippines exploiting every possible angle: cannibals, zombies, samurais, white kung fu (this WAS 1982, and Chuck Norris reigned supreme!), gumby comedy, and more flesh on display than a Friday night karaoke crawl in Manila.
Executive Producer Larry Woolner used to be a mover and shaker at Dimension Pictures, who handled a few Filipino features for the Seventies drive-in circuit; Raw Force was his last hurrah, and has that weird tension between old-fashioned entertainment and what he believes the kids want to see. As such, there’s old has-beens hobbling next to young never-wills. It’s Porky’s with Sidney Greenstreet and David Carradine, and none of it meshes. But with a mess this entertaining, thank god for senile dementia.
Aging name actor Cameron Mitchell stars as the skipper of a rusty tub bound for the South China Sea and Hope Holliday is Hazel Buck, the boat’s New York jewish owner. On board are the Burbank Karate Club (actually a few no-name TV actors), plus blonde black belt champion Jillian Kessner, who had already played the lead in Cirio H. Santiago’s Firecracker (1981). It’s a motley crew on a crusty Love Boat stocked with degenerates, schmiels, and the brown end of California’s swingers circles.
Onto the ship comes Speer, a nasty German with a Hitler mustache looking for white women to steal, and his karate-kicking cronies. The ship goes up in flames, and the remaining cast and crew are adrift in a life boat before washing up on Warrior’s Island.There they discover Speer has been trading jade for his plane load of tasty-looking nubiles - WarriorsIsland happens to be the home of a renegade group of grinning, clapping cannibal monks who can reanimate the corpses of disgraced martial artists to do their bidding. The girls… well, they happen to be the monks’ main course.
And that’s the set up for one of the strangest kung fu horror sex comedies you will ever witness. Keen-eyed Schlock viewers will recognize the chubby features of the ubiquitous Vic Diaz as one of the head monks, alongside Mike Cohen who Weng Weng fans will recognize as Dr Kohler in For Your Height Only. All I can say right now is slip the brain into neutral and enjoy, and if you ever needed proof that the Philippines exists in a parallel universe in which our laws of taste, logic and sanity are turned on their heads, it’s this: the 1982 Raw Force.
A group of passengers on a cruise end up stranded on Warrior's Island, a treacherous place inhabited by exiled martial artists and a group of cannibal monks with the power to raise the dead (what a combination!). The passengers, including an L.A. S.W.A.T. team member (Jillian Kessner) and four male martial artists, not only run afoul of the island's inhabitants, they also interfere with a white slaver's business of selling young girls to the monks in exchange for baskets of raw jade. The monks eat the young female flesh and gain the power to raise dead martial artists from their graves (the cruise ship director calls the island, "The Potter's Field of Kung Fu."). While the passengers try to find a way off the island, they must endure gun battles, kung fu fights (with both the living and the dead), cannibalism and the nasty laughing monks (led by Filipino horror staple Vic Diaz). It all ends on a happy note, as most of them escape in the white slaver's plane (he is eaten alive by a school of piranhas) while an end scrawl reads, "To Be Continued...".
This is terrific B-movie stuff. It has loads of nudity and plenty of bloody action, including impalements, explosions, an axe to the back and a decapitation. Star Cameron Mitchell (NIGHTMARE IN WAX - 1969 and countless others) seems to be having a good time here and doesn't walk through his role as he has done many times before. Co-star Geoff Binney also appeared in the kung fu comedy HOT POTATO (1976), while Jillian Kessner was the star of Cirio Santiago's FIRECRACKER (1981) and recently appeared in Gary Graver's awful ROOTS OF EVIL (1991). She is a pretty thing! Jennifer Holmes also co-starred with Mitchell in the abominable film THE DEMON (1979). Director Edward Murphy later made the forgettable actioner HEATED VENGEANCE (1984). RAW FORCE (also known as SHOGUNISLAND) is that rare example of a mixture of genres that works well on nearly every level. I was expecting a lot less and was pleasurably surprised with the result. A Media Home Entertainment Release. Rated R.
I saw this the first time with my parents when I was 12 years old. I remembered being very uncomfortable watching it with them as it had a lot of nudity. A couple of months ago, I decided to go on a quest for it because I remembered something about piranhas and zombies as well. I found it on Beta at a local video store for $7 without a cover and after much haggling with the capitalist clerk, I managed to talk her down to $5. Still a scam, but I had to see this movie. Well, friends, I am thoroughly impressed with myself for spending my hard earned cash on this classic. In addition to the heaps of nudity, this flick has almost everything else: the aforementioned zombies and piranhas, white slavery, kung fu, Cameron Mitchell, a Bruce Lee wannabe, a karate babe named Cookie, a Hitler look-alike, graveyard shootouts, a whorehouse, etc. With Jewel Shepard and Camille Keaton ("I Spit On Your Grave") in small roles.
I like a good steak like the next guy, though I also admit that there are times I like to sink my teeth into a gooey piece of cheese. When it comes to movies, I admit I watch more than my share of cinematic cheese, though I also enjoy good movies with good production values. Sometimes, however, I like a movie that combines both competence and cheesiness. Raw Force is one of those movies, a wonderful mix of the ludicrous and decent. The decent comes with a few of the production values being especially slick; in the opening, we see several shots of an airplane in the air from various angles, all of them well photographed. (The cinematography of this movie is especially decent.) Adding the triumphant Walter Murphy score, one starts to think that hey, here's a low budget movie that looks like it will shape up to be able to stand beside the big boys. The airplane lands, and out comes the cargo - several young women, who mildly protest when they get their clothes ripped off as they are hustled along. The half naked (one completely naked) women are put into a bamboo cave, where they are weighed by several cannibalistic monks, who intend to barbecue (not boil or bake, it is stressed later on) the women for dinner. Yep, the plot is strictly cheese, but hey, these bits of steak go well with the cheese found in this movie.
It's not just the premise of this movie that's cheese, it's, well, just about everything else. Yeah, I guess this movie could officially be called cheese, but quite often there's something slickly done. Sometimes it's the other way around; take, for example, when the three men of the Burbank Karate Club pull into the harbor where their cruise ship awaits to take them on a several week long cruise for singles. When we first see the cruise ship, it looks gigantic, and we see QUEEN MARY written on the side. Impressive. When the ship pulls out to sea, we see that the ship has suddenly shrunk both in length and the number of decks it has, and sports a spotty paint job. Could it be that captain Cameron Mitchell has an ancient sea curse on him, bringing gloom wherever he stumbles? Later on in the movie, pirates spill gasoline all over the ship and set it on fire. In some background shots, we see the top parts of some giant flames. This looks good, until the camera shifts a little, and then suddenly those flames that were peeking over the top of the ship are suddenly launched into space, with a distinct flat bottom edge that was right on the edge of the objects the flames were previously peeking from behind. Slick cheese, that's what we have here.
Another thing funny about the fire on the ship is when the characters are near the camera, some odd looking flames shoot out from the bottom of the screen, almost as if they were coming from gas jets. Enough about the flames for now, let's get on with the story. It concerns the adventures of those three men from the Burbank Karate Club, who are indistinguishable from each other except for their names (Taylor, Schwartz, and O'Malley) and the fact one of them has a mustache. Don't ask me which one. The cruise they are on takes them into the waters of Southeast Asia, and one of their stops is WarriorsIsland, where that opening scene took place. WarriorsIsland is a place where disgraced warriors were buried, and superstition says that the monks on the island have the power to raise them from the dead, should the situation warrant it. It's actually no rumor - early in the movie, we see one of these fresh looking (except for sickly green makeup) undead warriors slice one of those women. But that subplot comes later in the movie. It comes to the attention of a Dr. Speer, a German accented guy with a Hitler mustache who was the one trading the fresh meat for fresh jade rock at the beginning of the movie, that the cruise is not going to pass by the island, but actually stop at it. Fearing that his illegal trading may be jeopardized, he sends out his goons several times throughout the movie to stop the cruise, not realizing that Cameron Mitchell acts so drunk in this movie, he'd probably bypass the island by accident. But Speer doesn't realize that he's against the power of the Burbank Karate Club!
Of course, the various attacks on the crew and passengers on the ship (not just by Speer's goons) cues in the expected fight sequences. Surprisingly, the fights by themselves are among the movie's few disappointing scenes. Oh, the scenes where the token Chinese crew member fights the various attackers are pretty good, mainly because it's clear that he's talented at martial arts, leaping around and making lightning-fast moves. The fight scenes with the other actors are another thing. Sometimes they are shown in molasses-slow motion, robbing any last bit of excitement they might have had. One martial arts move rips off the windshield scene from Good Guys Wear Black, though the editing easily makes it apparent that the stuntman was never in any danger at all. The fight scene in the bar, and the fight scenes on the deck of the ship are so dark, it is sometimes hard to tell who is who, and just what is going on. Maybe it's no surprise that in that bar fight, there are constant edits to the topless dancer of the bar, who keeps jiggling away nonchalantly as bones are broken around her.
This movie has a lot of breasts shown throughout, both in extreme close-up and in medium shots. Of course it's sleazy, and it's lots of fun. Credit the makers of this movie for giving a lot of variety in the nudity, as with the scene where a naked girl on a bed repeatedly slams a gas can on the head on an especially thick-skulled creep. I think the same guy was the one who, when he pulled down his pants, revealed a pair of boxers covered with red hearts. Yes, this movie has a number of attempts at intentional humor to offer us. There's one bad guy gets killed by a swirlie in a bathroom, the monks keep rolling their eyes and jump around and giggle a lot, and the dialogue has such howlers as, "Holy smokes! Who the heck is he?", "Go ahead Cookie - you don't have to tell him you're a member of the L.A. SWAT team", and "I feel so sick, I feel lousy."
The ship's bar might have to serve drinks in paper cups, but almost every minute of Raw Force serves us something savory, whether it be slick or cheese. True, those fight scenes are overall disappointing, and I was surprised the craziness and energy didn't increase when they actually reached the island, but it's still a very fun movie. In fact, I am kind of surprised that it isn't better known after 18 years. I'm also surprised that after 18 years, they still haven't acted on the promise they made at the end: "TO BE CONTINUED". C'mon, guys, take another cruise to WarriorsIsland!