Gentle Savage (1973) review

GENTLE SAVAGE 1973 aka CAMPER JOHN aka I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE

William Smith (Camper John Allen), Kevin Hagen (Ken Schaffer), Gene Evans (Sheriff McVaney), Barbara Luna (Gayle), Ned Romero (Richard Allen), R.G. Armstrong (Rupert Beeker), C.J. Hincks (Betty Shaffer), Betty Ann Carr (Vicky)

Directed by Sean MacGregor

The Short Version: Low budget clone of BILLY JACK (1971) has William Smith as a muscle-heavy, motorcycle ridin' red man who tangles with a passel of Injun hatin' bigots. There's a teepee full of potential here only MacGregor fails to give his tender Tonto a satisfying retribution and his mediocre movie an actual ending. He does manage to give Smith room to flex his acting muscle, though. The same story was told in slimier fashion in 1975s far more rewarding JOHNNY FIRECLOUD. A fantastic cast and occasional scenes of over-anxious violence means a minor league, light-weight piece of exploitation for Drive-in fanatics. Unfortunately, GENTLE SAVAGE is too benevolent for what it's capable of.

Camper John is an Indian living on a piss poor reservation with his wife, child and brother just outside a town populated by the most egregious bunch of miscreants imaginable. Framed for beating and raping the daughter of the town's biggest businessman, Camper John is arrested while everyone in town wants him dead. After his brother is brutally murdered, the Gentle Savage has to decide whether or not to spill blood for revenge.

With all the potential at his disposal for a sterling piece of Drive-in trash, Sean MacGregor (DEVIL TIMES FIVE) inexplicably fouls up his own tale of Indian revenge. Actually, calling it an Indian revenge movie is a bit of a misnomer. It takes an hour building the rage within Camper John; but just when you think William Smith is going to turn into a not-so Gentle Savage after being told to "spill blood, innocent and guilty", nothing happens. 

After the villains of the film shotgun and castrate Camper's brother, the revenge boils down to blowing up a truck, a barn, and holding some of the killer townsfolk hostage till the press comes to expose the town's crimes! The movie ends just when you think the sheriff is going to pursue Camper for a showdown. 

Imagine if in I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (1978)--after nearly an hour of rape and humiliation--Camille Keaton simply captured her attackers and held them hostage till police arrived to arrest them. That's essentially what happens in GENTLE SAVAGE when no vindication is forthcoming for the script's despicable human debris.

Said script goes to great lengths to showcase the town's population as utter savages while indulging in outrageous displays of raping, the pillaging of a shanty village, bullying, and eventual murder. One over-the-top sequence has a mad posse terrorizing a white couple whom they've mistaken for Indians!

Almost everyone in the film comes off like they've had way too much caffeine; either screaming their lines or acting irrationally. Sean MacGregor's directing style is equally irrational. Director MacGregor seems unsure which direction he wants his film to go. It would appear Tom Laughlin's pretentious BILLY JACK (1971) was an inspiration; although Laughlin's overrated hit had sense enough to satisfactorily wrap things up. For the film that GENTLE SAVAGE could have been, see William Castleman's far trashier JOHNNY FIRECLOUD (1975).

Shot in late 1972, CAMPER JOHN, alias GENTLE SAVAGE, wasn't the only time MacGregor worked with Smith; he worked with the actor on another production in 1974 that went unfinished. Titled 'Tiger Cage', it was to star Smith in one of the sub-genre of crazed Vietnam vet pictures that were popping up throughout the 1970s. Apparently, the film did get made in 1988 as A MISSION TO KILL with Smith starring but no longer the lead character.

Co-produced with his LAREDO (1965-1967) co-star Peter Brown, Smith's film is in the same camp as another movie both men starred in that same year, PIRANHA (1972). It, too, suffers from a full-proof Drive-in scenario only to fall well short of its potential. As for the film in question, the filmmakers manage to pack it full of familiar faces; many of which did GUNSMOKE (1955-1975) episodes.

 

As for his GENTLE SAVAGE, William Smith displays a variety of emotions, and the film is clearly his showcase; only the flimsy script by MacGregor and Jacar Lane Dancer gives us an incredible build-up with no payoff. An opportunity to allow Smith to go totally off the deep end is discarded in favor of a more civil response to appalling actions that demand an equivalent justice this film denies both Smith's character and the audience watching it. 

Aside from William Smith's convincing portrayal, he gets to play a rare good guy role and ride a motorcycle in a few scenes. If only Smith's heroic roles made the same impression as his antagonistic ones.

Since so many of the cast appeared in the classic western (GENTLE SAVAGE itself plays out like a modern day western), William Smith did two episodes of the best one, GUNSMOKE. Season 18s 'Hostage!' became a fan-favorite for Smith's portrayal of vengeful half-breed Jude Bonner. What fan's remember most about this episode is Smith beating up and shooting Miss Kitty in the back!

Kevin Hagen is equally impressive as the main villain Ken Schaffer. If you're a fan of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, you'll be shocked to see just how vicious 'Doc Baker' can get. In GENTLE SAVAGE he holds a seething hatred for Indians, letting us know every few minutes with a flurry of derogatory terms. He not only kills Camper's brother but rapes his own daughter, too! Like many of his fellow cast members, Hagen acted in a host of GUNSMOKE episodes; some of which saw him playing villains akin to the one he plays here; like the incredibly dark season nine episode, 'No Hands' from 1964.

C.J. Hincks (Candice Roman) is the troublesome spitfire that sets the violence in motion after Camper John refuses to light her fuse. A good, underrated actress, Ms. Hincks's best remembered movie role was in Jack Hill's THE BIG BIRD CAGE (1972). Sadly, Hincks--an actress of stage and screen--passed away from brain cancer on January 11th, 2017.

Gene Evans plays the Indian-loathing lawman, McVaney. Evans was a familiar face in television and Drive-in fare. He would play another shady sheriff in the Tough Guy classic WALKING TALL (1973). Evans played a variety of villains and burly characters on GUNSMOKE (1955-1975); one of his best portrayals was as a fearless mountain man who inadvertently starts a violent chain of events with Chill Wills in the surprisingly bloody episode, 'A Hat' from season 13.

R.G. Armstrong was in practically everything back in the day. He was a familiar face in a slew of horror movies and westerns, and, like many of his SAVAGE co-stars, did several GUNSMOKE episodes. His roles on that classic western series were more stoic. One of the best was the powerful season six show, 'With A Smile'. In it, he plays a wealthy, honorable rancher whose spoiled, violent son (played by future Roscoe P. Coltrane, James Best) believes his father's money and power will save him from the hangman's noose.

As Beeker, Armstrong's bar-owner is Schaffer's lackey and pretty much does what he's told to do. Always a welcome presence, he isn't given a great deal to do.

Barbara Luna, an actress and singer likely best known for playing Marlena in the classic STAR TREK (1966-1969) episode 'Mirror, Mirror', is Camper John's moral center in GENTLE SAVAGE. With an already crowded cast, Luna stands out in her quieter role compared to all the shouting and raucous behavior of most everyone else. One of Luna's best dramatic roles was as Chavela, the Mexican lady who helps Chester (Dennis Weaver) escape from the clutches of Comancheros led by Claude Akins in the season 7 episode of GUNSMOKE, 'He Learned About Women'.

 
In addition to opening with one of those "based on a series of true events" title cards, GENTLE SAVAGE--like many 70s films--comes equipped with a plot-driven main melody. Titled 'Once Upon A Tribe', this somber theme song is sung by half-Cherokee, half-French Indian actress, singer, and teacher Betty Ann Carr. She also plays a part in the movie. Ms. Carr can also be seen in the 1972 Bob Hope comedy, CANCEL MY RESERVATION.

Rated 'R', the violence in GENTLE SAVAGE doesn't justify such a rating. Incidentally,  press materials list an 85 minute running time, but available versions for viewing (no legit release as of yet) taken from old videocassettes are only 76 minutes including credits.

GENTLE SAVAGE had a list of alternate titles during its release history. You can read more about its various advertising campaigns HERE at the Temple of Schlock.

If you're a diehard William Smith fan, GENTLE SAVAGE might momentarily pique your interest for his presence alone. It's grossly disappointing that, for whatever reason, more wasn't done with the concept. It neither satisfies as a message movie, nor as an exploitation one. Arguably, one of the biggest missed opportunities in the revenge movie sweepstakes.

running time: 01:17:56

Humongous (1982) review

HUMONGOUS 1982

Janet Julian (Sandy Ralston), David Wallace (Eric Simmons), John Wildman (Nick Simmons), Janit Baldwin (Carla Simmons), Joy Boushel (Donna Blake), Lane Coleman (Bert Defoe), Shay Garner (Ida Parsons), Page Fletcher (Tom Rice),  Garry Robbins (Monster)

Directed by Paul Lynch

The Short Version: Much better than Lynch's petite PROM NIGHT (1979), his HUMONGOUS horror film feels like an unacknowledged remake of Joe D'Amato's ANTHROPOPHAGOUS (1980); and with a similar sounding title to boot. If you've seen FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2 (1981) and the excellent proto-slasher, TOWER OF EVIL (1972), you may experience some deja vu there, too. An immense portion of this Canadian small fry slasher's running time is gobbled up with lengthy scenes of people walking around while the prodigious psychopath makes infrequent appearances. The presentation on the Scorpion Releasing DVD allows you to finally see what's actually going on; and, in its uncut version, yields some surprisingly potent moments. Still, in the annals of the genre, HUMONGOUS remains little more than half-pint horror.

In 1946 Ida Parsons is raped by her boyfriend while attending her father's party at their island lodge. One of her dogs gets out of its cage and mortally wounds the attacker. Ida finishes him off, but she is left both emotionally scarred and pregnant. Decades later, a group of friends set sail aboard a yacht for a weekend getaway. After a careless accident destroys the vessel, the passengers end up stranded on the fog-enshrouded Dog Island. It's sole inhabitant rumored to be the reclusive Ida Parsons, the young adults attempt to find help but ultimately stumble upon a horrific secret in the form of a 7ft disfigured maniac.

After PROM NIGHT (1980), Paul Lynch wanted to direct another horror movie; the result was HUMONGOUS, a less than impressive sophomore outing to a film that was even less remarkable save for the participation of Jaime Lee Curtis. According to Lynch, while waiting for HUMONGOUS to begin filming, he came close to helming a thriller with Charlton Heston and his son. Preferring to wait it out for his own horror project to begin shooting, Lynch passed on the Heston offer, claiming it had no story and reminded him--of all things--ALIEN (1979). That film, MOTHER LODE (1982), ended up being directed by Charlton Heston himself, and was the closest the iconic Tough Guy came to producing a horror picture.

Beginning on a powerfully bleak note, the HUMONGOUS pacing quickly becomes sluggish, taking a long time to get to the island where the cast are given quite the workout; walking from one location to the next. More walking ensues as the cast takes what seems like forever to find the clues that piece together the backstory of who was, and is, on this God-forsaken atoll. Meanwhile, the monster infrequently stalks, but never slashes, these island intruders; this seven-foot freakshow prefers to use his hands--killing dogs and humans alike.

Garry Robbins, who plays the colossal killer, would act in a similar capacity in 2003s excellent backwoods slasher throwback, WRONG TURN (2003). We never get a clear look at him; and the one time we do, it's after he's been consumed by fire, leaving his face resembling a burnt grilled cheese sandwich. Some of his scenes are greatly enhanced by Brian R.R. Hebb's often moody cinematography... especially since you can now see what's going on during the night-time sequences. The photography is arguably the film's greatest asset.

The young adults in this one are all fairly resourceful with only one of them being massively obnoxious. Nowadays, virtually the entire cast in these movies are insufferable. The final girl (played by American actress Janet Julian), like a handful of others at the time, breaks tradition by having sex. Unfortunately, her character isn't all that interesting. Joy Boushel, who buys the farm a little past the halfway mark, delivers a perkier performance. Still, genre fans don't watch these types of movies for character development, they watch them for the horror and gore; and HUMONGOUS is lukewarm in those departments as well.

Paige Fletcher, who plays the rapist in the opening sequence, went on to become THE HITCHHIKER, the popular 80s adult thriller series that ran for six seasons between 1983-1991.

One other thing the film does well is it's history of Ida Parsons via a series of photographs over the opening credits; and again in a scrapbook found in her house on Dog Island. What is lacking is a flashback, or some dialog linking Ida's love for her dogs to her deformed, enraged son who has killed and eaten them all. It's there, if ambiguous. The overall presentation of the killer offspring is little more than your average backwoods slasher.

 
One film that HUMONGOUS seems to channel--whether intentional or not--is Joe D'Amato's ANTHROPOPHAGUS (1980). In that one, vacationers are stranded on a Greek Isle and run afoul of a giant cannibal played by George Eastman; who has killed and devoured everyone save for an old woman. D'Amato's movie is superior in building tension, but both films have pacing problems;the one's in HUMONGOUS are particularly enormous.

Lynch's obscure entry in the slasher canon hasn't had a great reputation with either fans or critics due mainly to the aforementioned, painfully dark photography as presented on its videocassette release in the 1980s. When it played on HBO the version aired was much clearer. This current release from Kino/Scorpion is a vast improvement on the film's previous home video releases (as you can see from the screencaps). Combined with the easier-on-the-eyes picture quality and a complete version (from a tape master), the experience of viewing HUMONGOUS is far more satisfying for the few attributes it maintains.

This review is representative of the Kino Lorber/Scorpion Releasing DVD. Specs and Extras: 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen; Katarina's Nightmare Theater Mode; audio commentary with director Lynch, writer William Gray, horror historian Nathaniel Thompson, moderated by Katarina Waters; R-rated opening scene; original trailer; additional trailers; running time: 01:33:55

Return of the Chinese Boxer (1977) review

RETURN OF THE CHINESE BOXER 1977 aka 神拳大戰快鎗手 (WAR OF BOXERS AND FAST GUNMEN)

Jimmy Wang Yu (Rapid Fist Tsao Pai Leung), Lung Fei (Black Crane), Hsieh Han (Kitsu), Emily Cheung Ying Chan (Female Ninja), Philip Ko (Chen Liu), Jack Long (Kun Pan So), Blackie Ko (Thai Fighter), Cheng Tien Chi (Thai Fighter), Yeung Fui Yuk (Nagata), Kam Kong (Monk Yen Feng), Wang Yung Hsing (Flying Dagger), Hsieh Hsing (Kin Po, Jujitsu Fighter), Sun Jung Chi (Chao Hsao Lung), Lei Chun (Colonel Wei), Ching Chi Min (Lady Fong), Ma Chi (General To), Chen Ti Men (Japanese Lord)

Directed by Jimmy Wang Yu

"Every man has his technique, and they're all different. But when you know mine... you'll be dead".

The Short Version: Wang Yu's extravagant Martial World/Kung Fu hybrid is essentially his ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE EAST; both an in-name only sequel to his Shaw Brothers directorial debut and a flashier do-over of his ONE ARMED BOXER movies with an added historical context. Wang's title boxer is a cartoonish, near-invincible hero who is always one step ahead of everybody else. The first 30 minutes promise an epic but Ku Long's convoluted script betrays itself almost immediately--veering away from jingoism to endless, increasingly wacky fighting sequences, and back again. A plethora of colorful characters and some misplaced flashbacks keep things confusing. Despite minor obstacles and repetitiveness of past flicks, the actor's last time in the director's chair is Kung Fun all the way. A mixed bag, but the sort of bag that's filled with candy in the form of Kung Fu zombies, a pistol packin' Lung Fei, a hot female ninja, and an army of steam powered Wang Yu dummies.... so dig in if you've a martial arts sweet tooth. 

The Japanese plot to infiltrate China and take over from within by ingratiating themselves with General To, an easily manipulated military leader who fancies swords. Kitsu, a member of the Izu Clan, is sent along with a female ninja to meet with the General and deliver him a gift of two special Japanese samurai swords--gradually setting the invasion of China in motion. Learning of this, a loyalist sends his niece to alert the righteous General Shang Ta and deliver to him a pair of swords and two pearls as a gift. They're ambushed by the Japanese on their way, but saved by a mysterious man possessing great kung fu skills. Discovering he's the Rapid Fist, Tsao Pai Leung, the Japanese seek out the one fighter who can defeat him, another Japanese proficient in guns and weapons named Black Crane.

In many cases, Jimmy Wang Yu movies are interchangeable in terms of the scenarios and his character portrayals. Always containing varying levels of Grand Guignol nuttery, the violence and bloodshed frequently challenged the Shaw's trademark brutality in sheer excess. As for Wang Yu's characters, they either incur an unbelievable amount of punishment; or come away with barely a scratch. There's not a lot of gore in RETURN OF THE CHINESE BOXER, but there's a surplus of insanity to go along with Wang Yu's Warner Brothers cartoon of a hero who is constantly one step ahead of the bad guys.

The title may imply a 'return' of his Chinese Boxer from the Shaw Brothers favorite, but it's a different character entirely... even though Wang's Rapid Fist Tsao Pai Leung could be any of the dozens he played before it. As far as the English export title is concerned, the famous HK personality is simply capitalizing on the earlier picture with the only similarity being he produced and directed both of them.

 
Wang Yu is a much better director than he probably ever got credit for, and there's signs of it here; despite an all-too familiar plot that unravels in fractured fashion. The actor yet again melds his two hits, THE CHINESE BOXER (1970) and ONE ARMED BOXER (1972)--the latter of which was a Kung Fu combo of the former title and Wang's career-making movie from 1967, ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN. Director Wang again delivers a pseudo-remake, but frames a Qing Era-Japanese invasion plot around a basic Fist and Kick narrative. Judging by the way the movie plays out, it would appear Wang Yu may have had a hand in the film's script, too.

 
Written by Ku Long (also listed as Gu Long), a famous and prolific writer of Wuxia epics, his script is neither as intricate nor as linear as some of his more popular works--particularly for Shaw Brothers Studio. The standard China vs. Japan motif contains little in the way of political machinations that ultimately get distracted by the cavalcade of Kung Fu battles. The Fist & Kick equivalent of a Wuxia story, BOXER is filled with an enormous amount of characters despite the paper thin plot line. Curious editing decisions give the impression the film may have run into either financial problems or Jimmy Wang Yu's ego. A confusingly placed flashback (involving the death of a Jujitsu fighter) and the last minute significance of a pair of swords and two pearls get lost in translation.

Born July 7th, 1938, Ku Long (real name Hsiung Yao-hua) began writing in 1955. While still in High School, his first published work, 'From the North to the South', had no martial arts. By 1960, he would begin his successful career novelizing the adventures of romantic, scholarly swordsmen using his own personal interests in poetry and foreign culture to formulate a unique writing style. Eventually, his writing would be turned into movies and television programs. The Shaw Brothers and director Chu Yuan put the Wuxia genre back into the limelight in 1976 with KILLER CLANS, the film version of Ku Long's classic 1971 novel, 'Meteor, Butterfly and Sword'. Over a dozen more of Ku's works were adapted for the big screen by Chu Yuan; not to mention dozens of others turned into movies by other directors. Ku Long even adapted his own novels for the screen in addition to scripts specifically written for the celluloid medium. He contracted liver disease in 1977 and passed away at only 47 years of age in 1985 from Cirrhosis of the Liver. Ku Long's penmanship graces many of the genres best works.

Directors are traditionally defined by their signature style. Jimmy Wang Yu had one in his directed efforts. Regardless of the familiarity of the whole thing, his eye for composition, low angles (especially the camera peering through a character's legs), and usage of sets are accounted for in this grand Eastern. At times the scope is epic but the narrative quickly falls back into a comfort zone with a reliance on action sequences; and there's a lot of them in RETURN OF THE CHINESE BOXER. For instance....

At the 32 minute mark, the film stops dead in its tracks for a flashback tournament sequence. Using an almost identical set to the one from MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE (1976), what follows is a 12 minute action set piece where we're introduced to a slew of martial artists--all with their own unique fighting style. Adding little to the storyline other than to introduce two fighters who will figure into the plot later on, it's just an excuse to pad the running time. It's the best kind of padding, though. This is a KF movie, after all.

The choreo in this sequence is exquisite and varied featuring a gallery of HK cinema familiars like Jack Long (THE 7 GRANDMASTERS [1978]), Sun Jung Chi (MONKEY FIST, FLOATING SNAKE [1979]), and Philip Ko (TIGER OVER WALL [1980])--all fighting each other to the death. Genre fans will love this 12 minute marathon of martial mayhem--seeing some of the Kung Fu genres notable masters beating the hell out of one another. The fighters are further distinguished by their costumes and weaponry--some of which are intricate in design. The film's action director, Hsieh Hsing (he makes his entrance in the exact same way Lung Fei does in MOTFG), plays the Jujitsu expert, Kin Po.

Hsieh Hsing's action design is the glue that holds the picture together. Some of the fights are ambitious--evidenced in an impressive train assault near the beginning and a sequence shortly thereafter wherein Wang Yu is trapped inside an old shack while the Japanese bring it down with hooks tied to ropes. As the film progresses, the action becomes more insane with the film adding increasingly kookier elements. In some ways, the serious tone being innocuously replaced by a fantasy-oriented one works to its advantage.

Hsieh Hsing co-choreographed many of Chang Cheh's Taiwan offerings when he made a dozen movies there using Shaw capital that couldn't be extracted; some of these include MARCO POLO (1975), SEVEN MAN ARMY (1976), and THE NAVAL COMMANDOS (1977). He'd previously designed the fights on the Taiwan-lensed Shaw Fist and Kicker, THE CHAMPION (1973) starring Shih Szu and Chin Han.

Compared to his previous works with a Nipponese slant, Wang Yu's Japanese influence is even stronger this time out. They're never referred to as ninja, but Ku Long's script finds room for them--mainly in the form of a Kunoichi (female ninja) played by the alluring Emily Cheung Ying Chan in an early role. Bad guys (and girls) is something RETURN OF THE CHINESE BOXER has an abundance of.

Well known for his antagonist roles, Lung Fei gets one of his most charismatic turns as the gun-toting Black Crane, a Japanese specialist in pistols and rifles. He's a literal 'Gun Fu' expert; carrying an 8-barreled rifle and wearing a costume covered in flintlock pistols. Lung worked with Wang Yu on a number of his Taiwanese made Fist and Kick flicks, one of the most famous being THE ONE ARMED BOXER released in 1972. In that plotless epic Lung Fei played the lead heavy, a Japanese with unkempt hair and vampire teeth!

Wang Yu's movies from this period could be counted on to deliver some of the nuttiest imagery you've ever seen. There are no vampiric villains or fighters with elongated arms, but there are Kung Fu zombies and a warehouse full of steam-powered Wang Yu robots! At the beginning he's seen practicing Dummy Kung Fu--catching arrows in mid-air and Kung Fu-ing dummies from one end of a gym to the other. Elsewhere you'll see Wang walking up walls; and standing, single-legged, atop a pole wielded by Kam Kong--who played the evil blind priest in the schizophrenic ONE ARMED BOXER sequel, MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE (1976).

English dub fans are again treated to some funny lines. One of the best is uttered within the opening minutes by a subdued Chen Ti Men, the constant cackle master of the same year's THE DEADLY SILVER SPEAR (you'll recognize the same cave set, too). Playing the Japanese lord who sets up the plot with this marvelous conversation starter, "I've invited you all here... to discuss things.... mainly the question of Chiner... amongst others..."; then there's classic dubbed Tough Guy dialog too like, "No one beats The Claw! Come on!"

Many of Wang Yu's movies leave a lot to be desired, but his directorial efforts are well made productions even if most of the time he was cloning hits from Shaw Brothers, the company that made him famous. If you're already a fan of the actor, this picture comes highly recommended. It's not quite on the level of some of his other directed works like THE CHINESE BOXER (1970), THE BRAVE AND THE EVIL (1971), or THE SWORD (1971), but there's little denying this was intended to be Wang Yu's magnum opus.... and in many ways, he has succeeded in designing a love letter to his fan-base encapsulating all the best elements of his past career.

This review is representative of the German bluray. Specs and Extras: 1080p widescreen 2.35:1; unrestored version; booklet about Wang Yu (German language only); still gallery; English and German trailer; running time: 1:39:04