cult film freak: martin kove

Showing posts with label martin kove. Show all posts

Written by James M. Tate / 8/19/2025 / No comments / dark comedy , exploitation , louisa moritz , martin kove , mary woronov , paul bartel , race car , roberta collins , roger corman , science-fiction , seventies , simone griffeth , sylvester stallone

DAVID CARRADINE VS SYLVESTER STALLONE IN 'DEATH RACE 2000'

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV615xZklu8VLd3wYUQJGrawG0NN_J2uj_TSVWtExTShhwXw1wGl347BMhezTl8AQgHNjHQevhGx_7EoBgXGNUcMtpiURiZr2Imd_V-rfa1xHy-X_5PpYwuLIep7fJHGtiiPG2VJHvB95rc7aPGaRzqRnW-lgOjECviXPy003GpctNe_dO_J4Q31c6sqcY/s2274/Screen%20Shot%202025-08-23%20at%2011.01.54%20PM.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="2274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV615xZklu8VLd3wYUQJGrawG0NN_J2uj_TSVWtExTShhwXw1wGl347BMhezTl8AQgHNjHQevhGx_7EoBgXGNUcMtpiURiZr2Imd_V-rfa1xHy-X_5PpYwuLIep7fJHGtiiPG2VJHvB95rc7aPGaRzqRnW-lgOjECviXPy003GpctNe_dO_J4Q31c6sqcY/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202025-08-23%20at%2011.01.54%20PM.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Sylvester Stallone in DEATH RACE 2000 Year: ****</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Director Paul Bartel's cult classic Roger Corman production DEATH RACE 2000 is known as a guilty-pleasure — and the pleasure's in seeing civilians being mowed-down by race cars for points... </p><p>Yet it's really an action-packed dystopian science-fiction cautionary-tale where television consumers watch lethal violence as sports-entertainment, inspiring blockbusters ranging from THE RUNNING MAN to THE HUNGER GAMES while the running-over-people aspect actually makes the 
least sense because, if the race was broadcast worldwide, why would anyone go outside? </p><p><span></span></p>

dark comedy, exploitation, louisa moritz, martin kove, mary woronov, paul bartel, race car, roberta collins, roger corman, science-fiction, seventies, simone griffeth, sylvester stallone

DAVID CARRADINE VS SYLVESTER STALLONE IN 'DEATH RACE 2000'

Sylvester Stallone in DEATH RACE 2000 Year: **** Director Paul Bartel's cult classic Roger Corman production DEATH RACE 2000 is known as...

CHARLES BRONSON IN 'THE WHITE BUFFALO' WITH WILL SAMPSON

<p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEp-7q5mieJAo_9JfotTR67RskoLSDfVI7jFJRXDRV6htxgRXmHQ_RzwjS5FPK7tGv0BRoDkUoPZ0Nnl24NdFSJNTjQQEWaK65Y0SiEmezt6-mVhwqnDblr0OW7TZE6Bv1EqLZRnUQ9_neLOu-XSwnLXthJPGiH-ZMfNDF53bpG-P7F5_e5OrNY0GVY-C/s1128/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-26%20at%205.39.33%20PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEp-7q5mieJAo_9JfotTR67RskoLSDfVI7jFJRXDRV6htxgRXmHQ_RzwjS5FPK7tGv0BRoDkUoPZ0Nnl24NdFSJNTjQQEWaK65Y0SiEmezt6-mVhwqnDblr0OW7TZE6Bv1EqLZRnUQ9_neLOu-XSwnLXthJPGiH-ZMfNDF53bpG-P7F5_e5OrNY0GVY-C/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-26%20at%205.39.33%20PM.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Charles Bronson in THE WHITE BUFFALO Year: 1977 Rating: ***1/2</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Within THE WHITE BUFFALO is a different kind of Western that Charles Bronson and director J. Lee Thompson not only wanted to make, but did... at least halfway through: One where Clint Walker has the kind of vengeful spite to kill main character/real life legend Bill Hickock because of the past he's both dodging and facing... thrust towards the gigantic titular beast that, <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/search/label/jaws-clone">like JAWS</a>, a trio of contrary men band together to expire...</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>In particular Native American Will Sampson who, like the other gentle giant actor Walker, have never been so formidable, also portraying a fictionally-set true legend, Crazy Horse, with his own revenge towards the buffalo that killed his child... giving an overboard performance more than a touch of camp. And the always capable Jack Warden is a one-eyed trapper... the <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2015/06/triad-jaws.html">Robert Shaw</a> here and, though full of tough dialogue, is rather underused... </p><p><span></span></p>

action, adventure, cara williams, charles bronson, clint walker, creature, cult, exploitation, jack warden, jaws-clone, martin kove, seventies, stuart whitman, western, will sampson

CHARLES BRONSON IN 'THE WHITE BUFFALO' WITH WILL SAMPSON

Charles Bronson in THE WHITE BUFFALO Year: 1977 Rating: ***1/2 Within THE WHITE BUFFALO is a different kind of Western that Charles Bronson ...

KICKING FRONT THROUGH THE FOURTH SEASON OF 'COBRA KAI'

<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiiAPxg4QPwWQuQmpdjiwEftlBpkNpuvW_Ivc3UEeoqBtY9czSZn5CsPQqJN-NDFHdi7Egg1XXiuGLaP1zXsdCNO9FHw1lR5cVxCX3vj3WeindoycBts5I35NYHVKLAXXz5xkbFIA4HHMGEcNw7F7nGeKL_ZA-C-mLXcgVGDA0sURB4GvZ055bRCH5u4g=s907" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="907" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiiAPxg4QPwWQuQmpdjiwEftlBpkNpuvW_Ivc3UEeoqBtY9czSZn5CsPQqJN-NDFHdi7Egg1XXiuGLaP1zXsdCNO9FHw1lR5cVxCX3vj3WeindoycBts5I35NYHVKLAXXz5xkbFIA4HHMGEcNw7F7nGeKL_ZA-C-mLXcgVGDA0sURB4GvZ055bRCH5u4g=s16000"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>William Zabka and a Coors Banquet in COBRA KAI Season Four DATE: December 31 2021 Overall Season SCORE: ***</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Right before 2022, Netflix's Season Four of COBRA KAI has dropped, and for a show with mostly great seasons it's by far the worst... which is like the weakest album of a band that's had only exceptional ones... The main problem being the main antagonist in Martin Kove's John Creese having to share the titular dojo with the USA-Channel-style co-sensei-villain from the horrendously awful and infamous third <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2014/01/waxing-on-karate-kid-franchise.html">KARATE KID</a>... </p><p></p><p></p><p>Ironically, whenever Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso mentions that particular timeline (usually the failed Banzai Tree store as compared to his successful car lot) he shakes his head in sheer disbelief (almost as if, say, THE GODFATHER III were remade with Robert Duvall alongside George Hamilton)... </p><span></span>

2021, action, binging, cobra kai, franchise, karate, martin kove, netflix, new, ralph macchio, thomas ian griffith, william zabka

KICKING FRONT THROUGH THE FOURTH SEASON OF 'COBRA KAI'

William Zabka and a Coors Banquet in COBRA KAI Season Four DATE: December 31 2021 Overall Season SCORE: *** Right before 2022, Netflix's...

OBSCURE CULT EXPLOITATION OF 'BLOODTIDE' AKA 'DEMON ISLAND'

<p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdV4fDu85Aa6OB47b1kJ1yRZ_KBYZX4xQqOwmzqzUlnO80TiibkJDmqAEBmprTmuNZu_LgKTLkpzAdFLOd9jBv2yrAZ8GoDtDfCeLWP9IBVTDxYnjeaqbT0a-lc9ciRXGrNuitSzFSfdgKHgVzqGCPu3GaxAQk_KujvE1FmgXl9p3FckGLOfC27EisO3p/s1862/Screen%20Shot%202024-10-27%20at%201.27.49%20AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="916" data-original-width="1862" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdV4fDu85Aa6OB47b1kJ1yRZ_KBYZX4xQqOwmzqzUlnO80TiibkJDmqAEBmprTmuNZu_LgKTLkpzAdFLOd9jBv2yrAZ8GoDtDfCeLWP9IBVTDxYnjeaqbT0a-lc9ciRXGrNuitSzFSfdgKHgVzqGCPu3GaxAQk_KujvE1FmgXl9p3FckGLOfC27EisO3p/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202024-10-27%20at%201.27.49%20AM.png"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Martin Kove and James Earl Jones in BLOODTIDE Year: 1982 Rating: ***1/2</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Long-neglected and newly-restored BLOODTIDE is a hybrid of several horror/thriller types, from deadly sea creature to underwater treasure hunting to creepy village full of spooked locals (led by Jose Ferrer) with dark secrets...<br></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>One involves a cover-up, but only because American couple Martin Kove and Mary-Louise Weller entered the Greek island in the first place, seeking his sister (and plot-McGuffin) Deborah Shelton, an oddball/artistic brunette beauty contrasting the blondes also including Lydia Cornell, girlfriend of James Earl Jones...</p><p><span></span></p>

creature, deborah shelton, eighties, ensemble, exploitation, gothic, horror, island, james earl jones, jaws-clone, jose ferrer, lila kedrova, lydia cornell, martin kove, mary-louise weller, treasure

OBSCURE CULT EXPLOITATION OF 'BLOODTIDE' AKA 'DEMON ISLAND'

Martin Kove and James Earl Jones in BLOODTIDE Year: 1982 Rating: ***1/2 Long-neglected and newly-restored BLOODTIDE is a hybrid of several h...

UNEARTHING 'BLOODTIDE' AKA 'DEMON ISLAND' AKA 'BLOOD TIDE'

<p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjR4Tpkq7cNZWo0xblVmc5aArgvtAE1taOi5My4R-JVlLqsu3S0DZ4GB8OSitBmCxYOeS3R2kELEbvlIh53odp4NHNhryclIpy0-gsrFN_NWnd3LleWnroAIsIR5F_ClQ-UOeIwa1TMmTfevyWFbnPSRED_6qZc9Be8wp8U7doEP4leV1hmfPVCIvdTiQ=s960" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="934" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjR4Tpkq7cNZWo0xblVmc5aArgvtAE1taOi5My4R-JVlLqsu3S0DZ4GB8OSitBmCxYOeS3R2kELEbvlIh53odp4NHNhryclIpy0-gsrFN_NWnd3LleWnroAIsIR5F_ClQ-UOeIwa1TMmTfevyWFbnPSRED_6qZc9Be8wp8U7doEP4leV1hmfPVCIvdTiQ=w389-h400" width="389"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Title: BLOODTIDE Year: 1982 Rating: ***1/2</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>New marrieds Martin Kove and Mary-Louise Weller visit a Greek island to find <i>his</i> missing sister who turns out alive but "isn't quite there..."</p><p>And the mystery is what happened to her before, during and... basically the entire movie is <i>the after</i>... <br></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>As James Earl Jones eventually helps out: a kind of Robert Shaw hybrid from both JAWS and especially THE DEEP, advising the handsome couple to dive while he's interested in hidden treasure... </p><p>Meanwhile, the town locals, led by a grimacing Jose Ferrer, have something to hide as young women begin to vanish/die... </p><p>In particular Frye’s girlfriend Barbara, played by bubbly-blonde Lydia Cornell, victim of a JAWS-like attack (much <i>too close for comfort</i>) by a mysterious underwater predator. </p><p>And another girl... a preteen virgin... could be next. And if this review reads more like a patchwork of ideas, that’s what BLOODTIDE (actually BLOOD TIDE) is... yet it’s not completely awful, Although Horror fans will be disappointed as the creature's hardly seen... But according ANIMAL HOUSE starlet Mary-Louise Weller: “It wasn't scripted to be about any monsters, but since it was actually blocked currency from numerous countries... Mexico, UK, Greece, USA... they used the movie as a way to move cash around. It was just amazing that it even cut together at all.”</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6Jupd2XJwVrN4R5kHk0XvxD2pmIXXI7ealRXMuXzHpZIjZz5do64o-FJsiu--E-YgQCmeqTsWIfwxcFHj78Aed-wljTlOI0sMByjwNU0nhMel9CoQRJ7scLtst_DI500Jm5qtxhperkBjgHccLj7CevWg7pU0r6lxWGO1rXZtFLWtPwvS7r8VU0hkqw=s1181" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="1181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6Jupd2XJwVrN4R5kHk0XvxD2pmIXXI7ealRXMuXzHpZIjZz5do64o-FJsiu--E-YgQCmeqTsWIfwxcFHj78Aed-wljTlOI0sMByjwNU0nhMel9CoQRJ7scLtst_DI500Jm5qtxhperkBjgHccLj7CevWg7pU0r6lxWGO1rXZtFLWtPwvS7r8VU0hkqw=s16000"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Martin Kove and Mary-Louise Weller in BLOODTIDE with James Earl Jones & Lydia Cornell</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1QvJO2Xxfkttw3OF26zOhKuvpSwdSJD8fqlIXrSLO73KoMacEFPpTgs7tT2cjO4CMmYK2-mh0qymGIGeGSPux1pQpg8gZmdK9c0zMpf5xLl1VM5-Jrr6SKSPGfMQgetYz0_LWtx1uH0f/s840/135517446_1153906368371871_9144435897815874566_n.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="840" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1QvJO2Xxfkttw3OF26zOhKuvpSwdSJD8fqlIXrSLO73KoMacEFPpTgs7tT2cjO4CMmYK2-mh0qymGIGeGSPux1pQpg8gZmdK9c0zMpf5xLl1VM5-Jrr6SKSPGfMQgetYz0_LWtx1uH0f/s16000/135517446_1153906368371871_9144435897815874566_n.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Martin Kove and Mary-Louise Weller in BLOODTIDE</u><br></td></tr></tbody></table>

action, beach, deborah shelton, eighties, exploitation, horror, james earl jones, jaws-clone, jose ferrer, lydia cornell, martin kove, mary-louise weller, thriller

UNEARTHING 'BLOODTIDE' AKA 'DEMON ISLAND' AKA 'BLOOD TIDE'

Title: BLOODTIDE Year: 1982 Rating: ***1/2 New marrieds Martin Kove and Mary-Louise Weller visit a Greek island to find his missing sister ...

SYLVESTER STALLONE IN FIRST BLOOD & RAMBO

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reviews of both FIRST BLOOD and RAMBO</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Calling RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD II would make RAMBO III actually FIRST BLOOD III: RAMBO II, and that's a lot of complicated roman numerals. Plus, RAMBO is quite different than FIRST BLOOD...<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bSnv1USVL8tzRdVIyh2u-jlje99zaZYHjBEFR6Fh98IexS0P-J14F-CLNwzZavYq91geEdTO47IXo7rvGkykL9rtnN2Gn2czjnmem0789ptxRB6A1cYGwtiwTzku05sRhmrhKUWG7dY/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bSnv1USVL8tzRdVIyh2u-jlje99zaZYHjBEFR6Fh98IexS0P-J14F-CLNwzZavYq91geEdTO47IXo7rvGkykL9rtnN2Gn2czjnmem0789ptxRB6A1cYGwtiwTzku05sRhmrhKUWG7dY/s200/3.jpg" width="120"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once Just A Book</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the initial vehicle, Vietnam flashbacks give former Green Beret John J. Rambo that extra strength to bust out of a small town jail and take to the forest, hunted by Brian Dennehy's stubborn Sheriff Teasle, whose character, though an important third banana, means more in the original early-70's David Morrell anti-war novel... where a cold-blooded Rambo kills hundreds of people while the story centers primarily on Teasle and even his mentor, Orval, played by John McLiam, doing nothing more than setting hunting dogs loose in the movie... Yet within the written pages, Orval, as a father figure to Teasle, represents the patriotic Second World War mindset while Teasle, a Korean vet, learns the hard way about the new "death machines" created in the unpopular Vietnam.<br>

action, david caruso, franchise, martin kove, michael talbott, richard crenna, sequel, sylvester stallone, war

SYLVESTER STALLONE IN FIRST BLOOD & RAMBO

Reviews of both FIRST BLOOD and RAMBO Calling RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD II would make RAMBO III actually FIRST BLOOD III: RAMBO II, and that...

WAXING ON AND OFF THE ORIGINAL 'KARATE KID' FRANCHISE

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMYJD-rBeBRhxgvhhDzubVT_2JJiiDp-CWQE8zBefj6KG2PsO0bKS7l0M4PMLh2CK_cMuifgjjTU9FcNZP2VLBwfuYDFfb05hWXdDG9zDU6qST7EPWXa7TH9-htkZaySunBT2XBJUMWsw/s1600/l_25376_0087538_939776c6.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMYJD-rBeBRhxgvhhDzubVT_2JJiiDp-CWQE8zBefj6KG2PsO0bKS7l0M4PMLh2CK_cMuifgjjTU9FcNZP2VLBwfuYDFfb05hWXdDG9zDU6qST7EPWXa7TH9-htkZaySunBT2XBJUMWsw/s1600/l_25376_0087538_939776c6.jpg" width="196" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1984 rating: ****</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Although becoming a campy punchline to authentic Martial Artists, you can't deny the addictive pleasure of the KARATE KID franchise, which began with excellence and eventually dwindled to contrived fare; yet was always entertaining and, to this day, unarguably classic... </i><br />
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<u>THE KARATE KID</u>: With
 two big films, ROCKY and THE KARATE KID, director John G. Avildsen 
gets lost in the mix. And yet, what both iconic features have in common is obvious: An underdog 
trained by an elder with experience and he... they... win a big fight. But looking at two of the director's "deeper" movies before 1976... SAVE THE TIGER and JOE... and heck<span style="font-style: italic;">, even</span> ROCKY for that matter... each has a character-driven soul pulsing 
throughout: Which is no different for the original KARATE KID that, while there's 
some great action with terrific fights, funny moments, and a sweet 
romance for good measure, it's the friendship between Ralph Macchio and 
Pat Morita, and how it drives all the memorable stuff... that really makes 
this film dynamic and provides another signature gem for the director 
who, like he did with the Philly Southpaw story, puts a little art-house into a big 
blockbuster.<br />
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<u><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-cQNzLGiBQ9Pybqxi4MWfDncWw-WeYoEmog6V9gxjKxOOTPwiX7pTZJXNsFTKSG4_6lSWCWaAj6zm0lD89WqaaIWGuVaUfBQMlJkAVtH3bGKKqHbMjH4w8k6kgGp-WfLkDWR_tnyJq5cfnkiJfkwYueQnyNagGg3uBkK2UevFEoPPlHrWlMiR2d9oX9J/s1362/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-15%20at%202.18.52%20AM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="1362" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-cQNzLGiBQ9Pybqxi4MWfDncWw-WeYoEmog6V9gxjKxOOTPwiX7pTZJXNsFTKSG4_6lSWCWaAj6zm0lD89WqaaIWGuVaUfBQMlJkAVtH3bGKKqHbMjH4w8k6kgGp-WfLkDWR_tnyJq5cfnkiJfkwYueQnyNagGg3uBkK2UevFEoPPlHrWlMiR2d9oX9J/w200-h178/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-15%20at%202.18.52%20AM.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1986 rating: ***</td></tr></tbody></table></u><u>THE KARATE KID PART II</u>: Very
 uneven sequel but not bad either. Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita travel 
to Okinawa where Morita's father is dying. Morita's former best friend 
turned rival, the owner of the village, wants him dead while his bully 
nephew picks on "Daniel" who falls for a local girl: There are a few 
good confrontations between The Kid and the bullies but the love story
 drags, and anything dealing with the town's traditions keeps things at a
 muddled pace...<br />
<br />
Yet the anticipated finale fight between Macchio and the nephew is 
completely ludicrous: like something from a "He Man" cartoon... this 
after the much anticipated battle between Morita and his rival ends 
because of a typhoon that brings them together, a total cop-out story 
wise and yet, there have been far worse sequels, which was right on the way with... <br />
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<u><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfjTc-czfWa0S3LGQBRx44LZwFcxgPNKOUKs6lZ1XfGdDTiRFHm-mbx-ZRAValI2EALBFCc2FOsFsg3u2YZmMmTWUs2eTO9PgIoQV_k6JycAhoH2Pe8mSJrK_tagFIvq9O2f-HQKJnWoFkPlp8WgkhLnjdkkPG_SxsPUHBmA-bces0Od6_HOyY7I2oQqZ/s780/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-15%20at%202.18.42%20AM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="780" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfjTc-czfWa0S3LGQBRx44LZwFcxgPNKOUKs6lZ1XfGdDTiRFHm-mbx-ZRAValI2EALBFCc2FOsFsg3u2YZmMmTWUs2eTO9PgIoQV_k6JycAhoH2Pe8mSJrK_tagFIvq9O2f-HQKJnWoFkPlp8WgkhLnjdkkPG_SxsPUHBmA-bces0Od6_HOyY7I2oQqZ/w200-h151/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-15%20at%202.18.42%20AM.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1989 rating: *1/2</td></tr></tbody></table>THE KARATE KID PART III</u>: One
 of the most unintentionally hilarious sequels of all time, this, the 
third outing in the franchise, begins nine months past the original as 
ruined Martin Kove, broke and without students, calls his Vietnam war 
buddy, an over-the-top pony-tailed ham who will stop at nothing to 
avenge his cohort...<br />
<br />
We see as Morita and Ralph Macchio (twenty pounds 
heavier) get off the plane from the orient and are then 
thrust into a story that has to be seen to believed... Morita opens a 
store selling Banzai Trees and Machio is once again bullied into competing for the 
tournament for... what logical reason is never made clear and, overall, this is to the KID franchise what ROCKY IV was for that series: a completely unrealistic
 comic-book that's so bad, it's horrendously awesome: the once incredible director force-feeding a contrived story like it's a cable cable movie, for which our villain fits like a torn glove. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJEZJjiQgUuzv5vtTmhVocyi_IjqqgoIBGPsW_p6hjGIcOre3UiSeHfOJoW9l3CpR4bm3g5lHogOXHyBYvDVHuaBR4QrJVepnHuJbh_HD3bSzqj4AhMiiEH8GEjU2GPasKD6UUNKon20/s1600/next_karate_kid%5B1%5D.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJEZJjiQgUuzv5vtTmhVocyi_IjqqgoIBGPsW_p6hjGIcOre3UiSeHfOJoW9l3CpR4bm3g5lHogOXHyBYvDVHuaBR4QrJVepnHuJbh_HD3bSzqj4AhMiiEH8GEjU2GPasKD6UUNKon20/s1600/next_karate_kid%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1994 rating: **1/2</td></tr>
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<u>THE NEXT KARATE KID:</u> With
 an exception of two horrific scenes: one involving monastery monks 
dancing to The Cranberries, or when the passive baldies later go 
bowling, this franchise sequel resembling a reboot isn't <i>that </i>bad for a bad movie as a pre-fame Hillary Swank, a
 troubled teen in a hard-lined prep school, dodges advances of bullies 
endorsed by evil Michael Ironside...<br />
<br />
Adding to her irritation is a new <i>babysitter</i>... Yeah that's right... It's Pat Morita as the iconic Mr. Miyagi, who
 doesn't know exactly how to tame a girl but eventually wins her over 
with his mellow wisdom and, at the monastery mentioned earlier, teaches 
her the between-the-lines karate style to kick bully-butt in the predictable conclusion and, basically, THE NEXT KARATE KID is 
like a vapid made-for-TV movie that has enough heart to override the abundant 
stupidity throughout.<br />
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