Description
Title: Magic Crystal (1986)
Alternate Title: Mo Fei Cui
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
Plot Synopsis:
An archaeologist discovers an ancient jade with supernatural powers in Greece. Both KGB agent Karov and Interpol seek the stone. The archaeologist’s friend, Andy Lo, becomes involved to help. The jade ends up with a boy named Pan, who learns it’s from space and befriends it. As Andy faces imprisonment, Karov captures Pan to obtain the jade.
Cast and Crew:
- Director: Wong Jing
- Writer: Wong Jing
- Cast:
- Andy Lau as Andy Lo
- Cynthia Rothrock as Cindy Morgan
- Max Mok as Billy
- Sharla Cheung as Winnie Shum
- Richard Norton as Karov
YouTube Trailer:
In the Magic Crystal | Trailer
IMDb Link:
In the Magic Crystal (1986)
Reviews from Letterboxd:
- CinemaVoid – ★★★★½
“Haven’t had this much fun with a magic crystal since the last time I smoked meth.” - Rafael “Parker!!” Jovine – ★★★★
“Arguably one of the best fantasy action films I’ve seen out of Hong Kong. Normally, Hong Kong slapstick humor doesn’t work for me, but here we had some very humorous and funny comic relief characters. The CGI is the kind of bad that doesn’t take you away from the movie but it adds to its charm. Andy Lau was a great lead, delivering on both the humor, the drama, and the action. Cynthia disappears for a long period of time but whenever she shows up, she delivers some of the best action in the film. The whole adventure feel was nailed, and the final fight against Richard Norton was one for the ages. A true gem of Hong Kong cinema!”
Meta Description:
“In the Magic Crystal” (1986), also known as “Mo Fei Cui,” is a Hong Kong action-adventure film directed by Wong Jing. The story follows an archaeologist’s discovery of a supernatural jade in Greece, leading to a pursuit involving the KGB, Interpol, and a mercenary named Andy Lo.
Title: Ninja Kill (1987)
Alternate Title: Ninja Kill
Genre: Action
Plot Synopsis:
An army of evil purple ninjas battles sadistic yellow ninjas to stop an assassination plot.
Cast and Crew:
- Directors: Joseph Lai, Godfrey Ho
- Writer: Stephen So
- Cast:
- Richard Harrison
- Stuart Smith
- Paul Huisintyeld
- Sorapong Chatree
- Naiyana Shewanan
YouTube Trailer:
Ninja Kill (1987) | Trailer
IMDb Link:
Ninja Kill (1987)
Reviews from Letterboxd:
- Kevin Clarke – ★★★☆☆
“In one of the two movies in this movie, a white guy in a purple ninja costume fights some other white guys in yellow ninja costumes, wearing headbands that read ‘Ninja,’ so you know they’re ninjas. His friend Pedro is killed by one of these ‘Ninja Killers.’ Then, the hero from movie number one calls his friend David and tasks him with being the star of movie number two. Movie number two takes up more screen time, so we’ll refer to it as movie number one from now on. In movie number one, David goes to Thailand and meets up with some of his buddies, and is constantly captured by the bad guys while having relations with different women. The…” - Dennis Vehlen – ★★★☆☆
“Another day, another cut & paste ninja movie. I was looking forward to ‘Ninja Kill’ as it is another part of the Richard Harrison saga, but compared to the last few of these that I watched, this was only an okay one. The A-movie was fine, but not that interesting or memorable compared to some of the wilder ones I’ve seen in recent Filmark/IFD movies. The opening scene and climax with Richard Harrison as purple Ninja Master Gordon fighting Stuart Smith as the evil yellow ninja were definitely the highlights, and especially their final fight (including both of them running up a hill, shouting ‘NIIINJAAA!’ at each other) was hilarious.” - Jeff_at_CSB – ★½☆☆☆
“Part of My Summer of IFD Films. I was able to watch this one in its original Scope aspect ratio, thanks to the German DVD market’s insatiable appetite for Godfrey Ho movies. Actually, the print I saw credited Joseph Lai with directing this monstrosity; Godfrey Ho was merely credited with the ‘story.’ (LOL”
Meta Description:
“Ninja Kill” (1987) is an action film directed by Joseph Lai and Godfrey Ho, featuring a conflict between purple and yellow ninjas amidst an assassination plot.
Title: Killpoint (1984)
Genre: Action, Drama
Plot Synopsis:
In Los Angeles, a psychopathic arms dealer, Joe Marks, orchestrates the theft of a National Guard armory with the help of his enforcer, Nighthawk. They plan to sell the stolen weapons to street gangs, escalating violence in the city. Lieutenant James Long, an LAPD officer with a troubled past, teams up with FBI Agent Bill Bryant to track down Marks and prevent the firearms from flooding the streets. As the duo delves deeper into the criminal underworld, they confront brutal adversaries and face personal demons, culminating in a violent showdown.
Cast and Crew:
- Director: Frank Harris
- Writer: Frank Harris
- Cast:
- Leo Fong as Lt. James Long
- Richard Roundtree as Agent Bill Bryant
- Cameron Mitchell as Joe Marks
- Stack Pierce as Nighthawk
- Hope Holiday as Anita
IMDb Link:
Killpoint (1984)
Reviews from Letterboxd:
-
Cinema_Strikes – ★★½
“If you’re looking for a bunch of ‘70s ass kill-crazy rampages and kung fu fights in an ‘80s movie, you could do worse than Killpoint. It’s a weird trip, with a rambling villainous performance from Cameron Mitchell, a genuinely creepy villainous performance from Stack Pierce as ‘Nighthawk’ (no joke, he’s great), a bit of Richard Roundtree, and a lot of Leo Fong, the Asian Charles Bronson.” -
Steve G – ★★½
“It’s really only when you watch a film like Killpoint that you realise you don’t hear people saying ‘Erm…’ in movies. I personally found it quite endearing that so many of the actors in this needed to take that verbal pause before they remembered what else they had to say. Sounds natural! Anyway, that was really the only charming part of Frank Harris’ film, which is extremely violent and full of shooting but otherwise really failed to engage me.” -
Doctor Pretorius – ★★
“A wild Crown International action movie that wastes Richard Roundtree in a minor role (which is a crime) but almost makes up for it with truly unhinged performances by the two villains. Cameron Mitchell plays the big bad, but he spends most of his time being obsessed with a tiny little poodle, leaving it up to Stack Pierce to arrange a bunch of arms deals that result in random locations getting shot up, seemingly without reason.”
Meta Description:
“Killpoint” (1984), directed by Frank Harris, is an action-drama that follows LAPD Lieutenant James Long and FBI Agent Bill Bryant as they pursue arms dealer Joe Marks, who has stolen military weapons to sell to Los Angeles gangs. The film explores themes of crime, justice, and the personal struggles of law enforcement officers.
Title: The Messenger (1986)
Alternate Title: Messenger of Death
Genre: Action, Drama
Plot Synopsis:
A former Green Beret seeks vengeance against the drug gangs responsible for his girlfriend’s death from a drug overdose.
Cast and Crew:
- Director: Fred Williamson
- Writers: Fred Williamson, Brian Johnson, Conchita Lee, Anthony Wisdom
- Cast:
- Fred Williamson as Jake Sebastian Turner
- Christopher Connelly as Lt. Dickson
- Cameron Mitchell as Captain Matthews
- Joe Spinell as Rico
- Val Avery as Tony
YouTube Trailer:
The Messenger (1986) | Trailer
IMDb Link:
The Messenger (1986)
Reviews from Letterboxd:
- Kevin Majestyck – ★★★☆☆
“How can I ever thank you?” “Just put flowers on my grave.” There it is: the best line in the film and it’s stolen from Raymond Chandler. You know THE MESSENGER isn’t memorable because A. It (currently) doesn’t have a Wikipedia page, and B. The synopsis found on most places online is incorrect, and no one’s bothered fixing it: “When his girlfriend dies of a drug overdose, a former Green Beret decides to take vengeance on the drug gangs responsible for her death.” That’s half right: we are told Jake (Williamson) is a Green Beret, but hitmen shoot his girlfriend after she tells him she’s involved with a drug gang. Maybe they meant she suffered a fatal lead injection? The rest of the film is a standard revenge plot, with Jake tracking down the men responsible and taking them out one by one. It’s not particularly original, but it’s competently made and has a few standout moments.” - Justin LaLiberty – ★★½☆
“This might appear to be Fred Williamson’s show but Joe Spinell wears a bolo tie and immediately steals it.” - Warren Gilbert – ★★★½☆
“Story by, directed by, and starring Fred Williamson, his girlfriend tries to kick her drug habit, but ends up getting murdered by her drug dealers so this being an 80’s action flick he’s gotta hunt every single one of them down to show them the error of their ways. The Messenger is a pretty fun and super cheesy movie that is similar to some of Charles Bronson’s Death Wish sequels. It’s pretty sleazy and then Joe Spinell shows up to confirm that.”
Meta Description:
“The Messenger” (1986), directed by Fred Williamson, follows a former Green Beret as he seeks vengeance against the drug gangs responsible for his girlfriend’s death.
