3 Fred Williamson B-Action Movie Franchises Reviewed

[00:00:00] This podcast is a production of Unfiltered Studios. If you would like to know more about joining Unfiltered Studios, please visit our website at unfpod.com for more information. Three the Hard Way, starring you, Jim Brown, and Jim Kelly. Yeah. You know, I was talking to Michael about this, you know, before the interview. He was saying that the great part of that era of you guys doing those films together was that, you know, like with you and Jim Brown were two alpha males working together. Yeah.

[00:00:28] You just didn't see that in movies. You know, like the white audience had like Robert Redford and Paul Newman. Yeah. But in the black community, like the big black alpha males would never work together. Yeah. But you and Jim Brown became very close and kept doing movies together. It was a great relationship that we had, the three of us, Jim Brown, Jim Kelly, because we each represented something different. All three of us had this kind of mentality, all this kind of source. I don't have to prove that I'm tough and Jim, Jim didn't have to prove it because there's an image.

[00:00:57] It's, you know, dictated that he was Jim Brown. Yeah. Kelly has seen him kick 18 people's butt at one time in the film. The hammer, a guy called the hammer, he must have some kind of ability. So we didn't go around proving it. We did not stress that. We let the image take care of itself.

[00:02:02] Welcome all. Welcome all. We're here for some more B-movie exploitation and just low budget fun. I decided to do a tribute to my just beloved icon, Fred Williamson. And throughout the 80s and 90s, he did everything. He made fun of himself.

[00:02:21] He had some TV show gigs and recurring roles, some big film roles like original gangsters and from Dusk Till Dawn. So plenty of ensemble work in 96 alone. And then just kind of just he kept going back and doing independent movies that would play at local film festivals or go straight to the VHS DVD shelf. But he couldn't help himself.

[00:02:48] He had his wife, Linda Williamson, a bunch of other filmmakers he loved just make films just dirt cheap in L.A., Dallas and Atlanta and what have you. And many of them are just kind of just send backs to what made him famous in the first place. Just his mix of martial arts, blaxploitation type plots where he's, you know, going over corrupt individuals.

[00:03:11] And so there's going to be some loses here, but plenty of winners as well, as well as underrated looks. But as you know, you know, you can find these movies dirt cheap. And now that streaming is a thing, you'll find plenty of them on Prime and Tubi. Pretty much are exactly what they state that they are. I had done an episode previously on them, but we hadn't covered enough to where it would even make a mini show. So it only made sense to just start from the top.

[00:03:39] Like, I just flat out discuss it right here, right now. It's pretty much exactly what it's advertised. So let's start with the ensemble that was Delta Force Commando. Yep. In between all his gigs, he loved going back to Italy and just filming some cheapies. Yeah, I think Bronx Warriors was really the ones that got him involved.

[00:04:06] But, you know, those are another franchise in and of themselves for another day. And I wanted to start with this one because, like, when you see this, especially in those DVD packs by, you know, Anchor Bay, you're instantly like, I want to see this. Fred's in it. Is it worth a bit of your time? Let's find out. Yeah. Latin American Revolutionaries invade a Puerto Rican military base that's still a nuclear bond.

[00:04:34] Killing a pregnant woman in the process, Captain Beck is assigned to track the revolutionaries to their home turf and recover the weapon. The late woman's husband is eager for revenge and accompanies him to an area near the Nicaraguan border where they encounter hostile revolutionary forces. Yeah, something like that. So, you don't have to see these movies in any order. I've seen parts of them before because they were always, like, the YouTube-free movie.

[00:05:05] And I saw them on some of the other sides.

[00:05:07] What's fun is Mark Gregory, who was in the Bronx Warriors with Fred, as well as just various other ones like Thunder Warrior and just a bunch of other knockoff Italian sheepies that are, you know, war movies, as well as playing up the whole, just, you know, Mad Max and just the other Navajo movie.

[00:05:36] Um, Billy Jack is basically it and Rambo. But, yeah, no, these are exactly what they're advertised, but I wouldn't waste any money on them unless you are a bad movie completist. You love all those cheapies that played at drive-ins back in the day. Commando and Rambo fans won't get anything out of this, but the first one is watchable.

[00:06:01] Fred obviously does not do any martial arts, but I think because this was, like, originally, I think, somewhere in college, like, the 10th movie I had seen him in. I was used to him being part of ensembles, and half the time he's just, you know, on set for only a few days, just, you know, filming a fight scene and then moving on to the next movie. Or he is the lead, but there isn't much done.

[00:06:26] In this case, yeah, uh, Fred fans, you might be mildly entertained, but you're not gonna get much from this first one. Now, the second one, you can completely avoid. It is nothing but stock footage, basically leftover bloopers, he's barely in it. Boca Vinson of the original Inglourious Bastards is also in part one, but, yeah, he didn't have much to do either.

[00:06:52] So, all I can say is, if you're going to mess with these, like, just, it better be just because you are an absolute, like, completist of trash. Uh, yeah, there's not much to see here, really. Uh, just, altogether, just, you're better off, uh, just, you know.

[00:07:16] If they're in a DVD pack with a bunch of other Italian war movies, then that might be a deal. That might, that would honestly be the only reason to do that. But other than that, you can pretty much avoid these. These were, as, I didn't have much disappointment because I was expecting nothing at all. But I still can't recommend them at all, just in good faith. Like, you're not going to get much. Most of the time, movies that are considered just pretty awful, you know, the people reviewing those are not accustomed to anything.

[00:07:46] You know, like, they seem to be okay with, like, full moon type trash. But they're, if you tell them about Roger Corman or something, they just don't have the patience to watch a cheapy or just wacky low budget, you know, outing. And I personally am always impressed, you know, especially with Exterminator type movies. Just, uh, seeing, uh, films that, you know, were made for barely anything. And, yes, there are ones that are legit good.

[00:08:17] And I think Reservoir Dogs, by the 90s, uh, you know, reminded people that you could make something from nothing when you had dedication, a wonderful cast, and a premise that was a winner. And, you know, with these kinds of movies, you can't expect much of anything because it's pretty much workmanlike. They're business type stuff.

[00:08:39] Some of them end up being very entertaining because they kind of let loose and either embrace their trashy nature or just know when to just wrap it all up and make it as engaging as they can. In this case, these ones were just a little too distant, just too robotic, just too static. If they were a Mystery Science Theater or a Vyra or Joe Bob Briggs type episode, I could see something being done with part one.

[00:09:07] But part two is just so, just endlessly dull. I do not recommend that one at all. It's barely a movie. So, part one, I'm gonna give, you know, like a two and a half out of five. But with part two, oh, that's a one out all the way. It's not much of anything. So, on to the next one, the Black Cobra saga. And I've seen many film history books and reviewer books describe it themselves.

[00:09:37] You know, these are essentially Fred's answer to other blockbuster movies like Cobra and Death Wish. Part one kind of just doesn't really get going until like the last few minutes, but is at least engaging enough. And again, you could totally see it as one of those snarky movie shows where someone has their own commentary. Part two, number four of these and part two and free are slow moving.

[00:10:07] But I could at least give a free out of five too. Because by the end, they just let loose and start doing their own commando thing where they start having them kick ass. And again, not much martial arts. There's like a few kicks and knife play and everything. But it's mostly gunplay. And just with funny synthesizer music and over-the-top henchmen. I like how there's a bit of spy and commando elements.

[00:10:35] It's just, again, he's going and messing with terrorists and, you know, just deadly borderline neo-Nazi groups at times. No harm done by them to the victims or anything. It's not that kind of explicit exploitation film. It's just an excuse for him to just get from point A to B and then let Fred improvise some fight scenes that aren't engaging enough. They're not award-winning, but they're not incompetent either.

[00:11:04] It's just a reasonable improv. And part four, you know, he disowned because it was basically, again, outtakes and leftover stuff. And I usually like Humberto Lindsay, just all his other Italian-type films. But yeah, no, that... And he's had some losers too, like Ghost House. But yeah, no, this one was basically just...

[00:11:33] It didn't even know who the main lead was. And it just felt like it was just slapped together just to make a buck. And it shows, especially near the end, where you're just like... You don't hate everybody for making this. But man, you know, just... Again, too big a obvious a cash grab. You're just so confused the entire time. And then when it ends, you're like, what was that again?

[00:12:03] So, yeah. He played Detective Malone in those. And I can't say those are his most memorable ones. But if you're going to mess with those, definitely mess with the first three. And, you know, part four, like they say, is pretty shitty. Okay. So, then it moves on to... You know, he just goes back into making independent movies that kind of premiere on HBO. And play late at night on, you know, Spike TV. And I definitely saw one of them on FX.

[00:12:33] But in this case, he plays the LA detective Dakota Smith. So, the first one is Night Vision. Which is basically a low-budget, you know, catch a serial killer kind of movie. With... Once again, he's teamed out with Sanpia Rothrock. And Detective, played by Robert Forster. So, yeah. These were definitely interesting. They all have good rapport.

[00:13:04] Not any martial arts. And I think that's what many people were complaining about. It's like, why do you have these martial artists and not let them use actual martial arts? But it's a decent just watch. Just point A to point B. Find out what the hell is going on. Not graphic. Once again, four of these movies. And I re-saw for this Down and Dirty, the second one.

[00:13:28] And despite the low ratings and confusing poster where it makes it look like the co-star Bubba Smith. That's right. The Bubba Smith of Police Academy. The former footballer like Fred is the main star. Fred is actually the lead as Smith. And I remember... I think this was the first one I saw out of the bunch back when I was a mega upload guy. Going around finding low-budget B action in horror and sci-fi movies.

[00:13:57] This cast is stacked. The Captain is played by Charles Napier. You'll know from Rambo 2 and Austin Powers. There's a crooked cop played by Tony Lo Bianco. Who's, you know, another veteran of just various movies. Everything from Nixon to The French Connection. Love that guy. And Andrew Devoff, the wishmaster and bad guy in Toy Soldiers in Air Force One, has a brief role as a henchman of crooked district attorney Gary Busey. Yep.

[00:14:27] There gets to be a naked babe here, but that's just a brief moment. Who's in his house. Beverly Johnston, who you might recognize, is a decent love interest for Fred. She's been everything from, you know, the sitcom Martin to the sci-fi film... I can't spell the date. Across worlds. Been all kinds of movies. How to be a player.

[00:14:58] I guess bought on Sabrina. She's just one of those other gals. When you see her, you're like, I've seen her. I don't know what. It's not... Nothing great. But she is a decent actress. So, David Carradine has a brief role as a goon who Busey is trying to have do some shit for him. Actually, no. It was the other crooked cops. But Sam J. Jones. That's right. Flash Gordon gets to play a crooked lawyer also who's in on this.

[00:15:27] And plenty of other henchmen. If anything, I loved how they were able to get a lot of these same guys and have them be in the next few movies. Fred has decent direction here. I know he varies as a whole. But this had a cool... Out of all the soundtracks in these are definitely throwbacks to Blaxploitation stuff. And this was definitely the funkiest of the bunch.

[00:15:56] Bubba Smith had a good rapport. Or he comes in and does what he needs to. It's not his best performance. Black Moon Rising. That would be his best. Obviously, again, guys. This is not Serpico training day. You know, NARC level good. But it is a reasonable B-movie outing. And I would say this is worth it for Fred fans. If you're not sold on Night Vision because everyone was expecting a giant slasher.

[00:16:26] I would still say, you know, get this for... Again, you know, the giant cast. Smith, Busey, and Carradine, and Napier fans will love it. That they have enough to do. Sam J. Jones is hilarious. Just because of just how much taunting and shit-talking he does. And before he gets slugged. This was then followed up by the direct-to-video and international production that was The Rage Within. Where, again, Mike Norris. That's right. There's a relation.

[00:16:58] He is the eldest son of Chuck Norris. And, you know, it's a very laughable, very shitty movie. Much like many of Fred's movies. It was, like, filmed in Dirk Sheep and, like, Dallas and a bunch of other areas. Fred doesn't have much to do. It was apparently filmed in, like, 99. There's various scenes that are clearly ripping off Reservoir Dogs. Once again, it's got Andrew Deboff. And he's playing a really evil villain.

[00:17:28] Richard Norton, who's another guy who's been in all these movies with Fred and Chuck Norris, gets to ham it up. Ron O'Neill is in here as the captain. That's right. Superfly. And nothing to really see. It's just one of those where, again, Mr. Science Theaterville. You are guffawing at the over-the-top stuns, the unconvincing music.

[00:17:55] There's some softcore, like, diva gals in here being eye candy. It's a mess. And Mike Norris has zero presence as either an action star or as a lead. But I recommend everyone see it. Near the end, Fred does get to kick some serious ass. And it's a perfect so-bad-it's-good movie. The Rage Within. I was able to get one of those... Just some...

[00:18:23] Find an online link as well as a Region 2 DVD that wouldn't play. Fun time. But that was eons ago. So, the final outing. We got On The Edge. Now, yeah, this is the one I saw circulating on late-night cable TV quite a lot. But I have to say, I completely misremembered this one. You know, I just recall... You know, obviously most people were seeing this because Ice-T was the villain... Secondary villain in this.

[00:18:52] And he's heavily featured on the poster. No, he doesn't get to hold a gun. But he is pretty awesome. It's not his best performance. You know, so many often... He often gets to... I know, I've just said that twice. Let me reword. Typically, he gets to be engaging and just a lot of fun.

[00:19:15] Or more or less just add a presence to his criminal or cop characters. And this one, he's just a hustler. He's Lone Shark and basketball players and foolish high school kids. And it wasn't his best compared to, say, you know, Judgment Day, New Jack City, and Trespass. But he still was very appropriately menacing while being smooth.

[00:19:43] And obviously, you know, he's got all these chicks who dig him because of all his, you know, various riches and everything. Once again, Gary Busey is in here. And he's basically another guy just going around as part of this crime ring, assassinating the various kids and drug dealers. Bernie Casey. Yeah, that's right. Another guy who's made a living being just tough guys and what have you.

[00:20:11] Gets to be a cool partner for Fred's Dakota Smith. And music is also funky here. Some decent R&B playing in the background. Many of the, again, many of the same guys you saw in Down and Dirty are playing different lawyers, detectives, you know, and reporters, councilmen. But still a decent amount of corruption.

[00:20:41] Ron O'Neill, again, super fly, gets to come in. And this time he's one of the concerned dads who's, you know, being a vigilante. And they're helping him out when they try to get Gary Busey's, you know, assassin on something. And somehow the weapons go missing. And they imply that, again, there were some people he paid off who were crooked. Again, hackneyed script there. But it knows what it is. You know, it is an absolute B action movie.

[00:21:09] That's an excuse for Fred to go back and do some blaxploitation type film where he's fighting the man. And he's, you know, I mean, this is what other movies like Black Dynamite and Action Jackson were doing tributes to, you know, back in their respective eras. So, yeah. Ice-T, you know, I totally misremembered. I thought they totally did a confrontation and everything. Nope. No such luck. Not in what I saw here on Tubi.

[00:21:37] He's, you know, he tries Lone Shark and the kids. And they start saving the kids. And then they just go on a hunch. And, again, I think everyone was mainly disappointed because they wanted to see Fred do some more fighting moves and everything. And I don't know if he just didn't want to do that kind of movie or what. I think it was Ego. Honestly, he was too busy directing. And as long as he was cool and it was a good use of his brand.

[00:22:05] Again, you can find most of these on Freebie and Tubi and Roku. You won't lose any sleep over them. You won't. But, once again, On the Edge and Down and Dirty. And those are definitely the two highlights. Night Vision is a like it or hate it. And The Rage Within is a so bad it's good. You know, it just maybe is so bad it's bad. But just amusing trash.

[00:22:35] And, again, I think it's just, you know, none of these are going to make Fred's, you know, top 10 movies. Not even just top 20. But you should still seek out just some of these. Just having fun. But, yeah. I mean, either way, he does get some action in a cheesy sex scene. But it's, you know, it's whatever.

[00:23:04] It's kind of what you expect in these kinds of movies. The shootouts are decent. You know, nothing Odyssey. But it's just, it's whatever. And just, I think I liked overall just how, despite these movies being just lowbrow, they were still just engaging enough.

[00:23:31] And just, again, they understood the blaxploitation kind of style. And they knew how to replicate it instead of just feeling like, oh, you know, let's mess around until the cameras shut off. And Don Smith, who plays the love interest in this, she was also in Original Gangsters with Fred. So, there are a lot of connections. If you want to go down the rabbit hole, you'll find plenty of these people have worked with Fred before.

[00:23:59] And, yeah. I mean, I think that's why it overall worked for me. It's just, you know, these are exactly what Fred is supposed to be doing. You know, now, again, I would have preferred some martial arts, but that's just not, that's not what happened. So, all together, just, I think, again, you,

[00:24:29] you get exactly what you're looking for. It's just, I, you know, again, it was a far cry, and he was trying to stay busy. But, yeah, avoid Delta Force Commando, obviously, unless you get it in a DVD pack. Check out the Black Cobra films if you want something goofy to laugh at for a trashy movie night. And,

[00:24:56] if you're going to get any of the Dakota Smith films, you know, get at least some of these. But, you know, you don't have to track it down, all of them, if you're just not feeling it. But, you'll at least respect what he tried to do versus just feeling like, uh, you know, what was going on there again? So, yeah, these were a fun, just, dissect. And I, if you guys enjoyed the listen, but, yeah, we, we're still taking requests

[00:25:25] on Jacked Up Review Show and on all the social media platforms, if you've got any concern or just want to send in some feedback, trust us, I, I will read it. I will engage with you. I will oblige myself. I will actually, you know, we're always trying to do some changes and we're trying to explore stuff that's not even just talked about enough, whether it's a rare TV show that lasted, you know, five years, but not enough people talk about,

[00:25:55] whether it's a music group that's actually very talented but just never made the top 40. Yeah. And, you know, we do plenty of other social and political talks and other roundtable discussions that talk about the world of entertainment, industry, and, yeah, just, we, we want to engage with you and we want to give everyone a voice. We got plenty more interviews coming on their way too, so be tuned for that. And, thank you all for giving me a moment of your time. We'll return

[00:26:25] after these messages. If you like small town mystery, crazy news, and wild history, then the Florida Men on Florida Man podcast is for you. Each week, Josh Mills and Wayne McCarty bring you the absolute best Florida has to offer. So, if you're looking for a show that's safe for the family but funny enough to help you escape everyday life, then listen to the Florida Men on Florida Man podcast. That's Florida Men, plural,

[00:26:54] on Florida Man podcast. Hey, it's Brent Pope, the host of Breakfast with Brent Pope. You've seen me on some of your favorite TV shows saying things like, give it up, Jimmy. You gotta sink this put to win. On Breakfast with Brent Pope, I sit down with guests from the entertainment world and we do it all over breakfast. Or should I say, Brent-fist. Every week on Brent-fist, you get inside Hollywood info and tips, great breakfast wrecks and booty debates. Most of all, you get the most delightful 30 minutes of your week. So dig in. It's Brent-fist time. Listen at Brent-fist.com, Apple Podcasts, or wherever fine podcasts are found.

[00:27:24] Follow us on the web on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The podcast is available on Podbean, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Anchor, Apple, and anywhere else podcasts are available. Feel free to review our show and leave comments on any of those sites. Thanks a million for listening. It's a jacked up review show.