Vic Morrow

A 1978 Japanese space opera film directed by Kinji Fukasaku. The film stars Sonny Chiba, Etsuko Shihomi, and Vic Morrow. The film was produced by Toei and cost between the equivalent of USD $5-6 million, the most expensive movie made in Japan up to that time.

In this Star Wars take-off, the peaceful planet of Jillucia has been nearly wiped out by the Gavanas, whose leader takes orders from his mother (played by a comic actor in drag) rather than the Emperor. King Kaiba sends out eight Liabe holy seeds, each to be received by a chosen one to defend the Gavanas. Each recipient, ranging from hardened General Garuda to Gavana Prince Hans to young Terrans Meia, Kido, and Aaron all have different reactions to being chosen.Read More »

Morris Buttermaker, an irascible, alcoholic, ex-ballplayer is roped into coaching the worst group of kids ever assembled onto one team. Their cause is utterly and hysterically hopeless until he convinces the daughter of his ex-girlfriend to be the team’s pitcher.Read More »

Quote:
Based on a play by Jean Genet, a small-time thief battles with his gay cellmate over a third illiterate, muscular convict.

Leonard Nimoy (Jules LeFranc), Michael Forest (Greeneyes), Paul Mazursky (Maurice), Robert Ellenstein (Guard), Gavin MacLeod (Emil)

Sharing a dank cell in a French prison are Jules LeFranc, a social outcast serving time for a minor theft, and Greeneyes, a convicted murderer awaiting the guillotine. Embarrassed by the pettiness of his offense against a society he detests, Jules openly worships the infamous Greeneyes and longs to be his friend. Read More »

Quote:
Whatever one says about the plot of this film is going to be a spoiler. Let’s just say that a girl takes a baby-sitting job for one night and in the morning finds that things are not what they seemed and she is in a big load of trouble.

The film has been trashed by just about everybody who ever bothered to write about it, and that’s unfair. At least among Clément’s thrillers – Les felins, Le passager de la pluie, La course du lièvre à travers les champs, etc – it can stand its ground, sharing their dreamlike ambiguity and opaque plot structure. It may not be a masterpiece, but it’s certainly a worthwhile couple of hours.Read More »