Low Blow

Cameron Mitchell's career is varied to say the least. One minute he's Minessota Clay, next he's a crazed gangster in Medusa, or a cop in The Nightmare Never Ends. If it was possible to speak to him today, I'd set myself down next to him at a bar, slide him a beer and say "Hey Cam, what was the easiest gig you ever did?" Unfortunately he can't answer, but I'm sure he would have said: "Probably that martial arts film where I didn't even need to get out of a seat, wore sunglasses, mumbled a lot, and groped a young actress." That film would be Low Blow, an action film starring Mitchell (who was an ex-special forces bar man in Codename Vengeance), Leo Fong, with an appearance by Stack Pierce (of Pyshic Killer 'fame'). Fong is an ex-cop turned PI, who seems to spend his time dealing with endemic street crime in San Francisco. While he's out kicking the heads in of two bag snatchers, he's spotted and hired by businessman John Templeton, in order to rescue his daughter from a cheesy new age cult (led by Mitchell (who played a crap cop in The Demon), but run with an iron fist by his daughter/wife!). Mitchell (who was a slick businessman in Memorial Valley Massacre), who wears sunglasses, a hooded robe, and a star on his cheek, seems oblivious to all the armed guards and beating and rambles on about the meek and says 'Blessed' a lot.

Fong pays a visit to the cult's plantation and immediately gets into bother with hired goons hanging around the place. He ends up rescuing a dude but reckons he's gonna need back up to get the businessman's daughter back, and you know what that means, right? Correct: A fairly pointless fighting competition, complete with Stack Pierce, ninjas, and a strong woman. Gang assembled, they all head off for a final showdown at the plantation (which involves needlessly killing hired goons whom, up until that point, had hardly hurt anyone.

You won't get much in the way of gore in this film (except for the bit where Fong stamps his foot right through a guy's face!) as Low Blow is played more for laughs than anything. This is just as well, as some of the acting is dodgy to say the least (especially Fong's secretary). Mitchell as usual just falls into the roll smoothly (he always seems to be enjoying himself, which is why I enjoy most films he's in), put I wouldn't put this high up on your list of films to see. It's good enough, but no classic, that Low Brow film.

My review was written in April 1986 after a screening at UA Twin theater in Manhattan.

In "Low Blow", filmmakers Leo Fong and Frank Harris (who previously teamed on "Killpoint") reduce an action picture to its basic elements: fights, shootouts and simple delivery of expository dialog, with tedious results. This test of an audience's patience was filmed in Stockton, California, under the title "Savage Sunday".

Fong, who also produced and scripted for his Action Communications banner, toplines as private eye Joe Wong, an ex-cop who is hired by rich guy Templeton (Troy Donahue, looking like he's been to a nearsighted barber) to bring his daughter Karma (Akosua Busia).

Fong spends most of the film killing time by staging tough man contests and otherwise recruiting a team to go in and rescue the girl. Script fails to establish the evilness of the cult (other than their hypnotizing and seemingly drugging kids to keep them), but Fong & Co. Go in and kill the cult's guards anyway in ruthless fashion. Karma shoots Yurakunda (bad guy Cameron Mitchell), but her fate is just another loose end.

Sole point of interest in this clunker is the presence of Akosua Busia, actress whose next role after this in "The Color Purple" earned her an Oscar nomination. She is funny, vivacious and ultimately a bit touching in the stock, evil dragon lady role. This film won't appear on her resume, but it's a wild performance nonetheless. Busia's thesping contrasts with that of Fong and the rest of the players, who are strictly monotone. In fact, many of the smaller roles look like they're being filled with pals who work out with Fong at the local gym.

This movie reeks of 1980s, straight-to-video action: zero budget special effects, "filler" action sequences and some utterly loony acting. It may sound bizarre, but those are also the very reasons why I enjoy this film so much.

In comparison the action movies of today, Low Blow seems positively wholesome. There is not much blood, no sex and the emphasis is more on fist fighting than high-tech weaponry. However, the film is never boring. The action is fairly constant and there are occasional touches of humour along the way.

Leo Fong plays private detective, Joe Wong. Joe is hired to find a missing rich girl, Karen. Karen not only has a very unattractive hairstyle but is also completely moronic, as evidenced by her falling in with one of the most ridiculous cults ever depicted on film - complete with a black sheet wearing blind guru and a crazy woman played by real life Ghanian princess Akosua Busia. Leo Fong's dead-pan delivery and no frills martial arts style suit his character perfectly. A special mention must be given to Akosua who turns in the most ludicrous performance of her career.

After having his butt kicked trying to infiltrate the compound, Joe realises that he needs assistance taking out the wackos and naturally enough, decides to hold a tough man contest to find some extra muscle. The scenes of the contest are some of my favourite in the movie. The fights are brief but varied and amusing. I particularly liked the wrestlers and the bizarre iron lady with the blond mullet. The film then comes to its rather predictable climax with some fun action and a good dose of humour.

Low Blow, the piece d'resistance for legendary Hollywood heavyweight, actor/director/screenwriter and cinematographer Leo Fong, sees Fong reprise his crowd pleasing role as ex-cop Joe Wong. In this installment, Wong is commissioned by capitalist tycoon (Troy Donahue in a standout performance) to rescue his daughter from a dangerous and mind warping cult. Set in the seedy underbelly of the outer areas of San Francisco, Wong must use all his guile as a street smart private investigator to penetrate the fortress of cult leader Yarakunda's compound and rescue the life of the movie's young heroine. A life held desperately in the balance, it is truly a race against time. Realising the limitations of a one man attack, Wong brings together a crack force of street fighting soldiers of fortune, much in the style of Hannibal's A-Team, with the promise great rewards. Wong and his salty mercenaries set in place a sophisticated plan that can't possibly fail. But is it too late?

It is set against this seedy and powerful background that Fong sets about fully exploring the socio-economic imbalance and segregation in modern society, as well as the resultant effect on the innate human need for inclusion and interpersonal relations. Fong craftily using extreme physical violence as a metaphor for self-actualisation and positive external affirmations of inter-conceptual self discipline. In so doing, he demonstrates that while verbalisation of interpersonal conflict can be at times a useful tool in the subtle art of open ended dispute resolution focused dialogue, where concepts cannot be expressed using excessive and unnecessary force they are often not worthy of expressing at all. Further, in so doing, Fong furnishes the viewer with a useful forum for discussing the usefulness of ruthless and relentless violence in their own lives. In light of the currently repressive attitude of society toward aggression and hostility, in presenting this film, Fong bravely champions the cause of antagonism not only as a form of potentially hilarious entertainment, but as a most useful tool to be utilised in everyone's day to day existence.

And in closing, while this movie contains vast offerings for a wide range of cultures, creeds and beliefs, is true to say that the underlying message of this film, as it should be, is that the deadliest weapon is still your fist.

Fong – we can only say thankyou, thankyou, thankyou.

The bootless trio from the annoyingly haired 'Killpoint' is back : director Frank Harris, and 'stars' Leo Fong and Cameron Mitchell. A triumvirate of terrible. Harris in particular, should be ashamed of himself.

'Low Blow' isn't as sick, racist or downright nasty as 'Killpoint' - and that's it. It's just as amateur, vacant, irritating and soul-destroying in every other regard. Fong, despite slightly improved hair, drudges through this all-out dog's breakfast like a stop-motion clog.

A ridiculous, dozy cult led by Mitchell in a hood and sunglasses; and - the film's only plus-point - dishy but demented disciple, Akosua Busia, have kidnapped some girl and are brainwashing her on a farm. It's up to somnambulant Fong and a few bumpy grunts to rescue her.

All Fong films' selling point is chiefly the fact he knew Bruce Lee, but so did a lot of other people. I met Sir Michael Hordern once, but I don't go around doing Lear at the Old Vic.

You may ask - justifiably - why even watch this turnip ?

Good question.