Firecracker

I remember seeing this film when I was young. It was being aired on cable, when it first came out. This was great because it was the un-cut version. I somehow was able to get a copy of this when it was aired on late night TV some years ago. I still have the copy with commercials (edited for television). I would like to get the full version. This film had some unforgettable scenes. I have to say that it turned me on to women in the martial arts.

This is pure sleaze BUT so unabashedly so that it's great. The soundtrack is solid and the unwavering dedication to exploitation make up for the awful fight scenes and inability of the lead to actually do any proper kicks or punches.

(1981) Firecracker ACTION

Co-written and directed by Cirio H. Santiago (also credited as co-executive producer) and Allan Holzman that has martial artist, Susanne Carter Susie for short (Jillian Kesner) coming to the Philippines from LA. For the intention of finding her sister, Bonnie who was a photo journalist and has suddenly disappeared. And it is like, by the time Susie arrives and almost immediately, two thieves attempt to break into her apartment and rob her while she is half naked in a hotel room, and of course she beats both of them down. And then, by the time she goes to a bar where her sister "was" staying, both the big bar server, Pete (Pete Cooper) and his server Rey (Reymond King) are then being attacked by Philippine customers and they are beating them down, with Susie joining in the fight. And after that brawl had settled down, Pete and Rey then inform her that the last time Susie's sister was last seen was with club owner, Erik Stallard (Ken Metcalfe). And what is unusual about this particular club is that the stage itself is actually used for one on one fights. Except that as soon as she entered into the club, Erik's #1 fighter Chuck Donner already knew who she was, and that Susie is not just any kind of martial artist, we soon find out that she happens to be a six time black belt karate expert who owns her own dojo back in LA. And by getting Chuck to discourage her, he then offers her 500 bucks to get in the ring with the current winner, and when she does beat him, Chuck does not even pay her. As the movie continues, and is predicted, we find out Susie's sister, Bonnie stumbled onto an illegal dope racket happening with Erik's number one fighter Chuck double crossing his boss to intercept those exchanges by stealing them from his boss, Erik's supplier Grip (Vic Diaz) for the intention of enriching himself.

Acting is bad, the fights are bad, where almost all of them looked fake when people are clearly are not even touched, and react as if they are, as well as the few shoot outs shown when the characters are just waving the guns and the sound effects does the rest. And yes, even king of low budget movies, Roger Cormon is shown on the credits here uncredited as executive producer. From what I've seen I'd give the film two stars for the effort, but because the led actress, Jillian Kesner is very voluptuous, it did motivate me to check out other work she has done Speaking as a heterosexual male it's one of those movies when if the actress is attractive enough, you can some times perhaps look at her all day, regardless how bad her acting and the action is, there are times a persons presence can be sufficient enough.

I love this movie the first time I saw it back in 86, and I haven't changed my opinion of it, one iota. It's one of those selected movie pleasures, and lovers of kung fu flicks, whatever, will gets their entertainment's worth here. While snapping shots of an underground fight in Thailand, a young girl is snatched. Enter her older sister (Jillian Kessner) hot as hell, who can really kick arse, someone you don't underestimate, especially with personal issues as you'll see. She stumbles into this syndicate, wanting a bit of the fight action, while falling in love with badarse Hinton (yes the little boy from Daniel Boone) part of the syndicate, a supplier who runs the gambling, heroin, whatever rackets. Watching Kessner, nude, is almost a priveledge, a thankyou from God above, but watching her fight is something too, like when she takes on two rapists, or outwits a most deadly and venomous snake when cornered in a boxing ring, as some goons do an Q and A on her, from which they don't get much. The sex scene between Hinton and Kessner is erotic if involving a little rough play, where we're not really sure if Kessner has been leading him on the whole way, or really is in love with him. I'd go with the prior opinion, but leads him on she does well. Beautifully filmed, using some great sights around the Phillipines, some shots, stay memorably drawn in my mind, what we've got here is a chop suey, kick arse, extravaganza, different too from the prospect, the woman's doing it. I like that. Check the full on action kicking scene near the start of the movie, where she has a bit of help, those simulated SFX working to the cheap style of the film. A non stop action adventure treat.

Yup, star Jillian Kesner does manage to combine a karate fight scene with a slow strip, and it actually is a bit sexy. She's not the most lovely woman who ever took her clothes off in a movie, but I thought she was attractive and there's something appealing to a certain sort of adolescent sexual mind (like mind) in the sequence. She gets her clothes ripped off, a bit at a time, while she's fighting for her life. It adds vulnerability to her physical allure, and that worked for me. Of course, that's because it's a movie, and not reality. Seeing women attacked for real is nothing I hope for. Hell, most of what happens in movies is nothing I hope for.

There are other scenes in this movie, but I don't remember any of them from the one time I saw it, over 20 years ago. They're probably awful. But, who cares? There are many films that are worth seeing for one scene and, if you share my fondness for the sort of thing that makes teenaged boys snicker and rewind their VCRs, over and over, you'll think this is one of them.