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A direct sequel to 'Turf War' aka 'Lady Rider' director / main star Alex Maisonette returns to his tale of drug dealers, bad bikers and corrupt cops done on a fifty dollar budget. His house continues to be used for any scene, location possible in another convoluted story where dialog was clearly once again made up on the spot. If you want to see Fat Joe slum it again for five minutes of screen time or enjoy horrible movies that bore you to death you've found a winner.

Det. Rodriquez (Maisonette) must keep up the good fight when big time drug dealer Flash (Fat Joe) gets released from his charges and corrupt Sgt. Rivera (Damien Borges) tries to have him removed from the case. More betrayals, more bikers, more drug dealings and the return of Lady Rider (Veronica Ramos) who continues to seek a measure of revenge for what happened before.

Feeling like a bad made-for-tv movie, the first minutes are literally a recap of the previous film and another chance for Maisonette to conduct a masterclass in dry emotionless voiceover. Poor props, guerilla filmmaking in the streets and amateur acting ... the nice way to put it. People loving to have conversations in cars, back lots, home back yards, insert shots of chess boards to further drive home the title and dollar store drama.

Horrible pacing and story that doesn't have enough absurd moments to make it a "good" bad movie, 'Checkmate' is really awful. Dialog stretches on forever to extend runtime and put viewers to sleep. Having multiple characters utter "Checkmate" might be the biggest laugh or groan to be found here.

A setup I've seen done countless times. One note characters galore. The obligatory warehouse shootout for the finale. 'Radical Jack' is a by the numbers dtv action pic thru and thru. If you came looking for a dose of Billy Ray & cheese there's some here, but be wary of anyone dressing it up to sound better than it actually is.

Ex-CIA, Ex-Navy Seal Jack Reynolds (Billy Ray Cyrus) is recruited by the Agency to takeout gun runners in rural Vermont. The family of Lloyd (George 'Buck' Flower) and son Rolland (Noah Blake), but its the sale to the man responsible for killing Jack's family that gets him interested. As Kate (Dedee Pfeiffer) Rolland's former mistress is caught in the middle.

Buck who had a long career playing kooky roles usually of the homeless / alcoholic variety is horribly miscast. Not at all menacing or portraying the sense of power. Blake the stock slimy paper thin additional villain. Billy Ray isn't bad for the action lead, but the pic does him or viewers no favors. Dedee checks off a routine romance, but usually the woman in question is more likable than this.

On it's own 'Radical Jack' wouldn't suffice as a lazy Sunday watch for undiscriminating action junkies and it doesn't have enough real zesty moments to be recommendable to bad movie fans. A low budget flick going thru the paces it's more than a little boring at times. Novelty of Billy Ray is it's biggest asset, but it ain't enough.

'Fight Ring' has fights, but perhaps like me you didn't expect 'ring' to double for the type people wear on their fingers. Silly martial arts low budget pic also doubles as a vanity project for director, writer and star Sean Gallimore. Filmed competently all things given, but with an array of flat spots and amateur acting. For the bad movie initiated only.

Dan Shanks (Gallimore) was a skilled artist who lost his ability to draw so he turned to his second talent: martial arts. These come in handy when he enters a secret fighting tournament with a big cash prize that could solve all his money woes. Contestants drawn to fight at any place at any time by the mystical rings they wear. Can Dan beat the best of the best? Keep his agent / gf Gina (Debra Jans) out of harms way?

Give credit to Sean that (unlike other dudes who've done suspect vanity pics) his martial arts are legit. However that doesn't mean 'Fight Ring' is all that good or interesting. The vanity element doesn't go overboard enough to be hilarious while the dudes he faces off against aren't very memorable. Some gratuitous female nudity and a wacky ending out of left field are the best pieces by far.