Serbuan Halilintar

Am I really going to give Special Silencers an 8 out 10? Maybe I am insane, but this film entertained me more than any film I've seen in a while. Quite simply, I got eight stars worth of entertainment from the brain dead Special Silencers.

Indonesian action star Barry Prima (sort-of a poor man's David Chiang) rides a motorcycle into a village where the evil son of a monk is scheming to be village mayor (why he would want this "honor" is only vaguely explained). The villain has these capsules ("special silencers") which a henchman puts in the food or drink of whomever the villain wants dead. These pills cause plants to grow in the victim's stomach, eventually causing vines to burst out of the stomach Alien style with much cheap gore effects. The fact that the special effects are patently unconvincing adds rather than detracts from the film's charm.

Another charming aspect is the way the villain uses any excuse he can think of to drop something from above on a potential victim below, regardless of how impractical the would be murder weapon. Yet, another plus is Eva Arnaz as Julia, the mayor's daughter who looks great fighting in a skirt. Add in some icky moments with snakes and rats for junior high gross out appeal and one has a movie that is anything but boring. Now, if only someone would release a widescreen DVD of this film.

This is the story of an evil man who is trying to take over a village by using every underhanded trick in the book. His main means of getting rid of a foe is to use a little red pill that will cause a rapidly growing plant to sprout from your belly and rip you apart.(The pills are suppose to be used by monks for meditation, I don't know how but thats what were told) As the mad man moves towards taking control of the town he runs up against hunky Barry Prima who more than gives him a run for his money.

Sue me, I liked this a great deal. Its got great action, an over the top story, decent special effects and a sense of just how silly it all is that makes it charming. Its a gory action horror film that simply wants to entertain, and it does in spades. The action is well done with both matinée idol Prima and his female co-star kicking major ninja butt. Its a blast and then some.

If you want a no brainer film for an evenings non-taxing viewing this is it. Just be warned that the blood flows freely, so if you're not a fan of the red stuff you may want to be ready to look away.

Absolutely worth a bag of popcorn or two.

Man, I'd love to see a widescreen, cleaned up version of this baby! Martial arse mixed with extreme gore, non-stop action and hilarious dubbing? What's not to like (aside from all the crap involving snakes that seems to plague films from that neck of the woods).

Story? Peeps in Indonesia must take internal politics really seriously, because this guy has nicked some magic seeds off his Uncle that when eaten with food cause the victim to explode with plant life, gory style. This involves the actor's head sitting on some surface while twigs are pushed through a rubber body, but it also works really well as this is one of those film that, when someone is wounded, blood sprays from a hose (like Shogun Assassin!).

So, this guy is going to extreme lengths to be mayor, but his victims relatives are all arse-kicking heroes. Cue many fights with Barry Prima and the lady whose father was first to eat the seeds. At first I was put off by the bad transfer but around the half hour mark the film kicked into high gear and much action ensued.

You also get legs cuts off (I'm sure the severed limb had 'I love you' written on it), people impaled on sticks, bizarre comedy and a guy with loads of snakes dumped on his head, a rape scene, and rats being dumped on a woman. Those last three bits don't make for the best viewing however.

Still, you're not going to see something like this too often! I recommend it, but would love to see a cleaned up version.

Special Silencers are little red pills that will grow a tree in your stomach unless you are a shaolin monk and use them for meditation. The pills fall into the wrong hands and you can imagine the damage they will cause in the little Indonesian village... I really liked watching this obscure Indonesian movie because of its special make-up effects, its flowery, easylistening soundtrack, and the fact that it has a kung-fu fighting girl in it (not as good as Lady Whirlwind, but she tries hard). The movie combines the kung-fu craze of the 70s with the bloody horror that ruled the 80s. You have to be a lover of exploitation movies in order to enjoy it. I hope that someone is going to release the soundtrack soon.

Wow, more madness from Indonesian director Arizal. Not a big believer in the electoral process, baddie Gundar (Dicky Zulkarnaen) schemes to eliminate his village's mayor and family. His plan involves using magical "Special Silencer" pills he stole from his monk grandfather. If taken on an empty stomach, they give you impenetrable skin. If taken with food, the cause tree roots to burst from your stomach! The plan goes smoothly until Hendra (Barry Prima), a friend of the deceased mayor's nephew (got that?), shows up in town and falls for the mayor's daughter Julia (Eva Arnaz). This is as wild as it sounds. Prima (THE WARRIOR series) pounds plenty of skulls as a fight seems to break out every six minutes or so. There is also some fantastic dubbing, like this exchange after a henchman informs Gundar that Hendra survived an attack and impaled an underling on a tree:

Gundar: "Why didn't you bring Tonto's body back?"

Thug: "I didn't have a saw."

Gundar: "Oaf!"

The FX of the tree branches bursting out of people's stomach is very bloody and, because it is so cheaply done, rather disturbing. It reminds me of the cancer bursting from that guy in VIDEODROME. Not as action packed as Arizal's 80s efforts, but just as insane.