La machine à tuer

It's a pretty heinous film that features a man in a wicker wheelchair, Leslie Neilson's scarred chest, plenty of very ugly Filipinos, horribly set up karate sequences, and people who look like they are waiting for others to finish their lines so they can begin.

I think the plot is like this. Two guys, one being Leslie Neilson, are at odds since one wants out of this Project Control. Basically people are shooting up to become superstrong? Well Leslie Neilson gets mixed up with some Filipino gangs who don't like either one of the Americans. There is a side romance too. Makes little sense really.

I'm sure Leslie would love for you to forget that he was in this one, but sadly like the movie says: "The only way out is DEATH."

Watchability: 2 out of 10 MST3K quality: 7 out of 10

And I am not talking about insulin for diabetes. Contrary to popular belief, veteran actor Leslie Nielsen did not have his first comedic role in "Naked Gun." No, ladies and gentleman, that role would have to be here, in "Project: Kill," one of the most unintentionally hilarious movies I've ever seen. What is so tragic is that I believe the filmmakers had half-sincerity in what they were doing - trying to make a decent '70s-style political paranoia movie on the cheap. Director and Kentucky-based B-movie maven William Girdler even called this his greatest film, making me wonder whether he had an injection or two of his own.

What they made instead is a movie with Nielsen embarrassing himself as a drugged-up, brainwashed top-secret assassin, walking through the Phillipines for some reason with both a bunch of Asian gangsters and an ex-partner after him (played by Gary Lockwood who, unbelievably, was in "2001: A Space Odyessey" 8 years earlier. His presence here certainly indicates that he received no royalties from that film). While on this little travel excursion, we get to see the beautiful and seedy sides of the Philippines (the producer appears to have spent the majority of the budget on pointless scenic photography at the expense of a badly-needed dialogue coach), and we also get to see the clumsiest kung-fu fight scenes ever put to celluloid. I'm not kidding - it seems as if Bugs Bunny was the resident martial arts consultant for filming. In addition, we get plenty of pseudo-sophisticated camera-work a la Sidney J. Furie's "The Ipcress File." I half expected to see the cameraman's foot slip into the bottom of the screen these shots were so inept. Two other highlights: a music score which seems to cut off and restart incorrectly during scene transitions, and Lockwood's boss on the telephone who has the voice of Alvin and the Chipmunks.

I feel deeply sorry for the people of the Philippines. First, the United States annexed their country and claimed it as U.S. territory, then a hundred years later it made cheap movies like this even more cheaply over there to exploit the currency differential. A movie like this is grounds for diplomatic sanctions by the Philippines against the U.S. It is good for a few laughs and for curiosity's sake. For that reason, I will forego giving it a formal star rating, and let you get out of this whatever qualities you may; after all, life is like a box of chocolates...

Hi, Everyone, One way to make a movie build as it progresses, is to start with a very boring scene. Leslie Neilsen begins his role here by narrating a training film. We can instantly see he ain't the swiftest. The problem is, it is not a comedy. It's funny sometimes but never a comedy.

The director must be given most of the blame. The cast is OK. Gary Lockwood and Leslie Neilsen should change their roles. Leslie would make a better pursuer. Maybe Nancy Kwan and Gary should change roles. Nancy would be more believable in the fight scenes than Gary.

The actors appear to be doing their own stunt fighting. They look confused. They seem to be trying to remember their choreography while the opponents wait to be punched.

The acting borders on awful. Sometimes it crosses that border. The writing is conventional. You have a super secret agency of the government that is made up of well armed men. They are all very stupid. They have $300,000 to play with that they had hidden somewhere. They film some of their exploits for training purposes, but the films are all too dark to see what is going on.

My guess is that Leslie Neilsen and Gary Lockwood and Nancy Kwan have never got together to celebrate the release of this stinker.

I almost forgot. There is a song in the movie. The girl who sang it was the one who should have been chased and Karate chopped. Actually maybe the song writer should have been the villain.

Compare the beginning speech of George C. Scott in Patton with Leslie Neilsen's speech at the beginning of this movie. George C. Scott had a passion and the words to fit that passion. Leslie Neilsen sounds like a boxer being interviewed after a bout where he was unable to find a neutral corner.

If you want a turkey for Thanksgiving, this might be it. This is the bird that didn't quite make it over the cuckoo's nest.

Tom Willett

Before his comeback as a slapstick comedian in the NAKED GUN films, Leslie Nielsen floundered in many dull movies like PROJECT: KILL.

He plays John Trevor, head of an elite squad of government assassins who use a mysterious drug to maintain Herculean strength. The drug also causes painful headaches and psychotic episodes, so Trevor just ups and leaves the service, heading for the Philippines to start over. Nancy Kwan, who is totally wasted as Trevor's new girlfriend, consoles him as he babbles on about his empty life. A glum-looking Gary Lockwood is a fellow mercenary sent to retrieve Trevor dead or alive.

Much of the screen time is devoted to Lockwood, who at one point steps in front of an exploding grenade and doesn't die. The story unfolds with an utter lack of conviction, but in the amusing finale Nielsen and Lockwood prance about in mock-kung fu poses and smack each other a lot.

PROJECT KILL was a troubled production filmed in The Philippines, and was barely released in theaters in 1976.

Actully Project Kill was made in 1976, however the same year Grizzly was being made with Edward Montoro.William Girdler could not make Project Kill and Grizzly at the same time. So Girdler made Grizzly but despite the law-suit with him and Montoro which did effect Day of the Animals. Shortly after Day of the Animals. Girdler went back to make the rest of Project Kill then The Manitou. Although Girdler did not get to see The Manitou nor did he get to see Project Kill after his helicopter crash in the Philipinnes while making The Overlords.

Here is all about Project: Kill

It stars Leslie Nielsen who was also in Girdler's Day of the Animals, as a Top Secret Agent who is summgeling drugs. Although people today whould think that this was a comedy since Nielsen is in many comedys it's actully a good action thriller. David Sheldon dose a great deal of producing the film. Robert O. Ragland's (Born on July 2, 1931) dose some good music. And William Girdler's direction is magnifsint. If you're a big fan of Girdler's work (Like I am) Project Kill is one not to be missed.