Serial Review: The Green Hornet (13 Episodes; 2 Discs)

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023
Images from the Internet

The Green Hornet
Directed by Ford I. Beebe (d. 1978); Ray Taylor (d. 1952)
Universal Pictures; VCI Entertainment; MVD Visual
258 minutes (appx. 20 min per episode), 1940 / 2023
www.VCIentertainment.com
www.MVDVisual.com

The last serial I reviewed was 1946’s The Monster and the Ape. And now, here we are with an even earlier one, The Green Hornet. No, do not expect Bruce Lee (d. 1973) as Kato, the role on the television series that arguably made him a household name in North America.

Not counting the extras on this Blu-ray, which I will get to later, there are over four hours of the main attraction. In the day, you would have to wait week-by-week to see the entire piece, which would be over 3 months. Now, it is all in one go, and thanks to the new habit of binge-watching entire seasons of shows, this is quite doable (though it will probably take me a few days to get through all of them, and the extras… I have a life…).

Unlike most modern heroes, such as Batman and Spider-Man, both of which came later, the Green Hornet character started out as a radio series in 1936, created by George W. Trendle (d. 1972), transferring into the serial and adapted by Fran Striker (d. 1962), thanks to its esteem. It was popular enough to snag the original radio series, two different film serials in the 1940s, the infamous television show in the 1960s, and a major film in 2011 with Seth Rogan of all people as the title character. The 13 Chapters of this program are listed below. One of the most recognized theatrical serials released, this is naturally in black and white, but it is a crisp, new 2K scan of the original 35mm master.

In this first of two series, the focus is not exclusively on the enemies of the State (i.e., spies) from the War in Europe, but the good old Racketeers and gangsters. Right off the Bat-man, in an unnamed city, we meet rich newspaper heir Britt Reid (Gordon Jones; d. 1963; note that the voice of the Green Hornet is Al Hodge, d. 1979, who played him on the radio and would go on to portray “Captain Video” on television) and his Korean scientific genius sidekick/”valet” Kato (Keye Luke; d. 1991, known as Master “Snatch the pebble…” Po from the “Kung Fu” television series). In the heavy exposition (as it is the first episode), Reid saved Kato’s life in Asia, and he is now working for him in gratitude; in the opening scene, Kato invents a new and faster car motor, which Reid states, “Wait until I release this on the world.” Wait, it was invented by Kato… Oh, yeah, it is the 1940s. Also helping in the house is brogue-speaking ex-cop/reporter/bodyguard Michael (Wade Boteler; d. 1943) who, unlike Alfred the Butler in Batman, is unaware of the Green Hornet’s identity; he is, however, the comic relief.

The other two main “good guys” are the only returning female in the cast, Reid’s feisty secretary, Lenore Case (Anne Nagel, who would star opposite Lon Chaney Jr. in 1941’s Man-Made Monster; d. 1966) and on occasion, the fast-talking reporter at The Sentinel, Jasper Jenks (Phillip Trent, d. 2001). Notably, there are only three other women who appear, all in a single chapter, and all uncredited. Future star Alan Ladd (d. 1964) has a bit part as a novice pilot (also uncredited).

A line that comes up often is “a new Robin Hood” as the incentive for the vigilante. The Green Hornet’s goal is to wipe out corruption between politicians and a variety of other scams, such as construction company who are using kickbacks to use faulty equipment and materials in their building sites, insurance fraud, a car thief ring, and so on over the course of the 13 chapters, though most of the topics are revolved around transportation. The syndicate is run by a mysterious man on the phone.

Like Batman in the early days especially, Greenie is seen by the police establishment as a bad guy, possibly trying to get rid of the syndicate to start his own. Only a loyal employee sees the good side.

The Green Hornet’s car, Black Beauty, is souped up by Kato (who was originally Japanese on the radio show but switched due to the war in the Asian Theater), makes a buzzing sound like a hornet, that I have learned is made by a Theremin. It is supposed to go 200 miles an hour, but as it speeds past the camera (in sped up footage), the sound is flat, without a doppler effect. Even that is not mentioned in the IMDB list of goofs. Strangely, most people get into their vehicles from the passenger side, rarely from the driver’s. The soundtrack that is worth noting is the nearly constant use of Rimsky-Korsakov’s 1900 “Flight of the Bumblebee,” for obvious reasons.

The acting is completely wooden as is true of nearly all B-films of the period (not just serials), as if doing stage acting, and the dialogue is laughable. However, this is truly fun to watch, and it really is better done than most other serials I have seen. It also mixed footage shot for the series, as well as adding in some historical b-roll (e.g., mining, dam building, etc.), especially in the first chapter. As for the car chases, well it is pretty obvious they play the same footage throughout all the chapters. I am sure this was a wise budgetary decision: remember, the B in B-films could stand for low Budget. These features were not made to make money on their own, but to draw people in with a stream of cliffhangers (a term originated in serials) to see the feature film and its lesser budget companion (e.g., double bill).

It is also fun to check out the tropes of the time, just before gangster films were phasing out for war propaganda and a hint of realism, though one story deals with illegal arms shipments by someone with a slight German accent (Fredrik Vogeding; d. 1942). For example, everyone wears dark suits and ties, fedora hats, and when guns are fired, they are always handguns, with the shooter standing straight up, one foot slightly behind the other, and shooting at waist level. There are numerous fist fights in every episode, and all are unintentionally humorous and cliché. Love this stuff.

Wade Boteler, Anne Nagel, Gordon Jones, Phillip Trent

There are lots of fine, subtle moments, such as the visual of a phone dial spinning melding into another location of a truck tire going ‘round. In another, Chase saying a line and cutting to one of the bad guys saying the same line. It is reasons like this that this serial was so popular.

The extras are on the second disc. They start with Don Blair and Chris Rowe reading from Clifford Weimer’s “I Am…The Green Hornet:’ Chapter Six: The Hornet in Hollywood’” (8 min). This is part of an “autobiography” taken from the perspective of The Hornet, “himself.” It is done with old-radio style vocals discussing the jump from aural to visual. Continuing with the audio aspect are two earlier radio episodes of “The Green Hornet”: “The Parking Lot Racket” (1939) and “The Highway that Graft Wrote” (1940; appx. 30 min each). The last digital extra is a Trivia (e.g., Reid is the grand-nephew of The Lone Ranger) and Photo Gallery. On the physical side is a lengthy booklet written by prolific cultural historian Martin Grams Jr.

Serial title list (disc 1):
Chapter 1: The Tunnel of Terror
Chapter 2: The Thundering Terror
Chapter 3: Flying Coffins
Chapter 4: Pillar of Flame
Chapter 5: The Time Bomb
Chapter 6: Highways of Peril
Chapter 7: Bridge of Disaster
Chapter 8: Dead or Alive
Serial title list (disc 2):
Chapter 9: The Hornet Trapped
Chapter 10: Bullets and Ballots
Chapter 11: Disaster Rides the Rails
Chapter 12: Panic in the Zoo
Chapter 13: Doom of the Underworld

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Nightshooters

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

Nightshooters
Directed by Marc Price
Ascendant Films; Dead Pixel Productions; White Hot Productions;
Indican Entertainment; Lightening Entertainment;
Mop Media; Nowhere Fast Productions
100 minutes, 2018 / 2021
www.facebook.com/nightshootersmovie
www.tribal.film/nightshooters 

I am not quite sure why, but I tend of like films that show mayhem behind the camera at a movie shoot. In this case, we are in London, and the crew is doing some final pick-ups overnight – a very common practice – when the space is clear. Most of the releases that fit into this category tend to be slashers, such as Lights Camera Dead (2007), or even A Serbian Film (2010).

Nightshooters, however, falls directly into the action and gangster film categories, rather than horror. It’s closer to Die Hard (1988) than a slice-‘em-up. That being said, the film-within-the-film that is being made is a nice mix of martial arts and an incredibly visceral and bloody zombie flick, Dawn of the Deadly. Those who wish for the gore, just the opening alone can make you smile (It did for me).

Rosanna Hoult, Kaitlyn Riordan

The location for this film (and the meta shoot) are two abandoned office buildings, high rise towers that face each other, ready for demolition. This gives a great cavernous feel that is both wide and broad, yet at the same time a bit claustrophobic. If you have ever been in a buidling that has been stripped down to its skeleton, you will know what I mean. Same no permits by the story's film crew were obtained.

Both the cast and crew of the meta film are a bunch of characters, including Harper (Doug Allen), a petulant, lecherous and alcoholic lead actor who is so vain he has his own picture on his phone case; Marshall (Adam McNab), a harried director who has no issues with shortcuts or legalities to get the shot, safety be damned; Oddbod (Nicky Evans), a sound guy who likes to complain (though I can’t really see where he is wrong); Kim (Mica Procter), an assistant who can’t get the coffee machine working; an ammo expert, Ellie (Rosanna Hoult); put-upon producer Jen (Canadian actor Kaitlyn Riordan) who amusingly wears an Montreal Expos hat; and a stunt coordinator, Donnie (real-life stuntman and martial artist, Jean-Paul Ly).

Jean-Paul Ly

And while our hearty, dysfunctional crew are setting up for the last night of shooting before the walls come tumblin’ down in the morning, there is something else going on in the building across the way: some gangsters, led by Tarker (Richard Sandling), are taking care of business by fiery execution (as mobsters do).

As they do what comes natural in the gangster world if you have watched such fare as “The Sopranos,” guess who happens to be watching the whole thing in the window across the way? Yep. Of course, the order is given by Tarker to his crew to take care of the problem in their own, initiable, mobster ways: go full Die Hard (see, I mentioned it for a reason).

Richard Sandling

The bad guys group are professional killers. The film crew are not, but they have their own talents, as we learn. It is definitely and us versus them situation, but will it be a Little Big Horn massacre scenario or something else? Good thing is, with this many people involved, it is guaranteed to have an interesting body count number. It does seem strange, though, that there were this many people needed for a mob hit, but who am I to complain about it? The more, the merrier, the more the messier. The practical SFX, done by Lea James, is nicely mixed with some CGI blood splattering.

The acting is top notch, and these are some well-honed talents, but for me the standout is Sandling, who reminds me of some of the gritter work done by Bo Hoskins in films like The Long Good Friday (1980), especially a speech he gives early on before the initial execution. The other bad guy worth mentioning is Nicholas Aaron as O’Hara, second-in-charge.

While technically not horror, as I stated above, there is definitely a level of high action drama with lots of blood and viscera as our tribes do what they need to survive. The martial arts action is actually quite amazing. No ridiculous wire work or spinning to the roof like many modern genre films, but rather more Jet Li solid body pounding work. Ly is definitely fun to watch. Some people have referred to this as a comedy, but I don’t see it, other than a couple of funny lines here and there. But I am totally comfortable considering this a solid action drama with a bit of comic relief.

As the side of advantage changes often and quickly, there is quite a lot of fun cat and mouse games between the groups for a while, as they are both maladjusted and some not so smart, but once the killing finally does begin, it’s graphic and brutal. There were multiple ones that were so impressive, I backed it up to watch again. Wheeeeee.

Mica Procter

The only odd thing in the film that poked my rassoodocks is that Marshall seems to disappear somewhere late in the second act, and then suddenly reappears towards the end of the film with no explanation that I caught.

The film crew aspect can be seen as a subtle commentary on what it is like to work on a low budget, to do whatever it takes to make it work. I have been on one indie set in my life, so it’s not like I have a wealth of experience, but I am assuming that this is pretty much more damn accurate than not, more often than not. On a modern, cultural aspect, while this was filmed three years ago (and now being released on disc and a number of digital and cable outlets after a Festival tour), it is interesting to see the questionable set safety dynamics in a post-Alec Baldwin/Rust period of filmmaking history.

The director, Marc Price, has proven himself with the likes of the zombie epic Colin (2008), and here he continues to do well to mix the gritty gangster style of, say, early Guy Ritchie, and to mix it with martial arts. The filmmaking aspect of this, such as the cinematography by Tom Barker is occasionally mouth-droppingly good, especially the lighting during the fighting scenes, and the editing by Price is tight and tense. The film is 100 minutes long, and keeps the attention for the full time.

 

Review: American Scumbags

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2017

Images from the Internet

American Scumbags

Written, produced, directed and edited by Dakota Bailey

R.A. Productions

70 minutes, 2016

https://Dakotabaileydirectorfilmmaker.wordpress.com  

www.facebook.com/dakotabaileyactordirector

www.facebook.com/American-Scumbags   

Director Dakota Bailey is lucky. And smart. He has found a genre niche that fits him well, and is sticking to it. His stories are fly-on-the-wall tales of pure human animal need vs. want vs. humanity that are incredibly down-to-the-ground gritty. I hope he gets used to the word, because gritty is probably a buzzword that will become ever more associated with his work. This is a compliment.

What makes his films “horror” is not some guy in a mask and machete that can’t be killed, or evil raised by people in cloaks, or something buried that returns; rather it’s the guy on the street you pass that is thinking about his next fix and will do anything to get it, or the person in the car next to you sharing the street light who is planning to pour acid on someone to avenge a perceived wrongdoing. It is meaner streets, where Joe Pesci’s character Johnny “Am I a clown?!” Devito would be considered a punk ass (and not in a Ramones kinda way).

Bailey deals with similar themes as his previous film, My Master Satan (reviewed by me HERE); in this one, we a given three stories in a city ironically named Sunnydale that are so interconnected they overlap to the point of melding into a narrative of anger, fear, and depravity – all for the benefit and enjoyment of the viewer. In this way we are introduced to the main characters: a convict who is a sadistic sociopath named Billy the Kid who needs to control the women in his life even if it means killing their pets (Darien Fawkes), the drug kingpin with the man-bun Chester (Fred Epstein), a crazed ex-con who is in a money-pickle named Lucifer who believes his own designation (Nick Benning), and Johnny (director Bailey), a hitman who kills for his drug needs. Others include a wheel-chair bound alcoholic Vietnam vet, an equally drunkard pedophile who likes little boys just out of the can, and… well, you get the idea.

After the title-carded character introduction, the first story set-up is “Billy the Kid”, and the others include “Raping the World with Guns and Drugs.” Through it all, even with the mostly ex-girlfriend (Katy Katzar) obsessed Billy, we see mostly men acting at their basest. This is a macho world we are presented. The only “carded” female character is naturally a bombastic and zaftig prostitute, Angel (Bianca Valentino). Whether she lives up to the “Scumbag” descriptor, I’ll leave you to find out.

Dakota Bailey as Johnny, on the phone

In a similar feel to the earlier flick, we meet these characters who all seem to know each other in a kind of underworld miasma, but rarely do we see them interconnect physically for any length time (other than to kill), except via the technology of cell phones. By this means we get to know the individual characters better (well, more than we’d want in real life). Perhaps it is not the history of what got them there, but certainly a higher-level vision of where they are, which is more than you get with most modern “people = death fodder” films.

There’s nothing fancy in the production. For example, the camera work is obviously handheld with a feel of found footage, though with editing it is not meant to be that. It actually works for this kind of story, making it feel in part like you are there, but not like someone just turned on a camera and shot it, which ironically takes the viewer out of the moment. The black and white also gives the grit more of a kick, with a mixture of the view being high contrast, dark, or washed out, depending on the moment (and lighting). It could also be a metaphor for a colorless life of despair, crime, narcissism and high drama (and ego-and-drug induced stupidity).

As for the acting, well, there’s no Joe Pesci, but at the same time – and more importantly – it really does feel like these guys are just being themselves (with one exception), so there’s fumbling when talking as one would in real life. Some of the dialog definitely has an improv vibe. Again, while in other circumstances in films that make take the viewer out of the action through distraction, here it is used to bring you into the hyper-realism of these characters and situations that you would never really want to be a part of in real life (hopefully). It truly feels like a form of voyeurism, as if looking through someone else’s eyes.

Despite all the violence against others, what makes these people stand out is the level of self-destructive behaviour, even if it comes out as external expression. Deep down, every one of these characters is committing slow suicide on some level, enticing others to do action against them as much as they are putting dangerous substances into themselves.

I don’t want to end this without mentioning the really great soundtrack, featuring classic hardcore style by the band Pizzatramp, from South Wales, UK.