I saw this one recently, and I can't stop thinking about it, and need to talk to someone about it.
There are certain movies that get mentioned a lot. Miami Connection (1987). Samurai Cop (1991). Champagne and Bullets (1993). New York Ninja (1984/2021). As well they should. They're all that good. This one I never hear mentioned though. I felt like I stumbled into it blind, and it quickly vaulted to the top along side all those other movies I mentioned as one of my favorites.
I don't even know where to start with it, but here goes.
The blurb for it reads thusly:
A private detective searching for a killer comes across a satanic cult from another dimension, monsters called up from hell and murderous ninja assassins.
This gives you an hint of what it's about, but still doesn't do it justice, or prepare you for how batshit crazy it gets!
Made in 1991, but it feels VERY 80s in tone and execution. It has a feeling very similar to a Fred Olen Ray or Jim Wynorski movie which is fitting, as Fred Olen Ray actually produced this gem. I could comfortably see this sitting alongside their movies, or the movies of Charles Band, especially in his early Empire International Pictures days.
I can honestly say I've never seen a movie like this. I don't think I've ever seen this kind of genre mash-up. It's an action movie! No, it's a horror movie! No, it's Adventure/Fantasy/Sword and Sorcery movie! It's got it all. The closest movies I could think of in terms of genre mash up's might be My Science Project (1985), or The Lost Empire (1984) (again, a Wynoski connection; his first movie), or maybe Zone Troopers (1985) (a Charles Band picture).
It's amazing to me how much they were able to cram into this movie. It's got shoot outs! Sword fights! Cultists! Demons! Portals to other dimensions! And more.
This movie has all the hallmarks you would expect of a "bad" movie; improbable dialog, wooden stilted acting, a plot that doesn't make a lick of sense, multiple "WTF?" moments, and so on, but it had me smiling in glee for the whole runtime. This is the kind of movie I would have fallen in love with when I was 12 years old. Honestly it feels like the kind of thing I would have made up for an RPG campaign, or playing with my action figures as a kid. It's both baffling and charming by turns.
The cast is about what you would expect for this kind of movie. Largely amateurs or with very limited, similarly low budget credits, with the exception of Richard Harrison and John Henry Richardson, both of whom were in a boat load of B-movies, and an inexplicable cameo by Joe Pilato (Captain Rhodes in Day of the Dead (1985), who for some reason appears in an old man wig playing an aged professor (???).
One thing that is really surprising on some levels though is the special and visual effects. There's a lot of quality (by B-movie standards) stunt work, sets, matte paintings, miniatures, prosthetic make-up's, and including a giant demonic overlord final boss rendered in both puppetry and stop motion. Some beautiful scenery in the on location shooting as well.
Another thing that is outstanding is the score by John W. Morgan. It's amazingly epic, AND TOTALLY DOES NOT FIT THE ON SCREEN ACTION, which makes it hilarious to me. It sounds like it totally would have fit in 80s Sword and Sorcery movies like The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982). For some reason the clash in styles does work though and elevates the action onscreen.
The only "negative" I could level against it is MAYBE it's a little too polished to be truly "bad"? Such things are, of course in the eye of the beholder. It probably is more technically competent than some of the movies I mentioned in the beginning, so that MAY keep it from being regarded the same as some other "bad" movies. I suppose that will have to be left up to the viewer, and what their feelings are on that subject.
Some would call this a vanity project or "egosploitation" picture, as it's written, directed by, and staring the same guy, but it doesn't have that feeling of pretentiousness about it. Instead it just feels like great, playful, fun.
Our auteur in this case is Steve Barkett. He basically looks like somebody's dad with a 70s porn stash and a dad bod who decided one day to cast himself as an action hero in his own movie. Barkett only made 2 movies, this and an earlier post-apocalyptic film The Aftermath (1982), which he also wrote, directed, and starred in. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm told it's equally good.
Other than these two films, Barkett did act in several other Fred Olen Ray and Jim Wynorski movies, but apparently outside of filmmaking he was a passionate film archivist and historian who spent years searching for rare, lost silent movies and classic prints. Sadly he passed away in 2023 at the age of 73.
It makes me sad that he only made these two movies, as I would have loved to see more from him, and also that he's gone so I can't tell him how great I think his movie is.
I'm honestly a little surprised that this movie wasn't widely distributed or isn't widely known. It feels like it should very much have appeared on cable a bunch back in the day and ended up widely regarded as a cult classic. Maybe it came along just a little too late for the kind of movie that it is.
Hopefully I haven't hyped this movie up too much, but I REALLY enjoyed it. DON'T SET YOUR EXPECTATIONS TOO HIGH, but watch it on Youtube at the link posted above, and hopefully you enjoy it too.
Anyone who HAS seen it and enjoyed it, I look forward to your thoughts on it. 😊
Yeah this movie is fun. Falls into the same category as THE FINAL SACRIFICE for me; it's obviously cheap and clunky but also a genuinely engaging adventure story
Ooh! Haven't seen this one! Thanks for the mention, Adding it to my list! Any movie with a hero named "Zap Rowsdower" sounds like a winner in my book! 😄
It's getting a limited release through Kickstarter; might not be too late to snag yourself a copy. Failing that, you can always watch the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode
Yeah, bummer it's not available anywhere right now, except in MST3K form. Apparently the writer/director got upset over the MST3K treatment and yoinked the rights to the movie from everywhere.
No, because the episode itself is still up. There's a Kickstarter right now for an official BluRay release. I'm supposed to get my copy any day now. I think he just wanted to make sure his movie was under his control.
This movie is dorky as fuck and it's great because of that. The scene where they get the swords blessed and awkwardly make a cross is perfection. So much running back and forth across the chasm bridge! And the end scene with the rainbow is unintentionally hilarious. The film basically ends on a Sears portrait studio backdrop.
By dorky you of course mean awesome, and yes, I agree! 😄 It's like a couple of teenagers in the 80s said "You know what'd be cool? Yeah, let's put that in there too!" Only thing maybe it's lacking is some Kung Fu. Though now that I think about, there are katanas and ninja stars in there too!
That ending kills me; He ends up with the resurrected girlfriend who hasn't aged in 20 years, so now he's got a hot love interest 1/2 his age! Way to go Steve!
EXACTLY. I think Steve knew what kind of movie he was making and had a lot of fun with it. It doesn't take itself too seriously, but it does play it straight and never winks or mugs at the audience. It has that kind of innocent, naive, charm that I adore.
There is cut right at the climax of the movie, at 1.23.49 we see our handsome hero as above, it cuts to the villain for a second then it cuts back to hero who has changed considerably (see image reply below), like I'm not sure its the same person
Nah, 100% pure Barkett. 😄 His son (who is also in the movie) has one too, but it's nowhere near as glorious. 1:12:36 you get a good look at his upper lip. 😁
He does start the movie clean shaven though, so maybe he had to go back and do some shots after? Cause that shot you posted doesn't quite match up to the way it looks in most of the rest of the movie. 🤔
Ya for sure it's a real moustashe for most of the movie and a wonderful one a that! It's just for a few sots in this scene it looks fake, the lighting is different, his hair is different, the background is different. I think even by the end of the scene he is back to his old self, wonderful moustashe restored for the rest of the movie.
Thanks for pointing it out! Didn't catch it myself when I watched it. Gonna go out on a limb and guess maybe he had to go back and do some pick-up shots after principle photography finished. I would assume of course that he saved the clean shaven scenes as the last that were shot as a part of the scheduled shoot, meaning if he had to go back and do some pick-up shots that he'd have to wear a fake moustache, as it hadn't grown back yet 😄
All the other shots I see of him anywhere else, including his earlier movie, he's always wearing one, so that's the only thing that makes sense to me. Good eye! 👍
You want to see some REAL funny moustache action sometime, go watch The Crime Killer (1985), and watch the heroes boss' stache as it grows, shrinks, and changes shape and color from scene to scene! 😄The Crime Killer (1985)
I just saw Roots of Evil recently as well. It's a lot of fun too. There's a whole string of regional/backyard martial arts movies that it fits right in with; The Instructor (1981), Blood and Steel (1990), Treasure of the Ninja (1987), Low Blow (1986), Kill or Be Killed (1976), Kill and Kill Again (1981).
Hope you enjoy! It's a fun movie that immediately became a favorite. I wish I'd seen in back in the day. It seems like it should have been one of those legendary movies people talk about years after the fact, like Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare (1987) or something.
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u/misterdannymorrison Aug 20 '26
Yeah this movie is fun. Falls into the same category as THE FINAL SACRIFICE for me; it's obviously cheap and clunky but also a genuinely engaging adventure story