Laikals
The greatest movie ever made..!
Doomtomylo
a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.
pointyfilippa
The movie runs out of plot and jokes well before the end of a two-hour running time, long for a light comedy.
udar55
In a land that has never existed, Cord (Jeff Cooper) is a fighter searching for the secrets of a book guarded by Zetan (Christopher Lee). Along the way Cord encounters a Blind Man (David Carradine) who teaches him the art of philosophy through martial arts. This all comes in handy when Cord must face a series of opponents (all played by Carradine). Wow, where has this film been all of my life? Based on an idea by Bruce Lee, this is a really enjoyable flick that is as entertaining as it is outlandish. Carradine shines in all four of his roles and he and Cooper have a nice rapport (they were apparently friends in real life). It is also wild to see a buff guy pushing 40 like Cooper to be cast in the lead role. If this was made today, it would definitely be a kid. There are some quick supporting turns by Roddy McDowall and Christopher Lee, but the film's cameo highlight is Eli Wallach as "The Man in Oil." Yup, he is a guy bathing in a big drum of oil in the middle of the desert with the hopes it will make his genitals dissolve. Seriously! The entire scene unfolds as if they let Alejandro Jodorowsky do one day of filming for kicks. Cinematographer-turned-directer Richard Moore never directed another film after this and it is a shame as he gets some great use out of the locations in Israel.
AW_RATLIFFHxC
I can't really add much to this movie that others have already discussed in detail. This movie just happen to catch my eye on netflix . I am often willing to give odd or forgotten movies a chance hoping to see something original and worth while. I have no former knowledge of this movie and its relation to Bruce lee , so that's not even a factor as to why I watched it, so I'm strictly reviewing without any bias towards that . I do like some martial arts movies but I'm not a huge fan of the genre.For this being a martial arts movie though , it did lack in this area greatly. Not in quantity ,but quality. They could have found some "real" M.A. Who were willing to be apart of this movie . Instead of the clowns they hired.,I did dig the whole philosophical side of the movie . I know little to nothing on eastern or zen philosophy , but was interesting to listen to . To sum up the movie into what made it a 5 star "watchable" movie was its weak choreography in M.A. ,cheap costume design and shallow creativity.
Woodyanders
Cocky young martial arts champion Cord (a likable, but underwhelming performance by Jeff Cooper) meets a bizarre assortment of people and faces several grueling challenges while embarking on a perilous journey of self-discovery to find the Book of All Knowledge. Director Richard Moore, working from a quirky and thoughtful script by Stanley Mann and Stirling Silliphant, relates the compellingly peculiar story at a steady pace, vividly evokes a colorful fantasy world, and stages the exciting occasional martial arts fights with a good deal of flair and skill. While this movie does suffer from Cooper's wooden acting in the lead, fortunately David Carradine compensates for this flaw with his bravura work in four highly distinctive roles as a wise, yet lethal flute-playing blind man, a ferocious monkey man, a fearsome tiger-like death figure, and hearty dessert warrior Changsha. Popping up in nifty bits are Roddy McDowall as the stern judge of a martial arts tournament, Christopher Lee as enigmatic bookkeeper Zetan, and, in a very funny turn, Eli Wallach as some crazy guy who's happily dissolving his lower body in a tub of oil. Stunning brunette Erica Creer contributes a memorably sultry portrayal of lovely and enticing seductress Tara. Ronnie Taylor's striking cinematography sharply captures the breathtaking beauty of the Israel locations. Bruce Smeaton's gracefully melodic score hits the harmonic spot. Best of all, the provocative Zen philosophy at work throughout gives this picture an extra unique quality and comes complete with a profound central message about the ultimate source of true enlightenment. An intriguing one-of-a-kind oddity.
laojim
I spent some time watching the turkey because I saw what looked like some Arizona caves with a guy playing an impossibly made walking stick flute of green bamboo. I kept wondering if it was a deadpan comedy or just an idiotic script. I'm still not sure because I don't understand how any adult could write such a load of claptrap without cracking a smile occasionally, but I suspect that someone did.This film is filled with every cliché one encountered in Philosophy 101, but they are reeled off like pearls of wisdom. Obviously the ill educated writers (I didn't see the end so I don't know who they were) did not pay attention in philosophy class or they might have done a better job. Surely they are all honorable people and have all done better work on other projects so I suggest looking for their redemption in other films.On the other hand, the photography was quite good. I saw some shots that were quite lovely and interesting. Unfortunately, that couldn't save the rest of this mess.Don't waste your time or money on this dog of a film. If you're in Arizona you might want to go look at some of the caves and canyons where some of this was apparently filmed---up around Page, I think. Your time would be much better spent.
