I've always thought this intro was cool, but hardly anybody on YouTube has seen it!
Andrew Leavold introducing the HIGHLY entertaining and WILD zombie kung-fu film RAW FORCE with Don Gordon Bell.
Needless to say, it's cool not least since Don Gordon Bell was inRAW FORCE (and many other truly psychotronic Filipino flicks as well).
The intro video was made for a screening in Switzerland (the two of them were not in Switzerland but in Manila). The YouTube description dates the video to 29. January2019.
Sadly, Don Gordon Bell passed away a few years ago. He was a Korean-American who lived much of his life in the Philippines. I had a wee bit of facebook contact with him but never got to meet him.
Andrew has written a bit of info about him and posted quite a few fotos over on his blog Name That Filipino Actor! RIP, Don.
From Andrew Leavold's blog Name That Filipino Actor!
In complete contradiction to yours truly Andrew Leavold is staying on course ALL THE TIME, EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY ALL THE TIME!!!!!
That course of course being the TRASHY FORGOTTEN IGNORED MISTREATED FILIPINO FILMS COURSE, needless to say. Hahaha.
And he keeps putting up new blogs about these films. Here's his latest: THE BAMBOO GODS PROJECT. I've just now discovered this so you're on your own finding out the ins and outs. I'm confident it's gonna be super cool and interesting. That man is a walking Filipino film encyclopedia!
Alright, things are moving at a snail's pace here but at least I've got something GOOD for ya this time 'round: Simon Miller over at EXPLOSIVE ACTIONblog and YouTube channel (with help from Andrew Leavold) has put together an awesome documentary video about Teddy Page's Vietnam War flicks. The doc runs just under an hour and you should check it out right away. The film actually had a (very) limited DVD-R release but needless to say it sold out right away.
- Jack
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Description from Explosive Action:
"TEDDY PAGE (real name Teddy Chiu) is one of my favourite trash film directors. Throughout the 1980s he made some of the most entertaining, low-budget, explosive action jungle films you will ever see.
With the help of certified Weng Wengologist and Filipino film expert ANDREW LEAVOLD ("The Search For Weng Weng"), I explore the English language action films that Teddy churned out between 1983-1995.
My interest in Teddy Page's films started with Phantom Soldiers on Japanese VHS in 2010, and the obsession has only increased over the years, encouraged by the writings, documentaries, blogs and conversations with people such as:
Andrew Leavold: Bamboo Gods and Bionic Boys + The Search for Weng Weng
Paul Cooke (RIP): Ballistic Blood Bullets
David Zuelo: Tomb it May Concern
Jack Jensen: When the Vietnam War Raged... in the Philippines
This film was a passion project and labour of love over five months, and is my most detailed and intricate video yet with a lot of editing and sourcing of footage."
- Simon Miller
Thanks for the mention, Simon!
And here's Andrew Leavold's description from his web-shop
"Filipino action fans rejoice! Our good friend in Sydney, Simon Miller (Explosive Action) has made this awesome mini-documentary on Filipino Z-grade action director Teddy Page (real name Teddy Chiu, aka Irvin Johnson etc)… and he invited me to participate! Almost an hour of blood, guts and exploding huts, with Simon’s commentary on each film (Blood Debts, Hunters Crossing etc), and me filling in the historical back-story of Teddy and Kimmy Lim’s no-budget action film factory Kinavesa/Silver Star. Simon has made ten hand-numbered copies on DVD – and Trash Video Archives has our exclusive mitts on numbers 6 to 10. So grab one now, as once they sell, they’re gone forever…"
- Andrew Leavold
Like I mentioned in the above they're already sold out!
About a year ago I posted the trailer for Andrew Leavold's documentary film THE LAST PINOY ACTION KING. Now Andrew has uploaded the full doc to YouTube - for one week!
It's a quite different type documentary to his THE SEARCH FOR WENG WENG in that Andrew Leavold takes a step back. Whereas he was a huge part of SEARCH on screen you don't see him at all in ACTION KING.
On the surface the film is about the Filipino action film star Rudy Fernandez but it's also about the Filipino film industry – and it's about the Philippines!
If you have an open mind for worldweird cinema (why wouldn't you!) I highly recommend this film. Go watch it before it's gone. Andrew tells me he has no idea if we'll ever see a DVD release of his film.
EDIT 8.1.2022: Either Andrew Leavold forgot to take the film down, or he changed his mind about it only being up for one week, cos the film is STILL on YouTube!
