Bimini Code (1983) Movie Review

Bimini Code is a 1983 action adventure movie directed by Barry Clark and written by Gabrielle Rivera and Barry Clark. It stars Vickie Benson, Kristal Richardson, Rosanna Simanaitis and Frank Alexander. It's one of those movies that spawned after the success of Indiana Jones at the box office that features treasure hunters, mixed with some old school sea adventure but with female leads. The film is now sort of obscure, rarely seen and badly reviewed; it's hardly a popular flick and the available copies are of bad quality.

Stacy (Vickie Benson) and Sheryl (Kristal Richardson) are two thrill-seeking adventurers who are tasked with finding a kidnapped boy, they realize what's at stake when evil rich countess Magda von Cress searches for Mayan power stones at the Bermuda Triangle.

While this is a satisfying flick, the procedures are mostly TV-level in their execution with very crude shots lacking style and a static camera work that reveal the background of the filmmakers but also give the film a simplistic and precise nature that strips down to the bare essentials the elements that it features, focusing on the characters and the plot.

The storytelling is a bit wonky because of the way the film is structured it presents itself more like a random episode of an on-going TV series rather than a proper movie with introductions and character moments or arcs for them, it unfolds as such through most of it as it has very little regard for tapping into the dramatic potential of the scenario, instead just presenting some action sequences and brief moments of intrigue strung together without much to really glue them together as a story and even less emotional substance. Maybe that's why it had a small lifetime on TV or home video since it barely registers in your mind after watching it.

The action is swift and well done, the constant array of fun and cheesy comic book peril sequences involving scuba diving around sharks and karate fights do give the movie not only a charming aura of lite entertainment but also add to the fast pace and the easygoing attitude it has and that the carefree characters also embody. The main girls are lovable and have some nice moments as friends and partners, they have a solid bond and chemistry but it's all obscured by the rather pedestrian script. The cheesy villain is too over-the-top but I honestly loved that about her. We don't have enough malicious ladies with eyepatches doing evil schemes anymore.

Not a hidden gem but an easygoing and watchable piece of obscure adventure cinema that can only be recommended to B-movie fans who wanna get into some uncharted territory. 

Bubblegum Crash (1991) Anime OVA Series Review

Bubblegum Crash is a 1991 action science fiction Cyberpunk OVA series. It's a direct continuation of Artmic's anime series Bubblegum Crisis, with designs by Kenichi Sonoda, with additional guest character design work by Hiroaki Gōda. The series was done after anime production company Youmex split with Artmic and the later began production on a continuation series, some fans theorizing these last three episodes were originally intended to be the finale. Toshimichi Suzuki created the original story but writing duties went to Emu Arii this time and the series also changed directors since Crash was directed by Hiroshi Ishiodori and Yukihiro Matsushita. The cast includes Yoshiko Sakakibara, Ryôko Tachikawa, Michie Tomizawa, Akiko Hiramatsu and Toshio Furukawa.

Set one year after the events of the original series, the Knight Sabers are now living life peacefully after the extermination of the boomers. Priss seems to be doing well as a singer and her career is about to blow up according to her manager, Linna became a stockbroker and got rich and Nene still works for the AD Police and is constantly on the lookout for any strange event. Sylia comes out of the shadows and reunites the team when powerful boomers begin having violent encounters in the streets, prompting the girls to get back into their exo-suits and battle the mechanical menaces.

A very faithful and respectable sequel to the original show that picks up the interesting parts of it and runs with them immediately and without much to lose. There aren't that many iconic fights or needle drops as in the first one but the most recognizable elements shine in this continuation. Since it has the hindsight of knowing when it will end the episodes have a more concise and recognizable structure to them, the writers know how to organize the episodes and what beats to touch at different points of the extensive episodes. It's not self-conclusive like each chapter of the first show but it's also not a strongly cohesive plotline either, being a very weird middle ground between the two.

Most of the characters come back and they recapture their charm and lovable attitude. I would even say that I am glad they dedicate more time to the leading girls as a group as we see them interacting once more together as friends. Their bond is strong and their chemistry is quite wonderful. There are no sudden shifts in their personality or their backstories, mostly just sticking to the characterization we already knew. They don't alter the status quo as much either, whatever changes we are presented with are mostly irrelevant or minor.

The animation is just as solid as ever and the team really did their best to keep it in line with the visual style and flavor of the first series, it feels mostly the same but you can tell some corners were cut for the sake of keeping the workflow going. It's barely noticeable but some people might see some minor flaws or odd frames here and there. Other than that the animation skills on display are on the upper tiers even if it's not outstanding or groundbreaking. 

With a nice soundtrack, attractive visuals and the same cyberpunk spirit that gave its predecessor its charm, Bubblegum Crash is a highly recommended piece of sci-fi anime with cool battle sequences and a nice handling of its inherited, but memorable, characters. If you enjoyed Crisis you will definitely enjoy this one, even if part of its edge was diluted.

Barbarian Queen (1985) Movie Review

Barbarian Queen was a 1985 sword-and-Sandal fantasy action film directed by Héctor Olivera, written by Howard R. Cohen and produced by B-movie king Roger Corman as part of his nine picture deal that included shooting several films in Don Torcuato, Argentina. The cast includes six foot bombshell Lana Clarkson, actress turned writer/director Katt Shea, Frank Zagarino, Dawn Dunlap, Armando Bó's son Víctor Bó, Susana Traverso, Andrea Barbieri and Tony Middleton. The film was one in a series of fantasy films Corman shot in that country throughout the 1980s, including Deathstalker (1983), The Warrior and the Sorceress (1984), Wizards of the Lost Kingdom (1985), Amazons (1986) and Deathstalker II: Duel of the Titans (1987). Most of these films recycled the same sets, props, costumes and even footage, each movie recycling more and more resources.

The wedding of Queen Amethea is interrupted by a gang of bloodthirsty soldiers following the orders of Lord Arrakur. Her groom is captured and her sister is raped. Amethea unites with her handmained, Estrild, and a warrior, Tiniara, in order to rescue her loved ones and defeat the man who caused her such pain.

Without much to brag about, Barbarian Queen functions very smoothly and without issues as a likable and fast paced fantasy flick with all of the ingredients that make this type of formula work: cheap attires that add to the drab ancient look, lots of violence and nudity for the sake of exploitation that makes the whole ordeal sleazy, captivating characters that fall into archetypes but that are decently played by the cast, a simple but ultimately engaging storyline that has all the emotion and rawness needed to entertain and a particular rhythm that makes things more digestable. It's a pretty complete package, it goes along well with the technical skills of Hector Olivera and his wonderful directing as the film is well blocked and expertly lit, giving a lot of texture and grittiness to the images.

While the characters are not profoundly explored they are very well defined, which gives the routine plotline some more substance. The performers do their job very well and the three main ladies stand out both because of their skills and their physicality seen on the frame. They really do have some screen presence. We also get some cheap and silly but endearing special effects that are not that bad considering that it's such a meager production. The film's biggest flaws are the more misogynistic components and the lack of investment in the bonding or interactions between the female leads themselves.

The fact that this was a low budget genre film should already give you a hint of how sleazy this film is going to be. Some will find shocking the fact that a film with a semi-feminist message ends up exploiting women and has some lurid nudity and sexual assault as a form of spectacle for the public but a lot of these contradictions are why exploitation movies are fascinating. By having to appeal to the market they can also inject some thoughtful commentary or ideas without having to lose the audience. Nothing wrong with touching upon subjects directly, but having this distance and paradoxical nature does give us some very interesting results. It should also be said that this is a common thing for Corman, especially considering how there's small remains of The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent (1957) throughout this film, only updated and modified to fit the Conan rip-off mold. 

Overall, this is a good sword-and-sandal item of the eighties with enough virtues and interesting implications in its subtext.