The Lost Empire (1984) Movie Review

The Lost Empire is a 1984 fantasy action adventure movie written and directed by Jim Wynorski. The film stars Melanie Vincz, Raven De La Croix, Angela Aames, Paul Coufos and Angus Scrimm. Wynorski is kind of a legendary B-movie director now with over a hundred films to his credit but he started writing films like Sorceress (1982) and Screwballs (1983). However, he wanted to move on to directing and got a theater owner to finance his debut film, which was originally going to be tax write off but the producer liked it so much he actually released it. For years it was sort of obscure but recently got a proper release on home video.

When her brother is hospitalized by ninja robbers who steal a magic jewel, Inspector Angel Wolfe of the L.A.P.D goes on a fantastical quest along with her native american friend Whitestar and the rowdy convict Heather McClure. The three infiltrate a religious cult located in an island fortress and fight the ghoulish forces of evil.

When it comes to B-movies that throw everything at the wall to see what sticks, I think The Lost Empire is simultaneously the most well known example of this but also the one that embodies the disjointed feeling you can expect from such a description the least. What I mean is that there is a cohesive throughline in this film, not only when it comes to the plot but also when it comes to the tone and the passionate spirit that you feel while watching it. You can tell this was made by a fan of overtly exploitative and lurid pulp fiction of the cheesy variety. Wynorski himself said that he thought this was going to be his only chance at making a movie so he threw in everything he wanted to see in a feature film. This includes ancient wizards who turn into creatures, ninjas, a prison mudfight, gorillas and a lot of busty women. A lot of odd elements that would come up in his extensive filmography from time to time.

The main trio of actresses are very good in their respective roles, considering this is a Wynorski film you usually assume that they were chosen for their physical attributes instead of their talent but these girls manage to be very loveable and embody their characters with charm and grace, highlighting subtly the archetype they are without overdoing it or coming off as bland. They are perfectly balanced when it comes to their delivery and their demeanor, ending up as believable and more than a caricature. All of them are also badasses and engage in some fearsome combat sequences. Wynorski makes them daring and skilled, having some nice chemistry and a palpable sense of comradery in some of the action sequences.

A good amount of the effects of this film fits very well with the unreal and stylized pulpy atmosphere it creates, some good practical and optical effects that look campy enough to fit but also technically adept enough to impress for the craft or just for the endearing nature of those obsolete tricks. The cinematography is also very solid, this was shot with care for the frame and the space in the shot by Jacques Haitkin, who adds some technical refinement to the sleazy and extravagant images Wynorski came up with.

Some people might have issues with the pacing but it's really not a very long film, it starts off very action-packed and carefully constructed enough to intrigue you even if you are aware that the film engages in some sort of understated self-parody, right from the intentionally silly (in a sly way) opening crawl. I don't think the film feels like a drag but you can sometimes feel like the shots go on for a little too long or that the movie doesn't have enough of a drive or even a proper exploration of a central character to hang onto, but those worries are dissipated by its virtues. 

A highly recommended piece for those who like adventure camp with some exploitation vibes. Fun and deranged flick.

Scalps (1987) Indian Vengeance - Review

Female led Spaghetti Western movies aren't really common but they aren't non-existent either, one example is this very late entry into the genre by directors Claudio Fragasso and Bruno Mattei, a duo responsible for a good amount of absurd but fun Italian horror and action genre cinema like Hell of the Living Dead (1980), SS Girls (1977), Strike Commando (1987) and the infamous Troll 2 (1990) (by Claudio alone).

Scalps follows in the footsteps of Soldier Blue (1970) or The Animals (1970): a survival/revenge plot featuring strong female characters in the savage west. It was released in 1987 and starred Spanish actress Mapi Galán in her first leading role. Scalps was also shot back-to-back with another Bruno/Claudio western titled White Apache.

A group of Confederate soldiers, led by the evil Coronel Connors, become renegades after refusing to surrender and attack a local Comanche tribe, looking to buy or simply possess the young daughter of the chief. The girl, Yarin (Mapi Galán), is captured and constantly abused by the men after her tribe is exterminated. She eventually manages to escape and encounters a lonely cowboy named Matt, who hates Indians and revenge but aids the wounded native woman. After realizing that Matt used to work for Coronel Connors, Yarin asks for his help in her search for vengeance.

The biggest virtue of the film is its very potent cinematic narrative skills, like when Yarin escapes and the way the soldiers are able to find her is by following the drops of blood she leaves on the ground, a very memorable and inventive image. There's great shots of full of sorrow and with an ecstatic thirst for vengeance by the protagonist that convey her need for revenge. I also liked how for the first half of the picture Yarin has an injured eye that visually conveys her suffering and both physical and emotional scars. The male lead, Matt, is a gray character but one that tries to get better, he's a far more stereotypical character than all of the other ones and he lacks real personality and charisma. 

Yarin is a very intriguing heroine because she is feral and somewhat primitive, her conception of the world is only her tribe and the desert, the performance by Mapi Galán is very effective in presenting that. She isn't trying to prove anything, she is just trying to survive and has zero consideration for the outside world and our recognizable morals, which explains her nonchalant savage attitude when killing men. 

The villains are very typical bigots and brutal sadists, Southerners who can't admit that the fight is lost, that they shouldn't be fighting for their nefarious cause. In contrast, Matt gave up on them and even in his hatred of natives he doesn't want more violence, this bigoted aspect is challenged and redeemed by the fact that he ends up respecting the natives and doing things their way.

While the thrills aren't missing, Scalps never manages to reach the high levels of action-packed delirium other movies by Mattei did, so it's a bit more tamed and limited, but it is more sober and approachable for most audiences because of it. 

The film isn't perfect, the pacing it's occasionally brought down by filler, some moments are downright unrealistic (if not silly) and the relationship between Matt and Yari isn't very convincing nor is it properly developed (Soldier Blue, for example, has the upper hand in that regard) but it's far from a bad picture, the visual storytelling is strong even if the actual character relations are weak, elemental at best and arbitrary at worst. 

I can recommend it to people looking for a bloody and somewhat female-driven spaghetti western, but this last element is really diluted and goes for gore and cheap exploitation rather than anything else. I mean, it is amusing because of it.