THE INGLORIOUS BASTARDS

alternate titles: Counterfeit Commandos, Deadly Mission, G.I. Bro, Hell's Heroes, Commando Bastards, The Dirty Bastard

cast: Bo Svenson, Fred Williamson

director: Enzo G. Castellari
year: 1978

rating: ****

A group of American World War II grunts turned convicts attacked on the way to a prison roam freely with machine guns around Germany behind enemy lines; they're placed accidentally (purposely on accident, that is) on a mission to blow up a train. Cool stuff! An Italian production starring aryan-white Bo Svenson and blaxploitation king Fred Williamson as tough guys leading the soldiers through thick and thin, it's a war flick that doesn't take itself too seriously and lets you have fun "blowing shit up," feeling like what a cool and creative kid would imagine playing with his favorite toy soldiers.

MURDER IN A BLUE WORLD

alt title: CLOCKWORK TERROR
cast: Sue Lyon, Christopher Mitchum

year: 1973 rating: *1/2

Beware of this film that considers itself an Italian A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, ironically starring Stanley Kubrick's LOLITA, Sue Lyon, as a nurse set in the future where young people drink a blue liquid and go on killing sprees. The film itself mentions A CLOCKWORK ORANGE on a TV show, which is supposed to make it seem as if the violent society of the film itself is so into the controversial cult phenomenon that they're imitating it. A weak yet creative enough ploy to make it seem as if it's not a blatant ripoff. It's bad. Bad, bad, bad, and then some. Also known as TO LOVE, PERHAPS TO DIE, check out END OF THE WORLD for a decent if far more original Sue Lyon futuristic-exploitation flick.