BY ERNIE MAGNOTTA

Six-time, undefeated world karate champion Chuck Norris made his film debut in 1972’s Way of the Dragon; a marvelous movie in which Norris played a villainous character who battled the immortal Bruce Lee in a scene that is now considered to be one of the greatest cinematic fights of all time. In 1974, Norris did another villainous turn in the low-budget martial arts film Slaughter in San Francisco by portraying a powerful drug lord. He would then go on to headline 1977’s Breaker! Breaker! wherein he played the hero for the first time. When the higher budgeted and more ambitious Good Guys Wear Black was released the following year, it scored big and suddenly everyone took notice of this rising new talent.

Vietnam vet John T. Booker (Norris) is now a political science professor at UCLA who gets wind of the fact that someone very powerful is killing off the remaining members of his old Special Forces team, the Black Tigers. With the help of a young reporter named Margaret (Anne Archer), Booker attempts to find out who’s responsible for the slaughter while simultaneously trying to stay alive.

Very well-directed by Ted Post, Good Guys Wear Black was written by Bruce Cohn and Mark Medoff (from a story by Joseph Fraley),and released by American Cinema Releasing on June 2, 1978. The entertaining action film, which Norris considers his breakthrough movie, is a post-Watergate/ post-Vietnam story, but, in some spots, also feels very much like a James Bond film.

Much has been said about Norris’s performance in this film. Norris himself doesn’t love his acting in this one. After Good Guys was released, Steve McQueen, who was one of Norris’s karate students at the time, told the rising star that it would be better if, from now on, he let some of the character actors handle the heavy exposition while, much like Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson, Chuck only uttered the most important lines. Great advice, but still, I don’t think Norris’s performance in this film is nearly as bad as everyone has said and he has nothing to be ashamed of. If you watch his movies in order of release, you will see an actor who worked hard on his craft and improved with each film.

To help support Norris in this early film effort, the filmmakers cast Good Guys Wear Black with an amazing array of acting talent the likes of Anne Archer, James Franciscus, Lloyd Haynes, Dana Andrews, Jim Backus, Lawrence P. Casey and Soon-Tek Oh (who would later appear in two more Chuck Norris films). The film also features 9^th degree black belt Pat E. Johnson, the first screen appearance of Chuck’s brother (and fight choreographer) Aaron Norris, and a cool musical score by composer Craig Safan.

Good Guys Wear Black has been released on Blu-ray in anamorphic (1.85:1) widescreen from a brand new 2K transfer. The Region 1 disc also contains an interesting audio commentary by action film historians Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, the featurette “The Making of Good Guys Wear Black”, an interview with director Ted Post, the original theatrical trailer, reversible sleeve artwork, TV spot and several radio spots. There are also trailers for five other Chuck Norris films as well as the trailer for Narrow Margin which stars Anne Archer.

Click here to order from Amazon

Ernie Magnotta is the author of "Halloween: The Changing Shape of an Iconic Series". Click here to order from Amazon

BY ERNIE MAGNOTTA

After the release of 1982’s excellent action/drama First Blood which featured the debut appearance of Vietnam vet (and soon-to-be action movie icon) John Rambo (brilliantly played by Sylvester Stallone), a slew of action films featuring war veterans as their heroes soon flooded movies theaters of 1980s America. Along with many others, entertaining films like Missing in Action (1984), Commando and Stand Alone (both 1985)—which starred Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Charles Durning, respectively, as war vets who faced almost insurmountable odds, yet still saved the day—satisfied action-starved audiences around the country. Throughout the decade, Norris returned with two Missing in Action sequels and so did Stallone with Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) and Rambo III (1988). Although these films (with the exception of the underrated Stand Alone) are probably the most remembered of the 1980s war vet/action film genre, Steele Justice; a somewhat forgotten, but very enjoyable war vet/action movie, was released in 1987.

While living in California, Vietnam vet and former cop John Steele (Martin Kove, The Karate Kid 1, 2 & 3, Rambo: First Blood Part II), who hasn’t been able to hold down a job since the war ended, witnesses Lee (Robert Kim, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), his best friend and fellow vet turned cop, being gunned down by the Vietnamese mafia. Steele soon learns that this mafia is run by Bon Soong Kwan (Soon-Tek Oh, Missing in Action 2, Death Wish 4), a former Vietnam General who Steele and Lee tangled with during the war. Steele now wants nothing more than to bring Kwan to justice, but with resistance from Chief of Police Bennett (Ronny Cox, Deliverance, 1990’s Total Recall) and not one shred of proof, the evil Kwan is untouchable. To make matters worse, Kwan has put out a hit on Steele’s niece, Cami (Jan Gan Boyd, Assassination), and framed the dead Lee, making it look like he was a crooked cop. Feeling that the war has moved from Vietnam to the States, one-man-killing-machine John Steele loads up his deadly arsenal and, with the help of his ex-wife Tracy (Sela Ward, TV’s Sisters, 1993’s The Fugitive) and good cop Reese (Bernie Casey, Never Say Never Again, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka) sets out to take Kwan down.

Written and directed by Robert Boris, who wrote the script for Electra Glide in Blue, Steele Justice may not be in the same league as the films of Stallone, Norris and Schwarzenegger, but if you’re a fan of movies of that type (and 1980s action cinema in general), the somewhat predictable, but still mostly fun Steele Justice won’t disappoint. Boris’s direction is solid. He competently handles the action sequences and keeps the film moving at a fast enough pace. He also peppers his screenplay with likeable heroes and despicable villains. Although many of these characters as well as the situations they find themselves in, may seem somewhat clichéd, it’s exactly what fans of 80s action (like me) came to see; a larger-than-life, lone hero singlehandedly taking out a gang of evil bad guys with a smile on his face. Realistic? No. Entertaining? Yes. You pretty much know what you’re getting into just from hearing the film’s memorable tag line: “You don’t recruit John Steele, you unleash him.”

Over the years, I’ve heard harsh criticism of Martin Kove’s portrayal of John Steele, but I don’t find a problem with it. Kove is one of those actors who is always welcome in just about anything as far as I’m concerned. Whether he is playing hero or villain, he always comes through with his performance and makes a film that much better. He is especially good at playing henchman and bully-type villains as well as all-American heroes like John Steele. If I have a complaint, it’s that the usually charismatic and humorous Kove is toned down a bit here. It’s a minor complaint, but I would have liked to have seen a little more enjoyment in his portrayal. Besides benefitting from a strong lead like Kove, the movie also features a wonderfully villainous performance from the great Soon-Tek Oh, super-talented veterans Ronny Cox and Bernie Casey convincingly playing cops, and the lovely Sela Ward as Steele’s sometimes exasperated ex-wife.

The fun movie also features several highly recognizable faces such as Joseph Campanella (Defiance), Sarah Douglas (Superman II), Peter Kwong (Big Trouble in Little China), Al Leong (Lethal Weapon), Shannon Tweed (No Contest) and Irene Tsu (Three the Hard Way) who all add immensely to the film’s enjoyment.

Although the movie itself may be a bit derivative, it’s still a well-done and entertaining action film with a solid, extremely likeable cast. If you’re a fan of this genre, I recommend checking it out.

Steele Justice has been released on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber. The film is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio and, as is usually the case with KL, the HD transfer is terrific. The disc also contains a very informative audio commentary by Martin Kove, Robert Boris and moderator Alex Van Dyne (Eddie Brandt’s Saturday Matinee). It’s fun to listen to them reminisce about the film and Martin Kove talks about how he would play the role differently today. We’re also treated to the original theatrical trailer as well as trailers for five other exciting action films: Code of Silence; Taffin; Murphy’s Law; The Final Option and Hard Target.

Click here to order from Amazon

BY ERNIE MAGNOTTA

Although Robert Clouse will always be remembered for directing the immortal Bruce Lee’s 1973 martial arts classic Enter the Dragon, the talented filmmaker has quite a few more interesting movies in his filmography. Just hearing about a small portion of the man’s work is enough to impress any film buff. For instance, in 1970, Clouse directed the very well-done detective mystery Darker than Amber. He also helmed the 1974 cult classic action flick Black Belt Jones (starring martial arts champion Jim Kelly). In 1978, Clouse completed Bruce Lee’s fifth and final film (which was never finished due to Lee’s unfortunate death) by writing and directing Game of Death. He then directed the great Jackie Chan in the enjoyable 1980 actioner The Big Brawl; a movie he also penned. While taking a break from action, Clouse took a few stabs at the horror genre by first directing the enjoyable 1977 movie The Pack (starring the great Joe Don Baker) as well as the fun, rats-on-the-loose feature Deadly Eyes (1982). He has also directed action film icons Cynthia Rothrock and Bolo Yeung, and wrote the films Something Evil and Happy Mother’s Day, Love George which went on to be directed by Steven Spielberg and Darren McGavin, respectively. If all this info has gotten you interested in Robert Clouse, then you’ll be happy to hear that Golden Needles, a film Clouse directed in 1974, was recently released on Blu-ray.

In Golden Needles, the race is on as seven people frantically search for a priceless Chinese statue which contains seven needles that are guaranteed to grant the owner perfect health and vitality.

Filmed on location in Hong Kong, Golden Needles was distributed by American International Pictures and released on July 17, 1974. Although the movie is filled with plenty of action and adventure, it’s a tad more lighthearted than, say, Enter the Dragon. This entertaining film benefits from an engaging story, Clouse’s solid direction, the Hong Kong locations, another funky ‘70s score from the legendary Lalo Schifrin, and fun performances from the very talented cast. Besides Joe Don Baker and Elizabeth Ashley, who are both very likeable and seem to have some nice onscreen chemistry, we are also treated to humorous turns from Ann Sothern and Burgess Meredith. Super cool Jim Kelly shows up and, as always, it’s a joy to watch him kick ass. Last, but not least, as a cold-hearted villain, Roy Chiao (best known as Lao Che from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) is appropriately intimidating. If you’re looking for a light, enjoyable adventure, this film really hits the spot.

Golden Needles has been released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber in a widescreen (2.35:1) transfer from a brand new 2K master, and the movie looks and sounds fantastic. The Region 1 disc also contains the original theatrical trailer, TV spot, radio spots, an image gallery, newly commissioned art by Vince Evans, reversible sleeve artwork and an informative audio commentary by film historians Howard S. Berger and Chris Poggiali. Rounding out the special features are seven terrific action movie trailers: Mr. Majestyk; Newman’s Law; Brannigan; Thunderbolt and Lightfoot; Truck Turner; The Laughing Policeman and Revenge of the Ninja.

Click here to order from Amazon

BY ERNIE MAGNOTTA

In 1984, The Cannon Group released Missing in Action, a film that dealt with Colonel James Braddock (Chuck Norris)’s attempt to rescue prisoners of war from Vietnam. Directed by Joe Zito (The Prowler, Friday the 13^th: The Final Chapter), the entertaining actioner, which was made for only $1.5 million, went on to gross almost $23 million. A sequel, which was actually a prequel and titled Missing in Action 2: The Beginning, was released the following year (These two movies were originally filmed back to back and were to hit theaters in reverse order, but because Zito’s film was the better of the two, it was released first). The film dealt with Colonel Braddock’s time as a POW in Vietnam and his subsequent escape. Although not nearly as successful as the first film, MIA2 was still well-done and entertaining enough for action movie icon Chuck Norris to return to the role of Colonel Braddock for the third and last time in 1988’s Braddock: Missing in Action III.

After not only discovering that his thought-to-be-dead wife, Lin (Miki Kim, Primary Target), is still alive, but also that he has a 12-year-old son named Van (Roland Harrah III, TV’s Airwolf) who are both prisoners in present day Vietnam, Colonel James Braddock (Norris) heads back to to his old war zone, against orders, in hopes of finding them. Once he does, the Braddock clan, along with a benevolent Reverend (Yehuda Efroni, The Delta Force) and several children from a nearby mission, are captured by General Quoc (Aki Aleong, TV’s Babylon 5) who kills Lin and makes prisoners of Braddock, Van, the Reverend and the children. Does Braddock have what it takes to overpower Quoc and his massive army in order to escape safely with his son, the Reverend and the rest of the innocent children?

Shot in the Philippines, directed by Chuck’s brother, Aaron Norris (Delta Force 2), and written by James Bruner (An Eye for an Eye) and Chuck Norris (as an outcry against the thousands of Asian-American children trapped in Vietnam), Braddock: Missing in Action III, which continued Chuck’s association with now legendary film studio The Cannon Group, is a very solid (final) sequel to the original film, making the Missing in Action trilogy a completely entertaining and worthwhile action series. It may not be as good as the original (most sequels aren’t), but it’s a very enjoyable actioner as well as a nice continuation of the James Braddock character. It also stays true to the series’ roots by having Braddock return to Vietnam to perform a dangerous one man rescue mission without it seeming like a lazy retread of the first film. Just as in any action film from this time period, there are a few over-the-top action sequences, but director Aaron Norris, who does a very nice job here, doesn’t go overboard with this and keeps things nicely balanced by making the situations (and characters) believable enough so that we can get completely caught up in the action and suspense.

It’s no big shock that action movie superstar Chuck Norris delivers exactly what we want to see from him. Although he’s his usual likeable, low-key and convincingly deadly self, his humorous quality is mostly absent here perhaps due to the character’s journey being a personal one (rescuing his wife he thought dead and his son he never knew he had). To go along with this somber attitude (as well as with keeping the story and characters a bit more balanced than in a usual 80s action extravaganza), Chuck is only given one over-the-top, action hero line. When ordered by his superior not to step on any toes, Chuck utters the immortal line: “I don’t step on toes; I step on necks.”

Although Chuck is the main reason we’re all watching this movie, he is ably supported by a very talented cast. To begin with, Aki Aleong is terrific as the evil and sadistic General Quoc. Roland Harrah III gives a very convincing performance as Chuck’s angry and confused son Van, and Miki Kim and Yehuda Efroni do well in their roles of Chuck’s ill-fated wife and the good-hearted Reverend, respectively. The film also features familiar faces such as Jack Rader (1988’s The Blob), Floyd Levine (The Hangover) and a brief appearance by the always welcome Keith David (1982’s The Thing, There’s Something About Mary).

Braddock: Missing in Action III is currently streaming free for Amazon Prime members.