Harold Sakata Movies

After appearing in cameos in the first two Aces Go Places movies, it was only a matter of time before cult filmmaker Tsui Hark took a turn in the director's chair himself, and the result is a spectacularly silly send-up of the spy genre and one of the series' best installments. King Kong (Sam Hui) is kidnapped in Paris by a British agent called James (Jean Marchent) who wants to recover one of the stolen crown jewels, the Star of Fortune. For some reason, the jewel is hidden at the headquarters of the Hong Kong police, meaning that King Kong will have to steal the jewel without the knowledge of his best friend, bald detective Albert Au (Karl Maka). Albert and his wife, the fiery Superintendent Ho (Sylvia Chang), have a new baby in their house, but their tempestuous relationship produces as many fireworks as ever, with Albert ready to walk out and King Kong using the situation to his advantage by setting Albert up on a date so he can pull off the heist. Eventually, of course, King Kong realizes what the duplicitous James is up to and joins his friend in bringing the bad guys to justice. Peter Graves and Richard Kiel show up to add to the fun, and there are numerous jabs at various genre clichés to go alongside the series' usual blend of action, slapstick, and interpersonal conflict. Purists should note that the dubbed English version on Thorn-EMI is missing approximately 12 minutes and loses a great deal in the translation. The next installment, 1986's Aces Go Places IV, would be helmed by Ringo Lam. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

The toothsome singing duo, Donny and Marie Osmond, head for Hawaii in this comedy. The trouble begins when Marie acquires a lovely necklace without realizing that it is coveted by a group of thieves. An enigmatic woman is also after the necklace. Mayhem, music, and sibling rivalry ensue. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

While searching for an embezzler who disappeared after posting bail, Jim (James Garner) asks one question too many at an elite health club. As a result, he is knocked out, heavily sedated, and bundled off to a mental institution. Unable to convince anyone of his real identity and surrounded by delusional patients who imagine themselves to be everyone from "James Bond" to "Doc Holliday", Jim nonetheless manages to find the man he's looking for and to figure out who is responsible for his current predicament--and why. Now all he has to do is escape the institution and inform the authorities. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In an episode obviously inspired by the death of Bruce Lee, Quincy's assistant Sam (Robert Ito) takes it personally when his cousin Tad Kimura, a martial-arts movie star, dies mysteriously while filming his latest picture. As Quincy (Jack Klugman) prepares to perform an autopsy, Sam begs him not to do so, since such an operation would be against Tad's religious beliefs. So adamant is Sam on this point that he quits the Coroner's Office, putting Quincy on the outs with LA's Japanese community and forcing him to chart a brand new course in his investigation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Impulse, is a tawdry, low-budget exploitation film about a maniacal murderer possessed by evil demons. Matt Stone (William Shatner) is a paranoid, con-man and gigolo who seduces lonely women and then bilks them of their savings using an investment scam. Then he kills them. When he begins seeing an attractive widow, her daughter Tina (Kim Nicholas) becomes suspicious of his motives. Then Tina herself is in danger. Impulse, directed by William Grefe, is the absolute nadir of Shatner's acting career and consequently has become a camp, cult classic and a must see for fans of Shatner. All others beware. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide

Have you ever longed for the day when James Brown, Martha Raye, and Col. Harland Sanders would appear in a movie together? Well, that's barely the tip of the improbable casting iceberg in this bizarre cold-war spoof. The leaders of the American intelligence organization the S.S.A. ("Super Secret Agency") are becoming increasingly alarmed by the disappearance of a number of B-list celebrities, who are being spirited off to Communist Albania. Eager to bring the fading stars back to the Land of the Free, the S.S.A. come up with a simple plan: They'll find four typical guys in their mid-twenties, have them form a rock group, make them into international stars, and wait until they get invited to play a gig in Albania, which will allow them to find out what's become of Rudy Vallee, Butterfly McQueen, and Huntz Hall, among others. Unemployed philosopher Michael A. Miller, Native-American honor student Ray Chippeway, phys-ed major Dennis Larden, and male model Lonny Stevens are drafted by the S.S.A., and after some intensive training by experts (Trini Lopez shows them a few guitar chords, and Richard Pryor gives them a crash course in soul), they become an overnight sensation as The Phynx (yes, it's pronounced "Finks"). Their album sells 17 million copies on the strength of songs like "What Is Your Sign?," and their groupies have to be cleared away by forklift. But fun and games have to go to the back burner when Albanian ruler Markevitch (George Tobias) and his wife, Ruby (Joan Blondell), invite the Phynx to perform at the behest of their son. Pat O'Brien, Xavier Cugat, Patty Andrews, and Dick Clark are just a few of the other notables who make cameo appearances in The Phynx, which had a very brief theatrical release before being sold to television in the early '70s. Legendary songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller penned the songs performed by The Phynx (and Stoller composed the background score), though for some reason they're not covered nearly as often as "Jailhouse Rock," "Hound Dog," or "Yakkety Yak." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this elaborate spoof of "The Most Dangerous Game", Rory Calhoun guest stars as celebrated big game hunter Jonathan Kincaid. Bored with merely tracking down animals, Kincaid has arrived on the island in hopes of bagging the "biggest game" of all--specifically, he wants to add a human being to his trophy room. Naturally, Gilligan is chosen as Kincaid's quarry: If he can remain alive for 24 hours, he and the rest of the Castaways will be rescued and taken home. . .but if he doesn't, Gilligan will very likely be stuffed and mounted along with the rest of Kincaid's victims! Harold Sakata, best known as "Oddjob" in the James Bond flick Goldfinger, appears as Kincaid's brutish assistant Ramoo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this sci-fi spy thriller, a secret agent for Espionage, Inc., is assigned to stop the Dragon, a Chinese communist organization, from detonating a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide