Robert Clouse Movies
Director Robert Clouse specialized in Hong Kong martial arts actioners and is best known for helming Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon (1973). Before becoming a director, Clouse served in the military and was a still photographer for CBS television. In 1964, Clouse recieved a Golden Globe, an award at the Edinburgh Film Festival, and an Oscar nomination for his short feature The Legend of Jimmy Blue Eyes. He received a second Oscar nomination for his film The Cadillac which he wrote and directed. In 1972, he penned the screenplay for the Steven Spielberg-directed TV movie Something Evil. Clouse died of kidney failure in his Ashland, OR, home at age 68. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1989
- R
The final chapter in the two-volume series finds sheriff China O'Brien (Cynthia Rothrock) still the bedrock lawperson of Beaver Creek. The small village is once again invaded, this time by a group of Vietnam-vet outlaws led by a drug-dealing madman (Harlow Marks). ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cynthia Rothrock
While staying in her hometown for a vacation, a martial-arts-trained police officer (Cynthia Rothrock) finds herself running for sheriff after her father (David Blackwell) is killed by a local crimepin (Steven Kerby). As the long arm of the law, China O'Brien avenges her father's death. The film was followed by a sequel. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cynthia Rothrock
In a standard no-plotter, this is a martial arts showcase for gymnast Kurt Thomas as Jonathan Cabot, the front line man sent out to secure a military foothold in an unfriendly, unnamed country in Eastern Europe near the Caspian sea. Jonathan has to use his lethal weapons (hands and feet) and his ingenuity to chop down legions of adversaries, especially in a one-against-all scene in a rustic village. With scenic Yugoslav landscapes and the attractive Miss Philippines (Tetchie Agbayani) as Princess Rubali, the film offers some visual appeal as well as whirling martial arts choreography. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kurt Thomas, Tetchie Agbayani, (more)
- 1984
The only American ever to earn the distinction of becoming a true ninja attempts to mentor his protégé and fend off some greedy land developers in this installment of the popular series starring Lee Van Cleef. After World War II, John Peter McAllister (Van Cleef) remained in Japan to train in the ninjutsu arts. Now McAllister has returned to America in search of his long lost daughter, though before he can find her he will train young Max Keller to follow in his footsteps and aid a desperate airport owner in his fight against a most unscrupulous land developer. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1982
- R
A super breed of rats is accidentally given large doses of steroids, and the rodents grow five to ten times their usual size. While the city is being overrun, a science teacher (Sam Groom) and a health inspector (Sara Botsford) struggle to survive while plotting the rats' demise. The film was originally known as The Rats. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Groom, Sara Botsford, (more)
- 1981
- R
In this martial arts film, a twisted cult lead by the evil Reverend Rhee (Bong Soo Han) has kidnapped a young girl, and it is up to renegade Jerry Martin (Joe Lewis) and his friends to rescue her before it is too late. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Lewis, Pam Huntington, (more)
- 1980
The title characters in The Kids Who Knew Too Much are young model-building aficionados. Three in number, they are portrayed by Rad Daly, Dana Hill and Christopher Holloway. The kids make the acquaintance of ace reporter Sharon Gless, who is investigating a murder. Everyone is plunged into peril when Gless and the kids discover that the murder was committed to hush up a major political conspiracy. The Kids Who Knew Too Much was firs telecast as a Wonderful World of Disney 2-hour "special" on March 9, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
After the death of Bruce Lee in 1973, writer/director Robert Clouse made several attempts to reproduce the success of his Enter the Dragon, which belatedly made Lee a household name in America. Clouse felt (with good reason) that Jackie Chan could be the next big martial arts star in America, and he crafted this feature with him in mind. Jerry Kwan (Chan) is a Korean immigrant trying to make good in Chicago in the 1930s. Work isn't easy to find for an Asian immigrant. Jerry is forced by Domenici (Jose Ferrer), a well-connected mobster, to represent him in a no-holds-barred, winner-take-all battle in Texas. But can Jerry handle the pressure? The Big Brawl was Jackie Chan's first starring role in an American film, but Chan wouldn't break through in the United States until the 1996 U.S. release of Rumble in the Bronx. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, José Ferrer, (more)
- 1979
In this espionage drama, a young CIA operative gets entangled in the abduction of a scientist who possesses a unique formula for energy. The scientist was abducted as he tried to defect with the formula. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Star Bruce Lee died before this film was completed, thus the producers were forced to pad out the running time with outtakes and alternate shots. They also lifted chunks of footage from Enter the Dragon and Return of the Dragon. The finished product finally hit the screens in 1978, five years after Lee's death. The film's finale pits Lee against such formidable opposition as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Chuck Norris. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
- PG
Director Robert Clouse, maker of the martial-arts masterpiece Enter the Dragon returns with The Pack, a well-directed, interesting little horror film about a pack of pugnacious puppies who run amok on an island resort. Veteran action star (Joe Don Baker) plays the marine biologist forced to deal with the dilemma when the dogs begin to exhibit their killer instincts by hunting down and killing resort patrons, a result of neglect by their human owners. Although the prospect of dying in the jaws of a West Highland Terrier may seem improbable, Clouse imbues the film with genuine suspense and provides a few legitimate shocks, a testament to his skill at the helm. Released around the same time as Jaws amidst a slew of killer animal rip-offs, The Pack was undeservedly dismissed by critics. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Don Baker, Hope Alexander-Willis, (more)
- 1977
- R
Robert Mitchum seems more aloof and detached than usual in the Hong Kong-produced crime caper Amsterdam Kill. Mitchum plays a washed-up police officer, hired by DEA agent Bradford Dillman to help plug up a security leak. Someone is blabbing the name of the department's contacts in Hong Kong, and that someone must be stopped before every one of the informants is pushing up daisies. With but a single clue-the word "Juliana"--Mitchum flies off to Amsterdam, where he mingles with the city's drug culture before his final showdown with the villains. Other familiar faces lurking about in Amsterdam Kill include Richard Egan, Leslie Nielsen, and Keye Luke. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Mitchum, Bradford Dillman, (more)
- 1975
- R
This lively action-adventure, is set in the near future where the population of New York has been decimated by a terrible plague. The city is terrorized by violent street-gangs running amok. The tale centers on one leader who insists on keeping vast stores of potential valuables and a helpful wanderer who single-handedly takes on the gangs to help a scientist and his pregnant wife. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Robert Clouse, director of Enter the Dragon, returned with this blaxploitation actioner starring Jim Kelly as an instructor at a martial-arts school in the Watts section of Los Angeles. Teaming with former Bond girl Gloria Hendry, Kelly saves the school and Hendry's dad (Scatman Crothers) from the Mob. Eric Laneuville, Malik Carter, and Love Boat bartender Ted Lange are also onhand. Kelly was one of the subgenre's most popular heroes at the time, starring in films like Black Terminator and Black Eliminator by the score. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Kelly, Gloria Hendry, (more)
- 1974
- PG
This martial arts film has an interesting twist. The conflict is over a mythical 30-inch-tall statue with very special properties. Protruding from the sculpture are seven golden needles. If the needles are inserted into a man's body in the precisely right positions, he will become a sexual superman. If the position is incorrect, the man will instantly die. Despite the risks, several men begin fighting over the precious object. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
One of the most popular kung fu films ever, and perhaps the peak of the famed Bruce Lee's career, Enter the Dragon achieved success by presenting a series of superbly staged fighting sequences with a minimum of distractions. The story finds Lee as a martial-arts expert determined to help capture the narcotics dealer whose gang was responsible for his sister's death. This evil villain operates from a fortified island manned by a team of crack martial artists, who also host a kung fu competition. Lee uses his skills to enter the contest and then tries to chop, kick, and otherwise fight his way into the dealer's headquarter. The story is, of course, merely an excuse for showdown after showdown, featuring masterly fighting by Lee in a wide variety of martial arts styles. Essential viewing for martial arts fans, the film was also embraced by a larger audience, thanks to a fast pace and higher-than-usual production values. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Lee, John Saxon, (more)
- 1973
- PG
In this star-studded Canadian feature, young Johnny (Ron Howard) returns to his home to find out more about his early childhood, and who his father is. He runs headlong into the rivalry between his mother (Cloris Leachman) and her sister (Patricia Neal). What he cannot know is that his inquiries will stir up a hornet's nest among the other villagers. Apparently more than one person in his hometown has something to hide. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Posing as an elderly and very grouchy English professor, Ironside (Raymond Burr) infiltrates a convalescent home where many strange deaths have occurred. To lure the killer out of hiding, Ed (Don Galloway) and Fran (Elizabeth Baur) impersonate Ironside's grown children, carefully dropping hints that they'd be better off if "dad" was no longer alive. Without giving away the ending, it can be noted that Ruth Roman delivers an outstanding performance as a grim-visaged nurse. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
A young Steven Spielberg helmed the made-for-TV Something Evil. Johnny Whitaker (Family Affair) is cast as Stevie Worden, an angelic child whose parents move into a foreboding Pennsylvania mansion. It isn't long before Stevie is possessed with the house's resident demonic spirit. In anticipation of The Exorcist and The Omen, the spirit within Stevie never lets anyone know when it's going to strike -- but everyone knows full well when it does. Spielberg evokes horror throughout by contrasting the most terrifying events with the plodding commonplace of day-to-day life. Something Evil was Spielberg's last TV-movie assignment. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
- R
John D. McDonald was not altogether pleased with what Hollywood did to his novel Darker Than Amber, but audiences were generally satisfied. Private eye Travis McGee (Rod Taylor) and his cohort Meyer (Theodore Bikel) rescue the beautiful Vangie (Suzy Kendall) from drowning. Vangie has been targetted for death by a couple of disreputable types who, as it turns out, were her former partners in crime. When Vangie is murdered, McGee hires a lookalike (also played by Suzy Kendall) to corner the killers. As is usually the case in the ouevre of John D. McDonald, nothing is quite what it appears to be on surface. Jane Russell, reemerging from one of her period retirements, is fun to watch as "Alabama Tiger". Current prints of the R-rated Darker Than Amber have been modified to qualify for a "PG." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Taylor, Suzy Kendall, (more)
- 1968
Teenager Tom Parsegian (John Denos) falls in love with a Japanese girl, Ann Murakoshi Caroline Barrett. Though both Tom and Ann's families oppose the union, true love cuts through any and all racial barriers. For a film about racial tolerance, Dreams of Glass is surprisingly devoid of genuine Asian actors; one of the few exceptions is Pat Li, playing the heroine's mother. For fans of obscure 1960s rock groups, the film features a solo by The Smokestack Lightnin'. Produced independently, Dreams of Glass was picked up for distribution by Universal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Denos, Caroline Barrett, (more)
