Low Blow (released in the Philippines as The Last Fight to Win: The Bloody End) is a 1986 film edited, shot, and directed by Frank Harris and released through Crown International Pictures. It is about a private investigator that goes on the hunt for a girl who has been taken in by a religious cult. He recruits a team to help him in his quest to rescue the girl. It stars Leo Fong, Cameron Mitchell, Troy Donahue, Akosua Busia and Stack Pierce.
| Low Blow | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Frank Harris |
| Written by | Leo Fong |
| Produced by | Leo Fong |
| Starring | Leo Fong Cameron Mitchell Troy Donahue Diane Stevenett Akosua Busia Patti Bowling Stack Pierce |
| Cinematography | Frank Harris |
| Edited by | Frank Harris |
| Music by | Steve Amundsen |
| Distributed by | Crown International Pictures |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
editA young heiress is in the clutches of a weird religious sect which is based in a rural compound. The cult leader (played by Cameron Mitchell). At his side is a lady called Karma (played by Akosua Busia) who has a vocal prowess. She is also the lover of the leader.[1] Joe Wong (played by Leo Fong) is a former policeman,[2][3] who has been hired by her businessman father to bring her back to him safely.[4] He teams up with a group to help him which includes a Vietnam vet and a pro-boxing champ.[5]
Cast
edit| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Leo Fong | Joe Wong |
| Cameron Mitchell | Yarakunda |
| Troy Donahue | John Templeton |
| Diane Stevenett | Diane |
| Akosua Busia | Karma |
| Patti Bowling | Karen Templeton |
| Stack Pierce | Duke |
| Woody Farmer | Fuzzy |
| Elaine Hightower | Cody |
| Ron Ackerman | Police Chief[6] |
Production
editThe film was directed by Frank Harris. Leo Fong produced the film and Hope Holiday was the associate producer.[7] Leo Fong also wrote the story.[8] The film also features Billy Blanks in his first film role.[9][10]
Release
editLow Blow was released in the United States in 1986. In the Philippines, the film was released as The Last Fight to Win: The Bloody End by Movierama Films on October 13, 1988, connecting it to the unrelated film Fight to Win; the film poster miscredits Jean-Claude Van Damme as its writer and director.[11][12]
It was released on Vestron in both Beta and VHS formats in 1986.[13]
Critical reception
editFong's performance in the cult film was called a tour de force head-scratcher by Cnet.com.[14]
It featured on Red Letter Media's "Best of the Worst" web series in 2015.[15]
Sequels
editFong reprised his role as Joe Wong in Blood Street (1988) and Hard Way Heroes (2010).
References
edit- ^ Los Angeles Times, June 02, 1986 - Movie Review : 'Low Blow' Takes Aim At The Heights Of Silliness - MICHAEL WILMINGTON
- ^ '80s Action Movies on the Cheap: 284 Low Budget, High Impact Pictures, By Daniel R. Budnik - Page 120, 121
- ^ The Encyclopedia of Martial Arts Movies, By Bill Palmer, Karen Palmer, Richard Meyers - Page 214 1736
- ^ Turner Classic Movies - Low Blow(1986), Brief Synopsis
- ^ Letterboxd - Low Blow 1986 Directed by Frank Harris
- ^ TV Guide - Low Blow
- ^ Screen World, Volume 38 - Page 124
- ^ Chicago Reader - Low Blow
- ^ IMDb - Billy Blanks
- ^ Explosive Action, Thursday, August 19, 2010 - Low Blow (1986)
- ^ "Grand Opening Today". Manila Standard. Manila Standard News, Inc. October 13, 1988. p. 27. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
The ultimate movie ...to prove that man's deadliest weapon is still his fist!
- ^ "MTRCB Film Classification and Ratings Guide". Manila Standard. Manila Standard News, Inc. September 18, 1988. p. 15. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
A wealthy industrialist hires a private Chinese detective to rescue her daughter from the evil spells of a leader of a certain cult.
- ^ Billboard, December 6, 1986 - Page 47 Video Retailing, New Releases, HOME VIDEO
- ^ Cnet.com, August 3, 2018 - The best Amazon Prime perk? The terrible, terrible movies, of course
Forget Netflix and Hulu. Amazon boasts the best collection of cheesy B-movies that are so bad they're good. And I can't quit hate-watching.
Hawkeye, aka Karate Cops (1988): 1 hour, 25 minutes By Ry Crist - ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Best of the Worst: Lady Terminator, Lost in Dinosaur World, and Low Blow. YouTube. July 1, 2015.