Triple B (film series)

The Triple B Series is a franchise of twelve films that focus around the DEA agents based in Hawaii and later the secret activities of a secret U.S. spy agency known as L.E.T.H.A.L (Legion to Ensure Total Harmony and Law). Because of the spy agency acronym, the series is sometimes referred to as the L.E.T.H.A.L. Ladies series with the final two films in the series carrying the L.E.T.H.A.L. Ladies name above the title in some territories.[1] All but two films in the franchise are directed by Andy Sidaris. Although some of the films feature returning characters, some actors appear throughout the series in different roles and there is little effort to maintain series continuity between instalments.

Films

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Film U.S. release date Director Screenwriter(s) Producer(s)
Malibu Express March 1, 1985 (1985-03-01) Andy Sidaris Andy Sidaris Andy Sidaris
Hard Ticket to Hawaii March 27, 1987 (1987-03-27) Arlene Sidaris
Picasso Trigger February 25, 1988 (1988-02-25)
Savage Beach October 1, 1989 (1989-10-01)
Guns November 9, 1990 (1990-11-09)
Do or Die June 28, 1991 (1991-06-28)
Hard Hunted June 12, 1992 (1992-06-12)
Fit to Kill October 27, 1993 (1993-10-27)
Enemy Gold November 22, 1993 (1993-11-22) Christian Drew Sidaris Wess Rahn & Christian Drew Sidaris Andy Sidaris & Arlene Sidaris
The Dallas Connection October 4, 1994 (1994-10-04) Christian Drew Sidaris
Day of the Warrior October 1, 1996 (1996-10-01) Andy Sidaris Andy Sidaris Arlene Sidaris & Christian Drew Sidaris
Return to Savage Beach October 4, 1998 (1998-10-04)

Malibu Express (1985)

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Malibu Express is a 1985 American action film starring Darby Hinton, Sybil Danning, Lori Sutton, and Art Metrano. It was directed, written, and produced by Andy Sidaris and is the first installment in the Triple-B series.[2] The film features 1980s Playboy Playmates Kimberly McArthur, Barbara Edwards, Lorraine Michaels, and Lynda Wiesmeier. The film is described as a "erotic spy tale" by Eleanor Mannikka in her review in All Movie Guide.[3]

The film follows wealthy playboy/private investigator named Cody Abilene is hired by a government intelligence operative to investigate a lead into who is selling computer technology to the Russians. While investigating rich socialites, amorous naked vixens, and an ex-con with a penchant for blackmail, and keeping it all from his sexy lady cop friend Beverly Mcafee, Cody puts himself in the crosshairs of the traitorous tech spies who will gladly kill to stay in business.[citation needed]

Hard Ticket to Hawaii (1987)

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Hard Ticket to Hawaii is a 1987 American action film and the sequel to the previous year's film Malibu Express, although it features no returning characters. This sequel introduces Ronn Moss as Rowdy Abilene, the brother of Darby Hinton's Cody Abilene from Malibu Express. Like the previous film, it features several former Playboy Magazine centerfolds, Playmates of the Month Speir (Miss March 1984), Carlton (Miss July 1985), Brimhall (Miss October 1985), and Patty Duffek (Miss May 1984).[4] Paste magazine named the film the "best B movie of all time."[5]

When two drug enforcement agents are killed on a private Hawaiian island, Donna and Taryn, two operatives for The Agency, accidentally intercept a delivery of diamonds intended for drug lord Seth Romero, who takes exception and tries to get them back. Soon other Agency operatives get involved, and a full-scale fight to the finish ensues, complicated by the escape of a very dangerous snake infected by deadly toxins from cancer-infested rats.[citation needed]

Picasso Trigger (1988)

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Picasso Trigger is a 1988 American action film. It is a direct sequel to Hard Ticket to Hawaii with Dona Speir and Hope Marie Carlton returning as Donna and Taryn, but features another Abilene brother, Travis (played by Steve Bond) as its new lead. The film also stars Roberta Vasquez, Cynthia Brimhall, and Harold Diamond. The film was released in Philippines under the title Secret Agent 7.[citation needed]

Hawaiian agents Donna and Taryn join a Travis Abilene, who is out to stop a criminal mastermind and assassin seeking out a valuable piece of artwork.[citation needed]

Savage Beach (1989)

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Savage Beach is a 1989 American action film. It is the first film in the series to feature Shane Abilene, played by Michael J. Shane, who would remain with the series up to Fit to Kill. Despite the inclusion of another Abilene brother, Donna and Taryn are featured as the main characters. It also marks the first appearance of Bruce Penhall as CIA agent Bruce Christian, who would join the agency and feature in future films. 1998's L.E.T.H.A.L. Ladies: Return to Savage Beach serves as a direct sequel to the plot of this film, but features only one returning character, Rodrigo Obregón as Rodrigo Martinez.[citation needed]

Donna and Taryn are sent to the Philippines to deliver a much needed vaccine. However, on their return journey they crash land on a remote island in the pacific and right into the middle of an adventure with a shipwrecked WW2 Japanese soldier, a secret army detachment headed by Captain Andreas and Philippine treasure hunters all involved with a lost detachment of gold bars lost during the war.[citation needed]

Guns (1990)

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Guns is a 1990 American action film about a group of female agents who are sent to take out a South American gun runner. It is the first film since Malibu Express not to feature Hope Marie Carlton as Taryn, but features Roberta Vasquez as new agent Nicole Justin. It stars Erik Estrada, Dona Speir, Devin DeVasquez, Bruce Penhall, and Danny Trejo.[citation needed]

International crime lord Juan Degas, also known as Jack of Diamonds, stages a brutal murder to lure federal agents away from Hawaii in an attempt to smuggle assault weapons from China to South America through their territory.[citation needed]

Do or Die (1991)

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Do or Die is a 1991 American action film starring Dona Speir, Roberta Vasquez, Cynthia Brimhall, Bruce Penhall, Pat Morita and Erik Estrada. Despite Estrada playing villain Juan Degas in the previous film, here he plays Richard 'Rico' Estevez - a member of the Agency.[citation needed]

A bounty has been placed on the head of agents Donna and Nicole by Japanese crime lord Masakana 'Kane' Kaneshiro and six teams of lethal assassins are hunting them down. It is up to their agency colleagues to thwart Kaneshiro's evil plans.[citation needed]

Hard Hunted (1992)

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Hard Hunted is a 1992 American action film starring Dona Speir, Roberta Vasquez, Cynthia Brimhall, Bruce Penhall and Geoffrey Moore.[citation needed]

Martin Kane smuggles a nuclear trigger out of China and agrees to sell it to a terrorist in the Middle East. The US Intelligence Services send a special undercover agent to steal the device from Kane, but she fails and is found murdered. A team of three further agents, Donna Hamilton, Nicole Justin, and Edy Stark, is then sent in to try to retrieve the situation, fighting a gang of hi-tech smugglers with a deadly array of weaponry and erotic charms.[citation needed]

Fit to Kill (1993)

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Fit to Kill is a 1993 American action film starring Dona Speir, Roberta Vasquez, Cynthia Brimhall, Julie Strain, Bruce Penhall, Chu Chu Malave and Geoffrey Moore. It is a direct sequel to Hard Hunted featuring returning villain Martin Kane (Geoffrey Moore). It was intended to be the last film in the series and is the last appearances of all of the agents from previous entries, although some cast members such as Julie Strain and Bruce Penhall would appear in later instalments as different characters.[citation needed]

International arms dealer Martin Kane seeks a Russian imperial diamond which was stolen by a Nazi officer from a Leningrad museum during WWII. It is up to the Agency to stop him in one last, daring mission.[citation needed]

Enemy Gold (1993)

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Enemy Gold is a 1993 action/adventure film directed by Christian Drew Sidaris (Andy Sidaris's son, sometimes referred to simply as Drew Sidaris)[6] and written by Wess Rahn and Sidaris. It is the first film in the series not to be directed by Andy Sidaris, although he did produce the film. Bruce Penhall stars as a new federal agent, Chris Cannon.

Three Federal agents go in search of gold supposedly hidden by Quantrell during the Civil War after they are suspended by a corrupt official for excessive force during a drug raid. Meanwhile, a vicious drug lord hires a lethal assassin to kill the three for interfering with his operations.[citation needed]

The Dallas Connection (1994)

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The Dallas Connection is a 1994 action/adventure film and sequel to Enemy Gold directed by Christian Drew Sidaris. Bruce Penhall and Mark Barriere return as federal agents Chris Cannon and Mark Austin.[citation needed]

Scientists in charge of a sophisticated, state-of-the-art, military satellite are being assassinated one by one. It's up to a team of federal agents to protect the last surviving scientist able to activate the satellite before the assassin strikes again.[citation needed]

Day of the Warrior (1996)

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Day of the Warrior is a 1996 action/adventure film, also known as L.E.T.H.A.L. Ladies: Day of the Warrior[7] The film is written and directed by Andy Sidaris and starring Kevin Light and Julie Strain.[8] It is the first film since Savage Beach not to feature Bruce Penhall in any role.

A team of female agents at top spy agency L.E.T.H.A.L (Legion to Ensure Total Harmony and Law) must stop the scheme of the Warrior, a former CIA agent turned criminal freelancer, who stole the agency's computer database and is now going after undercover agents one by one.[citation needed]

Return to Savage Beach (1998)

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Return to Savage Beach is a 1996 action/adventure film, also known as L.E.T.H.A.L. Ladies: Return to Savage Beach is a 1998 action film written and directed by Andy Sidaris, a sequel to Sidaris' Day of the Warrior. It features the return of much of the original cast, including Marcus Bagwell reprising the role as Warrior but this time working on the side of the L.E.T.H.A.L. Ladies, as well as the addition of former Playboy Playmate Carrie Westcott as the mysterious Sofia. It is the final film in the series.[citation needed]

A stolen computer floppy disc filled with information about the location of a mythical treasure in Savage Island will lure both villains and L.E.T.H.A.L. Agents into a dangerous treasure hunt with a familiar face from the past pulling all the strings.[citation needed]

Recurring cast and characters

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Cast Member
Malibu Express Hard Ticket to Hawaii Picasso Trigger Savage Beach Guns Do or Die Hard Hunted Fit to Kill Enemy Gold The Dallas Connection Day of the Warrior Return to Savage Beach
Darby Hinton Cody Abilene
Sybil Danning Contessa Luciana
Art Metrano Matthew
Lori Sutton Beverly McAfee
Skip Ward Dick (uncredited) Skip
Ronn Moss Rowdy Abilene
Dona Speir Donna Hamilton
Hope Marie Carlton Taryn
Cynthia Brimhall Edy Stark
Wolf Larson J.J. Jackson
Patty Duffek Pattycakes
Harold Diamond Jade
Rodrigo Obregón Seth Romero Miguel Ortiz Rodrigo Martinez Large Marge Pico Mikael Petrov Santiago Antonio Morales Manuel Rodrigo Martinez
Rustam Branaman Kimo Glen
Steve Bond Travis Abilene Rustam
Bruce Penhall Hondo Bruce Christian Chris Cannon
John Aprea Salazar Captain Andreas
Roberta Vasquez Pantera Nicole Justin
Kym Malin Kym Kym Cowboy's Hostess
Liv Lindeland Inga Ace
Michael J. Shane Shane Abilene
Al Leong Fu Raven
Eric Chen Erik Ninja #2 Chen
Paul Hospodar Duke Duke Kidnapper
Lisa London Rocky
James Lew Agent #1 Ninja #1 Lew
Erik Estrada Juan Degas/Jack of Diamonds Richard 'Rico' Estevez
William Bumiller Lucas
Chu Chu Malave Cubby Bodreaux Wiley Evel
Richard Cansino Tito Herbert Coyote Kenevil J.P.
Pat Morita Masakana 'Kane' Kaneshiro
Carolyn Liu Silk Alice Silk
Ava Cadell Ava Ava
Geoffrey Moore Kane
Tony Peck Lucas
Gerald Okamura Commando Fu
Cassidy Phillips Thug #1 Platter Puss Chaz
Julie Strain Blu Steele Jewel Panther Black Widow Willow Black
Mark Barriere Gregor Mark Austin
Tom Abbott Rip Tom
Ron Browning Slash Ron
Julie K. Smith Cobra
Christian Letelier J. Tyler Ward
Shae Marks Tiger
Marcus Bagwell Warrior
Paul Logan Doc Austin
Carrie Westcott Sofia
Kevin Eastman Harry the Cat

References

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  1. ^ Kane, Joe (2000). The Phantom of the Movies' Videoscope: The Ultimate Guide to the Latest, Greatest, and Weirdest Genre Videos. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 978-0-8129-3149-5.
  2. ^ Coffman, Jason (2012), "The Early Films of Andy Sidaris", Cashiers du Cinemart Issue 17, Impossibly Funky Productions, ISBN 978-1300351405
  3. ^ "Malibu Express". allmovie.com. All Movie Guide. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
  4. ^ "ANDY SIDARIS DOUBLE FEATURE! Hard Ticket to Hawaii + Picasso Trigger". brownpapertickets.com. Retrieved December 14, 2016
  5. ^ Vorel, Jim. "The 100 Best "B Movies" of All Time". pastemagazine.com. Archived from the original on June 24, 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  6. ^ Enemy Gold (1993) | MUBI (in Portuguese), retrieved September 30, 2023
  7. ^ Kane, Joe (2000). The Phantom of the Movies' Videoscope: The Ultimate Guide to the Latest, Greatest, and Weirdest Genre Videos. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 978-0-8129-3149-5.
  8. ^ Evans, Nick (2020-01-14). "Film Company Has To Apologize After Announcing Actress Julie Strain Died (She Didn't)". Cinema Blend. Retrieved 2023-09-30.