RED SPELL SPELLS RED (HK 1983) - full film

Thanks to 劉天賦 for making me aware of the YouTube upload.

Check credits and info about the film in this post.

Poster (Thailand)

Full films?

I  didn't use to want to post full films on his blog, or any of my other blogs. But I've had a change of mind. Nowadays I don't mind posting full films on my blog when we're talking old RARE films that their copyright holders don't care enough about to keep available to the public (new films that are in print is a different matter!). Gone are the days when a film was gone because nobody wanted to re-release it. The internet is almost PUNK in that regard. "You're telling us we can't watch these old film? Wrong! Here it is, on YouTube, on blogs, in Cyberspace!"

Check the post after this one; It's the full upload of RED SPELL SPELLS RED. Wild HK cinema from the early 80s. Also, check the the bar to the right where you can find a list of the full films on this blog (I should point out they're not uploaded to this blog but on YouTube. And I'm not the uploader!).

JUNGLE HEAT aka LAST BREATH - trailer for rare Thai version

LAST BREATH (Lee Ho/Jobic Wong, Taiwan, 1985) aka JUNGLE HEAT

There are four different edits of LAST BREATH: 

1. The original Taiwan version (also released in HK - released on HK VHS and US Chinatown VHS)
2. The international version entitled JUNGLE HEAT (alternative footage - released on various uncut VHS tapes, the best one being the Japanese VHS: uncut + letterboxed. The German and UK dvd's are cut!!!)
3. A censored version for Mainland China (cut for violence but includes some alternative footage - released on VCD)
4. A version made for Thailand - which has extra footage with Thai actor Sorapong Chatree (I'm going by the trailer and the Thai film poster here as the film itself hasn't been released to home video afaik).

I'm told a 16mm copy of the Thai version is stored in the Thai film archive. Hopefully, somebody will release it to blu-ray or streaming at some point.

Greta Thyssen interview (2010)

I recently posted about a Greta Thyssen interview that never took place (see post here) And I quoted from an interview that did take place. Unfortunately, the interview didn't talk much about Greta's role in Filipino films (hence her being of interest to this blog dedicated to obscure Asian cinema). The bit about her role in TERROR IS A MAN was all I quoted. I did post a link to the full interview, but come to think of it, everything has a tendency of disappearing from Cyberspace, and I might as well copy-paste the full interview to this ol'd blog. So here you go, Greta Thyssen talking to Mark Voger/NJ Advance Media for NJ.com in 2010..

Three Stooges' final leading lady, Greta Thyssen

(Updated April 1, 2019. Posted June 18, 2010)

by Mark Voger/NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Many distinctions dot the career of actress Greta Thyssen, a former Miss Denmark who once doubled for Marilyn Monroe. But one in particular is doted on by fans of the slapstick trio the Three Stooges.

Thyssen is the leading lady in the 190th -- and final -- Stooges short ever released.
In "Sappy Bullfighters" (1959), Thyssen performs classic bedroom farce with the boys. The blond beauty also tried to murder the Stooges in "Quiz Whizz" and teach them manners in "Pies and Guys" (both 1958).

All three Stooges shorts with Thyssen can be seen on the new DVD set "The Three Stooges Collection Volume Eight: 1955-1959." Thyssen, who is at work on a forthcoming blog, was reached at her New York home on Saturday.

Q: When you first came to Hollywood from Denmark, did you have jobs lined up?

A: I got, I think it was, a six-month contract with MGM, even though it was the end of their big moviemaking days. So they didn't really do anything with me, and allowed me to work outside. I got offers for certain things, and I did them.

Q: How was your English when you first came over?

A: Oh, I had an accent, I guess, yeah. I still have an accent. Sure.

Q: But was it tough learning scripts in another language?

A: No, not at all. It has nothing to do with accents. It has to do with what kind of memory you have. When I began to do summer stock, often people would say, "You don't have an accent when you speak the lines." It would go away many times. But of course, I've never gotten rid of it. I never even tried to get rid of it, which I should have done.

Q: You made your film debut in "Bus Stop" (1956), and you doubled for Marilyn Monroe. Did you get to know Marilyn a little?

A: Yes, I did. And that was a time when they were really hard on her. I felt so upset for her, because everybody was speaking behind her back.

Q: In "Terror is a Man" (1959), a neat horror film, you played the wife of Francis Lederer. How do you recall that experience?

A: Well, I had to go all the way to the Philippines, so I flew there. At that time, I was married, so it was a little hard. But it was fine. He (Lederer) was nice and charming. I had a good time. It was very warm, I remember.

Q: A DVD set is out containing the three shorts you filmed with the Three Stooges. In "Pies and Guys," you received a pie in the face, which some would deem an honor. How did you respond?

A: Actually, I totally have forgotten it, so I can't tell you what it felt like. I really have forgotten it. I probably didn't like it at all, I would think.

Q: How did you keep a straight face when the boys were wearing those ridiculous "Little Lord Fauntleroy" costumes?

A: Well, first of all, when you're an actress, you're not supposed to laugh in the middle of it. So I kept my cool.

Q: You towered over those guys, which made it funny. They were not tall men, and you were, or should I say are, a tall woman.

A: No, I'm not so tall any more (laughs).

Q: What kind of working chemistry did you have with the Stooges? Were they generous to you?

A: Well, they were fine, yes. But I wasn't that interested in it. I didn't quite understand that those kind of shorts would later be so admired and loved. I didn't know that at the time. I didn't know anything about it, really, to tell you the truth. I just was offered the job, because they wanted to start, again, doing "Stooges." So there was a new producer and it was a new time. I think the original ones -- weren't they in the '30s?

Q: Yes, they were.

A: Yeah. So this was new.

Q: Could you talk about the art of comedic timing? You were working with three great screen comedians, and holding your own.

A: Well, as an actress, you know instinctively what to do. And so that's what I did.


At the time of posting this, the original interview is still online here /Jack

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Greta Thyssen in New York on 14. December 2012
(only public photo of her on her facebook profile)

MACHETE MAIDENS UNLEASHED - trailer

Australia (2010)

Notice: This version of the trailer was uploaded to YouTube by Bert Spoor who was in a lot of Filipino movies.

This cool documentary film is available from several video labels. The ltd DVD from Australia has a bonus DVD with THE MUTHERS from a 35mm print. Subkultur in German has it as a bonus on their DEATH FORCE DVD/blu-ray. There are also blu-rays from Australia and the US as a double programme with ELECTRIC BOOGALOO: THE WILD UNTOLD STORY OF CANNON + there's probably more releases from other countries.

BEYOND ATLANTIS - trailer

Philippines/USA 1973
Dir: Eddie Romero


Trailer from VCI:



On DVD/BLU-RAY (combo) from VCI (USA)

BEAST OF THE YELLOW NIGHT - trailer

Philippines/USA (1971)

Trailer from VCI:



Available on DVD/blu-ray (combo) from VCI (USA)

BEAST OF THE YELLOW NIGHT (PH/US, 1971)

I rewatched Eddie Romero's BEAST OF THE YELLOW NIGHT (PH/US 1971) last night. This time on blu-ray from VCI. I really like this film. Sure it's slow but so what. It's so weird and different. The main character is John Ashley but this time he's not a hero but a soulless human turned beast – spurred on by Satan himself. Vic Diaz is the devil!

 The release from VCI is a dvd/blu-ray combo pack and the transfer from a 35mm negative looks great (slightly worn but probably still heaps better than the print anybody would have seen at a drive-in back in the day).


Trailer from VCI:

GRETA THYSSEN a machete maiden – but not up for machete maiden interview

"Machete Maidens Unleashed" on
Aussie DVD. This release includes
"The Muthers" on a bonus disc

I spent the morning rewatching MACHETE MAIDENS UNLEASHED. According to the commentary track they found Greta Thyssen in New York and tried to get an interview for the film. That would have been awesome. However, her agent refused to grant them one as he (and maybe Greta Thyssen as well – it's not quite clear from the commentary track) didn't like the film-makers calling TERROR IS A MAN a B-movie because **Greta wasn't a B-movie actress**. o_O
What a waste!!

I don't think she did all that many interviews. Maybe there's some in print but I've only been able to find one brief online (text) interview (see below). Having been part of this documentary film could have been her finally talking about her Filipino film making to a wide audience. 


GRETA THYSSEN INTERVIEW FROM NJ Com (2010)

Q: In "Terror is a Man" (1959), a neat horror film, you played the wife of Francis Lederer. How do you recall that experience?

Greta Thyssen: Well, I had to go all the way to the Philippines, so I flew there. At that time, I was married, so it was a little hard. But it was fine. He (Lederer) was nice and charming. I had a good time. It was very warm, I remember.

 Read the full interview here (the rest is non-TERROR IS A MAN related).