This blog about TRASHY ASIAN CINEMA is basically DEAD in the water, but at least ANDREW LEAVOLD keeps the flame burning!

In complete contradiction to yours truly Andrew Leavold is staying on course ALL THE TIME, EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY ALL THE TIME!!!!! 

That course of course being the TRASHY FORGOTTEN IGNORED MISTREATED FILIPINO FILMS COURSE, needless to say. Hahaha. 

And he keeps putting up new blogs about these films. Here's his latest: THE BAMBOO GODS PROJECT. I've just now discovered this so you're on your own finding out the ins and outs. I'm confident it's gonna be super cool and interesting. That man is a walking Filipino film encyclopedia!

Go here: THE BAMBOO GODS PROJECT blog

PS: Yes yes I know don't tell me: it's been well over a year since my last post (from April 2022 when I posted about a TURKISH film!). I'll try and do something about it. 

For one week only: THE LAST PINOY ACTION KING

About a year ago I posted the trailer for Andrew Leavold's documentary film THE LAST PINOY ACTION KING. Now Andrew has uploaded the full doc to YouTube - for one week!

It's a quite different type documentary to his THE SEARCH FOR WENG WENG in that Andrew Leavold takes a step back. Whereas he was a huge part of SEARCH on screen you don't see him at all in ACTION KING.

On the surface the film is about the Filipino action film star Rudy Fernandez but it's also about the Filipino film industry – and it's about the Philippines!

If you have an open mind for worldweird cinema (why wouldn't you!) I highly recommend this film. Go watch it before it's gone. Andrew tells me he has no idea if we'll ever see a DVD release of his film.

EDIT 8.1.2022: Either Andrew Leavold forgot to take the film down, or he changed his mind about it only being up for one week, cos the film is STILL on YouTube!

Andrew Leavold's intro from YouTube:

A PHILIPPINES LOCKDOWN SPECIAL PRESENTATION!
Directed by Andrew Leavold and Daniel Palisa (THE SEARCH FOR WENG WENG), this feature-length documentary - little seen since its QCinema premiere in 2015 - peeks behind the Philippines' showbiz curtain to reveal the vivid and often heartbreaking story of Junior Action King, Rudy 'Daboy' Fernandez. Executive-produced by Rap Fernandez, THE LAST PINOY ACTION KING features interviews with Gina Alajar, Nora Aunor, Amy Austria, Cecille Baun, Vicky Belo, Jose N. Carreon, Gabby Concepcion, Rez Cortez, Tirso Cruz III, Sharon Cuneta, Dingdong Dantes, Ricky Davao, Domy De Guzman, Christopher De Leon, Lav Diaz, Sunshine Dizon, Gabby Eigenmann, Jinggoy Estrada, Mark Anthony Fernandez, Merle Fernandez, Rap Fernandez, Renz Fernandez, Mario Hernando, Winnie Hollis-Reyes, Jose F. Lacaba, Ronnie Lazaro, Marichu Maceda, Edu Manzano, Baldo Marro, Leo Martinez, Robert Miller, Lily Y. Monteverde, Bibeth Orteza, Gene Padilla, Joey Padilla, Robin Padilla, George Paje, Conrado Peru, Ramon 'Bong' Revilla Jr, Efren Reyes Jr, Chanda Romero, Gloria Romero, Phillip Salvador, Lolit Solis, Ali Sotto, Henry Strzalkowski, Lorna Tolentino, and Edgardo Vinarao.

The Last Pinoy Action King - trailer

Directed by Andrew Leavold
Australia/Philippines (2015)
Documentary film

Searching for Weng Weng ... and every single actor who was ever in an old genre flick from the Philippines

Ken Metcalfe in his office circa mid 80s (Photo courtesy of Carl Kuntze)
Photo from Andrew Leavold's new Filipino blog.
PS: Do notice the posters!

Checking Andrew Leavold's facebook page is like flipping thru a "who's who" of Filipino genre film actors and actresses from the 1970s and '80s. If an actor or actress doesn't pop up there at some stage, next to a grinning Leavold, it may very well mean they've left this dimension. It seems he has a knack for tracking them down at one point or another.

Now, to even further catalogue these actors from Filipino cinema Andrew has recently begun work on a new blog entitled "Name That Filipino Actor!"

If you have any interest in old Filipino genre flicks, and if you often wonder who the hell some white "gwilo" dude (or dudette) in some semi lost Filipino-US production is then ... check out Andrew's blog! They're not all there (yet) but the number is growing and quite a few of his posts promise much more info to come.
Highly recommend for fans of Filipino genre cinema.

For "Name That Filipino Actor!" go here.

L-R: Andrew Leavold, Leo G. Martinez, Don Gordon Bell
(Photo courtesy of Leavold)

Here's a recent photo (19. January 2019) of Andrew and Don Gordon Bell who met up with Leo G. Martinez for an interveiw. Martinez was in and worked on many films by Cirio H. Santiago.

STONE BOY (Ph. 1982) dir: J. Erastheo Navoa

Original titel: Rocco, Ang Batang Bato
aka Boy God

Australia / VHS / fullscreen / English audio
hi-res scan

If you look up "Wild, crazy, weird Filipino cinema" in the encyclopaedia it has a picture of this film next to it. I swear! I don't even know how to describe this film. And don't be fooled by the fact that it has a fucken kid in the lead role. It's not a kid's movie. Anyhoo, I'm not going to review the film for now but I highly recommend that you check out Andrew Leavold's post about the film. He knows his shit about this! And if you don't believe me here's a photo of him and Nino Muhlach who played the main character in STONE BOY. 

Photo: courtesy of Andrew Leavold