THE VENGEANCE OF FU MANCHU

Chris Lee as Fu

THE VENGEANCE OF FU MANCHU (1967). Director: Jeremy Summers.

Fu Manchu (Christopher Fee) has not only decided to bring together all sorts of international criminals, including American gangsters, to form a group that he will lead, but has also concocted a diabolical scheme for revenge against his British nemesis, Nayland Smith (Douglas Wilmer of Unman, Wittering and Zigo) of Scotland Yard. Smith has concluded that a group to be called Interpol should be formed to unite law officers from various countries and combat the criminal scourge. But he is unaware that Fu Manchu has created a double of Smith whose actions will destroy his reputation even as Smith himself is taken captive by his enemy. Dealing with the zombie-like double are FBI agent Mark Weston (Noel Trevarthen of Escort for Hire) and Smith's long-time friend and colleague, Dr. Petrie (Howard Marion-Crawford).

Horst Frank, Christopher Lee, Lin Tang

The Vengeance of Fu Manchu is the third of five films starring Lee as the notorious Chinese doctor, but he already seems a trifle bored with the role. A bigger problem is a script that never takes advantage of the pulp horror atmosphere of Sax Rohmer's novels. While the Fu Manchu books were never out and out horror novels, they generally had very macabre elements that the film adaptations unwisely omit. Vengeance is simply a prosaic thriller, not too well put together, that could have had any antagonist. Because of the popularity of spy films we also get a Shanghai cop, Inspector Ramos (Tony Ferrer), who employs judo and karate. (Ferrer also starred in several Filipino spy movies.) Lin Tang is back as Fu's nasty daughter, and Horst Frank [Cat O' Nine Tails] plays a gangster who is sent from America as an emissary of mob interests. The script is full of implausibilities, even for this kind of thriller, such as an Asian man's face being turned into a duplicate of Nayland Smith's in 48 hours (!), and the Smith double being sentenced to death when he is clearly mentally disturbed. Followed by The Blood of Fu Manchu. The first film in this series was The Face of Fu Manchu.

Verdict: Disappointing Fu movie you might want to say "foo!" to. **. 

THE DEAD ARE ALIVE

 Alex Cord and Enzo Tarascio

THE DEAD ARE ALIVE (aka L'etrusco uccide ancora/1972). Director: Armando Crispino.

Professor Jason Porter (Alex Cord) is an archaeologist exploring Etruscan tombs in Italy. His ex-girlfriend, Myra (Samantha Eggar), is now married to temperamental maestro Nikos Samarakis (John Marley), who hates Jason and vice versa. Jason tries to rekindle things with Myra, and accuses her of having a thing for her stepson, Igor (Carlo De Mejo). Igor's mother, Leni (Nadja Tiller), claims she and Nikos were never divorced. However, the big problem is that some maniac, who plays loud chorale music on a small tape player, is running around bashing and killing people, especially romantic couples, in the ruins; the weapon is a metal tubular probe used in underground photography. Suspects include all of the aforementioned, as well as a blackmailing guard named Otello (Vladan Holec), Nikos' mousy secretary, Irene (Daniela Surina), and Stephen (Horst Frank), the choreographer for the latest production that Nikos is conducting [why some of these people are wandering around the ruins in the first place is a question]. Jason realizes at one point that the murders seem to mirror scenes in ancient Etruscan paintings, but wonders how anyone could have entered the tomb to see them before the official opening. Inspector Giuranna (Enzo Tarascio) tries to discover the truth, but the real truth is that The Dead Are Alive can't make up its mind if it's a mystery, a horror film, or a twisted family melodrama, and doesn't quite work on any level. The movie is much too long and convoluted and I defy anyone to figure out the motives of the killer when he or she is finally unmasked. The mixed-bag international actors are okay, but unable to do much with the material.

Verdict: Initially intriguing but it goes on and on and on ... **.