Arrow Video White Fire

So there I am, sitting in my psychiatric's chair explaining to the good doctor about this very strange experience had happened to me. Unable to fully comprehend its meaning, I could do nothing more than simply bleat out what I had just seen in a quivered, disbelieving manner - yet even then, I still wasn't certain what I had witnessed was indeed true. However, for the benefit of my fellow anxiety sufferer, I bequeath to you - my journal and honest appraisal of something that can only be known as 'White Fire'. Amazon states its a 'film' but I gotta say, I still ain't buying it...Let's meet Bo and Inga - played by Robert Ginty and Belinda Mayne, respectively. They ARE brother and sister (you will notice I capitalised 'ARE' as I just need to write it and ensure that was the case, 'cause I'm still not entirely sure). As daring jewel thieves, they earn their bread n' butter by stealing hot diamonds and none are hotter than the legendary 'White Fire' a rock so incendiary, it actually burns those who lay their hands on it. With it firmly in their sights, the duo embark on a hazardous journey to claim the diamond but not before a whole host of weirdo shenanigans burn themselves onto our retina's which I have to take serious issue with. Dear filmmakers, you and your movie are crazy and I'm not sure you even care.So, to confirm - this film is bonkers. I don't mean run of the mill nuts, I mean totally off the charts loony tunes. Director Jean-Marie Pallardy (whose previous high art follies include 'Erotic Encounters' and 'Emmanuelle 3') must have thought this movie was some sort of catharsis for a deep-seated obsession, but if I were him - I'd have kept that to himself. I'm not gonna go into it but jeez-louise its uncomfortable. It kinda veers into taboo territory and at first I thought 'oh, its a Euro director. They're all mucky beggars!' but as it continued, I was more like 'Ew. Erm. Oh'. As I say, I'm not entirely sure what the hell was going in - but from my current situation in the psychiatric's office, may give you a clue to all wasn't well. Leads Ginty, Mayne and 'Hammer' himself Fred Williamson are all pretty good (especially Ginty's moustache which nearly manages to snag itself a co-starring credit, so vibrant is the brush) but the unsavoury plot turns and weirdo choices from the production team keep it from true low budget nirvana. I mean, you can't take your eyes off it - but only in a 'what the hell just happened?' manner. To think this was made in 1984 when the world already had 'Star Wars', 'E.T' and 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' - yet somewhere across the globe, a team of filmmakers were cooking up this lovely which looks like it were made in the late '60s with the mindset of a confused 13 year old whose basic diet is porn and 'The Exterminator'. So, to sum up (and to ensure I don't go over my hour with the doc) I can't heartily recommend the movie but I can't bash it either... it's just kinda 'there'. See it. Don't see it. It's your call. However, if you do - make sure the shower is ready to go. 'Cause you're gonna need a full scrub down straight after. Erm.

Imagine 'The Room' as an action film. You're there. Why this doesn't have midnight showings everywhere I just don't know.Brilliant pic and sound quality (the previous reviews seem to be from an earlier version) and the most entertaining film I have seen for ages.It's rubbish so it's not for everyone and it's a bit incesty (hence no 5 stars).A forgotten classic that needs to be seen more. Brilliant release (as per usual) by Arrow.

You can't fault the other Amazon reviews. There's a lot wrong with this movie and it throws in bad dubbing, worse acting, poorly staged shootouts, tricky sentiment, and nudity like someone making a paella with no knowledge of what's in one.And yet...although it's a movie I can't critically rate highly (is it even worth three stars?) ..it's one I will keep because it's one that star Fred Williamson said, in one of the excellent extras on the blu ray, was a bad movie but fun. This sums it up as well as anything.

It's a pan and scan from an old VHS, the picture and sound are not great but all that is made up by the fact that after years of searching I have finally got hold of an uncut version of this hard to find classic.I say classic but in a strange sense, you see, this is one of the daftest badly made movies ever but I totally love it, the story makes no sense whatsoever, the action and stunts are awful and half way through there is a plot twist concerning the hero and his dead sister that beggars belief.Robert Ginty plays it straight as the hero trying to rob a diamond mine and Fred Williamson shows up just for the ride.Watch out for the outrageous chainsaw fight down by the docks!

Not seen the movie yet, but 5/5 for Fast delivery and item as described.

(Version: 2020 Arrow Video Blu Ray release)By “bizarre subplot” I am of course referring to redoubtable main protagonist Boris Donnelly’s (Robert Ginty) somewhat ‘speculative’ relationship with his vivacious sister Ingrid (Belinda Mayne)! Indeed, writer and director Jean-Marie Pallardy appears to initially forget that he’s cast these two characters as siblings rather than unrelated partners in crime. Thus, as the sexual tension disquietingly builds between them he considers it prudent to kill off Ingrid about half way through the film!Naturally Donnelly now needs another love interest and it’s here that Pallardy contrives a truly bizarre ‘twist’: ‘Olga’ - another beauteous blonde, is compelled to undergo extensive cosmetic surgery to alter her appearance. The result? Olga now looks exactly like his dead sister Ingrid (once again played by Mayne of course)!Phew, bullet deftly dodged there Jean-Marie! Not least because falling for one’s sister is bad but lusting after a woman utterly identical to her in every conceivable way is perfectly fine! Apparently. Regardless, no longer constrained by blood (and anti-incest laws) brother and definitely not sister can pursue their budding romance free of guilt, prosecution and audience nausea. Good grief!Plot related quirks aside White Fire is an otherwise typical and sadly unremarkable entry in the surfeit of cheap B-movies fuelled by the VHS boom of the 1980s. The acting is average, the plot nonsensical and the direction merely perfunctory. The film’s tone is strangely uneven too for, allusions to incest aside, only a light smattering of profanity and violence is in evidence. And then the chainsaw comes out and Belinda Mayne’s clothes come off (in unrelated incidents)! Hence the initially baffling ‘18’ certificate.In spite of its many failings though White Fire must be seen to be believed and Arrow Video has, as always, performed a commendable job restoring to HD what I had only ever seen in fuzzy VHS quality. Make no mistake the picture quality isn’t the best you’ll ever see for a ‘cult’ film but its certainly no lazy upscale either. Extras are slim but insightful and include interviews with Pallardy and co-star Fred Williamson, audio commentary by critic Kat Ellinger et al.Recommended. Sort of.