Diagonaldi
Very well executed
Freaktana
A Major Disappointment
Mehdi Hoffman
There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.
Bloodwank
Yeah, this one is a good ways away from being as awesome as it might have been. Which is not to say that its a complete failure, rather that those enticed by its combination of genres into thinking it might be some trash colossus should substantially downgrade their expectations. It reminded me most of some of the better works of Godfrey Ho, those films in which the cut 'n splice ninja flick maestro actually had an original script and a cast of semi capable performers. Inept, insane and idiotic in roughly equal measures, but conducted with verve and never dull. The inspired story is of martial arts school leader Luke Curtis who goes to visit his sifu in Hong Kong along with his shiftless buddy Roldan (though I preferred the subtitles in which his name was Rodan) who steals a sacred medallion and unleashes a demon, who returns to New York, possesses a Chinese man and sets up shop in a subway, killing at random and contributing to a race war between Chinese and black gangs. Lots of fighting ensues, as well as plenty of laughter. The attitude behind the writing seems to have been to cram the film with incident so that the audience could never relax and process the cinematic shortcomings. So more or less every moment has either fighting, people saying stupid things, the monster dragging people to their doom or spurts of picturesque photography in the Hong Kong section or vintage urban grime in the rest. The fighting isn't especially convincing (plenty of blows fall obviously wide plus some dodgy framing and people moving at unrealistic speeds), but it's a lot better than expected, with a cast that at least know how to move and a shooting style that lets you see whats going on. It helps that much of the fighting involves hero Luke, played by the awesomely named and almost as awesomely afroed War Hawk Tanzania. His character isn't as badass as his name but he has a solid presence and carries the film nicely, delivering his frequently hilarious jive dialogue with aplomb. In fact everyone gives it their all, even extras like a nasty old bag lady, crazy street preacher or clueless cop. Sadly the monster scenes are quite weak and there are only a couple of gore shots, also the dodgy quality of current available prints renders the subway scenes too dark. The climax is too abrupt as well, though when ultimately revealed the monster is kinda cool in a cheap-jack kinda way. Altogether its a likable rather than good film and a bit tricky to fully appreciate until a spruced up DVD appears, but trash junkies could do far worse with 80 minutes of their time. Slightly generous 6/10 from me...
HumanoidOfFlesh
The working title of "Gang Wars" was "The Phantom of the Subway" but it was first released as "The Devil's Express".The film mixes blaxploitation genre,American martial arts and horror flick and does this with huge enthusiasm.The acting is mostly wooden and Warhawk Tanzania is not as awesome as his name.The fights are well-shot and there is a decent amount of blood and gore.The film's running time is padded out by random inserts of not exactly important scenes for example the fight between two sleazeballs and karate waitress.The gang war and subway murders committed by amulet seeking demon are fun to watch.A trash classic.7 out of 10.
EyeAskance
A black martial arts master takes a student to China for some sort of competition...student finds an ancient amulet in a cave and brings it back to New York City, unaware that a bloodthirsty demon, rightful owner of the artifact, has followed and wants the item back. Demon takes refuge in the subway system, wreaking havoc and causing confusion for homicide investigators. Only said Karate master can save the day in a hand-to-hand face-off with the evil horror.There is no arguing that DEVIL'S EXPRESS is a bona fide trash epic...not a single moment of this film has even the most meager foothold in bare proficiency, yet somehow it manages to emerge as something strangely watchable. Hilarious moments abound...do yourself a favor and track down a copy of this elusive schlock treat.
gavcrimson
SPOILERS INCLUDED The only known film in which a would be rapist is dragged into the New York subway system by a Chinese monster who has inadvertently contributed to a race war in the big apple- 'Gang Wars: Devil's Express' was distributed stateside by Howard Mahler Films a small time outfit known for euro pick-ups like Killer Snakes and The Hatchet Murders (Deep Red). Rodan (Wilfredo Roldan) the films Ratso Rizzo is a slimy, hate filled Times Square con-man primarily responsible for instigating violence between street gangs The Black Spades and The Red Dragons (hence gang wars). His friend/kung-fu master See-Fu 'Luke' Curtis (Warhawk Tanzania) recommends 'a week of improvement for the body and soul' in a Hong Kong kung-fu school if only to keep this drug dealing hothead out of trouble. However in Hong Kong (looking suspiciously like 'Hong Kong'- central park) Rodan accidently releases an ancient Chinese monster who had been imprisoned there in 200bc by a bunch of Buddhist monks. The monster follows the duo back on a one-way ticket to New York, murdering and taking over the body of a Chinese businessman before hiding away on a boat. In an implausible but highly amusing twist the zombie chinaman that emerges from the boat is somehow unnoticed on the streets of New York despite having ping-pong ball eyes. The hustle and bustle of NYC proves too much for this zombie monster who hides in the subway- where for the rest of the movie it lures people to their deaths- enjoying such pastimes as pulling a night-watchman's head off. One of many snuffed out is David Durston (director of I Drink Your Blood and many hard-X 'all male cast' movies) who ends up on the tracks after the monster puts on a woman's voice 'please help me! its dark in here!' Rodan's luck runs out too as he and a friend are ambushed by the 'tong' who beat the friend to a bloody pulp and chase Rodan onto the subway tracks where the monster finishes him off -frying his head in a fuse-box. A broken, angry man See-fu takes on the Red Dragons before learning the dreaded truth 'in my mind what you are telling me sounds fantastic, but in my heart i know your telling the truth'. Dressed in an all-in-one gold suit that if nothing else will cause the monster to laugh itself to death, See-Fu heads into the 135th street subway to fight the monster- who disguises itself as members of the cast (and a train) before revealing its trueself as well as the most phoniest monster suit outside of a Larry Buchanan movie. As its multiple titles attest Gang Wars: Devil's Express is revolving parts horror, intercity action and 'blaxploitation' film. Such eclecticism (the work of five writers!) guarantees that Gang Wars never lacks incident whether its several kung- fu fights wherein kicks and punches miss there mark by a mile or the monster spilling its guts on the traintracks. Ultimately though such opportunistic cross marketing only emphasizes the extreme poverty of its skidrow filmmakers- its hard to convey how amateur hour Gang Wars actually is. Technically its a rock bottom catalogue of horrors- bad editing, scenes shot without sound and a dreadful soul song `That's why you and I believe (in each other)' that appears to have been recorded with the microphone in a bucket of water. Such hopelessness should never have the right to be as entertaining as it is here- but against the odds Gang Wars remains just that from beginning to end. Ironically one of the film's most distinctive features also stems from its zero budget roots, albeit almost accidentally. Too cheap for studios, Writer/Director Barry Rosen lets the action play out in some of the most run down, urban places imaginable embossing the film with a genuine sense of street realism somewhat lacking in meddling Chinese monsters and hack dialogue like 'they'd rather fight a gorilla in a phonebooth than mess with us'. The film's star Warhawk Tanzania with his big Afro and disco-era threads at least looks the part of a poor mans Xeroxed blaxploitation hero- but that's about it. As a character See-Fu is sketched out as streetwise, self assertive and righteous but after Warhawk's ham fisted approach to dialogue hes reduced to an arrogant old complainer 'the next time, the next time you try to recruit me into that pigpen of yours is the time i ice you'. Warhawk also secured acting roles for several of his relatives in the production- witness Tamu Tanzania and 'special guest star' Tsikagi- Iron Priest- Tanzania (!) but true scene stealers here are the nasty old baglady who abuses and spits at passengers on the express before discovering a headless torso and Brother Theodore's street preacher 'Moses is dead, Mohammed is dead, Buddha is dead and I'm not feeling so hot myself'. Barry Rosen had one more exploitation film in his system, a softcore sex film called The Yum Yum Girls starring sometime Charlie's Angel Tanya Roberts before resurfacing as a successful television producer- Warhawk Tanzania (and relations) have never been heard from again.
