Johnny Firecloud / Bummer!

Rating:
Summary: Pretty Decent SWV Release
Review: This is a fairly decent "Something Weird Video" release, though I would not rate it as one of their finest compilations. "Johnny Firecloud" stands out as one of the better 70s low budget revenge flicks, while "Bummer" has its moments, but leaves lots of room for improvement. The extras on this DVD include some good movie trailers, and an alluring B&W striptease.

"Johnny Firecloud" is clearly the prize of this DVD. A lower budget spinoff of "Billy Jack," this stars Victor Mojica. This movie may be choppier than Tom Laughlin's B-Movie series, but Mojica is WAY COOLER than Laughlin could ever conceive. This is one of those Native-American-Done-Wrong flicks, taking place in a small town packed full of racists who make the mistake of humiliating, then killing, Johnny's grandfather. They go on to rape and kill one of Johnny's close friends (played by Sacheen Littlefeather), thus setting Johnny Firecloud into full-throttle vengeance mode.

A very interesting twist in "Johnny Firecloud" comes in the role of the town's sheriff, played by David Canary (Soap Opera fans will instantly recognize him as All My Children's Adam Chandler). What makes this movie more interesting than an all-out good vs bad flick is the complex nature of the sheriff, an in-the-closet homosexual who recognizes the corruption in his hometown, but feels powerless to fight the system. This unique twist in this film does not get it out of B-Movie territory, but Canary's role does make this a B-Movie ahead of its time.

"Bummer" is pretty much a bummer. The characters in this film are either loathsome or outright stupid, thus leaving room for nobody to cheer for. Lurid depictions of rape and all out misogyny make this film thoroughly unpleasant. And while I'm probably putting a little too much thought into the plot of a B-Movie, there are plenty of subplots that begin to evolve, but are dropped with no explanation part way through the film.

A few comments on the plus sides of "Bummer": if you are a Southern California native like I am, you will enjoy the numerous early 1970s shots of Hollywood and The Valley. Carol Speed gives one of the better performances in the film, and she is quite nice to gaze upon! In fact, the gals of "Bummer" are really attractive pre-plastic-surgery era beauties, and their rompin' about naked would be thoroughly enjoyable if the tasteless violence wasn't thrown into the equation.

The extras on this DVD are nice over all, with the B&W striptease act of Alopie the Apache Princess in "War Drums" stealing the show. Classic striptease era voluptuous babe doing an empowering war dance.....YES!!! The trailers are fun nostalgia, leaving the David Friedman Gallery as the weak point of the extras.

All in all, a "Something Weird Video" release worth the price, though not their crowning glory.