Wow. Due to the largess of Quentin Tarantino, who loaned his personal print, I was able to view this ultra-rare psychotronic movie at the Monthly Grindhouse Film Festival here in Los Angeles at the New Beverly Theatre (do a Google search to join in the fun).
How to describe this journey into the insane world of Filipino cinema? I'll give it a try. Freakish snake-haired witch woman with telekinetic powers grows up and tries to get revenge on the scum that killed her parents for daring to birth a monstrous freak such as her. Of course, since she has SNAKES FOR HAIR, she goes around for most of the movie with a turban (scarf?) over her head. You will soon become tired of the endlessly replayed scene (flashback) of her childhood friend (her only friend!) calling for her (Manda! Manda! I want to play with you. Your father is poor, and mine is too! So we can play together!)
Meanwhile, back in the present (okay, 1970) a suave kung-fu kicking Chinese doctor arrives in town to look after a local plantation owner and his hot (for the area) daughter. The white Nehru-collar suit he has is really styling and all, but didn't he bring a change of clothes with him? Unless he had a whole suitcase full of the same suit.
Anyway, using her freaky snake powers, Manda the snake woman gets dozens of local "bandits" to fall in line as her army of badly-attired, sideburned, questionable-facial-hair-sporting 70's bad guys. Thus equipped, she goes on a killing spree. But not if Nehru jacket guy has anything to say about it! Anyway, the hot daughter then gets kidnapped, our hero has to go rescue her, and the whole thing goes on about 15 minutes too long. While you're waiting for the movie to end, you'll see a whole bunch of awesome kung fu action, including SNAKE FU! Yes, our hero chops and kicks flying snakes in mid-air! He also kills people with little wooden arrows that he throws. I should also mention the boxing exhibition where our hero kicks the butt of the scrawny dude (about 140 pounds soaking wet) with the boxing gloves. Hard to do karate with boxing gloves on.
All in all, it's a big mess, but an exciting mess, with lots of kung fu, many many snakes including telekinetic flying snakes, and bad Seventies fashions. If this kind of mess sounds appealing to you, you MUST endeavor to find a copy of this ultra-rare, lost nugget of insanity. Manda! Manda!
How to describe this journey into the insane world of Filipino cinema? I'll give it a try. Freakish snake-haired witch woman with telekinetic powers grows up and tries to get revenge on the scum that killed her parents for daring to birth a monstrous freak such as her. Of course, since she has SNAKES FOR HAIR, she goes around for most of the movie with a turban (scarf?) over her head. You will soon become tired of the endlessly replayed scene (flashback) of her childhood friend (her only friend!) calling for her (Manda! Manda! I want to play with you. Your father is poor, and mine is too! So we can play together!)
Meanwhile, back in the present (okay, 1970) a suave kung-fu kicking Chinese doctor arrives in town to look after a local plantation owner and his hot (for the area) daughter. The white Nehru-collar suit he has is really styling and all, but didn't he bring a change of clothes with him? Unless he had a whole suitcase full of the same suit.
Anyway, using her freaky snake powers, Manda the snake woman gets dozens of local "bandits" to fall in line as her army of badly-attired, sideburned, questionable-facial-hair-sporting 70's bad guys. Thus equipped, she goes on a killing spree. But not if Nehru jacket guy has anything to say about it! Anyway, the hot daughter then gets kidnapped, our hero has to go rescue her, and the whole thing goes on about 15 minutes too long. While you're waiting for the movie to end, you'll see a whole bunch of awesome kung fu action, including SNAKE FU! Yes, our hero chops and kicks flying snakes in mid-air! He also kills people with little wooden arrows that he throws. I should also mention the boxing exhibition where our hero kicks the butt of the scrawny dude (about 140 pounds soaking wet) with the boxing gloves. Hard to do karate with boxing gloves on.
All in all, it's a big mess, but an exciting mess, with lots of kung fu, many many snakes including telekinetic flying snakes, and bad Seventies fashions. If this kind of mess sounds appealing to you, you MUST endeavor to find a copy of this ultra-rare, lost nugget of insanity. Manda! Manda!