Black Samurai (1977)

Director:

Al Adamson

Writers:

B. Readick (screenplay) and
Marc Olden (novel)
(more)

Release Date:

February 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime

Tagline:

The Cool Master of Kung-Fu and Karate!

Plot:

Robert Sand, agent of D.R.A.G.O.N. (Defense Reserve Agency Guardian Of Nations), is playing tennis on his vacation with a beautiful black girl, when his commanding officers ask him to save a Chinese girl who happens to be Sand's girlfriend, and the daughter of a top Eastern Ambassador. The ransom for the abduction was the secret for a terrific new weapon - the freeze bomb - but the 'Warlock' behind the deed is also into the business of drug dealing and Voodoo ritual murders. The search takes him from Hong Kong to California through Miami, and plenty of action, against bad men, bad girl, and bad animals.

Plot Keywords:

Tennis | Warlock | Murder | Voodoo | Drugs

Cast

Jim Kelly	...	Robert Sand
Bill Roy	...	Janicot
Roberto Contreras	...	Chavez
Marilyn Joi	...	Synne
Essie Lin Chia	...	Toki Konuma
Biff Yeager	...	Pines
Charles Grant	...	Bone
Jace Khan	...	Jace
Erwin Fuller	...	Bodyguard
Peter Dane	...	Farnsworth
Felix Silla	...	Rheinhardt
Cowboy Lang	...	Himself
Little Tokyo	...	Himself
Jerry Marin	...	Shotgun Spiro
Alfonso Walters	...	Leopard Man
Charles Walter Johnson	...	Leopard Man
Regina Carrol	...	Voodoo Dancer / Party Stripper (as Gina Adamson)
Jesus Thillet	...	Martial Arts Fighter
Cliff Bowen	...	Martial Arts Fighter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
D'Urville Martin	...	(uncredited)
Aldo Ray	...	DRAGON chief (uncredited)

Directed by
Al Adamson

Writing credits
B. Readick		(screenplay)
Marco Joachim		additional story ideas
Marc Olden		novel "Black Samurai"

Produced by
John 'Bud' Cardos	....	associate producer (as John Bud Cardos)
Barbara Holden	....	producer
Laurence Joachim	....	executive producer
Steven Vail	....	co-producer

Cinematography by
Louis Horvath		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jim Landis

Set Decoration by
Daisy Rieger

Costume Design by
Edwin Gohering Jr.

Makeup Department
Melanie Levitt	....	makeup artist

Art Department
Michael Bockman	....	props

Sound Department
Jack Cooley	....	sound mixer
Dick Damien	....	sound

Special Effects by
Joan Franklin	....	assistant effects editor
Ramon Ferro	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Alvin Boudreaux	....	stunt performer
Charles Crawford	....	stunt performer
Ray C. Davis	....	stunt performer
George Griffen	....	stunt performer
Jim Kelly	....	karate master
Jace Khan	....	karate master
Clifford Lawson	....	stunt performer (as Cliff Lawson)
Fernando Luján	....	stunt performer
Jerry Mitchell	....	stunt performer
Alfonso Walters	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
Bill Boyne	....	grip
Erwin Fuller	....	grip
John Gillie	....	electrician
Keith Kelsay	....	assistant camera (as Keith Kelsey)
Robert McClure	....	grip
Stephen L. Posey	....	electrician (as Steve Posey)
Robert B. Reynolds	....	grip (as Robert Reynolds)
John Tilton	....	grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marilyn Joi	....	costumes: Marilyn Joi

Music Department
Jim Landis	....	music editor
Jodd Readick	....	music recordist

Other crew
Pam Eddy	....	script girl
Ramon Ferro	....	titles
Eddie Garetti	....	assistant to producer
Ray Wells	....	researcher: Haitian voodoo

Production Companies

• BJLJ International Corp.
• Televentures (Distributor)

Distributors

• Trans National (1977) (USA) (theatrical)
• Revelation Films (2000) (UK) (DVD)
• Brentwood Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Brentwood Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Continental Video (1985) (USA) (video) (as "Black Samurai")
• Magnum Entertainment (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Bell Aerospace Company  thanks

Also Known As:

"The Freeze Bomb" - Europe (English title)

Runtime:

USA:88 min | UK:82 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R | UK:15 (video rating) | Portugal:M/18 (director's cut)

Filming Locations:

Haiti

Company:

BJLJ International Corp.

Trivia:

Jim Kelly also choreographed the martial arts scenes.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Sands is fighting Bone at the end the over-dubbing is never in sync. Neither of their mouths are moving at the right time, and the voices were obviously dubbed in later.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Robert Sand:I guess that's the end, huh?

Movie Connections:

References Thunderball (1965)

Amateurish Junk; Its Reputation is Unwarranted

I never thought I'd see something that makes "Astro-Zombies" look like "Citizen Kane", but "Black Samurai" succeeds in this dubious honor. The word "poor" can't begin to describe this cheap, slapped-together bit of tripe; the flick's unrelenting stupidity and general half-assedness make its reputation as a guilty pleasure completely undeserved. Sure, it had a couple of mildly amusing moments (the jet-pack silliness and a bit of the midget-fu), but it's mostly a painful endurance test, even for those of us accustomed to laughing at grade-Z exploitation flicks. I seldom feel embarrassed for the actors in these sorts of things, but watching Jim Kelly flail around in this awful mess evoked a genuine feel of pity for the guy in me (I might add that this empathy completely evaporated when I learned that he starred in another of Al "Hack" Adamson's martial arts "extravanganzas" after this...shame on you, Jim Kelly!).

If you're in the mood for an amusing martial arts movie, track down something enjoyable like "Black Belt Jones" or "Master of the Flying Guillotine." Leave this wretched time-killer on the shelf gathering dust, where it belongs.