The Destroyer #16: Oil Slick (1974) by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy

"There is only one thing that can save you from that typhoon. That is another typhoon. I am he."

After King Abras of a wealthy Middle Eastern state is sent packing in a bloodless coup, Colonel Baraka of the Lobynian army takes over and puts the squeeze on America by turning off the supply of precious oil to the States. And when a scientist with a revolutionary – and free – way to produce oil turns up dead at the hands of phony federal agents, it’s time to bring in Remo Williams and Chiun, Master of Sinanju to get the pipes flowing again before the American economy comes crashing down. What our heroes don’t anticipate is that one of their deadliest enemies is pulling the strings and awaits them in Lobynia.

I actually started OIL SLICK back in August (!) during a beach vacation but put it down seven chapters in because it wasn’t really grabbing me. Which is odd for a Destroyer book as they usually pull me right in and breeze along for a fast-paced 200 pages as I chuckle and wish for somebody to make a series starring Scott Adkins as Remo. So, after finishing an Executioner, a couple Batman graphic novels, Grady Hendrix’s WE SOLD OUR SOULS, FALLING and an excellent book on 1970s baseball I figured it was time to pick up where I left off. And I’m glad I did.

Once the authors are done setting up the story with the first 80 pages, OIL SLICK gets cracking as Remo and Chiun head to the Middle East along with a perverse oil company president and members of the Third World International Youth Conference. Chiun, incensed that Lobynia has backed out of its contract with the world’s deadliest assassins, wants Adras returned to power while his nephew Nuihc wants to battle the pig Remo whom he believes has stolen his rightful place as Chiun’s pupil and heir to the secrets of Sinanju. Remo, well, he just wants Chiun and CURE honcho Dr. Smith off his back so he’ll do whatever it takes to end the oil crisis.

OIL SLICK is a bit more schizo than other Destroyer entries and I suspect that co-creator Warren Murphy wrote the second (and better) half of the book as it crackles with sharp dialogue, especially between Chiun and Remo. Bad guys are dispatched (a dry cleaner showdown is gruesomely inventive), Remo has unsatisfying (for him) sex with an undercover agent, and it all leads to a showdown in the oil fields. Unfortunately, it’s a lot of buildup to a conclusion that’s a bit of a letdown, though we do get to see just how much Remo cares for his “little father”.

This one grades out to a B thanks to a sub-par start and above average finish. – Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of Exploitation Retrospect and The Hungover Gourmet, as well as the host of the internet radio show Around The Dial. Next up on his men's adventure reading list is MAFIA: OPERATION HITMAN.

The Destroyer #16: Oil Slick is available on Amazon.

The Destroyer 13: ACID ROCK by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir

PANDEMIC LIBRARY - The Destroyer #13: ACID ROCK
When an open contract on the life of a witness in an upcoming federal trial draws the attention of mobsters and assassins, it's up to Remo and Chiun to find her and protect her. And find her again and protect her. And find her *again* and protect her, since the drugged-out teenage rock groupie proves to be an elusive quarry for both The Destroyer and her other pursuers.

An above average installment of the popular mens action series pokes at everything from the rock festival scene (complete with an Alice Cooper-esque megastar), professional football and disc jockeys, highlighted – as always – by the interplay between Remo and Chiun. While the first half of the book is just okay things pick up steam once the assassins start closing in and it's up to our heroes to save the day. – Dan Taylor

ACID ROCK is available at Amazon.

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of Exploitation Retrospect. He smells like hamburgers and moves with the grace of a pregnant yak. He also has a soft spot in his heart for REMO WILLIAMS: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS.

Exploitation Retrospect Returns with 130 Page 30th Anniversary Issue!

The Journal of Junk Culture and Fringe Media returns with a super-sized 30th anniversary issue clocking in at 130 pages! 

This time out the ER Crew looks at the world of horror anthology films with a special review section featuring SLAUGHTER TALES (2012), TORTURE GARDEN (1967), THE UNCANNY (1977), TOMB OF TERROR (2004), HOLIDAYS (2016), GRIM PRAIRIE TALES (1990), ASYLUM (1972), THE BURNING MOON (1992), CRADLE OF FEAR (2007), SCREAMS OF A WINTER NIGHT (1979) and many more. Plus, we look inside the world of 21st century anthology flicks with filmmaker Scarlet Fry.

We remember THE DESTROYER co-creator Warren Murphy with an interview by The Paperback Fanatic and examine the legacy of Don Pendleton's Mack Bolan (THE EXECUTIONER) and other men's action heroes via reviews, articles and an interview with author Mike Newton.

Obscure horror gets its due thanks to an interview with Gary Wallace (star of video store oddity THE JAR) while Evan Romero waxes nostalgic about Joe D'Amato's PORNO HOLOCAUST and breaks down the films of Jorg Buttgereit.

Longing for the sights, sounds and smells of old movie theaters? Take a trip through Kris Gilpin's theatrical scrapbook while Chris Poggiali examines the history of hot pants cinema.

And what would an issue of Exploitation Retrospect be without a bulging review section? Join Douglas Waltz, Mitch Lovell, John Grace, Devin Kelly, David Zuzelo, Jim Ivers, Evan Romero, Eric Miller, Neil Vokes, Robert Segedy, Mike Hauss and Dan Taylor as they dive deep into a video vortex of horror, action, exploitation and sleaze.

The new issue is currently available from CreateSpace as well as Amazon.

If you prefer to order direct from the publisher, please visit the ER website.

Exploitation Retrospect 52 Now Available!

Just a quick note on a Friday afternoon to let you know that Exploitation Retrospect #52 is officially available for purchase!

I didn't want to promote it too much till I saw an actual printed copy and made sure I wasn't yanking it from Amazon due to some horrific oversight (though my wife did mention that because I cut my editorial I neglected to thank her in the issue... doh!).

My initial copy arrived last night and despite some nit-picky stuff like a too small gutter margin and some cropping issues with the pages I'm very pleased with how the issue turned out.

Contents include:

• David Zuzelo's penetrating look at Nikkatsu erotic cinema
• John Grace on Hollywood bully Burt Lancaster
• Jonathan Plombon's examination of WAVE  Productions, death fetish films and the cult of pseudo-snuff
• Chuck Francisco on those naughty Nazi Zombies
• A beefy review section featuring manly action flicks and men's action novels – in particular Remo Williams aka The Destroyer – with many contributions from Mitch Lovell
• Plus, tons of reviews on the best and worst in horror, sci-fi and sleazery from Douglas Waltz, John Grace, David Zuzelo, Chuck Francisco, yours truly and many more

It's all wrapped up in a beautiful glossy cover featuring exclusive artwork from Rondo Award-winning illustrator Neil Vokes with colors by Matt Webb.

You can order from CreateSpace, Amazon or directly from ER HQ.

And stay tuned for a new look – and new content – coming to the website soon!

Men Of Action... Assemble! Bolan and Remo to Battle for Big Screen Bragging Rights?

You can have your superhero movies... this was a great week to be a card-carrying Man Of Action.

First came the announcement that the grandaddy of the men's action novel – Mack Bolan aka The Executioner – was in development (again) for the silver screen. Bolan has been a property of interest in Hollywood pretty much since Don Pendleton debuted the character in 1969's WAR ON THE MAFIA.

Still chugging along thanks to a dozen or so new titles each year, Bolan has drawn the attention of everyone from Steve McQueen and Sly Stallone to Burt Reynolds, Clint Eastwood and even Groot himself, Vin Diesel (that one I can't see). I even have several copies of 70s-era Bolan paperbacks with a flag on the cover trumpeting its imminent arrival as a "major film series".

Alas, the film series we all wanted never materialized – I'd still love to see a young, lean Burt Reynolds in the role – and I think fans had long given up hope of ever seeing Bolan on the big screen. Then news arrived that AVATAR sequel screenwriter Shane Salerno had obtained rights to the long-running series from the Pendleton estate and was pitching a gritty, action-oriented (though PG-13) trilogy showcasing the man who basically wrote the book for The Punisher.

While the news was met with enthusiasm by myself and fellow men's action lovers/Bolan fans, I think that we all were taking a cautious, wait-and-see approach given the series' lengthy flirtations with the silver screen.

And BAM! Like Bolan taking out a warehouse of oily thugs with a trusty rocket launcher we got word that not only had the trilogy found a studio with some background in the Men of Action market – Warner Bros. – but that the project had secured A-list talent in front of and behind the camera. Warner has locked up director Todd Phillips and – thanks to GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY – red hot Bradley Cooper as the lynchpins for what could be an action franchise to rival the Bonds and Bournes of the cinematic world.

Admittedly, I've grown to love Bolan – which wasn't easy after my first attempt at the character via the clunky TENNESSEE SMASH – so I'm thrilled to see him coming to a multiplex near me, in 2017-ish. (Which should coincide nicely with ER 53 featuring... MACK BOLAN!) But my initial thought upon hearing the news of A-list talent being attached to the character was the hope that maybe, just maybe, a blockbuster Bolan flick would result in Hollywood getting off their collective ass and making the movie I really wanted... a new Remo Williams/The Destroyer flick!

I've made no secret of my love for both Remo Williams (the book character) and the film REMO WILLIAMS: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS. In fact, our new issue – out soon! – features cover boys Remo and Chiun imagined by award-winning illustrator Neil Vokes. And if any series lends itself to our turbulent times with its blend of action, sci-fi, martial arts, politics, bromance and satire it's The Destroyer.

So color me shocked when I pulled up Facebook on my phone this afternoon as I sat on the beach and saw ER scribe John Grace crow "this is even better news than the Mack Bolan movie". Even as I shaded the phone with my hand and squinted through my sea-spray-coated specs I knew exactly what he was talking about – a new Destroyer flick was in the works!

But it wasn't just the news that Sony was planning a new Remo big-screen adaptation that got my brain going, it was the news that longtime Destroyer fan Shane Black was attached to direct a script co-written by series author James Mullaney (he co-authored #88: THE ULTIMATE DEATH and went on to author novels #111 through #131 as well as several installments of THE NEW DESTROYER series).

Though both projects are in the early stages of development – no casting has been announced for either project besides Cooper as Bolan – and it will be a few years before we see either on the big screen, this was a good week to be a fan of The Men of Action!

Isaac Florentine Talks NINJA Flicks and -- Wait For It -- UNDISPUTED IV

Here at ER we love the action as much – maybe even more – than the horror. And one of our favorite director/star combos is that of Isaac Florentine and Scott Adkins.

Their 2009 flick NINJA stars Adkins as Casey, a Westerner raised in Japan who must protect an ancient chest containing ninja weapons. Highly entertaining and featuring a subway fight that convinced me Adkins would be a great choice for a Remo Williams reboot, NINJA is well worth checking out and easily found at used DVD sales when you're trawling through a Blockbuster.

But the two really made their mark with the ass-kicking UNDISPUTED sequels starring Adkins as a vicious prison fighter named Boyka. UNDISPUTED II: LAST MAN STANDING unites Adkins and Michael Jai White (reprising the role of Iceman originated by Ving Rhames) in what could have been your typical "new prisoner meets prison kingpin" storyline, but Florentine turns it into a gritty low-budget actioner that certainly heralded both MJW and Adkins as forces to be reckoned with in the action game.

Adkins and Florentine returned in UNDISPUTED III: REDEMPTION (without White) and did the near impossible by turning the vicious Boyka into a heroic figure we actually find ourselves rooting for. By flick's end I was chanting "Boyka! Boyka! Boyka!" from my couch while crossing my fingers that his adventures would continue.

Turns out I – and many others – may see that wish fulfilled. While attending Fantastic Fest for the premiere of NINJA: SHADOW OF A TEAR, Florentine sat down for an interview and talks about why he was unhappy with NINJA and what's happening with – wait for it – UNDISPUTED IV!

Sum-Sum-Summertime at ER

I was a little shocked the other day when I fired up the ER blog to find an old review and discovered that I hadn't posted an update since May 3rd! Looking at the blog you'd think nothing had been going on here at the House of ER, but you'd be wrong. Let's catch up, shall we...

The Current Issue
For a few moments there it was looking grim regarding future printings of ER #51 (not to mention our upcoming issue). ComixPress, who printed the first two print runs and did an outstanding job, decided to close up shop which kind of left us in a lurch. When the announcement came I was actually down to the last handful of issues from our second printing but thanks to input from pals and some quick Googling I was able to locate a company that could do just as nice a job (if not better), for the same price, and much faster. For those still looking to pick up a copy of ER #51 – SHOCK CINEMA calls it "chock full of schlocky cinema and savvy analysis" while LIQUID CHEESE raves "Do yourself a favor and order one NOW!" – visit our site for info on ordering on-line or via mail.

The Upcoming Issue
Speaking of ER #52 – which was teased in the back of ER #51 – I'm happy to report that it is coming together nicely and is on schedule for an October 2013 release. There will be a big review section covering a slew of genres, an interview or two you won't find anywhere else and a heaping helping of action with a look at men's action paperbacks, action cinema and much more. I won't know exact contents until mid-August but this issue is already starting to feel more like the ER of old.

Other Writing
Despite the fact that this blog has been woefully neglected while I've been juggling travel, my daughter's summer vacation and my real world jobs, I have been staying active in the writing trenches. If you haven't checked it out already be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the next issue of Brian Harris and Tim Paxton's excellent WENG'S CHOP. Each issue gets bigger and better and #4 (due out soon) is no exception. No article from me this issue but I did contribute a handful of trash cinema reviews and sleaze fans will not want to miss ER contributor David Zuzelo's epic contribution to the new issue.

I was also pickled tink to be asked to contribute to the Italian Horror Week over at Dr. Terror's Blog of Horrors. Dr. Jimmy delivered a crushing lineup of content based around that simple concept, covering everything from old school giallo to Spaghetti Splatter and more. My beer-fueled recap of one of my favorite nights at the Super-130 Drive-In appeared during the week and thanks to the good doctor looks better than I could have ever hoped.

Dan's Funky Finds and Vintage Mags
Some of you who have known me over the years and/or followed the zine know that I'm also a frequent haunter of garage sales, flea markets, thrift stores and their ilk. Though I have slowed down quite a bit in that department I still keep my eyes peeled for good trash to share which led to me breaking down and opening an eBay store devoted to selling movies, zines, books, posters and more. I'm still in the process of cataloging and posting items but you'll definitely want to bookmark the store. A recent trip to Kentucky yielded about 20 years of vintage Playboy (1965-1985) plus some other classic smut, I just stumbled upon a stack of great 1970s trash and horror posters (most in unbelievable condition), and I'm always pulling out boxes of DVDs, zines, mags, promo items and more. If you want to keep up with our latest findings and listings be sure to check out the Dan's Funky Finds Twitter feed and Facebook page.

What I've Been Watching
Been trying to juggle stuff I have to watch for review purposes with stuff I want to watch. The former category includes such flicks as: THE COOK (awful, schizo wannabe horror spoof); SNOW SHARK (dumb as a post but consistently mediocre); BAD MEAT (a killer first 78 minutes submarined by the final six); THE DARK DEALER (surprisingly enjoyable anthology throwback); SLAUGHTER TALES (entertaining, if a tad too long, love letter to SOV horror trash); and, SEXCULA (amateurish, but fun, Canadian erotic horror comedy derailed by endlessly dull sex scenes). On the want to watch side FAST 6 was as wonderfully check-your-brain-at-the-door fun as I could have hoped while the reboot (remake? sequel?) of THE EVIL DEAD left me feeling kinda "meh". Streaming continued to blow my mind (in good and bad ways) with the jaw-droppingly awesome CATCH THE HEAT and The Asylum's staggeringly unwatchable 500 MPH STORM (with Casper Van Dien). I guess they can't all be SHARKNADO.

What I've Been Reading
While I've devoted most of the last few months to plowing through my collection of Destroyer and Executioner novels – with one-off sidetrips with such men's action characters as The Butcher and The Protector – I've still found time to work in a few other reads. DRINKING WITH STRANGERS is a breezy memoir from rocker/producer Butch Walker while MARVEL COMICS: THE UNTOLD STORY features a fascinating history of the comic giant from its pre-superhero heyday to the present. COMMANDO: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JOHNNY RAMONE is a must-read for Ramones fans while KISS: BEHIND THE MASK is probably for die-hards only. Currently, I'm juggling my loves of food and music with LOUDER THAN HELL (an oral history of heavy metal) and BACK OF THE HOUSE, another look at life as a restaurant worker.

Whew! I suppose that ends this little catch-up session. I promise to (try and) be more diligent about posting here in the coming months. But you can always stay up-to-date by checking out the ER Twitter feed and Facebook page.

ER #52 Call for Contributions!

The recently-relaunched Exploitation Retrospect: The Journal of Junk Culture and Fringe Media is currently accepting submissions for our Fall 2013 issue (#52).

We are especially looking for:

• reviews of horror, sci-fi, exploitation and low-budget cinema available via DVD, Blu-Ray, VHS and streaming formats;
• interviews with non-mainstream actors, actresses, directors, producers;
• articles in the 1200-2500 word range (can be career overviews, genre explorations, etc.);
• comic, magazine, zine and book reviews.

In addition to our usual lineup of horror, sci-fi and exploitation cinema the issue will also feature the debut of our new ASSIGNMENT: ACTION! section featuring reviews of men's adventure novels of the 70s/80s and beyond, action cinema, remembrances of memorable action series and characters and so on. If you dig Remo Williams, The Chameleon, The Penetrator, ABLE Team, The Executioner and their ilk we are definitely seeking contributions from you!

Deadline for submissions is August 1, 2013 with an anticipated publication date of mid-October. All contributors will receive a complimentary copy of the issue. (Please note... this is a hard deadline in order to make our print date and any submissions received after this date may not be included in the issue.)

If you have ideas for interviews, articles or other contributions please contact me via e-mail before embarking on anything.

Not sure contributing to ER is right for you? Feel free to explore this blog, check out our long-running website or order a copy of ER #51 (still available from our website... now in its second printing).