Watch All The Movies, Part 7:Three The Hard Way

"Three The Hard Way" is a 1974 film that came in a four-pack of "Urban Action" films. I've watched the other three already, and of all the cheap films I've bought these are the ones I've enjoyed the most.

For an entertaining film, the plot is pretty dark: a group of white supremicists have come up with a plague that kills black people. Before they can unleash it, though, three supremely bad-ass brothers are on the case: a record producer producer, a Chicago businessman, and a kung-fu master. (They're also backed up, at least for one scene by three equally bad-ass sisters who for some reason enjoy torturing bad guys while topless.) There are explosions, really odd slo-mo kung fu puctuated by drawn-out groans, gun fights, crooked cops, and bad guys who sneaking into a hospital room to kill a witness using a cherry picker. (Er, the sneaking is done with the cherry picker, not the killing.)

This movie is way, way above the others I've watched so far. It may be cheesy and full of it's time, but it's well made and entertaining. It had a budget and it shows.

Random things:

• There's a long, drawn-out Wikipedia article on the film, its stars, its director, and its role in black cinema.
• The number of machine-gun wielding bad guys taken out by wonderfully accurate pistol shots is, um, suspicious.
• All the 70s action film cliches are here: kung fu, vehicles that catch on fire and explode for no discernable reason, dynamite, stunt men wearing what look like parkas as they catch fire and roll around on the ground, cars rolling off cliffs, shrieks and cries of people falling off roofs...about the only thing not here is quicksand.
• The racists celebrate the (supposed) success of their plan by throwing a party, which features Budweiser, waltzes and buffets (ambrosia salad has a starring role). Speaking as a white person, I can attest to the accuracy of this depiction.
• I started this movie last week, then put it aside in favour of more sleep; thus, it's a coincidence that I'm finishing this on the night of the 2016 Oscars. Not sure what to make of that, but there you go.