The Blood of Fu Manchu

Runs yellow? God this movie is racist. But if it unfairly implies that The Chinese keep topless dungeons and harbor elaborate plots to take over the world, well, then Chinese people sound pretty freaking cool.

Maybe it's because of Franco's involvement, but this feels a bit seedier than the last one's few failed attempts at Bond-like glamour. The kiss of death storyline is more appropriately pulpy & Franco's taste for captive women fitting. The jungle locations also work. The problems remain the small budget which makes for iffy action; Franco's pacing occasionally lags; a hero who outsources most of his work; & a script that spends a third of its time turning a mostly one-note bandit into a costar.

The worst Fu Manchu film without doubt.

Jesus Franco #2

Oh dear... potentially good plot (for Fu Manchu!) and Christopher Lee but everything else is a disaster. A massive lack of logic all the way through, awful acting by all except the leads and a stupidly realised resolution make this one to miss except for completeness and the restored-for-DVD topless scenes which may get you through if you like looking at attractive women's breasts.