PM Entertainment was the production house that dominated video stores throughout the 1990s. Founded by Richard Pepin and Joseph Merhi, they would specialize in action films that weren’t afraid to take risks in the stunt world. Most of their movies have been reduced to VHS copies and horrible DVDs.
Thanks to Fokus Media, many of their titles are being restored and released, but only in the German market. Hopefully, this will change in the near future, but until then, we will focus on the Region B releases. The first one I’d like to talk about is the Ring of Fire trilogy starring Don “The Dragon” Wilson.
Ring of Fire Draws Inspiration from Romeo & Juliet
Johnny Woo (Don Wilson) is a former fighter who has given up his life to help people instead and become a doctor. His cousin Terry (Steven Vincent Leigh) is the leader of an Asian gang that roams the streets of Chinatown. His gang spends most of its time in underground fights with the Surfer Gang. By chance, Johnny meets Julie (Maria Ford), and the two are immediately attracted to each other. The problem with this is the fact that Julie’s brother Brad (Dale Jacoby) is the leader of the Surfer Gang and hates Asians.
Another setback is her fiancé, Chuck (Vince Murdocco), who is a horrible boyfriend and Brad’s right-hand man. This leads to mounting tensions between the gangs, while Johnny and Julie grow closer to one another, even though the people around them try to discourage the courtship. The tension eventually gives way to violence, and people from both sides are hurt, leaving the couple wondering, is their romance worth all the hate, or will love conquer all?
Ring of Fire is an interesting title in the PM oeuvre for several reasons. The film was initially set to star Loren Avedon, who turned it down, which led to Don Wilson being cast. The script by Richard W. Munchkin was completed in just two weeks, drawing heavy inspiration from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. From there on, the entire production moved at a furious pace with PM premiering the film just four months after principal photography began.
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It’s less of an action film than it is a romance. The entire movie revolves around the love story between Wilson and Maria Ford’s characters, with the fight scenes only being used to further the plot. It also does a terrific job of tackling issues of race and interracial relationships for a low-budget picture.
What’s great is seeing Wilson and Ford in what is essentially a wholesome romance, which wasn’t the norm in films like these or even on Ford’s resume. She has always been mostly associated with erotic thrillers, but in Ring of Fire, her acting performance comes first, and she’s terrific playing this sweet, young woman torn between two men.
Sure, there’s a pretty steamy love scene between her and Wilson, but it comes later in the film after the audience has invested themselves in their relationship. Wilson had only starred in three films prior to this and had just begun his journey to the top of DTV action pictures. It was an interesting and deliberate choice to keep his action scenes to a minimum here to strengthen the impact his final fight would have.
Ring of Fire II: Blood and Steel Ramps Up the Action
Johnny (Don Wilson) and Julie (Maria Ford) are out shopping for an engagement ring when the place is robbed. Johnny takes down one of the attackers only for Julie to get shot. They all end up at the hospital but they’re far from safe. Kalin (Ian Jacklin) and the rest of his shirtless gang show up at the hospital to get his brother out of there before the cops can get to him.
Johnny once again shows up to foil the attempt and Kalin’s brother is killed. Blaming Johnny for the death, Kalin kidnaps Julie, taking her to an underground city where everyone has to fight to survive. Johnny isn’t about to wait for help from police and decides to take matters into his own hands and head into the depths alone to fight off the hoards of gang bangers that lurk below.
Ring of Fire II ramps the action up tenfold in comparison to the first film. It’s an unrelenting assault on the senses as it feels like there’s barely a moment to breathe in between action or fight scenes. The movie opens with a robbery and gunfight that morphs into a car chase, ending in a explosion and from there, the audience is just getting ready to go for a wild ride.
Much of the original cast returns including Dale Jacoby, Vince Murdocco, Ron Yuan, and Eric Lee. Even Michael DeLano who played the detective constantly riding Johnny’s ass returns to being a thorn in his side. Along with Ian Jacklin (Sworn to Justice) as the main villain, Evan Lurie (Hologram Man) joins the cast as his sidekick and Sy Richardson (Repo Man) as Ernest, the homeless war veteran who helps Johnny try and find Julie in the underground maze. While the part is miniscule, if you pay close attention, you’ll catch the great Gerald Okamura (The Power Within) exchanging blows with the Dragon.
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In the first film, Wilson doesn’t exorcise his skills until the final moments, in the sequel, it’s just a matter of minutes before he knuckles up and just keeps moving forward from there. In a way, the film is almost like a martial arts version of Walter Hill’s The Warriors (1979). Wilson goes from area to area taking on different gangs, all with different fighting styles so it’s a cool showcase in that respect.
It’s also a showcase for the other performers as well. Jacoby, Murdocco, and Yuan all have their moments though it’s Eric Lee who really gets to shine. He’s still the comic relief but has a couple of great action scenes, including one where he shows off his mastery of weapons.
In addition to some terrific fight scenes, Ring of Fire II also boasts some pretty impressive stuntwork, including a scene with someone engulfed in flames while rollerblading. The only disappointing thing about the entire film is the underuse of Maria Ford. She has very little to do in this one and she was so good in the previous installment, it may leave her fans longing for more.
Either way, Ring of Fire II: Blood and Steel is an explosive and highly entertaining picture. Once again, Wilson had a hand in the fight choreography, collaborating with Art Camacho. Richard W. Munchkin directs from a script he wrote with Steve Tymon (Ring of Fire).
Ring of Fire III: Lion Strike Is Solid, But Missing Something
Dr. Johnny Woo (Don Wilson) has spent the last several years trying to piece together his life after losing his beloved wife Julie to a drunk driver. Still putting in his time at the hospital, trouble is never far away from the doctor. One evening after leaving there, he rolls up on what he thinks to be a car accident. In actuality, the mob is shaking down someone and Johnny ends up getting involved, fighting them off until the cops show up.
Somehow, his medical back gets mixed up with another and he unknowingly takes off on vacation with his son, Bobby (Jonathon Wilson). While staying in a cabin out in the woods, the mob shows up to collect the bag and its contents but Johnny isn’t one to just lay down and die. With the help of Forest Ranger Kelly (Bobbie Phillips), he will have to fight a heavily armed crew armed only with his fists.
While it’s still a terrific action picture, when comparing Ring of Fire III: Lion Strike to its predecessors, something is different. From an action standpoint, it doesn’t disappoint. There are plenty of shootouts, explosions, and fisticuffs, it just seems that it’s missing what worked so well in the first two films. For whatever reason, Maria Ford does not return as Julie and her presence is definitely missed. That’s not to say Bobbie Phillips doesn’t bring anything as the love interest and (for lack of a better word) sidekick. Her introduction shows her to be on equal ground with Wilson but they never really follow through with it later in the film.
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The opening fifteen minutes set a certain tone with the film ultimately slowing down a bit. There was a playfulness missing from Lion Strike that helped to drive the first two films as well as a real connection. Michael DeLano returns as Detective Lopez for what amounts to an extended cameo. This version of Lopez will do whatever her can to help Woo instead of constantly being at odds with him.
Those first two films felt and were deliberately connected while Lion Strike works best as a standalone entity. There may be an expectation going in to it that’s never met when viewing it as a sequel. Chris Nelson Norris is the Russian baddie Wilson faces off with in the end and their fight is entertaining, ninety minutes well spent.
The Ring of Fire Trilogy Boxset Is a Must-Own
While the movies may be a blast, it’s the presentation that’s the standout here. Fokus Media have spared no expense putting this boxset together (also available as individual releases). The films have been restored and are available in their proper aspect ratios for the very first time. If you’ve seen the films before, watching them the new transfers is literally like experiencing them again for the first time. They picture is crisp and vibrant with color, giving them a gloss more reminiscent of big-budget Hollywood fare.
The discs themselves are also loaded with bonus features like interviews with people like Don Wilson, Gary Daniels, and Art Camacho, tributes to Eric Lee, Gerald Okamura, and Wilson, In Memoriam: George Shamieh, an exhibition bout between Wilson and Gary Daniels, and much more. This set comes with a fourth disc that includes Don “The Dragon” Wilson: Full Contact & Kickboxing. It’s not available with the individual releases.
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The packaging is a mediabook so it opens like a book, has slots for the discs, then in the center is a German-language booklet with articles (easily translatable with Google Translate). It makes for a truly stunning set that’s a must own for collectors. It is a Region B disc so unless you have a region-free player, you’ll be unable to play them. You can easily find one online and they’re rather affordable.
It’s totally worth the investment because you will not be disappointed by what Fokus Media is doing and this is only the beginning. There are plenty more releases on the horizon and I will bring you more reviews as they come in.
You can visit the Fokus Media site and they now ship to the U.S.
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