| T.N.T. Jackson Directed by Cirio H. Santiago (Phillippines –1974) Director Cirio Santiago is one of the most prolific exploitation filmmakers around. Though the quality of his films may vary, he’s worked in a variety of genres and is usually able to churn out something cheap and cheerful. Obviously inspired by Jack Hill’s Pam Grier vehicles and the success of Enter the Dragon, this film is a foray into the blaxploitation and kung fu genres from this energetic purveyor of Phillipino schlock. Although T.N.T Jackson sounds like the name of a tough black pimp from the ghetto, nothing could be further from the truth. This T.N.T is a no nonsense sister from Harlem with a black belt in shoddy kung fu. Apparently Santiago couldn’t secure the services of Pam Grier, so he went with the next best thing. Playboy playmate Jeanne Bell plays the title role T.N.T Jackson has just caught a plane from New York to Bangkok in search of her missing brother Stacks Jackson (their parents must have been on drugs when they were coming up with names for the fruit of their loins). Stacks was involved with some bad dudes in ‘The Yellow Section’ of Bangkok. We later find out that despite its dubious name, ‘The Yellow Section’ isn’t a borough of cowards, but the neighbourhood that all of the organised crime syndicates, thieves, and lowlives in Bangkok call home. The cab driver even refuses to go there, and he drops T.N.T at the outskirts of the dangerous area. The only clue that Jackson has as to the whereabouts of her missing sibling is the name of a bar. The establishment is known as ‘Joe’s Haven’. As our heroine searches for the watering hole she sees a woman being molested, and is attacked by a gang. She fights them off using her brand of shoddy kung fu. Jeanne Bell isn’t exactly Samo Hung when it comes to fight choreography. Fortunately for her, she’s a lot better looking than Samo… so it all evens out. She snaps the arm of one goon, and blood spurts out of the compound fracture. A blonde in the back of a Mercedes Benz offers to take Jackson to Joe’s Haven. “Are you from around here? Do you have business with Joe?” the inquisitive blonde asks the African American kung fu expert. “Look lady… I accepted a ride from you to Joe’s Haven. And that’s all you need to know bitch!” she replies less than courteously. Surprisingly, the blonde actually takes her feisty passenger to the destination instead of ejecting her from the moving car. As for the rest of the film, T.N.T infiltrates a drug smuggling syndicate, and uses her charm to seduce information out of drug lords. She also one-inch punches straight through an adversary’s stomach, grabbing a fistful of grue on the way out. I never saw Bruce Lee do that before. She must have learned Aaron Bank’s fearsome ‘vibrating palm’ technique after watching Fist of Fear, Touch of Death one too many times. But the standout scene of T.N.T Jackson has to be the topless kung fu fight scene. That’s right… the former Playboy Bunny takes on several opponents while wearing only a pair of panties. No one can accuse Jeanne Bell of being silicone enhanced as she lets it all hang out. This might just be the most surreal fight scene in the history of kung fu cinema. The spectacle of snapping kicks, and swinging breasts… I mean punches; will be burned into your memory forever. It rivals Doris Wishman’s Chesty Morgan movies for sheer oddball value. If you’re a red blooded male, you’ll remember that scene long after you’ve forgotten the rest of this kung fu blaxploitation potboiler. ENTERTAINMENT : 2 out of 4 WATCHABILITY : 2 out of 4 OVERALL : 2 out of 4 Reviewed by Blake |