Bovie Movie

In the Far East, trouble-seeking father-and-son duo Rick and Alex O’Connell unearth the mummy of the first Emperor of Qin — a shape-shifting entity who was cursed by a wizard centuries ago.

In 1989, Nino Brown, a small time drug dealer, is convinced by one of his fellow thugs that the wave of the future is in the cocaine derivative, crack. Brown sees potential in crack and sets out to establish himself as chief kingpin by killing off his rivals and even going as far as to take over a whole apartment complex. Out to stop him are undercover cops Scottie Appleton and Nick Paretti. Appleton especially wants to get Nino because of the fact that he murdered Scottie’s mother as part of a gang initiaton. Also involved is Pookie, a former crackhead who wants to bring down Nino as well.

A cross between a skin flick and a futuristic fantasy, this unfunny parody is set on a remote Pacific Island where the insidious Dr. Sin Do (Angus Scrimm) whose life began long ago under the name of Li Chuk, has made a pact with Satan that gives him power over the weather. Now he is tracking down the lost “Eye of the Avatar,” created by the extinct race of Lemurians before their civilization disappeared — that jewel, when combined with Sin Do’s own special jewel, will endow him with indomitable power. Sent to combat the evil “doctor” are some comely female warriors (Melanie Vincz, Raven de la Croix and others) whose bodies get more screen time than the dialogue itself — an indication of where the main interest lies.

William Shakespeare’s streak as the hottest storyteller in Hollywood continues with this modern-dress variation on Romeo and Juliet. In this loose adaptation, Hang Sing (Jet Li) is a former police officer from Hong Kong who comes to the United States following the death of his brother, the leader of an Asian crime ring. Hang Sing discovers that his brother had become involved in a turf battle with an African-American gang, led by Isaak (Delroy Lindo). But his blood lust begins to subside when he falls in love with Isaak’s daughter Trish (Aaliyah) and finds himself torn between his affection for her and his desire for justice against the men who killed his brother. Romeo Must Die was the directorial debut of noted cinematographer Andrzej Bartkowiak; the supporting cast includes Russell Wong and Isaiah Washington.