Low Blow (1986)

"Hey, is my ham sandwich ready?" - Joe

An aging tough guy must rescue a girl from a religious cult.
Starring: Leo Fong, Akosua Busia, Troy Donahue, and Cameron Mitchell

Link to IMDB

I don't know who that is on the VHS cover, because he's not in this movie.

Meet Joe Wong, the slob with a heart of gold. Joe's a retired cop that now works as a private investigator from his messy little office. He might be down on his luck, but Joe's always ready to jump into action and protect the innocent when he sees trouble.
One day a rich man named Mr. Templeton stops at Joe's office, he's looking for help in rescuing his daughter, Karen, from a strange religious cult out in the country. In between bites of his burrito, Joe agrees to take the job.

The cult is situated on a ranch owned by a spiritual man named Yarakunda (Cameron Mitchell.) He preaches about love and peace, but the place is patrolled by heavily armed guards that keep everyone in line. The real person in charge of the cult is a cruel lady named Karma, and she runs the commune like a prison... But on the surface it basically looks more like an eccentric gardening club.



Joe begins investigating the cult, while also getting into the occasional fight just to remind us of how bad-ass he is. The movie drags a bit here because some of the scenes seem pointless, but there's a healthy amount of laughs to be found.
He finally gets to the ranch but his presence is not welcome. Karma has him imprisoned and beaten, but he's able to escape using his wits and muscles! Joe realizes he can't rescue Karen alone, so he recruits some of the toughest fighters in the city to help him bring down the cult.

Yarakunda

Karma

Despite some meandering near the start, the movie has lots of sloppy fights and action that keeps the energy high. The movie doesn't take itself too seriously and the touches of humour work well. For instance, the running gag that Joe is a terrible driver and always has car trouble was a subtle nice touch.

Cameron Mitchell gives a weird performance here. He never stands or walks, just sits and mumbles all his lines while perpetually hiding behind sunglasses and a black hood. He was likely drunk the whole time and just didn't give a fuck. It's hilarious to see Mitchell here, but Akosua Busia really steals the show as the maniacal Karma.

Joe in action !

Joe himself is also fun to watch, what he lacks in charisma he makes up for with his lazy "who cares" attitude that is oddly charming. For a guy that lives at the dump, he still manages to be pretty cool.
This is cheesy low-budget madness at its finest, and I definitely look forward to watching the sequel.

Be sure not to miss:
- Billy Blanks is one of the guards! This was his first movie role.
- The credentials on Joe's door.
- The crazy head stomp.
- A face full of puppies.
- The end credits roll at the perfect moment.

Internet review:
"Low Blow proves ineptness isn't always a bad thing." - Sutekh

Should I watch it?
Yes. Recommended!

Where can I find it?
Here on YouTube.

Low Blow gets...