Director/writer: Sam Akina | Rated: R | Review date: 23-Jan-2010

aka Ca$h

The quiet but prevalent resurgence of grindhouse B-movie flicks has come not without with mixed reception. Those who remember the classic exploitation films of the 70s and 80s most likely have enjoyed the resurrection of this gritty and fun style of film-making. On the other hand it seems like many people just don’t get it. Whether these naysayers have never enjoyed this type of cinema, or simply just don’t understand it completely, I still never fail to be surprised and amused by their reactions to these throwback pictures of late.

Bullets, Blood & a Fistful of Ca$h falls into the above category. Already the mixed reviews flood the boards just like with many of the film’s contemporaries. It becomes more apparent to me that individuals watching these types of flicks just simply don’t get it. Reading the reviews I’m puzzled by why these folks even chose to watch these movies in the first place. Watch the trailer for Ca$h and you know right away you’re getting a next-to-nothing budget, inexperienced actors, and over-the-top action. Yet still there are those nitpicking at the film’s imperfections as if it were attempting to be the next Godfather (one reviewer on IMDb even said that Ca$h doesn’t come close to a movie like Sexy Beast – seriously!?).

All rants aside, let’s jump into what this movie’s really about. The movie stars newcomer Thom Doty as Ca$h, one badass criminal with a score to settle. After his crew turns on him during a bank heist, not only by trying to take him out but also by murdering his wife, Cash is sent to prison for 10 years. Over the years Hector Gonzales (Jerry Lloyd), Cash’s old partner, went from small time robber to syndicate kingpin. Upon Cash’s release, he’s out to track down Gonzales, taking out everyone else in between, to obtain his vengeance. The main storyline is a classic revenge tale, resembling that of modern classics like the Kill Bill series.

The self-proclaimed “toughest son of a bitch you’ve ever met” tears the city to pieces in search of his enemy. Despite the budget constraints, the film features an onslaught of awesome gun shoot-outs and action sequences. Blood splatters the screen as Cash shoots and beats his way through Gonzales’ henchmen. Meanwhile there is a total of 9 stories taking place, all involving the crime syndicate, which start to intertwine towards the end. Vietnamese, Italians, black market organ thieves, crooked cops, and middlemen all cross paths during Cash’s rampage.

The acting is mixed across the board. Doty as Cash is quite entertaining playing the tough-guy role, and he certainly has an intimidating appearance. Doty’s one-liners frequently paired with his bloodied image provide plenty of humor. Many of the villains are goofy and over-the-top, while others such as Jerry Lloyd as Gonzales and Toan Le as Asian boss Bill Nguyen are surprisingly believable. The acting and motley characters remind me of movies like Rumble in the Bronx with funny looking bad guys that make for great fight scenes and amusing mayhem.

The style of the film is actually surprisingly good and I believe Sam Akina shows a lot of promise. It’s evident to me that Akina had big ideas for this film that were only inhibited by his budget. There are a lot of Tarantino and Michael Mann influences seen throughout that cause one to dream of what this movie could potentially be. If given some more experienced actors and better special effects this movie could surely obtain status next to the Boondock Saints and Kill Bill’s of the action world. In the end though Akina made do with what he was given, and the final result was still a thoroughly entertaining and gritty actioner.

For those who are only entertained by big-budget Hollywood action blockbusters, Ca$h probably isn’t your style. But for those who can enjoy the effort and creativity put into low-budget film making and can laugh at a film rather than get angry at it, you’ll love this movie. There wasn’t a boring moment in it, and I was constantly laughing while being excited about what would happen next. My only complaint is that this movie couldn’t get better funding as I felt it could have been taken much more seriously if given the resources. Nonetheless, Ca$h is still an entertaining B-action movie that is a whole lot of fun to watch.

IMDb | Ca$h on MySpace | Trailer (YouTube)

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