Night of the Warrior

Rating: 6
Tony Rating: 10

Summary/Review:

Lorenzo Lamas plays Miles, a guy who has borrowed money to open his own strip club from a shady character named Lynch (Anthony Geary). Until he pays off his debt, Miles has to fight the illegal karate matches Lynch sets up. When he pays off the end of the loan, he says he won't fight anymore, but Lynch has already arranged another fight for a Korean mob boss. To save his own skin from the Koreans, Lynch pressures Miles into taking the fight, threatening his mother and his new found girlfriend and framing Miles for murder. After the fight, Lynch leaves Miles and the girl to die, but they escape, and Miles comes after Lynch and kills him. Miles and the girl live happily ever after.

This is a formula action movie, and not a terribly good one. But its wacky touches make it worth seeing, if you're in the mood. Miles not only fights karate and owns a techno-ish strip club, but he's a philosophizing photographer with a heart of gold who takes touching pictures of the L.A. homeless. On top of that, he owns the club with his mother, who dresses up as movie actresses from the 40s and listens to old music on the radio, remaining not-quite-all-there throughout the picture. My other favorites include the paraplegic ex-friend of Miles who first helps to frame him then dies trying to save him, and the homeless guy who sings opera.

Anthony Geary:

Lynch: "Good evening Miss Edie. And who are we tonight, Gloria Swanson?"

Katherine: "What can I get for you?"
Oliver: "A very thick chocolate shake. With whip cream. And a cherry on top."
Lynch: "I'll have the same. Hold the cherry."

The reason to see the movie, however, is Anthony Geary's performance. First of all, his hair is amazing--rather fluffy, brushed back and up, straight and white-on-dark--and he wears a goatee. Lynch wears funky suits and is always concerned with his appearance (especially when the Korean hood cuts his face). He's both fey and maniacal, soft-spoken with moments of temper that he immediately pulls into check. He owns a jazz and blues club and quotes Shakespeare--and he does a really bad cockney accent. He has a large black guy for his bodyguard and right-hand man who does all the dirty work for him, until he accosts Miles's mother, beating her about the face with this eerie look of glee (this scene is intercut with a Miles/Katherine love scene, and I find the sequence really interesting). Best of all, Lynch is a major character in this movie, so Geary is on the screen a lot of the time. The character is wonderfully slimy and fun, and Geary makes the most of it.

Night of the Warrior on the IMDB