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Artist’s Blog #182: Blood Street (1988)

Blood Street, So Bad it was Good

I stumbled across Blood Street while scrolling through Tubi one evening, and I’ll be honest—the movie poster caught my eye because I thought it had Patrick Swayze in it. It doesn’t. Not even close. But the poster’s artistic mystery man does bear a passing resemblance to Swayze. That was enough to rope me in, but what kept me watching was the absurdity of it all. Not in a good way—more in a “how did this get made?” fashion. It’s a train wreck you can’t turn away from, filmed with the kind of VHS fuzz that makes you check your internet connection even though you’re watching a stream. Grab your vet keys, underground fight club tickets, and whatever cringe relief you have and let's jump into my thoughts on Blood Street.

Leo Fong

The film stars Leo Fong, a Chinese-American martial artist who had a brief but interesting brush with cinema in the 1980s. According to IMDb, Fong once sparred with Bruce Lee and was featured on the cover of Black Belt Magazine, which gives him some solid credibility in the martial arts world—even if the acting chops didn’t quite follow. In Blood Street, he plays private detective Joe Wong, a grimacing antihero who wanders San Francisco like a man searching for both answers and a better script. Fong also co-wrote the screenplay and directed the film, which might explain the chaotic, kitchen-sink approach to storytelling. No offense to Mr. Wong, but the acting, directing, writing, etc. was terrible. In fact, it was so terrible that it was comedic, and it was so comedic that it was interesting.

Playboy Magazine and Actresses

One surprising fact from the end credits is that Debra Lamb—Playboy Playmate of November 1987—has a supporting role. It’s always a little jarring to see models pop up in films like this, especially when they’re wedged between gunfights and what appear to be karate demonstrations in motel lobbies. That kind of casting gives Blood Street a weird cultural texture, like someone crammed bits of late-night cable TV into one crooked VHS case. Some other films that feature models relating to Heffner that I've blogged about are Deathstalker and X-Ray or Hospital Massacre. Both of these feature Barbie Benton who was one of Hugh's girlfriends. You can read the blogs at their linked titles. Both films are exceptional. I didn't realize until I met her that Sandy Johnson from the original Halloween was a playboy model. It's a small world.

The Corvette

The movie blends martial arts action with low-budget detective noir, filtered through a crime-ridden San Francisco that looks oddly clean most of the time. There’s a lot of gunplay—mostly shotguns—and one of the more memorable details is that Joe Wong carries what looks like a single-shot sawed-off shotgun, which he somehow fires multiple times without ever reloading. I noticed some fun props scattered throughout—vintage 7-Up bottles, an M16 rifle, and a suspiciously pristine late-’80s Corvette that felt like it came from a used car lot behind an arcade or the Crusin' video game. A VW bus makes an appearance, and the San Francisco backdrops are among the more convincing aspects of the production. Y'all know I dig VW but, let's talk about vets for a minute. Honestly, I'm not a Corvette fan for the most part but, If I had one, it would be like the one in The Beach Girls and the Monster. Check out my blog on this classic here.

One-liner Attempts and Fails

The dialogue is packed with tough-guy one-liners that aim for Clint Eastwood and land somewhere near an after-school special. Most fall flat, but there was one moment that earned a chuckle: when Joe Wong is cornered in an alley, he deadpans, “If you’re looking for money, I don’t have any. If you’re looking for sex, try 6th Street. But if you’re looking to get your ass beat, you came to the right place.” It’s not exactly noir poetry, but it tries. I liked this line the most out of the ton of attempts.

The Villains from Blood Street - Just as Bad as the Directing, Writing, Etc.

The villains are cartoonish at best—stereotypes in bad suits with voices that don’t match their menacing roles. One mafia boss has a voice so delicate it’s hard to take any threats seriously, and another character, Solomon, attempts the whole “cool silent killer” thing but ends up sounding like a discount jazz DJ. The film’s attempt at gangster drama feels more like rejected footage from a community college acting class. One scene even features a mobster slapping a woman, only to be scolded by the DJ voiced character in a way that no real-world mobster would ever tolerate. The power dynamics here don't make any sense to me. If someone, a subordinate, would have talked to someone in Goodfellas (read my blog on this one here) like Solomon did, he would been in a warehouse soon followed by the bottom of the sea.

Flaws are Many but an Element of Realism Too

Despite its many, many flaws—and there are so many—I do have to give Leo Fong credit. His martial arts sequences aren’t flashy or exaggerated. In fact, they’re refreshingly grounded. When he kicks a guy in the face, that’s the end of the fight. No three-minute flurries of spinning elbows. No suplexes through plate glass. Just a quick, believable takedown and we move on. It’s not elegant, but it’s effective, and in a movie like this, that’s a rare high point. Watch any Steven Segal movie and you'll see a big difference. I've blogged on Above the Law and Hard to Kill and you can read each at the linked title. Of course, there was a difference at the box office sales too. I like some exaggeration in movies, more depending on genres, but an element of realism is appreciated too, and Fong brings it.

Camcorder Quality Martial Arts Movies - What a Sight to Behold!

The plot is barely there. There’s some kind of flashback sequence five years earlier that seems to exist just to pad the runtime. A murder mystery vaguely floats in the background, but Blood Street is less about whodunnit and more about how many times the camera crew can shoot the same living room that was supposed to be "high class" living. I lost count of how many times we ended up in the same faux mansion that looked more like a Days Inn with a fern in the corner. If this was high class living for drug lords, I don't know why anyone would have rolled the dice on this lifestyle. The color grading (or lack thereof) is flat, the sound design is muffled, and the editing is choppy—but all of that adds to the charm in an accidental way. Blood Street is the kind of movie you don’t really watch for quality. You watch it to marvel at what passed for cinema during a time when anybody with a martial arts background and a camcorder could pitch a screenplay. Honestly, Blood Street looks like it was filmed on a camcorder.

Case of the VHS Quality Leo Fong Mystery Solved and Buy My Art

Would I watch it again? Absolutely not. But I’m glad I did once—if only to have a blog this week and to say, “Yes, I’ve seen Blood Street, and I lived to tell the tale.” If there are any fans out there, leave a comment. If anyone has studied the martial arts style founded by Wong, let me know in the comments. I'd love to talk to someone about it.

Invisible Katana Artwork - No reproductions. No prints. No NFTs. Just one-of-a-kind mixed media art from a guy who still thinks '80s martial arts movies are among the best ones ever made...at least in America. There will be no Blood Street fan art but, buy my art here. Peace.