Roughcut (1994)

Roughcut (1994)- * * *1\2

Directed by: Sean P. Donahue

Starring: Sean P. Donahue, Patrick G. Donahue, Shawn Flanagan and Richard Lynch

"I need to use the bathroom. I'll have two chicken tacos."-Garrett

Garrett (Sean P. Donahue) is a DJ at the local rock station. When not spinning the latest grunge hits of the day (it was 1994, after all), Garrett loves nothing better than to go on hunting trips with his friend Pauly. When the two guys accidentally witness an illegal diamond buy gone wrong, they become the target of nefarious diamond seller John Caine (Lynch) and his goons. Blade (Patrick G. Donahue) is one of the lead heavies for Caine, probably because he always wears a black trenchcoat and a machete on his belt. 



When Pauly is killed by the baddies (not a spoiler because it happens in the beginning), Garrett snaps into action. Getting no help from the police, except for his buddy TJ Boyle (Flanagan), they now take justice into their own hands. Will it be just diamonds that are ROUGH CUT, or will it also be the baddies themselves? Find out today!



With “Roughcut”, Sean P. Donahue has officially entered national treasure status.

As if a string of classics like Kill Squad (1982), Omega Cop (1990), Blood Hands (1990), Savage Instinct (1991), Fighting Spirit (1992) and especially the awesome Parole Violators (1994) wasn’t enough, along comes “Roughcut” – and, yes, the onscreen title is one word, in quotes, just like the similar and equally-fantastic “Geteven” (1993). If you liked any of the above-mentioned titles (and if you don’t, shame on you), then you’ll find a lot to love with “Roughcut”. The line readings from the actors are just as hilarious as the kills, which are just as hilarious as the action scenes and beat-em-up portions. It’s all so much fun you can’t help but love it. 

The scene in the Mexican restaurant is a movie highlight and must be seen. We also appreciated how Garrett used his DJ abilities to trick the baddies. Interestingly, his DJ name is “The Parole Violator”. Something about those two words must really have stuck with the Donahue family. Speaking of which, Patrick G. Donahue plays Blade with aplomb, and the fact that his name is Vinnie but is continually bugging his co-workers to adopt his scary new nickname seems to be a running gag. He loves his machete so much, he drives his car with one hand so he can always be holding his machete with the other. Now that’s dedication to your craft.



Whenever you see the names Sean or Patrick Donahue on a movie, you know you’re in good hands. We could go on all day about the many highly entertaining and enjoyable moments in “Roughcut”, but to save time we’ll just note for the record that no explanation is given as to why Garrett is a master of Martial Arts and deception, and there’s an extended scene of characters rolling down a hill that rivals the one in Black Sheep (1996).

It’s frankly criminal that the Donahue canon is so hard to get a hold of. We don’t know if any Blu-Ray releasing companies read this site, but if so, how about a Sean Donahue Collection set that could include this, Blood Hands, Parole Violators and the rare Ground Rules (1997)? It could introduce these wonderful and little-seen movies to new audiences. We’re also available to do commentary tracks, should that be a bonus feature, by the way.

In the meantime, head over to YouTube and watch “Roughcut” – a great time will be had by all.

Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett

Blood Hands (1990)

Blood Hands (1990)- * * *

Directed by: Teddy Page

Starring: Sean Donahue, Ned Hourani, Jim Gaines, Nick Nicholson, and Christine Landson

A gang of aging ne’er-do-wells decide to get drunk and cause a ruckus at the grocery store. In the midst of their raucous tomfoolery, a fight ensues and the owner of the store dies. The guys, who are, apparently, known in the world of kickboxing, then drive over to fellow kickboxer Steve Callahan (Donahue)’s house. The lead baddie, James Clavell (Hourani) – who evidently is not the author of Shogun – begins assaulting Edward Callahan (Nicholson) and his wife while Steve is off training. This event ends in tragedy. When Steve and his girlfriend Tracy (Landson) come home, they see what the gang of MAP’s (Middle-Aged Punks) did and Steve is understandably upset.

Steve’s only clue is a medallion given to kickboxing champs in the area, so he goes it alone on his quest for justice after the main investigator on the case is himself attacked by the MAP’s. Even Steve’s beloved coach, Mr. Gale – who is a dead ringer for Freddy Mercury – isn’t safe from the gang’s rampage. With revenge on his mind and BLOOD on his HANDS, Steve Callahan must snap into action. With his fists and his feet as his only weaponry, will Steve beat the baddies and win the day? Find out today!

In the U.S., Blood Hands is one of the rarest Teddy Page movies, so we were lucky to see it. It does indeed have that Page-esque silly charm and is certainly entertaining. It’s pretty impressive how they were able to make a 90-minute movie of people punching and kicking each other (that’s what takes up most of the running time). Thankfully, the noises the punch/kick hits make are enjoyable enough in their own right. It’s impossible to describe the sound, but needless to say that in real life a fist or a foot striking another human being doesn’t sound like Mario bumping a box with a question mark on it with his head. 

So there’s lots of action, a great training sequence towards the end, and a cast of Philippines-shot movie regulars such as Jim Gaines, Nick Nicholson, and Ned Hourani, who here is inexplicably credited as Nead Hourani. That’s right, NEAD. Could that a typo? In any event, the star of the show is, of course, Sean Donahue, our old buddy from Parole Violators (1994). His classic acting and fighting styles are on display, and you have to love his energy and determination. 

Known in Germany as KICKBOX TERMINATOR, which is a fantastic title, Blood Hands is indeed rare but any fans of Teddy Page, Sean Donahue, lots of punching and kicking, and/or silliness are encouraged to check it out.

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty

Parole Violators (1994)

Parole Violators (1994)- * * *1\2

Directed by: Patrick G. Donahue

Starring: Sean Donahue, Pamela Bosley, Harvier Mims, Joe Edwards, and Lindsey Rhodeos

"It looks like you got into a fight with a pizza."- Tracy











Miles Long (Donahue) is a guy who really cares about his community. A former police officer, he now hosts his own TV show where he chases down PAROLE VIOLATORS, films them personally with his video camera, and, if need be, beats them up. He inexplicably wears a black ninja mask while taping even though he is the host of the show and everyone knows who he is. His night of filming usually ends with him duct-taping the baddies to a pole and writing the words “parole violator” on the bare chests of said baddies with a black marker. The area police are familiar with this local pole and check it regularly for the latest prey of Long, known in the community as “Video Cop.” Video Cop is in a relationship with policewoman Tracy Dodd (Bosley), and when her daughter Susan (Rhodeos) is kidnapped by some thugs that Long had put in prison in his former life as a regular cop, his raging hatred for parole violators kicks into full gear. Teaming up with Tracy, the pair go on a mission of rescue/revenge, and all the local baddies should know that their comeuppance is going to be MILES LONG!

Parole Violators is a wildly fun and entertaining gem in the vein of Samurai Cop (1991), Miami Connection (1987), or Geteven (1993). But would you expect anything less from the great and hugely underrated filmmaker Patrick G. Donahue? This wonderful man gave us the great Kill Squad (1982), as well as Savage Instinct (1991), also starring his son Sean, as this movie does. Both he and this movie as a whole are very Ron Marchini-esque. 

Miles Long is a scrappy Martial Artist who just wants to play horseshoes in the park while wearing his large purple windbreaker. Instead, evildoers are kidnapping girls all around him and he is forced to snap into action. He can take a lot of damage, as he is constantly being punched, kicked, thrown off multiple cliffs and run over by multiple cars. But nothing will stop him on his mission. His serious-minded mullet is all business and you better not get in his way. Naturally there is the time-honored barfight - featuring a bouncer whose name is…Bouncer (Harvier Mims) – and an awesome Final Warehouse Fight. There’s also a goon whose name is Goon (Edwards). There are many, many scenes of Martial Arts fights and shooting. Choreographing and staging them were clearly a labor of love and it’s downright charming to watch.


The thing is, TV shows like Cops and America’s Most Wanted were hot at the time. The Donahue family (including actor Mike) just postulates what might happen if the host went from filming and talking about bad guys, to actually fighting them himself, mano-a-mano. It’s a great idea and it’s executed in a fantastically entertaining way. This movie was even ahead of its time in many respects – it predates current shows like Live P.D. by many years, and Miles Long is like a cross between Dexter and Louis Bloom, the main character of the fine film Nightcrawler (2014), as portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal.

Most of the cast were one-timers who weren’t in any other movies. But if you’re going to be in one movie only, make it a winner, and they clearly did that with this diamond in the rough. Unfortunately, this got little to no distribution on VHS. It desperately needs to find a bigger audience, so here’s hoping a company like Vinegar Syndrome grants it a Blu-Ray release sometime in the future. For that winning combination of silly/awesome that is so addictive, seek out PAROLE VIOLATORS!

Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett

Fighting Spirit (1992)

Fighting Spirit (1992)- * * *

Directed by: John Lloyd

Starring: Loren Avedon, Nick Nicholson, Mike Monty,  Ned Hourani, Jerry Beyer, Michelle Locke, and Sean Donahue










Billy Edwards (Donahue) is a young man who trains in Martial Arts and spends a lot of his time training at the gym. When his sister Judith (Michelle Locke in her only credited movie role to date) is assaulted by a gang of no-goodniks and suffers optic nerve damage, the evil Russell Peretti (Hourani) offers him a way to pay her medical bills: underground Punchfighting matches. When Russell and his super-evil brother Tony (Douglass) keep ratcheting up the stakes, as gangsters often do, Billy wants out. Unfortunately, he gets his wish: the baddies off Billy. Billy’s friend David Carster (Avedon) then assumes responsibility for Judith, who must wear bandages around her eyes while she recuperates. In a ‘spirit’ of revenge, David trains hard with Murphy (Beyer) in order to obtain the fighting skills necessary to defeat Russell, Tony and their goons once and for all. But will he have a little supernatural help along the way? Find out...

In this movie at least, Loren Avedon resembles Scott Baio. Sean Donahue bears more than a passing resemblance to pre-Bibleman-era Willie Aames. Coincidence? Fighting Spirit could very well be the Charles in Charge - or Zapped!, if you will - of early-90’s low budget Punchfighting movies. This is actually one of the better Avedon outings, he’s not unlikable like he is in some other efforts. His character even goes through something of an arc, from smug non-fighter to full-fledged action hero (though it is odd that on the first day of his training, he can already do Van Damme-style splits). And, adding to the feel that this movie is a lot older than it really is, the two of them train to disco music.

The music, generally speaking, is pretty weird. There are a ton of misplaced cues, and a lot of it (which repeats over and over) even seems out of tune. The main theme appears to be nothing more than a slow pick slide over a lightly-amplified electric guitar. So when you’re not distracted by the music, you can concentrate on the funny dubbing. Once again, those loud or wacky voices appear. Either the music or the voices are blaring at all times: one of the main positives of the movie is that it is almost non-stop fighting. There’s a fight scene seemingly every few minutes, which keeps the attention up.

Sure, it’s all pretty downmarket, but it’s also fun most of the time. It doesn’t seem like the filmmakers were working with the best equipment, but maybe that’s all they had in whatever foreign country they were in. Our guess is the Philippines, due to the presences of Nick Nicholson, Ned Hourani, and a bit part by Mike Monty, though fellow Philippines-shot movie mainstay Henry Strzalkowski isn’t present. Monty gets raving drunk in the first scene of the movie and isn’t seen again; Nicholson is a kickboxing coach who is constantly barking orders at his charges and calls everyone “boy!” All that being said, a police officer identifies himself as “LAPD” - are we supposed to believe this is all taking place in Los Angeles? But silly details like that add to the enjoyment of the movie.

There are not one, but TWO ideas lifted wholesale from Cape Fear (the then-recently released 1991 version, probably), and the Punchfighting audience Billy must fight in front of is rather small, especially for such large sums of cash that are on the line, but, as we’ve said before, there are many kinds of stupid, and not all stupid is bad stupid. You might say Fighting Spirit is more confused than anything else,  because it seems a lot of the wackiness/dumbness resides from its strange take on what someone believes to be American life, and mind-numbing scenes ensue. Once again, that is not a negative criticism. We don’t know the country of birth of director John Lloyd, but thanks to this movie and his Ron Marchini vehicle Ninja Warriors (1985), we do know he certainly has an off-kilter sensibility. Despite all odds, it’s actually pretty darn entertaining.

Featuring the lounge-type song “Why Must This Be” by Harry Strong, Fighting Spirit may be a bit grimy, but you just have to either enjoy it or look beyond it. Confusingly, this is also known as King of the Kickboxers 2, presumably because of the presence of Avedon, but it has nothing whatsoever to do with the earlier Billy Blanks romp.

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty 

Also check out a write-up from our buddy, Fist Of B-List!

Savage Instinct (1991)

Savage Instinct (1991)-* * *

AKA: They Call Me Macho Woman 

Directed by: Patrick G. Donahue

Starring: Debra Sweaney, Brian Oldfield, Lory-Michael Ringuette, J. Brown, Mike Donahue, Jerry Johnson, and Sean Donahue

Susan Morris (Sweaney) is a mild-mannered woman whose husband was recently killed in a car accident. Seeking to fulfill their dream of having a nice house out in the country, she attempts to move to rural Loma County, California. But while driving out to the property, Susan and real estate agent Cecil (Ringuette) run afoul of a sinister gang of drug dealers. Led by the hulking brute Mongo (Brian Oldfield in what is criminally his only screen role to date), the gang of baddies seek to make one last big score before disbanding their criminal enterprise. But since Susan has stumbled upon it, they must kill her. So they chase her all over the woods, but Susan decides she’s had enough of her Mongo-based ordeal and decides to fight back. It’s now time for revenge, Susan Morris style! What follows you must see!

Ridiculous. Silly. Funny. Enjoyable. There are some words for you. But all these words - and so many more I’m leaving out - perfectly describe the wonderful Savage Instinct. You will have a smile on your face for most of this movie’s running time (provided you have an inkling of a sense of humor - some people out there don’t, it seems). Everything from the clothing choices of the goons, to the acting, to the effects, to the plot points and pretty much everything else is totally winning, and the icing on the cake are some priceless bits of dialogue, none of which we’ll spoil for you here. This movie is just a great take on the revenge movie, showing it can be done in a less-than-serious fashion. Take Mongo and his illegal barn of drugs. He looks like a cross between Richard Moll and Jesse Ventura. And when he really gets mad, he has some special headgear that will inspire some major fear.

Troma released this movie as They Call Me Macho Woman, and then AIP re-released it as Savage Instinct. Judging by the box art and typeface font, they certainly weren’t trying to capitalize on Basic Instinct (1992). No sirree. But we'll take this movie any day of the week. Debra Sweaney deserves the fame Sharon Stone has. Life’s not fair I tell ya. (It should be noted that the woman on the box is not Sweaney, but a cover model that has nothing whatsoever to do with the movie). But Savage Instinct is just further proof that writer/producer/director Patrick Donahue is an underrated genius. His first movie, Kill Squad (1982) is a Comeuppance Reviews favorite and is totally great. Savage Instinct is his second movie - although there was a nine year gap in between them. These two titles as your first two movies is impressive, but it seems his output after that is hard to get ahold of. We just want to tell the world we’re fans of his work, at least his first two films. His son Sean has been involved in his father’s work from the beginning, as well as many other productions (including Omega Cop, 1990) - but here, as Terk, the guy with the open-necked ballerina-like shirt and the classic Rachel Bolan-style earring-connected-to-nose-ring-by-a-chain, he really shines.

Savage Instinct represents the goofier end of the action/revenge movie. We recommend it.

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty

Also check out a review by our buddy, The Unknown Movies!