Brute Corps (1971)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

An Exercise In Nonsense

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

First, not for one moment will you believe that you are looking at the best mercenaries money could buy. The action appears more like some boy scouts horsing around at camp. While there are a few creative moments at the beginning and at the end, what is in between consists of a rape scene followed by endless climbing around a rock quarry. The outdoor photography is fine, however that is not why exploitation films succeed. I thought Alex Rocco's character, "Wick", was by far the most interesting, followed by everyone else. Make no mistake, this is a low budget, drive in second feature, that would be very easy to sleep through. - MERK

The ancient videotape of "Combat Corps" that I watched had silly Dutch subtitles and it even translated the title as "Fresh meat for seven bastards". Admittedly it sounds somewhat like an inferior spaghetti western, but this translated title pretty much covers the load, I'd say! "Combat Corps" is a typical early 70's exploitation product, in other words it's a mean-spirited, raw and barbaric film with extremely low production values and rough editing and directing. The plot is as rudimentary and derivative as can be: a band of mercenaries are on their way to a conflict in Central America and make a stop in a sleepy little town near the Mexican border. They're a bunch of despicable and rancid pigs that entertain themselves by terrorizing the intimidated local peasants and sexually humiliating their wives & daughters. When they also capture a free-spirited female hitch-hiker, her hippie boyfriend (along with one group member who's fed up with the others' behavior) has the guts to fight back. "Combat Corps" isn't suitable for many audiences, but highly recommended in case you're a fan of gritty drive-in exploitation trash. The sexual harassment sequences are reasonable unpleasant, but near the beginning there's a very cool and memorable showdown scene with a couple of bikers. In spite of its obscurity status, "Combat Corps" stars a few familiar names like Alex Rocco, Michael Pataki and Jennifer Billingsley.

"Brute Corps" was never released on videotape, and it was only recently that it was released on DVD. Seeing it, I can understand why it took so long for it to be released for home viewing. I can't understand why Code Red DVD thought there was an audience for it. It is an extremely cheap affair, for one thing. It looks like there was very little money available for props, actors, and set decoration. As well, there is very little action executed during its running time. For the remaining running time, almost NOTHING of interest happens. In fact, there is a weird feeling throughout that the filmmakers were making it up as they were filming. I rented this movie because Alex Rocco was in it, and while he usually adds life to a movie, here he seems utterly helpless and lifeless. Even if you're a die hard grindhouse fan, odds are you will fall asleep way before the movie ends.

Very brutal and violent 1972 action flick with Alex Rocco and Jennifer Billingsley.A group of sadistic mercenaries take over a small Mexican desert town and kidnap,rape and abuse a young hitch-hiker and her new boyfriend after giving them a lift.Alex Rocco plays a menacing psycho soldier in this flick beating and torturing the girl and telling her to get down on all fours like a dog and say aloud "I'm animal!!".Gritty and exciting action/survival thriller with plenty of violence and a bit of sleaze.The cinematography is grainy and the desert setting works perfectly well.It's great to see such obscure 70's exploitation classic before highly acclaimed "The Expendables" with Sly Stallone and Dolph Lundgren.8 out of 10.