Modus Operandi

You need to have paid your dues to appreciate "Modus Operandi." Have you marinated in exploitation films? The cheap kind from the 60s and 70s, made by fly-by-night filmmakers on starvation budgets? Where you can almost sense them gasping as they try to accumulate enough footage to qualify as a feature? And where the female characters are wearing bikinis even in business offices? It's not enough to like such films because they're "so bad they're good." You need to specialize, and like the films because they're so good about being so bad they're good. "Modus Operandi," a film by Frankie Latina that has won praise on the midnight movie festival circuit, is such a film. Yes, it has babes in bikinis. Yes, it has a "plot" about spies and assassins. Yes, it's filmed in Cheapo-Color which is used interchangeably with black and white. Yes, it has scenes set in "Siberia, Russia" and "Tokyo, Japan." But what makes it special is that it was mostly filmed in Milwaukee, and one of its stars is Mark Borchardt, who you may recall as the subject of the great documentary "American Movie." That was about the making of his own bargain-basement horror film, "Coven," which a British actor informed him he was mispronouncing. you have paid those dues, there is a special pleasure to be had in "Modus Operandi" sequences like this one: The evil Dallas Deacon (Borchardt), apparently wearing the same glasses he wore in the doc 10 years ago, is being chased in b&w across an open field by a helicopter, in homage to "North by Northwest." He runs and runs and runs, and then disappears into some trees that didn't exist in the previous shots. The (unseen) pilot shouts, "We lost him down by the river!" Cut to high quality new color footage of some ducks floating past, but no Borchardt. Cut to unmatched Cheapo-Color footage of three babes in bikinis, feet astride, standing menacingly on the prow of a speedboat on a lake, not a river. One babe means business. A second babe unties the top of the first babe's bikini and she dives in the water because, of course, she is unable to swim while wearing the top. Cut to Borchardt wading into the (river? lake?) fully clothed. Do you understand why I enjoyed "Modus Oprandi?" You don't. Millions agree with you. The film, now at Facets Cinematheque, is touring the nation in search of those like Quentin Tarantino and John Waters who would stay planted in their seats and watch it a second time. Often the satire is embedded in the very arrangement of the characters. Know the crime movie cliché in which an evil boss sits enthroned in a restaurant, flanked by hit-men and babes? Here they are obviously in the seating area of a Chinese restaurant's waiting room. Know how the bad guy shouts commands in a phone while his babes make out with each other? Here his headquarters is obviously a bench on the balcony of a hotel. His phone is a pastel 1970s desk model. Know how bad guys give orders to those around them? In one shot here, they're lined up parallel, so they have to look sideways to talk. The plot involves... two briefcases, I guess. Who cares? They were stolen from a U.S. Presidential candidate. The briefcases are brought up by a scuba diver through a hole in the ice of a frozen lake in "Siberia, Russia." The ice hole is seen being created in unmatching footage pretty obviously of ice fishermen -- in "Wisconsin," is my guess. Only CIA agent Stanley Cashay (Randy Russell) can find the briefcases. When we meet him, he's passed out with his head resting in a tavern urinal, with unfortunate results. At one point the search for them involves a mission to fly to "Tokyo, Japan" to shove a letter under the door of the mysterious Black Licorice (Nikki Johnson), who invariably wears huge 1970s sunglasses, even at night or while receiving a massage. Pay close attention to the footage incorporating Black Licorice in shots of crowds crossing a street in Tokyo. I dunno who's still reading. You know who you are. If the film doesn't sound unique enough, reflect that it's one of the few in its genre to incorporate (1) a full-screen quote by Alexander Dumas, and (2) a walking-down-the-street shot in homage to "Berlin Alexanderplatz," and (3) a tavern still using a Blatz Beer sign. The Dumas quote doesn't make clear if it was said by pere or fils, but you can't have everything. Roger Ebert

Modus Operandi perfectly emulates the genre it wants to, late 60's-70's spy movies. Movies like "Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die" "Embassy" "The Cobra" or "Kill!"! It's a film filled with shady men and topless women, and I love every minute of it! With it's slow pace but gun and explosion filled poster, old Technicolor look, use of stock footage, and even the intro, Modus Operandi is a perfect addition to any Exploitation/Grindhouse fan's collection.

If you watched any of the original grindhouse movies back in the day, this will take you back. This over the top homage is well worth watching. It's got Danny Trejo...what more do you need?

Yes I ordered 5 modus operandi for family and friends excellent movie... Great fast delivery!! I highly recommend this movie.. Great job Frankie

As a Milwaukee native and avid film buff I had to give this wonderfully cliché movie a fair review. If your a movie snob or a M.T.v generation video film buff this movie is not for you. This is NOT BLAIR WITCH! Rodriguez is great however planet terror was much better than machete. The trailer for Machete during the grind house double feature was amazing. This film is gritty beautiful like a smog filled sunset.Filmed on film instead of video it helps you to transcend the corporate world of modern cinema were people ate even drank alcoholic beverages during a flick. Yes this movie is gratuitously filled with pointless nudity, violence and the plot is about as deep as any bond film.This is not an Oscar winning film because it wasn't intended to be! Latina delivers so wonderfully in this film because, of the genre. This movie is a modern grind house master piece. Please watch some of the actual 70's films the Tarintino's, Rodriguez and Frankie Latino are paying tribute before you compare a movie made with a budget equal to the catering bill on a movie like Machete.Sincerely from a Critic who knows"his s*** from shineola"

I'm fully aware that this film is meant to serve as a "throwback" of sorts to old exploitation films. The problem however, is that it just doesn't work. It's not particularly clever, it's definitely not satirical, it's not even a fun movie to watch. I'm really not sure what the point of it all was. Also-if you are a Danny Trejo fan, and enjoyed "Machete" and think you might get some of that same kind of feel here, you'd be terribly wrong. Machete was an excellent exploitation throwback which knew exactly what it was with a wink and a nod to the audience. Modus Operandi on the other hand is just odd and nonsensical. Oh, and about Danny Trejo (which is the sole reason I checked this film out in the first place) if you calculated the entire time he's on screen, it may amount to about 5 or 10 minutes. His character is pretty much a throw away. Do yourself a favor and skip this one. There's nothing to see here.

Great movie, I suggest it to everyone, great action, fun, a film directed by Frankie Latina with Danny Trejo, irreristable!