GYMKATA (1985) ~ Dumb film

[Allhallowsday]

I watched GYMKATA (1985) last night on TCM.  Where the hell else on TV would one get the "opportunity" to look at this sh!t???    


There is no live sound in this film (I could detect); it's all dubbed.  I particularly enjoyed the crushing sound effects and that bad red sweater KURT THOMAS wore through much of the beginning.  The '80s sweater looks like a TARGET - why not?  In this muddled mess of a movie, dumb is the calling card.  Thankfully, KURT THOMAS has no acting ability which makes his participation almost forgiveable.  

Nearly ZERO production values, a dopey script, and that convenient pommel horse Andrew wrote about, I cannot recommend enough the incredible cheeziness of this craptastic messterpiece for BADMOVIE lovers.  GYMKATA is as good as BAD can get.  

[kakihara]

Possibly one of the greatest movies ever made. Many a critique has been written about this unique cinematic masterpiece. It is a tradgedy that we never saw any sequels or dare I say, a remake........

[claws]

This was a must-buy when it hit DVD back in the day for me. I was already fond of it's badness in VHS days 

[Trevor]

I watched GYMKATA (1985) last night on TCM.  Where the hell else on TV would one get the "opportunity" to look at this sh!t???    


There is no live sound in this film (I could detect); it's all dubbed.  I particularly enjoyed the crushing sound effects and that bad red sweater KURT THOMAS wore through much of the beginning.  The '80s sweater looks like a TARGET - why not?  In this muddled mess of a movie, dumb is the calling card.  Thankfully, KURT THOMAS has no acting ability which makes his participation almost forgiveable.  

Nearly ZERO production values, a dopey script, and that convenient pommel horse Andrew wrote about, I cannot recommend enough the incredible cheeziness of this craptastic messterpiece for BADMOVIE lovers.  GYMKATA is as good as BAD can get.  

I will cheerfully admit (a) to liking this for its' very badness and (b) to owning it on DVD: Region 1, believe it or not.

I also saw this in a cinema in 1986 - full attendance. No place to swing an amoeba. 

[major jay]

One of my favs. It's entertaining the whole way through and Kurt 'the monkey boy' Thomas it's crowning jewel.
Has anyone ever noticed the guy who got run over by the horse at the beginning of the first race? Damn, that had to hurt! 

[Trevor]

One of my favs. It's entertaining the whole way through and Kurt 'the monkey boy' Thomas it's crowning jewel.
Has anyone ever noticed the guy who got run over by the horse at the beginning of the first race? Damn, that had to hurt! 

Agreed, and this guy? 

[Allhallowsday]

...
I will cheerfully admit (a) to liking this for its' very badness and (b) to owning it on DVD: Region 1, believe it or not.

I also saw this in a cinema in 1986 - full attendance. No place to swing an amoeba. 

Of course you own it!  You da man! 
Initially, I searched for a GYMKATA thread, but nothing was recent enough, so I started this one.  In that process, though, I did see that you not ONLY own this epic garbage, but also had seen it NEW !!!  You were probably in the only theatre in the world that was crowded to see it.  It's truly rotten.  I applaud thee. 

[Archivist]

This was another VHS-rental for my Dad and I.  Superbly bad.  Superbly.  It was a bit of a trip to see Tadashi Yamas**ta as the trainer, recognizing him from the pages of the martial arts magazines I was reading at the time.

Edited to add: looks like the forum auto-censor blew a hole in the middle of a Japanese actor's name.  So you can't write Matsus**ta, Yamas**ta or other Japanese words like arigato gozaimas**ta or kashkomarimas**ta.

[Allhallowsday]

This was another VHS-rental for my Dad and I.  Superbly bad.  Superbly.  It was a bit of a trip to see Tadashi Yamas**ta as the trainer, recognizing him from the pages of the martial arts magazines I was reading at the time.

GYMKATA is superbly bad.  Jaw droppingly superb. 

[Trevor]

In that process, though, I did see that you not ONLY own this epic garbage, but also had seen it NEW !!!  You were probably in the only theatre in the world that was crowded to see it.  It's truly rotten.  I applaud thee. 

The Gweru Theatre (actually a theatre but they also screened films) in Zimbabwe was where I saw it. I remember it well and the fact that the theatre was full. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gweru : my home town.

[major jay]

Has to suck to be a lowly flag ninja...

[Allhallowsday]

Has to suck to be a lowly flag ninja...

Uhm... what is a "flag ninja"?

[major jay]

[Allhallowsday]

Oh yes, a flag ninja!  Duh.   

[major jay]

Yeah, I know. That was a pretty vague reference.