‘Billy Jack’ Movies Were A Real Kick For One Nostalgia Buff

It all began in 1967. But before it was over 10 years later, the “Billy Jack” phenomenon had swept the nation.

Today, just about the only memorable aspect to it remains the image of actor-director Tom Laughlin, a half-breed karate expert, with his black hat boasting a bright feather.

Remember him, the guy who talks of peace while knocking the starch out of a gang of bad guys? Praise the Lord, he seems to be saying, but keep passing the film canisters.

The character of Billy Jack first showed up in 1967’s “The Born Losers,” an action film in which the kick-happy character ends up getting rough with a gang of bikers. (Note: T.C. Frank, the ostensible director, is a pseudonym for Laughlin.)

Then came the big one: 1971’s “Billy Jack.” This time, our hero is fighting for a school, a vulnerable woman (Dolores Taylor, Laughlin’s wife) and a gaggle of cute kids. It played for months across the nation, including Spokane, attracting a following by adhering to a simple formula: “Billy Jack” preached against violence even as it gave its audiences healthy doses of it.

Two more films complete the quartet: 1974’s “The Trial of Billy Jack” and 1977’s “Billy Jack Goes to Washington.”

It is the first of those two films, “The Trial of Billy Jack,” that one area video fan is interested in seeing (don’t ask why; it seems to have something to do with nostalgia).

And the facts are these: According to A Million and One World-Wide Videos, a Georgia-based company that specializes in searching out hard-to-find videos, “The Trial of Billy Jack” is not in current release. That means a copy could be sitting on a shelf by chance someplace. More likely, though, you’ll need to check the collector’s market, which could be expensive.

Phone calls to all the larger Spokane video stores revealed they don’t carry any copies (a couple of clerks had never even heard of the film; one offered “The Trial of Jeffrey Dahmer” as a substitute). Seattle’s Scarecrow Video, one of that city’s main video outlets, also struck out (one clerk, in fact, claimed that the film had never even been released on video).

So perhaps A Million and One World-Wide Videos is the answer. The 24-hour number is (800) 849-7309. Or if someone living more locally has a copy, give me a call at 459-5483. The image of Billy Jack beckons.

Exotica ***

There are no clear answers provided by Canadian writer-director Atom Egoyan in this look at the obsessions that drive us, so often, to distraction. The plot involves a man (Bruce Greenwood of television’s “St. Elsewhere”) who haunts a sex club, the young dancer (Mia Kirshner) who works there, the club’s moody announcer (Elias Koteas) and a pet-store owner (Don McKellar). It’s all involved with the death of innocence and the search for redemption, themes that Egoyan underscores with a collection of visual metaphors. Not for everyone, but then inherent idiosyncracy is precisely what makes Egoyan’s work so intriguing. Rated R.

The Cure ** 1/2

Joseph Mazzello (“Jurassic Park”) stars as a boy with AIDS, and Brad Renfro (“The Client”) is the abusedboy-next-door who befriends him. The two fight all the standard battles, against ignorance, bigotry and bullyboy attitudes, in the process of discovering what the intimacy of friendship is all about. The movie stumbles here and there as filmmaker Peter Horton resorts to fantasy, but the young actors keep it mostly on track. Keep a hanky nearby. Rated PG-13.

Jury Duty **

More funny than the O.J. Simpson trial, and certainly more clever than Kato Kaelin, this little comedy starring Pauly Shore takes on the legal system in much the same way “Airplane!” took on the airline industry. But despite the few jokes that work, too many fall flat. And Shore just doesn’t have the Jim Carrey-type energy to propel the action on his own. Rated PG-13.

The Santa Clause *

The only real value in this Christmas-themed comedy is its subject: the reaffirmation of childhood dreams. But the way the film gets there works against the very spirit of Christmas that many of us hold dear. “Home Improvement” star Tim Allen is a divorced man who is quick with a retort but slow to figure out why his pre-adolescent son doesn’t want to stay with him on Christmas Eve. And then matters get really mixed up when dad is forced to take the place of Santa Claus - for real. Every time the film hints at having a gentle side, the music video begins and the whole production turns into a lump of celluloid coal. Rated PG. , DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: WHAT’S NEW TO VIEW Now available: “Stuart Saves His Family” (Paramount), “The Santa Clause” (Disney), “Jury Duty” (Columbia TriStar), “Exotica” (Miramax), “The Cure” (MCA/Universal), “Convict Cowboy” (MGM/Universal), “The Power Within” (PM Entertainment). Available on Tuesday: “Batman Forever” (Warner). “Swimming With the Sharks” (Vidmark).