Otis promises to rescue John from a Foreign Legion prison to return him to Isabel, with whom they both are in love.

OK, so let me start by saying that not only am I a huge Foreign Legion junkie (one of the only two good reasons I have ever found for wishing to be a male is that I could have joined the Legion, and would have.*) and also love all the books written by P. C. Wren, of which this is not the best known.

It's a sort of a sequel to his best known, Beau Geste, and is the third in the series (following my fav, Beau Sabreur) but it gets real wierd and psychological, not as entertaining as the best of Wren's writing. Although you do find out more about what REALLY HAPPENED when the Blue Water diamond was stolen.

Anyway. Not my favorite book, but not bad.

But this movie. Oh my god, this movie. I was thrilled to find it, put out by a low rent video house (Alpha Video) that just transfers whatever print of the movie they have directly to dvd, do not pass go, do not collect $200...they're pretty awful, but on the other hand, they're only 6 bucks, you get what you pay for. Anyway. I had no idea it had been made into a movie, although it's not surprising, given that Wren was a best seller in his day...I snapped that puppy up fast, and we watched it soon after.

And was it ever sucky! Oh yes indeedy! From the turgid first scene, with the incredibly wooden acting and awfully intoned lines, to the really scary looking belly dancer, to the cavalry charge at the end, this one shrieked out, LOW BUDGET! BAD ACTING! DANGER, WILL ROBINSON! DANGER!

It was awfully fun to mst, though, I have to say...wish Joel and the Bots would do it...

Anyway. Not for anyone but die-hard fans, run away from this one fast.

*The other reason? No bathroom lines, of course.