Back in December 2014, we screened Australian director Andrew Leavold’s documentary about a diminutive Filipino action star, THE SEARCH FOR WENG WENG, and are now pleased to present another unique Weng Weng experience: The Agent Double-00 Feature, consisting of an updated version of that doc, together with one of Weng Weng’s star vehicles, FOR Y’UR HEIGHT ONLY, on Saturday, June 20 at 7:30 p.m. Joining us for a Q & A at intermission will be director Andrew Leavold, Skyping in all the way from the Philippines plus Rob St. Mary from movie podcast The Projection Booth.
THE SEARCH FOR WENG WENG is an unbelievable, fascinating true story that ultimately draws profound conclusions about the influence of popular culture and the nature of fame.
From the late ’70s through the early ’80s, a homegrown film industry flourished in the Philippines. Inspired by Hollywood in general and the success of locally-filmed Apocalypse Now in particular, Filipino filmmakers responded with films of their own, churning out up to 300 a year at the peak of production.
Possibly one of the most unlikely leading men to emerge was Weng Weng, the 2′ 9″ action star usually cast as a James-Bond-style assassin in a bunch of low-budget, but nonetheless very successful, films. One of these was FOR Y’UR HEIGHT ONLY, a Bond parody with Weng in the lead role. The film made him a superstar in the Philippines, and eventually, years later, it was the film that inspired Andrew Leavold to begin his quest.
Beginning in the 1990s, Leavold grew to know and love Weng Weng’s work while owning and managing Trash Video, Brisbane Australia’s version of Royal Oak’s late lamented Thomas Video. Leavold is a published author, researcher, film festival curator, musician, TV presenter, and occasional filmmaker. But above all, he is an unrepentant and voracious fan of eccentric and lowbrow cinema.
He began to wonder about the diminutive actor whose fame apparently faded as quickly as it exploded. Who was Weng Weng, what was his real name, how did he get into movies, and where was he now? Although the actor had a sort of presence on the Internet, no one seemed to know anything else about him, and Leavold’s curiosity was piqued.
He traveled to the Philippines, where the trail was initially cold. As his investigation necessarily widened, it developed into something more - a look at over 30 years of Filipino pop culture, and how it reflects both their country at large and the exported culture of the US.
Along the way, THE SEARCH FOR WENG WENG introduces us to a wide variety of colorful characters, from Weng Weng’s sole surviving relative, to Filipino directors, actors, and producers, and in a truly surreal sequence, former first lady Imelda Marcos.
Interestingly, during the ’80s, Weng Weng was a frequent visitor of the Marcos family at the Presidential Palace. At some point, he was designated an honorary Secret Agent by future President General Ramos, and was presented with an official badge and a 25-calibre pistol. This act may have been the direct inspiration for the second part of the double feature, FOR Y’UR HEIGHT ONLY.
ONE NIGHT ONLY - Saturday, June 20 at 7:30
Weng Weng Agent Double-00 Feature – Tickets $12 – Get tickets online
No passes, certificates, or special offers apply
The Search for Weng Weng – Documentary – NR – 92 min
For Y’ur Height Only – Action, espionage – NR – 87 min
Plus Q & A at intermission
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