Schlock and awful: Rothrock

Cynthia Rothrock and Steve McQueen's son saunter purposefully in "Martial Law."
Provided

Cynthia Rothrock and Steve McQueen's son saunter purposefully in "Martial Law."
A while back, the Bad Cinema desk was investigating two movies, “Martial Law” and the imaginatively-titled “Martial Law II: Undercover,” both starring a shortish, incredibly fit and rather cheerful-looking woman: Cynthia Rothrock.
Looking into it a bit more, we found that Rothrock has over 80 movie credits and has been a martial arts superstar for decades. So why isn’t she a household name?
Because she’s not named Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan.
It’s an outrage, and we’re gonna do something about it.
In “Martial Law” (1990), Rothrock and Chad McQueen (Steve’s son) are cops and David Carradine is the evil kung fu-practicing international car thief. We’re talking fun with pizza, the most annoying snitch in cinema history, and a compelling visual discourse on the inadvisability of stealing cars at night from a well-lit dealership located on a busy highway. No gratuitous nekkidity, which really isn’t a problem here, as nobody wants to see any of these people nekkid.
Chad is replaced by Jeff Wincott for the sequel, “Martial Law II: Undercover” (1991). This is much rougher stuff, not least because it has a “sex scene” involving Billy Drago. A kung fu villain runs an expanding underworld empire from the kind of bar you can’t get into without a double-breasted suit and a ponytail. There are large, grunting lackeys, a bit of gratuitous nekkidity, and Rothrock delivering swift justice while clad head to toe in teal.

“Yes, Madam” (1985) is Rothrock’s debut, as Carrie Morris, a Scotland Yard inspector in Hong Kong to help Inspector Ng (Michelle Yeoh) do something about a piece of errant microfilm. There is an exceptionally unconvincing dubbing of a British accent for Rothrock, who strongly resembles American Olympian Mary Lou Retton — except Retton didn’t do kung fu. The movie makes no sense, which is OK because it’s short. Plus, Rothrock delivers her trademark scorpion kick to some hapless goon’s forehead, which is worth the price of admission.
“City Cops” (1989):Here our heroine is FBI agent “Inspector Cindy,” who comes to Hong Kong to fight crime in warehouses, alleys, office buildings and airports. Featuring the spectacular Receptionist’s Desk Roll. We also get a comical cop duo, a martinet police superintendent, and an extended opening riff on gender that would be impossible to make today.

“Undefeatable” (1993) was directed by Godfrey Ho, the Jess Franco of the East, and despite Ho’s Hacko di Tutti Hacki status, this movie actually has a story and makes sense. Rothrock plays Kristi, who participates in illegal fights to earn enough money to get her sister through med school. Meanwhile, Anna dumps her psycho husband, Stingray, who fights on the same underground circuit as Kristi — but he’s a lunatic and has a mullet.
Anyhoo, there is a lot of plot involving a couple of cops and Kristi’s dorky gang, and none of it matters because at the end Kristi and the cop subdue Stingray in extremely gory, horrible and entertaining fashion. And then everybody goes to college.
“Black Creek” (2025): Rothrock produced, co-wrote and starred in this crowdfunded Western, in which she plays a tough woman who rides into town to find her family has been destroyed by the local bad guy, played by the late Richard Norton. You could make a 15-minute reel of Rothrock and Norton kicking each other over the years, so this is a fitting coda. (Norton died in March 2025.) It seems Rothrock spent most of the budget on sets, lighting and costumes, figuring the writing would only get in the way of the story. So it’s heavy on the fighting, and anyone who thinks kung fu and Westerns don’t mix deserves a scorpion kick to the noggin.
Alec Linden
Photo by Alec Linden
A climber explores Great Barrington’s renowned bouldering areas, reflecting the growing local interest in the sport ahead of the planned opening of Berkshire Boulders.
Berkshire Boulders, a rock climbing gym, is set to open in the Berkshires later this year, aiming to do more than fill a gap in indoor recreation — it could help bring climbing further into the region’s mainstream.
Its co-founders already have their sights set beyond the roughly 2,000 square feet of climbable wall planned for a site off Route 7, just north of downtown Great Barrington.
“There’s an opportunity that I felt was on the table to bring outdoor recreation and these other sports into the public domain,” said Nick Friedman, a Sheffield resident behind the project, alongside Dan Yagmin.
Friedman said that while underground communities in the region around more adventurous outdoor sports, such as rock climbing and mountain biking, have long existed, they have often been overlooked compared with more traditional pastimes like hiking.
With the gym, “I feel like we could make a start in formalizing these forms of outdoor recreation,” Friedman said. He described it as a way to create a more tangible connection between the broader community and a climbing scene that has developed quietly for decades.
Berkshire Boulders is the brainchild of Friedman, who began climbing 20 years ago on the gneiss boulders and bluffs that dot the hills around Great Barrington, and Yagmin, a climber with three decades of experience originally from central Connecticut who now lives between Winsted and Colebrook.
Both bring entrepreneurial experience to the project. Friedman co-founded Theory Wellness, a cannabis dispensary in Great Barrington where he now serves as chief strategic officer. Yagmin combined his passion for climbing, training in fine arts and years as a climbing gym route setter to start Decoy Holds, producing nature-inspired climbing grips.
Yagmin is shaping the climbing experience at the new gym at 325 Stockbridge Rd., which will focus on bouldering, a form of ropeless climbing on walls typically under 15 feet tall, with padded floors for protection. His holds take cues from real rock types, including the granitic gneiss found across the Berkshires and prized by climbers
Even though the gym is indoors, the connection to the rock outside is central to its mission. Friedman serves on the board of the Western Massachusetts Climbers Coalition, which works with governments, landowners and land managers to keep climbing areas open and accessible.
He said the project is structured so that any profits from the gym will support organizations that advance access to climbing.
“I have no investors, no lenders, and I’m self-financing,” he said. “So I plan on donating any available profits to an organization that aligns with the mission, which is really to make climbing more accessible.”
Accessibility, he added, also means affordability. He plans to offer reduced memberships for those facing financial hardship.
“Then hopefully as the gym gets going and grows,” he said, “that can become a bigger and bigger component.”
Yagmin said the gym could become both a hub for local climbers and an entry point for newcomers.
“I think a lot of people just don’t really understand the sport,” he said. With the gym, “hopefully people stop in, start getting familiar with it and see that it’s a positive thing.”
Friedman said that when he and Yagmin were introduced through the local climbing network, the idea of a gym had been “percolating around the Berkshires for decades.”
Until Berkshire Boulders opens — which he estimates will be this summer — the closest dedicated climbing gyms are roughly an hour away, including those in Poughkeepsie, Kingston, Albany and West Hartford.
Until then, Friedman and Yagmin have their plates full. Since announcing the project last month, Friedman said interest from prospective members has been strong.
The pair are in the process of gathering information to plan adult and children’s programming, though details are still to come.
In addition to bouldering walls, the gym will include climbing-specific training equipment and a standard fitness area. An FAQ page on the website, berkshireboulders.com, also references a hangout space, retail section, outdoor area overlooking a bend in the Housatonic River, and possibly a sauna and cold plunge.
Friedman said the final product will reflect the needs of its users.
“This gym is really oriented to be there for the community,” he said, “so we want to reflect that community as best we can.”
Alec Linden
Mat Jobin teaches the group how to use a permanent platform to rig a tent. The privy and lean-to of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Limestone Spring Shelter are visible in the background.
A happy day on the trail all starts with a good night’s sleep the night before. That’s local trekking guide Mat Jobin’s mantra, and he affirms that a good night’s sleep is possible even if it has to be on the trail itself – with the right preparation, that is.
Jobin, of Simsbury, Connecticut, is a 16-year professional guide and the founder and owner of Reach Your Summit, an outdoor experiences company that promotes self-confidence and leadership skills through a variety of excursions and educational workshops in the forests of New England. On Saturday, April 11, Jobin hosted the inaugural Campsite Selection & Skills workshop just off the Falls Village section of the Appalachian Trail.
While preparing for the course, Jobin said that the underlying principle of his workshops is to help make the outdoors more accessible and enjoyable for people by teaching them the skills they need to be prepared. He explained that the point is to make mistakes, “but doing it in a safe environment rather than making all the mistakes I made growing up without having anyone to provide me with guidance and feedback.”
Saturday’s course was all about “how you can get a better night’s sleep” when you overnight on the trail, Jobin told Mike, Karen and Andy, the three attendees whose experience varied from beginner to experienced shelter-setters.
Even though the weather was fair, fast clouds hid the sun overhead and blustery winds tore through the spacious grove surrounding the Limestone Spring shelter site, a hiker’s resource managed by the Appalachian Mountain Club. Jackets were zipped and arms crossed as the group braced against the chill.
Jobin explained that while not the most comfortable conditions to spend a day standing around in the forest, the weather made for a good learning opportunity. If a camper set up a tarp shelter the wrong direction that evening, he said, it would mean a ruined night’s sleep, and subsequently a wrecked next day.
Jobin began with fundamentals, running through the essential figure 8 and clove hitch knots as well as the “bearmuda triangle,” a cheeky term for a campsite tenet that combines Leave No Trace sensibilities with wildlife safety.
The sleeping area should be positioned 200 feet from the cooking and food area, which should then be 200 feet from the bathroom site, forming a rough triangle. The whole system should be set back at least 200 feet from the nearest water source for minimal disturbance to the ecosystem, Jobin said.
He then instructed the group to account for weather and topography when choosing a site. On a cool, windy day like Saturday, use the landscape for shelter, he said, while during hot and buggy weather, campers may want to find a spot with more exposure. “Use nature to the best of your ability to provide comfort and safety,” he said.
Jobin then demonstrated several ways to use a simple tarp for a quick shelter on the trail, his preferred method given its versatility and that it offers a “deeper connection to the surroundings.”
While he hitched the tarp with some cordage to a system made of trekking poles and trees, the wind whipped through the site. “I’m going under this tarp when you’re done!” Karen announced over the sound of flapping plastic.
Once it was completed, she kept her word and huddled inside. “It works!” she announced.
For the remainder of the four-hour session, Jobin gave tips on how to set up a tent on a wooden platform, the reason he had chosen the Limestone Spring site for the course. He also taught the group how to rig a hammock system using trees and safe food storage using bear bags and bear boxes.
He urged the group to practice their shelter setups in a variety of weather conditions and locations as often as possible before debuting a system miles from the trailhead. Backyards and local parks, where allowed, are great options, he said.
“My whole thing is helping people feel more prepared and comfortable when they’re heading out, and not having to learn from really bad situations or mistakes when they’re out there for the first time,” Jobin said.
Saturday’s class was the first of its kind for Jobin, though he said he expects to run other similar campsite selection and safety workshops in the future. It’s just one of many experiences Reach Your Summit offers, which range from hiking essentials courses to 5-day backpacking adventures. A complete list of the company’s offerings can be found on its website, www.reachyour
summit.net.
Jennifer Almquist
The story comes full circle when educator, traditional storyteller and author Wunneanatsu Lamb-Cason (Schaghticoke/Ho-Chunk) comes to Litchfield County to read from her new book, Grandmother Moon, inspired by her grandmother, Indigenous educator Trudie Lamb Richmond, who lived on Schaghticoke land along the Housatonic River in Kent.
On Saturday, April 18, from 2-4 p.m., the Torrington Historical Society at 192 Main St. will host the book talk and sharing of traditional stories.
Lamb-Cason was named 2024 National History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the first Indigenous person to receive the honor, and is now the Assistant Director of Native American and Indigenous Studies at Brown University. She will speak about the importance of oral tradition for Indigenous communities and of her efforts to write down the stories.

Lamb-Cason shared her story with the publication:
“The Northwest Corner is not just where my grandmother lived; it is our ancestral homelands. Our reservation was established near Kent in 1736. My grandmother grew up in Newtown and spent her childhood returning to Schaghticoke, visiting family and learning from her grandparents. In the early 1980s, she built her home on the reservation with my grandfather, and that is where I spent so much of my own childhood—learning with and from the land and waters that have sustained our people since time immemorial.
“As a historian, storyteller and educator, every moment with her was a teachable moment … and as her eldest grandchild, she felt a strong responsibility to impart as much as she could to me …
“A brief trek in the snow became ‘Wunneanatsu, what animal print do you think that is? Yes, you’re right, that’s Rabbit. That reminds me of a story about how rabbit got such long ears.’ …
“‘Wunneanatsu, do you hear the birds singing? That one sounds like blue jay. Let me tell you a story about how the birds got their songs.’
“My grandmother and those teachings guide everything I do; as an author, a storyteller, a relative and teacher; they inform my pedagogy and instructional style but also how I view and navigate the world. Grandmother Moon became an opportunity to honor her and her legacy of centering Indigenous ways of knowing in western academia and educational landscape. It was a way to carry her teachings forward for my children and future generations. It is, at its heart, a love letter to the woman who gave me so much. Essentially, my grandmother is and always will be everything I want to be when I grow up.”
Copies of “Grandmother Moon” will be available and the author will sign books. Native baskets from the collection of the Torrington Historical Society will be on display during the event.
Please register to reserve a spot: torringtonhistoricalsociety.org

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D.H. Callahan
“Everything Everywhere All At Once,” a photo from David Ricci’s book Hunter Gatherer.
David Ricci will bring his exploration of American materialism to the Five Points Arts Center in Torrington on Saturday, April 18, at 2 p.m., where he will discuss his new book, Hunter Gatherer.
Ricci is fascinated by America’s obsession with objects. In Hunter Gatherer, he examines a distinct strain of materialism—one rooted not in the new, but in the items that endure.
When people talk about materialism, the focus often falls on the latest smartphones, gaming systems, designer bags or plush furniture. Ricci, however, turns his attention to objects that cycle in and out of people’s homes through flea markets, antique stores and curio shops.
The book features a selection of photographs from the thousands Ricci has taken while visiting more than 200 such venues across the United States. His work adopts an anthropological lens, exploring the meanings culture and society assign to these objects as they are bought, sold and recirculated over time.
Why are these items considered worthy of another life? What do they reveal about Americans’ relationships with racism, misogyny and social norms? Ricci argues that the chaotic marketplace of secondhand consumerism reflects a distinctly American mindset: “I own, therefore I am.”
Millerton News
“WHATSTOCOMEHASALREADYBEEN” by Richard Marr 40x30 (2021)
Tyte Gallery, located on the 2nd floor at 3280 Franklin Ave. in Millbrook, presents NEAR and FAR, a solo exhibition of new work by Richard Marr, opening with a reception April 18 from 6 to 9 p.m. Marr’s immersive landscape paintings explore the movement and force of water—from ocean waves to the Hudson River—while reflecting on nature’s interconnected rhythms and humanity’s place within them. On view through June 7.
Ruth Epstein
Ella Emberlin, an eighth grader at Salisbury Central School, meets alum Colby Hickey, owner of Colby’s Tree Service, on Career Day.
SHARON – Sharon Center School students got a firsthand look at potential career paths on Friday, April 10, during their annual Career Day, where guest speakers from a range of fields spoke with students in fourth through eighth grade.
The annual event is organized by school counselor Liz Foster, who aims to showcase the positions held by local community members. Presenters included a meteorologist, scuba diving instructor, mechanic and attorney.
In one classroom, students listened intently as two Connecticut State Police troopers provided an overview of their duties. Josh Wedge and Miranda Coretto of Troop B in North Canaan discussed the types of incidents they respond to, including car crashes, crimes and emergency calls. The troopers said they are also asked to cover large events, such as fairs and games. They told students police are dispatched through two radios – one in their vehicles and the other a portable radio they carry.
Wedge talked about specialty units within the State Police department, such as K-9, marine, bomb squad, tactical and traffic units.
Students particularly enjoyed hearing about the K-9 unit, which is composed of German shepherds, Labrador retrievers, bloodhounds and comfort dogs. One youngster shared that he had a bloodhound. Wedge told them Connecticut had the first currency dog, which is used to sniff out large amounts of concealed money in the fight against money laundering, illegal gambling and smuggling.
Troopers, the students learned, are allowed to take their patrol cars home. “Our jurisdiction is the whole state, so we might be needed anywhere,” Wedge said. In addition to the SUVs they drive, there are also motorcycle units and an armored car division. Of interest to the students was the cadet program, open to those 14 to 20 years old. Members get certified in CPR, receive physical training and take part in educational offerings.

Attorney Veronica Relea of Sharon and New York City works for a large firm in the city, where she specializes in contract energy law.
A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School, she said, “I help people agree on things. I help with big projects, like being able to power your house. A lawyer is always putting things together. We try to come up with solutions for clients.”
Relea said she did not enjoy law school. “What I learned most was at my job,” she said.
Outside the school, crews from both the local ambulance service and volunteer fire department gave students a close-up look at their vehicles and explained their duties.
Beth Klippel and Brian Moore, volunteer firefighters in Sharon, pointed out the various equipment that is carried on their trucks.
Anthony Ferrara and Phil Burke of Northeast Fire Rescue supplement the local ambulance squad. As the children sat in the back of the ambulance, Ferrara said the job of emergency medical responders is to transport patients to a higher level of care, stabilizing them as they go. He said this can include checking blood pressure, blood sugar levels and oxygen levels.
Ferrara added, “My aim, when people are obviously having a bad day, is to make them smile.”

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