Reviews

There's a lot of shouting and screaming in this movie which the cast seem to have mistaken for acting. There wasn't a character in the film that convinced on any level and sometimes I just didn't understand what was going on, partly due to the frenetic editing. There was an undersea vessel and a tentacled monster which basically was the plot. It aimed to be Lovecraftian but it had no suspense, dread or awe. On a low budget it is difficult to convey these things of course. The appearance of the Chthulu creature moving stiffly is more silly than frightening. The ending is a total non-surprise. When the woman awoke in the hospital I thought, she's got a monster inside her! And so it transpired. Boring film.

The first half of the film is really gripping as detective Peter Nicholas tries to solve lots of homicides by people claiming that their motive for their acts was that God told them to do the killings. It is not only gripping but scary. Then the film starts to fall apart as UFO abductions become part of the story and Nicholas discovers he is really an alien. I think. The film's promise unfortunately is never fulfilled. Some of the acting is excellent; Tony Lo Bianco as Nicholas who becomes more disturbed as the movie proceeds, the great Richard Lynch as the barefoot alien bathed in sickly yellow light (a nice touch that) and veteran Sylvia Sidney who is only in one scene but who is very moving. It's worth watching but the conclusion is underwhelming and the last line of dialogue makes no sense.

As I was watching this I started to think, I've seen some of this before. And indeed some scenes are taken from Reg Park's previous films, 'Hercules Conquers Atlantis' and 'Hercules in the Haunted World', both from 1961. What is original isn't terrible but the whole movie doesn't hang together well. It is like watching three separate films. As usual with a peplum production it does look good in 'Technicolor' and 'Techniscope' and there is nothing wrong with the sets and costumes, it is just too fragmentary to be gripping. Reg Park is his usual amiable self but it was a shame that his last movie of five as a muscular leading man wasn't worthy of his talents. The previous four movies were much better.

Four astronauts go to the moon and come back. An early example of a science fiction film in colour some of it does look fine, particularly the Chesley Bonestell matte paintings making the moon, which is not the prettiest of heavenly bodies, into something fascinating. It takes the crew half an hour to prepare for take off, half an hour to travel to the moon and half an hour on the moon which makes it more like a three-act play but there isn't much drama as the film makers were going for something more sober and realistic. The crew themselves are not that interesting and the comic relief wasn't amusing. It evinces early optimism about space travel so for that alone it deserves a watch despite the plodding narrative.

A property developer Leslie Chase comes under a curse after killing some Totecs who are hindering his development project. Years later he comes into conflict with the wife of one of his victims, Nora Weeks. The story is interesting with thrills and gore to pepper it up. Chase is played by Robert Patrick with mainly one expression but he does convince as the doomed victim of the cult. Even better is Joanna Pacula as Nora, giving a dignified but determined performance. Also liked Vyto Ruginis as the mop-haired private detective Ray Tattinger, but unfortunately he gets killed too early in the film. The last minute twist is painfully predictable. Otherwise the movie did hold my attention throughout its 93 minute runtime.

Nothing in this film hasn't been seen before hundreds of times. Group of allegedly young people, seemingly empty house, spooky things start to happen, persons get killed. The cast are not that interesting and it is difficult telling them apart. At each killing I was thinking, who was that then? These low budget horror films always assume the characters have never seen a low budget horror film. Ridiculous. I did like the creepy house itself and the pillared monument with the crashed car in it but those were the only visual felicities. The director José Ramón Larraz seems to have a cult following which has always puzzled me. A movie not worth the watch.

An alien comes to planet earth to do a bit of breeding with female students at a college in Boston, Mass, (not Boston, England) where by some chance he lands in a meteor exactly outside the front door. Which was lucky. The plot of the film limps along in a tedious way with nothing original or arresting. Not a lot made sense, particularly the behaviour of the characters. Nobody stood out in the cast but I did like the look of the rubbery monstrous alien. He seemed to have a roguish smile sometimes but that may have been my misreading of the alien not having seen many aliens in my life. The basement under the college seemed to stretch for miles and included a sewer and a pit full of fire and water where the monster met his doom! Real estate in Boston, Mass must be pretty awesome.

A disco hostess Kelly McIntyre is incarcerated in a mental heath unit when she actually sane, being wrongly suspected of attempting suicide. Things go badly for her. It's a mixture of exploitation and genuine drama and doesn't quite work as either but it is held together by some good performances, particularly the actresses Dianne Hull, Patti D'Arbanville, Sharon Farrell and Julie Adams. Top billed Bo Hopkins goes over the top as the sleazy warder Carl. There is a good music score by Alan Silvestri and a catchy song called 'Fly Away' warbled by Pattie Brooks. The dancing in the disco is... well, of its time. The film claims it is based on a true story. It was better than I expected.

One can understand why the film was controversial in 1948 but looking at it now if you accept it as British film makers trying to be more American in content and atmosphere it is a pretty good movie. There is an air of fatalism which doesn't presage a happy ending. It is violent for the time but looks tame now. I enjoyed the performances most; imported actor Jack La Rue as the gangster tamed by love, Walter Crisham as the slimy Eddie, Lilli Molnar as tough Ma Grissom, MacDonald Parke as the wise Doc, not to mention welcome character actors like Danny Green, Michael Balfour (excellent) and Sydney James. And of course Linden Travers as Miss Blandish, who is riveting. Ms. Travers was woefully underused by the British film industry of the time even though she always gave a vivid performance. Cinema's loss.

The movie looked good in 'Techniscope' and 'Technicolor' and the outdoor locations In Germany, Austria and England were attractive but the narrative was rather dull and too much time is given to the romance between the Stephen Boyd and Camilla Sparv characters. Their scenes needed fast forwarding. Am not sure anyway what the story was about and the two plot twists at the end could be seen a country mile away. I did enjoy some of the acting; Leo McKern as the spy master, Jane Merrow as his comely assistant, Geoffrey Bayldon as the boffin and a disappointingly hardly seen Michael Redgrave as Harris of Department K. At no point did the film become exciting or gripping.

The opening scenes in the jungle with the plane crash (great model work from the Lydecker Brothers) and the mysterious woman and the drumming that stops suddenly are good but when the film leaves the jungle for the city it becomes a strange if not absurd romantic plot about a woman who doesn't age due to a traumatic encounter with a panther. (!) With stronger casting it might have worked but main leads Vera Ralston and George Brent are their usual acting selves, that is boring. They have no spark between them. Constance Bennett as Dr. Karen Lawrence was much more interesting as was Brian Aherne as the forsaken husband though he isn't in it much. Odd but forgettable.

This took a bit of endurance to get through. The story got more preposterous as it went along with people falling into a medical machine of some kind and their eyes turning black (!) and a child who seems to be living in the basement of an asylum with no one ever noticing and many lines of psychological blather that didn't make sense. The characters range from dull to being hilariously over the top and their motivations were opaque. The actors weren't served well by the unfocused script, though the actors themselves were not convincing in any way. The ending of the film was left open suggesting a sequel but the movie didn't deserve one.

'Die Hard' in a veteran's hospital. And that's the plot in a nutshell. There are several poor things about this movie but mainly I was peeved at the waste of Michael Jai White and Mark Dacascos, who had insultingly thin roles. It would have been much better if they played hero and villain respectively. The fighting would have been more plausible and a face-off between them would have been awesome. Instead we have a bland main lead in Sean Patrick Flanery and an unthreatening chief villain in Weston Cage with a beard. Rob Van Dam stayed in a van ineffectively. There was plenty of shooting but mostly accompanied by unrealistic CGI blood. A low budget film with no frills and no thrills.

Private eye Michael Shayne is about to get married but instead gets side tracked by a double murder in an hotel next to a theatre. A lively and solid entry in the Michael Shayne series with Lloyd Nolan in good form as Shayne. The plot makes sense and it is enhanced by some cracking dialogue. The supporting actors include Henry Daniell as an actor under suspicion, Erwin Kalser as the hard of hearing theatre porter, Milton Parsons as the lugubrious red herring and William Demarest as the excitable police inspector; all of whom add to the entertainment. Director Eugene Forde keeps the momentum going nicely to make the 74 minutes most enjoyable.

Narracott Manor is the location where a brother and sister try to organise a journalistic scam to make money and also where hidden loot from a robbery is sought by a group of villains. It has comedy that's not amusing and mystery that's not difficult to fathom. The title 'Someone At The Door' is apt as the poor door knocker bangs constantly. You can see it work as the stage play it derives from and by mainly taking place in one location but as a film it is just mediocre. Of the cast I liked bulky Noah Beery as the ambiguous Harry Capel, Edward Chapman as the unfriendly butler Price and Hermione Gingold in a brief but hilarious cameo as the gloomy Lizzy. Unfortunately Billy Milton as the brother Ronnie is exceedingly irritating. The movie was remade in 1950.

A generally OK version of the 1972 original but it is too long and after the excitingly staged heist at the dog track and the early demise of the James Wood slimy villain character (Benyon) the film for me got less interesting and rather unbelievable. Baldwin (Doc) and Basinger (Carol) were not sympathetic characters and Michael Madsen's Rudy was way over the top to the point of undue hilarity. (The chicken and fries scene!) I appreciated more the side characters played by Jennifer Tilly, David Morse, Burton Gilliam and Philip Seymour Hoffman, the latter whom sadly had too little screen time. Mention should be made of Mark Isham's thrilling film score. And the cute kitten that shamefully didn't get an acting credit. The movie was OK.

With a title like 'Creature With The Atom Brain' one presumed this would be a typical 1950's low budget affair which in some ways it is but I did find it surprisingly enjoyable. A gangster named Buchanan teams up with renegade scientist Stegg to use corpses with atomically animated brains to take revenge though it is more like a police procedural movie than a horror one. In the lead is Richard Denning as Dr. Chet Walker of the police laboratory and he is adequate. Much better is S. John Launer as Police Capt. Dave Harris, who is engaging and interesting. Am not sure how accurate the science is but that's not important really as the narrative is clear enough. Definitely worth a watch.

A biological weapon called 'Trixie' gets loose in an American town. The military try to contain the virus by quarantining the town. Things don't turn out well. The film could have done with a larger budget but it is still a fascinating film. The first half particularly is gripping as the chaos and panic grow. The fast editing helped the tension. You get a real sense as the movie progresses of things getting out of hand and not just the virus but society itself. On the acting side I especially liked Lloyd Hollar as Colonel Peckham and Richard France as Dr. Watts though the other cast members quitted themselves well. My only criticism is that perhaps the film is too long and the ending too drawn out. Otherwise a thoughtful and compelling movie.

Capt. Tony Saitta of the Ottawa police goes to Montreal to investigate the death of his young sister Louise. The story of the film winds this way and that but I was gripped all the way. The characters are interesting, even the minor ones' all played very well by a talented cast. The outdoor locations are excellent and effectively filmed in 'Panavision' The highlight of the movie is the stupendous car chase but there are other dramatic moments too as Saitta barges through obstacles on his way to uncover the murderer. Mention should also be made of the perfect music score by the prolific Armando Trovajoli. The element of the story where Saitta learns the truth about his sister and his growing disillusion is well handled. Good film.

A group of unlikeable people drive around in a car. They are pursued by another group of unlikeable people driving around in a van, led by a woman who likes to shoot cell phones. There is also a 'fire twister' going around Los Angeles eating energy. This is a very silly film. None of it makes sense, dramatically or scientifically. My main reaction was, this was written by a ten year old. Nobody stood out in the cast, some of whom could do with acting lessons. Being a low budget film one could forgive the poor CGI I suppose but the 'fire twister' never seemed threatening or awesome. In fact I began rooting for it by the end and rather regretted its demise. The film is a complete misfire.

Superhero Flashman (aka Lord Alex Burman who seems to be a pal of Her Majesty The Queen) deals with counterfeiters, a wealthy Maharajah and villains who have stolen a serum that will make themselves invisible. Which hardly covers everything that happens. The story wanders around to little effect. Paolo Gozlino as Flashman runs around in a fancy dress costume which looks sillier every time he dons it. In support are a bland cast and Jack Ary as the comic Scotland Yard inspector Baxter is really annoying. He has the same burst of music when he always appears which is also annoying. In the film's favour it has colourful exterior locations and looks decent in 'Cromoscope' and 'Tecnostampa'. It's colourful but not that thrilling.

The city of Troy falls with the aid of some subterfuge and a wooden horse and Menelaus recovers his wife Helen from the selfish Paris, their elopement ten years earlier having caused the Trojan war to start. It is a well mounted film with great battle scenes and excellent interior and exterior sets all looking vivid in 'Eastmancolor' and 'Techniscope'. The cast are well chosen with not one unsuitable for their role. Stalwart Steve Reeves as Aeneas is the main star and does well. John Drew Barrymore as the wily Ulysses is fine too. The wooden horse itself is beautifully designed and looks quite plausible. The fall of Troy to flames is capably done and the ending where Aeneas leads his people from the doomed city holding his newly born son in his arms is most affecting. An entertaining spectacle.

Hercules, Theseus and unfunny comic relief Telemachus go into Hades to steal a jewel that will break the spell on Princess Deianera cast by the evil Lico. The film directed by Mario Bava is a wonder to behold with atmospheric sets and lighting giving an other worldly feel, almost gothic. The plot might not be gripping but the visuals are certainly. As Hercules the mighty muscled man Reg Park is convincing as a mighty muscled man and the various ladies in the film are gorgeousness itself. Dominating the acting though is the great Christopher Lee as Lico, who does convey real menace. He should have had more screen time. Armando Trovajoli provides a satisfying film score. I enjoyed it.

Four battle robots are dropped into the Golden Triangle to take out any drug suppliers. Caught up in the operation are a party of doctors and a retired Navy seal. Cue lots of shooting and screaming and escaping and pursuing. A lot of things happen but I found the film a chore to sit through, particularly as it was way too long at 131 minutes. None of the characters are likeable and the quality of the acting varies from adequate to unmemorable. The music score tried to be dramatic but just sounded bompastic and set one's teeth on edge. The only thing I really liked were the robots themselves, the CGI being excellent and the killing machines were most convincing to behold. I rooted for them.

Towards the end one of the robots (Number 4?) becomes self aware and has a debate about life. It reminded me of Ro-Man in 1953's 'Robot Monster' having his existential crisis. Hilarious.

Tom Buchanan aiming for West Texas stops off in the town of Agry on the way and gets involved in the troubles of a young Mexican. One of several westerns actor Randolph Scott made with director Budd Boetticher and perhaps not one of the better ones. It has a narrative that wanders about to little effect. At the end a self confessed murderer is allowed to go free without any consequences. Mr. Scott as Buchanan is frankly a dull character. More entertaining are Peter Whitney as the cringing Amos, Barry Kelley as the corrupt sheriff Lew Agry and stalwart L. Q. Jones as the sherrif's sidekick Pecos Hill who changes his allegiance. It was a shame he was killed before the conclusion of the film. The movie, mostly shot on location, looks good in 'Columbia Color' courtesy of cinematographer Lucien Ballard.