The Flying Missile (1950)

An interesting, if not overly thrilling, look at the earliest days of US Navy guided missiles.

The war is over and now the US Navy is preparing for the next one, that will likely involve guided missiles. Commander Talbot (Glenn Ford) is keen to get his submarine involved in these new trials after watching an early missile (basically a V-2) launched off an aircraft carrier. 

The trial will involve firing V-1s off the decks of submarines, things don't go easy of course and involve the crew of the submarine in various troubles, Talbot is also trying to a girl (Viveca Lindfors)...

The film is a bit slow, and is at times it a little too much like a piece of propaganda but the early missile footage is very interesting.

By Whose Hand? (1932)

An escaped convict hides aboard a continental train, only a sassy newspaper reporter can save the day of course!

Killer Delmar (Nat Pendleton) is on the run. Reporter Jimmy (Ben Lyon) follows the police after news Delmar has been seen at the railway station. Jimmy joins the train, more due to his interest in Alice (Barbara Weeks) than anything else. On board the train Delmar is indeed hiding, a jeweller is also killed and his wares stolen...

This is not a bad film though the plot contains nothing that is surprising (the cops are clueless but the reporter is here to catch the criminal et cetera). The film could have done with a bit more budget to give the onboard train scenes a bit more polish though the location does give the film a claustrophobic feel which adds to the tension.

Follow That Car (1980)

A failed TV pilot but still an enjoyable romp.

Loretta (Tanya Tucker) and Sue Lynn (Terri Nunn) are two pretty car mechanics who spend a lot of their time fixing the car of moonshine runner Dusty (Dirk Benedict), who indulges in high speed chases with the police, sometimes involving driving through fire (won't do the paintwork much good). Caught out by the FBI, they are forced to become under cover agents to defeat the crime boss lady Stark (Sally Kirkland)... 

This was one of a number of films in the late 1970s in a sub-genre sometimes called hicksploitation. They were set in the deep south of the USA, usually involving beautiful girls, fast and loud cars and a county music soundtrack! The film is light, packed full of action though no one really gets that badly hurt amid all the car crashes ands mayhem.

It is fine for what it is but the story is a bit too generic and light. Its not hard to see why it never made it beyond a pilot, but perfectly watchable.

Parole, Inc. (1948)

Gangsters have infiltrated a city's parole programme in order to get dangerous criminals back out on the streets.

The authorities recruit Agent Richard (Michael O'Shea), he takes on the identity of an escaped convict in order to find out who is behind the parole scam. Richard investigates Jojo (Evelyn Ankers) who owns a seedy club where various low-lives and hoodlums hang out. He discovers that her boyfriend Barney (Turhan Bey) is a crooked lawyer who is lining the pockets of corrupt members of the parole board.

A decent crime drama, though for it's good premise it could have maybe been a bit darker. The story is told in flashback by Richard who starts the film all covered in bandages like an Egyptian mummy after the beating he received from the gangsters. 

Rome Express (1932)

An enjoyable crime caper on board a cross-Europe express.

A group of passengers are heading off on a train in Paris for a trip to Rome. They are a motley collection of characters, including an adulterous couple, a film star trying to escape the limelight and a French police inspector. 

Aboard is a valuable painting which is stolen, this leads to murders (though not until some way into the film). There are, of course, many suspects! 

This is a fun film that takes place almost entirely on board the moving train. Neat little camera tricks and editing adds to the interest, though sometimes is a little too cute for it's own good. Conrad Veidt is excellent as the main baddie, exuding menace. Also good in the film is Gordon Harker as a very annoying man.

Speedtrap (1977)

If you like seeing 1970s cars race around and crash, you are in luck.

A string of car thefts, by a mysterious and highly skilled driver who uses a box of electronic tricks to foil the police, is putting Captain Hogan (Morgan Woodward) under pressure. To his dismay, a private investigator is bought in to help. 

Pete Novick (Joe Don Baker) has a bit of a reputation, and a large collection of speeding tickets. He is paired up with one of his ex-s Nolan (Tyne Daly) and begins to unravel a complicated and dangerous plot involving the mob...

A great 1970s piece of car chasing trash. It doesn't really work that well as a crime movie due to the the often confusing plot and meaningless filler. However, for car chases and frequent crashes, plus some cop action it is very enjoyable.

Murder by Invitation (1941)

Played light, maybe too light as it is frequently ridiculous, but this is yet another dark house murder mystery... and its pretty good!

Wealthy aunt Cassandra (Sarah Padden) sees off an attempt by her relatives to have her declared mentally incompetent so they can get their hands on her cash. She invites them to spend the night at her isolated country house. When one of them is murdered, radio reporter Bob White (Wallace Ford) comes in to investigate. 

More murders take place in a house riddled by hidden passages and tunnels. One of the relatives is suspected to be the culprit (though the field is gradually being narrowed down), while Bob and his assistant Nora (Marian Marsh) are struggling to work out what is going on amid all the nonsense and red herrings, Aunt Cassandra has a cunning plan...

This is objectively not a good film, it is a bit too chaotic and many of the actors mill around without much to do (and not doing that well). However, i loved it! It is a fun film, the goofiness makes it hard to take seriously as a crime drama, but if it is approached with an open mind then it certainly is entertaining.

Cuban Rebel Girls (1959)

A mysterious piece of sometimes sleazy propaganda that was Errol Flynn's final film.

Errol Flynn heads over to Cuba to be a war correspondent documenting Fidel Castro's revolution against Batista. An American girl (Beverley Aadland) heads to Cuba to join her boyfriend who is fighting for Castro. Flynn follows her and other teenage girls fighting for Castro...

This is a very strange and poor little film, the fact it exists seems very strange these days and was probably a bit odd back then too. The production values are very cheap, the film looks more like a grainy home movie and often is pretty tawdry, along with the obvious propaganda.

Worth watching for the curiosity value only to be honest.

Stingray (1978)

Hapless hoodlums desperately try to get their loot back which has been hidden in a hot (in more ways than one) car...

Drug dealers Tony (Bert Hinchman) and Lonigan (William Watson) kill two cops who try to frame them and hide a stash of cash and drugs in a Stingray that is on sale on a used car lot (well why not?) 

After they link up with their violent boss Abigail (Sherry Jackson) - who is also dressed as a nun - they discover the car has been sold to Elmo (Les Lannom) and Al (Christopher Mitchum). Soon, a mad chase is going on as both the police and the criminals are after them...

This is an enjoyable watch, its a bit of a romp with plenty of car chases, violence and comedic nonsense. Fast moving, especially in the Stingray, and quite ridiculous but a lot of fun.

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939)

An excellent Sherlock Holmes film.

Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Dr Watson (Nigel Bruce) are called to help to investigate a mysterious beast which is stalking the foggy moors. Young heir Sir Baskerville (Richard Greene) is in danger from this beast, but is the real danger from someone a bit more human...

Before the Rathbone-Bruce films entered the present day (well the 1940s), they did a couple of official Sherlock Holmes stories set in the correct period, of which this was the first. Their characters arn't quite set yet but they do a very good job with a classic story. 

Its a very atmospheric story though the foggy (and presumably chilly) moors reverberate with the sound of crickets for some reason.

Thunder in Carolina (1960)

High octane track action makes up for a bit of a stall in the plot department.

We are in the early days of NASCAR and top racer Mitch (Rory Calhoun) is out of action for awhile following a bad crash in a race. 

Mitch takes young hotshot Les (Race Gentry) under his wing, unfortunately he also takes a shine to Les' wife Rene (Connie Hines) though this only one way. Success on track goes to Les' head and he begins to make some risky choices...

This film will be a bit more enjoyable if you like watching motor racing as these scenes are pretty good, the rest of the film could do with being in a higher gear. Not that bad but could have been more.

Fighting Ace (1979)

A generic revenge kung fu story is enlivened by some top notch action.

As a boy Kao Che (John Liu) witnesses a madman kill his father (for a book), and then rape and kill his mother (just because). 

Twenty years later he learns kung fu from a number of teachers including Kwan Yeung Moon who does an incredible action set piece, and accompanied by a comedy sidekick (of course) he sets out for revenge...

Well the story isn't very original but that doesn't really matter. People watch films like this for the action and that is very good. A great film for kicks for sure and some innovative fights.

Show of Shows (1929)

It is 1929, sound films have quickly revolutionised the cinema industry and there is a hunger by audiences to hear as well as see the stars of the silver screen...

Warner Brothers created this film as a showcase of it's stars which isn't a film as such but a musical-comedy revue hosted by Frank Fay. We see top stars of the day like John Barrymore, also performances from Broadway acts and even Rin Tin Tin!

It is a lavish period piece, the comedy often falls a bit flat but the large scake spectacle is very impressive. It is worth watching for the historic value alone, but it is also pretty entertaining at times.

Deadline Auto Theft (1983)

A bit of a mess of a film, although good fun to watch as long as you don't think about it too much.

A gang of criminals led by Maindrian Pace (HB Halicki) is stealing valuable cars. After the gang steal the car of police captain Gibbs' (Hoyt Axton) fiancé, Gibbs is out to get the gang. Meanwhile, Pace has been contracted by a drug lord to steal dozens of cars for him...

This film frequently doesn't make a lot of sense, but it is actually an older film (1974's Gone in 60 Seconds) which has been edited quite heavily and has a whole new opening scene (quite a good action set piece as well although cars are crashed for no apparently logical reason apart from it looks cool). The jarring fashions of the two sources of this film are quite noticeable at times, it is all a lot of nonsense really but fun to watch.

Bad Georgia Road (1977)

A very amiable tale of moon shine running and culture shocks.

Bored New Yorker Molly (Carol Lynley) finds she has inherited a farm from a distant relative in Alabama. When she gets there she finds her fantasies of a fancy farmstead are a bit off base as her farm is very run down and the only thing that makes money is the moon shine still. 

Leroy (Gary Lockwood) takes the illegal booze to customers in his hot rod and he immediately takes a dislike to Molly, though you know that won't last long...

This is a fun film although not very original. The culture shock of the NY city slicker ending up in the middle of nowhere is amusing, though the best parts of the film are the various car chases between Leroy and the law.

That Wonderful Urge (1948)

A light if ultimately forgettable romantic comedy.

Heiress Sarah Farley (Gene Tierney) is annoyed that a reporter has been writing some gossip pieces about her. To her surprise a nice young man (Tyrone Power) she has met at a resort turns out to be the reporter Thomas Tyler. 

She aims to ruin his career by falsely claiming they got married. Much to-and-fro will follow, but you know it will end in a kiss.

Somewhat predictable but an amiable little story. There is nothing wrong with the film it just lacks any bite or a spark.

The Bat Whispers (1930)

Not a great film but interesting from a historical and technical point of view.

Master criminal The Bat steals a necklace from under the police's noses, he then goes into the countryside. Pausing only to rob a bank, he then goes to a lonely country mansion to terrify the occupants including Miss van Gorder (Grayce Hampton) and Dale (Una Merkle). The police in the form of Chester Morris turn up to investigate, but who is The Bat?

This is a remake of the 1926 film The Bat, though this one has sound. It is a bit of a silly romp with plenty of overacting and nonsense but an enjoyable watch. 

This is one of the few films in the Magnifilm wide-screen format which didn't catch on. The film is also cited by Batman's creator as being part of the inspiration for the character.

Dixie Dynamite (1976)

A low budget usually harms a film but in this case it kind of suits it.

After their moonshine making father (Mark Miller) is killed in a police chase, his daughters (Jane Anne Johnson and Kathy McHaley) take over the still and aim to get revenge. They discover that the federal agents who caused the police trouble were fake and an evil rich businessman Stanley Adams is looking to get his hands on Miller's land. The girls get the help of a dirt biker Warren Oates with their search for revenge.

The grubby setting and cheap rough camerawork at times suits the story. A fine B-movie. One of the stunt bikers was Steve McQueen (though he was wearing a helmet but not recognisable) who took the job as he was bored!

A Fig Leaf for Eve (1944)

A silly piece of fluff, that promises sleaze but doesn't really rise to the challenge (so to speak).

Eve (Jan Wiley) is an exotic dancer who is arrested after her lewd (apparently) is reported to the police. In reality her dance was pretty tame even for the day, but her arrest was arranged as a publicity stunt by her agent (Phil Warren). 

Bail bondsman Hoffman (Eddie Dunn) thinks Eve can pass herself off as a missing heiress. When she is introduced to the family she finds not everyone is delighted to see her...

After the dance at the start there isn't much else in the sleaze department to report, what you do get is a rather mediocre melodrama. The highlight of the film is a short cameo by Cheerio Meredith who plays a drunk.

Port of Missing Girls (1938)

Crime and melodrama on the high seas.

Singer Della (Judith Allen) witnesses a murder and is forced by the killer to go on the run with him, thus the police think she is an accomplice. She stows away on board a cargo ship captained by Storm (Harry Carey) - not the best name for a ship captain you'd think? 

She persuades the captain, who is painted as a "notorious woman hater" after his wife left him in the past, to let her stay (somewhat easily). First Mate Jim (Milburn Stone) falls in love with her, Della's troubles are by no means yet over. She is forced to hide out in a hide out in the South Seas which is obviously a brothel.

A decent little film, Jim and Della make a good couple which makes you care about them. The cast do a reasonable good job out of a rather flimsy plot.

The Valiant (1929)

A dramatic early talkie as a man who has committed a terrible crime fights to hide his true identity.

After shooting another man, the killer goes to the police to give himself up. He gives the fake identity of James Dyke (Paul Muni) and refuses to give his real identity, even as he faces the death penalty. Mary (Marguerite Douglas) thinks the mysterious man could be her long-lost brother and heads to the prison to see him and see if she is right...

A decent enough, if at times a bit melodramatic, film which suffers from a little too much cardboard in the acting department, though Muni was very good (and indeed he was Oscar nominated for the role). Interestingly, this early sound film includes a few inter titles as well as sound. The film does not answer all of the questions posed, which is both refreshing and annoying.

Between Midnight and Dawn (1950)

A tough, though uneven, tale of crime on the streets.

Barnes (Mark Stevens) and Purvis (Edmond O'Brien) are two policemen reacting to calls on the radio voiced by Mallory (Gale Storm), whom they both have the hots for. 

However, the partnership (and love triangle) is torn apart by the gangster Garris (Donald Buka) who kills Barnes. Now Purvis is out to bring Garris down no matter the cost...

A fair amount of violence and a lot of scenes set at night give this film a Noir feel. Though this Noir feel is rather diluted by the light hearted nature of the romantic sub-plot. Not a flawless film but perfectly enjoyable.

The Ape Man (1943)

A cheap but perfectly reasonable horror movie, though Bela Lugosi worked better as Dracula than a half-ape man.

Scientist (mad of course) Dr Brewster (Lugosi) has gone into hiding. The reason is because he conducted experiments on himself and is now stuck as a half-man half-ape! 

Brewster tries to get his colleague Dr Randall (Henry Hall) to get him recently harvested human spinal fluid to try and cure him, Randall refuses as it would mean he has to kill. Instead, Brewster and his pet ape (Emil Van Horn) go and seeks victims for himself...

A creepy film, Lugosi plays a good role as the man driven to kill through sheer desperation. The make-up is also very well done. This isn't the best Lugosi film though by a long way but is a fun watch.

The Fuzz (1972)

A grubby but fun early 1970s crime drama, maybe a little too much fun.

A police precinct in Boston is grappling with a rather awful case of two kids who are setting tramps on fire (so usual stuff then) when they receive a phone call threatening to kill local politicians unless the city stumps up with a lot of cash. When a police commissioner is shot dead, the police including Detectives Carella (Burt Reynolds) and McHenry (Raquel Welch) now know this is a real threat. The search is on for the mysterious bald, deaf man (Yul Brynner) who seems to be behind it...

A gritty and chaotic film, reflected in the police station itself as the police wrestle with a complicated case working around a couple of wisecracking redecorators who drip paint everywhere. The police are often shown to be a bit inept, and there is a lot of comedy in this film. There is maybe a little too much goofiness to suit the seriousness of the crimes but this is an enjoyable watch.

Escape from San Quentin (1957)

A tense prison break drama.

Gruber (Richard Devon) persuades fellow con Gilbert (Johnny Desmond) to help him break out of San Quentin, Gilbert is vital to the plan as it involves using a plane to fly out of the prison and Gilbert is a pilot. 

The plan succeeds but now the escaped convicts face difficulty in getting their hands on Gruber's hidden stash of loot. Gilbert though is more interested in getting to talk to his estranged wife, soon his sister-in-law (Merry Anders) is dragged into their escape with both the police and the mob after them...

A good film with Noir touches, the actual prison break itself only takes up a small part of the film, most of it is taken up with the convicts on the run. This can drag a bit but the menace and violence of the mobsters keeps you interested.

Miss V from Moscow (1942)

A ridiculous but fast moving wartime spy drama.

Top Soviet spy Vera (Lola Lane) is sent to France by her boss - who veers between a terrible Russian accent and a Brooklyn one throughout. In Paris, Vera tangled with the evil Nazi police chief Kleiss (Noel Maddison) but she uses her resemblance to a dead German agent to evade the Gestapo and help the Allies and the Resistance send radio messages to alert Allied convoys of impending German attacks...

This is quite an odd film, which at times resembles a fast moving serial. Most of the characters are stereotypes, and often hilariously so. The story doesn't make much sense and the low budget is stretched very thinly, luckily as it's a wartime film there is plenty of stock footage to pad things out. All in all this film is terrible, but it is definitely in the so bad it's good camp.

The Lone Defender (Serial) (1930)

An enjoyable Western serial, the fabulous Rin Tin Tin stealing the show.

The mysterious Cactus Kid (Lee Shumway) and his gang kill a prospector but do not discover the location of his gold mine. The prospector's dog Rinty (Rin Tin Tin) recognises the killers - though of course he can't tell anyone! 

The Cactus Kid thinks the dog can lead him to the mine so tries to get his hands on the dog. Rinty meanwhile helps agent Ramon (Walter Miller) track down the identity of the Cactus Kid...

A decent enough serial with plenty of exciting cliff hangers. However, the story is maybe stretched a little too far in the serial format. The story probably would work better as a stand alone film, and indeed it was edited and reworked into such in 1934!

Thunderbolt (1929)

A good early talkie with some tasty gangster nonsense.

Notorious gangster Thunderbolt (George Bancroft) is wanted by the police, they put the squeeze on his moll Ritzie (Fay Wray) but she won't give him up. In fact, she doesn't really care about him anymore, she is more interested in her her new, and law abiding, lover Bob (Richard Arlen). 

Eventually, Thunderbolt is captured by the police and faces the death penalty but Bob is also put in gaol after being framed, now Thunderbolt seeks to kill Bob while he has the chance...

Early talkies can often be a bit of a chore due to the awkwardness of the actors trying to adapt to the new style, there is a little bit of that here but overall the cast do a good job, Wray especially is excellent. There is a superb scene in a night club too with some decent singing and a bit of fighting. We also get a rather adorable performing dog. An enjoyable film.

Hi-Jacked (1950)

An inoffensive decent little crime drama.

A gang are hi-jacking trucks and stealing the loads, one of these trucks is being driven by Joe (Jim Davis) when he falls for the old broken down car trick.

Unfortunately, Joe has a record so he is suspected by the police of being involved. These suspicions are fuelled when Joe is framed into driving a load of contraband. He sets out to catch the real criminals, and save his marriage to Jean (Marcia Mae Jones)...

This is a reasonable if unexceptional B-movie. The story is not very original and the performances a bit flat. It passes the time but not much more.

The Notorious Lone Wolf (1946)

The Lone Wolf continues, with a new face.

The Lone Wolf, Michael Lanyard (now played by Gerald Mohr) has returned from the war and immediately gets drawn into a plot to steal a valuable diamond. Inspector Crane (William B Davidson) naturally thinks Lanyard and Jameson (Eric Blore) stole the gem - Crane is quite an unimaginative detective to be honest as he always thinks Lanyard is behind all gem thefts, maybe he thinks he will get it right finally. The gem was stolen from a dancer who was wearing it, the dancer being murdered. Lanyard must track down the gem and the murderer...

The Lone Wolf series was just starting to run out of steam by now. Post-war, these kinds of bright and breezy B-movies were starting to look a bit dated in the coming age of the Noir, however Mohr slightly refreshes the role. The rest of the Lone Wolf formula is there and this is a good, if unexceptional, entry in the series.

The Black Cobra 3: Manila Connection (1990)

Lots of running around in the Filipino jungle ultimately wins out.

After a shipment of US weapons are stolen in the Philippines, and a US agent is killed by insurgents, Malone (Fred Williamson) is called in from the streets of Chicago to help investigate the case along with Interpol agent Duncan (Forry Smith). 

As their investigation continually runs into trouble they begin to suspect there is a traitor in their midst, could it be fellow agent Ward (Debra Ward)?

A low budget action romp with the flimsy story largely there to punctuate the various action set pieces. These arn't bad, though are frequently a bit ridiculous and overly relys on the tired trope of the bad guys being hopeless shots. An enjoyable film if approached in the right way.

Alibi for Murder (1936)

A 1930s B-movie about a private detective and reporter who is (yes you guessed it) sassy and wise-cracking!

Perry (William Gargan) is trying to interview a reclusive scientist, while he is at the scientist's home trying to get to see him a shot is heard and the scientist is found dead. The murdered man's secretary Lois (Marguerite Churchill) helps Perry try and unravel a complicated case involving business rivals, military secrets and anti-war sentiment...

This is a typically fast moving crime drama with plenty of suspects and red herrings before we get to the final act and a fairly ingenious murder method. The plot is a bit hard to follow at times though but it doesn't really spoil the enjoyment that much. 

One interesting part of the film is early on when we see the scientist Stava (Egon Brecher) arrive back in the USA from Europe on the Hindenburg zeppelin!

Million Dollar Weekend (1948)

A neat little crime drama with some good twists.

Nick (Gene Raymond) has run off with a million dollars worth of bonds, he is joined on his flight by Cynthia (Osa Massen) who is on the run after killing her husband (accidentally but the slimy Alan (Francis Lederer) is blackmailing her). Once they get to Honolulu, Nick is forced to join up with Cynthia after Alan discovers Nick's secret and decides those bonds are a more lucrative prize and heads off back to the mainland with them. Now Nick and Cynthia desperately try and hunt Alan down in San Francisco...

An enjoyable film that has a bit of a Noir touch but only just enough to give the film a little extra bite. The story is involving and the leads give some good performances. A modest film maybe but certainly more than the sum of it's parts. A film that is well worth checking out.

The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

The second film in the original Star Wars trilogy, many regard this the best film of the lot, and it quite possibly is.

After the loss of the Death Star battle station to the rebels in the first film, the Empire's forces led by Darth Vader (David Prowse / James Earl Jones) are fighting back and are hot on the rebels' trail. After a close call on the ice planet Hoth, the rebels manage to escape but Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) breaks off to meet with the legendary Yoda to begin his Jedi training. 

On the planet Bespin, Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and our other heroes are captured by Vader. Luke comes to the rescue but discovers a horrific fact about his past...

A darker film than Star Wars with new layers added to the main returning characters, greatly adding to the richness of the leads established in the first film. All the joy and wonder of Star Wars is enhanced by thoughtful additions to the universe, these additions all makes sense (something later sequels often forgot). A fantastic film. The best Star Wars film? Maybe, it is certainly in the top two.

The Case Against Brooklyn (1958)

A tough crime drama with a definite Noir feel.

With unlicensed bookmakers operating in the city, the feeling is that the police are on the take. The DA sends a rookie cop in to investigate. Pete (Darren McGavin) is unknown and keen, but hurled into a very dangerous situation with ultimately deadly consequences. 

Pete thinks recently widowed Lil Polumbo (Margaret Hayes) is the key to getting the evidence that the local police are in the bookies' pocket but he really needs to be wary of her friend Franklin (Warren Stevens)...

A great example of a late Noir. The villains are ruthless and deadly, willing to resort to anything to keep their racket going. The plot is fast moving and the film is well performed. A great watch.

Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood (1942)

Part of the long-running Boston Blackie series, the usual frantic goings on but this time in Tinsel town.

Blackie (Chester Morris) and the Runt (George E Stone) are about to head off to Florida when Blackie receives a call for help from a fellow ex-criminal (or is he?) Arthur (Lloyd Corrigan) asks Blackie to take $60K from his safe in New York and take it over to California. 

Somehow this is mixed up with the theft of a valuable diamond, Inspector Farraday (Richard Lane) of course thinks Blackie has stolen the diamond and so follows Blackie to California and gets mixed up in a complicated tale of blackmail and stolen goods...

Still early in the series but the series is now hitting high gear. A fast-paced story with plenty of swerves and action packed into a short running time. Good humour and performances add to make this an excellent film.

Steel (1979)

A film about high places which unfortunately doesn't quite raise to the challenge.

A major project to build a new skyscraper is running behind schedule, things not being helped when the chief engineer Cassidy (George Kennedy) dies in an accident thanks to some faulty equipment. Cassidy's daughter Cass (Jennifer O'Neill) is desperate for her Dad's last project to not end in failure so brings in Mike (Lee Majors) to lead the job completion. Time is short and there is a lot left to do, can he head up HS2 after this?

Not a bad film and sometimes unintentionally hilarious, such as the scene when Mike is introduced. He is seen driving a big truck, wearing a vest and listening to country music. One of the most American scenes in modern movie history. The film has plenty of construction site butch antics, i get the feeling these guys would have thought modern day health and safety is woke.

Not an amazing film but certainly a little different.

The Unholy Night (1929)

An early talkie, and an early dark house mystery. 

After an attempt on the life of Lord Montague (Roland Young), he discovers that some of his former army comrades have been killed. He calls his other army comrades to his home, with the police overseeing, to try and find out who was behind the attacks. The daughter (Dorothy Sebastian) of a disgraced former officer turns up, warning of bad things going to happen and a big legacy. Bad things indeed do happen as the officers start to get bumped off one by one...

While the sound and dialogue can be awkward at times (like most early talkies), this is a fun little drama. It has plenty of sudden screams and a spooky atmosphere, Oriental mystery, plenty of odd goings on and Boris Karloff chewing the scenery as a sinister Turkish lawyer.

The Mad Bomber (1973)

A pretty brutal and also rather good 1970s cop drama.

Distraught over the death of daughter, Dorn (Chuck Connors) begins a bombing campaign to blow institutions (including his daughter's ex-school) he blames for her death. The police are stumped without a clue who the bomber is, however there is a clue. 

During one bombing, a girl at a mental hospital, which is about to be bombed, is raped. Detective Minelli (Vince Edwards) desperately seeks the rapist (Neville Brand) not only for his crimes but also because he might be the only man who can identify the bomber...

A deliciously dark slice of the ultraviolent 1970s which revolves around the broken minds of two criminals, both superbly played by Connors and Brand. A graphic film for sure that maybe could have left a little more to the imagination. Very compelling viewing.

The Lineup (1958)

A tough Noir with some real menace.

The police are battling to stop the smuggling of narcotics, including heroin, into San Francisco. The method used is to dupe or force travellers to bring the drugs into the city when they return from abroad. Dancer (Eli Wallach) and Julian (Robert Keith) are two hoodlums who have turned up in town to retrieve the drugs smuggled in by a group of passengers off a cruise ship. 

All is going smoothly as they work they way through the mules (though a trail of dead bodies is being left behind) until they find drugs hidden in a child'd doll has been lost. The mastermind behind the operation will not be very happy about that...

A great film, the gangsters are psychotic, the people drawn into the smuggling ring are frequently doomed. A violent and dark film that is well worth seeing.

Return to Savage Beach (1998)

Tits and guns return to a remote Pacific island we last saw in Savage Beach.

A stolen floppy disk (which mysteriously has changed from a 5.25" in the first film to a 3.5" one to make the film appear more modern!) leads both criminals and the large chested ladies of LETHAL to a remote island to hunt for treasure stolen from the Philippines. 

Apparently, the gold in the first film wasn't all of the loot the wartime Japanese stole. Martinez (Rodrigo Obregón) returns as the Filipino rebel leader who wants the gold to fund revolution, others want the gold for more selfish reasons...

It makes little sense, to be honest the first film didn't either but this is worse. But it doesn't really need to make sense, this is a film to see former Playboy models fire guns while wearing skimpy outfits. This is great fun though, among the cast is former WCW wrestler Buff Bagwell, but of course!

This was the final film in the Andy Sidaris' LETHAL series and is a fine end to a fun series.

The Lone Wolf in London (1947)

The penultimate film in the long running series.

Two diamonds disappear from a police vault, the police immediately suspect the former jewel thief Michael Lanyard - the Lone Wolf (Gerald Mohr) as they know he is in London, officially doing research for a book he is writing. 

Lanyard is recruited by a member of the aristocracy (Vernon Steele), who is hard up, to sell some jewels for him. Meanwhile, Lanyard is starting to suspect stage star Iris Chatham (Evelyn Ankers) is involved in the diamond robbery, though the police still stubbornly suspect him!

Mohr and Eric Blore as Jamison worked well as a team, though this was the last time they worked together in this series, and the eleventh and final time Blore played Lanyard's assistant. A decent film with the usual fast moving plot and various plot tangents and red herrings. Maybe we have seen it all before (many times) but it is still a good film.

Operation Manhunt (1954)

A dramatisation of the life of Soviet defector Igor Gouzenko who was a wanted man by the KGB after he defected to Canada, he also makes a (masked) appearance at the end of the film.

Gouzenko (Harry Townes) is living in hiding in Canada, but the Soviets have their plans ready to find and kill him. Agent Volov (Jacques Aubuchon) is tasked to pose as a wannabe defector in order to befriend Gouzenko so he can be drawn out of kiding...

After a slow start (the semi-documentary style doesn't help) this film develops in a compelling spy drama full of tension. There are also some surprises too especially in the final scenes. It can be a bit wooden at times but the story (with it's real-life basis) is excellent.

Passport to China (1960)

A rather tepid spy drama, as Hammer goes stereotype galore.

Don Benton (Richard Basehart) is a HK based businessman who becomes involved in a US government mission to retrieve secret information from the clutches of Red China rather reluctantly. Making his way to Canton, he tangles with Russian stereotype Kong (Eric Pohlmann) and tries to rescue agent Lola (Lisa Gastoni).

The film is an interesting view of 1960s Red China, including the war on sparrows (which backfired terribly) but the dated stereotypes are a bit jarring. The film is a bit too low effort though is watchable and the views of 60s HK is enjoyable.

Hearing Bernard Cribbins attempt a Portuguese accent is a joy.

Nazi Agent (1942)

Although heavy on propaganda and message, this is a good early wartime spy drama.

Otto (Conrad Veidt) is a respected book seller, and an emigre from the Nazi Germany he despies. However, his twin brother is very much on brand with the regime, indeed he has also come over to the USA but he is setting up a spy ring! He forces Otto to become part of his network but in a struggle Otto is forced to kill his brother. 

Otto takes the part of his brother, and now within the spy network begins his plan to bring it down from within. However, he also encounters fellow agent Kaaren (Anne Ayers) who has become disillusioned with the regime...

An enjoyable film with good performances and emotion leading to great sacrifice. The best part of the film though is definitely Veidt who plays twin brothers with dramatically different characters. Unfortunately this was one of his last films before his early untimely death.

Pickup on South Street (1953)

A tough and gritty Noir spy drama.

Candy (Jean Peters) is being tailed by the feds, they know she is carrying microfilm containing industrial secrets which the Communists want to get their hands on. 

However, pick pocket Skip (Richard Widmark) messes everything up by stealing Candy's purse on the underground! Now the search is on for the pick pocket, both by the spies and the feds...

A dark film, doomed people hanging on by their fingernails in the dark underbelly of the city. A very good film with a compelling storyline. Thelma Ritter plays a terrific role as a police informer, indeed well worth the Oscar nomination she got for it.

Fit to Kill (1993)

Another boobs and guns epic by Andy Sidaris.

International arms dealer Kane (Geoffrey Moore) is after a diamond which had been stolen from the Russians in the Second World War and is now owned by Chang (Aki Aleong). He intends to return it to Russia but the gem is stolen by Kane. Now it is up to Donna (Dona Speir) and her fellow federal agents in skimpy outfits to retrieve...

This is a fun romp which makes heavy use of remote control toys such as helicopters and cars, though these are armed with rockets and bombs! It makes little sense of course but that does not matter as it should not be taken too seriously.

Surely this is one of the few films to mention the short lived Commonwealth of Independent States in dialogue?

Too Many Winners (1947)

The last Michael Shayne film, though he would return on the small screen in the 1960s. It would be great to say the character ended on a high but...

Michael Shayne (Hugh Beaumont) abandons his planned vacation with Phyllis (Trudy Marshall) to take on a case of counterfeit tickets at a race course. He begins to uncover a case involving murder and blackmail, with Detective Rafferty (Ralph Dunn) on his tail as usual...

This version of Shayne is not as hard boiled as the Lloyd Nolan version, this Michael Shayne is more easy going but maybe that robs this film of a little bite. The film is fast moving but a bit directionless and bland. 

The femme fatale character of Mayme (Claire Carleton) is one of the highlights of the film but she gets killed off too quickly! Not a bad film, watchable but pretty forgettable.

Dangerous Curves (1929)

An early talkie. Truthfully, its not that great but one of the few sound films the queen of the silent movie, Clara Bow, so is of course well worth a watch.

Circus performer and trapeze artist Larry (Richard Arden) is involved with the vampish fellow performer Zara (Kay Francis) but he is also falling for stunt horse rider Pat (Clara Bow). Zara is cheating on Larry and dumps him when he has an accident. Pat tries to persuade the circus owner to take the injured Larry back, but she needs to think up a new act for them...

Clara shines, unlike many silent movie stars she took to talkies pretty well (this being her second, so with still an occasional hitch) but was let down by indifferent material. The film is OK, interesting without being exceptional. Both of the female leads steal the show but with entirely different styles.

The Third Visitor (1951)

A nice little, if sometimes a bit static, murder mystery.

After Richard Carling (Karel Stepanek) is found dead in his fancy house, Inspector Mallory (Guy Middleton) begins his investigation. There are a number of suspects as Carling was visited by a few people that night, but who was the last person to see him alive. And what is the dark secret behind who Carling really is?

The film can be a bit confusing at times, and also can get bogged down now and then. The story is good though and rewards the viewer's patience at some of the meandering early on as the dark secrets are gradually revealed. Everything comes together in the final act.

Some good performances, especially from Sonia Dresdel, add to the richness of the film. Not perfect but worth watching.