One of My Wives is Missing (1976)

A highly enjoyable TV movie with a delicious twist.

Newly wed Daniel Corban's (James Franciscus) wife has gone missing, the local cop Inspector Levine (Jack Klugman) isn't that interested at what he thinks is just a lover's tiff. 

Then Corban's wife turns up... but Corban says it isn't her! This Elizabeth (Elizabeth Ashley) seems genuine though, she knows the answers to all the questions but Corban is insistent it isn't her. There is something darker going on but maybe not quite what you may expect...

This is a terrific film with a very surprising twist. When you think back at earlier events in the film, the twist just about remains plausible. A well-paced drama, with a great cast, that has layer upon layer. 

Cruise Into Terror (1978)

A surprisingly good slice of horror cheese on the high seas.

A small cargo ship prepares to make a trip to Mexico, though Captain Andrews (Hugh O'Brian) and first mate Simon (Dirk Benedict) have real concerns about the engine holding up. The passengers are a motley collection of stereotypes (well this is a TV movie after all) including a troubled vicar (John Forsythe) and a driven archaeologist (Ray Milland) who is convinced the Ancient Egyptians made it to Mexico!

After a series of strange incidents including mysterious technical failures, the ship makes it to the location of an Egyptian burial site. A sarcophagus is raised from the sea bed. However, the priest warns that they may have raised the son of Satan from the depths...

This is a great film, good old actors putting in decent performances with a plot that maybe isn't too original but has enough meat on it to work. There are a few genuinely creepy moments too.

Get Christie Love! (1974)

A sassy cop drama with a blaxploitation feel which led to a TV series.

Christie Love (Teresa Graves) is a copy sent undercover to find the evidence to break up a drug gang led by Paul Stevens. According to intelligence, the crime boss' squeeze Helena (Louise Sorel) knows where the ledger is to provide the needed evidence. Christie discovers though that Helena with her photographic memory is the ledger. She finds a way to get Helena to play ball by tracking down her long-lost son...

This is an enjoyable film with some good early 1970s soul and cool. Being a TV movie it is pretty restrained compared to the usual blaxploitation film but this helps with some intelligence in the plot which means Christie does some good detective work in the film instead of just beating people up with her dubious martial arts skills (though there is still some of that!) 

A good watch.

Death Force (1978)

A basic tale of revenge but with some interesting twists and some blaxploitation cool.

Doug (James Inglehart) is heading back to the US from a stint in Vietnam, though with his buddies Morelli (Carmen Argenziano) and McGee (Leon Isaac Kennedy) he has a sideline in crime. There is no honour amongst thieves though as Morelli and McGee cut Doug's throat and dump him in the waters around the Philippines. Morelli and McGee return to LA and begin a reign of terror as they take over crime in the city. McGee also tries to get in with Doug's wife (Jayne Kennedy)...

Doug though isn't dead, He is found washed ashore by two Japanese soldiers (Joe Mari Avellana and Joonee Gamboa) who don't know the war is over! They teach Doug in the ways of the Samurai, he uses these skills when he finally does return to LA and begins to take revenge...

A surprisingly good film even though the plot is fairly basic and the story sometimes doesn't really make a lot of sense. The Japanese veterans and the criminal double crossing adds some novelty, the violence is frequent and brutal.

George (1972)

Rather goofy hi-jinks starring a very large dog.

Regina (Linda Caroll) needs to send her dear George away before she gets married, so she sends George to her relative Jim (Marshall Thompson) who lives in Switzerland. Only, George isn't a child but a huge St Bernard dog! George causes havoc wherever he goes, costing Jim a lot of money. But eventually Jim and George are trapped in the snow, only George can save the day!

This isn't a good film by any means, being largely devoid of any meaningful plot except as a way to get from one ridiculous George mishap to the next but the sheer nonsense of the premise and the adorable nature of George makes the film highly enjoyable and hilarious.

The film was spun off into a TV series to continue George and Jim's adventures in the Swiss alps.

Coonskin (1974)

A very strange film, satirical and different but is it any good?

Mixing live action with animation, and everything seems rather random. This film includes a prison break (one of the would-be escapees is voiced by Barry White - yes that one!) as well as a number of wannabe gangsters who rise up the ranks in organised crime in Harlem...

A satire on mid-1970s America, blaxploitation films and race relations, though the satire is laid on as thick as an industrial digger. Maybe the film could have done with being a little more subtle. 

The mix of animation and live action is an acquired taste, though unfortunately not one i have ever acquired. It is certainly an interesting piece of work though i can't say i enjoyed it that much.

A film apparently intended to offend everyone, it will probably succeed.

Superchick (1973)

A rather light piece of sexploitation fluff.

Air stewardess Tara (Joyce Jillson) flies across the country every week and has a man in every port (an interesting twist on the sailor cliché) including Johnny (Tony Young), a beach bum with gambling debts who is wanted by the mob. The mob reckon they can use Tara to commit an airborne robbery but they reckoned without her karate skills!

Well this film is what it is, a light hearted film which shows off plenty of cleavage and skin, and fairly softcore sex. The plot is ridiculous and the acting frequently awful but it is a funny and entertaining enough film, though maybe not fully as the makers intended.

The Take (1974)

A cool tale of a crooked cop who still wants to take the hoodlums down.

Detective Sneed (Billy Dee Williams) arrives in New Mexico to help out the local police who are struggling with the mob led by Manso (Vic Morrow). 

Unfortunately, Sneed is already on the take and has the help of Oscar (Sorrell Brooke - aka Boss Hogg!) to handle the ill gotten gains. Other cops are also on the criminal payroll and Sneed plays a dangerous game taking the gangster cash while also giving the appearance he is doing his job - or is he really doing it?

This is a great film, even if the plot is a bit basic and doesn't make complete sense at times. It is very stylish, likely taking inspiration from blaxploitation films, and has plenty of action as well as plenty of heart. Williams plays a good role.

Enforcer from Death Row (1976)

A multi-national agency has lost their agents so needs a new man to sent in to Manila to fight a deadly gang, of course the obvious choice for this new recruit is a man on death row...

The execution of Young (Leo Fong) is faked and he is sent to the Philippines with a new identity. This identity seems blown pretty early on, though the film is pretty unclear as to what exactly is going on. Young has to battle a criminal gang led by Nomad including his ninjas (who are pretty inept) and his henchmen who enjoy torture maybe a little too much...

This is a pretty terrible film. Very disjointed and makes no sense what so ever. Cameron Mitchell gets top billing though only appears in one scene at the very end. The action is sometimes pretty good, though at other times comically bad. The film is certainly an experience!

Murder in the Orient (1974)

A basic but enjoyable martial arts romp.

During World War 2, Japanese soldiers buried millions of dollars worth of gold somewhere in the Philippines. They put the map to the treasure on two swords (of course!) Now in 1974 the powerful Golden Cobra gang have one of the swords and are hunting for the other...

One of the gang's thugs kills a girl who knows where the sword is (well obviously that helps), this involves Paul (Ron Marchini) and the girl's brother Lao Tsu (Leo Fong). Both of them are highly skilled in kung fu which is going to come in handy...

The plot doesn't really make a lot of sense and is pretty basic when it does, and the acting is pretty ropey... but who cares? No one watches films like this for the acting, they watch it for the action! The action isn't bad at all and the film has plenty of early 1970s cheese.

Baffled! (1973)

A failed TV pilot becomes a pretty decent movie.

Tom Kovack (Leonard Nimoy) is a racing driver who begins to have intense visions during a crash. Occult investigator Michelle Brent (Susan Hampshire) thinks he is having a premonition of an American woman in danger in an English county house. 

Tom and Michelle track down the house (and thus the woman) and begin to uncover a Satanic plot to possess the woman's, Andrea's (Vera Miles), young daughter Jennifer (Jewel Blanch) for evil means... or just get Andrea's money.

This is a good film, though at times the story is a little disjointed which is probably why it never succeeded as a TV pilot. Remade as a film though the story is solid if a little too light to score as a horror. As a detective drama with a supernatural element it works a lot better. Nimoy and Hampshire had great chemistry together.

Death Rage (1976)

A middling Mafia romp.

After a mafia hit in Italy, semi-retired hitman Peter (Yul Brynner) comes over from New York to finally avenge his brother. He gets help from wannabe gangster Angelo (Massimo Ranieri) and his girl (but soon Peter's girl) Anny (Barbara Bouchet)...

This is a fairly unoriginal gangster film, but a decent job has been made of it. The clichés and action scenes come thick and fast, it isn't great though Yul Brynner is superb in all his scenes, one notable fight being in an underground railway station. 

This was Yul Brynner's final film before he gave up on the movies, so hopefully this film wasn't the cause of that decision! 

African Story (1971)

A cool if somewhat strange early 1970s drama.

Producer Arnold Tiller (Stephen Boyd) dislikes his hot pop star Rex Maynard (Michael Kirner), especially when Rex elopes with his daughter (Sue Kiel) to South Africa. 

Arnold has other problems though, as the mob are blackmailing him. Rex has to deal with a fake kidnapping and then a real one...

A rather odd film and not without plenty of flaws including some rather obvious dubbing at times, however it does look good and has plenty of charm and style, the character of Rex in particular is fun. The film also has an unexpected and slightly unusual ending.

The Screaming Tiger (1972)

A violent martial arts film full of vengeance and anti-Japanese sentiment.

The Japanese (evil of course) kill everyone in a Chinese village. The only survivor of the village is Wang Yu (Jimmy Wang Yu) who has top kung fu skills (of course). He heads to Japan for revenge... and that is largely it. There are more subplots but they are rather underdeveloped. Wang Yu is accompanied (and occasionally scolded and advised) by a man who wears a basket on his head.

So, this is basically just a very long fight scene. But what a fight scene it is too, excellent and innovative fighting is shown many times. The xenophobia makes the film a bit too one dimensional and distasteful but the main problem with the film is that it is a bit incomprehensible.

The fighting though, which is the point of a film like this after all, is top notch. 

Death Cruise (1974)

Although the plot is fairly well worn, this is an entertaining whodunnit set aboard a cruise ship with some good twists.

Three couple begin their cruise of the Caribbean, all of them winning their holiday in a competition, though they can't remember entering it. Unfortunately, it isn't long before the first dies, Jerry (Richard Long) apparently falling overboard. It could be an accident though ship's doctor Dr Burke (Michael Constantine) isn't so sure. When the next deaths occur, including the shooting of Jerry's wife Sylvia (Polly Bergen), then Burke is convinced the deaths are all part of a dastardly plan, but who and why?

There have been quite a few films showing a group of being being bumped off one by one by a mystery killer, in great TV movie fashion pretty much everyone in this film has some kind of dark past and secret (except Burke). It is an enjoyable murder mystery film all the same, very competently done, and the final twists are excellent.

I Eat Your Skin (1971)

Playboys head off to a weird voodoo island for hijinks.

The publisher (Dan Stapleton) of a playboy novelist Tom (William Joyce) head off to Zombie Island (great name) to get inspiration for a new book. After just about managing to not crash their plane into the sea, Tom and the others discover a mad scientist (Robert Stanton) trying to cure cancer. 

Obviously, the existence of murderous zombies, with eyes which look like ping pong balls stuck to their faces, on the island has something - i mean nothing to do with him...

This isn't a great film though the kitsch feel and the generally off-beat approach does help with the watchability a lot. The voodoo scenes are very entertaining too though it is too ridiculous to be that scary a horror film. 

The best/funniest part of the film, being an author myself, is the idea of a novelist being a happy-go-lucky bed-hopper irresistible to women!

Equinox (1970)

A creepy horror, low on budget but high on nonsense.

Four college friends (including Edward Connell and Barbara Hewitt) head into the woods to visit their professor. However, they find his house has been destroyed and Dr Waterman (Fritz Leiber Jr) is missing. What has been left behind is a mysterious book, when they read the book they find it is an occult tome and Waterman may have opened a portal to Hell. Opps!

A demon is now loose in the woods, posing as the park ranger (Jack Woods), and wants the book. He is willing to unleash a wave of hellish horrors on the four young people to get ahold of the book. The story is told in flashback.

This isn't that great a film, though the demons are a tasty bit of stop motion animation. The budget was minute but the film makers did manage to make the most of it. 

The Thirsty Dead (1974)

At first look this looks like it will be a sleazy sexploitation film but in fact it turns into a decent if not exceptional occult horror.

We are in the Philippines, and someone is kidnapping young women off the streets of Manila. Laura (Jennifer Billingsley) is one of these, who is snatched by mysterious men in cloaks with hoods (which must be absolute murder in the Manila heat!) 

However, Laura and some other women are not being sold into sex slavery. Instead, they are taken into the remote jungle where a mysterious cult led by Baru (John Considine) worship a head in a block of... something and apparently can live forever if they drink the blood of young girls!

This isn't a very exciting film, as not a lot happens apart from a little mild horror and a lot of weirdness. The film does have a lot of camp value and is enjoyably silly like these films set in the Philippines in the early 1970s often are. Yes of course Vic Diaz is in it!

SST: Death Flight (1977)

Yet another 1970s aviation disaster movie, this one taking place on the first American supersonic airliner.

Cutlass Aircraft's first supersonic airliner is about to make it's maiden trip across the Atlantic with fare-paying passengers. However, a disgruntled engineer has sabotaged the plane (which seems to be held together by string). Meanwhile, a deadly virus is being carried aboard, but surely this will not escape to endanger the passengers. Will it?

The passengers and a crew are a whos-who of disaster movie stereotypes (grizzled old pros, old flames, heroes under a cloud et cetera) and 1970s actors including Doug McClure, Peter Graves, Lorne Greene and Billy Crystal. 

The movie is great fun, though the special effects are pretty cheap, the exterior shots of the airliner itself frequently laughable. It also crams in every cliche of the disaster movie genre imaginable, but you'll probably love it. I did.

Legend of Dinosaurs and Monster Birds (1977)

Japanese monster mayhem, but the 70s cool is the real winner.

A young woman falls down a hole and ends up discovering dinosaur eggs. A geologist with an interest in palaeontology discovers that a plesiosaur is terrorising his old home town, soon there are pterodactyls as well! And the humans are their prey...

Somewhat different for a kaiju film, with a bit more graphic violence than the usual cartoon like mass destruction of model buildings. 

It isn't a very good film though with a confusing, slow moving but rather generic storyline. The best parts about the film are it's late 1970s cool feel (at times) and a Japanese funk soundtrack.