Take an Easy Ride (1976)

What starts out as what appears to be a public information film on the dangers of hitch hiking soon becomes something much much darker indeed...

A number of stories of young girls hitch hiking are intertwined, the most notable being the one with Margaret Heald and Helen Bernat who want to go to a pop festival. Unfortunately, they accept a lift from a leather glove wearing porn obsessed pervert who ends up taking them into the woods and brutally raping them. Another hitch hiker accepts a lift from a posh couple in an expensive car and ends up becoming their drugged up sex toy in a hotel...

The abruptness of the film from interviewing foreign students to savage sex crimes is nearly as shocking as the actual crimes. It is grubby, exploitative though for a nostalgic look at the roads, cars and music of the 1970s it surely scores. But you'll probably feel like you need a wash afterwards.

The Christmas Tree (1975)

There isn't much to this short film. The tale of a tinsel Christmas tree that is taken to a home, stands watch over Christmas and is then binned and burnt (and goes to Christmas tree heaven!)

This tree has a face (Julian Chagrin) however, but the family do not seem to notice this oddity. It is a charming but somewhat odd film, and i love it. As a child of the 1970s, the most dear Christmas time to me was the mid-1970s when it was still a wonder to me and not a chore. The true magic of Christmas is there. Coming down to the tree all excited on Christmas morning to get my new toys. Luckily our trees didn't have faces, or die for that matter as it was made of plastic tinsel. 

So, this is a great little oddity of a film and the best Christmas film i've ever seen (though to be honest that isn't saying much as the genre is usually pretty awful). Anyway Merry Christmas!

The Scarecrow (1920)

An enjoyable and highly inventive comedy from the legendary Buster Keaton.

Buster Keaton and Joe Roberts are poor farmhands who manage to survive in very inventive ways, including reusing the same coin over and over again in the gas meter! They are both interested in the farmer's daughter Sybil Seely. Buster disguises himself as a scarecrow to cause trouble for Joe and soon he and Sybil are engaged. But of course they get married in a madcap road scene while on a motorbike and sidecar combination!

A great comedy, inventive (the hut they live in at the start with all the hidden gadgets and tricks is brilliant) and slipstick which culminates in a frenetic and fairly spectacular final scene. 

A Night in the Show (1915)

Charlie Chaplin goes to the theatre, obviously mayhem ensues. Firstly he has trouble getting a seat he likes, and of course causes a lot of disruption changing it. Finally he gets into a fight with the conductor and is thrown out! 

Meanwhile in the cheap seats is a tramp, who looks rather like Chaplin's future iconic character, who causes even more trouble. When a fire eater is on stage he thinks the building is on fire and starts to hose down the stage... and the audience!

The film is of it's time, violent slapstick without any real story or meaning. Chaplin at this stage was randomly punching people for laughs, which in itself is sometimes funny though something better was yet to come.

Fatty Joins the Force (1913)

Fatty Arbuckle thinks joining the police will sort him with his beau.

Fatty's girlfriend Dot Farley likes a man in uniform. When a child falls into the lake she encourages Fatty to save it, by pushing him in after it! Happily Fatty does save the child after much splashing about and it turns out that the child is the daughter of the Police Commissioner (George Nichols). Fatty is rewarded by being made a police officer. However, he soon finds out that being a police officer and tackling criminal types isn't that much fun...

A perfectly fine if unexceptional little slapstick comedy film. Not all the gags work but Arbuckle does a decent job with the material he is given.

The Lesser Evil (1912)

A neat little drama.

A young woman (Blanche Sweet) goes to meet her sweetheart, a fisherman (Edwin August). Unfortunately the meeting point is where a gang of smugglers led by (Alfred Paget) store their wares. The woman is kidnapped by the smugglers who take to their boat. While her sweetheart tries to raise the alarm and get help, trouble is brewing on the boat. The crew are now boozed up and seeking to have "fun" with the woman, she considers death would be preferable, the lesser evil...

While not a masterpiece the film is decent in most ways including the naturalistic acting.

The Boat (1921)

Buster Keaton has built a boat in his house and intends to take his family on a trip. What could go wrong? Apart from everything.

First of all the boat is too big to get out of the house, the boat is finally removed from the house but not without demolishing the house! Buster's wife (Sybil Seely) is not that impressed naturally though shows admirable restraint. When the family do get to the sea, the boat it sinks (of course) leaving them in peril! He could probably do with another hobby to be honest.

This is a good slapstick comedy but with some subtle humour too. So much is packed into this short film, you might even think a little too much? A great film from a comedy master. 

These Girls Are Fools (1950)

Many try their luck in Hollywood, some succeed and others... take their clothes off apparently.

Sheila Anderson is a naive beauty queen who wins a part in a "Hollywood" film. Unfortunately for Sheila its a bit of a con, really the film turns out to be a low-rent soft core porn film where she has to take her clothes off and do some nude swimming. Unfortunately her chances of a real career as an actress are now ruined as no one wants to hire a "porn actress". It doesn't end well for Sheila, viewers may have a happier ending.

The film narration tries to paint this little film as a public service film warning young ladies about Hollywood, yeah right its actually a pubic service film serving up some female flesh and sexploitation. Terrible trash obviously, so blatant it is quite amusing.

His New Profession (1914)

An early Charlie Chaplin short comedy. An interesting if not especially brilliant stepping stone on the road to greatness.

Courting couple Charlie Chase and Peggy Page are having their date ruined by a crippled uncle (Jess Dandy) they are supposed to be looking after. They see Charlie and decide that of course that he would be the perfect person to outsource their care for uncle to! 

Much antics follow, including Charlie taking advantage of the uncle to beg for some money and gets into a fight over a girl...

Chaplin was still learning the ropes and also his Tramp character was still in it's very early days. It is by no means the best Chaplin film, the main character is a bit too mean and aggressive. A fine historical piece nonetheless.

Krasner, Norman: Beloved Husband of Irma (1974)

This is the first in the series about Norman (Douglas P McIntosh), one of life's born losers. Here he proves even going to the toilet is impossible for him without various disasters including getting his foot stuck down the toilet and accidentally groping the man in the next cubicle. All filmed in a found footage style grainy black and white. It is all rather cringey and weird. Perhaps the shame of flooding out the toilet meant that he had to go into hiding for 5 years until 1979's Welcome back Norman!

L' Orgie Romaine (1911)

The hedonistic lives of the Roman Emperors (at least in popular imagination) have always been a rich subject for film. In this early film we follow the notorious Heliogabalus (Jean Aymé) as he indulges himself with a harem of women, boys and also lions!

Heliogabalus comes to a sticky end though when the Pretorian Guard finally tire of his cruelty and deviance. Live by the orgy, die by the sword as they probably never said.

A luscious film that certainly had no shortage of extras and fancy costumes. The camera is rather static and the acting frequently over dramatic but a good story is told none the less.

A Woman (1915)

An intriguing Charlie Chaplin film where he dresses as a woman in order to be near a woman.

While his wife (Marta Golden) and daughter (Edna Purviance) snooze in the park, Father (Charles Inslee) gets bored/horny and starts chasing after a young woman (Margie Reiger). However, the arrival of Charlie throws all of Father's wooing up in the air, and into the lake to be exact. The two sleeping ladies awake and both fall for Charlie though of course Father forbids it. Charlie resorts to dressing as a woman in order to continue his wooing of the daughter. Unfortunately Father quite fancies this new "lady" who has come to the house...

Not the best Charlie Chaplin short comedy of the decade, the comedy style was still evolving, but certainly well worth watching. Chaplin makes a rather convincing female it has to be said.

The Pawnshop (1916)

More Charlie Chaplin mayhem, this time in a pawnshop where Charlie works.

Charlie causes a mess at the shop while "cleaning" (including destroying his feather duster in an electric fan). This enrages his fellow shop assistant (John Rand) with whom Charlie seems to have a hate-hate relationship. More trouble comes though when a customer (Albert Austin) brings in a clock for examination which Charlie destroys...

The usual antics and slapstick. Chaplin hadn't quite perfected his comedy short formula though was getting there. This one is a fine viewing though had a little too much pointless slap and not quite enough story explaining why.

The Doughboy (1926)

A silly little comedy short. Snub Pollard joins the US Army in World War 1 and soon, this "Doughboy" (as US soldiers were called at the time) has been sent to the front line even if his training is a series of disasters. His front line service is also a disaster, he spends most of his time trying to avoid being captured by the Germans. 

The film has plenty of inventive comedy situations though it does start to get a bit tedious and repetitive by the end. Not a top tier silent comedy but perfectly fine as a shirt feature and does raise plenty of smiles.