Showing posts with label UK. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UK. Show all posts

Thursday, March 14, 2024

What a Carve Up! (1961)

A highly enjoyable comedy crime drama, at times it verges on Carry On territory but thats no bad thing.

Ernie (Kenneth Connor) is told his rich uncle has died by a somewhat sinister solicitor (Donald Pleasance). Ernie heads off to his uncle's country pile with his mate Syd (Sid James), a lonely looking house in the moors. Ernie's fellow family members are a motley crew of weirdos. Then the deaths start happening...

Ernie, Syd and the rest, including the uncle's former nurse (Shirley Eaton) scramble to try and work out what is going on in the strange house and stop the murderer. However, they need to identify who it is first. Surely it must be one of the family members present or is it, in this house riddled with secret doors and passageways...

This is a fine film, most of the time it isn't laugh out loud funny rather than humorous and inventive but it does have it's slapstick and ridiculous moments especially with Connor and James. It has plenty of twists too, it works as a dark house crime drama as well.

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

The Boys in Blue (1983)

The comedy duo star as a couple of police officers, it certainly is a crime scene.

Sgt. Cannon (Tommy Cannon) and PC Ball (Bobby Ball) are a couple of bumbling police officers who comprise "The Force" in a sleepy village. There is little crime in their village, and so the police big wigs (Eric Sykes and Jack Douglas) are looking to close down the station. Cannon and Ball decide they need some crime to justify their continued employment and so plot to steal the painting of a local businessman (Roy Kinnear). But real art thieves are hiding out in the village...

Now, i did enjoy the comedy of Cannon and Ball on TV but this big screen outing really is wretched stuff. Cannon and Ball's comedy simply did not work in this situation and it destroys the film, despite the excellent supporting cast which also includes Jon Pertwee and Arthur English. Even a whole host of solid film comedy veterans can't compensate for the failure of the stars and the rather average execution and storyline. It really is a shame.

Monday, February 26, 2024

Please Sir! (1971)

Feature length spin-off versions of popular sit-coms were common in the 1970s and can be a mixed bag, Please Sir! just about manages to get away with it.

Hedges (John Alderton) is the idealistic teacher of class 5C who are basically a teenager (although they all look about 25 of course) version of the Bash Street Kids. His class complain that they have never been taken away to a camp holiday like the other classes so Hedges manages to persuade the headmaster (Erik Chitty) and other senior staff to take class 5C to a rural camp, which doesn't half resemble a prison camp...

Class 5C soon get up to no good involving nearby gypsies and posh children from another school. Hedges is also pursued by a flight attendant (Jill Kerman) and his colleague (Patsy Rowlands)...

This isn't a bad film though the comedy is often a bit corny. Taking the TV cast away on holiday was one of the usual ways to extend a TV show into a movie and it works pretty well in this case.

Monday, February 19, 2024

The 23 (1979)

Two cockney criminals (Tommy Godfrey and George Sweeney) break into an office to break into the safe, but this isn't a blag from the Sweeney, this is a promotional film from the General Post Office for it's fancy new Number 23 teleprinter! George becomes obsessed with the machine while his old man works on the safe and helpfully reads out from the manual all of the swish new features. This is great fun, how a promotional film should be done. I certainly want to buy a 23 after seeing this, though i guess eBay will be required these days...




Friday, December 22, 2023

What Waits Below (1984)

A surprisingly good adventure deep underground.

Wolf (Robert Powell) is recruited by the US Army to help them establish a special radio transmitter deep underground in a system of caves. However, the transmitter mysteriously vanishes and Wolf leads a team of soldiers and scientists (including Anne Heywood and Timothy Bottoms) to find out what is going on. 

Deep underground things start to go pear shaped fast. They encounter a mysterious race of Lemurians deep in the cave system. The Lemurians have lived underground for millennia and have a special reason to want the transmitter...

This is a good mysterious world and underground adventure. There maybe arn't that many thrills but the creepy atmosphere and odd happenings deep below certainly give plenty of chills.

Friday, December 1, 2023

Venetian Bird (1952)

A grimy and Noir-ish crime drama set in glamorous Venice's seedy under belly.

Private detective Mercer (Richard Todd) has come to Vice to locate a former resistance fighter on behalf of an insurance company. However, locating this man is proving difficult especially as his informant is soon found dead! Mercer thinks the man is linked to a gallery where Adriana (Eva Bartok) works and lives. Despite news that the man he is seeking died in the war, Mercer is sure he is still alive though this puts him at odds with a tough gang who have a dark plan of their own...

An enjoyable film is fairly static at times but the portrayal of the grimy life of Mercer (which the limited budget probably helped with) works really well, the final chase on the roof tops is thrilling though. Look out for Sid James giving possibly the worst impression of an Italian hardman ever!

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

The Echo Murders (1945)

A rip roaring Sexton Blake adventure, don't expect half measures!


An explosion at a mine causes the owner (Julien Mitchell) to sack the manager (Dennis Price), his daughter's (Pamela Stirling) beau. The owner is being blackmailed by his secretary. The owner is murdered, suspicion falls on the ex-manager but Sexton Blake (David Farrar) is called in to investigate. He begins to unravel a complicated plot which eventually leads to Nazi fifth columnists in their underground lair.

This isn't a subtle film but Sexton Blake adventures were very much Boy's Own adventures which were all about daring do and death defying action rather than careful investigation. There is probably a little too much adventure packed into this film, at times it is hard to follow what is going on though it all leads up to the expected final battle. It is nonsense of course but i loved it, Sexton Blake adventures were my great-grandfather's favourite so i guess it's in the blood!

Friday, November 10, 2023

Spectre (1977)

A superbly campy Satanic horror romp by Gene Roddenberry

Criminologist and occult expert Sebastian (Robert Culp) and his friend Dr Hamilton (Gig Young) are hired by the rich Cyon family in England to investigate if Sir Geoffrey (James Villiers) has been possessed by demonic forces! Even before Sebastian leaves his home he is attacked by a demon, his flight over to the UK nearly crashes, this indicates that something is amiss!

Sir Geoffrey is sceptical about this though his sister Anitra (Ann Bell) and brother Mitri (John Hurt) are keen for Sebastian and Hamilton to continue. They discover an underground temple dedicated to the demon Asmodeus, later they also witness an energetic ritual. The true identity of the demon is quite a surprise...

This is a fun film though not without some flaws though this did start life as a TV pilot and was made into a feature film (with extra pagan nudity natch). 

Friday, November 3, 2023

Spaceways (1953)

This may appear at first glance to be an early 1950s science fiction film but really it is quite a good murder mystery!

Tensions are high at a top secret and high security British research base as Britain attempts to be the first to send a rocket into orbit in efforts led by Dr Mitchell (Howard Duff). However, there are other tensions too as Mitchell's wife Vanessa (Cecile Chevreau) dislikes the restricted life on base and is having an affair with Dr Crenshaw (Andrew Osborn). Vanessa and Crenshaw go missing on the day of a new rocket test, the rocket failing to reach the correct orbit for some reason.

Ministry investigator Dr Smith (Alan Wheatley) comes in looking into why the two disappeared. He knows of the affair and logically deduces that Mitchell killed the pair and then stuffed their bodies into the rocket which is now in orbit! Mitchell volunteers to pilot another rocket into space to prove his innocence but Smith has a new lead and the pair might not be dead after all...

If you wanted a 1950s science fiction film you might find this a bit limited (though there are some orbital thrills at the end) but the crime investigation part of the film is pretty good and makes the film a perfectly reasonable watch.

Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Escape from El Diablo (1983)

A terrible film really though a useful guide at what not to do when you visit a rough bar next to a brutal Mexican prison.

A group of young Americans, tired of getting into fights they somehow win in California, instead decide to head over the border to a notorious bar. Daniel (Jimmy McNichol) and Pauli (Timothy Van Patten) arrive in town, already heading into trouble, given dire warnings by the sinister looking Patrick Mower and a fight with a prison guard. 

Despite this the two lads are happy to stay, ending up in a brawl after stealing Mower's (who turns out to be a senior guard at the prison) girlfriend. Naturally Pauli ends up stuck in prison, Daniel hunted by the guards (though at the same time as Mower is trying to extort money from him which obviously makes sense)...

Yes the film makes no sense what so ever. The sheer stupidity of the mains makes it hard to care about them. They are the kind of idiots who would fire guns at a nuclear reactor for the laughs. The early 1980s cheese factor may entertain you some what but the film can't really be recommended.

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Touch and Die (1992)

A complicated if not very exciting thriller.

Frank Magenta (Martin Sheen) is a investigative reporter who is looking into the candidacy of presidential hopeful Scanzano (David Birney). Scanzano is doing well in the polls but is running out of money. 

Magenta discovers that stolen plutonium is being used to raise funds for the campaign, a deadly conspiracy which leaves a trail of dead bodies behind (some due to radiation poisoning and other quicker methods). Magenta and his family including his daughter Emma (Renée Estevez) are also in the firing line...

This is a long drawn out TV movie and could have done with some editing. The story is fine and certainly well travelled taking in Rome, Paris, NY and ..er.. Africa. The story is interesting but too long winded to maintain much level of excitement. 

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Dr. Morelle (1949)

If you can get past the rather condescending lead then this is a good crime mystery.

The niece of Kimber (Phillip Leaver), a wheel chair bound and irritable old man who lives in a country mansion, is sole heir to a fortune. However, Cynthia (Jean Lodge) is more interested in her beau Peter (Peter Lorimer), of whom Kimber disapproves. Cynthia vanishes without a trace, leaving Kimber the beneficiary. Cynthia's school friend Miss Frayle (Julia Lang), who works for the detective Dr Morelle (Valentine Dyall), decides to go looking for Cynthia herself and takes up a job at Kimber's house. She discovers some mysterious and potentially deadly goings on and calls in Dr Morelle...

This isn't that bad a film though can drag a bit at times. Dr Morelle treats Miss Frayle rather terribly which makes it hard to warm to his character. The twists at the end are good, but getting there can take some work. Dr Morelle was a long running character in BBC radio dramas though only made it to the silver screen this one time.

Friday, September 1, 2023

1984 (1984)

A superb adaptation of the George Orwell classic tale.

It is 1984 and the world is now a dark dystopia of authoritarian rule by Big Brother, who uses disinformation and lies to control the population (with brutal security forces as well if all else fails). Winston Smith (John Hurt) is a low-level party operative whose job is to literally rewrite history to present the reality Big Brother wants, and to be happily consumed by the brain washed population. Smith however, is not a true believer and writes subversive thoughts in his diary.

He meets and falls in love with Julia (Suzanna Hamilton), another party operative who also wants something more than Big Brother will allow. They begin a secret (and illegal) love affair. Winston is contacted by a higher up party official (Richard Burton) who appears to be part of an underground movement. However, once again all is not what it seems and the secret double life of Smith and Julia soon comes crashing down...

The world building here is top notch, the world of Big Brother is dark and terrifying (especially the torture scenes) and also a warning to us all. A very good film. This was Richard Burton's final film before his death.

Friday, August 25, 2023

North Sea Hijack (1980)

The tension builds and builds in this slightly eccentric action tale.

Criminals led by Kramer (Anthony Perkins) seize an oil rig tender in the North Sea and hook up explosives to two rigs, they want millions in cash or there is going to be a rather large explosion. Admiral Brinsden (James Mason) is to negotiate with the criminals, though his assistant ffolkes (Roger Moore) is really an expert in anti-terrorist operations at sea and his team are planning an attack...

The film has a great set-up though you have to wait a long time for the big action set-piece (which probably isn't that big after all). It is worth the wait though as the tension is built up very well thoughout. Ffolkes character is superbly odd (and very unlike Moore's Bond in many ways) and adds a great deal of interest to this otherwise fairly straight forward tale.

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Candles at Nine (1944)

A sometimes silly but interesting crime drama.


An old rich man (Eliot Makeham), who in the best traditions of the movies is mean and spiteful, is about to announce who is the sole beneficiary in his will to his assembled family and staff. However, he dies in mysterious circumstances before he can tell them. When his will be revealed, everyone is shocked to find young actress Dorothea Capper (Jessie Matthews) is not only his niece but also gets everything!

This enrages the old man's maid (Beatrix Lehmann) who wants the money for herself. She first tries to intimidate Dorothea out of claiming her inheritance then, when that fails, plans to kill her. Luckily Dorothea has an ex-detective (John Stewart) on hand to help and advise her...

A fun little film that doesn't take itself seriously, indeed at times it resembles a bit of a send-up of the mystery house genre. The light antics can be taken a little too far and the film does include a song and dance routine (which is mercifully brief). A decent and well flowing film if sometimes a bit annoying. Look-out for Patricia Hayes in one of her earliest roles.

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Carry on Spying (1964)

The dark and dangerous world of international espionage... for laughs.


STENCH (Society for the Total Extinction of Non-Conforming Humans) have stolen a top secret chemical formula. Unfortunately the only agent available to try and retrieve the formula is bumbling Simpkins (Kenneth Williams) and his three trainees (Barbaras Windsor, Charles Hawtrey and Bernard Cribbins). The four are sent to Vienna to look for the STENCH agents Fat Man and the Milk Man and link up with Carstairs (Jim Dale) to help, unfortunately they prove much more of a hinderance than a help!

Following more hijinks in Algiers and on a train, the four agents end up with the formula but also prisoners of STENCH and the evil Dr Crow (Judith Furse). Can they somehow save the day and foil the evil STENCH?

This is a great send-up of the 1960s spy genre, its packed full of satirical references to other films and TV series. It also has the usual double entrendres, campy humour and a bit of sauce. Not quite the best Carry On film, it lacks the energy and slapstick of the series at it's height, but certainly a good film and pretty funny.

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Confessions from a Holiday Camp (1977)

The last of the Confessions series, either completely hilarious or utterly dated drivel depending on your point of view.

Timmy (Robin Askwith) and his brother-in-law Sidney (Anthony Booth) are still at it, "it" being sleeping with as many young women as possible. They are now working at a grim holiday camp, obviously this gives them plenty of opportunities. 

But then the camp is taking over by Whitemonk (John Junkin), a former prison governor, who thinks a holiday camp should be run using iron discipline. Naturally he disapproves of Timmy and Sidney. However, Sidney has the great idea of holiday a beauty contest...

This film is crude, sexist and vulgar. The humour is dated, obvious and repetitive. I loved it. This is one of the funniest films around. It is one of the final glorious examples of British saucy comedy and working class culture that was soon to be swept away by the uncertainty of the 1980s, enjoy (a bit of) it while you can.

Friday, July 21, 2023

Silent Trigger (1996)

A surprisingly good action film.

A sniper (Dolph Lundgren) and his spotter (Gina Bellman) are on a secret mission to kill a foreign politician but their mission fails when Dolph hesitates and they are on the run. We will continue to see their escape in flashback throughout the rest of the film. But we next see a half-finished skyscraper. Dolph infiltrates the guarded site while Gina goes in while pretending to be an IT support engineer.   

Dolph and Gina are on a new sniping mission but have a few hours to set things up. However, there are complications including the coke fiend and sex addict guard O'Hara (Christopher Heyerdahl) who is after Gina's body. Dolph is also a target himself by the unnamed secret agency, Gina has been tasked to kill him but if she fails then the agency has a plan B...

This isn't a mindless action film, although when there is action it is good and pretty bloody. What the film does have is a lot of character building and reflection by Dolph on his dangerous and ultimately doomed lifestyle. Excellent and engaging.

Thursday, July 20, 2023

1984 (1956)

The George Orwell classic, remember Big Brother is watching you.


In a future dystopia, Britain is now ruled by a totalitarian regime which ruthlessly controls it's citizens via propaganda, rewritten histories and facts and endless lies (backed up by secret police and torture if that doesn't work!) Winston Smith (Edmond O'Brien) is a low level functionary of the regime whose job is to rewrite history to reflect the "truth" which Big Brother wants. However, in a land where love is forbidden (unless it is for Big Brother) he rebels by falling in love with fellow regime officer Julia (Jan Sterling).

The pair maintain their secret affair away from the prying eyes of Big Brother, they also get recruited by high ranking official O'Connor (Michael Redgrave) who apparently is part of an underground resistance. Unfortunately, this is a lie too, Winston and Julia are arrested and end up being brutally tortured and reconditioned. What will happen when they meet again?

A bleak and brutal tale, a crushing and cruel tale always under the watchful eye of Big Brother. It couldn't come true of course, well it hasn't yet anyway. 

Monday, June 19, 2023

Doctor in Clover (1966)

Traditional British comedy in a hospital, maybe this is like a prototype Grey's Anatomy?

Dr Grimsdyke (Leslie Phillips) is released from prison (where he was the prison doctor not a convict!) He is immediately snatched up by Sir Lancelot Spratt (James Robertson Justice) to work in his hospital. Grimsdyke is fairly uninterested in this, though interested in French physiotherapist Jeannine (Elizabeth Ercy) a lot! 

Meanwhile, a new matron (Joan Sims) has arrived at the hospital and has begun a reign of terror. Sir Lancelot thinks the iron maiden can be melted with a love interest and gets Grimsdyke to try and hook her up, though he didn't think that he would be the one Grimsdyke would get Matron interested in!

So, this is a silly comedy in the great British way. We get lots of farces, a little bit of innuendo and plenty of light humour. It is all nonsense of course but very silly inoffensive fun. Don't expect much in the way of medical realism, do expect people being accidentally injected up the backside.