Star Wars (1977)

For a number of years this site has reviewed a film from the twentieth century (plus a couple of films from the very late 19th!) every day... but it has to end somewhere, and ending with 1,999 reviews is rather apt, and quite funny. Well it makes me laugh anyway. So, let us finish with a review of my favourite film of all...

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, the Galactic Empire is ruling planets with an iron fist, though the plucky Rebels are fighting back. The Empire has built a powerful new battle station called the Death Star which can destroy an entire planet with one shot but the Rebels, led by Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), have stolen the plans so they can find a weakness. 

Darth Vader (David Prowse) captures Leia but the plans are sent away with some androids. These androids and the plans find themselves in the possession of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) who teams up with Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) to get the plans to the Rebels. However, first they need the help of Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew)...

But I'm sure most people already know the story!

This is the greatest of all films, to me anyway. Seeing it as a small boy truly did change my life. This is where my love of sci-fi and of technology came from. Maybe without this film this site wouldn't have ever existed, well you never know.

The story itself is quite basic, though not in a bad way, and is a series of action set pieces in the vein of a movie serial, as was George Lucas' intension. The original Star Wars has a magic which makes it endlessly re-watchable, i'm sure i've seen this film more than any other. Many other films and merchandise followed, some of it good, a lot of it not but that doesn't detract from this film which is the best of all.

Well thats it, the last review. I hope you have enjoyed them and watched some of the films i have mentioned. Many thanks for your views over the years.

Murder in the Clouds (1934)

High flying criminal catching antics.

Three Star (not his real name), played by Lyle Talbot, is a hot shot pilot for a small airline who likes showing off his flying skills with acrobatics a little too much for the boss' liking. However, he is chosen to fly a very special cargo - a top secret new explosive - to Washington but just before the flight he is beaten up by some mysterious thugs. 

Thus instead the brother (Robert Light) of his girlfriend Judy (Ann Dvorak) takes the flight, which ends in an explosion! Judy heads out to see what really went on, with Three Star close behind...

This is a really good film with some excellent aerial scenes. The plot is simple but well worked out and the bad guys suitably menacing, deadly and scheming. The hero Three Star is, as so often with films of this period, equal parts heroic and annoying.

The Dallas Connection (1994)

Although still a lot of fun, this is a bit of a mis-step in the Sidarisverse.

Four scientists are working on a top secret satellite that will detect the hidden weapon caches of terrorists and criminal gangs, of course the satellite requires a chip from each scientist that only they possess. Three are killed by large breasted female assassins in a variety of ridiculous ways including with an exploding golf ball! 

One scientist is left alive (Rodrigo Obregón), and the federal team must protect him from Black Widow (Julie Strain) and her assassins long enough for the satellite to be activated. Of course, there is a sting in the tail...

The story is complete nonsense, even by the standards of an Andy Sidaris film and it is heavily padded out (so to speak). However, fans don't watch these films for the high art, they watch it for scantily clad young people firing guns and all sorts of action nonsense. Despite the shortcomings this is still a very watchable and enjoyable film but compared to some others in the series it is lacking.

The Trouble with Spies (1987)

A spy farce, the humour is a bit heavy handed at times but it is worth sticking with.

Hapless British agent Porter (Donald Sutherland) is sent to Ibiza to find out where another agent, who was investigating Soviet links to the narcotics trade, has vanished to. 

As soon as Porter arrives in Spain the assassination attempts begin, luckily the Soviets are as useless as Porter! Who is the enemy agent at the hotel managed by Mona (Lucy Gutteridge)? There are plenty of contenders but maybe it is someone quite surprising?

An enjoyable comedy full of good slapstick farce. How much you enjoy this film will depend on your tolerance for things getting too silly, I was tested at times but stayed with it, and was glad i did.

Mutiny in the Big House (1939)

A tireless priest remains convinced he can turn around the lives of convicts.

Johnny Gates (Dennis Moore) - presumably no relation to Bill - has been sent to prison for forgery. The prison chaplain Father Joe (Charles Bickford) is convinced men can be reformed and become model citizens again, though old lags and the prison guards and governor remain unconvinced. Johnny's cellmate Red (Barton MacLane) sees an opportunity to use Johnny to attempt a prison break...

The moralising is laid on a bit thick at times but this is a solid prison drama, tough and dramatic in the right places. The message is good, prison need not be a dead end and reform is possible, though it is a message often forgotten about these days.

The Salzburg Connection (1972)

A complicated spy drama involving Nazi secrets, it looks amazing but what exactly is going on?

Mathison (Barry Newman) is an American in Austria investigating missing payments for a publisher, though really he is working for the CIA. After various people have gone missing, Mathison is drawn into a complicated and deadly plot involving lost Nazi secrets and competing secret service departments. 

He is helped by the wife widow of one of the lost men, Anna (Anna Karina) whose annoying brother knows where the secrets are. Perky KGB agent Elissa (Karen Jensen) is also hunting for the plans...

The scenery, both in and out of town, is sumptuous so this film looks amazing, but what is it actually about. The story is very complicated, though packs a little too much in which makes things confusing. Things pick up a bit towards the end but to get there it can be a bit of a slog.

Criminal Court (1946)

A man tries to admit to a crime he did commit, and no one believes him!

Steve (Tom Conway) is a hot shot lawyer on the rise, though he is concerned that his girlfriend Georgia (Martha O'Driscoll) has taken a job working as a singer at a club owned by Vic Wright (Robert Armstrong), whom Steve is aiming to bring down due to his corrupt dealings with city officials! 

During a fight, Steve accidentally kills Vic but Georgia gets the blame despite Steve's admissions of guilt, the evidence seems to be all against Georgia. Can Steve save her in court?

A good crime film with some fine courtroom scenes (though Steve's antics are a bit over the top at times). A typical well-packed B movie with a lot to enjoy.

Shadow Conspiracy (1997)

A rather dumb but well made political conspiracy thriller.

Political adviser Bobby Bishop (Charlie Sheen) is drawn into a political conspiracy that has been uncovered by people who very quickly get killed. It is obvious that the conspiracy goes to the highest levels in the White House and Bishop doesn't know who to trust. 

Bishop ends up with journalist (and old flame) Amanda Givens (Linda Hamilton) on the run from a group of highly organised killers. Who can he trust, can he even trust his mentor and chief of staff Conrad (Donald Sutherland)?

A ridiculous film in many ways, especially at the end where the conspirators try to kill the President with a remote control helicopter! However, the sheer nonsense does make this film very watchable. The action is non-stop and often very well done. 

Red Alert (1977)

A tense drama set in a nuclear power station which is on the verge of blowing up and irradiating half of the USA!

Alerts are sounded at a nuclear power station, then there are a number of explosions. However, the control computer seems to think there is a radiation leak despite evidence on the ground to the contrary. It appears that a disgruntled employee may have placed bombs around the reactor and these need to be found before they cause a critical accident...

As Frank (William Devane) and Carl (Michael Brandon) desperately try and avert disaster they have to contend with the computer as well as the reactor...

An excellent TV movie that ramps up the drama as the reactor temperate rises. This film has it all, technological chaos, political intrigue and personal tragedy. The film fits so much in and does a very good job with it.

The Hostage Tower (1980)

A daring, if somewhat ridiculous, plot to hold the Eiffel Tower hostage!

Master criminal Mr Smith (Keir Dullea) has an audacious new crime planned, he will take the Eiffel Tower hostage! He recruits a number of top criminals to help him, unfortunately for him though two are agents from Philpott's (Douglas Fairbanks Jr) special crime fighting unit. These are Clarence (Billy Dee Williams) and Sabrina (Maud Carver), though Sabrina is shocked that Mike (Peter Fonda) has also been recruited and he was her instructor in the CIA...

The plot goes off, and an added complication is that Mr Smith has got hold of some deadly laser weapons, and the mother of the US President (Celia Johnson) is also a hostage...

A solid action TV movie (though the premise itself is a little ridiculous). The scenes on the Eiffel Tower are very well filmed, and the laser cannons are pretty cool. Well, lasers are always cool.

The Night Flier (1997)

A good Stephen King adaptation. Vampires are bought into the 20th century, travelling by light aircraft instead of a horse drawn carriage!

Richard (Miguel Ferrer) is a hard noses reporter for a sensationalist tabloid. He begins to investigate a strange case of vampire style attacks by someone who arrives at remote airstrips by private plane, though he thinks it is just a really sick serial killer. New reporter Katharine (Julie Entwistle) is also after the story, they do work together for a while but Richard is determined to get the scoop and ends up locking her in a wardrobe! 

Richard finally tracks down the killer, but ends up with much more than he bargained for...

A fine enough film, low budget but plenty of gore, the vampire effects are pretty well done. Although we know we are in a horror film, much of the film plays out as a pretty decent crime investigation film too.

Matt Houston (1982)

The feature length pilot for walking stereotype Matt Houston, the rich Texan oil executive who is also a private investigator!

A business man is killed during the launch of an ocean liner, when the champagne bottle explodes! Matt Houston (Lee Horsley) begins to investigate the case, and of course there are many suspects including the daughter Serena (Barbara Carrera) and the mistress Karen Ann (Jill St John). As well as a case which frequently puts him in danger, Matt is also training on a bucking bronco so he can win a bet and tame a wild horse! Matt is assisted by CJ (Pamela Hensley) and his police friend Vince (John Aprea).

This is all very odd stuff which probably only made sense in the early 1980s. Matt is very genial though and charismatic, this helps with the watchability even if the story and premise is a bit strange. A mixture of cowboy and secret agent. It shouldn't really work but somehow did. After this pilot Matt Houston ran for three seasons.

Air Patrol (1962)

A decent but straight forward crime procedural, the only novelty being the helicopters, though that is a good one!

An expensive painting is stolen, the thief escaping from the top of an office block via a helicopter! The police are baffled, so call upon Sgt Castle (Robert Dix) from the police helicopter squad for help. However, the culprit isn't tracked down before a ransom demand is made which the painting's owner agrees to, his secretary Mona (Merry Anders) is sent to deliver the cash while Castle shadows her in his helicopter. One of the least exciting police car chases in screen history follows.

This can't be said to be a very exciting film but it is very watchable. The lack of much in the way of action actually gives the film a genuine feel and the police procedural work is very solid even if the car chase seems rather inept. The film does feel like it should have been the pilot of a TV series, though Castle says he wanted to leave the helicopter squad anyway!

Special Delivery (1976)

An enjoyable heist movie with a difference, the actual heist just setting things up.

Murdock (Bo Swenson) leads a daring bank robbery, though when the robbers try to get away things start to go wrong. Only Murdock manages to get away after he stuffs half a million dollars in cash in a post box. Now he has to find out a way to get the cash out of the post box before it is collected. 

Unfortunately, a couple of people noticed what he did. One is a petty drug pusher (Michael C Gwynne) and the other a young woman Mary (Cybill Shepherd) who wants to get him into bed... and get her hands on the cash.

Although the premise is a little silly at times this is a solid film with a good relationship between Murdock and Mary. The action scenes which book end the film (the first being the robbery and chase) are both very well done.

Night of the Comet (1984)

A global cataclysm wipes out nearly all life on Earth overnight, two of the survivors decide to party!

The visit of a comet causes a global disaster which turns nearly everyone into dust. Only a few people who were protected by being inside steel structures have survived, this includes two teenage sisters Regina (Catharine Mary Stewart) and Sam (Kelli Maroney). Finding themselves in a world now empty, they go to the obvious place: the radio station which still seems to be broadcasting. Unfortunately, they find the radio DJ is dead too and has been playing tapes. 

However, they do find another survivor Hector (Robert Beltran), just after one of the other characters made a jokey Star Trel reference too, if only they knew.

The three battle half-dead zombies and a few other freaks, but they really need to worry about a group of sinister scientists who want the survivors so they can drain their blood...

It is all a bit silly maybe, but this is hugely enjoyable and a lot of fun. The film is crammed full of cool early 1980s pop culture. The story is ridiculous and full of plot holes but who cares, that really isn't the point.

The Intruder (1962)

A Civil Rights movie which leaves little to the imagination.

Adam Cramer (William Shatner) arrives in a small Southern town, in a white suit and a sunny charismatic disposition. Well to white people anyway. The integration of black children into the town's white school is causing antagonism from the local racists, and Cramer who claims to be a "social reformer" but is really here from a racist organisation to stop the school integration, is happy to take advantage of this and rise up the mob. 

Unfortunately, the forces he unleashes are soon out of his control...

A good film though a challenging and difficult watch, the language used is uncompromising which many will find objectionable. However, this gives the film it's bite and it is harrowing, which is exactly how it should be with this subject. William Shatner's performance is excellent.

Thief (1971)

An intelligent and enjoyable TV movie with a rather shocking ending.

Neal (Richard Crenna) is an amiable soul, keeping himself in shape, trying to get custody of his kid and building a new relationship with Jean (Angie Dickinson). 

However, he has a bit of a dark secret: he is a burglar! He has tried to go straight but his gambling addiction means he now owes money to the mob, much to to the despair of his friend and lawyer Charles (Cameron Mitchell). In order to meet his debts, Neal has to do one more big job, and this one could be his most risky one yet...

A very good story that makes a sympathetic character out of someone who would usually be a villain. The actual robberies we see are very tense, you are drawn in and feel worried for Neal when he is so close to being caught in the act! The ending though will surprise you, but maybe not in a good way.

Calling Philo Vance (1939)

Philo Vance is called upon to deal with a case of Fifth Columnists and stolen aeroplane plans.

A plane designer is murdered, the question is: have his secret aeroplane plans also been stolen? Philo Vance (James Stephenson) is called upon to investigate. Now, the murder took place in a locked room (so this has both a Golden Age style locked room mystery and an espionage plot!) Of course there are a lot of potential suspects, and the various Axis powers are involved...

Although this is largely a remake of the earlier Philo Vance film the Kennel Murder Case, it has been nicely updated to reflect the geopolitical situation of the time. However, the film - although still perfectly good - is not quite as good as the original which was one of the best Philo Vance movies. The locked room mystery is a good one and nicely worked out.

Island of Doomed Men (1940)

A superbly dark tale which allowed Peter Lorre to run riot.

Mark Sheldon (Robert Wilcox) is tasked by the secret service to investigate the mysterious Danel (Lorre) who has his own island, and who accepts paroled men to work for him there. However, it is rumoured these men are horribly treated, treated as slaves and tortured. Sheldon is arrested after an unknown assailant kills a fellow agent, Sheldon allows himself to be arrested for murder and sentenced! Some time later he is paroled and is sent to Danel's island.

Sheldon finds a brutal regime of slave labour, with public floggings a regular occurrence. Danel is also treating his wife (Rochelle Hudson) as a prisoner. She soon has the hots for Sheldon...

An enjoyable romp. Peter Lorre plays Danel with relish, not so much chewing the scenery but having it on toast. The story itself is a little heavy in the whippings and violence but Lorre makes it very entertaining.

Miracle Landing (1990)

A rather excellent TV movie documenting an accident aboard which seems too far fetched to be real but it actually happened!

Bob (Wayne Rogers) and Mimi (Connie Sellecca) are taking their Boeing 737 on a routine domestic flight over Hawaii when part the roof of their airliner rips off! 

Somehow the plane stays in the air but is badly damaged, one of the crew has been lost but somehow everyone else is still aboard. Now the pilots and flight attendant Michelle (Ana Alicia) battle to keep everyone alive before the plane can be safely landed...

A dramatisation of Aloha Airlines Flight 243 which lost a large chunk of it's fuselage at 24,000 feet. This is an enjoyable TV movie with some pretty decent special effects and good performances by the principles.