Enter the Game of Death (1978)

Shameless Bruceploitation, it even rips off music (and much else) from real Bruce Lee films. This film starring Bruce Le is based on Game of Death's original concept...

The Chinese resistance need a document detailing Japanese plans of invasion, the document is hidden on the top floor of a tower, each floor guarded by specialist kung fu fighters (even a snake man). Bruce Le goes in, wearing a jump suit (where have we seen this before)...

Although terrible in many ways with the meagre story just a skeleton for a lot of fight scenes, the film is entertaining especially as Bruce Le tries to squeeze in as many Bruce Lee-isms as he can. The film is a kind of mash-up of the greatest hits of the Bruce Lee canon. The numerous fights with the always excellent Bolo Yeung are a highlight.

The Law of 45's (1935)

A fairly standard B-movie western that doesn't really get out of second gear (or as it is a western we should say a slow trot). Sir Henry Sheffield (Broderick O'Farrell) turns up from England to survey the area and buy up some land. Crooked lawyer Rontell (Ted Adams) kidnaps Sir Henry and then uses his money to buy up the land of ranchers driven off the land by a mysterious band of hoodlums.

Naturally a couple of good guys passing through get drawn into the fray, even more naturally that a pretty girl is involved in the form of Joan (Molly O'Day). Those guys are Tucson (Guinn Williams) and Al (Stoney Martin) and they save the day...

So the story is standard and the acting is nothing special. Although a short film its padded out a bit with plenty of horse riding. Guinn "Big Boy" Williams puts on a pretty decent turn but there isn't a lot else to elevate this film much above mediocre.

The Roaring Road (1919)

A light hearted early auto race film with added romance. JD Ward (Theodore Roberts) is the Bear (unfortunately to demonstrate this the film cuts to an actual bear for a few moments, which was probably a better actor). He owns a business selling cars and wants to be the first to have one of his cars win the big auto race for the third time...

One of his salesmen Toodles (Wallace Reid) wants to win the race as a driver, he also wants to marry the Bear's daughter Dorothy (Ann Little) who is known as the Cub. The Bear is not that keen on Toodles taking part in the race as he doesn't think he is good enough, and he wants him to wait a few years before he marries the Cub. (Are you still with me?)

So that is the plot, and it is a fine little film with some good humour though cab be rather hard to follow at times. Although Reid was the film's star Roberts steals the show with his typical silent movie era villain act.

The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970)

A stylish though somewhat baffling film. Pelham (Roger Moore) is the typical city slicker with his bowler hat and umbrella. He nearly dies in a car accident caused after he becomes possessed while on the M4 (quite understandable). When he returns to work he begins to notice strange happenings, people say they have met him but he can't remember...

He even seems to have gained a mistress (Olga Georges-Picot) but has no recollection. His wife Eve (Hildegard Neil) doesn't really buy that excuse naturally. Pelham realises there is an impostor who is impersonating him...

Does he have a doppelganger or is it all a figment of his imagination? The film is wonderfully tense and Roger Moore puts in one of his best performances (or rather two performances as the two Pelhams have radically different characters). The psychedelic ending probably asks more questions than it answers!

Shadows Over Shanghai (1938)

An enjoyable spy caper set in Shanghai during the Japanese invasion of China. An amulet which can raise funds to help buy the Chinese weapons in their fight against the Japanese ends up in the hands of Irene (Lynda Grey). She heads to Shanghai to try and get on a boat to America. However brutal Soviet agent Sargoza (Robert Barrat) is determined to get the amulet for himself...

Sargoza is foiled by happy-go-lucky reporter Johnny (James Dunn) and the slightly mysterious Barclay (Ralph Morgan) who seems to always have a friend who can help and a plan. To complicate matters the Japanese in the form of Yokohama (Paul Sutton) are also after the amulet and, while the bombs are dropping on Shanghai, will stop at nothing to get it...

A low budget film but makes the most of what it has, especially with the heavy use of stock footage during the bombing. Dunn provides the humour though his wise cracks can sometimes fall a bit flat.