The Magic Christian (1969)

A number of British satirical films in the late 1960s / early 1970s felt like they were produced with the assistance of weapons grade acid and this film is no exception. The richest man in the world Sir Guy Grand (Peter Sellers) adopts a penniless hobo Youngman (Ringo Starr) and proceeds to demonstrate to his son that every man has his price in a rather formless and frequently bizarre series of scenes packed full of guest stars.

We have Spike Milligan, for example as a traffic warden who eats a ticket for cash and Richard Attenborough who persuades his Oxford boat crew to cheat in return for the contents of Sir Grand's briefcase of cash. All things come to a head on a luxury cruise ship (the Magic Christian) which for some reason has a vampire aboard (Christopher Lee of course), the engine room also consists of topless women rowing while being whipped by Raquel Welch...

Other people appearing in cameos include John Lennon, Michael Aspel, Yul Brynner, John Cleese and many more. It is quite an extraordinary film and has a tremendous soundtrack with songs written by Paul McCartney and performed by Bad Finger. However does any of it make any sense? Probably not. But is it supposed to? The film is very Monty Python at times and also very bonkers and frequently vulgar. A film of it's time but what a great time.

Prisoners of the Lost Universe (1983)

A low-budget fantasy where our heroes are transported to a parallel universe where people fight with swords, wear loin cloths but still speak English. Dr Hartmann (Kenneth Hendel) has developed a way to transport objects between parallel worlds but falls onto his portal and is sent there himself. TV reporter Carrie (Kay Lenz) and electrician/kendo master Dan (Richard Hatch) also end up being transported after various displays of imbalance.

But where are they transported to? A strange world inhabited by giants in furs, midgets with flashing eyes and Kleel (John Saxon), an evil warlord who has imprisoned Hartmann as a sorcerer to do his bidding (though Kleel mostly seems to be interested in sleeping with his slave women and killing people). Carrie ends up a prisoner of Kleel while Dan enlists the help of The Greenman (Ray Charleston), Vosk (Larry Taylor) and Malachi (Peter O'Farrell) to save Carrie and defeat Kleel...

Although pretty low-rent, cheesy and unoriginal, the film is quite entertaining although is padded out with a little too much wandering aimless through the bush (which helped the budget no doubt). The leads put on good performances though especially Saxon. The concept and plot makes little sense of course but the sheer strangeness and camp will keep you watching.

The Key Man (1957)

A light and undemanding crime drama. Lionel Hulme (Lee Patterson) is the presenter of a popular true crime show on the radio. When he investigates the case of a convicted murder Smithers (Philip Leaver) who has now been released but gone to ground. Smithers is thought to have been behind an unsolved robbery. Lionel and a mysterious hidden bad guy are both trying to find where Smithers hid the loot...

Lionel tracks down Smithers with the help of Smither's gal Gaby (Hy Hazel) and he agrees to split the loot with Lionel but Lionel has to retrieve it himself from a safety deposit box...

The film is competent if not thrilling and with a rather simple plot though does have some nice stylish flourishes including a fight in a barber shop. In tone the film is not unlike a comic strip or 1930s serial and that isn't a bad thing by any means.

The Mummy's Shroud (1967)

A good Hammer horror involving mysterious occurrences in the desert. During the days of ancient Egypt we at first see the story of an overthrown pharaoh and his son who is eventually entombed by his faithful slave Prem (Dickie Owen) in the desert. Now in 1920 Prem himself is a mummy in an Egyptian museum and the pharoah's tomb has just been discovered by a team financed by the rather overbearing Stanley Preston (John Philips) and led by Sir Basil (Andre Morell).

Once the pharaoh's remains, which were wrapped in a shroud, are bought to the museum and reunited with Prem the troubles begin. The members of the party start dying one by one. Is it the work of the crazed tomb guardian Hadmid (Roger Delgado) or is it Prem himself?

The story is straightforward and as seen many times. This isn't the best Mummy film ever made but far from the worst. The film looks good and has enough thrills and chills to keep one entertained. One of the best parts of the film though is the narrated section in ancient Egypt, that story would have probably made for a decent film on it's own.

King Solomon's Mines (1937)

Epic adventure in deepest darkest Africa. Irish miner O'Brien (Arthur Sinclair) heads off looking for King Solomon's diamond mines and thus become the richest man in the world. His daughter Kathy (Anna Lee) enlists the help of English game hunters and adventurers Quartermain (Cedric Hardwicke), Curtis (John Loder) and Commander Good (Roland Young) plus the rather mysterious Umpopa (Paul Robeson) to help her find her father... and plenty of diamonds.

The adventure takes them across blistering desert and up mountains until they reach the mines guarded by a native tribe. Umpopa finally reveals that he is the true tribal king who had been usurped, obviously his usurper Robert Adams is rather keen that their adventure now ends...

A well-paced adventure, the wonderful backdrop of Africa adding tremendous presence. The wonderfully deep voice of Robeson also adding as much presence. Of course the stereotypes are a bit dated nowadays (though if we are to be honest Anna Lee's terrible "Irish" accent is probably the worst culprit) but that doesn't detract from the old fashioned but glorious fun.