Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)

A very strange film, apparently a Christmas tale though it spends quite a lot of time displaying nuclear missiles and bombers! Martian children are watching Santa Claus on Earth TV and are sad that they have no toys and joy, no Christmas! The leader of the Martians, Kimar (Leonard Hicks) decides to go to Earth. However, for a change the Martians are not bent on destroying the world or stealing our women... no, instead they want Santa Claus!

The Martians manage to kidnap the real Santa (John Call) and two children (Victor Stiles and Betty Conforti) and take them to Mars. Santa manages to defeat the Martians and bring Christmas to Martian children! Hooray!

Obviously very silly, and not a little trippy. It is also pretty low budget though that adds to the fun, the Martians are all in green and have antennae growing out of their heads of course! The special effects are fairly cheap (though better than some serious science fiction films). The man in the polar bear suit is hilarious.

The Looking Glass War (1970)

An excellent Le Carre adaptation, though one which differs from the book somewhat. The Department is a fading section of British Intelligence desperate to recapture former glories. When they find out about apparent Russian missiles in East Germany they see the chance to regain their standing by sending a man in to verify the information...

Polish layabout Leiser (Christopher Jones) is whom LeClerc (Ralph Richardson) and Avery (Anthony Hopkins) find to infiltrate the Iron Curtain. Leiser doesn't care about politics, he just wants to live in the West and chase girls. However he is trained to be a killer and some basic spycraft and then sent over. What could go wrong?

A lot in fact, from the start the operation is bungled and the East Germans are never far away from Leiser, who hooks up with local girl Anna (Pia Degermark) and travels across Germany in an old lorry leaving the odd body behind...

Dark and bleak but also having a touch of "Swinging London". Leiser is a bit of a blank slate, his motivation is rather vague, his characterisation a bit undeveloped. The film looks beautiful though and has a cynical edge to the glamour and sunshine.

Dogora (1964)

A rather confusing film. Although this is a Toho movie and involves a monster destroying perfectly made minature buildings, the main focus of the film is a crime story involving diamonds. Though the monster, a giant jelly fish from space, likes eating diamonds (and coal) so the stories are linked!

The crimes (and monster) is being investigated by Inspector Kommei (Yosuke Natsuki) and gaijin Mark Jackson (Robert Dunham), as well as bearded scientist Dr Munakata (Nobuo Nakamura).

The problem with the film is that is it neither one thing or the other. Most of the film is taken up with the diamond case, which is rather confusing though the actual crimes are well done. The monster seems a bit tacked on and doesn't take up much of the film, those does provide for the opportunity for some special effects... and destruction. Not a great film but it looks good.

Dead Men Walk (1943)

A decent creepy vampire tale. Dr Clayton (George Zucco) discovers that his twin brother Elwyn has gone into league with Satan. He secretly kills Elwyn but it is no use. Elwyn is now an un-dead vampire who has a taste for the blood of his niece Gayle (Mary Carlisle). Kate's beau David (Nedrick Young) at first suspects Dr Clayton of being behind Gayle's decline.

The town folk, a motley collection of gap toothed hicks, suspect Dr Clayton as being behind the dark forces taking place in the town...

The film has some good atmosphere, especially in the cemetery scenes, though the film isn't too original. It has all the usual elements of a vampire movie including a hunchback servant in Zolarr (Dwight Frye). The film needed a little more energy, Carlisle had an easy role in this, she spends most of the film in bed!

The Devil to Pay! (1930)

Ronald Colman excels in this film as Willie, a suave and workshy man with a heart of gold, but a weakness for gambling. He returns home, penniless from Africa, to his angry father (Frederick Kerr) - though very easily charms the old man. He also meets Dorothy (Loretta Young) who is engaged to marry a rather dull aristocrat. Willie and Dorothy fall in love...

However, there is a complication of course. Willie was in love with showgirl Mary (Myrna Loy). Willie has promised Dorothy never to see Mary again, and Dorothy's father has engaged a detective agency to find out if Willie breaks his promise...

A bright and breezy romantic comedy. Colman's cad-ish charm filled the screen. It is fairly light and inconsequential perhaps but a highly enjoyable little film.