Ten Minutes to Live (1932)

A historic piece of early African-American cinema, but unfortunately not very good. A nightclub singer is offered a place in a producer's new film, though all he wants to do really is indulge in some horizontal jogging. Someone else at the club gets a note telling them they will be killed ten minutes later!

The execution is quite poor and feels like a silent movie which was later dubbed with sound (which by 1932 was rather strange). The film actually is two separate stories, the second story is nearly entirely silent. The stories themselves, which take place in the same Harlem night club, are hard to follow at times with the number of cutaways. The film does include a number of music and dance acts and it is best just to enjoy them and the odd arty touch of this film, and not the story.

The New York Ripper (1982)

A grossly over the top slash gore murder horror. A serial killer is killing young women in New York, and not just killing them but mutilating and cutting them to pieces, he also speaks with a "comedy" duck voice. He uses this to taunt grizzle NY detective Williams (Jack Hedley) who is on the case, with the help of psychologist Dr Davis (Paolo Malco).

Fay Majors (Almanta Suska) is the victim who manages to survive, suspicion then falls on a strange man she encountered on the subway (Howard Ross). But there are no shortage of strange people in this depraved film to be honest...

The film is incredibly sleazy and isn't a little misogynist. There is a lot of violence including a rather brutal eye ball slicing scene, and quite a lot of sex too. Mostly though, this film is a bit too weird to take seriously and enjoy. It is quite a spectacle though.

Dateline Diamonds (1965)

A highly enjoyable crime caper which weaves in various real pop stars and DJs into mid-1960s Swinging London. Fairclough (William Lucas) is a prolific diamond thief, however he needs a way to get his spoils out of the country. He blackmails Benson (Kenneth Cope), the manager of up and coming group the Small Faces (pre Rod Stewart), to take the diamonds aboard the radio boat in the channel where it can be passed onto Fairclough's continental contact...

Meanwhile the police Tom (Conrad Philips) and Paul (George Mikell) are finding it hard to get going with their investigation, but then they get a break when Fairclough is caught in the background of a press photo of the Faces and some information from Tom's Faces fan daughter Gay (Anna Carteret)...

As a crime drama it is a bit basic, though competent (the scene which shows in detail Fairclough doing one of his blags is fascinating) but add the pop star cameos which include Kiki Dee and Kenny Everett it is a perfect time capsule of Swinging London and some pretty good tunes.

The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)

A gritty and low-key crime drama. Eddie Coyle (Robert Mitchem) is an ageing con who is facing another stretch in gaol. He is trying to bargain his way to freedom by selling information on a gang of bank robbers (including Alex Rocco) to Detective Foley (Robert Jordan). However he is also supplying guns to the gang!

Unfortunately for Eddie his friend Dillon (Peter Boyle) is a step ahead of him in dealing with the law and robs Eddie of his ultimate bargaining trip and way out of the life which has ground him down...

A tough and very believable crime drama set in Boston. This has to be one of Mitchem's best roles, he looks suitably worn down after a life of crime and playing both sides. The film goes in some unexpected directions but Eddie's demise has a crushing inevitability about it.

Who Killed the Cat? (1966)

A rather slow moving but enjoyable crime drama. After the death of her husband scheming widow Eleanor (Vanda Godsell) takes control of the house and decides it is time she made her three elderly renters (Mary Merrell, Ellen Pollock and Amy Dalby) pay more money in rent than they can afford, she also wants her step-daughter Mary (Natasha Pyne) to leave school and earn her keep...

Eleanor is rather vile, spreading poison about Mary's boyfriend. Poison of another kind of spread when Mrs Goldworthy's cat is found dead...

The film does not have a lot of action or suspense but is a rather interesting period piece. Although made in the 1960s it feels like it is set decades before. It plays out like a Golden Age murder mystery and is very entertaining if you like that sort of thing.