Friday, November 20, 2020

Alley Cat (1984)

A rather grim and dingy and violent vigilante film, in a way it is Death Wish but with a female lead. Billie (Karin Mani) catches some imitation hardcases trying to steal her tyres. After he beats them up with her karate skills they go running off to their boss Scarface (Michael Wayne) who kills Billie's grandmother. Billie herself ends up in jail after she stops a rape due to a corrupt cop...

Billie begins a one-woman mission to bring Scarface and his gang to justice, one way or another. The film has a lot of averagely choreographed fights, unfortunately most take place in the dark. There is also a lot of female nudity as well, including in prison...

It is a pretty run-of-the-mill low budget 1980s video nasty. Violent and grubby, it is very trashy. The best thing (by far) about the film is Karin, who does look pretty decent when she is fighting (and in general). 

Thursday, November 19, 2020

Carnival of Souls (1962)

A chilling, excellent if rather odd horror film. Mary (Candice Hilligoss) is involved in a motor accident where a car she is in with two other girls crashes into a river. Somehow Mary manages to get out of the car but wants to get away from town as soon as she can, she moves to Utah to be a church organist. Living in a house owned by Mrs Thomas (Frances Feist) with her rolling eyes and a rather creepy fellow boarder John (Sidney Berger) who drinks booze for breakfast and wants to get into her underwear so overtly its a wonder he doesn't have "sex pest" written on his forehead.


Mary is obsessed by a shuttered carnival venue, and also strange things happen to her. From time to time she suffers hearing loss and no one can hear / see her. She also keeps seeing a horrific white zombie face everywhere. As times goes, especially after the vicar (Art Ellison) fires her for playing profane organ music in church, on she realises she is not supposed to be in this world...

Although a slow moving film at times, it isn't without plenty of thrills and chills and makes the most of a tiny budget. It isn't a horror film for gore and blood, the scares come from the surreal feel of most of the scenes. Mary knows something isn't right with her world and this is very effectively portrayed. Very atmospheric (in a natural sense) with few missteps. A very good horror film and certainly one that needs to be better known.

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

The Arsenal Stadium Mystery (1939)

A player (Anthony Bushell) collapses during a match at Highbury, is he injured? Is he dead? Was he murdered? Indeed he was and the rather eccentric detective Anthony Slade (Leslie Banks) is bought in, once he is dragged away from a show he is producing (which includes policemen in tutus) and has chosen the correct hat.

So this is a rather strange film but is a decent crime drama. Slade discovers that poison applied to a ring sent to the deceased was the means. The question is who sent the ring and wanted the man dead. Slade begins to look into the pasts of the other team mates...

A rather light film (despite the fact it includes two murders) which is mostly down to the odd but entertaining performance of Banks. Some real Arsenal stars of the day appear as themselves, the manager George Allison actually doing quite well in his role.

The best part of this film is the fascinating look at top level football in the late 1930s, rather different to today!

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Corridor of Mirrors (1948)

What exactly is going on amid this glorious array of Gothic atmosphere and opulence? Mifanwy (Eric Portman) is returning to London to see her lover, and in flash back she remembers how she met the rather odd Paul (Edana Romney). Paul was a throw-back in terms of dress who lived in a mansion surrounded by exotic ornaments and costumes. He was obsessed with dressing her up as his Renaissance fantasy...


When Mifanwy began to realise Paul was trying to control her, he unveils a painting which looks exactly like her. He tells her that he thinks they were lovers in previous lives four hundred years before in Renaissance Italy. However, his house and life has other mysteries. Who exactly is the strange woman Veronica (Barbara Mullen), a housekeeper or something more?

A lush drama with events which come to a dramatic head at the end of a Venetian ball when another girl, Caroline (Joan Maude) is found dead in his home. As the film progresses the strange events become clearer... to an extent. However, there is some ambiguity still and that adds to the joy of this masterpiece, True mystery and fantasy should always leave one slightly confused. Look out for Christopher Lee in his film debut, though blink and you'll probably miss it!

Monday, November 16, 2020

Dolemite (1975)

A blaxploitation classic, though at times verges on self-parody even for this ridiculous genre! Dolemite (Rudy Ray Moore) is a pimp released from gaol on a secret mission to stop his rival and the corrupt cops who put him in there in the first place. His method of carrying out the mission is basically moving from set-piece to set-piece (usually a brothel) and getting into various fights amid a deluge of bad language...

It is a compelling film for sure as Dolemite hunts down his rival Willie Green (D'Urville Martin) and discovers who is the big name pulling the strings behind the scene. Dolemite is assisted by his girl Chi, his madame Queen Bee (Lady Reed) and an uncover FBI agent (Jerry Reed). The film is pretty violent (though much of it rather inept) and full of wacky characters including the crazed Mayor (Hy Pyke) and a horny gun-running Reverend (Wesley Gale).

The film is a comedy and should be treated and enjoyed as such. The plot is basic, the acting almost universally poor, the action fumbling and clumsy, the film making rough and cheap. The film is brilliant of course.