Defence of the Realm (1985)

A highly intelligent political thriller. Reporter Nick Mullen (Gabriel Byrne) investigates an MP (Bill Paterson) who is suspected in being somehow involved with a KGB spy. Mullen's fellow reporter, and old soak, Bayliss (Denholm Elliot) thinks there is a far bigger story. 

After Bayliss' suspicious death, Mullen begins to follow up on what Bayliss was investigating, a mysterious death of a youth and possible involvement in nuclear weapons at a US air base.

Mullen and the MP's assistant Beckman (Greta Scacchi) get involved in a game of cat and mouse with the dark forces behind the state who want to ensure a cover-up, no matter who gets hurt...

The story is very well constructed with excellent performances from the cast. An intricate story of Cold War politics and intrigue. The period view of the workings of the 1980s news room (all typewriters and dicta-phones) is also fascinating.

The Secret Tunnel (1948)

An enjoyable children's adventure. When Roger (Tony Wager) discovers that his Dad's Rembrandt has been stolen from the supposedly secure vault at his mansion, he begins to investigate with John (Ivor Bowyer) the butler's son. They find a secret tunnel that leads from the vault and suspicion falls on the cook Mrs Matthews (Thelma Rea) and the antique seller Mr Harvey (Frank Henderson)...

Then a gang is let into the house by Mrs Matthews to empty out the rest of the vault. The two boys are captured but manage to escape and then help the police find the gang's hide out...

A straight forward adventure with plenty for viewers (of all ages) to enjoy. The story is fairly cliched but there is nothing wrong with good old fashioned fun.

House on Haunted Hill (1959)

A hilariously over-the-top and camp horror film. Mr Loren (Vincent Price) invites a mixture of people to a party at a notorious haunted house with his wife Annabelle (Carol Ohmart). Loren challenges the guests to stay a night in return for money. Almost immediately very strange things start to happen, a chandelier nearly falls on Nora (Caroline Craig), unfortunately she survives and is able to scream her tonsils off for most of the rest of the film. Dr Trent (Alan Marshal) says it is just hysteria and not ghosts which Nora keeps seeing...

Then Annabelle is found hung, but was it suicide or murder? Loren delights in showing his guests a pit of acid which is in the cellar. It isn't much of a party, not really swinging... well apart from Annabelle. Though she later appears outside Nora's window causing some more screams. There is something more going on than bumps in the night...

Once we get the twist then the film transforms from a rather silly though entertaining camp horror to something a bit more clever. 

Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire (1987)

A vampire snooker musical, yes you read that right. A very strange film it is too (as you probably would expect). It is based on the real-life snooker rivalry between the old guard (and Dracula-like) Ray Reardon and young buck Jimmy White.

T.O. (Bruce Payne) is the manager of young snooker player Billy the Kid (Phil Daniels), he has a gambling problem and big debts owed to The Wednesday Man (Don Henderson). The Wednesday Man manipulates T.O. into agreeing to arrange a showdown snooker match between Billy and champion Maxwell Randall (Alun Armstrong) who has something of the night about him...

Unknown to Billy the loser of the match will also have to give up their career. Randall isn't quite the washed up has-been Billy is let to think he is.

The story line contains a number of songs, of various quality. The story is fairly light and frequently bizarre. A surreal film, maybe a little too weird to be "good" but definitely memorable and highly enjoyable.

Dead End (1937)

Life on the East Side slum in Noo Yoick where the lives of the poor are overlooked by the rich. The film mostly centres around the adventures of a group of urchins, the Dead End Kids (who make their movie debut here). Around them a series of dramas. An unemployed architect, Dave (Joel McCrea) is torn between two girls. Drina (Sylvia Sidney) is in a labour dispute and is as hard-up as he is, Kay (Wendy Bray) is the mistress of a rich guy and she doesn't fancy being poor again.

Meanwhile gangster Babyface Martin (Humphrey Bogart) has returned to his old neighbourhood. He wants to find his mother and his old squeeze but isn't happy when he finds them...

The film is based on a Broadway show and often plays like one with fast moving action which swiftly moves from character to character on one big set. Life is rough and hard, but there is humour to be found in even the darkest of times. Great film, and great accents.