The Third Alibi (1961)

An amazing little crime drama that fits so many twists and turns into a film that lasts just over an hour. Norman (Laurence Payne) is in an unhappy marriage with Helen (Patricia Dainton) and is doing the dirty with Helen's half-sister Peggy (Jane Griffiths). When Norman puts Peggy in the club he tries to get a divorce but Helen refuses. Norman thus begins to plot the perfect murder...

Unfortunately, despite an intricate plot intended to build Norman a cast iron alibi, his attempt to gun down his wife ends in failure, instead he discovers that Peggy has been shot instead. Whats more the evidence which the police (John Arnatt) gather points to him doing it...

A modest but very intelligent film which contains a number of little plot points which all make sense in the end. The only criticism might be that all the main characters are rather loathsome.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

A spectacular film though also sometimes baffling especially early on, this isn't a film which will spoon feed everything to you though which is ultimately refreshing. 

Claude Lacombe (Francois Truffaut) is investigating mysterious happenings around the globe including the appearance of aircraft lost in 1945... fully fuelled and operational. 

Meanwhile electrical lineman Roy (Richard Dreyfuss) has a mysterious encounter of his own when strange lights overhead give him sunburn. Jillian (Melinda Dillon) suffers shock when her house is blasted by strange lights and her son goes missing...

Both Roy and Jillian have a compulsion and an obsession with a mountain in Wyoming. This just happens to be where the US military has launched a mass evacuation. What is at that mountain. Roy and Jillian go and find out. What they find exceeds anyone's expectations.

Although the film does sometimes drop into farce it is a wonderful experience visually. For a change the aliens arn't evil and the US military intent on shooting everything which moves.

Sexton Blake and the Hooded Terror (1938)

Now for our 800th review!

Sexton Blake could be considered a bit of a rip-off of Sherlock Holmes being an amateur detective who also lives on Baker Street! However, his stories were very popular in the twentieth century (indeed he was my great-grandfather's favourite detective). In this film, Blake (George Curzon) has to battle the mysterious Black Quorum who are the most powerful and deadliest criminals in the country apparently, though the fact Blake has never heard of them before despite being a famous detective seems quite odd.

The Quorum are led by Larron (Tod Slaughter), who has the appearance of a respectable stamp collector but when he dons his black snake gown and hood he likes to send women to the death chamber. Blake, with the help of his assistant Tinker (Tony Sympson), tracks the Quorum to a house in London. However, he is captured and left to die. Luckily French undercover agent Julie (Greta Gynt) saves the day... The hunt then continues in Paris...

So this is a fast moving romp with numerous cliffhangers and death traps, in some ways it is like a condensed movie serial. Original it isn't but fun it surely is. The ending is certainly unusual especially for a film from this era.

The American President (1995)

A lush US political romantic drama, often rather West Wing in feel at times, it even has Martin Sheen in the White House (though as the chief of staff not the President). The President is Andrew Shepherd (Martin Douglas) who is riding high on the popularity polls. 

However, when lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening) goes to the White House to push an environmental bill and meets Shepherd sparks begin to fly.

The President was a widower and once it is known he has a new girlfriend the press go into a frenzy, Shepherd's rival in the next election Senator Rumson (Richard Dreyfuss) begins to make hay. Sydney's character, and that of the President, are put into question and this puts their relationship under strain.

An enjoyable romantic drama with sharp political dialogue and a good cast including Michael J Fox. It is a bit predictable, of course it ends with Shepherd giving a rousing speech.

The Quiller Memorandum (1966)

An enjoyable if flawed 1960s spy thriller. Quiller (George Segal) is an agent sent to Berlin by Pol (Alec Guinness) to hunt a gang of neo-Nazis. However, the Nazis led by Oktober (Max von Sydow) are always one step ahead of him. He needs to find their base and they want to find his. So begins a battle of wits and truth drugs across 1960s Berlin (which is the real star of the show). 

Quiller hooks up with Inge (Senta Berger) who also gets into danger. Of course there is more than meets the eye behind much of what we see...

This is a 1960s spy film in the LeCarre style rather than Bond. Written by Harold Pinter it has the intelligent dialogue, subtlety and lengthy pauses you might expect. It lacks much in the way of action though has plenty of suspense. At times the film is a bit too campy and gets dangerously close to being a spoof. However, the film is worth sticking with.

The film leaves things slightly ambiguous. A great soundtrack by John Barry and a theme song by Matt Munro make this a classic 1960s British spy film.