Beau Ideal (1931)

A tale of the French Foreign Legion and fighting dervishes in the desert, often key ingredients for a good film though this isn't one of them. This is a sequel to the earlier film Beau Geste, in it Otis (Lester Vail) heads off to the African desert to tell his boyhood friend John Geste (Ralph Forbes) that Isobel (Loretta Young) is the one she loves. Alas, John is in disgrace and is now a prisoner in Morocco, and Otis ends up in the same deep pit. However, it is ages before John and Otis realise this. John and Otis manage to get out of prison with the help of the Arabian princess Zuleika (Leni Strengel) and then have to fight an evil Emir (George Regas) to clear their names...

So, a tale of deep friendship amid betrayal. Unfortunately the film has very stilted and awkward dialogue as with many early talkies. It also gets off to a rather slow start with a seemingly endless and heavily overacted scene in a prison pit before the story gets going. The plot at times is hard to take seriously, Otis heading off to Africa to find a man whom he has not seen for years and doesn't even know what name he now uses, and yet they end up in the same prison! The desert scenes are suitably magnificent, the fighting scenes are fine but the film really isn't very good.

The Adventurer (1917)

A typical Charlie Chaplin comedy slapstick short. The tramp has hit hard times by now and is a convict! After much mayhem in some sand dunes, he manages to escape prison. Charlie then saves a girl (Edna Purviance) from drowning and is invited to her home. His new status as a hero makes it easy for the authorities to track him down of course!

Well this is classic Chaplin, a number of ingenious comedy set pieces. This is one of the best of his early films. It maybe lacks a but of depth but doesn't lack for humour.

Strange Holiday (1945)

John (Claude Rains) returns home from a fishing holiday to find that fascists have taken over America in this rather strange film. John is arrested by the fascists and thrown in prison. John's America has gone and he reflects on this in jail as he awaits his execution. We slowly (rather too slowly) discover how the fascists managed to conquer America, abolishing the Constitution cheered on by an angry populace.

The message, that freedom and democracy has to be protected and not taken for granted, is laid thick in this atmospheric and moody film. 

The film was originally made as a propaganda film for General Motors and it shows, it was padded out for general release and this does not do much for the film. It isn't a subtle film at all yet is also somewhat tedious and directionless. The film is an interesting rather than an enjoyable watch. Some might say the film has relevance for today and modern politics but I'll leave that for others to discuss!

The Plank (1967)

Eric Sykes and Tommy Cooper are just putting the finishing touches to a new house but unfortunately are one plank short. They head off to the timber yard to get one, nothing could go wrong with that right? Of course everything does in a series of comedy antics. Its all very silly of course in the classic bumbling British tradition which hit it's heights in the 1960s and 1970s.

A short feature which is packed full of stars such as Roy Castle, Jimmy Edwards, Jimmy Tarbuck, Hattie Jacques, Kenny Lynch... basically nearly anyone who was anyone in British comedy at the time. 

However, these cameos work perfectly and not self-indulgently in a series of comedy antics which can be obvious but hilarious.

Severely Rape (1998)

A rather sordid tale of gold digging and softcore pornography. Jacky (Elvis Tsui) and Wu Wing-keung fool around with various sexy bar girls (including Nam Sugawara and Yuko Wada) in Shenzhen. The girl's take advantage of the two virginal dope's longing for love by helping to emptying the guys' bank accounts amid much soaping up of private parts and grunting.

Not a great film by any means though titillating enough if you like a bit of flesh (and there is certainly no shortage of that in this film). 

Quite what the title has to do with the film content is a mystery though (and quite a common mystery with HK movies), everything is consensual although after awhile a bit repetitive.