The Hideous Sun Demon (1958)

Awfully low budget science-fiction nonsense, Scientist Dr Gil (Robert Clarke) is exposed to radiation, however it does not appear to have harmed him... until he sits in direct sunlight and he turns into a reptile! Naturally the only thing to do when this miracle happens is for Gil to be allowed out hospital and live alone in his mansion! He hits the bottle, seduces singer Trudy (Nan Peterson) and kills her minor hoodlum boyfriend George (Peter Similuk) when he faces the sunshine again and re-enters lizard mode.

The police are on the case, well vaguely. Considering a mutant murdering lizard-man is on the loose the police search is rather low-key. But Lizard Gil is finally tracked down to a showdown atop a gas holder...

The film is rather cheap and makes little sense (of course). Gil apparently has a thing for fellow scientist Ann (Patricia Manning) though that doesn't stop him with Trudy. The lack of interest from the government also makes no sense, but then again this was the 1950s so crazy science accidents and bizarre monster threats was probably quite mundane. It might not make much sense but scores high on the cheese-ometer of course.

In the Park (1915)

Fun and frolics with Charlie Chaplin in a park. A thief is loose in the park stealing handbags, but when he tries to pick Charlie's pockets he ends up losing his ciggies. The thief isn't very good at keeping his loot either as the handbag switches from park user to park user. In the end the handbag is reunited with it's owner but she is so angry at her boyfriend, he decides to jump in the lake with Charlie's help! A light film without a huge amount of plot, just a sprinkling of decent gags. Charlie Chaplin was still developing his comedy character and there was still some work to do but a pleasant watch. Edna Purviance is around of course as a maid enjoying the park.

The Detective (1968)

A tough realistic crime drama. Leland (Frank Sinatra) is a tough uncompromising hard-bitten (almost but not quite to the point of self-parody). He investigates the brutal killing of a homosexual, eventually catching an unstable young man (Tony Musante) who ends up in the chair. 

However, the suicide of businessman MacIver (William Windom) opens up a whole new can of worms, which leads Leland to the realisation that he was wrong before and there is a whole nest of vipers behind the scene...

Meanwhile we also explore Leland's life in flashback including his troubled marriage to Karen (Lee Remick) and his various run-ins with his superiors and peers. Leland is a troubled soul in a troubled city...

This is a highly entertaining film with Sinatra playing the role with suitable intensity. The film takes a very mature approach to society and policing and was one the first mainstream films to explore homosexuality. 

The book which this film was based up also had a sequel which was turned into a movie. That movie was Die Hard, so in a way this is a prequel to the Bruce Willis film!

A Fire Has Been Arranged (1935)

A superbly strange crime-comedy-musical with many elements of classic British music hall humour. Bud Flanagan, Chesney Allan and Hal Walters rob a jewellery store and hide the loot in a field before they are pinched by the Old Bill. After doing ten years bird and now free men again, they come looking for their buried loot and find a swanky Art Deco department store has been built on top of it!

The store, run by the even more crooked Cutte (Alastair Sims) and Shuffle (C. Denier Warren), is in trouble though. The books have been thoroughly cooked and the shareholders are in revolt. Cutte has the bright idea to have the store burnt down to claim the insurance money. He needs to commit arson, when his security catch Bud, Chesney and Hal casing out the store he discovers the perfect men to carry out his dastardly deed. What can go wrong? Well basically everything!

A very funny and silly film full of gags and silly situations. There are also a few sound and dance routines by the Buddy Bradley Rhythm Girls. Betty (Mary Lawson) is the daughter of the jewellery store owner who now works at the department store, however this bit of plot isn't really explored in any depth. Despite that a definite hit.

Five Elements Ninjas (1982)

An exhilarating martial arts film and also incredibly violent and bloody. The martial arts headquarters comes under attack from Japanese ninjas led by Kembuchi Mudou (Michael Chan). The master is poisoned and his troops, which includes Xiao Tian Hao (Ricky Cheng), fortify their base. However, the ninjas in the lovely form of Junko (Chan Put-Sai) infiltrates the base and then facilities a full ninja attack. The master is killed and Kembuchi now rules the martial arts world...

Xiao is the only survivor and escapes, with the help of Junko who seems slightly conflicted - probably the only depth or shade of grey in this film - to learn ninja fighting skills himself. With three friends he returns to challenge the ninjas in a final showdown against the five elements of ninja: gold, wood, water, fire and earth...

Don't expect a huge amount of story here, the film is about 95% fighting, but that's really what you want from a film like this. The action is often rather over the top with various wire-fu and mysterious bending of the laws of physics. There is also quite a lot of literal destruction of the human form. An amazing film full of bizarre ninja weapons, men in white capes and Junko in her leather and fishnets outfit.