Who Killed Teddy Bear (1965)

A dark film indeed, a remarkable piece of 1960s noir and sleaze. Difficult and dangerous, a deep exploration of the dark side of humanity.

Norah (Juliet Prowse) is a DJ at a swinging New York club, not very hip though judging by the awkward dancing (more drugs obviously required, the later 1960s would help there). She starts receiving strange phone calls. Then, she realises she is being stalked as the caller knows everything about her and what she has been doing. He even breaks into her apartment to leave a broken teddy bear! Her stalker (Sal Mineo) is a co-worker and is obsessed with her and obsessed with sex, however unable to sexually function because of what happened to him in the past as a boy...

Lt. Madden (Jan Murray), on the vice squad, is investigating. He fills his apartment with all sorts of porn and filth to help him understand the sex criminal mind, but is this corrupting him too? It certainly seems to be corrupting his young daughter (Diane Moore) who starts using words she shouldn't be at her age.

A very moody and sleazy piece of work. Artily filmed in black and white though at times flirts with falling into self-parody. The film has a number of superb performances, including Elaine Stritch as a lesbian who befriends Norah though doesn't get much of what she was hoping for but a lot of what she wasn't. Mineo steals the show though as the bodybuilding weirdo who calls up his dream girl wearing just his tight shorts and sweating profusely, and goes looking for porn while his mentally retarded sister (Margot Bennett) is locked in a cupboard. A film that stretched taboos and is a compelling and irresistible watch though rather exploitative. It's riveting for sure.

The Severed Arm (1973)

An amazing film, an amazingly strange film too. It is a tale of revenge and psychological horror with a superb twist. 

A number of years before a group of friends get trapped as they explore a cave. As time goes on and they get hungrier, Jeff (David Cannon) has the idea that they eat each other. They draw lots and unfortunately Ted (Ray Dannis) is chosen to have his arm cut off and consumed. Of course just as soon as the arm is cut off the rescuers arrive. Jeff and the others (sans Ted who is rather annoyed) decide to concoct a cover story and say they cut off Ted's arm to save his life...

Now a number of years later Jeff receives a horrific present in the mail, a severed arm! He finds out Ted has left the mental hospital he has been in and must plan a revenge. One by one the others are killed in various macabre ways, finally just Jeff is left with Ted's daughter Teddy (Deborah Walley), who has been helping him. Well Jeff thinks she has been helping him...

The twist is immense when it happens (though can be seen coming a mile off). The film is dripping with menace and suspense, assisted by a superb synthesiser led soundtrack. The only real criticism you can make of this film is that a little too much takes place in the dark and it is difficult to tell quite what is going on. Weird but great.

The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

The first in the Hammer series of Frankenstein films, and the first Hammer film in colour. With the help of his former tutor and friend Paul (Robert Urquhart), Baron Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) conducts a series of ever more extreme medical experiments. Frankenstein's ultimate aim is to create life, Paul increasingly wants out especially when Frankenstein starts to steal human body parts in order to create the "perfect man"...

Paul tries to convince Frankenstein's fiance (Hazel Court) to leave, but to no avail. Meanwhile, Frankenstein manages to create a monster of true horror (Christopher Lee) but with a damaged brain. The monster manages to escape and kill, forcing Paul to kill it. However, Frankenstein resurrects his creature which ends up killing his creator's mistress Justine (Valerie Gaunt)...

Although the film starts off a bit slowly, once the creature makes it's debut the film transforms into a truly remarkable horror. Wonderfully macabre.

Mad Mission 2 (1983)

For our 1,000th review it has to be the greatest film we ever saw on VHS...

Mad Mission 2 (also known as Aces Go Places 2) is an extraordinary film. A completely madcap series of stunts and amazing situations held together by a vague sub-plot of diamond theft and gangland revenge. 

King Kong (Samuel Hui) is a jewel thief / graphic designer. After he stole diamonds in the first film, the US mafia hire Filthy Harry (Joe Dimmick), in full Clint Eastwood cosplay gear, to deal with the situation.

That involves sending a robot to kill King Kong, then chasing him with multiple Jaguars and motorbikes across Hong Kong in a mass crashathon. For help, he calls on his friend in the police Albert (Karl Maka), not that he is that much help. The antics end with a final showdown with Filthy Harry's forces: another robot, another car chase with Jaguars (the number of cars wrecked in this car is astonishing) and finally Filthy Harry himself in his missile firing golden Rolls Royce...

An incredibly film, it is sort of film you would get if you gave a bunch of 10 year old boys unlimited budget and complete carte blanche. Some of the HK humour and antics are a bit dated but the sheer energy and craziness of the action makes this film well worthwhile. Many times i hired this from the video shop in the 1980s, it never failed to entertain me.

Jack the Giant Killer (1962)

A pleasing if rather goofy fantasy tale. Evil and rather camp wizard Pendragon (Torin Thatcher) has been defeated but unbeknownst to the King of Cornwall (Dayton Lummis), the evil wizard plots his revenge. Pendragon targets the lovely Princess Elaine (Judi Meredith) and sends a giant to capture her. However, the wizard is defeated by the heroic farmer boy Jack (Kerwin Matthews) who is rewarded by the King.

Pendragon isn't giving up yet though, he sends his forces of darkness to capture Elaine. Jack travels to Pendragon's island with his friends Sigurd (Barry Kelley), Peter (Roger Mobley) and his imp in a bottle (Don Beddoe)! With the imp's help Jack faces the evil of Pendragon once again...

A fun film. The characters are rather pantomine-esque with their costumes and cackling, the monsters average claymation and the special effects at times a bit dodgy. However, despite the obviousness and the lack of depth of any characters, this is a fine film. A straight forward fairy tale fantasy adventure.