The Lesser Evil (1912)

A neat little drama.

A young woman (Blanche Sweet) goes to meet her sweetheart, a fisherman (Edwin August). Unfortunately the meeting point is where a gang of smugglers led by (Alfred Paget) store their wares. The woman is kidnapped by the smugglers who take to their boat. While her sweetheart tries to raise the alarm and get help, trouble is brewing on the boat. The crew are now boozed up and seeking to have "fun" with the woman, she considers death would be preferable, the lesser evil...

While not a masterpiece the film is decent in most ways including the naturalistic acting.

The Woman in Green (1945)

Another fiendish plot is foiled by Holmes and Watson.

There have been a spate of murders of women across London, the fingers of each victim cut off. Meanwhile, city gent Sir George (Paul Cavanagh) entertains a lady friend (Hillary Brooke). However, he wakes up in a dingy bedsit, hearing shouts of murder outside. There has been yet another murder of a woman, and her severed finger is in Sir George's pocket...

Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Watson (Nigel Bruce) are soon called to the tragic scene of Sir George's suicide, they discover that he has been blackmailed. This indicates to Holmes that it isn't a madman committing these murders, rather it is a devious plot. He suspects Moriarty (Henry Daniell) is behind this and is soon proved to be right in a dangerous tale of hypnosis and extortion...

This is typical of the long-running Holmes series from Rathbone and Bruce, Bruce's Watson is a little too much of a buffoon as usual but this is perfectly enjoyable if not exceptional fare. For some reason Edgware is misspelt with an extra E several times. Maybe we can blame Moriarty for that as well?

The Mouse on the Moon (1963)

A hilarious satire on Superpower space race politics.

The tiny country of Grand Fenwick is in trouble, their wine - their only source of income - is exploding and PM Mountjoy (Ron Moody) needs money for some indoor plumbing. He attempts to trick the US into giving them some money for "space research", Russia goes one better and gives Grand Fenwick a rocket! The Grand Duchess (Margaret Rutherford) orders the dreadful tin thing got rid of. Its hidden in a castle tower where Professor Kokintz (David Kossoff) and Vincent Montjoy (Bernard Cribbins) secretly plan to go to the Moon for real!

The US and Soviets find themselves outflanked when Kokintz's rocket makes it's slow way into space using an anti-gravity substance discovered by the Professor. But making it to the Moon first isn't the most important thing, its making it back!

This film sends up the so-often overblown and ridiculous Superpower politics perfectly with some classic British comedy. Terry-Thomas does a great turn as a hapless British spy.

Two Flags West (1950)

An American Civil War tale mixed with some decent Western action.

The North is winning the war but faces a manpower shortage on the Western frontier and need more troops to fight marauding Indians. A group of Confederate prisoners are given the option of a pardon if they join the Union Army and go out West. Reluctantly Tucker (Joseph Cotten) brings his men over to the over side, even more reluctantly Major Kenniston (Jeff Chandler) accepts them.

Tucker begins to plan to escape and also gets mixed up with widow Elena (Linda Darnell), Kenniston's sister-in-law. Elena's husband was killed in the war, during an attack by Tucker's troop...

Although not the most dramatic Western, the Civil War backing with the animosity between the two sides adds an interesting dimension to the film.

Godmonster of Indian Flats (1973)

What on Earth is this film about? You could watch this a million times and probably still be none the wiser. Watching this just once is probably enough though.

There have been many "monster" movies, this one is about a rampaging killer... sheep! The embryo of a mutant sheep is discovered by a farmer, and rushed off to a secret medical lab which just happens to be in this rural location! Clemens (E. Kerrigan Prescott) discovers that the mutation may be due to toxic vapours in a mine. Naturally the monster sheep eventually escapes and wrecks havoc! The mayor (Stuart Lancaster) of course wants the sheep to bring money to his town...

That part of the film only takes up a minority of the film however. Much of the film involves a strange story about a businessman (Christopher Brooks) being tricked into thinking he has shot a dog (a fake funeral for tbe dog is held!) There is also a story about a young man who wins big in Reno and ends up getting cheated out of his money and beaten up!

Naturally the monster looks ridiculous and the film makes very little sense. Oddly enough, the acting is sometimes not bad at all, considering the material they had to work with thats quite something!