Kingdom of the Spiders (1977)

America under attack by spiders and even William Shatner cannot save the day.

Walter's (Woody Strode) prize calf dies mysteriously, the local cowboy vet Dr "Rack" (Shatner) investigates. With the cause of death a mystery he calls in expert Diane (Tiffany Bolling), though as she is a girl Rack seems to have trouble taking her seriously, or is more interested in getting into her pants than anything else. Basically this is Captain Kirk in a Stetson.

Diane discovers that the calf was killed by incredibly potent spider venom, soon tarantulas are everywhere and people are dying fast. Rack, Diane and a few others end up holed up at a lodge surrounded by millions of tarlantulas...

This is a standard spider attack film, including plenty of shots of people opening hatches above their heads (for some reason) and spiders falling on them. Shatner is Shatner, which will probably make or break the film for you. I think its great, even though i hate spiders!

Giant from the Unknown (1958)

A 1950s monster movie with a difference, well a little bit of difference anyway.

Something monstrous is killing animals in the Californian woods, local scientist Wayne (Ed Kemmer) has discovered a living example of an extinct lizard which was kept alive in a rock for millennia so something odd is going on. Dr Cleveland (Morris Ankrum) and his daughter Janet (Sally Fraser) have meanwhile arrived to look for evidence of a Conquistador giant. With the help of Wayne they find Conquistador remains but the giant himself is not quite as dead as might be expected...

A standard and perfectly reasonable monster film, though the monster is not from outer space but Renaissance Spain (someone should have told the poster maker that). However, the film has a rather gaping plot hole. We see Vargas the giant (Buddy Baer) seemingly coming back to life but if that is so then what was killing and mutilating the farm animals mentioned earlier in the film? Vargus has the typical motivations of a Spanish officer bought back to life after centuries in suspended animation: kill everyone or find something to have sex with!

Hands of a Stranger (1962)

An interesting premise but drowned in a sea of overacting.

A man is gunned down in the street, later that night a rising young pianist called Vernon (James Noah) is being taken home after a concert when his smugness is interrupted by a terrible car crash leaving him with mangled hands. Dr Harding (Paul Lukhather) decides he can save the young pianist's hands and career by transplanting the hands from the man killed earlier. Afterwards, the operation appearing to be successful, both Vernon and his creepily close sister Dina (Joan Harvey) both react bizarrely when told about the transplant...

They act like Dr Harding cut Vernon's hands off and stuck them on his head! Later on is when the trouble really starts though, and the killings and revenge begins. Has Vernon been given the hands of a killer? 

This could have been a decent film, it has a Noir look and a decent (if unoriginal) story. However, the acting is awful and the film spends too long getting going with too much conversation and not enough action (baby).

The Power (1984)

Low wattage horror thrills.

A mysterious idol, which gives the holder demonic power, and also tears the holder apart ends up in the possession of a bunch of American High School kids (naturally!) They witness mysterious goings on in a crypt while using an Ouija board. Later on the guard at the crypt is mysteriously killed. Journalist Sandy (Suzy Stokey) isn't really interested in the kids' story though her ex Jerry (Warren Lincoln), who for some reason is in town, becomes really interested...

Jerry becomes the next person to possess the idol, and become transformed into a deranged beast while life around him is torn apart...

Not a bad horror film though somewhat disjointed. The start of the film, setting up the story of the idol, is like three separate films or the film makers couldn't decide how to start the film so filmed all three ideas. The horror is good, with plenty of poltergeist action and some average prosthetics. The story doesn't make a lot of sense (of course).

Safety Last! (1923)

An iconic film, even if you are normally unfamiliar with silent movies you probably have seen the scene of Harold Lloyd hanging off the side of a tall building holding onto the hand of a clock!

Lloyd is a country boy who heads off to the big city. He gets a job as a clerk at a department store. In love with Milfred Davis, he needs plenty of money to get married. To get a big reward from the boss for promoting the store he ends up climbing the side of the building with some truly death defying stunts...

There is more to the film than the building climb but that is what you will remember (the earlier parts of the film can be a bit run of the mill at times) and the stunts are extraordinary. The scene where Harold tries to trick Milfred that he is a store manager though is also a delight.