Cold-Blooded Murder (1981)

A violent and rather confusing, though thrilling, crime and martial arts film.

A maniac (Michael Chan), who we learn in flashback saw his baby son die due to his wife cheating with a gangster, begins killing prostitutes in a number of horrific ways. The Inspector (Carter Huang) has been tasked to catch the attacker but is coming under increasing pressure as the body count rises and his investigations turn up blank. One of his men (Bruce Le) is also in a personal war with gangster Lau Dan who brings in the buff Bolo Leung to help him out...

Actual policework seems quite hard to find though, apart from using policewoman Lam Hoi-Ling as a hapless decoy. There is a lot of fighting and violence instead, a hell of a lot. This is an enjoyable film if you like kung fu, in fact a very good action film. Though if you like a coherent plot, and characters who don't do bizarre things for no apparent reason, then maybe this isn't your night. 

The film's main problem is the two unconnected plots, the gangster plot seems to be here just so the film can have it's Bruceploitation fix, it does detract from the more interesting crime plot which would have benefited from more screen time. The film is still a great watch, even if it should have been two films...

Dimension 5 (1966)

A rather flimsy 1960s spy film with some time travel nonsense tacked on.

A Chinese Communist faction are trying to smuggle a nuclear bomb into America and blow up LA. Justin Power (Jeffrey Hunter) is an agent of a secret US agency who is tasked with stopping them, he is helped by fellow agent Kitty (France Nuyen) and they begin a search for the head of the faction in the US, Big Budda (Harold Sakata). 

Assisting them with their endeavours is a time travel belt which can allow them to jump forward and backwards in time, though despite this apparently game changing technology Power and Kitty still end up having a fist fight with the bad guys in a fireworks warehouse...

This is what it is, a low budget and very campy spy romp. It has all the cliches of the genre and of course is helped out by Oddjob (Sakata) appearing - even if he is terribly dubbed and spends the film in a wheel chair (which rather negates his impressive physical presence). The film is not very good though is pretty watchable and enjoyable if approached in the right way as a 1960s piece of spy film cheese.

Alias Boston Blackie (1942)

A Christmas themed Boston Blackie movie.

Boston Blackie (Chester Morris) and friends head up to prison on Christmas Eve to perform a show for the convicts. However, Joe (Larry Parks) takes advantage of them being there to escape prison dressed as a clown. Joe claims he was set-up and wants to find the men who framed him. This drags his sister (Adele Mara) and Blackie into the trouble and hunted by the police. Blackie has to find Joe and try and prove his innocence, without getting collared by Farraday (Richard Lane) himself...

One of the best in the Boston Blackie series, a fast paced crime drama romp with plenty of shenanigans in a hotel. A good and enjoyable film. Apart from the trees and some decorations it isn't very festive though.

Silent Trigger (1996)

A surprisingly good action film.

A sniper (Dolph Lundgren) and his spotter (Gina Bellman) are on a secret mission to kill a foreign politician but their mission fails when Dolph hesitates and they are on the run. We will continue to see their escape in flashback throughout the rest of the film. But we next see a half-finished skyscraper. Dolph infiltrates the guarded site while Gina goes in while pretending to be an IT support engineer.   

Dolph and Gina are on a new sniping mission but have a few hours to set things up. However, there are complications including the coke fiend and sex addict guard O'Hara (Christopher Heyerdahl) who is after Gina's body. Dolph is also a target himself by the unnamed secret agency, Gina has been tasked to kill him but if she fails then the agency has a plan B...

This isn't a mindless action film, although when there is action it is good and pretty bloody. What the film does have is a lot of character building and reflection by Dolph on his dangerous and ultimately doomed lifestyle. Excellent and engaging.

1984 (1956)

The George Orwell classic, remember Big Brother is watching you.

In a future dystopia, Britain is now ruled by a totalitarian regime which ruthlessly controls it's citizens via propaganda, rewritten histories and facts and endless lies (backed up by secret police and torture if that doesn't work!) Winston Smith (Edmond O'Brien) is a low level functionary of the regime whose job is to rewrite history to reflect the "truth" which Big Brother wants. However, in a land where love is forbidden (unless it is for Big Brother) he rebels by falling in love with fellow regime officer Julia (Jan Sterling).

The pair maintain their secret affair away from the prying eyes of Big Brother, they also get recruited by high ranking official O'Connor (Michael Redgrave) who apparently is part of an underground resistance. Unfortunately, this is a lie too, Winston and Julia are arrested and end up being brutally tortured and reconditioned. What will happen when they meet again?

A bleak and brutal tale, a crushing and cruel tale always under the watchful eye of Big Brother. It couldn't come true of course, well it hasn't yet anyway.