The Vanishing Shadow (Serial) (1934)

A fun movie serial packed full of mad science.

Stanley Stanfield (Onslow Stevens) and Carl Van Dorn (James Durkin) have developed a device which can make the wearer invisible (apart from their shadow). After Stanley is framed for murder by the dangerous Wade Barrett (Walter Miller) and his henchman Dorgan (Richard Cramer), Stanley and Carl begin to use their invention, plus a few other devices, to find the evidence to bring Barrett down. Stanley is also going out with Gloria (Ada Ince), who is Barrett's estranged daughter...

So, you know the score. Fast paced action punctuated by a series of cliffhangers, of varying degrees of believability. The biggest fun of this serial is the science though, including Van Dorn's robot invention which proves to be able to defeat gangsters with ease. This serial also has a bit of a heart too, and a redemption story. Highly enjoyable.

The Stranger (1973)

An astronaut accidentally ends up on an alien world, luckily for the budget this world looks exactly like our own...

When astronaut Neil Stryker (Glenn Corbett) crashes on the way back to Earth, he wakes up in a strange hospital where he knows no one and won't be allowed to see anyone. Neil begins to suspect he might be in the Soviet Union and manages to escape the head of security Benedict (Cameron Mitchell). However, outside of the hospital he appears to be in the USA. But no one has heard of Florida... and there happens to be three moons!

Neil discovers that he is on another world, one under the control of an authoritarian regime called the Perfect Order. Knowledge of the past is forbidden and obedience is total. Neil gets the help of Dr Cooke (Sharon Acker) to try and keep ahead of Benedict and his goons...

This isn't a bad film all in all, though the tiny budget does hinder it a bit. The story is pretty decent (if rather heavily Orwell inspired) and the performances work well. Some good tension and drama, perfectly good TV movie.

City of Missing Girls (1941)

An involving drama involving missing girls dragged into the world of vice that thankfully avoids too much exploitation and sleaze.

Many girls are going missing in the city, it is assumed they are being dragged into the seedy world of night clubs and escorting. Veteran detective McVeigh (H.B. Warner) is plugging away on the cases but has yet to get any leads, new assistant DA James Horton (John Archer) is under pressure to get results. 

Meanwhile, perky young reporter Nora Page (Astrid Allwyn) is also investigating... though she doesn't know her father is involved along with brutal gangster and nightclub owner King Peterson (Philip Van Zandt)...

A fine film, though the start is a little unpromising with some jarring direction and awkward acting early on. Happily, once the film warms up then so do the performances and the film has a good and interesting plot with some good twists.

Her First Flame (1920)

A curious comedy short. We are in the year 1950 (though looks remarkably like 1920 still!) and men and women have switched roles. Unfortunately, those roles are rather stereotyped and quite dated. Women are now strong and forthright while men mostly stand around giggling and do domestic chores...

Lizzie Hap (Gale Henry) wins election as the town's fire chief, by cheating Minnie Fish (Phyllis Allen) using a variety of disguises. Lizzie now forms an all-girl fire brigade. Naturally when there actually is a fire things do not go very smoothly but Lizzie manages to save her love Willie (Milburn Morante).

Not the greatest silent comedy ever, the staging is often as dated as the attitudes, but does some decent visual gags.

Track of the Moon Beast (1976)

Yet another film where someone is turned into a mutant monster by contact with something strange, it is a wonder there were any humans left by 1980!

During a meteorite storm, a fragment of meteor hits geologist Paul (Chase Cordell). This has the unfortunate side-effect of turning him into a murderous reptilian space monster who goes on killing sprees at night much to his girlfriend Kathy's (Leigh Drake) disappointment. Native American Professor Salina (Gregorio Sala) has heard that such a creature has appeared once before. Kathy though just wants to save Paul...

This isn't a good film but then again it doesn't really need to be. This is a film for people who want to see monsters menacing scantily clad women. Even so though, this is rather poor stuff, Paul and Kathy's acting skills are rather non-existent. The cheese factor adds a bit (but just a bit) of fun.