Matt Houston (1982)

The feature length pilot for walking stereotype Matt Houston, the rich Texan oil executive who is also a private investigator!

A business man is killed during the launch of an ocean liner, when the champagne bottle explodes! Matt Houston (Lee Horsley) begins to investigate the case, and of course there are many suspects including the daughter Serena (Barbara Carrera) and the mistress Karen Ann (Jill St John). As well as a case which frequently puts him in danger, Matt is also training on a bucking bronco so he can win a bet and tame a wild horse! Matt is assisted by CJ (Pamela Hensley) and his police friend Vince (John Aprea).

This is all very odd stuff which probably only made sense in the early 1980s. Matt is very genial though and charismatic, this helps with the watchability even if the story and premise is a bit strange. A mixture of cowboy and secret agent. It shouldn't really work but somehow did. After this pilot Matt Houston ran for three seasons.

Air Patrol (1962)

A decent but straight forward crime procedural, the only novelty being the helicopters, though that is a good one!

An expensive painting is stolen, the thief escaping from the top of an office block via a helicopter! The police are baffled, so call upon Sgt Castle (Robert Dix) from the police helicopter squad for help. However, the culprit isn't tracked down before a ransom demand is made which the painting's owner agrees to, his secretary Mona (Merry Anders) is sent to deliver the cash while Castle shadows her in his helicopter. One of the least exciting police car chases in screen history follows.

This can't be said to be a very exciting film but it is very watchable. The lack of much in the way of action actually gives the film a genuine feel and the police procedural work is very solid even if the car chase seems rather inept. The film does feel like it should have been the pilot of a TV series, though Castle says he wanted to leave the helicopter squad anyway!

Special Delivery (1976)

An enjoyable heist movie with a difference, the actual heist just setting things up.

Murdock (Bo Swenson) leads a daring bank robbery, though when the robbers try to get away things start to go wrong. Only Murdock manages to get away after he stuffs half a million dollars in cash in a post box. Now he has to find out a way to get the cash out of the post box before it is collected. 

Unfortunately, a couple of people noticed what he did. One is a petty drug pusher (Michael C Gwynne) and the other a young woman Mary (Cybill Shepherd) who wants to get him into bed... and get her hands on the cash.

Although the premise is a little silly at times this is a solid film with a good relationship between Murdock and Mary. The action scenes which book end the film (the first being the robbery and chase) are both very well done.

Night of the Comet (1984)

A global cataclysm wipes out nearly all life on Earth overnight, two of the survivors decide to party!

The visit of a comet causes a global disaster which turns nearly everyone into dust. Only a few people who were protected by being inside steel structures have survived, this includes two teenage sisters Regina (Catharine Mary Stewart) and Sam (Kelli Maroney). Finding themselves in a world now empty, they go to the obvious place: the radio station which still seems to be broadcasting. Unfortunately, they find the radio DJ is dead too and has been playing tapes. 

However, they do find another survivor Hector (Robert Beltran), just after one of the other characters made a jokey Star Trel reference too, if only they knew.

The three battle half-dead zombies and a few other freaks, but they really need to worry about a group of sinister scientists who want the survivors so they can drain their blood...

It is all a bit silly maybe, but this is hugely enjoyable and a lot of fun. The film is crammed full of cool early 1980s pop culture. The story is ridiculous and full of plot holes but who cares, that really isn't the point.

The Intruder (1962)

A Civil Rights movie which leaves little to the imagination.

Adam Cramer (William Shatner) arrives in a small Southern town, in a white suit and a sunny charismatic disposition. Well to white people anyway. The integration of black children into the town's white school is causing antagonism from the local racists, and Cramer who claims to be a "social reformer" but is really here from a racist organisation to stop the school integration, is happy to take advantage of this and rise up the mob. 

Unfortunately, the forces he unleashes are soon out of his control...

A good film though a challenging and difficult watch, the language used is uncompromising which many will find objectionable. However, this gives the film it's bite and it is harrowing, which is exactly how it should be with this subject. William Shatner's performance is excellent.