The Trouble with Spies (1987)

A spy farce, the humour is a bit heavy handed at times but it is worth sticking with.

Hapless British agent Porter (Donald Sutherland) is sent to Ibiza to find out where another agent, who was investigating Soviet links to the narcotics trade, has vanished to. 

As soon as Porter arrives in Spain the assassination attempts begin, luckily the Soviets are as useless as Porter! Who is the enemy agent at the hotel managed by Mona (Lucy Gutteridge)? There are plenty of contenders but maybe it is someone quite surprising?

An enjoyable comedy full of good slapstick farce. How much you enjoy this film will depend on your tolerance for things getting too silly, I was tested at times but stayed with it, and was glad i did.

Mutiny in the Big House (1939)

A tireless priest remains convinced he can turn around the lives of convicts.

Johnny Gates (Dennis Moore) - presumably no relation to Bill - has been sent to prison for forgery. The prison chaplain Father Joe (Charles Bickford) is convinced men can be reformed and become model citizens again, though old lags and the prison guards and governor remain unconvinced. Johnny's cellmate Red (Barton MacLane) sees an opportunity to use Johnny to attempt a prison break...

The moralising is laid on a bit thick at times but this is a solid prison drama, tough and dramatic in the right places. The message is good, prison need not be a dead end and reform is possible, though it is a message often forgotten about these days.

The Salzburg Connection (1972)

A complicated spy drama involving Nazi secrets, it looks amazing but what exactly is going on?

Mathison (Barry Newman) is an American in Austria investigating missing payments for a publisher, though really he is working for the CIA. After various people have gone missing, Mathison is drawn into a complicated and deadly plot involving lost Nazi secrets and competing secret service departments. 

He is helped by the wife widow of one of the lost men, Anna (Anna Karina) whose annoying brother knows where the secrets are. Perky KGB agent Elissa (Karen Jensen) is also hunting for the plans...

The scenery, both in and out of town, is sumptuous so this film looks amazing, but what is it actually about. The story is very complicated, though packs a little too much in which makes things confusing. Things pick up a bit towards the end but to get there it can be a bit of a slog.

Criminal Court (1946)

A man tries to admit to a crime he did commit, and no one believes him!

Steve (Tom Conway) is a hot shot lawyer on the rise, though he is concerned that his girlfriend Georgia (Martha O'Driscoll) has taken a job working as a singer at a club owned by Vic Wright (Robert Armstrong), whom Steve is aiming to bring down due to his corrupt dealings with city officials! 

During a fight, Steve accidentally kills Vic but Georgia gets the blame despite Steve's admissions of guilt, the evidence seems to be all against Georgia. Can Steve save her in court?

A good crime film with some fine courtroom scenes (though Steve's antics are a bit over the top at times). A typical well-packed B movie with a lot to enjoy.

Shadow Conspiracy (1997)

A rather dumb but well made political conspiracy thriller.

Political adviser Bobby Bishop (Charlie Sheen) is drawn into a political conspiracy that has been uncovered by people who very quickly get killed. It is obvious that the conspiracy goes to the highest levels in the White House and Bishop doesn't know who to trust. 

Bishop ends up with journalist (and old flame) Amanda Givens (Linda Hamilton) on the run from a group of highly organised killers. Who can he trust, can he even trust his mentor and chief of staff Conrad (Donald Sutherland)?

A ridiculous film in many ways, especially at the end where the conspirators try to kill the President with a remote control helicopter! However, the sheer nonsense does make this film very watchable. The action is non-stop and often very well done.