The Maze (1953)

Rather odd but ultimately satisfying horror mystery.

Gerald (Richard Carlson) is engaged to marry Kitty (Veronica Hurst) but he is called to Scotland close to the wedding day to see his uncle in the ancestral home. When Gerald does not return and indeed seems to want to end the marriage plans, Kitty travels to Scotland with her aunt (Katharine Emery). 

Kitty finds that Gerald is a changed man and seems to want her to leave immediately but doesn't really explain why. He definitely doesn't want her to go into the maze in the garden, however strange noises at night and the air of mystery piques Kitty's curiosity. When she finally ventures into the maze she finds a creature beyond imagination lurking in there...

However, this film has a lot of surprises for the viewer. It isn't a mere monster movie out to menace young ladies, indeed the creature has an ultimately tragic story. This helps elevate the film beyond mere creep, though there is plenty of that. A bit slow moving at times but worth it in the end.

Bulldog Jack (1935)

A fast paced and humorous crime romp in the Bulldog Drummond series, even if Drummond himself doesn't appear much in it.

While on his way to London to meet with a mysterious lady, Bulldog Drummond (Atholl Fleming) is injured in a car crash after unscrupulous criminals tamper with his car. He enlists the help of the guy whom he crashed into, Jack (Jack Hulbert), to impersonate him and listen to what the woman who is waiting for Drummond has to say. Jack relishes the chance for some excitement, well until there actually is some excitement then he isn't that keen... 

His adventures, along with Algy (Claude Hulbert), take him into a plot by Morelle (Ralph Richardson) to copy stolen jewels after kidnapping the grandfather of Ann (Fay Wray). After much flapping about and sometimes aimless escapades everyone finds themselves on board a stolen tube train being driven at speed seemingly to it's doom!

It is all played very light, unfortunately this can make the film a bit unbearable at times as it approaches (and roars past) self-parody. However, the film flies along at such a speed that dull or awkward bits do not last very long. A fun fact with this film is that the villain (Richardson) actually plays Bulldog Drummond in the previous year's The Return of Bulldog Drummond! Algy is played by Jack's real-life brother. 

The view of the 1930s London Underground is very interesting, including scenes from the (then) recently closed British Museum station.

Maximum Revenge (1998)

A low-budget violent film with a ridiculous premise, of course it is brilliant.

Maverick cop Mace (Paul Michael Robinson) saves a plane load of passengers from some hijackers but is rewarded by being out in jail! A year later he and a handful of other prisoners are transferred to a brand new nick, unfortunately one which criminals led by Murdoch (John Lazar) have infiltrated and want to detonate an atomic bomb in so America nukes the Middle East (or something). Why they decide to go to all the trouble of putting the bomb inside a prison and not just an abandoned warehouse is never explained.

Things start to go wrong of course, Mace begins a fight back against Murdoch with the help of TV reporter (Landon Hall) and his fellow criminals, luckily one of whom knows how to defuse an atomic bomb...

None of the film makes sense, the thin plot is stretched with various action set pieces. Its cheap and a bit repetitive at times though the cheese factor is high, the cliche factor is also set to warp factor 9. Complete trashy nonsense, i loved it naturally.

The Lone Wolf Takes a Chance (1941)

The reformed jewel thief The Lone Wolf returns in a complicated chase to retrieve money printing plates and save their creator.

The Lone Wolf Michael Lanyard (Warren William) has a bet with his nemesis Inspector Crane (Thurston Hall) that he can't stay out of trouble. Naturally it doesn't take long for the Lone Wolf to get into strife (though to be fair it largely finds him). A gang has kidnapped the designer of some engraving plates owned by the US Treasury and plan to use him to beat the security and make off with the plates. The Lone Wolf is accused of murder by Crane (which the gang really did). The Lone Wolf and Jamison (Eric Blore) begin a chase across the country to catch the gang and prove the Lone Wolf's innocence.

A fine entry in the Lone Wolf series with the usual fast paced antics and interplay between the main characters. The story is interesting bringing in elements of train chase adventures, dark country house mysteries and some twists with the identities of the bad guys. The plot has some questionable elements but the film moves so quickly it doesn't really get bogged down by anything.

The Blacksmith (1922)

Buster Keaton is working in a blacksmithing shop with plenty of mayhem of course. Buster ends up in a fight with the actual blacksmith (Joe Roberts) which ends up the blacksmith being in jail. Buster takes it on himself to serve the blacksmith's customers which involves him shoeing various horses and destroying a Rolls Royce!

This is a fine little silent comedy by one of the all-time greats though maybe a little more slapstick than usual. Not his best but still pretty good.