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. 

Red Alert (1977)

A tense drama set in a nuclear power station which is on the verge of blowing up and irradiating half of the USA!

Alerts are sounded at a nuclear power station, then there are a number of explosions. However, the control computer seems to think there is a radiation leak despite evidence on the ground to the contrary. It appears that a disgruntled employee may have placed bombs around the reactor and these need to be found before they cause a critical accident...

As Frank (William Devane) and Carl (Michael Brandon) desperately try and avert disaster they have to contend with the computer as well as the reactor...

An excellent TV movie that ramps up the drama as the reactor temperate rises. This film has it all, technological chaos, political intrigue and personal tragedy. The film fits so much in and does a very good job with it.

The Hostage Tower (1980)

A daring, if somewhat ridiculous, plot to hold the Eiffel Tower hostage!

Master criminal Mr Smith (Keir Dullea) has an audacious new crime planned, he will take the Eiffel Tower hostage! He recruits a number of top criminals to help him, unfortunately for him though two are agents from Philpott's (Douglas Fairbanks Jr) special crime fighting unit. These are Clarence (Billy Dee Williams) and Sabrina (Maud Carver), though Sabrina is shocked that Mike (Peter Fonda) has also been recruited and he was her instructor in the CIA...

The plot goes off, and an added complication is that Mr Smith has got hold of some deadly laser weapons, and the mother of the US President (Celia Johnson) is also a hostage...

A solid action TV movie (though the premise itself is a little ridiculous). The scenes on the Eiffel Tower are very well filmed, and the laser cannons are pretty cool. Well, lasers are always cool.