The Man from Planet X (1951)

The setting and some ambiguity helps elevate this sci-fi invasion film above the pack slightly.

Reporter Lawrence (Robert Clarke) arrives in the remote Highlands of Scotland to visit a professor (Raymond Bond) who is observing a strange new planet that has appeared. The planet is getting closer and will be at it's closest over their remote Scottish village, Lawrence is interested though probably a bit more in the professor's daughter Enid (Margaret Field).

Enid observes a strange vessel nearby, upon investigation they encounter a strange man in a suit, a man from another world. He needs their help but the unscrupulous assistant of the professor, Dr Mears (William Schallert) beats the alien up to try and get his secrets so he can rule the world. This obviously annoys the alien who begins to enslave the villagers so he can facilitate an alien invasion...

So, the plot is fairly unoriginal (and there was no shortage of films like this in the 1950s!) The effects are rather cheap and laughable but the remote Scottish setting and the ambiguity of the alien intentions adds some interest to the film.

Gas! (1970)

A hippie satire, and thus of course makes little sense. Even if you are on acid.

The US has developed a chemical weapon that can kill everyone over the age of 25. Naturally this weapon escapes and does it's worse and most of the world population is wiped out. 

Coel (Bob Coroff) and Cilla (Elaine Giftos) escape Dallas, which is now run as a deranged dictatorship by a young ex-cop with a whip, and head across the US to seek a commune. They run across a series of strange obstacles including a cowboy who steals their car and a record shop guarded by a wannabe freedom fighter...

Don't worry about the story to be honest, enjoy the film for it's period music and styles. The soundtrack is great and the flower power girls looked amazing. Anti-establishment but not anti-groove.

The Raven (1963)

A comedic horror-magical romp that reeks of ham.

Sorcerer Dr Craven (Vincent Price) is disturbed by a talking raven! He discovers that the raven is a fellow wizard who has had a spell put on him, after much messing about a potion turns the raven back into Dr Bedlo (Peter Lorre). He tells him the evil Dr Scarabus (Boris Karloff) did it, Craven and Bedlo head off to Scarabus' castle along with Craven's daughter (Olive Sturgess) and Bedlo's son (Jack Nicholson).

Dr Scarabus is a most accommodating host though Craven is shocked to find his beloved wife Lenore (Hazel Court), thought lost, is there alive and well! Scarabus and Lenore have concocted an evil plan to lure Craven to the castle to steal his powers...

It is all very silly and rather campy. At times it can be unbearable but the great cast keeps the film going. The raven is very impressive, but they are very intelligent birds of course.

Prison Heat (1993)

Shamelessly exploitative, sometimes unintentionally hilarious but ultimately rather repetitive and boring drivel.

Four American girls on holiday decide to travel to Turkey. They don't get very far, at the border they are framed for drug running and end up in the brutal prison run by Saladin (Uri Gavriel). He sells women to evil Arabs and also helps himself to female flesh, poor Bonnie (Lori Jo Hendrix) especially endures the vile warden's lusts. Colleen (Rebecca Chambers) spends time in solitary and learns of the harsh reality of their time in prison. They have to escape...

The four girls all have surgically enhanced bodies which get displayed many times, there are numerous shower scenes, a lesbian rape scene (of course), stripping and humiliation. 

Despite all that it is remarkably unsexy and rather boring after awhile (unless you are a teenage boy perhaps). The final act with the escape livens the film up but repeated soapy breasts can't really make up for the ridiculous and exploitative storyline and vacant acting. It is frequently laughable though probably not by intention.

The Final Countdown (1980)

An interesting time travel film that asks the question, should you change history given the chance?

Lasky (Martin Sheen) arrives aboard the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier under the command of Yelland (Kirk Douglas) before it sets off on a voyage. Before very long the ship is caught up in a mysterious storm, afterwards all of the radio channels and data links are dead. However, this isn't due to the Soviets but because the Nimitz has travelled back in time to 1941.

In fact they have arrived back in time to just before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. Yelland knows his modern super carrier carries the firepower to defeat the Japanese fleet, but historian Commander Owens (James Farentino) warns against changing history. When the crew rescue a couple of 1941 Americans (Charles Durning and Katharine Ross) and a Japanese pilot (Soon-Tek Oh) things get more complicated...

Despite the set-up this isn't much of an action film (though when there is action it is well done) but poses some interesting ethical dilemmas and has lots and lots of cool US Navy footage.

The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake (1959)

A decent horror B-movie involving ancient Indian curses and shrunken heads!

Jonathan Drake (Eduard Franz) is an anthropologist investigating a South American Indian curse that has befallen his family. Male members of his family die aged 60 and their heads go missing, this happens to his own brother (Paul Cavanagh) and Jonathan is next! The missing head brings in Lieutenant Rowan (Grant Richards) of the police. He is sceptical that something supernatural is going on, but when he discovers the mysterious Dr Zurich (Henry Daniell) is apparently a man who died two hundred years ago, and has a secret basement lair including bubbling cauldrons and shrunken heads...

The story is low budget (which shows sometimes) but has an interesting premise and is a perfectly acceptable little film. Most of the action comes from Zurich's Indian assassin Zutai (Paul Wexler) though try not to laugh when his "deadly" blade is obviously rubber and wobbles about during the fight scenes!

Sisters of Death (1976)

Rather low-rent but intriguing revenge horror.

Years before a strange female secret society initiation involves a game of Russian roulette with fake bullets, only someone adds a real bullet to the mix... Now the members of the society receive mysterious letters inviting them to a reunion. The girls, including Claudia Jennings and Sherry Boucher, arrive at the rendezvous point where they are met by two sleazy guys (Paul Carr and Joe Tata) to take them out to a secluded ranch.

Alone at the ranch (though the two guys soon return hoping for nookie) the girls find a welcome laid out for them but no host. An electrified fence is activated stopping anyone from leading. The host reveals himself as the father (Arthur Franz) of the girl who died in the game of Russian roulette and now he wants to know which of the others switched the bullets. The deaths begin, in various gruesome ways including by garot and rattlesnake. The scene is set for a final showdown... and a number of interesting twists.

The film doesn't really make much sense and includes a number of obvious and well-worn horror tropes. The initial set-up is novel though but the characters are all rather interchangable. A flawed but perfectly enjoyable romp.