Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday (1939)

Comedy crime antics, though amid all the nonsense the crime itself is rather dark.

Inspector Hornleigh (Gordon Harker) and Sergeant Bingham (Alastair Sim) are on holiday, and incognito, but when an obviously fake naval captain is apparently killed in a car accident Hornleigh (keenly) and Bingham (reluctantly) begin to investigate. It is soon clear that the accident was really murder and a plot is uncovered by a gang stealing corpses from a hospital to fake accidents in order to claim insurances and wills. The question remains who is the Mr Big behind the plot?

This is a great film, the comedy team of Harker and Sim working together so well. The plot is well constructed and builds gradually, though whether it makes a great deal of sense in the end is a good question. The mixture of character humour, silliness and crime may seem unusual these days but was quite common back in the 1930s.

On the Threshold of Space (1956)

An interesting, though fairly dry, look at the very beginnings of the US effort to put a man into space.

Before you put a man into space you have to work out a way to get him back alive. That is the job of Captain Hollenbeck (Guy Madison) who works for the USAF. Firstly, he is working on a way to get men to eject from the latest ever-faster jet fighters and survive. This isn't the easiest thing in the world but Hollenbeck manages to find a way amid quite a few injuries.

However, there is more to come. A rocket sled to push humans above 1000mph and then the most dangerous of all, a balloon that takes a man to the very edge of space. To the horror of his new wife Pat (Virginia Leith), Hollenbeck volunteers for this mission himself...

Based on the real events, then contemporary to this film which at times is in a semi-documentary style. Unfortunately it can be a bit dry and too restrained at times but the actual experiments give you all the drama and action you could hope for. A fascinating look at the very early, and maybe largely forgotten, part of the space race.

Deep Space (1988)

A secret US weapon falls to Earth (in Los Angeles - what bad luck!) and now a rather horrible insectoid killer is loose killing people left, right and centre.

Detective McLemore (Charles Napier) is a tough hard-bitten cop who does not respect authority (and other clichés). He is investigating the brutal murders of teenagers when he suddenly comes up against the US military. 

Then he discovers that a fast reproducing killer insect-thing is now loose in the city and killing people, including his partner Merris (Ron Glass)...

A not very original film, it even directly rips off a famous scene from Alien. It really is a lot of nonsense, full of characters who act stupidly. One interesting appearance is James Booth, best known for Zulu, who plays a sinister government scientist.

Moonshine (1918)

Mountain folk engage in an endless series of feuds, but real trouble comes when a couple of government revenue inspectors (Fatty Arbuckle and Buster Keaton) comes looking for an illegal still. Many strange antics follow.

This is a silent comedy that sends up the genre in many clever little ways (though not all of the attempts at humour work). The action is a little violent and crude at times but it doesn't take itself very seriously. Does it really work as a film though? 

I Love a Mystery (1945)

A curious but enjoyable crime mystery with a rather amazing twist and a Noir feel.

Socialite Jefferson Monk (George Macready) is convinced he is going to be killed by a mysterious secret society who want to cut his head off! He is followed by a strange man with a bag ready for his head. He employs detectives Jack Packard (Jim Bannon) and Doc (Barton Yarborough) to protect him...

The detectives begin to unravel this strange case, with suspicion falling on the people around Monk including his wife (Nina Foch) who has been paralysed... or has she? But is Monk telling the whole truth here?

This is a curious little film livened up by the secret society, a creepy atmosphere and the strange and sinister characters throughout. Nothing is quite as it seems and a lot of plot is squeezed into a short film, and it works really well. The film was based on an episode of a popular radio serial.

4D Man (1959)

A man who can walk through solid matter, would save time that is for sure.

Scientist Dr Nelson (Robert Lansing) is working on advanced new materials, he discovers that radiation has mutated him so he can now pass through solid matter. 

However, every time he does this he ages rapidly. To counter this he must kill people to rejuvenate himself through their life force. It falls on his brother Scott (James Congdon) and his girlfriend Linda (Lee Meriwether) to try and find a way to stop him...

This is a rather decent example of the 50s/60s "science gone wrong" science fiction genre. Although the story takes some time to get going, once it does it is engaging and the special effects are pretty well done especially for their day. The jazz soundtrack is rather jarring though but somehow kind of works?

House of Mystery (1931)

Early DC character The Phantom (Frank Readick) narrates another short but sweet crime drama.

The body of a young woman (Geneva Mitchell) is discovered by two hunters in a log cabin in the woods. Suspicion falls on the woman's husband John (James Craig) after it is revealed that she had been unfaithful. However, the woman's lover Gerald (Eddie Pbillips) and the family butler (Frank Austin) seem to be acting suspicious. There is something in the log cabin they don't want revealed...

A short feature that has a good little plot with a surprising twist. A very satisfying screen equivalent of a crime short story, though its probably a story that could have been expanded into a full-length feature.