Repeat Performance (1947)

Repeat Performance is a late 1940s Noir with elements of fantasy. It stars Joan Leslie as actress Sheila who at the start of the film is standing over the dead body of her husband (Louis Hayward) holding a gun.

It is New Years Eve and Sheila is distraught, at the stroke of midnight she wishes the dark turn of events that led to the death of her husband could not have taken place and she could re-run the year. Her wish comes true.

Once she realises what happens she tries to change the events that led to her husband's death but finds that some things are just fated to happen. The film is melodramatic and has an appealing inevitability about events with some terrific performances from Leslie and Hayward.

The Monkey's Paw (1948)

The Monkey's Paw is a rather slow horror film involving a cursed monkey's paw that grants it's owners three wishes before extracting a heavy price. The paw is reluctantly sold by a dealer who fears the bad luck it could befall it's owner (not including himself though strangely).

The story is good though the production is rather low budget. It is still an enjoyable film once things get going (the problem is it takes a long time getting going). The paw ends up owned by a shop keeper (Milton Rosmer) with crippling gambling debts. He decides to use the wishes granted by the paw to solve his problems but finds the true cost very high.

Some parts of the film don't really make sense though, the Irish poacher Kelly (Michael Martin Harvey) recoils in horror from the paw one minute then pinches it not long after. Don't expect dramatic horror thrills (though do expect some ridiculously low budget speedway scenes). Do expect a fair bit of creepiness... once things finally get going.

Savage Streets (1984)

Savage Streets is a revenge action film involving gangs of Los Angeles. Thus it is a very violent film, shamelessly exploitative and full of unnecessary gratuitous female nudity. It's not all good though, the acting is nearly as bad as the violence.

It stars Linda Blair as a tough girl at college, fiercely protective of her deaf sister (Linnea Quigley). They become involved with a gang of thugs led by a rather psychotic Robert Dryer. This leads to the brutal rape of Linda's sister and the murder of her pregnant friend. Linda dons the leather, picks up her crossbow and is out for revenge.

It is all rather video nasty with a high body count... accompanied by a not-terrible mid-1980s rock soundtrack. The acting is generally awful but the gang members are pretty scary in a overdose-on-speed kind of way. Its a film full of violence and sex but devoid of much plot... sometimes though that kind of low-art is just what you want.

Rulers of the City (1976)

Rulers Of The City (also known as Mr Scarface) is a basic and violent gangster film. It stars Harry Baer as Tony, a happy-go-lucky young hoodlum very good with his fists... and the ladies. He runs with a mid-level gang but tangles with the big boys led by Scarface (Jack Palance), ripping him off. Naturally Scarface isn't one to laugh off being done over. Tony finds himself targeted by Palance's gang and betrayed by his former boss...

The film is rather predictable and low-rent. Don't expect much depth or shades or grey. Tony is a good likeable character but is a little too cocky and foolhardy to take serious (and yet is some kind of ultimate warrior). The film is very violent but has a light tone despite all the regular killings and beatings which might jar at times but at others it seems oddly just right.

The final showdown is a bit silly and much of the action pointless. The film is entertaining though. The pace is high throughout.

At Twelve Midnight (1933)

Also known as "The Mystic Hour", At Twelve Midnight is an uneven crime drama. At times exciting and fast paced action but others a slow and sometimes confusing family drama.

It stars Charles Hutchison as a hero who falls in love with Lucille Powers while chasing a criminal and they are soon to marry. Unfortunately Lucille's guardian (Charles Middleton) is a crook who has squandered his ward's money and desperately needs to stop the marriage before everything is revealed. We then get into a kidnap plot and it all becomes a bit weird with double crossing aplenty.

It is a passable film, the hero is a little unlikely and the plot is a bit silly. Its not without some good points though, many provided by Edith Thornton. Some of the stunts are also extraordinary including one where Hutchison rolls underneath a moving train.

The Dentist (1932)

The Dentist is a comedy short film starring W.C. Fields as a dentist (surprised eh?) While he treats an assortment of strange patients at his home surgery his daughter tries to elope with an ice delivery man and he locks her up: mayhem ensues.

A recurrent trope throughout the film is Fields is incredibly forgetful and rather inept. To be honest i'm glad he isn't my dentist!

It is rather corny at times but there are some good lines, such as the patient being asked if she wants gas and she replies she is fine if he uses gas or electric lights!

Broken Blossoms (1919)

Like No Way Back, Broken Blossoms is based on a short story from Thomas Burke's Limehouse Nights collection and like the 1949 film it is rather bleak. It stars Richard Barthelmess as a Chinese man (suspend belief remember?) who travels to the West to spread the message of Buddha. Unfortunately he ends up in London's brutal East End where his idealistic message is a hard sell.

He comes across a poor unfortunate girl played by Lillian Gish who suffers terribly at the hands (literally) of her brutal drunk of a father (Donald Crisp). Richard nurses Lillian back to health when he finds her after a beating and a friendship blossoms. A sanctuary amid the misery, but her father soon drags her back to Hell. Lillian's portrayal of fear and anguish in the closet scene near the end of the film is extraordinary, truly she was the goddess of silent movies.

A film of it's time (the portrayal of Chinese people and China is perhaps a little fanciful) but in some ways not. Unusually for the time, when fears of the "yellow peril" were rife, a Chinese man was portrayed sympathetically in the film, as the hero. The scenes of child abuse shocked at the time and are still pretty difficult to watch now.