Enter the Dragon (1973)

For this blog's two hundredth review another of our all-time favourite films...

Enter the Dragon was Bruce Lee at his zenith, his breakthrough into international pop culture and cinema. Alas he died not long after completing the film so was never able to capitalise on the buzz it created - as indeed it did. The kung-fu craze in the 70s and beyond was largely due to this film.

Enter the Dragon took martial arts films out of their traditional Chinese mindset (though it is still set largely in Hong Kong) and added Western action elements. The result is fantastic, and also pretty epic in it's 70s-ness.

Bruce Lee is hired by British intelligence official Braithwaite (Geoffrey Weeks) to join a martial arts tournament by Han (Shih Ken) to gain intelligence on Han's suspected drug smuggling and other criminal activities. Joining Lee in this tournament are gambler Roper (John Saxon) and Williams (Jim Kelly) who both have different reasons for being there but get drawn into the game between Lee and Han. Of course it all ends in an epic fight.

The storyline isn't much to get excited about (though if you like i did once review the novelisation) but the action is intense, mixed with cool early 70s funky style. It also has a final showdown in a hall of mirrors.

Murder by Television (1935)

A rather run-of-the-mill murder mystery though enlivened by the novel appearance of early television as a setting. Professor Houghland (Charles Hill Mailes) has invented a new method of television broadcast which can be broadcast pictures instantly from anywhere in the world (exactly how this miracle is accomplished isn't really explained). Everyone is after his technology but Houghland is an idealist who won't sell to anyone.

Houghland is murdered in the middle of a demonstration of his television broadcast. The police led by Henry Mowbray have to find out who dunnit. That is easier said than done as it is a baffling film (for much of the film the cast look bemused, and for good reason). Bela Lugosi plays identical twins, one an assistant of Houghland (and really an agent) and the other in the pay of a corporation or foreign power after the technology.

It is a bit dull with some ill-considered attempts at light relief to pad the film out, though Lugosi plays a good role as usual. It is all a bit of a shame as the film could have been a whole lot better considering the rather exotic nature of the main plot device. Interestingly the film seems to recycle a bit of footage from The Phantom Broadcast with the same newspaper seller.

Night of the Demon (1957)

Is Dr Karswell (Niall MacGinnis) in possession of the ability to summon demons and a servant of Satan? Well Professor Harrington (Maurice Denham) thinks so but after he goes and challenges Karswell in his creepy mansion he is apparently killed by the Horned One. Or maybe it's just an electric shock?

Dr Holden (Dana Andrews) is on his way over from the US and he is sceptical about everything involving witchcraft. Harrington's niece Joanna (Peggy Cummins) assists him in his investigation into what really is going on. Then Dr Holden finds he is "marked for death"... a rune covered parchment passed onto Holden by Karswell. Only by giving Karswell the parchment back can Holden survive.

Superbly creepy Satanic horror. The film is full of atmosphere and dark horror imagery. Dr Karswell is a tremendous character, dripping evil one moment and the mundane the other.

Mystery Liner (1934)

An ocean liner is to test a new method of remote control, however the captain (Noah Beery) falls ill on the eve of the test voyage (which has a complement of crew and passengers despite the test for some reason). A foreign power is after the S-505 technology at the heart of the test. With a ship full of mysterious characters we are set for an exciting film eh?

Well partially. Although the set-up is interesting the execution is at times a bit lacking. The film takes ages to get going, too much of the time being wasted on the rather annoying Granny Plimpton (Zeffie Tilbury) who should have been chucked in the brig.

When the captain's illness is found to be due to a poison suspicion falls on a number of people including his replacement Captain Downey (Boothe Howard) or his First Officer (Cornelius Keefe). Plus who is this mysterious foreign gentleman Von Kesseling (Gustav von Seyffertitz) who always seems to be wandering around? Major Pope (Edwin Maxwell) is on the case... in a pompous manner but is he all he seems?

Once it gets going it's a neat little spy film - though not one which makes much sense -  with touches of science fiction including an early form of instant messenger.

Midnight Phantom (1935)

Midnight Phantom is a curiously disjointed film, at times it seems more like a string of random film snippets thrown together by someone drunk.

At it's core the film is about new police chief Sullivan (Jim Farley) who is very good at making enemies especially amongst his senior officers. Lieutenant Burke (Lloyd Hughes) is also sore at Sullivan as he opposes the marriage to his daughter Diana (Claudia Bell). It is also gossiped that Sullivan is knocking off his secretary (Barbara Bedford) much to the fury of the mother (Mary Foy). Eventually the chief is killed... right in the middle of a police conference being held by the rather smug criminologist Professor Graham (Reginald Denny).

The film is pretty shoddy in execution, obviously filmed in a rush on a very low budget. Many times in the film there are awkward pauses where the actors desperately try and remember their barely rehearsed lines. The pacing is also off with a number of strange tangents. However awful as much of it it all oddly seems to add to the enjoyment. The film takes a while to get going but the final act is good.

Double X: The Name of the Game (1992)

In the 1990s and early 2000s there was a bit of a thing for comedians to try their hand at serious drama. Hugh Laurie of course, even Bob Monkhouse. But Norman Wisdom? Yes indeed he appeared in this British gangster film and it is utterly awful... and utterly brilliant at the same time.

William Katt plays ex-Chicago PD officer Michael Cooper, who is on holiday in Scotland, when he comes across ageing safe cracker Arthur (Norman Wisdom). Arthur is on the run from a brutal gang led by Iggy (Bernard Hill) and Ross (Simon Ward). Well when we say brutal, Iggy is almost like a pantomime villain, only slightly too over the top to make it in panto.

Arthur is a crook but gentle and dislikes the sadistic violent ways of Izzy, now he is on the run from various assassins who like blowing up cars in hotel carparks and the like. Cooper helps Arthur evade them... but is he everything he seems to be?

It is just so laughable, Wisdom basically plays the same role as he always has in films, only it doesn't quite work as well in a serious crime film, especially one involving shootings and torture scenes. Sometimes though you do think you are watching a weird kind of comedy as so much of the film is absurd. To be fair as the film progresses Wisdom seems to be getting the hang of it and it is Norman Wisdom so it is very enjoyable despite the film's many drawbacks (and without him in it it would just be an unwatchable mess)... but you just keep thinking "Mr Grimsdale!" while some bloke is getting tortured with electrodes.

Great God Gold (1935)

A tale of dodgy financial dealings during the 1929 Stock Market Crash. Sidney Blackmer plays John Hart, a stockbroker who has an aura of magic around him.

When a newspaper interview with Phil Stuart (Regis Toomey) inadvertently leads to the crash he gets drawn into the receivership business... mostly by his new rather strange habit of making his decisions on the flip of a coin.

When his actions lead to the death of hotel owner George Harper (George Irving) the daughter Marcia (Martha Sleeper) vows to bring down Hart with the help of reporter Phil Stuart. This is a bit of a problem for Hart who has the hots for Marcia (mind you he seems to have the hots for every single woman he meets including his secretary Gloria Shea and the wife of one of his business partners Maria Alba).

Hart starts off seemingly a businessman with a conscience but ends up uncaring about destroying so many lives and becomes greedier and greedier... obviously his corrupt and womanising ways do bring him down in the end though not maybe quite how you'd expect. Although a bit obvious and corny at times this is an enjoyable film with some good performances especially from Blackmer who manages to fit every single human emotion possible into the film. Sleeper also does a very good role, an example of a silent movie actress who could switch to sound films, though unfortunately she did not make many more movies after this.