Superargo and the Faceless Giants (1968)

A rather strange Italian-Spanish superhero film. Top sports stars, including pro wrestlers, are being kidnapped by faceless (well kinda) robots and then bundled into the back of a Ford Transit van. The police can only call upon one man to fight this new menace... an ex-wrestler and now superhero who wears a red rubber suit and can float in mid-air (of course).

Superargo (Giovanni Clanfriglia) is that man, and is soon fighting the robots in various awkwardly choreographed fight scenes. He finds out that the mysterious Professor Wond (Guy Madison) is behind this menace. Superargo, along with his mentor Kamir (Aldo Sambrell), manages to get the help of Wond's assistant Gloria (Diana Loris) and infiltrates Wond's sub-Bond villain cavern lair...

It is all very silly of course, the light nonsensical plot merely a flimsy skeleton for a series of action scenes of varying quality. Very much a rip-off of 60s style superhero antics, even the music is vaguely Batman-esque. It is all a lot of fun.

The Pay-Off (1930)

Somewhat overly wordy but decent early talkie. A young couple (William Janney and Marian Nixon) are robbed of their wedding funds and therefore decide to get involved with crime (natch). They get involved with gentleman crime boss Gene (Lowell Sherman) who takes kindly to them. Gene's rival Rocky (Hugh Trevor) is pretty unimpressed and seeks to control the organisation himself.

Things come to a head when the gang plan a big hit but Gene doesn't want any bloodshed, much to the disgust of Rocky...

Although not that great a film. The plot is a little contrived at times though fast moving. Lowell Sherman plays a good part. The other actors verge between basic competence and almost awful.

Adventures of a Plumber's Mate (1978)

More low-rent British sauce and frolics. Sid South (Christopher Neil) is a plumber who uses his job to have his way with lonely housewives. Sid is also deeply in debt with the bookies, cockney geezer Blackie (Arthur Mullard) is threatening to put Sid is "horsepital" unless he pays up.

Sid has an adventure with a solid gold toilet seat and then seeks the help of Dodger (Willie Rushton) who offers him a succession of ridiculous minor crime jobs which all end in disaster for Sid...

A sex comedy but not one with a great deal of sex. Lots of female nudity though, actually lots and lots. It isn't that funny for a comedy either, more a mix of mildly amusing antics and over the top nonsense. It scores highly for British 1970s nostalgia and has some great stars including Stephen Lewis, Christopher Biggins and Elaine Paige. A mess but enjoyable enough.

Honor and Glory (1993)

Completely incomprehensible martial arts nonsense. The trigger from a nuclear weapon is stolen in Russia (although apparently it looks a lot like a Bulgarian dildo) and for some reason corrupt banker Jason Slade (John Miller) has it and is trying to sell it to the Arabs. Two sisters are investigating Slade, FBI agent Tracey (Cynthia Rothrock) and reporter Joyce (Donna Jason). Their Dad is a CIA agent (Leo Rocca) is also after Slade.

Meanwhile Slade's bodyguard Jake Armstrong (Chuck Jeffreys) decides to switch sides. Then a HK agent Dragon Lee (Robin Shou) and a Japanese assassin (Richard Yuen) get involved in this unholy mess. Which ends up in a massive fight in a warehouse.

These films seldom make sense but Honor & Glory takes this to a whole new level. It mostly consists of fairly random segments and plot lines that never get resolved. The film is fun, the fights are often good though lame attempts at plot get in the way a bit. A rare case of a film which needed more fighting and less storyline.

Curse of the Voodoo (1965)

Rather insipid voodoo nonsense. Smug big game hunter Mike (Bryant Haliday) kills a lion on safari, despite the advice of his fellow hunters including Lomas (Dennis Price). The lion was killed in the territory of a tribe who worship lions as gods and place a curse on those who kill them... Mike, who seems to only care about killing animals and boozing, scoffs at this curse of course.

He returns to London to his wife Janet (Lisa Daniely), he begins to have hallucinations. He imagines a lion attacking him in Regents Park. Later he also thinks he is being stalked by African voodoo warriors and ends up shooting up his hotel room...

It isn't too bad a film, at times quite suspenseful. The budget is limited though, the scenes in "Africa" look more like they are in Surrey. Quite what voodoo has to do with Africa and not Haiti of course is a big question which this film leaves unanswered. The main problem with this film is Mike, who is a rather unsympathetic character, you begin rooting for the "voodoo" warriors quite quickly.

The Scarlet Clue (1945)

A decent edition in the Charlie Chan series. Secret radar plans are under threat of being stolen by enemy agents, but when the suspect of Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) is found dead evidence points to the radio station which shares buildings with the radar laboratory. Someone at the radio station is an agent and we soon find out that Ralph Brett (I. Stanford Jolly) is taking orders from his mysterious controller. Even Brett doesn't know who the controller is as they send their orders via teletype.

As the investigation continues so does the body count. The controller has a number of fiendish ways to kill including a killer elevator and microwave activated poison gas! Finally Chan, assisted by Number 3 Son (Benson Fong) and Birmingham Brown (Mantan Moreland), track down the controller. Though more by process of elimination more than anything else.

An interesting film with a fast moving plot and featuring a number of hi-tech (for the time) gimmicks. Not a bad film by any means, not the best Charlie Chan film but far from the worst either.

The Man Outside (1933)

A highly enjoyable country house whodunnit. A few years before some diamonds go missing after a robbery, then we switch to the home Captain Fordyce (Cyril Raymond) has recently - and unexpectedly - inherited from his uncle. His friend Harry (Henry Kendall) turns up to visit and finds out there have been some strange goings on lately. The maid Ann (Gillian Hind) says there is a mystery man hanging around...

Then the driver is found dead on the driveway. Inspector Jukes (John Turnbull) begins a slow and laboured investigation. Harry meanwhile finds out Fordyce's uncle was involved in crime, and diamonds from a robbery and hidden in the house. Harry finds the diamonds and then the lights go out...

A simple but superb film. The cast consists of the usual stereotypes of this genre including Auntie Georgina (Ethel Warwick) who plays a wonderfully snooty old dame. The identity of the murderer is an enjoyable twist.