The Earth Dies Screaming (1964)

A very low-budget science-fiction horror film but does an amazing job with what it has. Tough American pilot Jeff (Willard Parker) arrives in an English village to find everyone dead. Finally he comes across a small number of survivors including Peggy (Virginia Field) and the mysterious Taggart (Dennis Price). Jeff thinks the Earth has been hit by a gas attack, he and all the other survivors all had reasons to evade the gas (aircraft, oxygen tent, air raid shelter). Then Jeff sees some cranky looking robots staggering through the village...

The motley crew of survivors do not get very far, They have a pregnancy to deal with, and alcoholism from one of their members. Finally Jeff discovers that the robots, and dead people bought back to life as zombies, are being controlled by a nearby transmitter. He and Mel (David Spenser) head off with a Land Rover full of explosives...

The film drips with suspense and a moody atmosphere and shows that you don't need a big budget and a wife range of sets and locations to produce an effective science-fiction film. The robots are rather ridiculous, who look like they have been made out of any junk which was handy, the mystery of Taggart is not really explained but our plucky survivors manage to defeat the robots and go home happily for tea.

The Bat (1926)

A very odd though fascinating film. Van Gorder (Emily Fitzroy) and her niece Dale (Jewel Carmen) have taken over a remote country house, unknown to them the previous and now dead owner's money has been concealed in the house. Now a mysterious character and master criminal who dresses as a giant Bat has come to steal it! What follows is a series of spooky antics via hidden passageways and red herrings.

Brooks (Jack Pickford), Dale's fiancé, is the man suspected being behind the (quite frankly) bizarre Bat character. With the help of Detective Anderson (Eddie Gribbon) the Bat is finally run to earth, quite literally thanks to a man trap. But who was the Bat? At the time audiences were asked not to tell people who it was (an early example of no spoilers!), we'll honour that too!

This is basically a dark house mystery with some added suspense and horror and indeed humour thanks to the Bat. The thought of a man dressed as a giant bat to commit murder and robbery is quite surreal and the wonderfully atmospheric sets and clever cinematography really make this film something special. This film was remade in 1930 and that version of the Bat was said to have been a big inspiration behind Batman! 

Country Town (1971)

A tale of drought, tension and romance in the Australian bush. At times this film is very soapy which is no surprise as it was a movie spin-off from the long running Australian TV drama Bellbird. 

The country folk have been hit hard by a drought, many farms are failing and businesses suffering without any cash. Reporter Philip (Gerald Maguire) arrives in town to discover what is going on. His arrival stirs up tensions but the locals rally round to hold a gymkhana to raise funds. Will the rain finally return? 

It probably helps to have seen the soap opera but this is a decent portrayal of country folk and some good rough humour (not always intentional). Also starring Terry MacDermott, Gary Gray and Lynette Curran. This film was made in the middle of the soap's run which continued into the late 1970s.

The Hideous Sun Demon (1958)

Awfully low budget science-fiction nonsense, Scientist Dr Gil (Robert Clarke) is exposed to radiation, however it does not appear to have harmed him... until he sits in direct sunlight and he turns into a reptile! Naturally the only thing to do when this miracle happens is for Gil to be allowed out hospital and live alone in his mansion! He hits the bottle, seduces singer Trudy (Nan Peterson) and kills her minor hoodlum boyfriend George (Peter Similuk) when he faces the sunshine again and re-enters lizard mode.

The police are on the case, well vaguely. Considering a mutant murdering lizard-man is on the loose the police search is rather low-key. But Lizard Gil is finally tracked down to a showdown atop a gas holder...

The film is rather cheap and makes little sense (of course). Gil apparently has a thing for fellow scientist Ann (Patricia Manning) though that doesn't stop him with Trudy. The lack of interest from the government also makes no sense, but then again this was the 1950s so crazy science accidents and bizarre monster threats was probably quite mundane. It might not make much sense but scores high on the cheese-ometer of course.

In the Park (1915)

Fun and frolics with Charlie Chaplin in a park. A thief is loose in the park stealing handbags, but when he tries to pick Charlie's pockets he ends up losing his ciggies. The thief isn't very good at keeping his loot either as the handbag switches from park user to park user. In the end the handbag is reunited with it's owner but she is so angry at her boyfriend, he decides to jump in the lake with Charlie's help! A light film without a huge amount of plot, just a sprinkling of decent gags. Charlie Chaplin was still developing his comedy character and there was still some work to do but a pleasant watch. Edna Purviance is around of course as a maid enjoying the park.

The Detective (1968)

A tough realistic crime drama. Leland (Frank Sinatra) is a tough uncompromising hard-bitten (almost but not quite to the point of self-parody). He investigates the brutal killing of a homosexual, eventually catching an unstable young man (Tony Musante) who ends up in the chair. 

However, the suicide of businessman MacIver (William Windom) opens up a whole new can of worms, which leads Leland to the realisation that he was wrong before and there is a whole nest of vipers behind the scene...

Meanwhile we also explore Leland's life in flashback including his troubled marriage to Karen (Lee Remick) and his various run-ins with his superiors and peers. Leland is a troubled soul in a troubled city...

This is a highly entertaining film with Sinatra playing the role with suitable intensity. The film takes a very mature approach to society and policing and was one the first mainstream films to explore homosexuality. 

The book which this film was based up also had a sequel which was turned into a movie. That movie was Die Hard, so in a way this is a prequel to the Bruce Willis film!

A Fire Has Been Arranged (1935)

A superbly strange crime-comedy-musical with many elements of classic British music hall humour. Bud Flanagan, Chesney Allan and Hal Walters rob a jewellery store and hide the loot in a field before they are pinched by the Old Bill. After doing ten years bird and now free men again, they come looking for their buried loot and find a swanky Art Deco department store has been built on top of it!

The store, run by the even more crooked Cutte (Alastair Sims) and Shuffle (C. Denier Warren), is in trouble though. The books have been thoroughly cooked and the shareholders are in revolt. Cutte has the bright idea to have the store burnt down to claim the insurance money. He needs to commit arson, when his security catch Bud, Chesney and Hal casing out the store he discovers the perfect men to carry out his dastardly deed. What can go wrong? Well basically everything!

A very funny and silly film full of gags and silly situations. There are also a few sound and dance routines by the Buddy Bradley Rhythm Girls. Betty (Mary Lawson) is the daughter of the jewellery store owner who now works at the department store, however this bit of plot isn't really explored in any depth. Despite that a definite hit.