The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

A superbly macabre and strange horror film. It doesn't make a great deal of sense but then again doesn't really have to.

Eminent doctors are suffering mysterious deaths, including being killed by bats and even frozen to death. Trout of the Yard (Peter Jeffrey) discovers that there is a link. All of the doctors were present when the wife (Caroline Munro) of Dr Phibes (Vincent Price) was killed. However, he is supposed to have died too. With the help of the chief surgeon in the Phibes operation Dr Vesalius (Joseph Cotten), Trout discovers that Phibes is alive after all. Well in a way.

In reality Phibes is a bizarre half-dead creature who can only speak via gramophone and wears a full Vincent Price prosthetic face. He plays the organ in his wonderful Art Deco lair, accompanied by a clockwork orchestra, while planning and celebrating his hideous Biblical inspired killings.

A wonderfully campy and weird horror. Quite how a dead man was able to conduct such elaborate and audacious killings is never explained, but this isn't a film for worrying about such mere details! So over the top it does verge on self-parody but incredible stuff.

The Plastic Age (1925)

A college-age love story that won't uproot any trees but is a decent enough watch.

Hugh (Donald Keith) is a freshman at college, keen on his studies and sports. Then he meets Cynthia (Clara Bow) and falls in love. Studies, sports and dating Clara Bow pushes Hugh a step too far as she introduces him to booze, dancing and back seat fumbles. Something is going to have to give especially as the big game is coming up (of course)...

So, this is all rather formulaic all down to the parental disapproval and eventual redemption. What rises this film above the pack are the performances especially from Bow and the supporting cast. This was Clara Bow's first hit film.

Hawk the Slayer (1980)

A baffling and rather low-energy sword and sorcery tale.

Hawk (John Terry) and Voltan (Jack Palance) are brothers (big age gap). While Hawk is a bold hero though Voltan is a deformed and evil villain who kills their father and Hawk's fiancé. He also kidnaps the Abbess (Annett Crosbie) for ransom as he needs gold for a mysterious wizard who is aiding him. Hawk assembles a team of stereotypes including a strongman giant (Bernard Bresslaw), an elf (Ray Charleson) and a dwarf (Peter O'Farrell). They then arrive at the Abbey and... well not much else happens until the final showdown.

The low budget and lack of much action (much of it helpfully smothered in smoke) is a true marvel, only matched by Palance on over drive. He obviously decided to go for the world record for over the top bad guys in this film and certainly succeeded.

For all of it's many flaws, this is a fun film with a heavy amount of cheese.

The Dawn Patrol (1938)

The heroism and oblivion of the conflict in the air in World War 1.

Major Brand's (Basil Rathbone) Royal Flying Corps squadron is fighting hard above the Western front but the losses are mounting, and the replacements are getting ever younger and less experienced. His top airmen Courtney (Errol Flynn) and Scott (David Niven) somehow manage to survive though the odds are getting tougher. The airmen face the dangers with a mixture of stiff upper lip stoicism, some tears and lots of booze...

A truly great war film with a top rank cast, showing the horrors, humanity and inhumanity of war. The film was a remake of a 1930 film and reused much of the aerial footage, though some of the aircraft used were Nieuports used in the actual war which adds to the realism.

Kickboxing Academy (1999)

An unbelievable film, at times so bad you wonder if its some kind of elaborate joke being played on you?

Two martial arts academies are in conflict. The deranged Tarbeck (Tony Pacheco), with his military themed evil academy, is ranged against June (Donna Barnes) and her kickboxing academy. With the help of the money man Maddox (Tom Scalise), Tarbeck aims to take over June's academy after they defeat them in a contest...

June needs her best fighter back, but Danny (Christopher Khayman Lee) doesn't want to fight anymore. Can his new squeeze, and also a kickboxer, Cindy (Chyler Leigh) persuade him? When you see them snog bear in mind that they are a real life brother and sister...

This is a really really strange film. Characters are random, many barely one dimensional. The plot is also random and makes little sense (an unexplained ninja attack in a restaurant car park, really?) It is superbly weird and highly entertaining, somehow. 

Terror in the Wax Museum (1973)

A complete scream, in more ways than one. 

A ridiculously creepy wax museum in foggy old London town consists only of wax exhibits of notorious murderers. It is run by Dupree (John Carradine) who wants to sell out to American businessman Burns (Broderick Crawford). Dupree is soon found dead, apparently killed by Jack the Ripper! When Dupree's niece Margaret (Nicole Shelby) turns up, the strange happenings continue as she thinks the wax dummies come to life at night!

The murders continue too despite the efforts of the police in the form of Sergeant Hawks (Mark Edwards), probably because he seems more interested in taking down Margaret's particulars than anything else. Suspicion falls on the hunchback Karkov (Steven Marlo) though thats too obvious...

A superbly fun (and often cheesy) horror film with a real old skool feel to it (including some of the veteran actors on show including Elsa Lanchester and Ray Milland). A wax museum is always a perfect setting for a horror film, especially as the "dummies" move when they get close-ups!

The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950)

A satisfying slice of Noir.

Frazer (Harlan Warde) is divorcing his wife, the wealthy Lois (Jane Wyatt) but he is also planning to kill her. Lois discovers the plot and calls on her boyfriend Ed Cullen (Lee J Cobb) who just happens to be a Police lieutenant on Homicide. When Frazer acts, he is gunned down by Lois while Ed is present. Now he tries to cover up Lois' crime...

With the body and gun disposed of Ed thinks he is in the clear, unfortunately his younger brother Andy (John Dall) has just joined the force. The eager young detective is just too inquisitive and soon is finding things out about his brother he never expected...

This is a good police drama with the added tension of Ed's involvement in the crime. His careful plan soon starts to unravel, not helped by Lois who is a little overwrought which can be annoying at times. The final act at an abandoned military base is full of tension.