Rogues Gallery (1944)

A bright, breezy and fairly sassy little crime drama.

Patsy (Robin Raymond) and Eddie (Frank Jenks), a reporter and photographer pair, are under a bit of pressure from their editor. They are sent to interview the head of a company which has developed a listening device (actually created by Professor Reymolds (H.B. Warner) which can eavesdrop on any conversation. They get involved in a complicated plot involving murder, corpses which vanish and reappear and stolen blueprints.

A flawed film but one that moves so fast you don't have time to dwell on it. Patsy and Eddie makes a great sassy double act. The tone is light and energetic, a great little time waster.

Beyond the Moon (1954)

Rather patchy science-fiction hi-jinks that easily betrays it's origins as a TV show.

Rocky Jones (Richard Crane) is a butch space adventurer, all rippling muscles and tight t-shirt. He is sent off on a mission with his sidekick Winky (Scotty Beckett). To Rocky's dismay he is also lumbered with a woman in the form Vena Ray (Sally Mansfield). Rocky doesn't think this is the place for Vena but considering how she is the only one to know the language of the people they are visiting she does seem quite important. The mission soon runs into trouble though when their rocket ship (which is launched from an electricity sub-station for some reason) comes under attack and Vena is locked in an airless chamber...

This does seem like it was originally separate episodes which have been bought together into a single film... thats because it was! The first three episodes of the Rocky Jones TV show in fact, so there are regular cliffhangers are regular internals. Its not a bad film, just rather half-baked and rather overtly misogynist space opera nonsense. 

Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (1939)

Charlie Chan battles the supernatural!

While flying to San Francisco, a friend of Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) dies on the flight. The man died after receiving a worrying message from a Dr Zodiac. Chan suspects the man was murdered and begins to investigate the mysterious psychic. With the help of his son (Victor Sen Yung) he begins to uncover a complicated plot of fake mystics, hidden chambers, blackmail and apparently real mind reading...

This is an excellent edition in the long running Charlie Chan series, a very mysterious air is given to all proceedings including good use of (a lack of) light. Dr Zodiac is a rather frightening (if ultimately fake) character. 

Allegedly the infamous Zodiac Killer got his name and parts of my MO from watching this film. Whether that is true or just more hocus pocus is something only Charlie Chan perhaps might know...

Ghostbusters (1984)

An iconic film from the 1980s, maybe one of the most 1980s films of all. Who you gonna call?!

Peter (Bill Murray), Raymond (Dan Aykroyd) and Egon (Harold Ramis) are three paranormal scientists who get kicked out of university while they are investigating ghosts (though Peter is more interested in getting laid). They go into business to detect and catch ghosts. After a chaotic adventure at a hotel where they capture a ghost after wrecking a ballroom, the Ghostbusters become overnight sensations...

But the EPA is interested in closing down their laser containment system and unlicenced nuclear accelerators. Meanwhile, in a mysterious NY apartment block Dana (Sigourney Weaver) appears to have a Hittite god in her fridge. The god is getting ready to return to the world and herald a new dark age...

This is a great film, full of funny lines which entered 1980s pop culture. The visuals were great for their day and many images from the film are pretty iconic, including the giant marshmallow man...

Eyes in the Night (1942)

An interesting tale of a blind detective and his very clever dog.

Duncan Maclain (Edward Arnold), a blind detective, is employed by his old friend Norma (Ann Harding). One of Norma's ex-lovers is now courting Norma's teenage step-daughter Barbara (Donna Reed) and wants to Duncan to find a way to get rid of him. However, when he is found murdered Norma is considered a suspect. Duncan visits Norma's house with his sight-dog Friday and begins to unravel a Nazi plot to steal military secrets...

A fairly straight forward crime drama, the plot is methodical and functional if not overly exciting though Hansen the butler (Stanley Ridges) made for an excellent villain. How Maclain uses his disability to disarm and fool his adversaries, before unleashing his judo skills, is excellent.

It was hoped to create a long running series out of Duncan Maclain but in the end only one more film was made. The film and character maybe lacked that final bit of sparkle. Friday is of course a Good Dog. Mantan Moreland appears working for Norma, taking time out from working for Charlie Chan!

Atom Age Vampire (1960)

A rather squalid and awful little film.

Jeanette (Susanne Lorette) is an exotic dancer who is facially disfigured after a car accident. She is approached by Professor Levin (Alberto Lupo) and his assistant Monique (Franca Parisi) who have developed a ground breaking method to heal skin in their dingy little lab full of rabbits in cages and radiation. The method works but Jeanette, whom Levin has become obsessed with, requires regular treatments. Those treatments need the glands from murdered women. Levin commits these murders after he, for some reason, transforms into a weird looking beast...

A film that makes no sense, scenes end abruptly even mid dialogue and everything about the film is rather shoddy. The film is quite entertaining but mostly because of it's awfulness. 

Don't really expect any vampires, the confusing title is referred to in the English dubbed dialogue. The Italian title translates to Seddok the heir of Satan, which makes slightly more sense.

The Chinese Cat (1944)

Another instalment in the Charlie Chan series, this time Charlie ends up in some genuine peril.

Manning (Sam Flint) is a businessman who was shot in his home. The police were unable to solve the crime. Manning's daughter Leah (Joan Woodbury) asks Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) if he will take a look. Charlie is assisted by his number three son (Benson Fong) and a reluctant Birmingham Brown (Mantan Moreland).

The case is a mystery indeed but is linked to a mysterious "fun house" and Chinese cat statues hidden in bread which contain diamonds. Charlie soon raises the ire of a dangerous gang and gets firmly put into harm's way...

This isn't the best in the series but is a perfectly passable Charlie Chan film with a neat if not too complicated plot. Chan had a real downer on his son in this film and roasts him mercilessly throughout!