Amanda and the Alien (1995)

A science fiction comedy with a real difference, and that difference is a fair amount of cringe.

An alien that can take over human bodies escapes from a US government facility. Although the alien looks human it struggles with acting like one. Cool coffee shop nerd Amanda (Nicole Eggert) sees the alien struggling with her latte and naturally decides to help. Amanda's help includes helping the alien feed by killing and assuming the form of Amanda's annoying boyfriend! Naturally Amanda starts to fall in love with the alien...

Although a bit weird at times, the film somehow succeeds. Is it so bad it's good? Well at times, though at other times the cringe factor can make it so bad it's bad! The quirky weirdness will drag you through though. Michael Dorn as a US military officer adds a good sci-fi touch. It is a real film of it's time with it's mid-90s style and feel. 

The Crime Nobody Saw (1937)

This might be one of the worst films ever made, honestly what is going on here?

Three apparently useless and very annoying playwrights (including Lew Ayres) are failing miserably at creating a new play against the clock. A drunk man gets into their apartment and promptly collapses. The playwrights find thousands of dollars on him and naturally assume he is a blackmailer. They do what anyone would do, start to use him as a character in their play. But then he is murdered...

The problem with this film is, is it a murder mystery or not? No one really seems to care about the crime, random characters instead romp about and we have a good dose of comedy (some of it isn't bad admittedly). 

Personally i like my crime taken seriously so didn't really enjoy this film, the only good thing about this film is a prominent role for a black actress in a film from this period, that being the maid Ambrosia (Hattie McDaniel).

Project Moon Base (1953)

Misogyny... in... space!

The US launches a mission to it's space station. It is commanded by Colonel Briteis (Donna Martell). However, as Briteis is female she is called "Bright eyes", her other crewman Moore (Ross Ford) openly resents being inferior to a female, and the general threatens her with a spanking if she doesn't behave!

Meanwhile, Wernher (Larry Johns) is a foreign spy who is attached to the mission with a secret plan to destroy the space station. Instead he manages to get them marooned on the Moon...

It is a shame the film is jarred by some blatant and overt sexism as this isn't a bad 1950s science-fiction film at all otherwise. Luckily Briteis manages to solve her problema with Moore resenting her status by marrying him on the Moon and getting him a promotion to outrank her as a wedding present! 

Criminals Within (1941)

A somewhat confusing but energetic early wartime spy romp.

After a scientist is murdered by foreign agents, his brother who is an NCO in the US Army goes AWOL to try and find the murderers. Unfortunately for Carroll (Eric Linden), Army Intelligence think he is linked in the murders somehow and has a list of other scientists which the agents want to get their hands on. Carroll thus has to avoid his own side while uncovering the agents, some of whom are close to home...

As usual with films of this type a lot is packed into a short run time, with plenty of tangents and red herrings. At times it can be confusing though the conclusion is straight forward enough. This is a solid enough spy drama although little stands out of the ordinary.

Alan and Eric : Between Hello and Goodbye (1991)

An enjoyable, nostalgic yet also pretty self indulgent movie.

Alan Tam and Eric Tsang are lifelong friends who were separated as children, as Eric went to the US. They are reunited some years later after Eric went back in HK as an adult. Eric tries to make a business selling eggs while Alan plays guitar in a bar. All is cosy and cool...

Then Maggie Cheung enters the scene and Eric falls in love with her (of course). But when she hears Alan sing she falls in love with him instead. Oh how complicated the life of HK singing stars. Eric steps aside and the love blossoms but then Alan hits the big time and leaves his friends behind.

But then then years later they are all reunited in SF, Eric is by now dying. But for his dying wish, he wants Alan and Maggie to stay together.

A romantic and quirky movie, maybe a little indulgant and often surreal - especially when they add Alan's real concert footage in the mix but it makes the movie a brilliant cantopop nostalgia trip.

Hijack! (1973)

A good old trucking movie across the endless desert of the southern USA.

Jake (David Janssen) and Donny (Keenan Wynn) are two grizzled old truck drivers who are reaching the end of the literal road. They are employed by an oily businessman to transport some top secret equipment to Texas. 

Unfortunately, a gang of thugs are after the equipment and will stop at nothing including murder! Luckily the gang are fairly inept and Jake and Donny manage to foil them over and over again, however there is one final showdown in store as truck battles helicopter full of gunmen!

This is a great little TV movie even if much of it makes little sense... until the final twist. The action is very solid and the leads (despite looking pretty unrealistic for such an action related film to be honest) do a pretty good job.

The Trans-Atlantic Mystery (1932)

A rather baffling short crime feature, the last in the Carr & Crabtree series.

In England Miller has stolen the famous Stanhope diamonds, he takes them over to New York on an ocean liner where he plans to sell them. His partner in crime Waite (Ray Collins) double-crosses Miller and kills him, aided by the valet Dodge (Walter Kingsford). Waite then assumes Miller's identity. However, there is a woman (Betty Pierce) aboard the liner who has a grudge against Miller...

When a body is found aboard the liner in Miller's cabin, Inspector Carr (John Hamliton) and his friend Dr Crabtree (Donald Meeks) come aboard. The body is found to be neither Miller or Waite! A baffling mystery therefore, though Dr Crabtree soon unearths some clues...

There is a lot of storyline here packed into just over twenty minutes, which is all the more impressive when you consider the rather slow and ponderous pace of the film. Unfortunately due to the short length it can be confusing at times. It is a decent enough mystery though could have been a lot better.