kentucky fried movie (1977)

aka Hamburger film sandwich.
'Moscow in flames, missiles headed toward New York. Film at eleven.'
Before Airplane and the Naked Gun, there was Kentucky Fried Movie, where the Zucker and Abraham's team cut their teeth, in shorter highly irreverent sketches, spoofing the movie (martial arts, blacksploitation, disaster and sexploitation films), and TV (adverts, and news programming) industry. At the centre is the mighty A Fistful of Yen, a spoof on Enter The Dragon.
As these are skits, it's a bit hit and miss, but mostly they hit their target. Rude, crude, but also funny.

the system (1964)

aka The Girl-Getters.
"Darling, if you had a heart of gold, you would have sold it years ago."
Tinker (Oliver Reed) leaders a gang of locals, who prey on holidaymakers who swamp the seaside resort during the summer. Determined to make hay as the sun shines, they live by a system that prevents disputes, and pick off the girls one by one. Enter Nicola (Jane Merrow), and Tinker starts to reassess this life and his future.
Considered a shockingly realistic depiction of sex at the time. No Beach Party style cuddles and songs here, as the protagonists talk openly and act blasé about their sex lives. The angry young man meets the swinging sixties.

stardust (1974)

"With a bit of luck I really think we are gonna make it big."
Continues the story of Jim MacLaine (David Essex), started in That'll Be The Day. As it starts it's 1963, and he hooks up with Mike (Adam Faith), who Jim offers a job as road manager for his band. Mike then sets out to make sure Jim achieves the fame he craves.
The rise of a band through the sixties and into the excesses of the seventies. Continues the gritty realism of That'll Be The Day.

that'll be the day (1973)

"Come on admit it, rock was just a phase."
It's the late 50's and bored with the idea of university, Jim (David Essex) takes off, determined to make his own way in the world. He gets jobs in a holiday camp, and at the fair, but they aren't as fun as he thought. Back home and sulking, he ends up working for his mother, married with a kid, but the wanderlust continues to burn, as does his desire to play in a band...
This is a warts and all look at the boredom, and drabness prevelant in the staid 50's. Good turns from Ringo Starr, Billy Fury and Keith Moon add to the fun. Double bill it with the follow up Stardust, to see Jim achieves the stardom he craves.

robinson crusoe (1954)

aka The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe.
"You Friday. Me Master."
A man is shipwrecked on a deserted island, the only survivor, apart from a cat and a dog. Over the years he builds himself a life on the island, alone. Then one day he sees a footprint in the sand, that is not his own, and his world is shattered. He rescues a native (Jaime Fernández) from a tribe of cannibals, but with the end to his loneliness comes also comes mistrust and fear.
Although not a classic, this is a fine adaption, that foresake Buñuel's surrealist take on life, to deliver a straight up adventure, though he does slip in the odd discourse on religion and politics.

the pale faced girl (1969)

"How would you like to come and work for me?"
A gang of lads in Dublin, prowl the dancehall looking for girls. Mick (Kevin McHugh) pulls Cecilia (Fidelma Murphy), and pursuades her to go with him to the beach, but things don't go as planned, and she may well be doing something other girls haven't been able to do - get under his skin.
A romantic little tale, that at 25 minutes has little chance to outstay its welcome. A beautiful insight to a lost world.

static (1985)

"Seeing is believing."
Mild mannered electronic's genius Ernie Blick (Keith Gordon), works in a crucifix factory. Everyone is talking about his invention, but he won't reveal what it is that he has invented. Then one day he reveals it - a television that can show heaven. Unfortunately no-one else can see what he sees, they see only static. Distraught, confused and frustrated, he seeks a way to get wider publicity for his invention.
Quirky film, full of inventiveness and with a visual flair. But mostly it has a pacing that allows us to learn about, and develop a relationship with the characters as we go. It draws you in slowly and effectively.

rubin and ed (1991)

"It's gonna get weird now isn't it!"
Rubin (Crispin Glover) is a class A loser. His mother demands he finds a friend, and in his search he meets incredibly unsuccessful salesman Ed (Howard Hesseman). They end up taking off into the desert to find the perfect place to bury Rubin's recently murdered cat, and together they find how much they hate each other!
A black comedy, that tickled me, but I can see why it's not for everyone.

the runaways (2010)

"Jail-fucking-bait! Jack-fucking-pot!"
Not particularly the story of the group, but more of Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart), and in particular Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning), who formed the nuclius of the all female punk group that stormed American, then shattered just as quickly.
An entertaining film, that plays the duo off of each other, in this coming of age drama, but is stolen by Michael Shannon's portrayal of the svengali like Kim Fowley.

the killer shrews (1959)

aka The Attack of the Killer Shrews.
"Unusual experiments lead to unusual results."
A storm threatens an island and its population, but that's not all the people living there have to deal with, as they start being attacked by giant voracious shrews!
A drive-thru creature feature, that makes up for the lack of budget and the cheap monsters, (dogs in shaggy coats), with enthusiasm. It walks a familiar line, and ticks all the boxes: the chiselled hero, a damsel in distress, her mad-scientist father, (who in a departure from the norm, is actually quite rational), and a villain. But beware it suffers from the usual pacing issues inherent in these sorts of film, just use them to your advantage - as the chance for you get your next beer.

the bed sitting room (1969)

"I expect to turn into a bed sitting room shortly."
Post nuclear England, and the handful of people who have survived, now struggle to live amid the ruins. A surreal landscape where Mrs. Etheyl Shroake is the new queen, and the population are prone to mutate into inanimate objects, including wardrobes or entire rooms.
Spike Milligans surreal and warped take on life, moves from the stage to film. Although packed with the great and the good of Britain's stage and screen, it's only partially successful, depending on whether you get Milligans sense of humour or not. His anarchic sense of chaos not quite translating onto the screen.

the astro zombies (1968)

aka Space Vampires. Space Zombies.
"It is possible therefor to control the astroman remotely."
The announcement of Tura Satana's death prompted me to seek out one of her movies I'd never seen. And so to The Astro Zombies...The authorities are worried about a spate of murders. What they don't know is that the disgruntled and severly whacked off his gourd Dr. DeMarco (John Carradine) has just been sacked by the Space Agency, and has been using the murders to obtain body parts to create an Astroman. Unfortunately for everyone he loses control of his creation, which quiet naturally goes on a killing spree...And where does Tura fit into this? Well she plays the sadistic leader of a spy ring that gets involved.
An example of the so bad it's good film genre, especially if you like the idea of watching John Carradine fiddling with lab equipment endlessly! The leaden pacing almost sent me to sleep, and it was only the appearances of Tura that livened it up, as she slaps and shoots her way through the film, in a succession of silk evening wear!

the revenge of dr x (1970)

aka Body Of The Prey. The Devil Garden. The Double Garden. The Venus Flytrap.
"How in the hell can anybody be so utterly stupid as to build a rocket base on the coast of Florida?"
A rocket scientist (James Craig), has a nervious breakdown, and goes to Japan to recoup. Here he develops the theory that man evolved from the sea. To prove this he creates a carnivorous man-eating plant, that, of course, runs amok!
Full of fantasically bad dialogue, in a muted but still obvious Ed Wood style, (he supposedly wrote the original screenplay). Add some relentlessly jaunty and inappropriate music, and a ludicrus, man in rubber creature costume, (no self respecting Japanese monster film would be complete without one), and you have this joyous creation. Another bad meaning good film, released upon an unwanting audience.

magical mystery tour (1967)

"I'm getting off...off."
Made for TV film, which was concieved as another way to satiate the public's appetite for the Beatles without them having to tour. Unfortunately by this point they believed their own myth and thought they could do no wrong, Then they made this and even they had to own up that it wasn't a patch on their two previous Richard Lester helmed films. The plot, if you can call it that, revolves around a disperate group on a sight-seeing tour, during which strange events being to happen. Cue surreal and not particularly interesing events, punctuated by musical interludes.

tremors 3 (2001)

"There's more of 'em!"
Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) moves back to Perfection valley after his adventures in the previous films. Only to find that the graboids are back too!
Third times a charm for this series. This manages to buck the usual trend that sequels follow, of being exponentially worse than the previous episode. Whilst it's not as good as the previous two, it's actually OK entertainment.

memories of matsuko (2006)

aka Kiraware Matsuko no isshô.
"even if he does hit me, it's better than being alone."
Shô (Eita) is at a low ebb, having left his band, and having his girlfriend leave him. Then his father instructs him to clear out the house of long lost aunt Matsuko (Miki Nakatani), who has been murdered. In doing so he becomes intrigued about her life and wants to find out more. Thus he pieces together her troubled life.
Frenetic and highly stylised film, full of drama and dysfunction, that tells a very dark story, at times in a very light and bright way. A superficial looking film, with a deep meaning at its heart.

the small world of sammy lee (1963)

aka The Small Violent World of Sammy Lee.
"What do you mean you can't accept any more bets from me?"
A compère at a seedy strip club, Sammy Lee (Anthony Newley) is an inveterate gambler. With the subsequent problem of having reached his limit with the bookie, and he want his money, now! Cue Sammy's desperate struggle to keep one step ahead of the bookies heavies whilst wheeling and dealing to make the money he owes.
A film that is packed with early 60's flavour in and around London's Soho district. Based on a BBC play this doesn't sugar coat Sammy or his life, but it's to Newleys credit that you still want him to win out in the end.