that summer! (1979)

"I've got nothing else to do."
Steve (Ray Winston) is a bad boy gone good, who discovers a talent for swimming, and heads to Torquay to try and win the 'Round the Bay' race. There he meets a couple of nice northern birds (Julie Shipley & Emily Moore), and some disreputable Scots lads...
Comes across as a post-teen Children's Film Foundation film, whose simplistic plot can be written on the back of a fag packet! But never the less, all acquit themselves adequately and we get to cheer the hero at the end as he overcomes adversity and gets the girl.

the boy with green hair (1948)

"My green hair is there to remind you that war is very bad for children."
War orphan Peter (Dean Stockwell) is shunted from one family to the next, until he lands at the door of Gramps. He finally seems to be fitting in, but then finds one day that his hair has turned green. He at first has trouble coming to terms with his freakish new look, but takes it as a badge of pride and a way of reminding people that war is not to be encouraged, but the townsfolk pressurise Peter to relinquish his fashion statement.
As much a propaganda film as entertainment, this still manages to put across its point, without being too preachy.

miracle in soho (1957)

"It's kindness that governs the world."
Ladies man Michael Morgan (John Gregson) works in a road crew, asphalting roads in London. He starts a new job in a Soho street, and meets Julie (Belinda Lee), who he takes up with, and seems unconcerned that she is expected to emigrate to Canada with her Italian family in a weeks time. But Julie quickly falls for Mike, is there any way that love will conquer Mike's reticence to settle down before Julie has to leave?
Charming little romance, which plays it subtly.

the seven-per-cent solution (1976)

"We are such stuff as dreams are made of."
Sherlock Holmes (Nicol Williamson), has descended into a rambling cocaine addict, due to lack of cases to solve. To cure him, Dr. Watson (Robert Duvall) cons Holmes into journeying to Vienna, and into the arms of Sigmund Freud (Alan Arkin), so he can treat him. Whilst there the trio become involved in a kidnapping case.
An interesting idea, that spends too long on the addiction, and not enough on the detection. Though it provides a thrilling end to it all.

charlie chan's murder cruise (1940)

"Dead men need no protection."
An incognito Scotland yard detective, comes to Charlie (Sidney Toler) to help him discover which member of a cruise is a master criminal. Charlie is not interested, but takes it personally, when the Inspector is subsequently murdered.
Whodunnit that doesn't elevate itself from the standard formula.

king arthur (2004)

"Arthur and his knights, a leader, both Britain and Roman."
Arthur (Clive Owen) and his band of Sarmatian 'knights' are bound to serve the Roman army for 15 years. On their last day of service, they are tasked to travel north, beyond Hadrian's wall, and save a Roman family from the invading Saxon hoards, but once he finds them, he also finds Guinevere (Keira Knightley), a Woad princess, who makes him re-think of his life choices.
Tries to be an epic, but is in reality a confusing and ill conceived adventure, that throws huge historical inaccuracies into what purports to be a more 'realistic' take on the chivalrous tale.

charlie chan in the shanghai cobra (1945)

"Cannot sell bearskin before shooting bear."
Three bank employees are killed using Cobra venom, and Chan (Sidney Toler) is quickly on the hunt, helped by his remembrance of a similar case 10 years previously. Along for the ride are number 3 son (Benson Fong), and sidekick Birmingham Brown (Mantan Moreland).
Interesting twist on the standard Chan whodunnit, that throws in enough new material to prevent the franchise from becoming too stale.

Friday The Thirteenth (1933)

"Oh! I must get to Wimbledon Common."
One minute to midnight on Friday the thirteenth, and a London bus is involved in an accident, killing two of the passengers. We then rewind 24 hours, to view the events that drew them all to this ill-fated late night journey.
Fabulous ensemble, including Jessie Matthews, Max Miller, and Ralph Richardson, enliven stories of love, loss and the pursuit of filthy lucre.

satan's princess (1990)

aka Malediction.
"You really spoiled our evening princess."
Lou Cherney (Robert Forster) is a busted old ex-cop, with a gammy knee, who crawls into a bottle as often as he can. Then life just gets worse when an old case of a missing person comes back to haunt him, and he comes to suspect Nicole St Claire (Lydie Denier) has something to do with the disappearance.
Clunky thriller, that lacks any thrills or horror.

i dismember mama (1972)

aka Poor Albert and Little Annie. Crazed.
"You are just like all the rest!"
A mother (Joanne Moore Jordan) cannot see that her beloved son Albert (Zooey Hall), is psychotically insane. That is until he murders a nurse and escapes. Suddenly she is persuaded that he may be a danger. He inevitably turns up at the house, and finding only the housekeeper there, he naturally kills her. Then the housekeeper's daughter Annie (Geri Reischl) turns up, and they become playmates, but you know it'll end up in tears.
Interesting psychological horror, made on a shoestring, which suffers from lack of tension and an episodic nature, but still an interesting watch.