25.4.15

code red (2013)

"Have you seen my daughter?"
American Special Forces soldier John McGahey (Paul Logan) is on the trail of a WWII chemical agent that can reanimate the dead. Following a report by NATO Doctor Ana Bennett (Manal El-Feitury) he tracks it to a Bulgarian army base, but a rogue Bulgarian officer trying to cover his tracks unwittingly releasing the gas on the local populous.
Well produced, and very gory, action sequences almost make up for some ropey acting, and plotting, in this cheap, but cost effective horror.

games that lovers play (1971)

aka Lady Chatterly Versus Fanny Hill. "Every man dreams of coming across a nymphomaniac..." Two brothel owners bet that their cat house is the best in London, and each sets their best girl to prove it in a series of challenges.
Lame sex comedy, lacking either element. Remarkable only for one of the prostitutes being Joanna Lumley.

zero hour! (1957)

"Our survival hinges on one thing; finding someone who not only can fly this plane, but didn't have fish for dinner."
Ted Stryker (Dana Andrews) is an ex-fighter pilot, whose trauma has left him frightened of flying, but whilst on a routine flight to Canada, both pilots fall ill and its up to Ted to overcome his fears and prevent the plane from crashing.
A fore runner of the disaster movie, made famous due to the Zucker brothers using it as the basis for their take off, Airplane.

19.4.15

the green helmet (1961)

"Never sleep that's our motto."
Racing driver Rafferty (Bill Travers) has lost his nerve following a series of crashes, but sets out to prove himself one last time, before his younger brother takes over from him.
Solid, if unremarkable drama.

spider (2002)

"One does get used to it after just a few years."
Spider (Ralph Fiennes), an acute schizophrenic, is attempting to reintegrate himself into society, after twenty years in an institution, but his illness starts to overwhelm him as he revisits his parents dysfunctional marriage, and his grip on reality becomes more precarious.
A quiet film; not one to shout its virtues, but one that slowly unravels its story, much as the main character unravels mentally.