king kong vs godzilla (1962)

AKA Kingu Kongu tai Gojira
"King Kong could tear Tokyo apart with its bare hands and we wont give him the chance."
A pharmaceutical company seeks out a berry that only grows on a Pacific island. Whilst there they find a giant ape - Kong and decide to bring it back to Japan as an exhibit. Meanwhile Godzilla decides to make another appearance...
By this time we all know what to expect with the franchise, fun escapism of the rubber suit variety.

ghidorah the three headed monster (1964)

AKA San Daikaijû Chikyû Saidai no Kessen
"These monsters are as stupid as human beings."
A detective (Yôsuke Natsuki) is assigned protection duty for a visiting princess (Akiko Wakabayashi) but the plane she is on explodes and everyone believes she has perished, not knowing she has been spirited away. Meanwhile a women who looks the same foresees Earth's destruction by a powerful monster arriving in a meteor and the detective sets out to find her.
The first of the Godzilla series to portray the monsters in a comical light setting the stage for a family friendly version of the lizard king.

godzilla: king of the monsters! (1955)

"Tokyo, a smoldering memorial to the unknown"
American reporter Steve Martin (Raymond Burr) happens to be in Tokyo just as the authorities are investigating some mysterious ship sinkings off the island of Oda. The islanders suggest that they were caused by an ancient monster...
The Americanised version of the original Godzilla, intercutting Raymond Burr and liberal usage of voice over, that cannot match the original.

doomsday machine (1976)

"I don't understand."
The Americans discover that the Chinese have developed a doomsday machine that can destroy the earth. This derails the preparations for a mission to Venus as the crew must try to save the Earth from destruction, with three of the crew being replaced by three women.
Be amazed who the women manage to maintain their beehives whilst in space, in this cheesy and cheap Sci-fi hokem.

the erotic and wacky tunnel of time (1983)

AKA El erótico y loco túnel del tiempo
"Saluda" Perico (Paco Maldonado) invents a time machine and finds lots of ancient times full of sex starved young maidens, including cavewomen, ancient Egypt, Rome and a Turkish harem. Then even finds time to bob into the future.
Does what it says on the tin, as they say,

zontar: the thing from venus (1967)

"We are all puzzled and just a little bit afraid."
Zontar hitches a ride to Earth and with the aid of science nerd Keith Ritchie (Anthony Houston) and once here starts to take over various humans in a hideous attempt to take over the world! Can scientist Dr. Curt Taylor (John Agar) stop Zontar from taking over the world?
A remake of Roger Corman's "It Conquered the World" (1956) and its not an improvement!

the crater lake monster (1977)

"You saw what?"
Some scientists uncover cave paintings depicting men fighting a dinosaur in a remote part of Oregon. Meanwhile a meteor crashes into a nearby lake. Then tourists and cattle start to go missing prompting a local Sheriff Steve Hanson (Richard Cardella) to investigate...
Hmmm....could be better.

the lost continent (1951)

"Sacred mountain taboo. No one ever come back from mountain."
Major Joe Nolan (Cesar Romero) leads an expedition sent to the South Pacific to recover a rogue atomic rocket only to crash on a mysterious island of dinosaurs and the unbiquitous native girl (Acquanetta).
Promises oh so much more than it delivers.

robot overlords (2014)

"I'm a boy... and I can prove it."
Robots take over the planet, with everyone given an implant to keep them under curfew. That is until a group of kids led by Sean (Callan McAuliff) stumble on a way to disable the tag, and then set off to find Sean's dad.
A rather simplistic plot that works OK as a family adventure film.

deathsport (1978)

"Take away my body and my soul will still be mine."
A distant post-apocalyptic future sees Lord Zirpola (David McLean) capture the Desert Range Guides Kaz (David Carradine), and Deneer (Claudia Jennings). He then forces them to fight to the death in a savage motorcycle race called Deathsport.
The best thing about this film is the poster! A weak and cheaply made b-movie that lacks the humour of much of Corman's output.

journey to the center of the earth (1988)

"Brian!"
Crystina (Nicola Cowper) is a nanny who travels from London to Hawaii to take up her new post, but ends up discovering Atlantis when she explores a cave with a couple of brothers Richard (Paul Carafotes), Brian (Ilan Mitchell-Smith) and their younger sister Sara (Jackie Bernstein). There they come into the hands of villainous General Rykov (Janie du Plessis), who plans to invade the Earth's surface...
An incoherant film, which takes on the look of a high school version of Mad Max Beyond the Thunderdome. Actors disappear, and the narrative shifts violently with no rhyme or reason, and ends abruptly with no conclusion! I've finally seen a truely z-list film!

altered states (1980)

"How do we stop this?"
Respected scientist Eddie Jessop (William Hurt) revives an old experiment, and using himself as guinea pig finds himself regressing...
With Russell on board you know the kitchen sink would be thrown at this body horror, with a liberal dose of sprituality and psychoanalysis.

the shape of things to come (1979)

"This is lunar space control."
Earth's a wasteland, with humanity living on the Moon, and depending on an anti-radiation drug only available from planet Delta 3. Unfortunately Delta 3 is now controlled by Omus (Jack Palance), a mad scientist, hell bent on taking over the moon. Their only chance is an unauthorised mission to stop Omus by Dr. John Caball (Barry Morse), his son Jason (Nicholas Campbell), his friend Kim (Anne Marie Martin), and a robot named Sparks. 
Screams low budget TV movie.

the monolith monsters (1957)

"What use is a newspaper man here, where nothing ever happens."
A Southwestern dessert town is threatened when a meteor crashes close by and shatters, scattering fragments far and wide. Initially the fragments are just a curiosity, until they come into contact with water!
Interesting and original concept twisting the alien invasion story originally scripted by Jack Arnold.

silent rage (1982)

"Mayday, Mayday!"
A small town is rocked when a man (Brian Libby) murders his family. Luckily Sheriff Stevens (Chuck Norris) is on hand to stop him, but the killer dies trying to escape, or so we think. Unknown to everyone the body is released to some unethical scientists, who create a killing machine with the ability to self heal.
Generally entertaining thriller, where Norris gets to flex his martial arts skills, but erratic pacing takes some of the fun out of it.

the gamma people (1956)

"You'll get me into trouble."
A pair of reporters (Paul Douglas and Leslie Phillips) are accidentally stranded in the small dictatorship of Gudavia. Where the local ruler is experimenting with gamma rays to create geniuses, but has the unerring habit of transforming some of his subjects into mutated henchmen.
A bizzare sci-fi, that doesn't catch the imagination.

prey (2022)

"I'll hunt along if I have to."
Naru (Amber Midthunder) is a young Comanche living 300 years ago, who realises that there is a threat to her tribe, a highly-evolved Predator that is hunting them.
Predator prequel, with beautiful cinematography and a back to basics attitude that works.

the time travellers (1964)

"I say try it!"
Scientists (Preston Foster, Philip Carey, Steve Franken and Mary Anders) accidentally open up a window into the future, the year 2071 and find a barren wasteland, then get trapped there when the portal collapses..
A low budget but entertaining piece of fiction.

five (1951)

"Not even a mouse."
Five people survive a nuclear holocaust, including Roseanne, a pregnant woman; Michael, a poet; Charles, a black man; Oliver, a banker; and Eric, a mountain climber, but soon they begin to get on each other's nerves...
Slow moving contemplation on 'hell is other people'.

the old guard (2020)

"I've been here before. Over and over again."
A team of mercenaries led by Andy (Charlize Theron), has their cover blown and must fight to keep their identity and their secret weapon a secret.
An easy to watch actioner that screams to be a Netflix series.