7.5.10

fantastic planet (1973)

AKA La planète sauvage. The Savage Planet.
"Deprived of lessons, I decided to run away."
Set on a strange world where the human like 'Oms' are treated like pets or vermin by the giant Draag race. Terr a domesticated Om learns to understand Dragg history and writing before escaping and linking up with a tribe of wild Oms. Armed with superior knowledge of the Draags Terr hits back at them when they try to exterminate the wilds Oms.
There is nothing so trippy as a Chech annimation from the early 70's, and boy is this out there! In reality I was bored of this very quickly, I think this is one of those 'you had to be there' at the time sort of films.

son of godzilla (1967)

AKA Monster Island's Decisive Battle: Godzilla's Son. Kaijûtô no kessen: Gojira no musuko.
"...it appears to be teaching its son. "
A team of weather changing scientists are conducting a number of tests on an island when one goes wrong, creating a radioactive storm. This causes some animals, to mutate and grow. The scientists try and study these creatures when they uncover a giant egg. The egg is cracked open and produces a baby Godzilla. When some mutant preying mantises attack it the youngesters distressed cries bring Godzilla to the island. Cue Godzilla teaching the youngster how to stomp monsters and blow smoke rings.
Not one of the better Godzilla films, mainly due to a lack of stomping city action.

CB4 (1993)

"They were the biggest rap group in the world. They sold more records than Elvis Presley and Greta Scott King Combined. They'll forever be known as the worlds most dangerous band: Cell Block 4."
CB4, a gangsta rap group, are having a documentary made focused on their rise into the biggest band in America. But following a drive by shooting the leader of the group, MC Gusto (Chris Rock) reveals that all is not as it seems.
A psuedo documentary, a la Spinal Tap, this never reaches those heights, but has some great points to make about hardcore rap and the music business in general.

whisky galore (1949)

AKA Tight Little Island.
"They don't do things for the sake of doing them like the English. We play the game for the sake of the game. Other nations play the game for the sake of winning it."
Its 1943 and the Scottish isle of Toddy is in mourning. Due to the war the island is dry, bereft of whisky, the water of life itself. Then a ship smashes on the rocks stock full of the stuff, and the islanders waste no time in 'rescuing' the cargo. The only problem is Captain Waggett (Basil Radford), the English commander of the home guard, who had determined to recover it. There then follows a game of cat and mouse, with the islanders becoming ever more ingenious at hiding the contraband.
Based on a true story, this fictionalised account is one of the great Ealing comedies.

inn for trouble (1960)

Alf Larkin (David Kossoff), Ada (Peggy Mount) and the rest of the family are given a small village pub to manage by Belcher's Brewery. Unfortunately they soon come into conflict with the locals by replacing the local brew with Belcher's, a drink none of them can stand. So the family have to come up with a few enticements to bring the locals back.
Comedy done by the book, if the book was called 'mildy diverting, run of the mill comedy'. Leslie Phillips and Charles Hawtrey pop amongst others, but don't make much of a difference.

count yorga, vampire (1970)

AKA The Loves of Count Iorga, Vampire.
"...one must be vulnerable to all superstitions, conceivably even those of vampires."
Count Yorga (Robert Quarry) arrives in Los Angeles and quickly fixes up some victims via the seances that he holds in his mansion. But once he has vamped Erica (Judy Lang) and moves onto Donna (D.J. Anderson), it starts to dawn on their partners Michael (Michael Macready) and Paul (Michael Murphy) that the Count may well be a vampire, and as no one wants to believe them it may be up to them alone to save LA.
A modern re-vamp of the bloodsuckers story, but still with enough nightgown clad females to keep the faithful happy.

6.5.10

journey to the centre of time (1967)

"I've set the time syncronisation to 24 hours into the future."
Scientists Manning, Gordon and White (Anthony Eisley, Abraham Sofaer and Gigi Perreau), believe they are close to a breakthrough in time travel, but are told by new boss Stanton (Scott Brady) they only have 24 hours to produce some results or have their funding axed. Pushing their equipment breaking point they finally manage to travel into the future and then the past, but then they struggle to return to the present.
An ultra-cheap, over-wordy, but entertaining sci-fi, if sometimes for all the wrong reasons.