the royal tenenbaums (2001)

"Let me get to the point, the three of you and your mother are all I've got and I love you more than anything."
The life story of a precocious and eccentric family and their estranged father Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) who tries to wheedle his way back into the fold when he runs out of money, and is told that his wife is possibly planning to remarry. He arrives back telling them that he has been diagnosed with cancer, but can he overcome the family's suspicion of him.
Stella cast including, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bill Murray and Owen Wilson, pack out this idiosyncratic black comedy.

baby cart to hades (1972)

AKA Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades. Kozure Ôkami: Shinikazeni mukau ubaguruma. Lightning Swords of Death.
"We all walk different paths in life..."
Ogami Itto (Tomisaburo Wakayama) meets Kanbei (Go Kato), a Ronin with principles, on the road. Kanbei asks for a duel. Itto walks away telling him it is was a draw, as he wants Kanbei to live, but this only serves to fester with the Ronin. Meanwhile Itto comes to help a woman sold into prostitution, who has killed her pimp, volunteering to be tortured by her owners to save her. As part of the debt Itto is then hired to kill an evil chamberlain...
The third in the Lone Wolf and Cub series, continues Itto's bloodbath journey across the countryside and delves deeper into the back story of the characters involved.

baby cart at the river styx (1972)

AKA Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx. Kozure Ôkami: Sanzu no kawa no ubaguruma.
"No matter where you go there is no way you can escape from us."
Ogami Itto (Tomisaburo Wakayama) and his son Daigoro (Akihiro Tomikawa) continue their journey across Japan seeking justice, and trying to remain one step ahead of the evil Yagyu clan. This time the clan send a gang of female ninja to eliminate them and Itto battles the three Hidari brothers, otherwise known as the Masters of Death.
Part two of the series, (some of which made it into Shogun Assassin), sees yet more brain splitting action from the very start. A stunning sequel to Swords of Vengeance, shot through with Itto's perpetual unease and subsequent weariness at having to be perminently on his guard. And with Daigoro coming into his own, revealing his personality and resourcefulness whilst helping his father.

what a crazy world (1963)

"You all want something for nothing these days."
East End lad about town Alf Hitchens (Joe Brown) dreams of making it big in the music business, whilst hanging around with Herbie (Marty Wilde), and trying to maintain an on-off relationship with girlfriend Marilyn (Susan Maughan).
Amiable musical with a gritty London look, featuring Harry H. Corbett and Michael Ripper (in multiple roles). Interesting for its view of Britain on the cusp of the beat boom. Oh and Freddie and the Dreamers stripping on stage! Director Michael Carreras was usually helming Hammer horror films, so this was a bit of a departure for him.

deep end (1970)

"There's always a first time."
School leaver Mike (John Moulder-Brown) gets his first job at a swimming pool, as an attendent in the slipper baths. There he meets Susan (Jane Asher) another attendent and he immediately becomes obsessed with her. But Susan is engaged, and Mike does his best to upset the relationship, getting more and more desperate.
A unique vision, this is a dark and emotional roller-coaster of a film, as an innocent boy experiences a sexual awakening. With light relief in the form of Diana Dors as a man eating housewife.

sword of vengeance (1972)

AKA Kozure ôkami: Ko wo kashi ude kashi tsukamatsuru. Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword Of Vengeance.
"Wash your neck and await my return."
Part one of the Lone Wolf and Cub series. Ogami Itto (Tomisaburo Wakayama) is the shogunates second, or executioner, who is framed for treason by a rival clan, wanting to exert influence on the Shogun. When his wife is murdered, he has to go on the run with his child, becoming a Ronin, a masterless samurai for hire. Meanwhile he has to remain undercover being sought out by the Yagyu clan who set him up.
Re-edited into 'Shogun Assassin', this the original is far superior and gorier, with an added drama and depth.

target earth (1954)

"We've got to play hide and seek from a bunch of robots from mars or something..."
An army of robots, believed to be from Venus attack Chicago. The government orders an evacuation, but a number of people (including Richard Denning and Virginia Grey) get stranded and bicker about how best to avoid the robot patrols and survive. Then they encounter a more pressing danger, Davis (Robert Roark), a psychopathic killer.
What starts as an atmospheric thriller descends into a run of the mill 50's Sci-fi flick once the robots are revealed. Saying that though, stall your brain and this is an entertaining way to while away 90 minutes.

waterloo road (1945)

"Hello Jim, you on leave?"
Jim (John Mills) is a soldier who believing his wife is having an affair with Ted Purvis (Stewart Granger) goes AWOL. Whilst the MP's search for him, he tries to locate his wife and
Fine drama, well played by the distinguished cast, including Alistair Sim, especially the finale during a bombing raid.

this is my street (1964)

"You want to relax a little, have a little fun."
Housewife Margery (June Ritchie) is bored with the drudgery of her life. Sick of the street she lives in, having to pander to her husband and child and working to provide for them. The only spark she can find is the lodger Harry King (Ian Hendry), who is eternally chatting her up. Eventually she succumes but then he dumps her, bringing her world crashing down...
Wonderful slice of life, full of early sixties atmosphere. Watch out for a young John Hurt.

the smallest show on earth (1957)

AKA Big Time Operators.
"I will not be done out of my inhertiance..."
A young couple (Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers) inherit a small rundown town cinema, and the excentric staff that rely on it.
Charmingly English and quaint comedy, packed out with a supporting cast of a list caliber including Margaret Rutherford and Peter Sellers.

jabberwocky (1977)

"Rats on a stick, only a farthing.'
Medieval England and the hapless Dennis (Michael Palin) is in love with Griselda Fishfinger (Annette Badland), who bearly knows he exists. To woo her he decides to make his fortune in the city, if they will let him in. Meanwhile the land is being devastated by a monster, and the king has decreed that a tournament will be held to find a champion good enough to sleigh the dragon.
A transitional film for Gilliam, which maintains much of the atmosphere of Monty Python's Holy Grail, whilst being less episodic, and less funny! Monty, but without the Python as it were. Still it contains more than a enough laughs compared to many films.

live now, pay later (1962)

aka Flight from Treason.
"Get the goods in the house, that's all you've got to do."
Albert (Ian Hendry) is an irrepressible charmer, and door-to-door salesman. His philosophy extolls the virtues of living life to the full on 'tick'. But his happy go lucky life starts to come unraveled when confronted by firstly a pregnant girlfriend, and then a customer who is in over her head.
A proto-Alfie who always bounces back, never mind what you throw at him. Impressive, if often forgotten film, with a wonderful supporting cast.

lifepod (1981)

"Warning! Life support is terminating in this hallway."
The first interplanetary cruise ship, the Arcturus, malfunctions whilst on its way to Jupiter. The crew and passengers are forced to abandon ship, but a handful of people remain trapped on board and fight to survive as the on-board computer starts running amok.
Interesting low budget space epic, that mostly manages to over come its many limitations and produce an mildly diverting movie.

cry wolf (2005)

"this is high school, nothing is real."
Owen (Julian Morris) arrives at a new school and falls in with a group who like playing mind games. After someone in town is murdered they hit on the idea of convincing the school that there is a serial killer on the loose stalking the students. With no one trusting any one else the mind games start getting to Owen...Can there really be a killer on campus?
What looks like a typical teen horror/slasher, which while revealing nothing we've not seen before, manages to build the suspense and twists, with none of the gore.