man about the house (1974)

"Look you can't just buy people off."
A property developer is buying up all the houses in the street in order to demolish them and put up an office block. Mildred Roper (Yootha Joyce) and the flat mates, Robin (Richard O'Sullivan), Chrissy (Paula Wilcox) and Jo (Sally Thomsett) are set against it, but George Roper (Brian Murphy) can only think of the money...
Lacking the fluidity and charisma of the TV series, this is none the less a passable comedy, from an obviously less pc age, and features cameo's from some Thames TV stars of the time including Spike Milligan.

the fast lady (1963)

"What would your father say."
Cycling enthusiast Murdock Troon (Stanley Baxter) meets the beautiful Claire (Julie Christie). Smitten, and knowing she loves cars, he decides to give up his bike, buy a car and learn to drive. All to impress her and her authoritarian father (James Robertson Justice). That's when his troubles really start, especially when Freddie Fox (Leslie Philips) a used car salesman gets his hooks into him.
A standard British comedy, lifted due to the presence of a fine cast.

voyage to the bottom of the sea (1961)

"My God, the sky's on fire!"
The Seaview is a prototype atomic submarine designed by Admiral Nelson (Walter Pidgeon) and is on its final test dive under the Arctic. Whilst testing they learn that the Van Allen belt around the Earth has caught fire, endangering all life. A conference is convened to determine what course of action to take and Nelson proposes that launching a missile from the Seaview would blow the fire out. Other scientists theorise that the belt will burn itself out when it reaches a certain temperature. Unfortunately according to Nelson' theory this would be too late, his missile needs launching imminently and he sets off in the sub to enact his plan. This causes friction aboard the sub, adding to the tension is the fact that someone now seems to be trying to sabotage the mission.
Popular enough adventure that it spawned a successful TV series. Nelson comes across as a modern day Nemo captaining the plushest naval vessel I've ever seen, in this mildly diverting sci-fi.

journey to the center of the earth (2008)

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the center of the Earth."
Professor Trevor Anderson (Brendan Fraser) is on the verge of loosing his university position, but his mind is distracted by the arrival of his nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson). Sean is to spend some time with him and brings along some of his father's effects, including a book that details his last journey. A journey from which he never returned. Trevor and Sean finding some new clues, decide to try and recreate that journey. So its off to Iceland, where they engage the services of guide Hannah Ásgeirsson (Anita Briem)...
Given a modern update the story adds CGI dinosaurs and 3-D to drag the populus in to see it, but even with these efficient and well made elements, it provides no more than adequate entertainment.

journey to the center of the earth (1959)

"Alone. Into the interior of the earth. Alone."
1880 Edinburgh and Oliver Lindenbrook (James Mason) is on top of the world having recently been given a knighthood for his services to geology. Then a present given by student Alexander McKuen (Pat Boone) leads to Lindenbrook setting out on expedition to the centre of the earth, via a volcano in Iceland.
A fine boys own adventure based on Jules Verne's book, with inevitable monsters, and a villanous counterpart to add spice and danger.

the road (2009)

"We are not gonna quit. We are gonna survive this."
A post apocalyptic road movie. We follow a man (Viggo Mortensen) and his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee), as they travel across America heading towards the sea, as theytry to eak out a living scavenging what food they can, and avoiding the cannibalistic gangs.
Instead of the big event we have the slow inexorable decay of a man trying to protect his boy. A man knowing that there is no way out and powerless. Hillcoat has created an immense land into which he has placed two insignificant people. A powerful piece of cinema focused on the human cost and very real tragedy of the end of days.

the great st. trinians train robbery (1966)

"Well it's always nice to have your R's to fall back on I always say."
Alphonse of Monte Carlo (Frankie Howerd) is the leader of a gang of mail train robbers. They manage to get away with two and a half million pounds, stashed in an empty stately home. A stately home that ends up as the new home of St. Trinian's. hidden in their school and their new headmistress Amber Spottiswood (Dora Bryan). Finding they cannot access their loot, they hatch the plan to plant Alphonse's two kids in the school to get the cash for them. Then Flash Harry (George Cole) gets wind of the stash and hatches a plan with the forth form to get their hands on it.
The forth film in the series and the first in colour. It doesn't disappoint, with some great characterisation adding to the mayhem and comedy.

the pure hell of st. trinians (1960)

"I've got all my assets on this boat, well till the fifth form grows up."
St. Trinian's has been burnt to the ground and the pupils are found guilty of arson. The judge places them into the care of a couple of child psychiatrists (Cecil Parker and Irene Handl). Meanwhile the sixth form are soon kidnapped and whisked off to an Arabian state. Closely followed by the Ministry of Education, Sgt. Gates (Joyce Grenfell), and an army bath unit. But their only chance of rescue is from St. Trinian's fourth form, the finest fighting force the British schooling system has ever produced.
The third installment sees the usual mayhem ensue.

blue murder at st. trinians (1957)

"Come on girls."
Flash (George Cole) is farming the girls out for marriage, and hits on the idea of fixing a schools competition to get the girls over to Italy and an eligible Italian prince. Fearing an imminent international incident the local police plant the hapless police woman Gates (Joyce Grenfell) as an interpreter. Also along for the ride is (Terry-Thomas), who is tricked into supplying the coaches for the trip. Add in a sub-plot about a diamond thief and you have the second installment of the hit comedy, and a fine one at that. Also watch out for Sabrina (the Jordan of her age), as one of the sixth form.

dolls (2002)

Three stories of undying love are intertwined. Firstly we have a young couple who are connected by a red cord, as they look for something they have forgotten. Secondly we are introduced to Hiro, an aging yakuza, who thinks about a long lost love he rejected when young, as he returns to the park where they used to meet. Finally we have a disfigured pop star who passes her days looking at the sea. Then she's confronted by her biggest fan.
Kitano produces a beautiful but challenging piece of art, that is deliberately paced slowly, with the stories unfold with minimal dialogue.

the belles of st. trinian's (1954)

"Me conspicuous? Lady, I'm the invisible man."
We are introduced to the most unruly girls school in Britain, as the fourth-formers, aided by Flash Harry (George Cole), try to use some inside information to bet on a horse. Once word gets round everyone wants in on the sure thing. But Clarence Fitton (Alastair Sim), bookie brother of the headmistress Millicent (also Sim), doesn't like the heavy betting and tries to fix things to his advantage, with the aid of the sixth-formers. Meanwhile the local police plant police woman Ruby Gates (Joyce Grenfell) in the school as a teacher...
The first of four great comedies, chock full of wonderfully created characters. I'm disregarding the recent films as not worthy to be counted!

conqueror of corinth (1961)

AKA Il conquistatore di Corin. The Centurion.
“Give me time Diaeus, and if one day I wake in love with you, I will tell you.”
Roman centurion Caius (Jacques Sernas) is injured during unrest in Corinth. He’s rescued and tended to by Hebe (Geneviève Grad), daughter of the anti-Roman governor, and Artemide (Gianna Maria Canale), who is married to a Corinthian politician. Both fall for his charms, but he only has eyes for Hebe. But he has a love rival in Diaeus (John Drew Barrymore), who will stop at nothing to get her.
Efficient if not exactly gripping sword an sandal epic.

i'll take sweden (1965)

"Daddy, I think I found Mister right!"
Bob Holcomb (Bob Hope) is an executive with a problem. His young daughter JoJo (Tuesday Weld) has fallen for a beach bum with no prospects called Kenny (Frankie Avalon). A solution arises when the company he works for an executive to move to Stockholm. Bob volunteers and moves to Sweden, but soon realises that his young and charming manager Erik (Jeremy Slate) may for his clean cut look, actually be worse than Kenny. Could it be a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire?
A light-hearted romp, with Frankie reviving his beach party persona and bashing out a couple of tunes along the way. Don't expect too much, and you won't be disappointed.

the gelignite gang (1956)

aka The Dynamiters.
“You like to live pleasantly, how would you like to go on living pleasantly?”
Insurance investigator Jimmy Baxter (Wayne Morris) is on the trail of a gang of jewel thieves. Meanwhile his young secretary Sally (Sandra Dorne) has also turned detective and finds some pertinent clues of her own…
A quota quickie, with a decent plot, and plenty to keep the punters happy.

strictly confidential (1959)

"The Baron won't be using it for four years, forgery you know!"
A pair of con men (Richard Murdoch and William Kendall) get involved with a young and beautiful heiress Maxine Millard (Maya Koumani). She immediately offers them positions on the board of her company, but is she on the level?
Run of the mill quota quickie comedy, with little to recommend it.

dementia 13 (1963)

"The mood around this place isn't good for her."
After suffering a heart attack John Haloran dies and his wife Louise (Luana Anders) finds out she will be cut out of any inheritance if Lady Haloran dies after her son. So Louise tries to convince his family that he's away on business when she travels to his ancestral home in Ireland...
Intertwining twists into the main story gives an added depth to the plot. An entertaining and intreging film written, and directed by the 22 year old Coppola, that belighs the minuscule budget.

10 rillington place (1971)

"I trust you, Mr Christie, of course I do."
The illiterate Timothy Evans (John Hurt) moves his family to London seeking work and rents a room from the respected John Christie (Richard Attenborough). When Evans wife falls pregnant Timothy turns to Christie for help. Christie is only too obliging, performing an abortion on her, but she dies, and Evans gets the blame and is convicted of the capital crime and hung. What the world does not know is that Christie far from being an upstanding gent, is actually a serial killer...
Dramatisation of the real-life serial killer, and how he managed to avoid justice for so long and his contribution to the miscarriage of justice that Timothy Evans suffered. Hurt is wonderful as the gullible Evans, and Attenborough is a chilling Christie.

the lady vanishes (1979)

“Maybe that crazy dame with the wild body and lack of a bra was right…”
Amanda Kelly (Cybill Shephard) is an annoyingly loud American adrift in pre-nazi Germany. She is making her way to London when she meets a quaint lady called Mrs Froy (Angela Lansbury) on the train. When the lady subsequently goes missing Amanda is determined to find her, but all the passengers and staff on the train say they don’t remember the lady. The only help she can get is from fellow American Robert Condon (Elliot Gould), but he doesn’t believe Mrs Froy existed either.
Re-make of the Hitchcock film, which shockingly is actually quite good. With a nice chemistry developing between the two leads. The original still has the high ground, but this is not far behind.

the stendhal syndrome (1996)

AKA La sindrome di Stendhal.
"This guys a real wacko."
Policewoman Anna Manni (Asia Argento) is trying to catch a vicious rapist/killer. Unfortunately she suffers from 'Stendhal's syndrome', a psychosomatic disease that makes her prone to hallucinations when exposed to art. Knowing this the killer first lures her into the Uffizi museum, then later rapes her. Departing from his routine he does not kill her, and Anna is convinced he wants her alive for some reason.
Asia works hard as the troubled detective, in this departure by her father, who goes for a more realistic and brutal thriller style than usual.

four flies on grey velvet (1971)

AKA 4 mosche di velluto grigio.
"They are out to kill us."
Rock drummer Roberto (Michael Brandon), is being stalked and one night manages to confront the man, but when the stalker pulls a knife a struggle ensues, ending with the man being stabbed. Worse still for Roberto all of it was photographed by a masked stranger. Then Roberto receives an envelope containing photo's of him holding the now dead stalker's knife. But who could his tormentor be and why do they want to drive him mad with fear?
An early Argento shows some visual flare and the promise of things to come. As well as some ill advised comedy!

please sir! (1971)

"Oh No! Not 5C."
Rough inner-city class from Fenn Street School is given the opportunity to go on a weeks outing to an outward bounds camp, but only after their teacher (John Alderton) pleads their case. They are put on their best behaviour, but unfortunately the inevitable happens and chaos ensues. It's only then that the class are given the news that their teacher stuck his neck out for them. Can the kids turn themselves around and redeem themselves for their teachers sake?
Based on the popular TV series, this expands on the half hour format, (throwing in some sub-plots about some Gypsies, and the teacher finding love), and takes the class out of the familiar setting of the school. Unlike most films from TV origins this actually works, producing a likeable, if not world shattering comedy.