his girl friday (1940)

"Now, get this, you double-crossing chimpanzee,"
Walter Burns (Cary Grant) is a newspaper editor who will do anything for a scoop. So when he sees his ace reporter (Rosalind Russell), and ex-wife, walking out the door to quit the business and get married, he does everything in his power to prevent her. Whilst also getting her to write the story.
The epitomy of the fast and frenetic screwball comedy, with all concerned at the top of their game.

the Blood of a poet (1930)

aka le sange d'un poete
"Each poem is and armorial shield. It must be decoded."
Surreal drama with an artist moving through a series of tableau told in four episodes.
Don't expect it to make sense of the bizarre scenarios, but look at them as self-reflexive, and poetic journeys through Jean Cocteau's subconscious mind.

the outsiders (1983)

"Greasers will still be Greasers and Socs will still be Socs. It doesn't matter."
Tension mounts between two gangs, the socs and the greasers. When two of the greasers, Johnny (Ralph Macchio), and Ponyboy (C. Thomas Howell) are viciously beaten by the socs. During the affray Johnny stabs one of the socs trying to save Ponyboy. With the Soc dead Johnny and Ponyboy go on the run.
Bratpack heavy drama, based on a popular, (in America), children's book. A tale of 'us and them' and redemption, with added Gone with the Wind stylings.

bless this house (1972)

"You have to make a decision...whether to save the world from polution, or go shopping with your mother!"
The Abbot family (Sid James, Diana Coupland, Robin Askwith and Sally Geeson) have their neat suburban lives shaken up a bit when the next door neighbours sell up and move on. The new neighbours prove to be uptight and stuffy and the Abbots get off on the wrong foot with them, causing complications and mildly amusing confusion all round.
Popular sit com reaches the big screen. Now it was never the most sophisticated comedy to start with, and this matches it completely. So if you like a mildly amusing family comedy, then this it for you.

teen wolf (1985)

"He feels...like a winner!"
Teenager (Michael J. Fox) has more to deal with than just spots, when he starts turning into a werewolf at inoppertune times. This leads to lots of fretting about loosing his friends, a potential girlfriend and his chance at fame and fortune on the basketball court.
What could be a great spin on the teen angst flick, is well played by Fox. Unfortunately the rest of the film doesn't live up to his standards and neither does the most simplistic of scripts.

micmacs (2009)

"You have a slug in your brain box."
Bazil (Dany Boon), is a simple man, with simple wants and needs. Through some incredible circumstances he looses his job and ends up on the street. He falls in with a motley bunch of misfits, and with their help plans to destroy the two weapons manufacturers that have blighted his life.
A funny, quirky and ingenius piece of whimsy. At heart is a simplistic tale, wrapped in a visual feast for the eyes.

the black dahlia (2006)

"The basic rule of homicide applied: nothing stays buried forever. Corpses. Ghosts. Nothing stays buried forever. Nothing."
Two policemen are paired off in the homicide squad. One, 'Bucky' Bleichert (Josh Hartnett), is taken under the wing of the other, Lee Blanchard (Aaron Eckhart). The pair become friends, along with Lee's girlfriend Kay (Scarlett Johansson). But when Elizabeth Short is murdered, in whatbecomes known as the Black Dahlia case, their personal and professional lives get twisted up inside the mystery.
Inspired by the notorious and unsolved murder, this jumps into the seedy world of would be actresses attracted to the bright lights of Hollywood, via the LA police. A modern take on 40's noirs, moves along effectively, until the central murder, when it subsequently doesn't satisfactorily explain why the two should take so much interest in the case and ends up disjointed.

the lone rider in ghost town (1941)

aka Ghost Mine.
"You look fitter than a high powered rifle!"
The Lone Rider (George Houston) mosies into town and finds talk of a ghost town and claim jumping. Along with his comedy sidekick Fuzzy (Al St. John) they look to find out whats a doing.
A typical singing cowboy serial, (where the good guys wear white and the bad black), and with just enough to keep you from getting too bored.

jesus christ vampire hunter (2001)

"I'm everywhere!"
Daylight prowling vampires are stalking downtown Ottawa. Welcome back Jesus Christ (Phil Caracas), who times his second coming to allow himself some time to kick some vampire ass.
Tries to be all things to all men, with its mix of comedy, martial arts, music, and horror. Unfortunately some promising ideas are poorly executed and it spreads itself too thinly with its scatter gun approach, they even bring El Santo into the fray.

the ape man (1943)

aka Lock Your Doors.
"Looks like a gorilla to me."
Dr Brewster (Bela Lugosi) , a scientist, has disappeared. What the journalists following the story don't know is that Brewster had to disappear as he has transformed himself into a ape-like man. He is trying to develop an antidote, but it means the taking of innocent human lives...
A hokey horror in which Lugosi gives his all, but it is what it is, a cheap, cheap, cheap horror.

victim (1961)

"Someone once called this law against homosexuality the blackmailer's charter."
Melville Farr (Dirk Bogarde) is an upwardly mobile and distinguished lawyer, happily married to Laura (Sylvia Syms), but life gets complicated when he starts pursuing a man who makes a living blackmailing gay men. A situation he knows a lot about, having been blackmailed for the same reasons.
A gripping drama, centered around a powerful performance by Bogarde, that makes the case for legalising homosexuality. It manages to tread a fine line between entertainment and education, without becoming preachy.

sherlock holmes and the voice of terror (1942)

"No one in the world is safe now Watson, least of all us."
WWII is in full swing and Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) is asked to find the traitor leaking secrets to the Germans, who are using them during their propaganda broadcasts.
An updating of the Holmes character, still aided by Watson (Nigel Bruce), and with some sparkle provided by Evelyn Ankers, the 'Queen of the Screamers'. This set out to provide entertainment and propaganda, whilst stirring up patriotism for Britain during WWII. All of which it did and still does.

les vampires (1915)

Despite it's name, this isn't a horror, but an early crime drama, which at over six and half hours, spread over ten parts is a serious commitment, but it's worth it. The story revolves around reporter Philippe Guerande (Édouard Mathé), and his battle with a secret criminal fraterity called the Vampires, which includes the femme fatale Irma Vep (Musidora).
An early crime classic, that rattles along, sometimes confusingly. The sombre look is often put down to it being made during WWI, which obviously had people a bit down!