daylight robbery (2008)

"Whats taking them so long?"
A gang execute a plan to rob a London bank, but like all good plans it only takes one small change to steamroller into major problems.
The initial bank job shows a glimmer of promise, a promise that quickly disipates as the bad script ebbs to a slow conclussion. Not helped by the terrible acting that displays a distinct lack of urgency dispite being on a time critical bank job. Gives a bad name to professional crooks.

blame (2008)

aka La Culpa.
"Madam's always been lonely."
Gynaecologist Dr Torres (Nieve de Medina) takes single mother Gloria (Montse Mostaza) into her home, giving her somewhere to live in return for help in her clinic. Then Gloria falls pregnant and against her will agrees to a termination...
Understated and absorbing film, that doesn't show its hand until the very end.

the 39 steps (1959)

"The police are anxious to interview Richard Hannay
Richard Hannay (Kenneth More) gets unwittingly involved in a spy ring and ends up on the run from the authorities and the spies.
Ralph Thomas, more used to directing light-hearted entertainment does the same here, producing a boys own spy flick. Nothing to compare with Hitchcock's original.

carry on screaming (1966)

"Frying tonight!"
Young ladies are disappearing and henpecked Sgt Bung of the yard (Harry H. Corbett) is tasked with finding the kidnapper. This leads him to a sinister country house where discover Dr Watt (Kenneth Williams) and his wife Valaria (Fenella Fielding) are using the bodies to create waxworks.
Probably the pinicle of the Carry on series, which delights in taking on the Hammer horror genre.

the baby's room (2006)

aka La habitación del niño.
"Our lives are too perfect..."
A family move into their ideal home, a place that has been vacant for many years, but soon they start to regret it when the husband (Sancho Gracia) starts to see people lurking in the baby's room at night on the monitor. His wife (Leonor Watling) is not so conviced, and eventually moves out after he unwhittingly attacks her. The only person with possible answers is an elderly lady in a nearby rest home, who says she played there as a child.
Absorbing drama, that builds nicely to the predictable, but well done ending.

black death (2010)

"Be on your guard, God has slipped over the horizon."
1348 and the bubonic plague is sweeping across Europe, but there are reports that one small village in England has escaped the plague completely. Ulric (Sean Bean) and his platoon of soldiers, are sent to investigate, guided by a novice monk (Eddie Redmayne).
Think a medieval The Wicker Man, with a bit more gore, but without the spark that film had. Competent but not fantastic.

marilyn (1954)

aka Roadhouse Girl.
"I wish you were dead."
A garage owner's wife, Marilyn (Sandra Dorne) is a wilful young thing. She's kept on a tight leash by her husband, but this doesn't stop her taking up with new employee Tom (Maxwell Reed). The inevitable discovery is followed by the inevitable struggle where the husband dies. With the husband out of the way, Marilyn sets about re-inventing her life, and takes up with Nicky (Ferdy Mayne), and jealously rears its head again.
Underplayed little pot boiler, that never sparks to life due to Marilyn coming across as spoilt brat rather than the siren she's supposed to be.

zeta one (1973)

aka The Love Factor. Alien Women.
"Well you must admit it's a bit far-fetched."
Aliens from the planet Angvia, who just happen to like dressing sexy and sometime not dressing at all, come to earth on a mission to kidnap women in an attempt to refresh their population.
Think Barbarella, via the Carry on films and you will be somewhere near this bizzare little number. Packed full of names such as James Robertson Justice, Valerie Leon, Charles Hawtrey and Yutte Stensgaard. It also comes complete with the fine psychedelic big-band sounds of Johnny Hawksworth. But all this cannot save it. For what should be fun and sexy is filmed in a purely functional way, sucking all the life out of the movie; still it looks good!

space thing (1968)

aka Erotic Space Thing. Erotic Space Women.
"I was caught and had to make the best of the situation."
A man fantasises about being an alien on board a space craft having to learn the ways of the human crew, especially the ways of love. So mix together a number of sex obsessed nubile women and a lesbian captain, add one curious alien in human form and you have this softcore attempt at titilation.

i drink your blood (1970)

aka Blood Suckers.
"I was born into hell, and reborn..."
A satanist coven torture a young girl when she is caught spying on a ritual. Her grandfather goes after the hippies, but is captured and fed LSD as a punishment. The girls brother then exacts retribution by giving them rabies spiked meat pies. Infected they turn into crazies, attacking all that get in their way.
Classic exploitation horror fodder, that plays on the fears America had for wild hippies at that time. Manson's family having only been caught less than a year previously. Whilst it doesn't provide much in shocks, especially now, it does provide fun and a few laughs along the way.