fog island (1945)

"Only this hateful fog seems to be at home there."
Leo (George Zucco), an ex-prisoner has a plan of revenge against those that framed him, ruinning his life and possibly murdering his wife. To do so he lures them to an island with the promise of treasure.
The atmosphere and presence of Lionel Atwill only go part way to saving this uneven, contrived and hole ridden script.

a canterbury tale (1944)

"I'll believe that when I see a halo round my head."
World War II and an American soldier (Sgt John Sweet) bound for Canterbury gets off at the wrong train station. There he meets a young woman (Sheila Sim), a British army Sgt (Dennis Price) and a world that has not essential changed since medieval times.
A paign to a long lost england, wrapped in a mystery, at a time when England looked like it would possibly be lost itself. Watch out as two versions exist, the British (original) and the recut version for the American market.

the beach girls and the monster (1965)

aka Monster From The Surf.
"Do you think those beach tramps will help your career."
A beach bunny is killed on Malibu beach, starting lots of speculation. Professor Otto Lindsay (Jon Hall) suspects that it is a fish mutation, but his son Richard (Arnold Lessing), has a different theory, believing it to be the work of a madman with a grudge against him and his surfing buddies.
Where the beach party movie meets the monster flick. An ineptly fun film, rubber suited monsters, bad acting
and bikini clad go-go dancers.

the most dangerous game (1932)

aka The Hounds Of Zaroff.
"The world is devided into two types of people, the hunter and the hunted. Luckily i'm the hunter and nothings gonna change that!"
Bob Rainsford (Joel McCrea), is a big game hunter, and sole survivor of a ship wreck, making land on an island owned by Count Zaroff (Leslie Banks). There he finds four more people from a previous wreck, including Eve (Fay Wray). Whilst playing the genial host Zaroff reveals he also has a passion for big game hunting, and it soon becomes clear what Zaroff really likes to hunt, humans!
A slow start gives way to a thrill ride ending, and entertains all the way through.

valhalla rising (2009)

"He was brought up from hell... "
A norse warrior (Mads Mikkelsen), is kept as a slave for his vicious fighting ability. After years of captivity he finally manages to escape, killing most of his captors, but sparing a young boy (Maarten Stevenson). The boy then tags along on his journey. Shortly thereafter they meet up with some Christian fighters, and the warrior throws in his lot with them when they decide to journey to the holy land, but they go astray in more ways than one.
A primitive mix of Heart of darkness, Aguirre: The Wrath of God, with a pinch of Dead Man. I can imagine that the silence and deliberately slow pace, not being to everyone's taste, but for me it drew me in.

the doomsday machine (1976)

"I can't get over it. Putting females together with the male animal in a cage like this. What are we supposed to do for the next two years, breed!"
The Chinese have developed a bomb capable of wiping out all life on earth, and plan to use it within days. In an attempt to counter this the US govt takes over a manned mission to Venus, replacing half the crew with women. So when the inevitable apocalypse occurs these people become the last humans in the universe...
A troubled production obviously didn't help to keep this film focused; as a partially complete film is then mashed together with scenes featuring new actors, to make one mess of a salvage job.

count dracula's great love (1974)

aka El gran amor del conde Drácula. Cemetery Girls. Dracula's Virgin Lovers. The Great Love Of Count Dracula.
"Dr Marlow seems like a person you can trust."
Transilvania, and a deserted sanitarium near Castle Dracula, becomes home for an Austrian doctor (Paul Naschy). Then one night some travelers are stranded and are forced to shelter in the house, little knowing that they are falling into the clutches of the evil Count Dracula.
The film suffers from slow pacing, but is full of gothic atmosphere, and has a plot twist that almost makes up for it.

child bride (1938)

"We're the law in these here mountains."
Child Bride claimed to be an expose of the lack of laws banning child marriage in many US states at the time. A claim undermined by a gratuitous nude scene featuring a 12 year old actress. The plot revolves around school teacher Miss Carol (Diana Durrell) and her determination to stop the practice of child marriage. It's padded out with some feuding over stills, especially with bad 'un Jake Bolby (Warner Richmond), and his pursuit of the underage Jennie Colton (Shirley Mills).
Not a bad film as such, its made well enough, but one that shamelessly uses all the hillbilly cliche's it can along the way.

manos: the hands of fate (1966)

"Not dead the way you know it. He is with us always."
A couple and their kid get lost trying to find their holiday lodge, and end up staying at a sinister place in the desert, ignoring their better instincts. When their dog is savaged to death they make to leave, also creeped out by the prescence of the weird caretaker Torgo (John Reynolds). But are forced to stay when their car fails to start. They are then further disturbed when they come across the master that Torgo has been babbling about, laid out in his death shroud surrounded by comatose women. The night can only get worse...
The lowest of the low, in all senses; budget, script, direction and acting all combine to make for a captivating film, for all the wrong reasons. Even the director supposedly thought this the worst film ever made, and he may be have been right.

style wars (1982)

"They call themselves writers because that's what they do..."
Another seminal film about the early hip hop scene in New York, showing the development of graffiti art on the New York Subway system and b-boys such as the Rock Steady Crew developing their break dance techniques. A must see if you have any interest in either of the above.

wild style (1983)

"Watch out for the third rail baby, that shit is high voltage."
Zoro (Lee Quinones) is the Bronx coolest graffiti writer, due in part to no one knowing who Zoro is. But Zoro is conflicted, having lots of personal troubles, whilst trying to stay true to his art.
A classic not because of the story or the acting, but because it gives the truest view of the hip hop scene at the time, mainly due it packing in as many of the movers and shakers of the scene at the time, whether DJs, rappers, graffiti artists or b-boys. So we get legendary Grand Master Flash, the Cold Crush Brothers, Kool Moe Dee, and the Rock Steady Crew amongst many others.