noose (1948)

aka The Silk Noose.
"You know what curiosity did for the pussy?"
Bar Gorman (Nigel Patric) is a loveable and fast-talking spiv, in post-war London, who works for Sugiani (Joseph Calleia), nightclub owner and all round bad guy. Trouble comes when an acquaintance is found washed up in the Thames. Especially when Linda (Carole Landis), a fashion journalist, gets a scoop that Sugiani's gang may be involved.
Interesting and well made little crime caper, with a fine line in comedy on the side.

they live by night (1948)

aka The Twisted Road.
"You're still a one eyed lush and you always will be."
Three lifers escape a prison farm, including Bowie (Farley Grainger). They hole up with the brother of one of the escapees. Whilst there they are looked after by Keechie (Cathy O'Donnell). She and Bowie immediately spark off each other, and she pleads with him to ditch the others as they will drag him down, but he can't or won't...
Doomed romance of a film noir, played well by all concerned.

damien: omen II (1978)

"The day will come when people will know who you are."
The continuing story of the rise to power of Satan's litte boy. Having dispatched his father, Damien (Jonathan Scott-Taylor) has been sent to military school, and people who protest about his heritage continue to inevitably end up having gruesome accidents.
Competent thriller, that loses the spark of the original, as you know that the little brat is going to survive!

between (2005)

"You don't really know your sister..."
Nadine Roberts (Poppy Montgomery) tries to find her estranged sister who has gone missing in Mexico, but is confused by what she finds...
Stylish, but ultimately unengaging tale, possibly due to the languid direction.

cursed (2005)

"What doesn't kill you..."
Werewolf story updated to modern day Hollywood. Ellie (Christina Ricci) and her little brother (Jesse Eisenberg) are involved in a car crash, it gets decidedly beastly when they are attacked by a beast. Both take turns for the worst, betraying signs that the beast was a werewolf and they are no both cursed to follow in its paw prints. It's a race against time to find out who has it in for them. Whilst it is competently made, by the Scream duo of Williamson and Craven, this never quite cuts it as a horror, or as a teen angst movie. american, dimension films, horror, werewolf,

the ghost (2001)

aka Code of the Dragon.
"This is not a happy birthday."
Jing (Julie Lee) was sold to the tong as a child, and is now what is known as a ghost, a elite assassin. She's sent undercover, as an internet bride, to America on a job and is pursued by Dan (Michael Madsen). But whilst beating up bad guys, she learns that even she can love.
Cheap, episodic, and ineffective little actioner.

spirit of the beehive (1973)

aka El espíritu de la colmena.
"Everything in the movies is fake. It's all a trick."
Two young girls (Ana Torrent & Isabel Tellería) living in rural Spain in 1940 drift along in their own small fantasy world, especially after they get to see James Whale's version of Frankenstein.
A languid exploration of a child's view of life, contrasted with that of the automaton like beehive. It's very minimalism either draws you in, or sends you to sleep!

arachnophobia (1990)

"I'm not afraid of all bugs..."
A family's new home is overrun by Amazonian spiders, which soon decide to move onto the local townsfolk...
Well made creature feature, which plays on most people's fear of spiders.

locusts (1974)

"I won't be seeing action ma'am."
It's the height of WWII and Donny (Ron Howard) returns home to his family farm is disgrace, having been chucked out of the navy. But soon there are bigger things to worry about, as there are increasing reports of swarms of locusts heading in their direction.
Small time drama, wrapped around a disaster movie.

coast of skeletons (1964)

"There's been a change of plans."
Inspector Harry Sanders (Richard Todd) returns to Africa, assigned to protect a diamond dredger, and ends up in the middle of an attempt to steal its valuable cargo.
Meandering tale, which makes good use of its African setting, but never really comes alive as a thriller.