the phantom planet (1961)

"Do you still want to return to your world."
Some routine space exploration rockets go missing, reporting that they are on collision course with an unknown planet. Space ace Capt. Chapman (Dean Fredericks) is sent to find this phantom planet. He too is forced to crash-land, and finds a strange world of miniature people and more.
Cheap piece of hokum, that has all the staples of a b-movie classic, US hotshot astronaut, cute alien women, and a man in a monster suit.

c.h.u.d. (1984)

"This ain't no disco."
Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers are living in the New York sewers, and when they start taking from the city streets, a police captain (Christopher Curry) starts to investigate. He's joined by photographer George Cooper (John Heard) and AJ (Daniel Stern) who runs a homeless shelter. But where did these things come from and why is the Government so intent on covering it all up?
Well made and entertaining shlock, mainly because of the interaction between the characters.

mr vampire 2 (1986)

aka jiang shi jia zu: jiang shi xian sheng xu ji
"We will help him into happy reincarnation.
Some grave robbers unleash a family of vampires into the modern world. Unable to recapture them they seek the help of a local herbalist to track them down and destroy them.
Entertaining follow up the successful Mr Vampire, but be warned this quickly released sequel differs in tone from its forebear, with a kids befriending the child vampire subplot.

Nude Nuns with Big Guns (2010)

"the priest had one more hail mary up his sleeve, he reached for his gun.'
Sister Sarah (Asun Ortega) is kidnapped and drugged and raped when she finds out her friendly neighborhood priest is drug running with a local biker gang. But a nun can only take so much before she breaks the 6th commandment...
A homage to the trashploitation's of the seventies, over the top is not enough for this film.

prehistoric women (1950)

aka The Virgin Goddess.
"Strangely enough the swan dive was invented before the swan."
The story of a tribe of prehistoric glamour models, who get the itch and capture some men to satisfy it. But one man eludes them and in his journey discovers fire, something that comes in handy when he rescues the leader of the women from a flying monster. And thus the women realise that their rightful place is in serving men.
Leave your brain in the fridge as you take out a beer and this will all be fine.

reign of assassins (2010)

aka Jianyu.
"Did you ever love me?"
Assassin Drizzle tires of her life and re-invents herself, (with a bit of ancient Chinese plastic surgery), as Zeng Jing (Michelle Yeoh) and tries to start a new life. Unfortunately her fellow assassins are not about to let her lead a quiet life.
Beautifully crafted cinematography adds a depth to this romantic drama, which has lots of well choreographed fights to maintain the attention.

tai chi masters (1993)

aka Twin Warriors.
"Why don't you quit? There is no way you can win."
Shaolin monk Junbao (Jet Li) and his friend Tienbao (Siu-hou Chin) are kicked out of the temple when Junbau defends his friend when unjustly punished. Tienbao thanks Junbao by betraying him to the government, when he joins the corrupt guvnors forces. Finally Junbao realises that his friend is a wrong 'un and sets out to seek revenge...
Fine fight choreography adds to the comedy/drama of the situation, as does the presence of Michelle Yeoh and Fennie Yuen.

Hong Kong Ghost Stories (2011)

"Give yourself to god."
A duo of ghost stories, neither of which gripped me, as both lacked any real tension. The tepid 'Classroom', has a substitute teacher plagued by a class of ghost pupils. This is followed by 'Travel' where an introverted girl on a trip to Thailand is taken under the wing of a group of high-spirited young women, only to find out her boyfriend is not all he seems.

mary reilly (1996)

"No matter how well he speaks, Mr Hyde could never be mistaken for a gentleman."
A young Irish housemaid (Julia Roberts) falls in love with her boss Dr. Jekyll (John Malkovich), but then meets his mysterious assistant Mr. Hyde.
Exploring the psychological horrors of a young woman's mind as much as that of the monstrous Mr Hyde, this fails to be much more than a beautifully shot, but slowly paced, mood piece.

the island at the top Of the world (1974)

"If I told you, you would think I was mad."
1907 and four men become explorers as one bankrolls a search for his missing son, lost in the arctic. Using an airship they chance upon a colony of Vikings, and a heap of trouble.
Gung ho, but perfunctory adventure tale, that never really sparks the imagination.

the deadly mantis (1957)

aka The Giant Mantis. The Incredible Praying Mantis.
"Condition red!"
With an volcanic explosion in the arctic a giant prehistoric praying mantis is released to menace the American military. Can Col. Joe Parkman (Craig Stevens), Dr Ned Jackson (William Hopper), and eye candy Marge Blaine (Alix Talton), stop it before it reaches civilisation?
Another creature feature, making great use of stock footage to pad out its slight plot.

the giant claw (1957)

"...he may work for the Government, but he kinda makes his own rules."
Global panic ensues when electronics engineer Mitch MacAfee (Jeff Morrow) spots what he believes to be a huge UFO. After initial disbelief it is revealed the UFO is actually a giant extraterrestrial bird, a bird with scant regard for life on earth.
Fun creature feature, with eye candy Mara Corday along for the ride.

atomic rulers of the world (1964)

aka Atomic Rulers.
"Tonight history will be made."
An inter-planetary council is worried about the earth, as its nuclear pollution threatens them all with contamination. The final straw for them is when the rogue state of Merapolia plans some nuclear annihilation, so the council sends its secret weapon starman (Ken Utsui), whose mission is to stop them. A mission that gets complicated when some orphans get involved.
A film produced by an American TV production company from the Japanese serial Super Giant. Ridiculously entertaining in a 1930's serials type way.

captain america (1990)

"We have like the worst luck."
1943 and the US government create a superhero (Matt Salinger) to counteract the axis powers, and that of the ultimate supervillan, the Red Skull (Scott Paulin).
What is an action hero without action? Well this film tries to show you, and its not a pretty sight.