the thirteenth guest (1932)

aka Lady Beware.
"Wasn't your father's will unusual."
Mary Morgan (Ginger Rogers) arrives at the house where her father died thirteen years previously, only to be bumped off herself. Captain Ryan (J. Farrell MacDonald) and investigator Phil Winston (Lyle Talbot) try to puzzle it out, guessing that one of the guests at a dinner party held on the night Morgan senior died must be behind the murder, but the plot soon thickens.
Acceptable murder mystery, without rising above the mediocre.

glamerama (1978)

"you should let sleeping spies lie..."
Performing arts students, including Marc Almond, (later of Soft Cell), re-mix Barbarella via John Waters in this short and trippy piece of fluff.

one frightened night (1935)

"Whilst you are in such a good mood, can you spare me a dime."
Millionaire Jasper Whyte (Charley Grapewin) tells his staff and friends that he intends to give his fortune to them as he has failed to find his long lost granddaughter. So they are none to happy when she arrives to claim the fortune. Then another girl turns up, also claiming to be his granddaughter. As the storm gathers, the murders start...
Standard plot, kept fresh by Cabanne, as he provides us with a witty little thriller.

the possession (2012)

"Whoever made this didn't want anyone to open it."
A young girl (Natasha Calis) obtains an antique box, unaware that a malicious spirit is trapped inside. Unfortunately she manages to release the spirit, which quickly possesses her. Her father (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) realises that there is a problem with his daughter, but his ex-wife (Kyra Sedgwick) refuses to believe, as she is too wrapped up in her new boyfriend. He refuses to give up however and seeks help to discover what is happening and how to defeat the evil spirit possessing his child, for the sake of her soul.
Understated and suspensful horror, that makes up for in thoughtfulness, what it lacks in shocks, but that's probably not what most horror fans want?

the tale of zatoichi (1962)

aka Blind swordsman: The Tale of Zatoichi. Zatôichi monogatari. Zatôichi 1.
"...to be a gangster is a foolish way to live."
Blind masseur Ichi (Shintarô Katsu), has transformed himself from put upon masseur into master swordsman Zatoichi, with a weakness for gambling. This weakness leads him into a town divided between two gang bosses, one of which has a samurai on board...
A fine introduction to the world of the blind swordsman, and the trouble that inevitably follows him.

sharknado (2013)

"There'something unnatural about everything."
A freak storm causes more havoc than normal, by sweeping up a bunch of great white sharks into its winds, and dumping them and the water it has scooped up on California.
Stunningly bad film, wrapped in a veneer of tongue in cheek comedy, so you laugh whilst marveling at the gall of its low budget, bad acting, and amateur direction. So bad, it's actually bad.

the challenge (1982)

"Let's give them a little fun, show them what a fighter you used to be!"
Rick (Scott Glenn) is a boxer on the ropes, and down on his luck, when he is offered a courier job, delivering a samurai sword to Japan. As usual, this turns out to be more complicated than it first seems, and Rick learns about the strangely codified world of the Japanese samurai classes, and becomes determined to live up to their ideals.
A fish out of water, East meets West actioner, that follows the standard journey planner, but delves deeper than most, making for a more interesting thriller.

zatoichi and the doomed man (1965)

aka Zatoichi sakate giri. Zatôichi 11.
"Every time someone asks me a favour like this I get into trouble."
A condemned man begs Zatoichi (Shintarô Katsu) to find the two men who can vouch for his innocence. As usual, in helping out, Ichi ends up finding nothing but trouble. He also has to contend with a foolish character (Kanbi Fujiyama) pretending to be him, taking money from people who think he is Ichi, then running away when trouble starts, ruining Zatoichi's good name.
Solid entry in the series, with comedy, pathos and swordplay.

zatoichi challenged (1967)

aka Zatôichi chikemuri kaidô. Zatôichi 17.
"Prepare to die Ichi."
A woman's dying wish is for Zatoichi (Shintarô Katsu), the blind ronin, to take her son to his father, an artist (Takao Ito) in another prefecture. But when he arrives, Zatoichi finds that the artist is being held by the Yakuza, and forced to make illegal pornographic artwork. Complicating matters is Tajuro Akazuka (Jûshirô Konoe), supposedly a master-less ronin, who may possibly be a government agent also on the hunt for the perpetrators of this forbidden art.
Considered to be one of the best of the series, this forgoes much of the fighting, to enhance the plot and character interaction.

ghosthouse (1988)

aka La Casa 3. Evil Dead 3.
"Where are you child?"
Paul (Greg Scott) and his girlfriend (Mary Sellers) are led to the ghosthouse by some ghostly messages. There the couple find some campers using the house for storage. Unfortunately the house is home to the ghost of a little girl (Kristen Fougerousse), and they don't take kindly to strangers, and have some interesting ways to show their displeasure.
Gory, cheesy, but fun horror. Just don't expect any innovation, this is a straight up 80's horror.

aka Gammera. The Giant Monster Gamera.
"Remember airmen don't drool, they obey!"
A dogfight over the arctic between a Russian and American plane ends up with the nuclear explosion, and the release from the ice of an ancient creature, Gammera, a giant sabre-toothed turtle!
A Godzilla want-to-be, that mirrors the first Godzilla, even to the inclusion of added American footage when released to the American market. Unfortunately these additions don't add anything to a mediocre monster flick.

Phantom from Space (1953)

"Who are you?"
Santa Monica is subject to a man hunt, when an alien with the ability to turn invisible kills two men who have attacked him because he looked threatening.
Thought provoking premise, swamped by far too much talking!

unknown world (1951)

aka Night Without Stars. To the Center of the Earth.
"If we fail, then we can talk about going back."
Dr Morley (Victor Kilian) is a scientists convinced that the world is heading to nuclear annihilation. But he has a plan, a rock-boring machine that his hand picked team can use to find a subterranean lair in which to survive the holocaust at the center of the earth. Their plan hits a snag when he runs out of money, but then in steps Wright Thompson (Bruce Kellogg), a millionaire who will fund the exhibition, as long as he is invited along...
50's sci-fi, lacking in so many things, like a coherent script, charismatic actors, or direction.

destroy all planets (1968)

aka Gamela vs. Bairus. Gamera vs. Viras.
"The two boys are inside our spaceship. Obey us or they will die!"
Aliens target earth for destruction, but Gammera has other thoughts, but those cunning aliens then manage to plant a gizmo on Gammera that enables them to control him. Under their spell Gammera turns on earth, but two children manage to come to his rescue and free him and he returns to fight the aliens' monster, Viras - Hurrah!
Far too much 'reviewing' Gammera's distructive power slows down this otherwise enjoyable but slight monster flick.

the ghost walks (1934)

"Well the ghost walks tonight or never."
Stranded when their car crashes, a theatrical producer Herman Wood (Richard Carle), his secretary Homer Erskine (Johnny Arthur), and playwright Prescott Ames (John Miljan), seek shelter from a storm in the home of Dr. Kent (Henry Kolker), a friend of Ames. Also there is Beatrice (Eve Southern), a patient of Dr's, traumatised by the murder of her husband. Over dinner, the group throw accusations about, as to who committed the murder, a prelude to an eventful night.
Witty horror comedy, that plays with the already established format.