santo vs the vampire women (1962)

aka santo vs the vampire women. Samson and the Vampire Women. Santo vs. las mujeres vampiro.
"We'll finally meet our implacable enemy."
A professor recruits a Santo to protect his daughter (María Duval) from vampires who are insistent that she marry the devil.
Fine low budget fare, full of beautiful women, wrestling, and a tissue paper plot.

satan's sabbath (1972)

aka The Devil Is Among Us. Le diable est parmi nous. The Possession of Virginia. The Sensual Sorceress.
"He left you all he had?"
After her boss commits suicide, Virginia (Danielle Ouimet) inherits his antique shop, and Journalist Paul Drouin (Daniel Pilon) begins to investigate the suicide, which draws him into the murky world of satanic cults.
With plot holes, inconsistencies, the pace of a snail and less action, this promising premise is quickly squandered.

gun of the black sun (2011)

aka Luger of the Black Sun.
"Stay well and be lucky."
A Luger Pistol formally belonging to a Rumanian Nazi in WWII is found in modern day Bucharest. The pistol is endowed with mystical powers and Media Mogul Damien Lupescu (Richard Lynch) is intent on using it to attain world domination. But first he has to liberate it from its unsuspecting current owner, Axel O'Rourke (Gary Douglas).
Low on budget, high on ambition, which this only partially fulfills. Famous mostly for the acting debut of Ian Wright, the ex-Arsenal striker.

kyra, house near the lake (1979)

aka Sensitività. Devil's Encounter. The House by the Edge of the Lake.
"Shall we go to the cemetery tonight?"
Student Lillian (Leonora Fani), visits her family's country villa, where years earlier her mother drowned in a nearby lake, and starts to research a legendary local witch.
At times atmospheric, but mostly baffling and incomprehensible supernatural thriller.

seizure (1974)

aka Queen of Evil. Tango macabre.
"Our only purpose is death."
Horror writer Edmond Blackstone (Jonathan Frid), suffers from a recurring nightmare where three creatures, including the Queen of Evil (Martine Beswick), terrorise his family. Then one day the nightmare becomes reality, When the three figures appear at his home...
Competent, though only just!

secret ninja, roaring tiger (1982)

aka Injamun salsu. Secret Ninja. Dragon Claws. Ninja Fighters.
"I am the one that will kill you, you dirty coward."
Dragon Kong (Dragon Lee), wina martial-arts contest, the prize being the daughter of the contest runner. Unfortunately she has been kidnapped by a Ninja sect run by Tiger So (Jang Lee Hwang), and Dragon has to face the fight of his life.
Comic, sometimes not in an intentional way, action packed entertainment.

14 blades (2010)

aka Jin yi wei.
"Fullfil your mission or lay down your life."
During the Ming Dynasty a brigade of guards is set up by the emperor, to act as his secret police and protect him. One member is General Qinlong (Donnie Yen). But the emperor is corrupt and when Qinlong finds out he is hunted by his former colleagues, and enlists the help of the Justice escorts to guide him.
Stylish actioner with romantic undertones.

the treasure of san teresa (1959)

aka Hot Money Girl. Long Distance.
"I didn't steal your money, I put it where your father told me to put it, and its still there."
An American ex-serviceman (Eddie Constantine) returns to Europe, and hooks up with old flame Heidi Von Hartmann (Dawn Addams), a German general's daughter, to retrieve the haul he hid during the war. But others find out about the jewels and are also determined to get their hands on them...
Taut little thriller, that unfortunately is riddled with plot holes.

lollipop monster (2011)

"Come on, after all, life has to go on."
Ari and Oona (Jella Haase & Sarah Horvath) are two 15 year old girls, who bond over their dysfunctional families, and dysfunctional behaviour, after Oona's father commits suicide.
Stylised, but not to the detriment of the story, this is teen angst write large.

carrie (2013)

"These are godless times."
Carrie (Chloë Grace Moretz), is an innocent in an unforgiving world. Born of a mother (Julianne Moore) who sees sin around every corner, and is more than willing to punish it, and especially her daughter. Treated badly by her mother, and especially her peers at school, she eventually lashes out, using the only power she has, telekinetic.
Third re-imagining of the 1976 classic, is well made, bringing the story into the modern day, but adds nothing new to the mix , to truly stand out from the original.

the scarlet blade (1964)

aka The Crimson Blade.
"We are to remain here until the last royalist is hanged."
It's the English Civil War, and King Charles I has been captured by the tyrant Colonel Judd (Lionel Jeffries) and his right-hand man Captain Sylvester (Oliver Reed). Edward Beverley (Jack Hedley) plans to rescue the King with some help from Judd's daughter Claire (June Thorburn), who is opposed to her father's political sympathies.
Historical, boys own adventure, that is ultimately forgettable.

The Brigand of Kandahar (1965)

"A savage will aways return to his own kind."
British army in India during the Raj. One of these soldiers is Lt. Case (Ronald Lewis), who has to deal with the suspicions of his fellow officers, who look down on him, as he is half Indian. Then Case is court-martial-ed, on a trumped up charge, and thrown in prison. Inevitably he manages to escape, but then comes face to face with the new power in the rebel ranks, the English educated Eli Khan (Oliver Reed), who wants Case to join his cause.
A lesser Hammer, inflicted with an unsympathetic central character.

tarzan and the great river (1967)

aka Tarzan and the Big River.
"Can I feed the lion?"
Tarzan (Mike Henry) drops in on the Brazilian jungle, to investigate a tribal cult that is destroying native villages and enslaving the survivors. Along the way he meets and helps out a doctor (Diana Millay), who is trying to get the villagers to accept inoculation against a virulent plague.
Hardly something that I would recommend going out of your way to see, but if its on, and there is nothing else, it will fill 90 minutes.

tarzan and the green goddess (1938)

"Get your hands off that goddess."
Tarzan (Bruce Bennett) recounts a recent adventure in Guatemala. He was there assisting Major Martling (Frank Baker) and Ula Vale (Ula Holt) to find the Green Goddess. A totem worshiped by a tribe, inside of which is a formula for a super-explosive. Not only do they have to deal with the tribe, but also Raglan (Ashton Dearholt), a man intent on getting the formula any way he can.
Uninspiring adventure, that lacks the charm and verve of the Weissmuller versions.

bulldog drummond comes back (1937)

"How come every time I see you someone has either been kidnapped or murdered."
Captain Drummond (John Howard) is on the trail of an enemy who has kidnapped his girlfriend (Louise Campbell). Along his friend Colonel Nielsen (John Barrymore) they are determined to bring the cad to heel.
Boys own take on the detective thriller that breezes past.

the death kiss (1932)

"Why not pin the murder on the murderer, of it's not against the rules."
An actor filming a death scene is actually murdered during the take. As the suspects mount up including studio manager Joseph Steiner (Bela Lugosi), Detective Sheehan (John Wray) has to unravel the clues, but is clueless, so its up to writer Franklyn Drew (David Manners) to actually do the gumshoeing.
A tantalising murder mystery.

phantom ship (1935)

aka The Mystery of the Marie Celeste.
"I love Sarah, she's sailing with me."
The Captain ((Arthur Margetson) of the Marie Celeste, marries Sarah (Shirley Grey), and brings her on his next voyage. Much to the annoyance of Captain Morehead, who also loved Sarah and introduced them. Whilst storms rage trouble is brewing in the crew. Could it be that Morehead has employed someone to exact revenge for his supposed jilting. Or could it be Anton Lorenzen (Bela Lugosi), a man broken by being shanghaied previously, and anxious to be aboard.
A riff on the Marie Celeste mystery, that proposes how the ship was abandoned, has a convoluted whodunnit element.

dead ringers (1988)

"You've got to try the movie star, she's unbelievable."
The Mantle brothers are twins (Jeremy Irons) who run a fertility clinic together, and use their likeness to fool various of their female conquests. But then an actress (Geneviève Bujold) enters the scene, and threatens to split the brothers apart.
Sexual thriller and body horror, something of a specialty for Cronenberg, and one that he excels at.

the young ones (1961)

aka Wonderful to Be Young!
"Could you lend me £1500?"
Hamilton Black (Robert Morley) a property developer plans to demolish a youth club, but doesn't count on his son (Cliff Richard) and the other club members.
An other step for Cliff to becoming the British Elvis, complete with insipid, but enjoyable, comedy musicals.

darkwater (2005)

"I want to. I really want to move here."
Following a bitter divorce and custody battle, Dahlia (Jennifer Connelly) moves with her daughter (Ariel Gade) into a run down apartment and find it comes with a persistent plumbing problems, and there are some ghostly goings on.
Remake of the subtle Japanese horror, sees Hollywood add extra emotional back story, though not improving on the atmosphere of the original, it does wrack up the tension.

chasing trouble (1940)

"That kids is still upsetting the whole town."
Flower shop delivery boy Jimmy (Frankie Darro), turns amateur detective, when he finds out that his boss is involved in a foreign espionage ring. Reluctant as ever is Jefferson (Mantan Moreland), Jimmy's sidekick.
Following their successful pairing in Irish Luck, Darro and Moreland are paired up again, in this more convoluted and less entertaining sequel.

irish luck (1939)

aka Amateur Detective.
"Oh no you don't."
Hotel bellhop Buzzy Monoghan (Frankie Darro), is an accomplished detective, if only the police agreed. So when he finds a banker murdered, and a damsel in distress called Kitty Monahan (Sheila Darcy), he and his reluctant accomplice Jefferson (Mantan Moreland) decide to solve the crime.
Breezy comedy detective movie, that does just enough to stay on the right side of entertaining.

tower block (2012)

"We are to blame."
The last few residents of a tower block await rehousing before the tower is demolished. Meanwhile it has become home to gangland violence, and Becky (sheridan Smith), Paul (Russell Tovey), and the other residents witness a killing. Then out of the blue three months later they find themselves targets of a sniper. How do they survive, and who is behind it.
Forget the thin characterisation, and slight plot, and concentrate on the tension, which builds effectively.