a study in terror (1965)

"I do believe this damn whore's lifted my purse."
Sherlock Holmes (John Neville), with his side kick Dr Watson (Donald Houston) decide to investigate a series of murders in Whitechapel. Murders perpetrated by Jack The Ripper. But what has the disapearance of an aristocratic would be surgeon to the case?
A fine British cast including Anthony Quayle, Robert Morley, Barbara Windsor, Frank Finlay, and Judi Dench, provide an amusing 90 minutes, though nothing startling.

the black torment (1964)

aka Estate of Insanity.
"There's some say you've never been gone."
Sir Richard (John Turner) arrives back at his ancestral seat with a new wife in tow (Heather Sears), after three months in London. But rumours abound that he had secretly returned a month previously and committed murder. Can these rumours have anything to do with the death of his first wife and where are they coming from?
A well made 60's gothic horror, in grand Hammer horror style.

the pleasure girls (1965)

"I'm on the career kick, no time for love."
Sally (Francesca Annis) moves up from the country to London, determined to make it as a model. She takes a room in a house full of other aspiring young women and is soon caught up in their lives and that of the swinging London scene, meeting photographer (Ian McShane), slum landlord (Klaus Kinski), and even a gay character for good measure (Tony Tanner).
An interesting curio, and beautifully observed period piece. All bright and breezy to start, we soon find that most of these people have hidden problems.

repulsion (1965)

"I must get this crack mended."
Carol (Catherine Deneuve) lives in London with her sister Helen (Yvonne Furneaux). Outwardly she lives a normal life, but has a dislike of men. Her phobia's begin to take over when Helen leaves Carol alone in the flat, as she goes on holiday, Leaving Carole to descend into madness...
This is the one to watch if you want huge doses of sibling rivalry, sexual repression, rape fantasies and hallucinations. Polanski manages to create an atmosphere of claustrophobia and unease with a minimal of dialogue or shock tactics.

saturday night out (1964)

"Alright? I'm always alright on a saturday night."
A ships crew are excited to be back in London on overnight shore leave. They quickly split up to find entertainment. David Lodge goes to visit his 'mother'. The younger sailors head to the pub on the hunt for girls, but end up with prostitutes. One then splits to go up west and ends up in a clip joint and tangles with Freddie Mills when he gets ripped off. Bernard Lee on the other hand, is after a classier night and heads to a fine hotel. He almost gets caught in a honey trap but manages to turn the tables on the blackmailers. Meanwhile John Bonney meets and falls for the quirky beatnik Heather Sears.
For your money you get a bit of everything here, from comedy, music and drama, all on a b-movie budget. A fine piece of pre-swinging London entertainment with the Searchers as a pub band.

the projected man (1966)

Dr. Paul Steiner (Bryant Haliday) is experimenting with matter transmission, but he has problems with polarity and static shocks. With the imminent threat of his funding being cut, he brings in Dr. Patricia Hill (Mary Peach) to help him and successfully transports a monkey. Steiner then learns that his boss has arranged a demonstration, in the hope of discrediting Steiner. Sure enough something goes wrong during the demo due to sabotage. In desperation he decides to use himself as a test specimen. But as usual the process goes wrong. With half his body hideously deformed and lethal to the touch, he seeks out those he believe ruined his life and experiments.
An entertaining enough film, that takes much from The Fly trilogy, though offers nothing new to the genre.

wonderwall (1968)

A workaholic and reclusive scientist (Jack MacGowran) finds a model (Jane Birkin) has moved into the next apartment when a hole in their connecting wall projects an image of her into his apartment. He soon becomes obsessed about her life and watching it. Slowly as the compulsion, (or mental breakdown), takes hold, he creates more holes, as he views the hedonistic events and inadvertently becomes involved in her personal life when he gets to know her boyfriend and learns of their troubles.
A perfect example of the psychedelic 60's if ever you needed one. The plot such as it is is a simple one, the film relying on the imagery and the music, (supplied by George Harrison), to carry it. You'll either let this wash over you, or get mind numbing bored. So sit back, pop your favourite psychedelic and float away...