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Modesty Blaise (Monica Vitti) is a former crime boss lured back for one last job by the British government. She and her side kick Willie Garvin (Terence Stamp) have to prevent evil mastermind Gabriel (Dirk Bogarde) from stealing a shipment of diamonds bound for an arabic leader.
A mod/pop art comedy crime caper, which tries to parody the spy genre. Unfortunately the comedy comes over as laboured. It's not aided by some bizarre episodes either, such as the lamentable song, as neither Stamp or Vitti can sing a lick, and some lackluster direction by Losey. But all in all it still manages to entertain, due mainly to a great camp performance by Bogarde, the pop art sets, fashions and some surreal and self parodying moments.
UNCLE are in the middle of an operation called 'the August Affair' and THRUSH would like to know what it is. They come up with the cunning plan of capturing Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn) and replacing him with one of their own agents sugically made to look like Solo. Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum) slowly becomes suspicious of his friend, due to his behaviour. Can Kuryakin figure out what's going on before the false Solo gets the information, or can the real Solo escape and stop the Thrush double before it's too late.
As with other Man from UNCLE movies this is made up of two episodes of the TV series combined. Fans of the series will love this, it has all the elements a 60's spy film should have, but others may feel it's a little lacking, betraying its origins as a TV show and subsequent lack of funding compared to most films. Never the less, if you want a lightweight spy thriller with guns, girls, and action you could do a lot worse than this.
aka Daredevil. Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior. Thai Fist.
Ong-Bak, is the sacred Buddha of a village. When it is stolen, the village descends into depression and drought. Ting (Tony Jaa) the village champion is given the task of traveling to Bangkok to rescue the treasure. He's an expert in muay thai (a type of martial art), but is forbidden to use it, but soon finds it come in handy whilst walking the seedy underworld streets of Bangkok.
Whilst the story is nothing new, its acted with conviction, and the cinematography gives it a real sheen, but what makes it stand out is the sheer ability of Tony Jaa and the action scenes. They almost literally burst out of the screen and you feel every punch and kick as we are introduced to this traditional Thai martial art in all its viceral goriness.
Cornelia Van Gorder (Agnes Moorehead) is a mystery writer who is trapped in a house, terrorised by a mysterious criminal called The Bat. Following one attack she fears her housekeeper has been bitten by a real bat so she calls in Dr Wells (Vincent Price), who is conveniently researching bats. But there is more to him than that, he knows that there is some money hidden in the house, and he's willing to kill to find it. Can they find out who the bat is before he murders again and can the police find the money before Wells does?
Agnes plays the feisty lady to a tee, in this rather interesting whodunit, which has some nice one liners scattered throughout to ease the tension. Lots of clues are dropped along the way - can you solve who the bat really is before Agnes does?
aka The Passionate People Eater.
Seymour (Jonathon Haze) is nice but klutzy guy, who works in a flower store. One day he manages to breed a bizarre looking plant, a plant that starts talking to him! Seymour, being the helpful type becomes friends with it and tries to help when it gets hungry and pleads for him to 'feed me'. This is when he finds out that it loves nothing more than chowing down on human for lunch!
A delightful black comedy, that in usual Corman style was mostly knocked together over a couple of days, when a set became suddenly available. Watch out for the fantastic cameo by Jack Nicholson as a masochistic dental patient.
The everyday life of the Maneaters, a female motor-cycle gang is one of bike races, parties, loving and fighting. Led by Queen (Betty Connell) they chew up and spit out men for the fun of it, but new initiate Karen (Christie Wagner) seems to be rather taken by one particular man, something that just ain't done in the Maneaters. To prove her loyalty Karen has to watch as he's beaten, then made to drag him behind her bike. But this idealistic lifestyle is threatened when a rival male gang decides to move into their territory. It's time for the Maneaters to prove they ain't no pushovers.
By 1968 there had been a few successful bikesploitation films, enough to attract the attention of Lewis, who decided he wanted a part of the action. What he provided was a low budget film with a motley assortment of women in go-go boots and bikes looking for thrills, which involves lots of implied sex, and visual violence. It's Lewis's usual mix of poor acting, and bad direction, but even so there is enough here to make it watchable, and even entertaining in parts, even if it is for the wrong reasons.
aka The Case of the Missing Brides.
A woman dies whilst at the alter for her wedding, one of many such deaths where their bodies subsequently disappear. A pushy society journalist Patricia Hunter (Luana Walters), senses a hot scoop and investigates, following a trail to a Dr Lorenz (Bela Lugosi). Dr Lorenz sure seems wacky, could he be a mad scientist, trying to keep his wife (Elizabeth Russell) young by harvesting glandular fluids from dead bodies and using them to keep her young?
This throws all the cliche's at the screen, mad scientists, devilish housekeepers, hunchbacked assistants, wicked dwarfs, and stormy nights in creepy old mansions. It all signals an outrageous horror; Bela hams it up whipping his half-wit assistant. Who in turn manages to stalk a woman whilst eating a turkey leg! These bizarre characters appear and disappear, scaring the reporter, who spots Bela and wife sleeping in coffins, and still she doesn't get the hint! A campy classic that manages to retain a chilling atmosphere, whilst also giving the odd unintentional laugh.
Modesty Blaise (Monica Vitti) is a former crime boss lured back for one last job by the British government. She and her side kick Willie Garvin (Terence Stamp) have to prevent evil mastermind Gabriel (Dirk Bogarde) from stealing a shipment of diamonds bound for an arabic leader.
