lifeforce (1985)

"They look like bats, giant bats."
A crew are sent to survey Halley's comet. They find a spacecraft inhabited by dead bat like creatures, and three cocoons containing humanoids, which they pick up to study further. Then all contact is lost and by the time the craft is recovered only one of the crew is still alive. He and the humanoids are brought back to earth. Then the female humanoid wakes and escapes, wreaking havoc where ever it goes, draining the lifeforce from all she contacts. With London and possibly the earth under threat Col. Colin Caine (Peter Firth) is given the task to track her down.
Given a big budget Hooper produces an interesting mix of vampire and space.

q (1982)

AKA Q The Winged Serpant.
"Just your good old fashioned monster."
New York police detective Shepard (David Carradine) is investigating the death of a window cleaner, who literally lost his head whilst cleaning a skyscraper. Then a body is found flayed alive in a hotel room. Shepard looks at sacrificial rites and is told of one which is performed for Quetzalcoatl, an ancient god of the Aztecs. A god that takes form as a giant winged serpant. Then reports come in of a giant winged creature flying around New York, could it be that such a creature exists and has settled in the metropolis as its hunting ground.
A run of the mill creature feature is enlivened by Michael Moriarty as a small time crook who is down on his luck and hopes to profit from the creature.

alligator (1980)

"I need your badge...you pushed too far."
David (Robert Forster) is a Chicago detective investigating body parts found in the sewerage system. Whilst in the system he finds what's been chomping on people: a huge alligator. Whilst everyone is running round trying to trap and kill it he starts to wonder how the creature got so big. His leads to take him to an animal testing lab, but the owner has some mighty powerful friends.
An environmental subtext adds a depth to the this underrated creature feature due to a taught script, well played by the leads.

oil city confidential (2009)

"I remember being in Wilko's room and him snorting a line of speed and then saying, 'Right, I'm going to bed now!'"
Documentary about Dr Feelgood, a pub rock band obsessed with the blues, who emerged from the otherworldly area of Canvey Island in the early 70's, and helped spark the London based punk rock scene.
Film that shows how to produce a documentary, great and inventive use of archive, which is used to illustrate the rise and fall of the band and the influence they had on the London music scene.

rosemary's baby (1968)

"He chose you, honey! From all the women in the world to be the mother of his only living son!"
Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse (Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes) move into a new apartment in a old building. They are soon settled in and start to spend lots of time with their elderly neighbours Roman and Minnie Castevet (Sidney Blackmer and Ruth Gordon), especially Guy. But Rosemary is plagued with strange nightmares, which are forgotten about when Rosemary falls pregnant. Initially overjoyed Rosemary soon starts to feel ill and she starts to suspect her neighbours and their intentions, especially towards the baby. Worse still she cannot get out of her mind the thought that her husband may not be the father of her child!
Polanski does it again, producing a work where we are slowly drawn into the relationships and begin to feel a real unease at the situation presented. The apparent reality of the position Rosemary finds herself in makes the horror all the more real.

the boys from brooklyn (1952)

AKA Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla.
"Did you take a bath this morning? Why is there one missing?"
Duke Mitchell and his pal Sammy Petrillo (cut price Martin and Lewis impersonators) on their way to Guam to entertain the troops end up on the jungle paradise of Cola-Cola. They are found by a friendly tribe and helped by the chief's daughter Nona (Charlita). She introduces them to Dr Zabor (Bela Lugosi), who jealous of how well Mitchell is getting on with Nona turns him into a gorilla.
Poor imitation of Martin and Lewis, with poor jokes to go along with it. Meanwhile Lugosi passes through on his way to obscurity and Ed Wood Jr's films.

revenge of the crusader (1964)

AKA Genoveffa di Brabante.
"Your in my hands now. There is no one here to save you except myself..."
Count Treviri (Alberto Lupo) marries Genevieve (María José Alfonso), before he is summoned to go on a crusade. Treviri leaves immediately, entrusting the safety of Genevieve and his estate to Golo (Stephen Forsyth), his most trusted man. Golo soon becomes dictatorial, extorting taxes out of the peasants. He also has eyes for the fair maid and when she spurns his advances has her tried for adultery and sentenced to death. Fortunately she is helped by one of the guards who convinces Golo that he has killed her, but she is left with her newly born son in the woods to fend for herself. Meanwhile the Count has been captured by the Saracens. Will they ever find their way back the castle and each others arms?
A run of the mill peplum, with only Stephen Forsyth standing out as the evil Golo.