superstar: the karen carpenter story (1988)

"Sing, sing a song. Sing out loud. Sing out strong."
A biography of Karen Carpenter's tragic life, produced using Barbie dolls. It also delves into anorexia, its causes and the problems associated with it.
Though banned, (due to copyright infingement on the numberous Carpenter songs in the film), this is easily obtainable, and rewards viewing of this homage to the singer.

horrors of spider island (1960)

aka Ein Toter hing im Netz.
"A dead man in a huge web!"
A troop of dancing girls are stranded on the titular island when their plane crashes on a tour of the far east. Gary (), the manager is then attacked by a giant spider, and although he kills it, is biten and mutates. Now what are the girls to do?
Ultra low budget exploitation feature, that through blatant use of good looking women hopes to dazzle enough to make one forget that the plot could fit on the back of a cigarette packet.

atom age vampire (1963)

aka Seddok, l'erede di Satana.
"I owe you more than life itself."
A scientist (Alberto Lupo) develops a treatment which can restore a woman's beauty after she (Susanne Loret) is disfigured in a car accident. He has to continually inject her with a special serum, but then the serum starts to run out, and the doctor's only source is that of other young women.
A film delving into the power of radiation rather than that of vampirism.

the amazing mr x (1948)

aka The Spiritualist.
"Fly away. I don't need you any more."
Following the death of her husband, Christine Faber (Lynn Bari), starts believing he is trying to contact her. She then meets Alexis (Turhan Bey), who seems to know a lot about her, and he draws her into his spiritualist world.
Slow moving, but ultimately absorbing morality tale about trusting psychic mediums.

assassin of youth (1937)

"To me its murder by marijuana."
Undercover journalist, Art Brighton (Arthur Gardner), gets to know good girl Joan Barrie (Luana Walters), a young woman set to inherit a fortune, if she can fulfill a morals clause in her grandmother's will. But other relatives are trying to frame Joan, so they will inherit instead. Brighton decides to help Joan but his only chance is to get her to stop hanging with her friends as they are dope dealing no-goodniks.
A slightly less hysteric version of Reefer Madness, making it more rational and interesting, though less comic affair.

angel on my shoulder (1946)

"He's someone I don't know any more."
Just out of prison, Eddie Kagle (Paul Muni) crime boss, is killed by his trusted Lieutenant. In hell, he does a deal with Nick (Claude Rains), who sends him back in the body of Judge Frederick Parker, to spoil Parker's political asperations. In return Kagle gets to take revenge for his murder, but whilst there Kagel starts to fall for Barbara Foster (Anne Baxter), the judge's fiancée.
A curious film, that takes us to hell and back, literally, and one that takes us through horror, romantic drama and comedy. Well made, it holds the attention, but fails to truely spark, as it falls between too many of these stools.

the shakedown (1960)

"He's the big man now."
Crime boss Augie Cortona (Terence Morgan) arrives home from a prison stretch to find his business has been taken over by Goller (Harry H. Corbett). He needs a new scam, and hits on one when he meets Jessel Brown (Donald Pleasance); a model school and photography studio, with blackmail on the side. But unknown to Augie one of the models (Hazel Court) isn't as innocent as she seems.
A neat little b-movie crime drama, with no-nonesense direction and solid acting.
British, Alliance, John Lemont, Rank,