lifeboat (1944)

"Maybe they can answer that."
A freighter is torpedoed by a u-boat, which itself is sunk. One lifeboat makes it out of the termoil, holding a businessman (Henry Hull), a journalist (Tallulah Bankhead), several crew from the ship (including William Bendix & Hume Cronyn) and one German from the submarine (Walter Slezak). Can they put their differences aside and survive.
Centered around a stunning performance by Ms Bankhead, who provides pathos and black humour to wrap around a script that provokes much thought.

a bay of blood (1971)

aka Twitch of the Death Nerve. Reazione a catena.
"I don't kill as a hobby like you do."
Following the murder of a Countess, her family scheme to take over her seafront property. Meanwhile a group of hippies arrive for a beach party, but are very quickly dispatched one by one.
Considered to be the grandfather of the slasher movie, this is a stylish experiment in exploring inventive ways to kill off it's actors, but shows little interest in using an engaging plot.

13 assassins (2010)

"lose your life, but make the enemy pay."
The brother of the shogun, Lord Naritsugu (Gorô Inagaki), is a psychopath, whose sadistic actions threaten to destabilise the government and the peace. So Shinzaemon (Shinzaemon Shimada) is enlisted to create a small team of samurai with one aim, to kill the lord.
A thoughtful drama interspersed with shock inducing violence and gore.

avpr: aliens vs predator - requiem (2007)

"This plan is stupid. Let's just leave town now."
A backwoods American town becomes home to a battle between two warring tribes, unfortunately for the inhabitants of this town its Aliens versus Predators.
Teen angst movie spliced with some sci-fi obsessed college kid's show-reel.

escape from l.a. (1996)

"You might have survived Cleveland. You might have escaped from New York. But this is L.A."
It's 2013 and Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) is called upon to repeat his feat of daring do. This time in L.A. which has been turned into a prison colony after a devastating earthquake. Once inside he's called upon to recover a doomsday device from this hell hole.
Either a re-hash of Escape from New York with bad special effects, or a spot on satire on American politics, either way it still adds up to an entertaining thriller, though it was never going to out do the original.

espresso bongo (1960)

aka A Singing Idol.
"From now on half of everything you earn will go to you."
Johnny Jackson, (Laurence Harvey) is a wheeler dealer talent agent, who discovers reluctant star in the making, Bert Rudge (Cliff Richard). Rechristaned Bongo Herbert, Bert is soon on the road to stardom, but Jackson's success by any means, soon drives a wedge between the two.
Well made film which doesn't shy away from the seedy underbelly of Soho life, counter balanced by a wonderfully comic performance from Harvey.

serial mom (1994)

"Dottie, I made a killing."
Wholesome mother of two Beverly Sutphin (Kathleen Turner) becomes a serial killer, when she starts to take revenge for the mearist of slights.
John Waters again takes aim at suburban mores, and the media circus surrounding murder trials, in this inventive comedy.