the royal tenenbaums (2001)

"Let me get to the point, the three of you and your mother are all I've got and I love you more than anything."
The life story of a precocious and eccentric family and their estranged father Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) who tries to wheedle his way back into the fold when he runs out of money, and is told that his wife is possibly planning to remarry. He arrives back telling them that he has been diagnosed with cancer, but can he overcome the family's suspicion of him.
Stella cast including, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bill Murray and Owen Wilson, pack out this idiosyncratic black comedy.

baby cart to hades (1972)

AKA Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades. Kozure Ôkami: Shinikazeni mukau ubaguruma. Lightning Swords of Death.
"We all walk different paths in life..."
Ogami Itto (Tomisaburo Wakayama) meets Kanbei (Go Kato), a Ronin with principles, on the road. Kanbei asks for a duel. Itto walks away telling him it is was a draw, as he wants Kanbei to live, but this only serves to fester with the Ronin. Meanwhile Itto comes to help a woman sold into prostitution, who has killed her pimp, volunteering to be tortured by her owners to save her. As part of the debt Itto is then hired to kill an evil chamberlain...
The third in the Lone Wolf and Cub series, continues Itto's bloodbath journey across the countryside and delves deeper into the back story of the characters involved.

baby cart at the river styx (1972)

AKA Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx. Kozure Ôkami: Sanzu no kawa no ubaguruma.
"No matter where you go there is no way you can escape from us."
Ogami Itto (Tomisaburo Wakayama) and his son Daigoro (Akihiro Tomikawa) continue their journey across Japan seeking justice, and trying to remain one step ahead of the evil Yagyu clan. This time the clan send a gang of female ninja to eliminate them and Itto battles the three Hidari brothers, otherwise known as the Masters of Death.
Part two of the series, (some of which made it into Shogun Assassin), sees yet more brain splitting action from the very start. A stunning sequel to Swords of Vengeance, shot through with Itto's perpetual unease and subsequent weariness at having to be perminently on his guard. And with Daigoro coming into his own, revealing his personality and resourcefulness whilst helping his father.

what a crazy world (1963)

"You all want something for nothing these days."
East End lad about town Alf Hitchens (Joe Brown) dreams of making it big in the music business, whilst hanging around with Herbie (Marty Wilde), and trying to maintain an on-off relationship with girlfriend Marilyn (Susan Maughan).
Amiable musical with a gritty London look, featuring Harry H. Corbett and Michael Ripper (in multiple roles). Interesting for its view of Britain on the cusp of the beat boom. Oh and Freddie and the Dreamers stripping on stage! Director Michael Carreras was usually helming Hammer horror films, so this was a bit of a departure for him.

deep end (1970)

"There's always a first time."
School leaver Mike (John Moulder-Brown) gets his first job at a swimming pool, as an attendent in the slipper baths. There he meets Susan (Jane Asher) another attendent and he immediately becomes obsessed with her. But Susan is engaged, and Mike does his best to upset the relationship, getting more and more desperate.
A unique vision, this is a dark and emotional roller-coaster of a film, as an innocent boy experiences a sexual awakening. With light relief in the form of Diana Dors as a man eating housewife.

sword of vengeance (1972)

AKA Kozure ôkami: Ko wo kashi ude kashi tsukamatsuru. Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword Of Vengeance.
"Wash your neck and await my return."
Part one of the Lone Wolf and Cub series. Ogami Itto (Tomisaburo Wakayama) is the shogunates second, or executioner, who is framed for treason by a rival clan, wanting to exert influence on the Shogun. When his wife is murdered, he has to go on the run with his child, becoming a Ronin, a masterless samurai for hire. Meanwhile he has to remain undercover being sought out by the Yagyu clan who set him up.
Re-edited into 'Shogun Assassin', this the original is far superior and gorier, with an added drama and depth.

target earth (1954)

"We've got to play hide and seek from a bunch of robots from mars or something..."
An army of robots, believed to be from Venus attack Chicago. The government orders an evacuation, but a number of people (including Richard Denning and Virginia Grey) get stranded and bicker about how best to avoid the robot patrols and survive. Then they encounter a more pressing danger, Davis (Robert Roark), a psychopathic killer.
What starts as an atmospheric thriller descends into a run of the mill 50's Sci-fi flick once the robots are revealed. Saying that though, stall your brain and this is an entertaining way to while away 90 minutes.