The Thief of Baghdad 1960

Starring: Steve Reeves

A very moderate remake in the form of an action star vehicle

Just never got into this. Poor acting with people who didn't even look vaguely Arabian and poor special effects and weird fantasy scenes.  Below average.        2/10

Eight O'clock walk 1953

Starring: Richard Attenborough

A young barrister proves a taxi driver innocent of murder.

Quite disturbing in its subject matter although all too familiar in this day and age. Really well done with all the characters having little sub-plots that brought home their reality. Absolutely gripping and even though yo knew he was innocent, you started questioning what you thought was true.     9/10

South of Pago Pogo 1940

Starring: Victor McLaglen

Greedy white men seek riches in pearls by cheating and overworking the natives.

I felt that this was portrayed in too light hearted a way. You had the potential of a good story here and if it had been done as a straight drama/adventure I feel it would have been a lot more effective. Had a few good moments.        4/10

Take care of my little girl 1951

Starring: Jeanne Crain

A University freshwoman gets into trouble with her sorority.

Kind of the TV series Greek about 40 years earlier. Very dated and things that were portrayed as scandalous you would barely raise an eyebrow at now. Quite slow paced and not gripping, but interesting to see.        5/10

Superdad 1974

Starring: Bob Crane

A lawyer is determined to rule the life of his teenage daughter.

The thing about Disney movies is you know nobody will get hurt, they're easy to watch and leave you with a smile on your face. This was no exception, not the best I've ever seen and the scenes with Klutch didn't work for me,  but a nice little movie none the less.       6/10

Cat Balou 1965

Starring: Jane Fonda

Young Catherine Ballou hires a drunken gunfighter to protect her father from a vicious gunman, but despite her efforts he is shot, so she turns outlaw.

The ballad sung in the opening scene including Nat King Cole immediately got me on board. I loved all the ballads, Lee Marvin was brilliant and deserved the Oscar he received and Jane Fonda looked positively gorgeous throughout. Occasionally, this missed the mark, but it made me laugh on several occasions and was great fun.          7/10

Guys and Dolls 1955

Starring: Frank Sinatra

A New York gangster takes a bet that he can romance a Salvation army lady.

At times this was excellent. Great song and dance numbers and always good to look at. It just crawled around and a lot of the dialogue was 'Just gravy'. You could have comfortably lost 45 minutes and made it a real delight. Sinatra seemed strangely subdued, I've never been a fan of Brando, Jean Simmons was a delight.          5/10 

House of games 1987

Starring: Lindsay Crouse

A Psychiatrist becomes involved with a confidence trickster.

A very low key kind of movie, interesting at times although the lead actress urgently needed a personality infusion. As with most con artist movies, it goes a little too far and you're never entirely clear as to who's on which side and what's going on.     5/10

Whispering City 1947

Starring:  Paul Lukas

A Girl reporter has dangerous information

Never a good sign when your concentration has wandered within the first 2 minutes. Just never engaged with this at all.      2/10

The Amazing Mr Blunden 1972

Starring: Laurence Naismith

In 1918, a widow and her two children meet a kindly gentleman who offers them work in an old mansion. Here they meet two ghost children, discover that he is a ghost too, and travel a hundred years back in time to right a wicked wrong.

Nice to see a gentle ghost story which is a kind of family movie. Reasonably done with Lynne Frederick looking gorgeous. Some severe over-acting by the likes of Diana Dors is my only real criticism.    6/10

The Runaway bus 1954

Starring:  Frankie Howerd

Passengers at London airport are fogbound, and a relief bus driver takes some of them to Blackbushe. Incognito among them are robbers and detectives.

Frankie Howerd was a comic genius and he managed to leave me with a constant smile on my face in this one. Great fun trying to work out who the robbers are and who the detectives are, I changed my mind several times and still got it wrong. Excellent selection of characters, this was great fun.    8/10

Hollywood and Vine 1945

Starring: James Ellison

A New York writer is ordered to Hollywood to script a film for  dog.

Has a few moments but the characters are mainly irritating, you need more than a dancing dog to pull off a successful movie.    3/10

Showdown 1963

Starring: Audie Murphy

Two wandering cowboys become involved with a criminal.

Fairly gritty western with its unusual selling point being the criminals having chains secured around their necks attached to a huge pole in the ground. All fairly routine after that although not bad and Audie Murphy is always solid.        5/10

Silver Lode 1954

Starring: John Payne

A respected citizen of Silver Lode proves that the marshal who rides into town on his wedding day to accuse him of murder is a civilian bent on revenge.

Not bad at all. The entire action is set in one town and you feel like you know every building at the end of this 80 minutes. The plot has all been seen before but it moves along at a good pace and has some reasonable action. Barmaid Dolly steals every scene that she's in.       7/10

Three faces of Eve 1957

Starring: Joanne Woodward

A Psychiatrist discovers that a female patient has three distinct personalities: a drab housewife, a good time girl and a mature sophisticated woman.

Based on a true story, this was absolutely fascinating. Brilliant acting by Joanne Woodward, to make the three characters so distinct and yet still portray the demons that they all had to live with. Never has an Oscar winner been so worthy.       8/10

Confidence 2002

Starring: Edward Burns

Jake Vig (Burns) is a consummate grifter about to pull his biggest con yet, one set to avenge his friend's murder. But his last scam backfired, leaving him indebted to a mob boss (Hoffman) and his enforcer.

I'm not sure who it is that sits down and decided it would be a good idea to litter every sentence with swear words. Within 2 minutes, I was entirely bored of this  language. Some of the cons were quite nicely handled, but by this time the movie had got under my skin and I didn't really care.         2/10

Column south 1953

Starring:  Audie Murphy

A cavalry officer shows how to live peaceably with Indians.

A sort of civil war / western mash-up with emphasis on the political shenanigans that General's were carrying out. Why is there always just one woman in the fort, irritating! Have several women or none at all. Interesting rather than thrilling movie.        5/10

Kotch 1971

Starring: Walter Matthau

An eccentric 72-year old widower is at odds with his family and helps a pregnant babysitter.

Makes an interesting social comment, just because you don't understand people of a different generation, it doesn't mean there isn't a place for them. Matthau got on my nerves initially, never seeming to stop talking. I guess that emphasizes the point I'm trying to make. Possib;y over-long but an interesting watch.        6/10 

Baby face Morgan 1942

Starring: Richard Cromwell

The son of a racketeer is made a figurehead by his father's old mob.

Even though the Baby-face looks about 40, this is a movie that almost gets there. A few  amusing moments with the gang double-crossing themselves. Watched it online and it wasn't the greatest print ever but I've seen worse.        4/10

Man in the wilderness 1971

Starring: Richard Harris

In 1820 in the Canadian Northwest, a fur trapper is mauled by a grizzly and left for dead, but learns to survive and sets out for revenge.

Richard Harris plays this angst ridden, close to death role so well. A reasonable start and great locations but it all got a bit arty for me with irritating flashbacks. Some good moments and if you like to see horses thrashing about in water, this is the movie for you.       4/10

The Boy who stole a million 1960

Starring: Maurice Reyna

A young page in a Spanish bank 'borrows' some money to help his father but finds Dad, police and crooks all after him.

A nice idea with a pleasant innocence, but the chase seems eventually become very repetitive. Having said that, it has to be the most secure oilskin package in the history of oilskin packages. Not once did it look like bursting open.          5/10

Rawhide 1950

Starring: Tyrone Power

Four escaped convicts terrorize a stagecoach stop.

The plot's been seen dozens of times before but it's amazing how the dynamic changes when there's a baby/toddler incolved. This movie simmers throughout and there, for me, were a few surprises towards the end. Really enjoyed this one.      9/10

Operation CIA

Starring: Burt Reynolds

An agent is rushed to Saigon to find a secret message which was never delivered.

An OK thriller although some of the acting by supporting cast was shocking, English reporter Withers a prime example. Occasional moments that were really quite violent, this was easy enough on the eye with interesting locations, but could have done with a lighter touch.         6/10

No down payment 1957

Starring:  Joanne Woodward

Tension among smart surburban couples i a Los Angeles housing development.

Different as a movie and made a hell of a lot of social comment. A new couple move into a seemingly ideal housing development, immediately make friends but it turns out that all the couples have their demons and there is ultimately tragedy. May be dated now but good to see a movie confronting so many social issues.    7/10

King of the khyber rifles 1954

Starring: Tyronne Power

In 1857 a British garrison in India is threatened by the forces of Kumram Khan but saved by a half-caste officer.

Uninteresting script and storyline delivered in a laborious way. A tedious love story didn't help. Some interesting camera angles, other than that this was a waste of time.        3/10

Miss Potter 2006

Starring: Renee Zellweger

The story of Beatrix Potter, the author of the beloved and best-selling children's book, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", and her struggle for love, happiness and success.

I have never been a fan of Beatrix Potter books but was amazed at how familiar her illustrations seemed to me. BNeautifully underplayed by Zellweger and Ewan McGregor with stunning sets and location. This was bloody charming.            8/10

The Lonely man 1957

Starring: Jack Palance

An outlaw hopes to regain social recognition and contacts the son who abhors him.

A movie played at a very sedate pace all about building relationships and breaking down barriers. A slightly bizarre love triangle doesn't help. There's a few good moments but this is fairly formula stuff.    5/10

Rookie 1990

Starring: Clint Eastwood

Ageing cop teaches his new young partner how to act tough.

Who doesn't love Clint Eastwood? Such a shame that Charlie Sheen went off the rails as he is a fine actor. Standard shoot 'em up stuff with a ridiculous amount of crashes and explosions that must have cost a fortune. All very standard stuff but I loved it.      7/10

Three husbands 1950

Starring: Emlyn Williams

Three husbands receive letters from a dead friend claiming that he had affairs with each of their wives.

I'm having a bad run of Sunday movies at the moment. Loved the idea of this one, the beginning was good, the ending was excellent, but everything inbetween was just dull chatter, no light or shade and not funny. Such a shame.                         3/10

Romance of a Horse thief 1971

Starring: Yul Bruyner

In a Polish village in 1904 there is dismay when horses are commandeered by Cossacks for service in the Russo-Japanese war.

Yul Bruyner is right up there for me as an actor, genuine screen presence and always puts in a watchable performance. No change here, although he is under-used. Sorry to say that I found the movie a complete bore, an unintersting plot which was neither interesting, dramatic or funny. Don't waste your time with this one.         2/10

Pony soldier 1952

Starring: Tyrone Power

The Mounties settle the hash of Canadian Indian renegades who have been causing trouble on the American border.

Seemingly pretty much made on the cheap, this is mostly set in an Indian settlement  and I didn't find it the most interesting. All a bit formula and nothing memorable.         3/10

Ernest saves Christmas 1988

Starring:  Jim Varney

Santa Claus goes to America to find someone to take over his job.

There seem to be more Christmas movies around this year than ever before so I jumped on the band wagon to watch this one. It had some lovely moment sbut also others that didn't work. I found that Jim Varney massively overacted to such an extent that I never once even raied a smile whilst watching him. On the other hand, Santa Claus and the guy he attempts to recruit gave beautiful straight, underplayed performances which were a delight. Close to being really good but not quite....                                                                                                                           6/10

Hope and glory 1987

Starring: Sarah Miles

Adventures of a small boy and his family dyrung World war 11 in surburban London.

I'm not sure how authentic this was. But fascinating to see and there was something tragic about the matter of fact way that they dealt with death. A really strong plot and good performances, the film lost its way a little as the family moved into the country and the grandfather's performance was way too over the top. Well worth a view though.         8/10

Madness of the heart 1949

Starring: Margaret Lockwood

A blind girl marries a French aristocrat and has to cope with a jealous neighbour

A reasonable effort. Margaret Lockwood plays blind very effectively and is a likeable character. My main issue was that there was just no chemistry between her and her husband, maybe it's a time thing, amybe it was because he was from a well to-do French family, it just made the whole marriage a little unbelievable. Different as a movie though and that's always interesting.      5/10

The Limping man 1953

Starring: Lloyd Bridges

An American leaving his plane at Heathrow sees another passenger shot by a limping man.

After a promising start, this becomes a bit single paced and lacks any real excitement. A reasonable twist about 15 minutes from the end, but the actual finish itself was quite frankly a let out and a huge disappointment. Watch it on Youtube to see what I mean.      4/10

Annapolis 2005

Starring: James Franco

Set against the backdrop of boxing at the Naval Academy, centers on a young man from the wrong side of the tracks whose dream of attending Annapolis becomes a reality.

Basically, a rip off of An officer and a gentleman but I loved it. Basically, it focused on the failings of various recruits and headed towards the 'Brigades' boxing competition. The love interest was a slight irritant as it would never happen, but  you found yourself routing for the characters and it was a reasonable storyline. Predictable but it didn't stop my enjoyment.            8/10

She's out of my league 2008

Starring: Jay Baruchel

An average Joe meets the perfect woman, but his lack of confidence and the influence of his friends and family begin to pick away at the relationship.

Watching a teen movie every now and then is good for keeping you young. I worried that it would be too crude or silly, but I really loved it. Excellent leading performances with amusing back-up rolls. Just left me with a smile on my face.                  9/10

Mac and me 1988

Starring: Christine Ebersole

A family of aliens is inadvertently dumped in California

An unashmed complete rip-off of ET, the aliens even look almost identical. Nice touch having one of the kids in a wheelchair, not something that you see too often. How do grown men in suits run for such huge distances without ever seemingly getting tired? Rubbish but quite good fun.       7/10

Assignnment K 1968

Starring: Stephen Boyd

The European head of a toy firm is also head of a special spy unit.

Lots of spy movies made in the 1960's, this one has interest due to the roles played by actors who subsequently became famous. Not a great script and some very wooden acting, but the locations were easy on the eye and the plot continued to move along with lots of double-crossing. Not a bad effort.   5/10

Son of Robin Hood 1958

Starring: David Hedison

Robin's daughter joins with the Regent's brother to overthrow the Black duke.

Standard swashbuckling drama set around Sherwood forest. All the familiar merry men are there but drawing their pension. all reasonably light-hearted and although plot is week, it's a harmless enough jaunt.                  5/10

Charade 1963

Starring: Cary Grant

A Parisienne finds her husband murdered, four strange men are after her, and she is helped by a handsome stranger....But is he hero, spy or murderer?

Such a great cast, I was expecting great things. Sadly, I was disappointed. Okay, I could sit and watch Audrey Hepburn all day long, but the plot never caught my imagination, the characters were uninteresting and I'm afraid the whole thing dragged on way too long.      4/10

Meet Dr Christian 1939

Starring:  Jean Hersholt

A dedicated small-town doctor has no concern for financial reward.

A likeable movie set in a small-town community that turned into a short series of films. Until the last 10 minutes, it was all much ado about nothing and the drama at the end was hardly edge of the seat stuff. But it was easy viewing and I found myself at the end, wanting to watch more from the series.     6/10

The Man behind the gun 1952

Starring: Randolph Scott

A cavalry officer is sent to quell a rebellion and helps to found Los Angeles.

Standard civil war drama, not great acting and the plot is a little confused. But every now and then there are surprising moments of comedy or action that are completely unexpected and make you raise an eyebrow. Interesting for that reason alone.       4/10

Glorifying the American girl 1929

Starring: Mary Eaton

A chorus girl rejects her boy friend for the sake of stardom

Always fascinating to see films this old, more of a review show really. Not my thing but interesting in places.     3/10

Cause for alarm 1951

Starring: Loretta Young

A housewife tries frantically to retrieve a posted letter containing manufactured evidence which may put her on a murder charge.

Takes a little while to get going and is a bit single paced early on, once you get to the meat of the plot, this is not a bad little thriller where you feel the wife's frustration and desperation. Ending leaves you wondering a bit. Not a bad movie and nice and short.        6/10

The Big hit 1998

Starring: Mark Wahlberg

To payoff his second girlfriend's debt, hitman Melvin Smiley undertakes a kidnapping job with his usual associates. In a world of prospective Jewish in-laws and late movie fees, the hitman falls in love with the victim and must settle the score with those out to double-cross him. 

I'm not the biggest fan of black comedies but I actually really enjoyed this one. After a slightly tiresome, shoot-out start, this settled down to be an amusing story with Wahlberg, Lou Diamond Phillips and China Chow all really likeable. A few bits missed the spot but as black comedies go, this was right up there.          6/10

Thicker than water 2005

Starring: Melissa Gilbert


After discovering her late father once married a rodeo queen, an attorney travels into horse country and finds more family.

I love Hallmark movies. The stories are simple, easy to follow and you always end up with a smile on your face. Lindsay Wagner puts in the strongest performance here as an aging cowgirl but all the performers are watchable. Not high drama, not edge of the seat stuff but thoroughly enjoyable.       9/10

Miami Blues 1990

Starring: Alec Baldwin

A dogged policeman follows the trail of a murderous criminal who pretends to be an undercover cop.

Kind of a black comedy / action movie. Alec Baldwin is very watchable although you're never quite sure of his motivation or whether he's just psychotic. Excellent chemistry between him and the lovely Jennifer Jason Leigh with Fred Ward also turning in a good performance.         7/10

Voodoo man 1944

Starring: Bela Lugosi

A mad scientist kidnaps young girls and reduces them to zombies.

Complete nonsense but great fun. A sheriff who looked like he should have been retired for 10 years, 2 goons who were so bad that they were amusing and a bunch of pretty girls walking around in white sheets. What's not to like?     7/10

The man in the white suit

Starring: Alec Guinness

A scientist produces a fabric that never gets dirty and never wears out. Unions and management are equally aghast.

I loved the idea of this story, but it never got going for me. Considering it's billed as a comedy, I only actually laughed once. I'm trying to work out why I didn't engage with the movie and think it's because I didn't ever feel any empathy toward Guinness's character. He was just too cold for me and therefore,  I never found myself routing for him.   4/10