Red sundown 1956

Starring: Rory Calhoun

A gunslinger becomes a deputy and tames a lawless town.

Standard Western with its plot but moved along at a nice pace and I found it very watchable. No surprises, but easy on the eye.       7/10

Horror express 1972

Starring:  Peter Cushing

In 1906 China a fossilized missing link comes to violent life on a train.

My theory that you never get a bad movie on a train was severely tested here. Christopher Lee looked ridiculous and was as wooden as can be, Cushing was marginally better and quite what Terry Savalas was thinking about... This reminded me of the horror films I used to watch late on a Friday night when I was a kid. It fell into the, so bad it became quite good category.      4/10

THe Guardian 2006

Starring: Kevin Costner

A high school swim champion with a troubled past enrolls in the U.S. Coast Guard's "A" School, where legendary rescue swimmer Ben Randall teaches him some hard lessons about loss, love, and self-sacrifice.

I have a theory that no Kevin Costner movie ever comes in at even close to under 2 hours, this was no exception. A bit like Top gun for coastguards. It had some good scenes, the chemistry between Costner & Ashton Kutcher was really good. This worked best during the training scenes, the last hal hour somehow lacked the thrill and excitement of similar movies. Not bad though.       6/10

The Westerner 1940

Starring: Gary Cooper

Judge Roy Bean comes to grief through his love for Lily Langtry.

Sorry to say that I just found this plain dull, really never ignited any interest and no character ever seemed to get animated at any point in the movie.            2/10

The Karate kid Part 11 1986

Starring: Ralph Macchio

Daniel's teacher heads back to Okinawa where his father is gravely ill.

The original Karate kid holds fond memories, this doesn't quite live up to it. It's all a little pointless, the plot and acting is decidedly second rate and the pantomime villain character just gets irritating in the end. Still watchable though.                 6/10

Village at the end of the World 2012

Documentary

Village At The End Of The World is a witty, surprising and ultimately feel good portrait of an isolated village of 59 people and 100 sledge dogs, surviving against the odds.

With the purchase of a new film book, I'm now watching movies more recent than 1991 for the first time. What a wonderful way to start, this documentary moves you in so many ways. Humanity being as close to wild animals in many ways but without brutality, just nature. Stunning photography and absolutely fascinating.                    10/10

I know where I'm going 1945

Starring: Wendy Hiller

A determined girl travels to the Hebrides to marry a wealthy old man, but is stranded on Mull and marries a young naval officer instead.

Lost a bit over time, but harmless viewing with some stunning locations and amusing to hear the clipped tones. The storm scene in the boat was actually quite effective and a loved the old lady who was the radio operator.                  4/10

Five corners 1988

Starring: Jodie Foster

Four old friends meet again when one of them is released from prison.

Well constructed and nicely filmed, this is a deeply shocking movie in many ways. Apart from Jodie Foster, there really isn't one likeable character in the movie, this along with the brutal murder of a penguin and a psychopath's mother, make it difficult to watch. Having said that, it continues to surprise you all the way through.                       6/10

99 River street 1953

Starring: John Payne

A taxi driver becomes involved in a diamond robbery.

Ex prize-fighter come taxi driver gets tied up with criminals. Small time movie and all fairly routine and forgettable.                  4/10         

In cold blood 1967

Starring: Robert Blake

An account of a real life crime in which an entire family was brutally murdered by wandering gunmen.

Harrowing story which was very effective in black and white. For the majority of the story, you never saw the crime committed, you just heard a scream. I thought this was brilliant, sadly in the last 20 mins we were  shown a depiction of the gratuitous violence. Somehow, you couldn't take your eyes off this movie.       7/10

The Kettles on Old Macdonald's farm 1957

The third of the Kettles series that I've seen. They're just good old-fashioned, harmless viewing. This didn't make me laugh quite as much as the others but I still found lots of it amusing. Just lots of slapstick joined together with a fairly loose plot really.         6/10

He walked by night 1948

Starring: Richard Basehart

A burglar becomes a cop-killer and is hunted down by the police.

A little like Criminal minds from the 1940's. Some of the police profiling was interesting, the movie zipped along at a good pace with a convincing villain. Also interesting to see the climax down the LA storm drain tunnels. Quite a good little thriller.             8/10

 

Son of Kong 1933

Starring: Robert Armstrong

After Kong has wrecked New York, producer Carl Denham flies from his creditors and finds more monsters on the old island.

The inevitable sequel. Not up to the original, but it is short and quite a laugh with the monster not bad for its day.                    4/10

Night of the juggler 1980

Starring: James Brolin

A new Yorker relentlessly pursues the kidnapper of his daughter.

Certainly never boring, the pace and action never ease and James Brolin's character must have the stamina of a marathon runner. Not a great advert for New York, apart from a couple of exceptions, I wouldn't want to spend more than 10 seconds in the company of any of the characters major or minor from this movie.                                     7/10

Bird of paradise 1932

Starring: Joel McCrea

An adventurer on a South sea island marries a native girl and causes trouble.

Apart from the beginning and end, Joem McCrea is the only one speaking English. So you here a lot of quite possible made up foreign language and suitable south-sea, occasionally dramatic music. Having said that it was amusing enough, a sort of Tarzan who speaks the perfect Queen's English.      6/10

Prisoner of war 1954

Starring: Ronald Reagan

Life in a communist prison camp in Korea

Not sure how factual this was or whether it was propaganda. What it was, even after 6o years, was hard-hitting. Some of the torture methods used were simply barbaric and whatever the circumstances, no human being should ever treat another like this. Interesting, thought-provoking and just made me a little angry.         6/10

The Odd couple 1968

Starring: Jack Lemmon

A fussy divorse-shocked newswriter moves in with his sloppy sportscaster friend, and they get on each other's nerves.

I'm not the greatest fan of Lemmon or Matthau or to that matter Neil Simon. So I wasn't expecting much from this movie. But being contrary, I found myself loving it. Some of the throwaway lines were hilarious and the two leads complemented each other perfectly. The four poker friends were great and you really felt they were all comfortable in each others company and had known each other for years. Finally, the Pigeon sisters were wonderful and utterly hilarious. This will teach me to pre-judge a movie!   8/10

I'd climb the highest mountain 1951

Starring: Susan Hayward

A Methodist preacher and his wife face the problems of life in a remote part of North Georgia

Pleasant enough viewing with likeable characters. The problem was, they were all likeable, there wasn't really any light and shade and I felt the movie could have been a little more hard-hitting in places. It copped out rather as an ending and you never felt that you'd got a full-rounded story. Having said that, it was easy viewing.     5/10

Odette 1950

Starring: Anna Neagle

A Frenchwoman with an English husband spies for the French resistance, is caught and tortured.

Well acted by Anna Neagle with an endearing performance also by Peter Ustinov. Occasionally, this movie hit the mark but I found the pace too slow and it lacked a required despiration and build up of tension.       4/10

Golden earrings 1947

Starring: Ray Milland

A British intelligence officer is helped by a gypsy to sneak a poison gas formula out of Nazi Germany

A mixture of drama and comedy. Ray Milland is dashing and Marlene Dietrich  makes the most of her every moment on screen, she also has the most gorgeous pair of eyes I ever remember seeing. This is just a little bit different and forgetting the fact that the plot is slightly daft, I loved it!
My one criticism, starting the movie in the future removes the element of suspense as you know that Milland's character will come out alive.            8/10