Starring: David Tomlinson
An unsuccessful racing driver finds that his small private Volkswagen has a mind of its own.
I'm sure most people saw this as a kid & I was no exception. However, great to see it again. It never made me laugh out loud but it did engage with me & I had a steady smile on my face. Ends up a bit like an episode of Wacky races but good fun with nasty David Tomlinson stealing the show. 7/10
Starring: Glenn Ford
A tough sheep farmer determines tp settle in a cattle town.
Westerns came at ten a penny & you need an outstanding feature for them to remain memorable. This one had it. Firstly, there were sheep at the centre of attention rather than cattle & secondly, the scxript is marvelous. Well paced & witty, the plot rolls along, Glenn Ford is cast perfectly & Shirley Maclaine is delightful. Some neat character portrayals from supporting actors round it off nicely. 8/10
Starring: John Mills
A rich man's son buys a car for one of his father's factory girls.
Charming little dipsy comedy. It's all in the comic timing & John Mills is a delight. Vera is played by a German lady, a decision I didn't quite understand but she was very good. Catchy little occasional songs helped the movie along. A little gem. 9/10
Starring: Buster Keaton
A professor inherits a Bradway musical and falls for the lure of the bright lights.
A Keaton talkie & he plays the part of the professor brilliantly. Completely straight, he is hillarious particularly when undertaking silent style comedy. Jimmy Durante's humour doesn't last 80 years but he exudes a tremendous energy. Surprisingly enjoyable all round. 7/10
Starring: John Wayne
In 1901, a dying ex-gunfighter arrives in a small town to set his affairs in order.
The best performance I've ever seen by John Wayne & a real tribute to his life and career. He underplayed his part magnificently and was superbly aided by Lauren Bacall. Ron Howard looking exactly like Richie from Happy days never quite fitted for me, the brilliant James Stewart did his best to steal the show. A great mixture of old Western and emerging 20th century technology. This was touching with tremendous attention to detail. 8/10
Starring: Boris Karloff
Baron Frankenstein is blackmailed by Dr Praetorious into reviving his monster and building a mate for it.
Considering this was made in 1935, the quality was superb. Excellent effects especially the King, Queen etc in a jar & superb explosion of the castle at the end. The acting was not at all bad and it was a pleasure to watch such a classic. 6/10
Starring: Robert Taylor
A police detective is on the payroll of a crime syndicate.
This just didn't work. You never got the feeling that this cop was a bad apple. We were handed 90 minutes of tough talking, New York, gangster chat and little action. Just all a bit tedious. 3/10
Starring: Ben Carruthers
Two blacks and their sister find their identities in Manhattan.
Digitally restored and shown on the Sky Arts channel, I was just lucky to ever see this movie. It had a tenderness and a great Jazz score but other than that was a bit confused and not terribly interesting. 3/10
Starring: Dick Foran
The high priest of an evil sect revivifies an Egyptian mummy and uses it to kill off members of an archaeological expedition.
The problem is that you compare this to modern versions of The mummy & it just doesn't stand up. It took an age to get to the part with the mummy, the magician on the way was annoying & the whole thing was less scarry than an episode of Scooby doo. 2/10
Starring: Dennis Hopper
A sailor falls in love with a fairground freak show girl who may be a real mermaid.
Sometimes movies just hook you from the start & this was one of those. Is the girl a real mermaid or is something more sinistor going on. A quiet paced mystery with Hopper exuding a certain, endearing charm. Dated nut interesting to see. 7/10
Starring: John Mills
World War 11 as seen by the guests at a small hotel near an airfield.
Not a whole lot of plot but somehow, absolutely charming. Very dated for obvious reasons but the despair & resignation to tragedy is brilliantly portrayed. 7/10
Starring: Anne Bancroft
A compulsive mother of eight children finds her third marriage rocking when she gets evidence of her husband's affairs.
Dull & dreary. Good soundtrack though. 2/10
Starring: Michael Moriarty
A baseball star finds that he is dying of leukemia.
Occasionally this hits home but generally is too single paced and talkative. I found my attention waning and found that the tragedy kind of passed me by. 2/10
Starring: Natalie Wood
A New York Jewish girl has great ambitions for herself but ends up a suburban housewife.
A light-hearted melodrama that is a delight when Natalie Wood is sneaking across the lake as an 18 year old. The movie loses its way as she becomes older and the tortured minds and egos of the stars become a little tiresome. Classic Hollywood that overstays its welcome. 6/10
Starring: Norman Wisdom
A Scotland Yard car park attendant manages to capture some crooks and become a policeman.
There is something endearing about Wisdom and there are a few delightful moments in this movie. Unfortunately , the whole thing drags on for way too long & I wish a little 'less is more' had been considered. Still the scene write at the beginning was great, as was the scene with the young lads playing football & the scenes with his Italian girlfriend. 6/10
Starring: Richard Gere
A duel to the death develops between an honest and a corrupt cop.
Gritty, tense and violent. This is well acted by Gere & Garcia although I struggled to see when Gere actually did any police work. As well played as this was, every one of the characters was unlikeable to me & for that reason alone it left me with few feelings at its conclusion. Not bad though. 6/10
Starring: Charles Boyer
A romantic Casbah thief makes the mistake of falling in love.
Started well enough with good scene setting but descended into a too single paced, talkative style with little atmosphere and I never felt you got a true feel for the Casbah. Lead actor gave a good performance and the random song was bonkers. 3/10
