The Birds (1963)

Melanie Daniels meets Rod Taylor in a pet shop and follows him up the Californmian coast to Bodega Bay where all the wild birds suddenly, and inexplicably, turn vicious and start attacking the townsfolk causing chaos, terror and destruction.
One of the Hitchcock's that everyone has seen at one time or another. A deceptively complex thriller that flows exceedingly well building to a climax before, quite daringly, just finishing with no explantion as to what has happened or what is going to. Tippi Hedren alas is no actress and is pretty wooden throughout but one wonders if Hitch knew this and used her blandness to bounce the rest of the film off. Possibly if there had been an an excellent actress in the role the birds wouldn't have been such a focus. Whatever, it's one of those films where any criticism seems pointless. Hitch on pretty near top form.

Swiss Miss (1938)

Mousetrasp salesmen Laurel & Hardy move to Switzerland with the belief that as their is more cheese there, there's bound to be more mice. However, they get conned out of their traps and end up working in a hotel to pay off a debt.
This is one of the operettas that L&H did and also the poorest. The film flags alarmingly when Stan and Ollie are not on the screen, which is far too often. Even when they do appear, some of their routines look a little forced and tired, the exceelent scene with Stan trying to coax some brandy oput of a St Bernarnard notwithstanding. Considering the film before this was the timeless classic Way Out West this is quite a drop in quality. Not bad, but this where it all started to go downhill.

Miss Robin Hood (1952)

Richard Hearne writes the Miss Robin Hood stories for a teenage magazine, which are greatly enjoyed by Margaret Rutherford and the children that live in her home. She enlists the help of the writer to help steal back a whisky formula, stolen by JRJ's family many years ago. Before long the police are on their trail.
If Michael Powell or Orson Welles had been asked to direct one of the lesser Ealing comedies, the result may very well have been similar to this curious British comedy from the 50's. The director (who was also responsible for such diverse foilms as the '76 version of King Kong, I Was Monty's Double, Death On The Nile) adds many surreal touches you have to wonder if he knew he was directing a comedy at all. Irrespective of this, the film does have bucketloads of charm and with a stellar cast (which also includes Reg Varney, Dora Bryan, Kenneth Connor and Michael Medwin amongst others) it's a very enjoyable film although you are left scratching your head a bit at the end. With such a short running time, maybe there was a lot cut out. Charming, but a trifle bizarre.

The Station Agent (2003)

Finn MacBride, a man born with dwarfism, inherits an out-of-use train depot and moves there planning to be on his own as he is tired of the attention his condition brings.
Virtually plotless, this gentle comedy drama about human connection is instantly full of warmth and charm. Director McCarthy (who also wrote) doesn't have a great deal to do other than simply film a snapshot of the lives of the people within, but he does put over the wide open rurality well. Poignant, sometimes sad, often funny, always heart-warming. A definite treat. This is the kind of film that you can't wait to introduce other people to.

Pack Up Your Troubles (1932)

Stan and Ollie get signed up to fight in WWI, where they befriend Eddie, a man with a child who’s wife leaves him. Eddie is killed in action and the boys resolve to track down Eddie’s daughter and then his parents to give them the child.
Laurel & Hardy’s second feature is quite unusual as it has some serious undertones going on amidst the fun. As well as it being unusual for someone to get killed in one of the films the scenes of wife and child abuse also seem quite out of place. Even more so when Stan and Ollie seem to be about to break into tough guy mode. (“And what are you going to do about it?” Ollie asks the abusive Rychard Cramer quite menacingly when he says they can’t take the child), but regardless of this is still good knockabout fun and thankfully, the girl doesn’t get in the way of the action too much.

Saw III (2006)

Jigsaw, the mad killer from the previous Saw films, is dying so he kidnaps a doctor to keep him alive, all the while continuing to play his sick games.
The first thing that struck me while I was watching this is that perhaps I'm getting too long in the tooth for this type of gore film. The gore here is as realistic as I've seen and very, very gruesome and it had me hiding behind my hands a couple of times, which I realise is what you may want for a horror film, but maybe not for that particular reason. So, anyway, veeeery gory in places. And thats about all it has going for it. The twists are weak and the film plods like a asthmatic, one-legged corpse inbetween set pieces. I'm perhaps being slightly over critical, it was watchable but highly unmemorable - apart from the gore. Can't shake that from my head at the moment.

Mr Bean's Holiday (2007)

Mr Bean wins a holiday to the south of France.
Thankfully short of plot, this second outing of TV's Mr Bean is a distinct improvement both on the the first film and also the TV series. This time around Bean's character has been lightened somewhat and less of the malisciousness that alienated previous incarnations. Of course this won't make all fans happy, but for me it brings realism to the character which I feel is important when the comedy is basically silent. Anyway, the film is whimsical, charming and often very funny indeed with many stand out moments. Of course it all ends in a hufgely sugary moment but we can forgive that. Britain needs to make more of these.

The Trouble With Harry (1958)

The trouble with Harry, is that Harry is dead, and most people seem to take responsibility for killing him and nobody really knows what to do with him.
A curious little film from Hitchcock. Devoid of (at the time) stars and many of his characteristic traits Hitchcock just seems to be having fun with himself as he makes a cosy farce about a dead body. Not that this is bad. On the contrary this is a highly enjoyable, and oftn very funny, comedy with its bad taste planted firmly in its cheek. It's a shame that they were forced to do so much studio (or gymnasium as it turned out) work as the New England location footgae is truly sumptious. Great fun.

One Of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942)

A bomber on a raid is shot down and all six of the crew bail out over Holland and are helped to escape by the resistance.
Propaganda flag waving from the Archers team. While not in the upper echelon of Powell and Pressburger magnificence, this is still a highly enjoyable film giving a salute to the Dutch farmers and other 'little people' who gave so much during the war to halp make victory possible.

Vertigo (1958)

James Stewart is an ex cop who retired due to a bad back and a severe case of acrophobia which brings on terrible vertigo. His old college friend hires him to keep an eye on his wife and Stewart falls for her big time, even though she seems to be suffering from mental delusions. After they declare their love for each other she commits suicide, plunging Stewart into depression. Then a year later, he catches sight of a lady who reminds him of her......
This Hitchcock is one of his most highly rated, so I was a bit taken aback to be left somewhat unimpressed. But after sleeping on it and thinking about it a lot afterwards it started to sound more and more like I need to see it again. Quite often with Hitchcock there is too much to be taken in with one viewing and so I plan to watch again soon. One thing that I can say right now is that I don't think the plot is the what the film is about, it is how the plot is played out that's important. It is about obsession and the tragedies it can inspire. But I will come back to it later. Apologies for the cop out!

The Violent Professionals

Something about a mad cop trying to avenge the death of his cop buddy and solve the case he was working on.
Given my passion for giallos, eurotrash and basically all things Italian from the 60s and 70s, the only unusual thing about me watching my first poliziotteschi is that has taken me so long to get around to it. Poliziotteschi were a breed of Italian crime drama that followed in the successful wake of such films as Dirty Harry etc. The Violent Professionals is a violent, immoral flick that also happens to be highly convoluted given the seemingly straightforward plot. For some reason, although I was watching what was going on, my brain was refusing to admit my eyes were seeing what they were seeing. Regardless, even with a shakey hold of what was occurring, I still enjoyed the many puch-ups, shoot-outs, car chases and the like that proliferate the film. A good, but baffling, start to the genre.

The Roaring Twenties (1939)

Jimmy Cagney finds it difficul;t getting work after returning from WWI. Prohibition starts and he drifts into delivering bootleg liquor and winds up becoming one of the major bootleggers in the business aided by his army buddy-lawyer friend and another army buddy Jeffrey Lynn, the psychotic Humphrey Bogart. Jeffrey Lynn wants out because he's kinda moral and in love with Cagney's girl. Bogart wants Cagney out of the way so he can control the business.
One of the classic gangster dramas Cagney made in the thirties and it would be his last for 10 years until he came back to the genre with White Heat. This is partly based on a real -life bootlegger and captures the years between WWI and the Wall Street Crash in micrcosm.Absolutely anything with Jimmy Cagney in it is well worth watching,m and with the added bonus of Bogey and Walsh at the helm this is pretty much unmissable. One of the greats.

The Bloody Pit Of Horror (1965)

A photographer goes, with a bevy of lovelies to do a photoshoot and get mixed up with a madman possessed by another madman - The Scarlet Executioner.
Now I like eurohorror a lot. I also have a hankering for low budget exploitation films. I also enjoy those films that are "so bad they're good". But there are times when you just have to hold your hands up and say, "That was pure mince." and this unfortunate flick is one of them. Starring Mr Jayne Mansfield, Mickey Hargitay, this misfires on all accounts. But I will say, it was late on a Sunday and I was a bit snoozy, all the naughtiness had been cut and I was sober. Possibly in the right frame of mind, watching with like-minded chums, this could be enjoyable. Or it just may be a lot of old toss. I wouldn't bet against the latter.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Jamil is a contestant on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and has only one question to answer to get the big jackpot. Problem is, Jamil was raised in the slums of Mumbai with no education, so he is accused of cheating. He explains how he comes to know the answers, which charts the progress of his life.
Not so much a smash hit, more of a phenomenon, Slumdog Millionaire is huge, both with the critics and public alike. Ladled with oscars and plenty of bums on seats, the big question is: Is it any good? Actually, given the plaudits and business it has received, the question should really be: Is it as good as they say it is? Well the answer for me was, yes, it's a great film but it ain't going to change anyone's life. The framework that the story hangs off, being told through the questions of WWTBAM and how he knows the answer is brilliant, and it's this simple cinematic trick that makes the film what it is. There's lots of humour, lots of heartbreak and plenty of fantastic cinematography to go along with a mainly excellent soundtrack. Jamil is played by three actors to cover the age range, but Dev Patel is the main Jamil. Unfortunately he gives a so-so performance, shining only occasionally. He unfortunately knows little of pauses and timing. A minor quibble and it hardly gets in the way. I felt the ending was slightly blahhh although I can almost hear the cheers of delight from audiences around the world receive their totally expected outcome.
Given how highly this is rated, I did expect something less than what I got. A thoroughly entertaining 2 hours nonetheless.

Jack The Ripper (1976)

Jack The Ripper stalks London looking for prostitutes to kill.
A pretty accessible film considering it comes from that old Spanish auteur, Jess Franco. He plays high and wide not only with the story of our Jack, but also with the sights of Whitechapel in the Victorian age, filming it as he does in Switzerland. The Thames never looked lovelier!! Franco's Jack is Klaus Kinski a man bent on killing whore's because (I'm guessing) of his mother's behaviour along those lines. He likes to cut off their breasts (removing their ability to mother?) and chopping them up and disposing with them in the Thames. As ever with Franco there are plenty of half-baked ideas that do not come to proper fruition but all in all a decent enough flick. As ever with this director, a little knowl;edge before hand goes a long way to helping to enjoy it.

The Wages of Fear (1952)

A group of unemployed men stuck in Central America and desperate to find a way out agree to transport two trucks full of nitroglycerine through the jungle
The Wages Of Fear is a superb tense adventure that on paper should be a chore to sit through, but in reality is a riveting piece of celluloid. Clouzou directs the film in two succinct parts - life in the small town and the drive to the oil well.
The scene is set instantly as we see some beetles tied by thread to a nail desperately trying to break free, to escape the oppressive heat, perfectly mirroring the life of the many unemployed men stuck in the town. The first part moves noticeably slowly which again mirrors the monotony of their life. A ray of hope for Mario, played by Yves Montand, arrives in the form of Jo (Charles Vanel) a broke but shrewd and seemingly able man whom Mario believes may be his ticket out of the town. Jo certainly knows how to flex a little muscle and quickly becomes the talk of the town and has to be a little devious when it comes to being chosen as on of the four men being chosen to drive two trucks full of nitroglycerine 300 miles across bad roads and hills to a burning oil well. This is the type of the job where there is less than 5o per cent chance of survival. The kind of job no man would usually take. But these are men desperate to get out of town, and the only way to get out is to pay for airfare. The job on offer is a last chance saloon. Either they will make it and earn the money, or they will be blown sky-high. Both of which are better options than they one they are presently in.
The second part is all about the journey and the tension is palpable. Any moment either of these trucks could explode, and when one does is comes so out of the blue you are truly taken aback. The ride is fraught with danger at every turn and every attempt at solving the obstacles in their way is met with suspense filled silent (almost slow-motion) action. Wisely there is very little soundtrack to this movie. A score would have spoiled it.
A great movie that must be high on the list of every film class, so filled is it with visual metaphors and linking devices that it is practically a textbook on how to make film.

Hard Boiled (1992)

Chow Yun Fat is 'Tequila' an all-action, gung-ho copwho is determined to bring down the band of gun-runners that killed his partner. Not realising that an undercover cop is infiltrating the group, the pair eventually form an uneasy alliance.
Yet another high octane, waaaaaay over the top gun ballet from Woo and don't we just love 'em? Manic stuff.

The Naked Truth

Dennis Price purports to run a 'scandal magazine' but attempts to blackmail the topics of future issues with the threat of publishing thier deeds that they they don't want the public to know. Eventually the the ones getting blackmailed get together to thwart the dastrdly Price.
The late fifties and early sixties in Britain produced an exceptionally fine slew of comedy films that hold up remarkably well today. Not only are they fine showcases for the exceptional talent of the post WW2 comedians, they offer a fine view of Britain in those years.. Featuring as a basis of the film, the realtively new type of magazine that delighted in exposing the famous in all their shameful glory the film has a daring undercurrent to it, that over the years the press would be allowed to exploit people for their own means. Standout performances from Peter Sellars and Terry-Thomas elevate this from a cosy comedy to a rather biting tour-de-force of British outrage against the post-war money grabbing entrepeneurs. But saying that, it is a very light-of-touch comedy of manners that cannot fail to amuse fans of the stars featured. Very enjoyable.

The Bird With The Crystal Plumage (1970)

Sam sees an attempted murder which is linked to a series of murders, but knows there is something missing from his recall. With a little help from the police he begins his own investigation.
While not the first giallo this is surely the first hugely important giallo film made. The version I saw cut out most of the violence so I'm not too sure how restrained the Italian maestro was in this, but even in its cut form it is an exceptional thriller with the soon-to-be accustomed black gloved killer, outageous red herrings and twists and turns firmly in place. Argento instantly comes across as a natural director and there are plenty of set pieces within the story to keep fans satisfied. The most accomplished giallo until Argento capped the whole genre with his outstanding Profundo Rosso (Deep Red) a few years later. If there are minor niggles (and they are minimal) they are neither here nor there when taking the film as a whole. There is quite often a Hitchcockian feel, which is meant as a compliment. A fine debut from Argento, who is, admittedly, one of my all-time favourite directors.

Deep River Savages (1972)

Ivan Rassimoff is a photographer who while in Thailand kills someone and heads off to hide in the junglr. He is held captive by a tribe of savages and eventually becomes accepted by them and forms a relationship with the chief's daughter.
Notable as the first of the Cannibal sub-genre, it actually fetures very little cannibalism, but what is there is pretty gory. It features the romance between the the two leads far more. It's a well made film but lacks any depth. Still, it looks nice. There's a longer version with extended scenes of animal mutilations, but that's something I can live without.

Family Plot (1976)

A fake spiritulist is asked to hunt down a lost heir to a fortune, assisted by her taxi driving, acting boyfriend. A seemingly unrelated couple are kidnapping people to get there hands on diamonds as a ransom. One of the kidnappers is the lost heir.
Hitchcock's last film is an enjoyable comedy thriller that seems to have little of the master's trademark touches. However I tend to find that it takes a few viewings to appreciate what hand the director has in the film, so I should reserve that kind of judgement for after another viewing. Suffice to say that it is a fun romp with all involved clearly having a good time.

Strip Nude For Your Killer (1975)

A fashion model dies during an abortion. Then the members of her studio begin to get murdered.....
As a huge fan of giallos I was really looking forward to this one, but it misfires as much as it hits. It is one of the sleazier ones but for once the gratuitous scenes are too much. Too much unneccesary nakedness (it seems strange even typing this!) and not enough of the standard giallo fare. But it does still keep you involved. You can discuss who the killer may be when there's yet another needless 'naughty scene'. Not than I'm averse to naughty scenes, just the opposite in fact, but they should be the icing and not the actual cake. Regardless of this, and regardless of the somewaht lacksadaisacal direction, it does feature Edwige Fenech and therefore cannot be wholly bad. And it isn't. But it could have been better. But it does feature Edwige Fenech. Second rate giallo (but it has Edwige Fenech in it.) Oh, I should add that there's an almost complete lack of suspense and that is probably its biggest problem. But, you know, it does have ...........