Change Your Image
plan99
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Spellbound (1941)
A warning?
A terribly terribly posh film where the main characters speak in a very silly odd posh accent with has largely died out now, thank goodness.
Due to large number of recent deaths being on the horizon, WWII having just started, this may have been an attempt do discourage those who may have been tempted to get involved in spiritualism not to do so and thus avoid being ripped off.
As a warning of the dangers it was a bit of a soft approach, the leading male character should have been made to suffer a bit more mental anguish and not have had a happy ending.
Well worth watching even if the acting is very wooden most of the time.
The Balloon Goes Up (1942)
WWII propaganda comedy
A wartime reminder that while working with barrage balloons may not have been the most glamorous job in the war they did play their part in the victory.
A type of humour very popular back then but not so much now, it has not dated very well at all. I had never heard of the leading ladies but they appear to have been well known in the music halls. The style of acting in this looks very awkward now, all bit too quick fire.
Not very funny to a modern audience but worth watching for curiosity value. Not many reviews so far but it can been seen in the UK on Talking Pictures TV who specialise in showing old films not to be seen elsewhere.
Commandos Strike at Dawn (1942)
Great WWII propaganda film
Nazi propaganda films concentrated on the might of the German armed forces destroying all opposition quickly and destroying as much as possible as quickly as possible. British WWII propaganda films highlighted how nasty the Germans were and how brave the the people they were trying to conquer were. They always have a few tear jerking scenes usually involving the male hero and a fair maiden. There is commonly a traitor to be uncovered and given a suitable punishment.
This would have gone down very well with audiences at the time and it's still very well worth watching eighty plus years later, see it if you get the chance.
Duty Free (1984)
Oddly compelling to watch
Is this in the top ten best ever UK TV sitcoms? No it's not. Is it in the top 100 best ever UK TV sitcoms, no again. I watched this first time round and while it's not exactly in the same class as Only Fools And Horses or Faulty Towers I do find it to be a compulsive watch.
I understand completely the low scores given by some but I can't help it I have to give it a high score. It's currently being rerun from the first episode on UK TV and I'll be watching every one of them, only at episode two so far.
The sillyness of it all, especially David constantly fawning over Linda, and their spouses reaction, keep me watching it.
Death of an Angel (1952)
A B movie
Made as a B movie but not too bad for a B movie. I found the sound to be very muffled so I had to watch it with the subtitles on. An interesting plot with a good twist but the acting was not very good. Not massively exciting or tension building as it just ran along so a bit boring to watch.
Not really worth making any great effort to find it on TV schedules as it's not very good at all. Interesting to see the old lady from the wonderful "The Ladykillers", the original not the later dire remake that I could only bear to watch for ten minutes as it was so very bad. It's on TPTV in the UK if anyone wants to see it.
The Cheap Detective (1978)
Not great
Far too much effort went into making this a clever film and not enough effort went into it making it a funny film so it's not all that good to watch. Older viewers, and fans of Humphrey Bogart films, would get most of the clever stuff but it would fly over the heads of those who are neither.
It was deliberately confusing which just made it even less enjoyable to watch. A waste of the acting talent in it and I suspect that it was a vanity project for Mr Simon. "Look at me and can still write witty and funny stuff", no he couldn't.
Not worth watching I'm afraid to say not even by those who like clever films.
The Fly (1958)
Fabulous.
I've seen this film a few times and I watched it again today and it's still great. A bit odd that the event that caused the problem is not seen but it was seen in the Geoff Goldblum remake, and it was well done but I still prefer this original to the Goldblum remake.
A treat that it's in colour and the colour still looks OK now and has not deteriorated. This has to be the film with the longest on screen time where the leading actor is not seen properly.
An absolutely 1950s Sci-fi classic that will never grow old. All Sci-Fi fans must see this film at least once in their lifetime, many will want to see it every few years.
The Invisible Man Returns (1940)
An enjoyable watch
Amazing special effects for 1940 which must have greatly impressed audiences at the time. I found it odd that Vincent Price's voice in this was unrecognisable when compared to the voice we are used to hearing, is his well known voice not his real voice but his acting voice?
Plenty of invisible man shenanigans to keep the audience amused especially the scenes with the drunk man. As mentioned elsewhere an invisible man would have to be blind but this has to be ignored or there would be no film.
Well worth watching and nicely atmospheric and the many plot holes and goofs are best ignored by viewers.
The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E.: The Fifteen Years Later Affair (1983)
They should have stayed retired I think.
Not as bad as expected but both actors looked far too old to play their old characters especially Robert Vaughan. In common with the excellent original TV series this was a bit tongue in cheek but it didn't work as well in this film as it did in the TV series.
Many nods to James Bond, too many perhaps, in the sets and having James Bond in one sequence. The final fifteen minutes or so was 100% James Bond.
It's no wonder that this film failed to lead to a new TV series.
It's worth watching for oldies for nostalgia reasons as it is a bit of fun but a younger audience probably won't like it very much at all.
First Man Into Space (1959)
I've seen a lot worse
Not a great film but not a terrible one either. Passible acting, but only just, with plenty of dials on the imposing machinery much loved by the makers of 1950s Sci-Fi films.
An interesting plot but the wet suit with cereals? Attached was not the best of monster costumes. As noted elsewhere a lot of stock footage was used to keep down the cost of making it. A bit of a love triangle going on and this is a common plot feature in this type of film involving a pair of brothers, a touch of "I married the wrong brother" going on.
I love 1950s Sci-Fi films, even the very bad ones, but this effort was passable and it is worth watching.
Bride of the Monster (1955)
It's an Ed Wood..............
.....so we know what to expect to get. Not as good/bad as Plan 9 From Outer Space, one of my all time favourite films, but not too far away. Badly made of course in keeping with all Ed Wood efforts but this is part of the enjoyment, cheaply made but good to watch which is better than expensively made but bad to watch as if often the case with recently made films.
Not much chance of any Oscars being won, but many Oscar winning films are terrible to watch, so this is not a way to judge it.
Well worth watching and not just by fans of Ed Wood, a master of bad film making, good fun from start to finish.
The Vengeance of She (1968)
Quite bad.
If this had been a Hammer sole production and not a co-production it would probably have turned out to be a lot better than it did as has to be the worst film that Hammer has ever been involved in.
Considering the plot there was not a lot of action in it and it just plodded along at a snail's pace. The leading lady was not much of an actress so it's no surprise that she did not go onto world wide acting fame. As has been mentioned by others those who have not seen "She" would have no idea what was going on in this film.
There are just two reasons to watch this film and that is the leading lady.
Strange Invaders (1983)
Poorly made.
Shot in a soft focus style trying to look like a 1950s film did not help it at all. Not very well made and it's no surprise to learn that it was shot very quickly as it looks very much like it was.
The leading man looked very boyish so he was hard to take seriously and was a very poor casting choice and he just bumbled about like an overgrown schoolboy.
Very difficult to believe that the going ons in the town went undiscovered for so many years. I had expected this to be a bit of a fun to watch alien contact film but it was not very much fun at all and the time dragged past very slowly.
Not worth watching at all.
It Came from Outer Space II (1996)
Oh dear!
As is common in very bad films plenty of face to face shouting by the macho men of the town to go with the other many instances of bad acting, just about the whole film was very bad acting. Odd that the main character's Toyota had a "GB" sticker on the back of it, were they pretending that it was a Land Rover but couldn't afford one?
This is a very bad film in every way possible and should be avoided as it's not in the category of being too bad that it's good, it's just very bad with zero redeeming features.
Do not waste any of your time watching it as you will never get that time back again.
Villain (1971)
Not as good as expected.
As others have mentioned Richard Burton was badly miscast in this and his accent was poor, especially when we are used to him sounding posh. With a different actor in Burton's part this would have been a much better film. Ian McShane got second top billing and I had not realised that he was so highly regarded way back in 1971, I'm used to seeing him in Lovejoy, which was great and still is.
A great film for lovers of what are now classic cars with Ian McShane driving a bronze Mark I Capri, with other Fords and Rovers to be admired. Not one of the great UK gangster film but still worth watching mainly due to the cast, and the cars.
Trapped in Space (1994)
Not too bad.
Not as bad as expected although it was clear that the actors of both sexes were chosen for their looks and not their acting abilities. The usual overacting by the male characters trying to be more masculine than the other guy was present, cheap "macho" films always have this element present with shouty dialogue being delivered nose to nose.
It wasn't terrible but it wasn't great either, the ending resurrected it a bit and earned it an extra star, six not five. No one thought of cutting off the air supply to some parts of the ship, the large cargo hold for example, had they done so there would have plenty of air for everyone, but there would have been no film of course.
It is worth watching but it is a bit bad for a film being made in 1994 even for TV.
Women of the Prehistoric Planet (1966)
Misleading title.
I had expected to see a variety of fur bikinis being worn in this film but there were none to be seen. An interesting plot but badly executed in this very cheap and cheerful effort but it was in colour which made it a bit more bearable.
A bit lacking in action and with the usual type of lizard standing in for a prehistoric monster. The "outdoor" sets were not too bad but lacking in variety to make it a bit cheaper to make the film. Odd that the characters in a Sci-Fi film fire a conventional gun and not some kind of ray gun.
Not really worth watching for any reason other than idle curiosity.
Spaceways (1953)
Not much Sci-Fi content.
Much more of a melodrama murder mystery, and a not very good one, than a Sci-Fi film so a bit of a let down, it's no surprise that it was received poorly at the time of release. Eva Bartok is as always a great watch as she was a classic beauty and really suited the hair style she had in this. The interior of the space ship was impressively large especially when compared to the very cramped Apollo mission capsules. How they survived the g forces on take off while sitting on an office chair was a mystery.
Not really worth watching especially by Sci-Fi fans as not much happens Sci-Fi wise, best to skip it.
Day of the Evil Gun (1968)
Great leading actors but..............
Not in any way a great film, unless the wonderful scenery is included. The interaction with the Indians was very odd and unbelievable and it had the look of being from the UK Carry On film "Carry On Cowboy", I expected Sid James to appear and possibly also Jim Dale. What on earth was that lassoe chase scene all about, ridiculous. An odd title considering that the "evil gun" disappeared quite early on in the film so the title made no sense at all.
Not worth watching not even by fans of the leading actors, this has to be one of their worst ever films and they must have very
much regretted being in it.
The Flying Saucer (1950)
Sponsored by the Alaska Tourist Board?
As others have noted this should have been in colour to boost Alaska visitor numbers even higher. Not a Sci-Fi film as such as the source of the flying saucer is not revealed, is it man made or of alien origin?
I was disappointed that no aliens appeared in this film as I was expecting them to pop up at some time. The flying saucer on the ground appeared to have been very well made and may even had been made of metal and not the usual painted plywood and cardboard.
Not exactly an exciting adventure film more of a romantic "Visit Alaska" promotional film. Probably worth watching but do not expect too much of it.
McLintock! (1963)
Has not aged very well.
The overly sexist plot of this film results in it getting a lot of low scores 60+ years since it was made which is not really fair, it has to be judged as it would have been in 1963. If it was made in 2024, it would not be made with that plot of course, it would get a lot of well deserved criticism but watching it as a 60+ years old film it's a good fun watch.
A cast of thousands, human and bovine, and no expense spared regarding sets and costumes. A very well made comedy western with fabulous colour scenery.
Well worth watching but bear in mind that it dates from 1963 and it is not PC in any way, there was no PC back then, which is a good thing.
Island of Terror (1966)
Great 60s fun
Never in any danger of winning any Oscars but great fun to watch. I was puzzled by how they managed to keep the generator going that supplies all power on the island when a ship only arrives once a week, it would need to be a large ship to carry the fuel, and for the cars, and other supplies on just a weekly basis.
A cheap and cheerful effort that can be picked about a bit regarding goofs and plot holes but it just has to be enjoyed for what it is, a monster/Sci-Fi film with not very convincing almost static monsters but The Daleks were very successful and they couldn't even climb a flight of stairs.
Watch it if you get the chance.
Dean Martin: King of Cool (2021)
Not very deep.
This seemed a bit sanitised and just touched the surface of what Dean was all about. It was no surprise to learn that Dean said that when he looked at Jerry Lewis all he saw was dollar signs, this would be the only reason that someone would work for Jerry for so long as he was extremely irritating, I can't bear to watch him at all.
A one off talent never seen before and never will be gain, the type of entertainer that is impossible to dislike. He was a much better singer than Frank Sinatra.
It has to be seen by all with an interest in 1960s entertainment but it will be a bit of a let down due lack of "behind the scenes"content.
San Ferry Ann (1965)
No dialogue.
A very odd film with no dialogue other than a few grunts here and there and with a very impressive cast list. It may not have gone down very well at the time, I don't know, but it has great novelty value now.
Not seen by many going by the low number of reviews but it can be seen on TPTV in the UK and will probably be shown every few weeks for a while. Like a mime film done in the French style so appropriate that it was filmed in Calais.
Well worth watching even if just to see some cast members who became a lot more well known later on. There's plenty going on and it's quite short which may be a good thing for some viewers.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
The best Star Trek film
Star Trek I was a bit if a duffer but II is one of the most enjoyable Sci-Fi films ever made and the music is perfect for it. I loved it when it came out and have just seen it again after a gap of about ten years. I did feel that Kirstie Allie was miscast as was the lad who played David but Ricardo Montalban was wonderful in this. Great to see the old timers from the TV series.
Lovely special effects that are superior to the very much overused CGI that we get now.
This film will never get old and it will continue to be enjoyed for a very long time, it's a classic, watch it if you've never seen it.