St. Ives (1976)

An ex-crime reporter (Charles Bronson) is hired by a sinister millionaire (John Houseman) to recover some stolen journals. What seems like a simple job as an intermediary soon turns deadly as the bodies start piling up. Based on the novel THE PROCANE CHRONICLE by Oliver Bleeck and directed by J. Lee Thompson (GUNS OF NAVARONE). A homage to THE MALTESE FALCON with Houseman channeling Sydney Greenstreet, Jacqueline Bisset as the requisite not to be trusted femme fatale, even Elisha Cook Jr. shows up! It's entertaining enough and it's nice to see Bronson in something other than as a revenge crazed killing machine. There's lots of killing here but not by Bronson. Still, it's average at best and derivative at worst. With Maximilian Schell, Harry Guardino, Jeff Goldblum, Harris Yulin, Dana Elcar, Michael Lerner and Robert Englund.

Lightning Bolt (aka Operazione Goldman) (1966)

A secret agent (Anthony Eisley) goes after a madman (Folco Lulli) who plots world domination from his underwater city. The villain deflects moon rockets launched from Cape Kennedy by blasting them out of the sky with laser beams. Directed by Antonio Margharetti (LONG HAIR OF DEATH) under the pseudonym of Anthony Dawson. The success of the James Bond franchise (starting in 1962) spawned parodies, both domestic (Matt Helm, the Flint movies) and international like this entry. This one is a dud! The stock footage and rear projection shots reveal its low budget limitations and the sexless Eisley (best known from the HAWAIIAN EYE television series) makes for a stiff leading man. Other than the American Eisley, the actors are Italian all dubbed into English. It steals bits and pieces from DR. NO and GOLDFINGER and the poster quipped, "It strikes like a ball of thunder", a nod to THUNDERBALL. It never manages to rise above tediousness. With Diana Lorys, Wandisa Guida and Francisco Sanz.

The Far Horizons (1955)

In 1803, Lewis (Fred MacMurray) and Clark (Charlton Heston) are given the go ahead by President Thomas Jefferson (Herbert Heyes) to embark on a government sponsored expedition to discover a water route connecting Missouri with the Pacific Ocean. Based on the novel SACAJAWEA OF THE SHOSHONES by Della Gould Emmons and directed by Rudolph Mate (WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE). Not surprisingly, this is a highly fictionalized and historically inaccurate version of the actual Lewis and Clark expedition. Although top billed, Fred MacMurray recedes into the background and the film focuses on Heston's Clark and a fabricated romance with Sacajawea (Donna Reed). In reality, Sacajawea was a married 16 year old (Reed was about 33 years old). The movie's antagonism between Lewis and Clark is also fabricated. No one goes to movies for historical accuracy so all this aside, it might have been less annoying if the movie were any good but it's pedestrian. On the plus side is Daniel L. Fapp's (WEST SIDE STORY) handsome color lensing of the Wyoming landscape in VistaVision. With Barbara Hale, William Demarest, Alan Reed and Larry Pennell.

Portrait Of An Escort (1980)

In order to make ends meet and to support her daughter (Debbie Lytton), a divorcee (Susan Anspach) moonlights at a professional dating service. She finds herself falling in love with a struggling actor (Tony Bill) who has a few secrets of his own. Directed by Steven Hilliard Stern (MORNING GLORY). A rather sleazy telefilm that whips up a faux thriller subplot to hold our waning interest. Since there's only one logical suspect to be her stalker, it's pretty obvious to guess and its revelation is a yawn. To the movie's credit, it doesn't wrap it up neatly and give us a "live happily ever after" ending but leaves us with a sensible ending. The supporting cast is good though. With Cyd Charisse, Kevin McCarthy, Edie Adams, Gretchen Wyler, Biff Elliot, Mary Frann and Todd Susman.

Utvandrarna (aka The Emigrants) (1971)

Set in 1844 Sweden, a farmer (Max Von Sydow) and his wife (Liv Ullmann in an Oscar nominated performance) struggle to make a go of the farm. Poor weather, bad harvests and a rock filled landscape work against them. Thus their decision to emigrate to America. Based on the novel by Vilhelm Moberg and directed by Jan Troell (ZANDY'S BRIDE). A genuine epic (over three hours plus intermission), it received five Oscar nominations. It avoids the sentimentality that English language films often indulge in when telling stories of immigrants. Their life in Sweden is brutal and their sea voyage is brutal although the film's last shot is one of optimism. Overall, it's an evocative and surging movie that slowly but surely pulls you in until you're committed to these characters' story. The second half of the tale (A NEW LAND) came the following year. With Eddie Axberg, Allan Edwall, Ake Fridell and Monica Zetterlund.

Frontier Gal (1945)

On the run after shooting one of the men who murdered his partner, a man (Rod Cameron) stops in a remote saloon and meets the vivacious entertainer (Yvonne De Carlo) who owns the saloon. Tempers and passions immediately flare up. Directed by Charles Lamont (MA AND PA KETTLE). Yvonne De Carlo in Technicolor is always a treat but boy, is this one a dog! We're treated to De Carlo constantly being humiliated by Rod Cameron's gunslinger (including the "happy" ending where he spanks her!). Rod Cameron never moved beyond being a B movie leading man and it's easy to see why. He recites his lines with all the emotion of an oak tree, he's a real stiff. De Carlo was cast after Maria Montez wisely refused to do the movie. With Sheldon Leonard, Andy Devine and Fuzzy Knight.

10:30 PM Summer (1966)

Set in Spain, during a terrible thunderstorm, a married couple (Melina Mercouri, Peter Finch) traveling with their friend (Romy Schneider), take refuge in a small hotel. During their stay, the wife becomes obsessed with a man (Julian Mateos) on the run from the police for killing his wife and her lover. Based on the novel 10:30 ON A SUMMER NIGHT by Marguerite Duras (who co-wrote the screenplay) and directed by Jules Dassin (NIGHT AND THE CITY). An odd film! There's only the thinnest (very thin) of plots as an enigmatically moody Mercouri obsesses (in equal measure) over the affair that's going on under her very nose between her spouse and her best friend and the crime of passion killer on the run from the law. I'm sure it's about something but I'll be damned if I could figure it out. I wouldn't call it pretentious as it was compelling enough for me to become engaged with it but I'm not sure Dassin figured out what it was about either.

Twister (1996)

A tornado obsessed meteorologist (Helen Hunt) leads a band of storm chasers. When her ex-husband (Bill Paxton), a former storm chaser, arrives with his new fiancee (Jami Gertz) to get the final divorce papers signed, he becomes seduced in the tornado chasing excitement again. Directed by Jan De Bont (SPEED). The tornado sequences are thrilling and awesome. That's the good news. Alas, in between those scenes we're stuck with a banal storyline with trite dialogue. It's not the kind of movie where the acting matters much but there are some good actors in it but you'd never know it from what's on display here. Showing smart, mature meteorologists would have been too boring so we're given imbeciles engaging in moronic behavior like a bunch of juvenile party animals! Only Cary Elwes as the film's villain and Lois Smith as Hunt's aunt resemble actual humans. With Philip Seymour Hoffman (you'd never guess he was one of the best actors of his generation by his work here), Alan Ruck and Todd Field.

Jules Verne's Rocket To The Moon (aka Those Fantastic Flying Fools) (1967)

Set in Victorian England, the famed American showman P.T. Barnum (Burl Ives) backs an idea to sent a projectile to the moon because he thinks he can make money off it. But the idea isn't as easy as it looks especially when a malicious opponent (Terry Thomas) plots to sabotage the impending flight. "Inspired" by the works of Jules Verne and directed by Don Sharp (KISS OF THE VAMPIRE). Jules Verne has nothing whatsoever to do with film. Several of Verne's novels were big hits (20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH) when adapted for the screen hence the "inspired by" credit. As to the film itself, it's more akin to IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD than anything in the Verne universe. Except there's not a laugh to be had in the whole movie. Is there anything worse than a "comedy" without laughs? On the plus side, it looks great. Reginald Wyer's (RATTLE OF A SIMPLE MAN) handsome wide screen lensing, the art direction and costumes are impressive. With Troy Donahue, Gert Frobe, Hermione Gingold, Daliah Lavi, Lionel Jeffries, Graham Stark and Dennis Price.

Dr. Broadway (1942)

A hot-shot Manhattan physician (Macdonald Carey) known as Dr. Broadway knows everyone under the bright lights of the Great White Way ... and they know him! When a gangster (Eduardo Ciannelli) just released from prison contacts him to do a favor, he soon finds himself up to his neck in murder and thievery. Directed by Anthony Mann (EL CID) in his directorial debut. A low budget pseudo Runyonesque tale notable for being Mann's directorial debut. It's a zippy little movie that Mann keeps moving along but the movie needed a more charismatic leading man than the bland Macdonald Carey to hold it together. Everybody has to start somewhere and this was a decent enough beginning for Mann though one would never guess how far he would go based on this outing. With Jean Phillips, Joan Woodbury, J. Carrol Naish, Gerald Mohr and Richard Lane.

The Wyvern Mystery (2000)

When she is orphaned, a young child (Tamara Harvey) is taken in by a local Squire (Derek Jacobi). But now grown into an attractive young woman (Naomi Watts), the Squire's intentions have turned lecherously sinister. To escape him, she flees with his son (Iain Glen) whom she loves. Alas, she soon discovers the dark secrets of the family history. Based on the 1869 novel by J.S. Le Fanu and directed by Alex Pillai (HOW TO DATE BILLY WALSH). A Victorian Gothic that is reminiscent of JANE EYRE but, of course, nowhere near as good. It's often confusing (a nice way of saying incoherent) but it provided Watts with a juicy role while waiting for her big break which would come the following year with MULHOLLAND DRIVE. If you enjoy this kind of BBC Gothic  "imperiled heroine" costume melodramas, you may well like it. I found it just passable (and I'm a big Watts fan), nothing more. With Jack Davenport, Aisling O'Sullivan and Ellie Haddington.

The Man Who Reclaimed His Head (1934)

Set in Paris on the eve of WWI, a pacifist writer (Claude Rains) allows an ambitious politician (Lionel Atwill) to take credit for his words in the broadsheet he publishes. When his political aspirations bring him closer to the very people condemned in the pacifist's writings, he urges the scribe to soften his rhetoric. Based on the play by Jean Bart and directed by Edward Ludwig (WAKE OF THE RED WITCH). The play was a flop (it ran for about three weeks) and also starred Claude Rains, recreating his stage role here. Considering this was not a pre code film, I was taken aback at the violent ending (the title is to be taken literally as well as metaphorically). Other than that, it's your standard tale of a passive man pushed to the brink until the worm turns. Enjoyable enough but not essential. With Joan Bennett (still in the blonde phase of her career), Wallace Ford and Juanita Quigley, one of the most annoying child actors I've ever seen.