The Deadly Tower (1975)

MGM
Directed by Jerry Jameson
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Archive Collection)

Kurt Russell leaves his Disney image behind to become a wacko sniper killing innocent civilians from a tower. It's based on a true incident that happened in Austin, TX. We don't learn much about his background, other than he is ex-military and likes guns. He's having headaches and decides one day to murder his mom, his wife and then go to the tower. On the other side, we follow a young Mexican American policeman who gets passed over for a promotion only to become a hero. His family life doesn't add much to the plot, only the running time. In that respect, it does occasionally bog down in TV-movie cliche and disaster-movie formula.

Seven Thieves (1960)

Twentieth Century-Fox
Directed by Henry Hathaway
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Fox)

Edward G. Robinson gathers together a group of criminals to pull off a heist at a Monte Carlo casino. It will take seven people to carry out his complex plan. Joan Collins does improvisational dancing to jazz music in a local club. Eli Wallach plays the sax for Joan and turns out to be a pivotal piece of the plan. They've also got a driver for muscle, an inside connection to the casino and a "box man". The final piece of the puzzle is Rod Steiger, an old pal of Robinson's who sort of manages the whole thing. The actual heist arrives and it is a disappointment. It almost happens in slow motion. The only hang-ups occur after they escape with the money. Somehow, it has a happy ending. It pales in comparison to the classic French heist films from the same time which it is trying to imitate.

The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960)

Columbia Pictures
Directed by Richard Murphy
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Columbia TriStar)

Jack Lemmon takes command of a run down yacht with Ricky Nelson as his first mate. The crew knows nothing about sailing, but he manages to train them in a matter of days. Soon they are sailing across the Coral Sea on a secret mission. At their destination, they spy on some Japs, get taken prisoner and escape. It's all rather matter-of-fact, floundering somewhere between an unfunny comedy and routine drama. Ricky Nelson sings perhaps the worst version of "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans" I have ever heard, his acting isn't much better.

Marat/Sade (1967)

United Artists
Directed by Peter Brook
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, MGM)

Peter Brook's treatment of the Peter Weiss play suffers from a stage bound, un-cinematic feel. It all takes place on one large set, an insane asylum, complete with an 1808 audience watching the proceedings from behind bars. It's a nearly plotless critique of French politics in the late 1700s. Unfortunately I had not studied my French history before viewing and as a result most of the references were completely over my head. I suppose there was some tie-in with the cultural "revolution" underway in the late 60s as well, but that only further dated the proceedings. The acting was fine, even expert, but the material was simply too dense to get any enjoyment out of it. The Broadway-style singing by a group of mimes, assuming mimes can sing, attempted to explain some of what was going on, but I found them intrusive and irritating. Overall, a failed experiment by a group of excellent actors and actresses.

The Outfit (1973)

MGM
Directed by John Flynn
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Archive Collection)

Robert Duvall and pal Joe Don Baker attempt to shake down the syndicate for the murder of Duvall's brother. Duvall is a recently released con doing time for bank robbery. He's smart, confident and tough. He robs the syndicate's neighborhood booking joints and makes a killing in cash. The top man, played excellently by Robert Ryan, at first capitulates to Duvall's demand for a quarter of a million to leave him alone, but he won't go down that easily. Duvall and Baker continue to rob and steal, but driven by revenge Duvall's eyes are on the big prize. Excellent supporting work by Karen Black as Duvall's girlfriend and Timothy Carey as a hoodlum.

Castle in the Desert (1942)

Twentieth Century-Fox
Directed by Harry Lachman
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Fox)

Last Chan entry from Fox is an entertaining diversion set at a remote desert castle. A reclusive historian lives there in an attempt to recreate the atmosphere of the 16th century of which he writes. Charlie Chan is summoned under false pretenses, followed almost immediately by Number Two son Jimmy, when the bodies start to show up. Is the murderer the wife, a descendent of poisoner Lucretia Borgia? Or maybe the mad historian himself? Castle atmosphere and good mystery make one wonder why Fox threw in the towel when the series shows no sign of slowing down.

Scandalous John (1971)

Walt Disney
Directed by Robert Butler
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Disney)

An unrecognizable Brian Keith plays an ornery old cowboy living in the past. He takes up with a Mexican sidekick who joins him on a cattle drive to save the ranch. His herd consists of exactly one cow. They go through an old town which has since become a tourist attraction, providing some of the best moments of the film, since Keith believes it's the same town he remembered from decades ago. A final chase on a train seems a bit contrived, including an unconvincing wreck. Keith's "Scandalous John" character is stereotyped and lacks depth, although not for a lack of his spirited performance.

Charlie Chan in Rio (1941)

Twentieth Century-Fox
Directed by Harry Lachman
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Fox)

Charlie Chan is in Rio to arrest a murder suspect, but she ends up dead before he can do it. The suspects include a hypnotist, the butler, an ex-husband, a jilted lover, a brother and more. Jimmy Chan is more annoying than ever and is so excited that he appears to be on some kind of stimulant. However, it does a feature a classic scene of Charlie Chan smoking a funny cigarette to uncover the real killer.

Anchors Aweigh (1945)

MGM
Directed by George Sidney
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Bros.)

The "sea wolf" Gene Kelly tries to set up naive Frank Sinatra with aspiring singer Kathryn Grayson. Frank falls in love with her, not because he likes her, but because he is expected to fall in love with her. Meanwhile Gene gradually realizes that he is the one in love, not Frank, leading to some awkward situations. All of this innocent lovemaking is just a backdrop for frequent interludes of Frank crooning and Gene hoofing. Neither fellow is particularly likeable, particularly Gene who never misses an opportunity for mugging. The most interesting part may be behind-the-scenes glimpses of the gargantuan MGM studio at work. Jose Iturbi plays himself, sort of a musical God that everyone worships.

King of the Bandits (1947)

Monogram Pictures
Directed by Christy Cabanne
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, VCI Entertainment)

In the sixth and final Gilbert Roland Cisco Kid entry the dreaded dubbing returns. This time, every utterance of "Cisco" or "Pancho" is done over by poorly matched voices. It is very distracting, especially in a dialogue-heavy film like this one. Cisco and Pancho are in Arizona where someone is impersonating Cisco to rob stages. As usual, Cisco is making love to a beautiful woman while trying to prove his innocence.

Rabbit, Run (1970)

Warner Bros.
Directed by Jack Smight
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Archive Collection)

James Caan plays a cad who runs away from his wife and family, takes up with a prostitute, returns to his wife when she has his baby, then leaves her again when tragedy strikes. Caan's character is simply too immature to handle marriage, much less marriage to an alcoholic. It's all extremely unpleasant, including a depressing scene of a baby drowned in a bathtub. Speaking of which, shouldn't the wife have been arrested for murder? Didn't the "priest" at least realize that?

Outlaw Women (1952)

Lippert Pictures
Directed by Sam Newfield and Ron Ormond
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, VCI Entertainment)

The western town of Las Mujaras is run completely by women, centered around the saloon and gambling hall of Iron Mae. When the neighboring town of Silver City begins to close down, many of their men move to the city of women. There is the doctor, a nice enough fellow who is railroaded into town by one of the young girls but decides to stay. However, when an old flame of Mae's arrives and tries to take over things start to get a bit testy. He uses his political clout and threatens to take over, but she has too many friends. They have competing plans to rob a stage full of money. Things come to a head in the final shoot out. Unusual to say the least, similarly themed to the superior Johnny Guitar, but not without merits of its own.

Fantômas III: The Murderous Corpse (1913)

Gaumont
Directed by Louis Feuillade
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Kino)

Third in the Fantomas series, this time about a dead man supposedly committing a series of crimes. Fantomas has actually cut off the fingerprints of his latest murder victims, using them to foil the police and the tireless newspaperman Fandor. Since this is telegraphed to the viewer early on, it kind of ruins the mystery and suspense. Still, there are the usual ingenuous escapes and location photography, this time in the Paris sewers, to keep things interesting.

Three Desperate Men (1951)

Lippert Pictures
Directed by Sam Newfield
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, VCI Entertainment)

When their brother is railroaded for a robbery he didn't commit, his two brothers are forced to save him at the last minute from hanging. They go on the lam between California and Texas, relentlessly pursued by posses. Starving and broke, they "turn outlaw" and begin robbing banks and stages, taking more risks each time, eventually leading to tragedy.

Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

Warner Bros.
Directed by Spike Jonze
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Bros.)

Max runs away from home to an island of his own creation. Here he gets to destroy whatever he wants, since he made himself king, even if under false pretenses. The island is inhabited by giant Muppets who seem to represent different aspects of his emotions and worries in real life.There is Carol, whose uncontrolled rage obviously mirrors his own, and KW, a female monster who cares for him with maternal love. They build forts and have dirt clod fights, but also spend an awful lot of time bickering and brooding. Max is a difficult kid to like, there is no doubt he is imaginative, but he also comes across as spoiled and bratty. In fact, most of the monsters were the same way...just big kids out of control. Max eventually misses his mom and goes back home. I get the feeling he really didn't learn anything.

Massacre (1956)

Twentieth Century-Fox
Directed by Louis King
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, VCI Entertainment)

Stern Dane Clark leads a group of Mexican Federales in search of Indians with illegal guns. This turns out to be one of the better examples of a noir-western: Martha Roth is excellent as the femme fatale. Downbeat ending further distances this from your typical western. I'm guessing audiences at the time were expecting Roy Rogers or something, and this is about as far away from an escapist, "feel good" western as you can get. The green-red Ansco color scheme is a bit muted on the brownish VCI print, but still retains enough to give it a feel for the original flavor, in widescreen as well.

Hanging by a Thread (1979)

Directed by Georg Fenady
My rating: BOMB
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Archive Collection)

This long Irwin Allen disaster-soap opera will test the patience of even the most devoted 70s disaster fan. The formula is tired: a group of people get stranded in a tram above a canyon. During various rescue attempts and mini-crises we are treated to numerous flashbacks. There is divorce, alcoholism, whistle-blowing, witness protection, mob hits, lying, cheating, and on and on...endless screen time devoted to their pathetic lives. Just try to keep a straight face watching Bert Convy and pals acting drunk.

The Mouse on the Moon (1963)

MGM
Directed by Richard Lester
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, MGM)

The Duchy of Gran Fenwick is at it again, this time duping the United States out of money to support its space program. Of course there is no space program, but don't tell the Russians. They send the country one of its used rockets. Fenwick's leading physicist has invented a new atomic fuel which allows them to take the rocket on a leisurely trip to the moon, beating both the USA and the Russians who hurriedly follow them. Terry-Thomas appears all-too briefly in this tepid sequel to The Mouse That Roarerd. Peter Sellers is sorely missed.

The Mouse That Roared (1959)

Columbia Pictures
Directed by Jack Arnold
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Columbia TriStar)

The tiny fictional country of Grand Fenwick declares war on the USA in order to receive economic aid after they inevitably lose. They send a group of 20 men in medieval armor with nothing more than bows and arrows to New York City for the invasion, led by an incompetent Peter Sellers. It turns out the whole city is underground for a test of the new "Q-bomb", a million times more powerful than the H-bomb. Sellers and crew stumble upon the physicist who is secretly testing the bomb in his lab and steal it. Having effectively won the war, they head home with physicist and some high ranking brass in tow. However, it does not solve their economic problems and they negotiate a truce. A sly critique of the nuclear arms race, but the humor can be very English in that Monty Python kind of way. Peter Sellers has multiple roles in a tour-de-force performance.

Sea Devils (1953)

RKO Radio Pictures
Directed by Raoul Walsh
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, VCI Entertainment)

Dull British costumer set in 1800 with Yvonne DeCarlo a British spy and Rock Hudson the fisherman she falls in love with. She is sent to France to get information on the fleet which is threatening England. She poses as a French baroness, apparently a double, and gains access to none other than Napoleon himself. All she has to do is eavesdrop on a meeting in which he reveals all the details she needs. Unfortunately her real identity is discovered and she is locked up in a dungeon. Rock is sent to rescue her, which he does admirably. Technicolor is wasted on too many dark scenes.

Robin Hood of Monterey (1947)

Monogram Pictures
Directed by Christy Cabanne
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, VCI Entertainment)

This is probably the best of the Gilbert Roland Cisco Kid series. First, there is no overdubbing. Second, Cisco keeps the womanizing to a minimum, it's not totally gone, of course, but at least the plot is not entirely about women. Maybe because the director this time was a woman? Instead, Cisco and Pancho try to clear the name of a friend falsely accused of murder. At one point Cisco narrowly misses death by firing squad. Chris-Pin Martin's first role as Pancho is a huge upgrade from Frank Yaconelli's "Baby" character.

The Fountain (2006)

Warner Bros.
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Bros.)

Aronofsky's impressionistic rumination on love and death weaves together three stories. Rachel Weisz is the dying wife of research scientist Hugh Jackman. One day he makes a breakthrough using a piece of a tree found in Central America. Meanwhile in her last days she is writing a book called The Fountain. It is the story of a Spanish conquistador sent by the Queen of Spain to Central America to find the Tree of Life in a hidden pyramid of the ancient Mayans. Reisz and Jackman also play these characters, which are symbolic of their other life. Finally, there is the third story, which takes place on another plane altogether. Jackman is a transcendental meditator on board a Tree Ship traveling through space to the ancient Mayan underworld, a dying star in a far off galaxy. Reisz occasionally appears to him along the way. She dies, the conquistador turns into flowers and the meditator explodes in a shower of stars upon reaching his destination. I must have missed something, because I was thoroughly unmoved by the whole experience.

The Flying Killer (1967)

First Scope
Directed by Liu Chun
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Crash Cinema)

A leopard-skin wearing woman and her young daughter live on a jungle island with an old hermit. One day they fish a man out of the lagoon and revive him. In flashbacks we find out how he escaped from bandits living in a "manor" on the mainland. The girls decide to help him rescue his kidnapped sister at the manor. This leads to many complications and sword fights. Eventually, the old hermit turns out to be quite a fighter and has some secrets to reveal. The "flying" is nothing more than obvious wire work, accompanied by an annoying whirring sound.

Fantômas II: Juve vs. Fantômas (1913)

Gaumont
Directed by Louis Feuillade
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Kino)

Part Two of the French serial finds Inspector Juve and his newspaper pal Fandor on the trail of the mysterious criminal Fantomas. They follow him onto a train, but Fantomas and his men not only manage a hold up, but to also wreck the train with the Inspector aboard. In the next scene, Fantomas is followed to a restaurant and actually arrested. However, he escapes with the use of a fake arm! Foiled again, Juve lays a trap for Fantomas. Expecting an attempt on his life, Juve wears a suit of nails (facing outward) when he goes to sleep, which turns out to be quite handy when he is almost crushed to death by a giant snake. In the final scenes, Fantomas escapes arrest once again by ingenuously hiding in a giant cistern filled with water. The surrealist touches and location photography add greatly to this entry.

Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

Lumiere Pictures
Directed by Mike Figgis
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, MGM)

Two pathetic characters, an alcoholic and a hooker, start a relationship against the backdrop of Vegas. She falls in love for the first time in her life while he pursues his goal to "drink himself to death". Their incredibly debase lifestyles eventually catch up with them: she gets beat up by some rough teenagers during a trick, he fulfills his lifetime goal. Film goes to great lengths to make a simple point: true love is all about acceptance. However, most of the running time is spent showing the ugly details of the lifestyles of its two antiheroes, frequently crossing the line of good taste.

Step Lively (1944)

RKO Radio Pictures
Directed by Tim Whelan
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Bros.)

Scheming musical producer George Murphy holes up in a New York hotel with his entire cast despite having no money. Gloria DeHaven is the leading lady in the production and kind of his girlfriend. Just when the whole thing is about to collapse in walks playwright Frank Sinatra. It's not his pen but his voice that will save the play. The dialogue is fast and furious, but the plot is just too thin to hold up to scrutiny. Frank is still feeling his way into his acting roles, more comfortable singing than speaking.

Fantômas I: À L'Ombre de la Guillotine (1913)

Gaumont
Directed by Louis Feuillade
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Kino)

First installment of an early French serial centered around master thief "Fantomas" and Inspector Juve who is assigned to capture him. Fantomas commits murder during a hotel robbery. He is arrested and sentenced to the guillotine. With the help of the murdered man's wife, he successfully switches identities with a poor actor and escapes. The film's best scene is undoubtedly this switch, though the policemen guarding him are buffoons. In fact, the plot relies heavily on coincidence and contrivances. Still, an enjoyable little crime drama from the early days.

Atlantis, the Lost Continent (1961)

MGM
Directed by George Pal
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Archive Collection)

George Pal's attempt at recreating the lost civilization of Atlantis comes across as a combination of The Ten Commandments and The Last Days of Pompeii. The King of Atlantis has lost his authority to a ruthless subordinate who plans to take over the world with a giant ray gun. It's up to a Greek slave and the King's daughter to save Atlantis and the world. Nature intervenes with a volcano eruption and finishes the job for them.

Higher and Higher (1943)

RKO Radio Pictures
Directed by Tim Whelan
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Bros.)

Flighty musical about a chambermaid who gets passed off as a debutante in an attempt to attract a rich husband. The scheme is cooked up by a broke millionaire and his house servants. Michele Morgan is the girl who can't decide if she is in love with fellow servant Jack Haley or the crooner across the street Frank Sinatra. One thing for sure is she is not in love with the man she is set to marry. A gangly Frank looks uncomfortable in his first speaking role, even though he is playing himself. He gets to sing a lot of songs, though, including a final one among the clouds as the real lovers stroll into Heaven.

Riding the California Trail (1947)

Monogram Pictures
Directed by William Nigh
My rating: BOMB
IMDb
(DVD, VCI Entertainment)

The dreaded overdubbing returns in the last couple of reels of this VCI print. Otherwise, it's the usual story of the suave Cisco seducing pretty women in the sleepy town of San Lorenzo. Cisco gets in not one but two sword fights, well at least his stunt double does.

The Todd Killings (1971)

National General Pictures
Directed by Barry Shear
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Archive Collection)

Skipper is a 23-year-old drop out living off mom. He hangs out with teens at the local high school. He has wild parties in his pad, freely giving out drugs, becoming something of a hero to the impressionable teens. He's got a thing for the young girls, first seducing them and occasionally murdering them. He makes friends with reform school reject Richard Thomas, a sensitive type. He hooks him up with the girl of his dreams but then drags him into his murder scheme. The police eventually catch up with him and he tries to pin it all on Thomas. Nihilistic drama loosely based on teen gurus such as Charles Manson and the earlier "Pied Piper of Tuscon".

Dead Men Tell (1941)

Twentieth Century-Fox
Directed by Harry Lachman
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Fox)

Charlie Chan searches for Number Two son Jimmy who has stowed away on a replica pirate ship about to set sail in search of buried treasure. Instead he finds a dead body and murder. A treasure map, cut into four pieces, proves to be the lure that brings the killer into the open. It can get a bit silly at times, particularly the antics of Jimmy, but turns out to be one of the more atmospheric and entertaining Chan entries. Wonderfully photographed by four-time nominee for Best Cinematography Charles G. Clarke.

South of Monterey (1946)

Monogram Pictures
Directed by William Nigh
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, VCI Entertainment)

At last! A Gilbert Roland Cisco Kid film with no dubbing! People can actually say "Cisco" without fear of it being dubbed over by another voice actor. Unfortunately, Cisco is still the same: chain smoking and drinking Tequila, but mostly chasing the girls. He's trying to give away his little chains to as many as possible. Ugh.

Beauty and the Bandit (1946)

Monogram Pictures
Directed by William Nigh
My rating: BOMB
IMDb
(DVD, VCI Entertainment)

Another annoyingly-dubbed Gilbert Roland Cisco Kid film. The best I've been able to figure out, these films were originally changed to remove any reference to "Cisco Kid", to something like "Chico Kid". However, I think VCI has taken the opportunity to re-dub "Cisco Kid" into this DVD release. In other words they've redubbed the dubbed version back to the original version. The tell-tell scene is one with print and audio damage late in the film, VCI took the opportunity to fix the audio with the same voice actors, even though there is no reference to "Cisco". The original prints obviously would not have done this. Anyway, it's all terribly distracting. Cisco/Chico is his usual suave character, most of the running time spent flirting with pretty Ramsay Ames. There is a plot somewhere about a corrupt doctor poisoning the local animals.

Deadline at Dawn (1946)

RKO Radio Pictures
Directed by Harold Clurman
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Bros.)

A sailor awakens from a drunken stupor in an apartment with a dead girl. Did he kill her? His ship leaves in the morning and he's got to prove his innocence by that time. Bill Williams plays the sailor as a wide-eyed, clean-cut, all-American boy who can't tell a lie, much less commit murder. Somehow he convinces dance hall girl Susan Hayward and cabbie Paul Lukas, who don't know him from Adam, to drop everything in the middle of the night and help him track down the real killer. It does have an unexpected twist and Susan Hayward is stunningly radiant at 29, so it is not without its pleasures.

Backfire (1950)

Warner Bros.
Directed by Vincent Sherman
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Bros.)

Nice guy Gordon MacRae is recovering in the local VA hospital when he finds out his friend and old war buddy, played by Edmund O'Brien, is accused of murder. Along with the nurse he has fallen in love with, Virginia Mayo, he begins a search for his friend that lasts practically the entire film. In a series of flashbacks, we learn how O'Brien became involved with gambling and murder. There are too many of these flashbacks and they interrupt the flow of the narrative. Anyway, MacRae is given some fairly obvious and coincidental clues which allow him into the inner circle of the gamblers and eventually to the truth. Viveca Lindfors is a lounge singer/femme fatale.

Joe (1969)

Cannon Film
Directed by John G. Avildsen
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, MGM)

A middle-aged ad executive kills his hippie daughter's junkie boyfriend in a rage. A guy he meets in a bar after the fact stumbles on the truth, but instead of turning him in he idolizes him. Joe is a loud-mouthed conservative who thinks America is being ruined by the hippies, blacks, etc. I am beginning to wonder if Archie Bunker was modeled after this character. Anyway, he weasels his way into the ad executive's life, despite their obvious differences in social standing. Meanwhile, the daughter goes missing and Frank and Joe hit the streets of Greenwich Village of 1969 in search of her. At first they are horrified, but when they find out the girls are hot and willing they change their minds. Their wallets are stolen at an orgy and Joe wants revenge. A downbeat ending echoes the similarly themed Easy Rider of the same year.

The Gay Cavalier (1946)

Monogram Pictures
Directed by William Nigh
My rating: BOMB
IMDb
(DVD, VCI Entertainment)

Gilbert Roland's Cisco Kid is more interested in how he looks smoking a cigarette and seducing women than anything else. His narcissism grows tiring after awhile leading to viewer disinterest. His sidekick here is not Pancho but "Baby", who strums a guitar and sings while Cisco seduces his latest conquest. There is some question if this is really the Cisco Kid, since all references to his name in dialogue have been dubbed in by poor voice actors. The effect is disorienting and further takes one out of the film.

Scum (1979)

Directed by Alan Clarke
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Blue Underground)

Ray Winstone and friends arrive at their new home, a British juvenile reformatory. It doesn't take long to realize the entire place is corrupt, from the "screws" to the "cons", everyone is out for themselves. Carlin is at first subdued, submitting to the daily harassment and keeping to himself. However, he's got a violent temper and is pushed too far by the "daddy" and his thugs who run his particular wing. He beats the leader to a pulp in the bathroom and takes over. Soon he's got the "screws" on his side as well, who give him perks in exchange for his influence. He's challenged by the leader of the black gang, but has no problem beating his brains out. The younger, weaker inmates aren't so fortunate, subject to sexual attacks and depression they commit suicide. The screws could care less, the cons revolt at the dinner table. It's all rather pointless, with no one to root for, since the kids are just as revolting as the adults.

Crime in the Streets (1956)

Allied Artists
Directed by Donald Siegel
My rating: 3.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Bros.)

What starts out as a typical juvenile delinquency film turns into a character study of a boy on the verge of becoming a killer. John Cassavetes is the leader of The Hornets, a jacket-wearing gang of bored teens hanging out at the malt shop and harassing people. One day Cassavetes is particularly angered over one of the neighborhood residents for turning in a member of the gang to the police. They argue and the man hits him, sending Cassavetes into a silent rage. He takes three partially willing gang members and plots to kill him. Young Sal Mineo is the 15-year-old looking for acceptance into the gang and Mark Rydell may be the most unhinged among the three. The real story lies not in the streets but in the homes, if you can call them that, where Cassavetes struggles to cope. James Whitmore is the social worker trying to save him. It has several memorable exchanges: the talk between Whitmore and Cassavetes on the fire escape and again in his bedroom, the argument with his mother and the final scene with his brother. It's extremely well acted and packs an emotional wallop.

The Daring Caballero (1949)

United Artists
Directed by Wallace Fox
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, VCI Entertainment)

Cisco and Pancho take up the case of a bank president falsely convicted of murder and robbery. Corruption is rampant in the dusty town of Del Rio, and the trail quickly leads to the real criminals. Nice location shooting in Pioneertown, California, which has a very interesting history.

War of the Planets (1966)

MGM
Directed by Antonio Margheriti
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Archive Collection)

This Italian space drama has one major flaw: it's boring. There are endless scenes of space personnel twisting knobs, looking at tiny monitors or bickering among themselves about who is in command. The aliens who threaten to take over the world consist of fog with green light shining on it. They take over human bodies and turn them into mindless automatons who act for the "good of the whole". Eventually we get a crew to Mars, but the first thing they do is order lobster tails for dinner and drink Martian nectar. Ironically, the Martians eventually die by being exposed to the Martian atmosphere.

Abdul the Damned (1935)

Directed by Karl Grune
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, VCI Entertainment)

Political intrigue in Turkey at the turn of the century is the subject of this talky drama. Fritz Kortner is Sultan Abdul, and his double, the tyrant whose every wish is law. The Young Turks, who wear white Fez's, are an upstart group of rebels who want him dead. Their spies infiltrate the palace and attempt to assassinate him. The Sultan survives but his paranoia eventually gets the best of him. A romantic subplot has him lusting after an opera singer played by the lovely Adrienne Ames.

Satan's Cradle (1949)

United Artists
Directed by Ford Beebe
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, VCI Entertainment)

Cisco and Pancho try to save Silver City from the sinful gambling joint taking over the town. It's run by the pretty Ann Savage and Cisco wastes no time in seducing her. However, she's just a pawn of a group of thugs who will stoop to murder if it is in their best interest. The final chase and shootout are so dark on the VCI print I could barely make out the action. It probably wasn't worthwhile anyway.

Brainstorm (1983)

MGM
Directed by Douglas Trumbull
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, MGM)

Scientists in a secret corporate lab discover a way to transmit and record thoughts. It starts out as a means of entertainment: riding a rollercoaster, hang gliding over the Grand Canyon, etc. One of them quickly discovers it's a good way to experience porn, but it has nasty side effects like leaving one in a catatonic state for a few days. The lead scientist has a heart attack in the office one day and somehow remembers to put on the headset and record her own death for others to experience. That tape becomes an object of an intense hunt by her boyfriend and fellow scientist Christopher Walken. We as an audience might also like to see what happens after she dies. However, the afterlife looks like a combination of Tron, 2001 and a painting in the Sistine Chapel.

Chu-Chin-Chow (1934)

Gainsborough Pictures
Directed by Walter Forde
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, VCI Entertainment)

Standard Ali Baba tale livened up a bit by musical numbers that almost give it the feel of an operetta. Fritz Kortner gives a deranged performance as the evil Abu Hasan, who hides in a cave outside Baghdad plotting his next rampage of murder and robbery. He takes it personally when a poor merchant discovers the secret of entering the cave and steals him blind. He goes incognito to root him out, but things do not go as planned. There are a few subplots about romance with slave girls, but they are inconsequential. Some of the elaborate sets for the dance sequences would be right at home in a Busby Berkeley musical.

Armored Car Robbery (1950)

RKO Radio Pictures
Directed by Richard Fleischer
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Bros.)

William Talman leads a group of criminals who pull off a heist in front of a baseball stadium in broad daylight. It doesn't quite go as planned and a police officer is killed. The officer's partner, played by Charles McGraw, is determined to catch the one responsible. He is smarter than your average cop, expertly following clues and using every trick of technology available at the time. Meanwhile, Talman has plans to ditch his partners and get away with all of the money as well as the girl. Intelligent, fast-paced and well-acted, better than most movies twice its length.

The Bandit of Sherwood Forest (1946)

Columbia Pictures
Directed by Henry Levin and George Sherman
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Sony)

Robin Hood is now the elder statesmen of the Merry Men in Sherwood Forest. However, a new tyrant has thrown away the Magna Carta and threatens the freedom of the people. Robin Hood calls together the old gang, including Little John and Friar Tuck, and a new character, none other than Robert Hood, his son, played by Cornel Wilde. The boy King is kidnapped, the Queen and Lady Catherine seek protection from Robin in the forest. Robert leads an effort to rescue the boy from death in the castle keep. It all takes place in vivid Technicolor, on the Columbia back lot with mattes dotting the landscape. In other words, just perfect for a Saturday afternoon matinee.