Minor thriller has a woman inheriting a house and fortune after her father’s apparent suicide. She is soon herself the target of a murder plot, but why, then, is the hired killer himself killed by some person unknown? Unmemorable, with no particularly interesting characters, but reasonably entertaining nonetheless. Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie …
The Alchemist (1983)
This rather confused jumble of horror and dark fantasy stars Robert Ginty as a werewolf-like fellow doomed to an eternal existence under that curse after accidentally killing his wife during a battle with a sorcerer. A young woman’s arrival at the home he shares with an old woman (whose identity is obvious, even if only …
Mr. Moto in Danger Island (Twentieth Century Fox, 1939)
On the island of Puerto Rico, Mr. Moto (Peter Lorre), aided after a fashion by a wrestler named Twister McGurk (Warren Hymer), investigates murders connected with diamond smuggling. A well-crafted plot with plentiful suspects among the planters and officials — including the head of the island’s police force — and the story of a famed …
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Alien 2: On Earth (1980)
In Alien 2: On Earth (original title: Alien 2 – Sulla Terra), a spaceship returning to Earth crashes, scattering odd, glowing blue stones in the vicinity of the wreck. One member of a group of young spelunkers picks up one of these mysterious stones, which proves to be the egg (or something) of an alien …
Catacombs (1965)
In Catacombs (aka The Woman Who Wouldn’t Die), the husband of a wealthy and domineering wife becomes enamored of her grown-up niece, newly returned from school in Paris, and he eventually plots his wife’s demise, encouraged by a partner, his wife’s secretary. The deed is done ahead of schedule, however, upsetting their original plans. Moreover, …
The Magnificent Two (1967)
Novelty toy salesmen get caught up in a South American revolution when one is mistaken for a murdered rebel leader and the canny rebels decide to make use of the resemblance in their effort to oust the oppressive regime currently in power. Wry vehicle for English comic duo Morecambe and Wise has quite a bit …
Ride Him, Cowboy (WB, 1932)
A young John Wayne heads the cast in this western as John Drury, a cowboy who seeks to defend a boisterous horse, Duke, against a charge of murder. To clear the horse, Drury goes after the criminal known as the Hawk, who is behind a series of crimes in the area. But when Drury is …
Tarzan’s Peril (RKO, 1951)
Crooks selling guns to the tribes are the main menace in this outing for Tarzan (Lex Barker), this time with actress Virginia Huston portraying Jane. The criminals are an interesting bunch, with the leader more than ready to kill anyone who gets in his way, including government officials, and hoping to stir up a war …
We Dive at Dawn (Gainsborough / Gaumont British, 1943)
Fine tale of British submariners during the Second World War, with John Mills as the vessel’s commander and a solid cast of crewmen, most notably Eric Portman as the hydrophone operator. The submarine Sea Tiger is sent to sink a new German battleship, but their quarry has escaped into the Baltic Sea, where they pursue, …
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Cat-Women of the Moon (1953)
A lethargic and puffy Sonny Tufts may be top-billed, but Victor Jory is really the hero of this space opera, as a manned expedition to the moon encounters lunar Amazons. When most members of the crew fall prey to the aliens’ powers, whether dominated mentally or led on by empty promises, it’s up to second-in-command …