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The Lucky Ones (2008) A likeable, well acted comedy drama as three soldiers on leave from Iraq (Tim Robbins, Rachel McAdams & Michael Pena) go on an unexpected road trip to Las Vegas. 6.5/10

Ju Dou(1990)

Shot in golds,blues and rusty reds,Ju Dou traces the suffering of porcelain beauty Gong Li,here playing the abused wife of an impotent businessman in 1920s feudal China.She takes a lover in the form of her husband's shy nephew and the wheels of tragedy begin to turn.Directed by celebrated Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou,who enjoyed some commercial success a few years ago with films Hero and House of Flying Daggers.His key films,Red Sorghum,Raise The Red Lantern and The Story Of Qiu Ju were made between 1987 and 1992.The vividly hued and vitriolic Ju Dou remains a standout.

9/10

The Wasp Woman(1959)

Susan Cabot is the owner of a cosmetics company who injects herself with enzymes made from the royal jelly of a wasp queen as an anti aging formula.Naturally,she becomes...The Wasp Woman.A silly and fun movie from do it on the cheap maestro, Roger Corman.Funnily enough in the film,she has the head of a wasp on a woman's body,exactly the opposite of what is shown on the poster

6/10

Independence Day (1996) An all star cast battles to save the Earth from aliens. A quite exciting ride, with excellent special effects but a so so script(with a few witty lines) & a bit overlong(2 hrs 25 mins),some of the 50s sci fi films told better stories in an hour and a half. Starring Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Margaret Colin, Vivica A Fox, Robert Loggia & Judd Hirsch 6/10

Final Appointment(1954)

A stylish crime drama directed by Terence Fisher.Reporters investigate vicious threats against a retired army officer and discover links to a series of brutal murders that occurred during the second world war.John Bentley puts in a good lead turn.

7/10

Half Human(1957)

The prolific Ishiro Honda's next project after Godzilla(1954).This time,a Yeti type creature is discovered in the Japanese Alps.Thanks to Honda's great skill as a director and being smart enough to work with the best creature effects crews available at the time,this is a very enjoyable film with a decent looking creature.A US version released later,added scenes shot in Los Angeles with David Carradine and Morris Ankrum.They did the same thing with Godzilla a few years before,adding scenes featuring Raymond Burr.

7/10

Toy Soldiers(1991)

Beverly Hills Cop scribe Daniel Petrie Jr's Die Hard homage is also a legitimately great action film.There are 30 careful,character building minutes before a boarding school is seized by Andrew Divoff's drug lord and the time investment pays off with some nice,organically escalating tension.Lead Sean Astin and chums from the Regis School make enterprising,empathetic heroes,Divoff sweats menace and veterans Louis Gossett,Jr and Denholm Elliot both add a touch of class.Far more brutal than I remembered and it probably wouldn't be green lit today when school shootings are,tragically not just a Hollywood proposition.

8.5/10

Night Visitor(1971)

This crime thriller with a mix of horror follows Salem,who escapes from an insane asylum where he was confined for being an axe murderer.Great work from Max Von Sydow and Trevor Howard in the leading roles.Also featuring fantastic music from Mancini

8/10

Happy-Go-Lucky(2008) Written & directed by Mike Leigh with Sally Hawkins excellent as the relentlessly optimistic teacher and her comic dramatic misadventures. Alexis Zegerman matches her as her best friend and Eddie Marsan is disturbingly brilliant as her driving instructor. One of the film's main strengths is although the tone is often light, a darker side emerges along the way. Also starring Samuel Roukin, Kate O'Flynn & Sylvestra Le Touzel 7.5/10

Barbados Quest(1952)

Tom Conway stars in this crime drama as a Philatelist called J.D Everleigh,who employs a detective to investigate his purchase of a rare Barbados overprint stamp which on later inspection,could have been forged.

7.5/10