plan99 Reviews

Thunder Rock (1942)

Not as expected.

[10/10 · 2 June 2024]

I was surprised when this turned out not the be a ghost story film but a war propaganda one. It was made when the Nazis had the upper hand and it was made to encourage people not to give up and to keep on going no matter the obstacles to be overcome until victory is achieved.

A great cast and very well acted all round and I had expected to see a "Buy War Bonds" advert at the end.

Well worth watching but don't expect to see a lot of action as there's practically none to be seen. The message is if you give up you will spend spend the rest of your life being haunted by having done so so keep on going against all the odds.

Avalanche (1994)

Extremely slow and boring.

[2/10 · 28 May 2024]

Watching a snowflake slowing melting would be more entertaining than this "goes nowhere very slowly" painful to watch film. It's so bad that I could not watch any longer than ten minutes at a time.

Zero sense of danger or tension and the characters were so bland that an audience would not care in the least what happened to them, buried alive under snow, don't care if they are. Nice scenery is the only positive but this does not compensate for the many negatives in it.

Don't waste any time watching this, I had trouble finding it on IMDB as it was made in 1969, and it looks it, and not in 1994.

Hot Money (2001 TV Movie)

Good fun film.

[8/10 · 28 May 2024]

Amazing that it's based on a true event and if the burning cash was used to heat a boiler it must be the world's most expensive heating system.

It kept my attention all the way through from start to finish and included actors or actresses from Coronation Street, Eastenders and Detectorists so a good cast.

An ingenious way of nicking cash that was going to be burned so as the robbers claimed it was actually a victimless crime. As always in a heist film it's difficult not to go on an attention attracting spending spree.

Not many reviews so far but it's recently been shown on TPTV in the UK if anyone wants so watch it. It is worth a watch so sse it if it comes on again.

The Lusty Men (1952)

Terrible title but a good film.

[8/10 · 25 May 2024]

Going by the title I had expected to watch this for just a few minutes as I thought that it was going to be a tale of lusty cowboys chasing after lusty cowgirls, but it wasn't.

Certainly not short of action and the guys who actually ride bulls in rodeos must be mad. It did make we want to travel back in time to the 1950s to see a rodeo parade going down a town street as it must have been an amazing experience.

One of several possible endings could have been used but I think that the the one chosen was the correct one.

Arthur Kennedy is the star of this film be he didn't get start billing and even now his name is not well remembered.

Ladies Who Do (1963)

Pinnies galore!

[8/10 · 22 May 2024]

A pinnie is a floral apron worn by UK housewives back then and a habit that some kept well into the 21st century. An impressive cast with just about every actor and actress recognisable with almost no unknown ones.

Great fun and a great plot, insider trading by char ladies. Great performances by everyone which was not a surprise considering the high quality of the actors and actresses employed. £5,000 in 1963 is about £127,00 in 2024.

I'm not usually a fan of Peggy Mount but she was excellent in this film.

Well worth watching and the office furnishings were a wonder to behold, a pity it was not in colour.

They Came from Beyond Space (1967)

A bit bad but in a good way.

[8/10 · 22 May 2024]

Not a great film but still an enjoyable watch with an unusual plot. It had the feeling of a "Doctor Who" episode from the 1970s, but not a very good episode. I was expecting the blonde dolly bird at the petrol station to be in it a bit more than she was, she didn't have much to do and may have been a relative of someone involved in the production so she got a small part to play.

The sets were a bit cheap and cheerful looking but I suspect that the budget was a small one. No idea why the head goodie was driving an old noisy car when he had a lot of stealthy sneaking about to do.

Worth a watch as a classic Sci-Fi "B Movie".

Miss MacTaggart Won't Lie Down (1966)

Very quirky.

[10/10 · 17 May 2024]

I enjoyed this short and is was indeed possible to walk up to the front door of 10 Downing Street as I did about 1973, there were no barriers back then. A charming wee Scottish film shown on TPTV in the UK where many older and unusual films can be found but which are probably of little interest to anyone under the age of 50 or so.

Watch this to see a slice of Scottish life which in some small villages it has probably not changed much since 1966, except that there are a lot more cars about of course.

She became a one woman crime wave to get what she wanted. Not the best of endings but we can presume that it was a happy one.

Doctor Who (2023– )

Can it get any worse?

[1/10 · 16 May 2024]

I thought that "Space Babies" was the worse episode of Doctor Who that I've ever seen and then I watched "The Devil's Chord" which achieved the impossible in being even more awful.

I've been watching Doctor Who since the very first episode aired on 23 November 1963 and this latest series IS NOT Doctor Who.

I don't know what character Ncuti is playing but it's NOT Doctor Who, and Millie is surprisingly terrible as a companion. There is zero chemistry between them and Ruby is a hollow shell when compared to previous companions.

And we now have "Doctor Who, The Musical". Thank you Disney, NOT.

The ideal final episode, this is absolutely going to be the last ever series as it's so bad, would end with the alleged "Doctor" being killed by a Dalek which opens up to reveal Mr Davies and Mr Chibnell inside thus making it official that they killed Doctor Who not just by awful writing but also physically.

RIP The Doctor you will be missed but the last few years have been increasingly terrible.

It's a bit odd that some who give it ten have only done one review and others very few.

"Boom" was a bit better than the first two and "73 yards" was a further improvement mainly due to the character formerly recognisable as being Doctor Who was largely missing.

Night Ambush (1957)

Slight let down

[7/10 · 14 May 2024]

I had expected this to be better than it was, it wasn't terrible but with a bit more effort it could have been a lot better. I would have liked to have seen the big battle on screen and not off it with wounded partisans being recovered and treated. Dirk Bogarde was miscast as he is too much of a lightweight actor to be playing a tough fighter.

I did manage to spot David McCallum and John Cairney, I recognised David's voice as he was hard to make out on screen. France did look like Crete and I though that it had been filmed in Crete.

It's well worth watching but to expect too much of it or a lot of combat, they were trying to sneak away so this will account for the lack of action scenes. A bit unusual for there to be no love interest for any of the characters.

The Last Load (1948)

Pre CFF but similar to CFF

[8/10 · 14 May 2024]

Very similar to the later Children's Film Foundation films and even had the seemingly essential CFF scene of a baddie getting wet. Very enjoyable with a good plot and acting and a glimpse of bits of the UK long gone. A bit of a shame that more were not made but CFF filled the gap very well.

I recommend watching as many CFF films as possible as they are all very enjoyable but I'm not sure if they would appeal to youngsters these days as many are not in colour and are not full of CGI deemed to be essential in a film these days. Some of the child actors became famous later but most were never seen again.

PSI Factor (1980)

Terrible

[1/10 · 9 May 2024]

Bad plot, script, acting, special effects, muffled sound, the lighting was very dark, low grade picture quality. The plinky plonky "music" was very irritating as it could be heard, too loudly, during 90% of the film. Managing to make a fim as bad as this one as late as 1980 is some achievement, it's like a mid 1950s very bad "B Movie" Very few reviews so far and it's better that it remains obscure to avoid more viewers being tortured by it.

No idea what the plot was all about as we were no wiser at the end as we were at the beginning.

Only watch this if you want to see a really badly made film and enjoy such creations.

The Cheyenne Social Club (1970)

Very laid back.

[9/10 · 8 May 2024]

I was expecting a "Carry On" type film but I should have known better with James and Henry in it. Both were perfectly cast with no upstaging attempts by either probably due to them being long time friends.

Not a laugh out loud film but a gentle situation comedy with some funny lines here and there.

The ladies were great and their dresses looked fabulous as did the interior of the house but was there any houses in the Wild West that fancy way back then?

Very well filmed in glorious colour and everything looked great included the wide open countryside. Well worth watching and not just by fans of James and Henry.

Scott of the Antarctic (1948)

Looks great.

[9/10 · 29 April 2024]

I felt very cold while watching this film and the cinema ice-cream sales must have been very low or even zero. I don't know how accurate this film was but it was certainly very entertaining. I didn't spot Christopher Lee in his part. The make up and the increasingly soiled clothes were very well done and convincing. Some of the painted backdrops, especially at the cottage, were poorly done and spoiled it a bit.

I was surprised to see that it was in colour which was a bonus. Well worth watching but have a hot water bottle handy. I am amazed that it's taken me so long to finally see this film. I did feel sorry for the hard working ponies and the dogs.

Escape from DS-3 (1981)

Zero redeeming features.

[1/10 · 28 April 2024]

Diabolically bad in every way and it is not in the category of being " so bad it's good", it's just plain bad with zero entertainment value. This effort makes "Warpspeed" look like an Oscar contender.

If the DS3 in question had been a Citroen DS3 car that they were stuck in it may have had more entertainment value than being stuck in a bad miniature model with badly made sets.

Terrible "music", script, acting sets, and cardboard tube weapons. The obviously fake, cheap and nasty, security cameras were supported by pressed steel shelf supports attached by a screw going into the bottom of the cameras which would have damaged a real camera.

Not worth watching for any reason other that curiosity to see how badly made a film can actually be.

The Black Hole (1979)

Confused target audience.

[5/10 · 26 April 2024]

This was neither a kid's film nor a film for adults and by trying to please both it pleased neither. It looked fabulous and looks fabulous even forty five years later, it looks better than many films overladen with CGI effects which seems to be compulsary these days.

The acting was not up to much which was surprising considering the cast. It seems that the makers thought that how it looked, great, would compensate for the short cummings but it didn't.

I saw it for the first time in 2024 and was disappointed. It could have done with at least one younger character who could have caused a bit of trouble by doing stupid things as teenagers often do, this would have helped at the box office to draw in some younger audience members.

Bungala Boys (1961)

Get me a ticket now.

[8/10 · 22 April 2024]

This film must have done wonders for the Australian tourist board and encouraged people to move there. A lovely house overlooking a sandy beach with nice surfing waves so who wouldn't want to live there. The interior of the house was great full of wonderful 1950s/60s furniture and decoration for us to enjoy 60 years later, the 60s was when interior design reached its height and had been unmatched since then.

The usual mixture of bad boys and good boys with a few sensible girls mixed in for good measure.

The goodies defeated the baddies of course and in true CFF style involved a right good soaking.

The Devil-Ship Pirates (1964)

A great adventure.

[8/10 · 21 April 2024]

With a great cast and very nice to look at the story runs along in an entertaining fashion. It did look very expensively made for a Hammer film which are usually made with cardboard sets but to build an actual sailing ship, that was impressive.

Nice strong colours with some of the pirates being particularly bright, there must have been a washing machine on the ship. Seemingly no expense spared in making this film but it must have done well upon release with this great cast and a great title to draw the punters in.

Recommended as an enjoyable pirate film suitable for all ages, even children will like it.

Zontar: The Thing from Venus (1967 TV Movie)

Entertainingly bad.

[8/10 · 21 April 2024]

There was a good film in here somewhere but it was hidden beneath several thick layers of bad acting and even worse special effects. The story line was OK but the flaws above spoiled it. The worst actor was Tony who played the lead character Keith who is amazingly part of the famous "Walter Huston" family but he inherited none of their acting skills at all.

Very wooden performances from everyone and the monsters were not the most wooden even if they were made of wood. All lines were delivered in a robotic voice with the characters adopting odd stances.

It has to be endured by all fans of bad Sci-Fi films.

ITV Saturday Night Theatre: The Death of Adolf Hitler (1973) Season 5, Episode 13

Very disappointing.

[2/10 · 20 April 2024]

I was sure that I was going to enjoy watching this but I didn't. Who ever had the idea that Frank should deliver 90% of his dialogue at full volume made a very bad mistake, it was very weary some to listen to for so long and it made it difficult to watch.

Over all the acting was poor and the bunker interior was far too studio looking to be in any way convincing, the audience constantly being aware that it was a studio with studio lighting.

Not enough interaction at a reasonable volume level between Hitler and his staff to make it interesting.

I've not seen "Downfall" but even so I know that it has to be vastly superior to this poor effort.

Gilda (1946)

WOW!

[8/10 · 18 April 2024]

Rita looked fabulous in this and her clothes were amazing and must have been expensive, I particularly liked the very sparkly one. A great shame that it was not in colour. Presumably the Germans in this film were Nazis in hiding in Argentina and involved in all sorts of dodgy activities.

The script was a bit clunky at times with the wisecracks a bit over done being too numerous. It's not difficult to see why this film made Rita a superstar.

Nice performances all round and I liked the cloakroom man and did wonder if he was a former high ranking Nazi doing a low grade job to keep a low profile.

Well worth watching.

Beyond the Universe (1981)

Beyond terrible.

[1/10 · 18 April 2024]

This has to be one the the worst films ever made as it had no redeeming qualities. It looked very cheap, total budget $5,000? Terrible acting, sets, script, music, special effects ( especially the spaceship miniature). I like bad films that are entertaining but this was not one of them as it was just terrible in every way possible.

The old prophet character looked like someone from Ancient Greece and he had an awful fake beard badly glued on.

The best thing to do with all copies of this film is to put them in a rocket and send them on a swift one way trip beyond the universe.

Avoid at all costs.

Cabin Boy (1994)

Very weird.

[6/10 · 15 April 2024]

A difficult film to rate as it's so very weird, does it deserve to receive a one or a ten? I've gone for a six as I wavered between a one and ten a few times.

Very well shot with the fishing boat set being excellent and the stormy weather very well done. Not the funniest script ever but the weirdness made up for it a bit.

It's an achievement to come up with a film idea as weird as this and another achievement to actually get it made.

For lovers of weird film this has to be seen by them all as it could be the weirdest film ever made. Don't miss it if you get a chance to see it. It's on TPTV here in the UK.

Budgie (1971–1972)

World's least successful criminal.

[10/10 · 14 April 2024]

I vaguely remember this from first time around but Talking Pictures TV in the UK has just started screening it from the very first episode. It was a bit of a shock, and an illustration of inflation, that a "full English" breakfast in a cafe was just 27 pence, which is hard to believe but back then £1,000 a year, yes a year, was consider to be a very good wage to be earning.

Very well cast and scripted with great plots and very well filmed, a nice blast from the past.

I look forward to the episodes to come. Budgie is not the luckiest person in the world.

I can't recommend this highly enough so tune in to TPTV and don't miss out.

The Beach Girls and the Monster (1965)

Much better than expected.

[8/10 · 13 April 2024]

The title would lead everyone to suspect that this is going to be some kind of cheaply made awful teenage girls slaughter fest of a film but it's not. It's tempting to stop watching after about ten minutes but please watch it all the way to the end as the side plot is more interesting than the main plot, it's two film for the price of one.

A shame that it was not in colour with all that interesting mobile scenery to admire, and the countryside and beach were worthy of admiration also.

As it's very entertaining it's worth watching and the twist at the end explains a lot. Great fun from start to finish.

Warp Speed (1981 TV Movie)

Even Batman couldn't save it.

[5/10 · 13 April 2024]

It possible from just the titles and music at the beginning to realise how bad this film is going to be. The plot was a great idea but the execution of it was terrible, the producer and director let the writers down very badly and the actors weren't up to much either.

The acting was very wooden, except for Batman, and the sets were very cheaply made, the background spaceship engine noise went on all the way through the film and was very irritating and too loud. The spaceship miniature must have cost $10 at the most with the special effects taking up another $10 dollars in cost.

Worth watching to see how badly made a film can actually be but it is entertaining it's so bad.