The Satan Bug (1965)

The Satan Bug is the film version of Alistair MacLean's 1962 novel of the same name. Here the story is moved from Britain to the US and many of the character's names have been changed but the premise is the same. A madman has broken into a high-security biological warfare lab and stolen the Satan Bug.  The Bug itself is an advanced, fast-acting and highly contagious strain of polio for which the scientists at the lab have not yet found a cure. 


George Maharis plays Lee Barrett, the ex-head of security for the installation where the Satan Bug was stolen. He is brought back to help find the thief. There's a lot of running around through desert chasing down the virus. In the end though it isn't as thrilling as it should have been.

 The film also starts Richard Basehart, Anne Francis, Dana Andrews, andr Edward Asner

Available: Amazon

How To Eat Your Watermelon In White Company (And Enjoy It!) (2005)

 

Available: Netflix, Amazon

 

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)

 

Directed by Brad Bird

Starring Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton

The Red Chapel (2009)

This is a documentary made by Danish journalist Mads Brügger. Under the pretense of a cultural exchange, Brügger brings two Danish-Korean comedians, Jacob and Simon, to North Korea to perform a vaudeville comedy show. They tell the dictatorship government that they are a pro-socialist group called The Red Chapel. However, the real intention of the visit is to explore and expose the closed society of the country. Every night the footage that is shot must be reviewed by official censors but since Jacob is physically handicapped, he is able to get away with saying things about this society that cannot translated and understood by the North Koreans. This film gives a glimpse into a tyrannical nation that is both funny and terrifying.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Paul (2011)

This homage to the Science-Fiction blockbuster films of the 1980s is written by and stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost of Spaced fame. The duo play a couple of comic book nerds from Great Britain who are on a road trip in mid-western America to visit places of extraterrestrial sightings. During their journey they encounter an actual alien named Paul (voiced by Seth Rogan). Wise-cracking Paul is on the run from the United States Government. It seems that after over 50 years of being a secret specimen for the Feds, his usefulness has come to an end. The two friends agree to help Paul escape from the Washington agents (which includes Jason Bateman) and get him to his rendezvous with his people.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

One of Marvel's oldest superheros comes to the big screen in this latest film. This is a somewhat faithful adaption of Captain America's long history is based on the ULTIMATES version.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Super Seven Calling Cairo (1965)

Roger Browne plays Martin Stevens, a James Bond-like agent. He is sent to Egypt to retrieve a movie camera that has accidentally been sold to a tourist. The lens of the movie camera is made of some new radioactive, but stable, super metal. Of course the baddies are also in hot pursuit. The only problem is that only one woman knows what the man who bought the camera looks like and she's under Stevens' protection. However it's really not too hard to get to the agent since he can't say no to a beautiful woman, and there are plenty of those in this film.

Alternate Titles:  Superseven Chiama Cairo, Höllenhunde Des Secret Service

Available: Atlas Visuals, Twisted Anger

Black Friday (1940)

Professor George Kingsley (Stanley Ridges) is accidentally run down by a gangster's car as he is crossing the street. Luckily his friend Dr. Ernest Sovac (Boris Karloff) is a brilliant brain surgeon who saves his life. However Sovac's intentions are not as benevolent as they would seem. While talking with Red Cannon, the crook injured in the accident, Sovac learns that he has a fortune hidden somewhere. The good doctor has already done brain transplants on animals and figures that this would be a good time to try it on a human. He takes the brain of Cannon and puts it in his friend's body. Then he tries to get the part of Cannon's brain that is still active to lead him to the dough. However when Cannon's part takes over, he goes on a rampage murdering his former gang members (which includes Bela Lugosi). Sovac must desperately try to find the money before he cops learn who is really doing the killings.

Available: Amazon

The Ballad Of Cable Hogue (1970)

This western directed by Sam Peckinpah is actually more of a love story than anything else. It stars Jason Robards as Cable Hogue who was abandoned in the desert by his companions because he hesitated to shoot them when he had the chance. He is left to wander the desert for days with no salvation. Just when he is about to give up hope, he discovers water by digging at some moist sand in the wasteland. Things get even better when he discovers that this oasis is right along a stagecoach line. Industrious Cable decides to lay claim to the land and open up a way-station. With the help of a dubious clergyman (David Warner) and a prostitute with a heart of gold (Stella Stevens), Cable is quite successful until the appearance of a horseless carriage changes his happy existence.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

The Mansion Of Madness (1972)

This film is one of only a few directed by Mexican director Juan Lopez Moctezuma. It is loosely based on the story "The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether" by Edgar Allan Poe.

The movie opens with journalist Gaston LeBlanc (Arthur Hansel) traveling to a sanitarium for the insane in a remote location in France to talk with the director. Once there, LeBlanc meets with Dr. Maillard (Claudio Brook) who talks about his new "soothing method" as a way to treat the mental patients. The more that LeBlanc sees, the more it seems that the lunatics are taking over the asylum. When LeBlanc is eventually held against his will, he realizes that things are out of control. He quickly makes a plan to escape with the lovely Eugenie (Ellen Sherman) who is there looking for her father.

Alternate Titles: Dr. Tarr's Torture Dungeon

Available: Amazon, Netflix

Baadasssss! (2003)

Mario Van Peebles directs and stars in this docudrama about his father Melvin Van Peebles. The movie tells the story of how Melvin went about creating the first truly independent African-American film, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. The drama is beyond anything that could be made up. Roadblocks of all sorts keep popping up: from Union workers stopping production, SAG fees making the use of those actors totally cost prohibitive, the money-man being arrested, no distribution company daring to even touch it, etc. It's an incredible and a true tribute to the man who would never give up.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971)

This film, directed by Melvin Van Peebles, is credited with being one of the first African-American focused films. Unlike the Blaxploitation films that were to follow, Van Peebles' film was one in which the black man "won" in his battle against The Man.

This almost surreal movie starts off with a couple of "friendly" cops looking for a black guy to bring in for questioning concerning a murder. They just need a body to make them look like they're doing their job. Quiet Sweetback (Van Peebles) is volunteered by his boss Beetle (Simon Chuckster). On the way to the station, the cops get involved in the arrest of Mu-Mu (Hubert Scales), a young black dude. They decide to take him somewhere secluded and beat the crap out of him. After a while Sweetback just lashes out and assaults the cops, hitting them with the handcuffs until they are left bloody and unconscious. After that Sweetback is on the run.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Operation Nam (1986)

It's ten years after the end of the Vietnam War and a bunch of old army buddies have gotten together to talk about old times. While hanging out at a bar, they see a news story about a POW who has just been returned from Vietnam. The guys decide that they should go back to Vietnam and liberate any remaining American soldiers that are still held there in prison camps. However they come up against some resistance when they try to recruit professional soldier Major Morris (Italian director Enzo Castellari) and find that he has been ousted from the army by Colonel Mortimer (Gordon Mitchell). Seems the military doesn't want anyone snooping around over there. The guys decide to go anyway and get assistance from French priest Father Lenoir (Donald Pleasence). However it seems that someone has tipped off the North Vietnamese army. The guys have an uphill battle as they fight the soldiers and the Vietcong who still have resentment for the Americans.

The cast includes Christopher Connelly, Ethan Wayne (son of John Wayne), Richard Lester, Oliver Tobias.

Alternate Titles: Cobra Mission, Commando Cobra

Available: Netflix, Amazon

The Robber (2010)

This Austrian film is loosely based on the true story of Johann Kastenberger, a marathon runner and bank robber. It starts off just as Johann (played by Andreas Lust) is released from prison after serving a seven year sentence for robbery. Upon discharge, he starts a relationship with Erika (Franziska Weisz), an old family friend. Being a highly trained athlete, Johann enters and wins several marathons becoming a bit of a celebrity. Unknown to everyone though, he continues to hold-up banks all over Vienna. 

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Death Raiders (1984)

This Philippine action film starts off (as these bottom of the barrel films usually do) with a guns-blazing, explosion-laden extravaganza. I'm not really sure what's going on but I think we are supposed to be witnessing a jungle rebel group at their violent best. Soon afterwards, this revolutionary force kidnap the governor of some region during his daughter's birthday party. The young adult daughters are also held hostage by the renegades. The army decides to re-form the "Death Raiders" commando team to rescue the Governor and his girls. We are introduced to each of the team members as they show off their skills of martial arts and cunning battle strategy. And while they are gearing up for the mission, there are those within the guerrilla camp that also have plans to save the hostages. Looks like the captives really don't have anything to worry about.

Available: Netflix, Amazon