THE EAGLE
1925
*
A wanted Russian lieutenant becomes a masked outlaw seeking vengeance.
The most popular star of his day's penultimate film is his most notable work, with set design, photography and costumes well above average for the time. Its story remains non-turgid today, its star's appeal not unclear.
Dir: Clarence Brown
Stars: Rudolph Valentino, Vilma Banky, Louise Dresser, Albert ContiTHE EAGLE HUNTRESS
2016
*
Documentary about a 13-year-old Mongolian girl who trains to become her region's first female eagle hunter.
A sort of distant cousin of Nanook Of The North, this beautiful looking film shows the Western viewer places and customs that could not be more alien to them, and tells a remarkable tale that has surely been tweaked by the makers for dramatic effect. Nothing too wrong with that - many scenes still wow - but its unnaturalness sometimes makes it more like a fictional piece.
Dir: Otto Bell
Narrator: Daisy Ridley
THE EARLY BIRD
1965
*
A milkman is caught in the middle of warring dairy companies.
A rare thing, a tolerable Norman Wisdom comedy.
Dir: Robert Asher
Stars: Norman Wisdom, Edward Chapman, John Le Mesurier, Peter Jeffrey
EARLY TO BED
1928
*
Stan becomes Ollie's butler.
Both stars are badly out of character here, and it suffers accordingly.
Dir: Emmett Flynn
Stars: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy
THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING
1964
0
A pilot discovers that alien robots have gassed a village.
Lower league sci-fi, attractively presented but pedestrian after a dramatic start – certainly not as exciting as the title suggests. It’s a bit like an episode of The Avengers, and about the same length as one.
Dir: Terence Fisher
Stars: Willard Parker, Virginia Field, Dennis Price, Thorley Walters
EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY
1989
*
Three hairy aliens come to California looking for Earth women.
Zany, quirky musical comedy which manages to hold the attention.
Dir: Julien Temple
Stars: Geena Davis, Jeff Goldblum, Jim Carrey, Damon Wayans
EARTH VS THE FLYING SAUCERS
1956
0
Aliens give Earthlings 56 days before they say they will invade.
Fine special effects are the saviour of this flabby sci-fi opus.
Dir: Fred F Sears
Stars: Hugh Marlowe, Joan Taylor, Donald Curtis
EARTH VS THE SPIDER
1958
0
A giant spider threatens teenagers in a small town.
Bert I Gordon doing what he did best, ie making corny sci-fi movies with bad special effects and rudimentary acting (and even getting a couple of plugs in for his other flicks) - a film for unknowing Fifties audiences and knowing 21st century internet-heads, and possibly no one in between.
Dir: Bert I Gordon
Stars: Ed Kemmer, June Kenney, Eugene Persson
EARTHBOUND
1981
0
Alien travellers get stuck on Earth.
Absolutely abysmal sentimental sci-fi with every cliché in the book.
Dir: James L Conway
Stars: Burt Ives, Christopher Connelly, Meredith MacRae
EARTHLINGS
2005
**
Documentary about man's pointless ill-treatment of animals.
Very few could watch every second of this film without hiding behind their fingers; it's a grim watch, and while there may be some legitimate complaints that it presents a partisan, selective view of what we do to animals, it's nevertheless compelling and will give pause to all but the most voracious of carnivores.
Dir: Shaun Monson
Stars: Joaquin Phoenix
EARTHQUAKE
1974
*
Personal stories entwine during an earthquake in Los Angeles.
Box office gold of its day, assisted by ‘Sensurround’, which enabled patrons to feel they were in the film. On television viewings now, its absence is regrettable.
Dir: Mark Robson
Stars: Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, Lorne Greene, George Kennedy, Genevieve Bujold
EAST OF EDEN
1955
***
On a Californian farm in the early twentieth century, a headstrong young man struggles to build a relationship with his father.
Rich character drama made distinctive by devilishly handsome Dean's Brando-ish performance (the sort that would soon become irksome), it develops a theme that will be familiar to many, that of dysfunctional family relationships, and it does it well. The recreation of the place and period's look is splendid too.
Dir: Elia Kazan
Stars: James Dean, Raymond Massey, Julie Harris, Burt Ives
AN EASTERN WESTERNER
1920
*
A young man finds himself in a dangerous town of cowboys.
Standard Lloyd short which, as was the case with many of his films, has witty title captions.
Dir: Hal Roach
Stars: Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, Noah Young
EASY RIDER
1969
**
Two drop-outs bike across America.
Influential road trip that captured a certain mood, but hasn’t lasted too well.
Dir: Dennis Hopper
Stars: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson
EASY STREET
1917
***
A tramp becomes a policeman and sets about cleaning up his neighbourhood.
One of Chaplin's high points; a funny film with a social point or two.
Dir: Charles Chaplin
Stars: Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Eric Campbell
EASY VIRTUE
1927
*
A woman finds that her reputation has been ruined by her participation in a divorce case.
Downbeat melodrama based on a Noel Coward play, it contains enough perky Hitchcock touches (the phone operator's reactions, the judge's wig, the swinging pendulum etc) to be worthy of note.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
Stars: Isabel Jeans, Robin Irvine, Franklin Dyall
EATEN ALIVE!
1980
0
While investigating her sister's disappearance, a woman happens upon a bizarre jungle cult group.
One of the better cannibal flicks, with plenty of gore and nudity to keep fans happy. The plot is loosely based on the Jim Jones cult of the late Seventies, and adds some gruesome animal killings for fun (some of which are from Last Cannibal World (qv)). Unoriginal but sleazy fun from a bygone age.
Dir: Umberto Lenzi
Stars: Robert Kerman, Janet Agren, Ivan Rassimov, Me Me Lai
EBIRAH, HORROR OF THE DEEP
1966
0
A massive living fossils attacks islanders until it is challenged by Godzilla.
Men in rubber suits to keep strange types happy.
Dir: Jun Fukuda
Stars: Akira Takarada, Kumi Mizuno
ECCO
1963
0
Mondo movie featuring various strange rituals from around the world.
Disappointingly boring entry into the generally enticing genre - it just never takes off despite the reindeer castration, the lesbians, the martial arts and much more.
Dir: Gianni Proia
Narrator: George Sanders
L’ECOLE DES FACTEURS
1947
**
Village postmen are told to hurry their rounds up.
Joyful Tati short featuring the postman he would develop more in Jour De Fete (qv).
Dir: Jacques Tati, Paul Demange
Stars: Jacques Tati
ED WOOD
1995
***
The story of the film director branded the worst of them all.
A delight for those who know Wood’s work, this lovingly recreates his wacky ideas to make for a highly original and fecund film.
Dir: Tim Burton
Stars: Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker, Bill Murray
EDDIE THE EAGLE
2016
*
The story of the British skier who represented Britain in the 1988 Winter Olympics.
No cliché is left unturned in this loose biopic of a famous underdog, but it slips down so easily that all is forgivable. You can virtually see the tentpoles that hold up the story - the setbacks, the training regime, the strokes of luck, the final triumph - and the fictionalising probably goes too far (the Hugh Jackman character, for instance, didn't even exist), while many of the personage are totally one-dimensional (Allen's and McInnerny's characters especially), but it's a pleasure to see such a good-natured film with no hang-ups and navel-gazing.
Dir: Dexter Fletcher
Stars: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Keith Allen, Jo Hartley, Tim McInnerny
EDEN LAKE
2008
0
A young couple are menaced by evil kids in the woods.
Absurd and unpersuasive shocker in which the relentless mayhem kicks in way too soon – a build-up would have given the characters some depth and made the action less repetitive and tiresome. You never for a minute believe that these youths would behave quite so psychotically.
Dir: James Watkins
Stars: Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender, Jack O’Connell, Thomas Turgoose
EDGE OF SANITY
1988
0
Calm Dr Jekyll inhales a gas and becomes perverted Mr Hyde.
Squalid, incoherent horror with Perkins looking like he wanted to be put out of his misery.
Dir: Gerard Kikoine
Stars: Anthony Perkins, Glynis Barber, David Lodge
EDGE OF TOMORROW
2014
**
A soldier killed in a battle against aliens returns from the dead again and again.
The first half of this sci-fi thriller is enormous fun and very clever, a sort of melding of Groundhog Day and Starship Troopers, but the second half is more of a generic action blockbuster. Plot holes are of course evident, including: what happens to Blunt's timeline after she kills Cruise?
Dir: Doug Liman
Stars: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson
EDTV
1999
*
A simple man is put on television 24 hours a day.
Truman Show-like novelty with nice moments but too much soapiness; also too long and too American.
Dir: Ron Howard
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Jenna Elfman, Woody Harrelson, Ellen DeGeneres, Martin Landau, Rob Reiner, Dennis Hopper, Elizabeth Hurley
EDUCATING JULIE
1984 (V)
0
A female student investigates nudism in England, France and the USA for a university project.
Gloriously awful project by the British Naturist Society, as dated as the original nudist films from the Fifties and Sixties, complete with very awkward 'acting', stilted dialogue and risible camera effects. Essentially naturist propaganda, its period detail and undressed star (whatever happened to her?!) make it relaxing viewing for fans of such things.
Dir: Gail Hardman
Stars: Gail Ward, Miles Taylor
EDUCATING RITA
1983
**
A working class hairdresser enrols on a university English literature course.
Brightly scripted opening up of a two-character play, a tad unconvincing in the portrayal of Rita’s conversion, but with many pithy dialogue exchanges and committed performances. It's set in England but was completely shot in Ireland.
Dir: Lewis Gilbert
Stars: Michael Caine, Julie Walters, Michael Williams, Maureen Lipman
AN EDUCATION
2009
**
In London in 1961, an intelligent schoolgirl falls for an older man.
Although perhaps not quite worthy of some of the attention it got from awards givers, this is a civilised and palatable drama with a piquant sense of time and place that isn't completely spoiled by some of the characters' behaviour: would a girl at the beginning of the Sixties be this headstrong, and would middle-class parents of this ilk be so tolerant? Young Mulligan's performance marked her out as one to watch in the future, and Molina is always quality.
Dir: Lone Scherfig
Stars: Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Rosamund Pike, Olivia Williams, Emma Thompson
EDUCATION ANGLAISE
1983
0
An orphaned girl is sent to a school with strict discipline and curious sexual practices.
Badly made tat with zero characterisation, no narrative drive and a character who is meant to look like a woman but is obviously a man. The dubbed version is even more execrable.
Dir: Jean-Claude Roy
Stars: Jean Antolinos, Andre Dupon, Jean-Claude Dreyfus, Brigitte Lahaie
EDWARD SCISSORHANDS
1991
**
An inventor creates a boy but dies before he completes his hands.
A unique little picture, comely to gaze upon, it tells its story straight and conjures up some magic moments.
Dir: Tim Burton
Stars: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Vincent Price
EEGAH
1962
0
A prehistoric caveman is discovered in modern-day California.
An amusingly terrible movie with much risibility. It was one of many films chosen to be mocked by the terrible American TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Dir: Arch Hall Sr
Stars: Arch Hall Jr, Marilyn Manning, Richard Kiel, Arch Hall Sr
EIGHT AND A HALF
1963
*
A film director has problems with his women and with his movie.
Self-indulgent kaleidoscope of bizarre behaviour, either likely to captivate or bewilder and bore. Possibly the latter.
Dir: Federico Fellini
Stars: Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale
EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS
2002
0
Spilt radioactive material causes spiders to mutate and attack a small town.
Totally standard updating of the monster movie thing with great special effects (as is now expected) but a script that can't get its tone right.
Dir: Ellory Elkayem
Stars: David Arquette, Kari Wuhrer, Scarlet Johansson
18 AGAIN
1988
0
An 81-year-old changes brains with his 18-year-old grandson.
Body swap antics which descend into silliness and sentimentality; and the grinning lead doesn’t help.
Dir: Paul Flaherty
Stars: George Burns, Charlie Schlatter, Tony Roberts, Red Buttons
80,000 SUSPECTS
1963
*
A smallpox epidemic terrorises the city of Bath.
Great location photography of Bath in the harsh winter of '63 is about the only saving grace of this turgid, talkative, overlong drama that focuses more on soap opera elements than thriller ones. Such a disappointment, what with its solid technical credits.
Dir: Val Guest
Stars: Richard Johnson, Claire Bloom, Cyril Cusack, Yolande Donlan, Mervyn Johns
EL BULLI: COOKING IN PROGRESS
2010
0
Documentary following the invention of new recipes for Spanish restaurant El Bulli, frequently acclaimed as the best in the world.
What this film needs is a narrator and about half an hour chopping out of it, not to mention some more smiles from the featured chefs. There are tasty titbits, but the final montage of photographs of the new dishes is somehow the most satisfying thing here.
Dir: Gereon Wetzel
ELECTION
1999
**
A high school election turns nasty and one particular teacher is caught in the middle.
Sour comic drama with few real laughs and barely a character to sympathise with but a literate, spiky script that is well performed by its cast.
Dir: Alexander Payne
Stars: Matthew Broderick, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Klein, Jessica Campbell
ELECTRIC BLUE THE MOVIE
1981
0
Not in the slightest bit cinematic, this is a delightfully tacky kaleidoscope of naughtiness, including nude disco dancing, ancient footage of a fake Marilyn Monroe, a jaw-dropping Readers’ Wives section, naked girls frolicking in a swimming pool and more. Much of it is tiresome despite the flesh on show, but it’s already become an ’80s novelty, a reminder of both how far the camera was allowed to show and what this sort of product was like in pre-internet days.
Dir: Adam Cole
Stars: Marilyn Chambers, Brigitte Lahaie, Joanna Lumley, Jayne Mansfield
ELECTRIC BOOGALOO: THE WILD, UNTOLD STORY OF CANNON FILMS
2014
**
Documentary about schlock film specialists Cannon, led by maverick Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus.
Enjoyable collection of clips and reminisces concerning the studio that gave us the likes of Lifeforce, Breakin', Sahara, Otello and many more; the cousins come in for a huge amount of criticism but it's hard to dislike the guys who gave us so much gutsy, fun cinema. Even those who loathe them should find this film an entertaining and enlightening watch.
Dir: Mark Hartley
ELECTRIC DREAMS
1984
0
A boy’s computer takes over his life, literally.
Shapeless oddity, a showcase for weird visuals and pop music, but neither funny nor compelling.
Dir: Steve Barron
Stars: Lenny von Dohlen, Virginia Madsen, Bud Cort
2016
*
Documentary about a 13-year-old Mongolian girl who trains to become her region's first female eagle hunter.
A sort of distant cousin of Nanook Of The North, this beautiful looking film shows the Western viewer places and customs that could not be more alien to them, and tells a remarkable tale that has surely been tweaked by the makers for dramatic effect. Nothing too wrong with that - many scenes still wow - but its unnaturalness sometimes makes it more like a fictional piece.
Dir: Otto Bell
Narrator: Daisy Ridley
THE EARLY BIRD
1965
*
A milkman is caught in the middle of warring dairy companies.
A rare thing, a tolerable Norman Wisdom comedy.
Dir: Robert Asher
Stars: Norman Wisdom, Edward Chapman, John Le Mesurier, Peter Jeffrey
EARLY TO BED
1928
*
Stan becomes Ollie's butler.
Both stars are badly out of character here, and it suffers accordingly.
Dir: Emmett Flynn
Stars: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy
EARTH
1930
*
Collectivist farming comes to Ukraine.
This film has greater historical significance than it does narrative depth or characters that make an imprint - so is perhaps a perfect representation of the anti-human, uncultured nature of communism. The cinematographer has done the best job.
Dir: Aleksandr Dovzhenko
Stars: Stepan Shkurat, Semyon Svashenko, Yuliya Solntseva
1964
0
A pilot discovers that alien robots have gassed a village.
Lower league sci-fi, attractively presented but pedestrian after a dramatic start – certainly not as exciting as the title suggests. It’s a bit like an episode of The Avengers, and about the same length as one.
Dir: Terence Fisher
Stars: Willard Parker, Virginia Field, Dennis Price, Thorley Walters
EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY
1989
*
Three hairy aliens come to California looking for Earth women.
Zany, quirky musical comedy which manages to hold the attention.
Dir: Julien Temple
Stars: Geena Davis, Jeff Goldblum, Jim Carrey, Damon Wayans
EARTH VS THE FLYING SAUCERS
1956
0
Aliens give Earthlings 56 days before they say they will invade.
Fine special effects are the saviour of this flabby sci-fi opus.
Dir: Fred F Sears
Stars: Hugh Marlowe, Joan Taylor, Donald Curtis
EARTH VS THE SPIDER
1958
0
A giant spider threatens teenagers in a small town.
Bert I Gordon doing what he did best, ie making corny sci-fi movies with bad special effects and rudimentary acting (and even getting a couple of plugs in for his other flicks) - a film for unknowing Fifties audiences and knowing 21st century internet-heads, and possibly no one in between.
Dir: Bert I Gordon
Stars: Ed Kemmer, June Kenney, Eugene Persson
EARTHBOUND
1981
0
Alien travellers get stuck on Earth.
Absolutely abysmal sentimental sci-fi with every cliché in the book.
Dir: James L Conway
Stars: Burt Ives, Christopher Connelly, Meredith MacRae
EARTHLINGS
2005
**
Documentary about man's pointless ill-treatment of animals.
Very few could watch every second of this film without hiding behind their fingers; it's a grim watch, and while there may be some legitimate complaints that it presents a partisan, selective view of what we do to animals, it's nevertheless compelling and will give pause to all but the most voracious of carnivores.
Dir: Shaun Monson
Stars: Joaquin Phoenix
EARTHQUAKE
1974
*
Personal stories entwine during an earthquake in Los Angeles.
Box office gold of its day, assisted by ‘Sensurround’, which enabled patrons to feel they were in the film. On television viewings now, its absence is regrettable.
Dir: Mark Robson
Stars: Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, Lorne Greene, George Kennedy, Genevieve Bujold
EAST LYNNE
1931
**
In upper class society, a young woman marries a wealthy man whose family do not approve of her.
Elegant, old-fashioned drama not unlike early Somerset Maugham, a simple, linear, strong, humanistic story that does not suffer from being quite plainly filmed. This reviewer has only seen the print that is missing the final 12 minutes, 12 minutes that are apparently excessively melodramatic - the full film can, annoyingly, only be viewed at the UCLA (which is also the case with 1934's Oscar nominated The White Parade). One day a watch of it would be hugely welcome.
Dir: Frank Lloyd
Stars: Ann Harding, Clive Brook, Conrad Nagel, Cecilia Loftus
EAST OF EDEN
1955
***
On a Californian farm in the early twentieth century, a headstrong young man struggles to build a relationship with his father.
Rich character drama made distinctive by devilishly handsome Dean's Brando-ish performance (the sort that would soon become irksome), it develops a theme that will be familiar to many, that of dysfunctional family relationships, and it does it well. The recreation of the place and period's look is splendid too.
Dir: Elia Kazan
Stars: James Dean, Raymond Massey, Julie Harris, Burt Ives
EASTERN PROMISES
2007
0
A nurse investigates a Russian mob family with links to a dead teenager.
Fairly loathsome thriller about loathsome people, the Russian gangsters who've been allowed to get a toehold in London. It's full of 'did we really have to see that?' moments, whether they be explicit violence, a naked Mortensen having a fight, near-rape and more; the constant switching between Russian and English is irritating, the language is unpleasant, the general vibe not thrilling at all, maybe because it's just not a very good plot.
Dir: David Cronenberg
Stars: Naomi Watts, Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassel, Armin Mueller-Stahl
AN EASTERN WESTERNER
1920
*
A young man finds himself in a dangerous town of cowboys.
Standard Lloyd short which, as was the case with many of his films, has witty title captions.
Dir: Hal Roach
Stars: Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, Noah Young
EASY RIDER
1969
**
Two drop-outs bike across America.
Influential road trip that captured a certain mood, but hasn’t lasted too well.
Dir: Dennis Hopper
Stars: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson
EASY STREET
1917
***
A tramp becomes a policeman and sets about cleaning up his neighbourhood.
One of Chaplin's high points; a funny film with a social point or two.
Dir: Charles Chaplin
Stars: Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Eric Campbell
EASY VIRTUE
1927
*
A woman finds that her reputation has been ruined by her participation in a divorce case.
Downbeat melodrama based on a Noel Coward play, it contains enough perky Hitchcock touches (the phone operator's reactions, the judge's wig, the swinging pendulum etc) to be worthy of note.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
Stars: Isabel Jeans, Robin Irvine, Franklin Dyall
EATEN ALIVE!
1980
0
While investigating her sister's disappearance, a woman happens upon a bizarre jungle cult group.
One of the better cannibal flicks, with plenty of gore and nudity to keep fans happy. The plot is loosely based on the Jim Jones cult of the late Seventies, and adds some gruesome animal killings for fun (some of which are from Last Cannibal World (qv)). Unoriginal but sleazy fun from a bygone age.
Dir: Umberto Lenzi
Stars: Robert Kerman, Janet Agren, Ivan Rassimov, Me Me Lai
EBIRAH, HORROR OF THE DEEP
1966
0
A massive living fossils attacks islanders until it is challenged by Godzilla.
Men in rubber suits to keep strange types happy.
Dir: Jun Fukuda
Stars: Akira Takarada, Kumi Mizuno
ECCO
1963
0
Mondo movie featuring various strange rituals from around the world.
Disappointingly boring entry into the generally enticing genre - it just never takes off despite the reindeer castration, the lesbians, the martial arts and much more.
Dir: Gianni Proia
Narrator: George Sanders
L’ECOLE DES FACTEURS
1947
**
Village postmen are told to hurry their rounds up.
Joyful Tati short featuring the postman he would develop more in Jour De Fete (qv).
Dir: Jacques Tati, Paul Demange
Stars: Jacques Tati
ECSTASY
2011
0
A small-time drug dealer in Edinburgh falls for a visiting Canadian girl.
Irvine Welsh is one of the best British novelists of his era but screen adaptations of his work can vary wildly - you have Trainspotting and its sequel and then you have this, which, although it starts with promise and has similar sorts of incidents to the aforementioned, just doesn't work: you can probably put that down to a production that is low on high quality, whether that be with the director or the actors. It tries hard but doesn't convince - the mix of druggy nastiness and sentimental stuff, which is a challenge to pull off, proves to be a queasy one.
Dir: Robert Heydon
Stars: Adam Sinclair, Kristin Kreuk, Billy Boyd, Carlo Rota
ED WOOD
1995
***
The story of the film director branded the worst of them all.
A delight for those who know Wood’s work, this lovingly recreates his wacky ideas to make for a highly original and fecund film.
Dir: Tim Burton
Stars: Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker, Bill Murray
EDDIE THE EAGLE
2016
*
The story of the British skier who represented Britain in the 1988 Winter Olympics.
No cliché is left unturned in this loose biopic of a famous underdog, but it slips down so easily that all is forgivable. You can virtually see the tentpoles that hold up the story - the setbacks, the training regime, the strokes of luck, the final triumph - and the fictionalising probably goes too far (the Hugh Jackman character, for instance, didn't even exist), while many of the personage are totally one-dimensional (Allen's and McInnerny's characters especially), but it's a pleasure to see such a good-natured film with no hang-ups and navel-gazing.
Dir: Dexter Fletcher
Stars: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Keith Allen, Jo Hartley, Tim McInnerny
EDEN LAKE
2008
0
A young couple are menaced by evil kids in the woods.
Absurd and unpersuasive shocker in which the relentless mayhem kicks in way too soon – a build-up would have given the characters some depth and made the action less repetitive and tiresome. You never for a minute believe that these youths would behave quite so psychotically.
Dir: James Watkins
Stars: Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender, Jack O’Connell, Thomas Turgoose
EDGE OF SANITY
1988
0
Calm Dr Jekyll inhales a gas and becomes perverted Mr Hyde.
Squalid, incoherent horror with Perkins looking like he wanted to be put out of his misery.
Dir: Gerard Kikoine
Stars: Anthony Perkins, Glynis Barber, David Lodge
EDGE OF TOMORROW
2014
**
A soldier killed in a battle against aliens returns from the dead again and again.
The first half of this sci-fi thriller is enormous fun and very clever, a sort of melding of Groundhog Day and Starship Troopers, but the second half is more of a generic action blockbuster. Plot holes are of course evident, including: what happens to Blunt's timeline after she kills Cruise?
Dir: Doug Liman
Stars: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson
EDTV
1999
*
A simple man is put on television 24 hours a day.
Truman Show-like novelty with nice moments but too much soapiness; also too long and too American.
Dir: Ron Howard
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Jenna Elfman, Woody Harrelson, Ellen DeGeneres, Martin Landau, Rob Reiner, Dennis Hopper, Elizabeth Hurley
EDUCATING JULIE
1984 (V)
0
A female student investigates nudism in England, France and the USA for a university project.
Gloriously awful project by the British Naturist Society, as dated as the original nudist films from the Fifties and Sixties, complete with very awkward 'acting', stilted dialogue and risible camera effects. Essentially naturist propaganda, its period detail and undressed star (whatever happened to her?!) make it relaxing viewing for fans of such things.
Dir: Gail Hardman
Stars: Gail Ward, Miles Taylor
EDUCATING RITA
1983
**
A working class hairdresser enrols on a university English literature course.
Brightly scripted opening up of a two-character play, a tad unconvincing in the portrayal of Rita’s conversion, but with many pithy dialogue exchanges and committed performances. It's set in England but was completely shot in Ireland.
Dir: Lewis Gilbert
Stars: Michael Caine, Julie Walters, Michael Williams, Maureen Lipman
AN EDUCATION
2009
**
In London in 1961, an intelligent schoolgirl falls for an older man.
Although perhaps not quite worthy of some of the attention it got from awards givers, this is a civilised and palatable drama with a piquant sense of time and place that isn't completely spoiled by some of the characters' behaviour: would a girl at the beginning of the Sixties be this headstrong, and would middle-class parents of this ilk be so tolerant? Young Mulligan's performance marked her out as one to watch in the future, and Molina is always quality.
Dir: Lone Scherfig
Stars: Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Rosamund Pike, Olivia Williams, Emma Thompson
EDUCATION ANGLAISE
1983
0
An orphaned girl is sent to a school with strict discipline and curious sexual practices.
Badly made tat with zero characterisation, no narrative drive and a character who is meant to look like a woman but is obviously a man. The dubbed version is even more execrable.
Dir: Jean-Claude Roy
Stars: Jean Antolinos, Andre Dupon, Jean-Claude Dreyfus, Brigitte Lahaie
EDWARD SCISSORHANDS
1991
**
An inventor creates a boy but dies before he completes his hands.
A unique little picture, comely to gaze upon, it tells its story straight and conjures up some magic moments.
Dir: Tim Burton
Stars: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Vincent Price
EEGAH
1962
0
A prehistoric caveman is discovered in modern-day California.
An amusingly terrible movie with much risibility. It was one of many films chosen to be mocked by the terrible American TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Dir: Arch Hall Sr
Stars: Arch Hall Jr, Marilyn Manning, Richard Kiel, Arch Hall Sr
EGGHEAD'S ROBOT
1970
0
A young boffin uses a robot double of himself to do various tasks, without telling his parents.
Even by the standards of the Children's Film Foundation, this is a painfully juvenile adventure which will test the patience of even the most ardent fan: there's only so many times you can see Kinnear or the children falling into a muddy pool. The script offers a pretty dismal and repetitive runaround, with rather too many shots of the Chegwins in their undies or dressed up as a girl. It actually seems to be a semi-sequel to The Troublesome Double (1967) - one can only hope that that wasn't as inane as this; still, there are nice shots of the Wimbledon of the time.
Dir: Milo Lewis
Stars: Keith Chegwin, Jeffrey Chegwin, Kathryn Dawe, Roy Kinnear, Richard Wattis, Patricia Routledge
EIGHT AND A HALF
1963
*
A film director has problems with his women and with his movie.
Self-indulgent kaleidoscope of bizarre behaviour, either likely to captivate or bewilder and bore. Possibly the latter.
Dir: Federico Fellini
Stars: Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale
EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS
2002
0
Spilt radioactive material causes spiders to mutate and attack a small town.
Totally standard updating of the monster movie thing with great special effects (as is now expected) but a script that can't get its tone right.
Dir: Ellory Elkayem
Stars: David Arquette, Kari Wuhrer, Scarlet Johansson
18 AGAIN
1988
0
An 81-year-old changes brains with his 18-year-old grandson.
Body swap antics which descend into silliness and sentimentality; and the grinning lead doesn’t help.
Dir: Paul Flaherty
Stars: George Burns, Charlie Schlatter, Tony Roberts, Red Buttons
80,000 SUSPECTS
1963
*
A smallpox epidemic terrorises the city of Bath.
Great location photography of Bath in the harsh winter of '63 is about the only saving grace of this turgid, talkative, overlong drama that focuses more on soap opera elements than thriller ones. Such a disappointment, what with its solid technical credits.
Dir: Val Guest
Stars: Richard Johnson, Claire Bloom, Cyril Cusack, Yolande Donlan, Mervyn Johns
EL BULLI: COOKING IN PROGRESS
2010
0
Documentary following the invention of new recipes for Spanish restaurant El Bulli, frequently acclaimed as the best in the world.
What this film needs is a narrator and about half an hour chopping out of it, not to mention some more smiles from the featured chefs. There are tasty titbits, but the final montage of photographs of the new dishes is somehow the most satisfying thing here.
Dir: Gereon Wetzel
ELECTION
1999
**
A high school election turns nasty and one particular teacher is caught in the middle.
Sour comic drama with few real laughs and barely a character to sympathise with but a literate, spiky script that is well performed by its cast.
Dir: Alexander Payne
Stars: Matthew Broderick, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Klein, Jessica Campbell
ELECTRIC BLUE THE MOVIE
1981
0
Not in the slightest bit cinematic, this is a delightfully tacky kaleidoscope of naughtiness, including nude disco dancing, ancient footage of a fake Marilyn Monroe, a jaw-dropping Readers’ Wives section, naked girls frolicking in a swimming pool and more. Much of it is tiresome despite the flesh on show, but it’s already become an ’80s novelty, a reminder of both how far the camera was allowed to show and what this sort of product was like in pre-internet days.
Dir: Adam Cole
Stars: Marilyn Chambers, Brigitte Lahaie, Joanna Lumley, Jayne Mansfield
ELECTRIC BOOGALOO: THE WILD, UNTOLD STORY OF CANNON FILMS
2014
**
Documentary about schlock film specialists Cannon, led by maverick Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus.
Enjoyable collection of clips and reminisces concerning the studio that gave us the likes of Lifeforce, Breakin', Sahara, Otello and many more; the cousins come in for a huge amount of criticism but it's hard to dislike the guys who gave us so much gutsy, fun cinema. Even those who loathe them should find this film an entertaining and enlightening watch.
Dir: Mark Hartley
ELECTRIC DREAMS
1984
0
A boy’s computer takes over his life, literally.
Shapeless oddity, a showcase for weird visuals and pop music, but neither funny nor compelling.
Dir: Steve Barron
Stars: Lenny von Dohlen, Virginia Madsen, Bud Cort
THE ELECTRIC HOUSE
1922
*
Buster wires a house and chaos ensues.
How modern technology can go wrong was a theme sometimes utilised by the silent movie stars, and while this is quite contrived and not wildly funny, it nevertheless provides some pleasure because it tries hard to engineer some ingenious mishaps.
Dir: Edward F Cline, Buster Keaton
Stars: Buster Keaton, Virginia Fox, Joe Roberts
ELEKTRA
2005
0
A female warrior chooses to protect the father and daughter she is ordered to assassinate.
Weirdly awful Marvel movie – it’s difficult to say why it so dismally fails, maybe it’s because the script is invisible, the locations unsympathetic and the action meaningless. Not a goer for all sorts of reasons.
Dir: Rob Bowman
Stars: Jennifer Garner, Goran Visnjic, Kirsten Prout, Terence Stamp
ELEPHANT BOY
1937
*
In India, a young elephant keeper helps government conservationists.
Deeply dated Tarzan-like adventure; at least the location shooting is still impressive.
Dir: Robert Flaherty, Zoltan Korda
Stars: Sabu, Walter Hudd, Wilfrid Hyde-White
THE ELEPHANT MAN
1980
****
A hideously deformed man is a sideshow attraction in Victorian London.
Genuinely moving and brilliantly realised true-life story adorned by exquisite performances and masterful cinematography and set construction. A film for anyone who's ever suffered, one which shows the extremes of man's ability to be kind and cruel - both depictions are here deeply affecting.
Dir: David Lynch
Stars: John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, John Gielgud, Anne Bancroft, Freddie Jones, Wendy Hiller, Michael Elphick, Hannah Gordon
THE ELEVATOR
1974 (TV)
0
A group of people, including a robber, get stuck in a lift.
Routine thriller made in exactly the way you'd expect. Ooh, what Hitch could have done with this.
Dir: Jerry Jameson
Stars: Roddy McDowall, Myrna Loy, Carol Lynley, James Farentino
THE 11TH HOUR
2007
*
Documentary looking at the Earth’s environmental problems and what can be done to help.
The science is presented in a sometimes disingenuous manner and the rapid-fire talking heads-style presentation soon becomes wearing, but at least this film presents hopeful solutions rather than just doom and gloom. Doom and gloom, incidentally, would probably be more appropriate, as the human race is likely to be wiped out in the next few thousand years by the vicissitudes of the universe, rather than anything man-made.
Dir: Nadia Conners, Leila Conners Petersen
Presenter: Leonardo DiCaprio
ELF
2003
*
A human raised as an elf in the North Pole treks to New York to find his true father.
Amusing, good-natured, sentimental comedy that slips down as easily as mince pies and mulled wine when watched during the Christmas period. Definitely one of Ferrell's better films.
Dir: Jon Faveau
Stars: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Zooey Deschanel, Edward Asner, Mary Steenburgen
ELIMINATORS
1986
0
A 'mandroid' and his companions search for an evil professor in the jungle.
Fantasy with the intelligence level of a slow four-year-old.
Dir: Peter Manoogian
Stars: Andrew Prine, Denise Crosby, Patrick Reynolds
ELITE SQUAD: THE ENEMY WITHIN
2010
*
In Rio a police officer tries to root out corruption within the force.
Pretentious, boisterous police drama with excessive reliance on voice-over (and dialogue); hectic and convoluted but occasionally arresting. Apparently seen by over 11 million people in Brazil, it at least gives you a little hope that cinema might be able to change society for the better.
Dir: Jose Padilha
Stars: Wagner Moura, Irandhir Santos, André Ramiro
ELIZABETH
1998
**
Queen Elizabeth I initially struggles to exercise her dominance over her court.
Solid historical drama which takes the usual liberties with the truth but is so driven it's easily forgivable; a namey cast emphasises its ambition and quality.
Dir: Shekhar Kapur
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Fiennes, Richard Attenborough, Eric Cantona, Kathy Burke, John Gielgud
ELLE
2016
**
A woman is attacked in her home but does not report it; even murkier things follow.
A profoundly strange film from an always interesting director, this isn't the Hitchcockian thriller you might expect but rather a consistently surprising drama that in some ways plays like a television series (and is quite long), with off-kilter characters acting in curious ways. Perhaps not quite as gripping as it might have been, but never boring, it's about how past experiences twist us into the dark-souled creatures we so often are, and certainly won't be viewing for everyone.
Dir: Paul Verhoeven
Stars: Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny, Charles Berling
ELMER GANTRY
1960
**
A charismatic salesman becomes a popular evangelist preacher.
Interesting but infuriating drama in which Lancaster goes turbo-charged as one of the most loathsome, hypocritical and deceitful lead characters of his type ever put on screen. Also likely to have the rational viewer screaming out loud is the easy ride given to organised religion, although some forgive this because of the time and the fact that it’s a big budget Hollywood production (but the same year’s Inherit The Wind managed to be a lot more sensible). With powerful scenes and an epic scope, it’s a movie that demands attention but doesn’t half send out confusing messages and, frustratingly, never fully explains Gantry’s motivation.
Dir: Richard Brooks
Stars: Burt Lancaster, Jean Simmons, Arthur Kennedy, Dean Jagger, Shirley Jones
EMANUELLE AND THE EROTIC NIGHTS
1978
0
Sort of documentary concerning unusual sexual practices around the world.
Gemser provides narration for a series of nudity-filled vignettes which don't require an understanding of the original Italian; scenarios include Snow White and seven horny dwarves, a penis operation, nude roller skating, a stripper and a mule, lesbian wrestlers and more. What's not real, what's real, and, what's more, does it matter?
Dir: Bruno Mattei
Stars: Laura Gemser
EMANUELLE AND THE LAST CANNIBALS
1977
*
A female reporter checks out tales of cannibalism in the jungle.
Perversely enjoyable slice of extreme sex and violence. It includes a woman’s nipple being cut off and eaten.
Dir: Joe D'Amato
Stars: Laura Gemser, Gabriele Tinti, Nieves Navarro
EMANUELLE IN BANGKOK
1976
0
The dark-skinned photo-journalist visits Bangkok and Casablanca.
The follow-up to Black Emanuelle is rubbish: lame sex scenes intersperse the strange, random story which looks like it was shot on the hoof. Capped by an egregious soundtrack, it’s one to steer many miles clear of (especially cut versions, which remove the sleaze).
Dir: Joe D'Amato
Stars: Laura Gemser, Gabriele Tinti, Ely Galleani
EMILY
1976
0
In 1928 England, a girl realises she is becoming a woman.
Eventless erotic drama which now looks hilariously prudish and non-sexual.
Dir: Henry Herbert
Stars: Koo Stark, Victor Spinetti, Jane Hayden
EMMA
1996
*
A young woman is so busy playing matchmaker she forgets to fall in love.
Cheery Austen adaptation that captures many of the characters unerringly, although there are rather a lot of them... Pleasant and sunny, but not the best of the slew of Austen films of this period.
Dir: Douglas McGrath
Stars: Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Northam, Alan Cumming, Greta Scacchi, Toni Collette, James Cosmo
EMMANUELLE
1974
*
A Count's wife undertakes various sexual adventures.
Soft focus eroticism which ran for years in Paris and spawned countless similarily-monikered features. This now seems a very mild brew indeed.
Dir: Just Jaeckin
Stars: Sylvia Kristel, Marika Green, Alan Cuny
EMMANUELLE 2
1975
0
Emmanuelle and her husband both enjoy several illicit encounters.
This sequel has nothing in the way of an interesting plot, there's no great meaning to anything and the carnal scenes aren't especially thrilling (although the trio's massage is somewhat erotic), so you're left wondering: what's the point? Nice photography of exotic locations isn't enough.
Dir: Francis Giacobetti
Stars: Sylvia Kristel, Umberto Orsini, Frederic Lagache
EMMANUELLE IV
1984
0
Emmanuelle is transformed by plastic surgery into a younger and more beautiful woman.
Floppy follow-up which marked the series' descent into ever deeper nonsense, as they went for a gimmick that'd reinvigorate it. Why is Sylvia Kristel's character called Sylvia instead of Emmanuelle, and why do we need to know the dates the action takes place on?
Dir: Francis Leroi, Iris Letans
Stars: Sylvia Kristel, Mia Nygren, Patrick Bauchau
EMMANUELLE IN SOHO
1981
0
A young photographer attempts to outfox his devious and seedy employer.
A very, very badly made sexploiter in which the hilarious, grunting dubbing comes as a relief after the grinding voices of the leads.
Dir: David Hughes, Ray Selfe
Stars: Angie Quick, Julie Lee, John M East
EMPIRE OF THE ANTS
1977
0
A radiation leak causes ants to grow to enormous sizes; they then menace Florida.
Stumbling sci-fi with little to do with H G Wells. One problem is the absolutely abysmal special effects because they are central to making the story believable; another is the directionless script; another is... everything else.
Dir: Bert I Gordon
Stars: Joan Collins, Robert Lansing, John David Carson
EMPIRE OF THE SUN
1987
*
A boy comes of age in a Japanese POW camp in World War 2.
Interminable and heavy handed war drama which markedly fails to involve the viewer, partly due to the child lead being so weird and unsympathetic and partly due to a vague and unsatisfactory script.
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Stars: Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
1980
****
The Rebel Alliance retreats to ice world Hoth to escape the talons of the Empire.
The sequel to Star Wars is in many respects a better film - the plot is tighter, the characters better drawn, the special effects superior and the actors more comfortable; it also boasts glorious cinematography. As a movie it has real sweep and panache, and manages to tread the fine line between total confidence and not seeming pompous. Yes the Yoda sequences go on a bit but so much else about it is irresistible: the battle with the AT-ATs, the gleam of Cloud City, the duel between Luke and Vader... Lucas's Special Edition tinkering was minor and couldn't spoil it.
Dir: Irvin Kershner
Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Frank Oz, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Alec Guinness, Kenny Baker, Billy Dee Williams
ENCORE
1951
**
Three stories by W Somerset Maugham: The Ant And The Grasshopper, Winter Cruise and Gigolo And Gigolette.
Enjoyable Englishness from one of the world's finest writers of short stories. The first tale is vastly expanded from Maugham's original very short story and none the worse for it; the second never less than gladdening; the third the least light-hearted of the three, even offering up some suspense.
Dir: Pat Jackson, Anthony Pelissier, Harold French
Stars: Nigel Patrick, Ronald Culver, Kay Walsh, Glynis Johns
ENCOUNTER WITH THE UNKNOWN
1973
0
Three supernatural tales linked by a graveyard.
Diabolical anthology partly narrated by Rod Serling, with each of the three stories worse than the worst episode of The Twilight Zone. Lamely scripted, unintentionally funny and giving every appearance of a TV movie, the viewer thinks the agony is over when the final tale comes to a close, but then there’s another 10 minutes of painful recapping of all the preceding events!
Dir: Harry Thomason
Narrator: Rod Serling. Stars: Robert Ginnaven, Fran Franklin, Gary Brockette
END OF THE WORLD
1977
0
An alien dressed as a vicar plans to destroy the world.
Woebegone sci-fi in need of some proper lighting, and much else besides.
Dir: John Hayes
Stars: Christopher Lee, Sue Lyons, Kirk Scott, Dean Jagger
ENDLESS LOVE
1981
0
Two teenagers have a passionate love affair.
Risible melodrama with little sympathy or credibility.
Dir: Franco Zeffirelli
Stars: Brooke Shields, Martin Hewitt, Shirley Knight
ENDLESS NIGHT
1972
*
A luckless chauffeur marries a rich heiress but sinister behaviour may be afoot.
Casually developed mystery with a few tricks up its sleeve; the pacing's rather too leisurely but it boasts a few nice stylistic quirks and good technical credits.
Dir: Sidney Gilliat
Stars: Hayley Mills, Hywel Bennett, George Sanders, Britt Ekland, Lois Maxwell
ENEMIES, A LOVE STORY
1990
0
In post war Brooklyn, a Jewish man finds himself with three wives.
Not the wild farce the synopsis might suggest, more a slightly heavy-going tragi-comedy; the performances keep it afloat.
Dir: Paul Mazursky
Stars: Anjelica Huston, Ron Silver, Lena Olin
ENEMY
2013
**
A history teacher watches a film and sees in the background someone who looks exactly like him - so he attempts to track the man down.
Intriguing puzzler which piles on the mystery and can only be understood (more or less) after resort to the internet post-viewing; in which case does that not devalue the viewing experience - it's good to get a mental workout, but should movies be quite so obscure in meaning to their audiences? Gyllenhaal is impressive and it has a distinct look and feel, sombre and desultory.
Dir: Denis Villeneuve
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Melanie Laurent, Sarah Gadon, Isabella Rossellini
ENEMY MINE
1985
*
In a future space war, a man and his alien enemy crash-land on the same planet.
Sci-fi with much of the emphasis on personal relations rather than crash-bang action, and partly successful with it; when it goes a bit more bombastic later subtlety is lost. Lofty intentions are evident but there's not quite the talent to completely pull it off.
Dir: Wolfgang Petersen
Stars: Dennis Quaid, Lou Gossett Jr, Brion James, Richard Marcus
LES ENFANTS DU PARADIS
1945
**
In 1840s Paris, a mime falls in love with a woman he can’t have.
Overlong but technically excellent melodrama shot under the noses of the Nazis but exhibiting the free spirit of France. Despite its exalted status, the following criticisms could reasonably be levelled: the story has little warmth, the characters are all dislikeable and Garance (Arletty), the woman that all the men call beautiful, looks like an old hag. Like Shakespeare, it’s the sort of drama you appreciate more when it’s coming to its conclusion, or over.
Dir: Marcel Carne
Stars: Arletty, Jean-Louis Barrault, Pierre Brasseur, Marcel Herrand, Maria Casares
ENGLAND IS MINE
2017
*
Steven Patrick Morrissey, later front man of The Smiths, suffers a bruising and unsatisfying early adulthood.
Not so much a rock biopic, more a slim study of youthful alienation and frustration, featuring a person who would go on to write some of the best lyrics in music history, although there are only fleeting glimpses of his talent (and charisma) here. Possibly too opaque and subtle for its own good, with some dialogue that feels anachronistic, it nevertheless provides pleasures for fans - non-acolytes may find slim pickings.
Dir: Mark Gill
Stars: Jack Lowden, Jessica Brown Findlay, Jodie Comer
THE ENGLISH PATIENT
1996
**
Towards the end of World War 2, a nurse tends a badly scarred patient with a mysterious past.
Slickly made puzzle with different facets, some of which drag, some of which are grand cinema. One of the main faults is Fiennes' weird and unsympathetic character.
Dir: Anthony Minghella
Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Kristin Scott Thomas, Willem Dafoe, Naveen Andrews, Colin Firth, Kevin Whately
THE ENIGMA OF KASPAR HAUSER
1974
***
Based on a true story, the tale of a man who had been in a cell for most of his life and was then forced to enter society.
An intriguing puzzle with no answers given; instead the director uses Hauser as a vessel to examine the perception of existence and man's absurdities and falsehoods. A slow but often beautiful picture in which the unique lead performance is crucial.
Dir: Werner Herzog
Stars: Bruno S, Walter Ladengast, Hans Musaeus
ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM
2005
***
Documentary detailing the fall from grace of the giant US energy corporation.
Engrossing, detailed fact-gathering that will make audiences react.
Dir: Alex Gibney
Narrator: Peter Coyote
ENTER THE DEVIL
1972
0
Satanists appear to be operating in a small desert town.
Boring and underdeveloped regional horror that's also too PG-ish to offer any thrill.
Dir: Frank Q Dobbs
Stars: Joshua Bryant, Irene Kelly, Dave Cass
ENTER THE DRAGON
1973
**
A martial arts master is enlisted by the police to curtail opium smuggling.
Hollywood's first true attempt at a kung fu epic, utilising its most dynamic exponent, may lack the raw power of Lee's previous three films but has become cherished in its own way. Lee, used quite sparingly, is at his most richly iconic, much of the imagery is vivid, characters are memorable, and the straightforward plot begets some fine action. What a tragedy that this was the last movie, which is so of its time, that this awesome star completed.
Dir: Robert Clouse
Stars: Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Jim Kelly, Bob Wall
ENTERTAINING MR SLOANE
1969
*
A blond young man is drooled over by a brother and sister.
Joe Orton’s wickedly amoral play brought to the screen, quite juicy and kinky, with at least one great performance.
Dir: Douglas Hickox
Stars: Beryl Reid, Harry Andrews, Peter McEnery
EQUUS
1977
0
A doctor investigates the case of a boy who has blinded several horses.
Heavy-going load of old toss which will turn 99% of audiences off.
Dir: Sidney Lumet
Stars: Richard Burton, Peter Firth, Colin Blakely, Jenny Agutter
ERASERHEAD
1976
0
A man suffers increasingly nightmarish experiences.
Repellent fantasy which quickly becomes tedious thanks to its incoherence and deliberate vagueness.
Dir: David Lynch
Stars: John Nance, Charlotte Stewart
ERIK THE VIKING
1989
0
A Viking who dislikes raping and looting goes on a quest to find a rainbow bridge.
Similar in style to the director’s Baron Munchausen film (qv), this uncommercial fantasy tends to rely on faintly trite Pythonesque humour.
Dir: Terry Jones
Stars: Tim Robbins, Mickey Rooney, Eartha Kitt, Terry Jones, Imogen Stubbs, John Cleese
ERIN BROCKOVICH
2000
**
A single mother takes on a huge corporation that has been poisoning the water supply of hundreds of local residents.
This would strongly resemble a TV movie if it weren't for the fine acting, particularly Finney and Roberts in what's likely to be her best ever role - it hits familiar beats but does them with conviction and confidence.
Dir: Steven Soderbergh
Stars: Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart
EROTIC INFERNO
1975
0
Beneficiaries of an old man’s will spend a dirty weekend together.
A clothes line to hang lots of bed-hopping and nudity on - this and a spiteful tone ensure that there’s no room for any sort of light-hearted fun.
Dir: Trevor Wrenn
Stars: Michael Watkins, Jenny Westbrook, Heather Deeley, Mary Millington, Monika Ringwald
EROTIQUE
1993
0
Four saucy stories: Let’s Talk About Sex, Taboo Parlour, Final Call and Wonton Soup.
Initially titillating and intriguing drama which soon dissolves into tedium and haughtiness.
Dir: Lizzie Borden, Clara Law, Ana Maria Magalhaes, Monika Treut
Stars: Priscilla Barnes, Janet Haley
ESCAPE
1971 (TV)
0
An escapologist becomes a spy.
Cheapo James Bond copy, thankfully quite short.
Dir: John Llewellyn Moxey
Stars: Christopher George, John Vernon, Huntz Hall
ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ
1979
***
In 1960, three prisoners attempt to escape from the world's most famous prison.
Vivid, engrossing, fact-based drama, extremely well made.
Dir: Don Siegel
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Patrick McGoohan, Jack Thibeau
ESCAPE FROM HELL
1980
0
An alcoholic doctor is the only conscience of a brutal women's prison camp in the jungle.
Greasy sexploiter sometimes leaning to the more filthy side of the WIP genre, it offers up perverted pleasures for the converted, especially in the first hour. Roughly edited and written, naturally.
Dir: Edoardo Mulargia
Stars: Anthony Steffen, Ajta Wilson, Cristina Lay, Cintia Lodetti
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK
1981
**
In 1997, New York has been turned into a prison - and the President is trapped inside it.
Brash, inventive sci-fi with some great action in front of its impressively detailed sets.
Dir: John Carpenter
Stars: Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence
ELEKTRA
2005
0
A female warrior chooses to protect the father and daughter she is ordered to assassinate.
Weirdly awful Marvel movie – it’s difficult to say why it so dismally fails, maybe it’s because the script is invisible, the locations unsympathetic and the action meaningless. Not a goer for all sorts of reasons.
Dir: Rob Bowman
Stars: Jennifer Garner, Goran Visnjic, Kirsten Prout, Terence Stamp
ELEPHANT
2003
**
High school students go through their day; two have a horrific plan.
A good film that won't be for everyone. It mainly consists of the Steadicam gliding through a school and surrounding areas in long takes, Kubrick-style, picking up small details of the pupils' everyday existence, while slowly and subtly building the tension with increasing focus on the pair we know are going to commit hellish acts; when the acts eventually come they are all the more horrifying. Despite our brief acquaintance with the students, we feel we understand who they are, even if we can never fully understand the killers: in this approach, the director convincingly lays out the banality of evil.
Dir: Gus Van Sant
Stars: Elias McConnell, Alex Frost, Eric Duelen
ELEPHANT BOY
1937
*
In India, a young elephant keeper helps government conservationists.
Deeply dated Tarzan-like adventure; at least the location shooting is still impressive.
Dir: Robert Flaherty, Zoltan Korda
Stars: Sabu, Walter Hudd, Wilfrid Hyde-White
THE ELEPHANT MAN
1980
****
A hideously deformed man is a sideshow attraction in Victorian London.
Genuinely moving and brilliantly realised true-life story adorned by exquisite performances and masterful cinematography and set construction. A film for anyone who's ever suffered, one which shows the extremes of man's ability to be kind and cruel - both depictions are here deeply affecting.
Dir: David Lynch
Stars: John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, John Gielgud, Anne Bancroft, Freddie Jones, Wendy Hiller, Michael Elphick, Hannah Gordon
THE ELEVATOR
1974 (TV)
0
A group of people, including a robber, get stuck in a lift.
Routine thriller made in exactly the way you'd expect. Ooh, what Hitch could have done with this.
Dir: Jerry Jameson
Stars: Roddy McDowall, Myrna Loy, Carol Lynley, James Farentino
THE 11TH HOUR
2007
*
Documentary looking at the Earth’s environmental problems and what can be done to help.
The science is presented in a sometimes disingenuous manner and the rapid-fire talking heads-style presentation soon becomes wearing, but at least this film presents hopeful solutions rather than just doom and gloom. Doom and gloom, incidentally, would probably be more appropriate, as the human race is likely to be wiped out in the next few thousand years by the vicissitudes of the universe, rather than anything man-made.
Dir: Nadia Conners, Leila Conners Petersen
Presenter: Leonardo DiCaprio
ELF
2003
*
A human raised as an elf in the North Pole treks to New York to find his true father.
Amusing, good-natured, sentimental comedy that slips down as easily as mince pies and mulled wine when watched during the Christmas period. Definitely one of Ferrell's better films.
Dir: Jon Faveau
Stars: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Zooey Deschanel, Edward Asner, Mary Steenburgen
ELIMINATORS
1986
0
A 'mandroid' and his companions search for an evil professor in the jungle.
Fantasy with the intelligence level of a slow four-year-old.
Dir: Peter Manoogian
Stars: Andrew Prine, Denise Crosby, Patrick Reynolds
ELITE SQUAD: THE ENEMY WITHIN
2010
*
In Rio a police officer tries to root out corruption within the force.
Pretentious, boisterous police drama with excessive reliance on voice-over (and dialogue); hectic and convoluted but occasionally arresting. Apparently seen by over 11 million people in Brazil, it at least gives you a little hope that cinema might be able to change society for the better.
Dir: Jose Padilha
Stars: Wagner Moura, Irandhir Santos, André Ramiro
ELIZABETH
1998
**
Queen Elizabeth I initially struggles to exercise her dominance over her court.
Solid historical drama which takes the usual liberties with the truth but is so driven it's easily forgivable; a namey cast emphasises its ambition and quality.
Dir: Shekhar Kapur
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Fiennes, Richard Attenborough, Eric Cantona, Kathy Burke, John Gielgud
ELLE
2016
**
A woman is attacked in her home but does not report it; even murkier things follow.
A profoundly strange film from an always interesting director, this isn't the Hitchcockian thriller you might expect but rather a consistently surprising drama that in some ways plays like a television series (and is quite long), with off-kilter characters acting in curious ways. Perhaps not quite as gripping as it might have been, but never boring, it's about how past experiences twist us into the dark-souled creatures we so often are, and certainly won't be viewing for everyone.
Dir: Paul Verhoeven
Stars: Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny, Charles Berling
ELMER GANTRY
1960
**
A charismatic salesman becomes a popular evangelist preacher.
Interesting but infuriating drama in which Lancaster goes turbo-charged as one of the most loathsome, hypocritical and deceitful lead characters of his type ever put on screen. Also likely to have the rational viewer screaming out loud is the easy ride given to organised religion, although some forgive this because of the time and the fact that it’s a big budget Hollywood production (but the same year’s Inherit The Wind managed to be a lot more sensible). With powerful scenes and an epic scope, it’s a movie that demands attention but doesn’t half send out confusing messages and, frustratingly, never fully explains Gantry’s motivation.
Dir: Richard Brooks
Stars: Burt Lancaster, Jean Simmons, Arthur Kennedy, Dean Jagger, Shirley Jones
ELSA FRAULEIN SS
1977
0
German officers are entertained by beautiful women on a train to see if they will let treachery slip.
Nazisploitation on a budget, and one of the milder ones. Aficionados will still want to tick it off their list, but aside from the smart uniforms there's not that much of great interest.
Dir: Patrice Rohmm
Stars: Malisa Longo, Olivier Mathot, Patrizia Gori
ELSTREE CALLING
1930
0
A collection of songs and sketches by the leading light entertainers of the time.
Now archaic in the extreme, but of historical interest because of its credits.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock, Adrian Brunel, Jack Hulbert, Andre Charlot, Paul Murray
Stars: Tommy Handley, Jack Hulbert, Cicely Courtneidge, Anna May Wong
ELSTREE 1976
2015
**
Documentary in which actors and extras involved in the making of Star Wars (1977) chat about their life and their experiences on the movie.
A film which may disappoint many Star Wars fans, as discussion of the Star Wars shoot itself is minimal, with much time devoted to the performers discussing their lives before and after their experience in 1976 (the film essentially has the wrong title). There is indeed some frustration in the watching of it, but the sense of melancholy that is felt in its latter stages in particular is gently affecting, as these fairly ordinary people reflect on what it means to be past a certain age, with minor glories long gone. There are also some decent anecdotes, such as the one from the Stormtrooper who knocked his head, and Dave Prowse, Vader himself, offers some of the most intriguing jabber; it's a pity there isn't a couple more of the big stars reminiscing.
Dir: Jon Spira
ELVIRA, MISTRESS OF THE DARK
1988
0
A TV star causes ructions in a sleepy town where she goes to collect an inheritance.
Inappropriately mild vehicle for the effervescent, curvaceous star.
Dir: James Signorelli
Stars: Cassandra Peterson, W Morgan Sheppard
ELVIS: THAT’S THE WAY IT IS
1971
*
Documentary about Elvis Presley's 1970 Las Vegas concerts.
A worthy item not just because it shows Elvis just before the rot set in, but because it showcases his humour, charisma, style and wonderful voice. The 2001 revamped version is superior to the original.
Dir: Denis Sanders
Stars: Elvis Presley
ELSTREE CALLING
1930
0
A collection of songs and sketches by the leading light entertainers of the time.
Now archaic in the extreme, but of historical interest because of its credits.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock, Adrian Brunel, Jack Hulbert, Andre Charlot, Paul Murray
Stars: Tommy Handley, Jack Hulbert, Cicely Courtneidge, Anna May Wong
ELSTREE 1976
2015
**
Documentary in which actors and extras involved in the making of Star Wars (1977) chat about their life and their experiences on the movie.
A film which may disappoint many Star Wars fans, as discussion of the Star Wars shoot itself is minimal, with much time devoted to the performers discussing their lives before and after their experience in 1976 (the film essentially has the wrong title). There is indeed some frustration in the watching of it, but the sense of melancholy that is felt in its latter stages in particular is gently affecting, as these fairly ordinary people reflect on what it means to be past a certain age, with minor glories long gone. There are also some decent anecdotes, such as the one from the Stormtrooper who knocked his head, and Dave Prowse, Vader himself, offers some of the most intriguing jabber; it's a pity there isn't a couple more of the big stars reminiscing.
Dir: Jon Spira
ELVIRA, MISTRESS OF THE DARK
1988
0
A TV star causes ructions in a sleepy town where she goes to collect an inheritance.
Inappropriately mild vehicle for the effervescent, curvaceous star.
Dir: James Signorelli
Stars: Cassandra Peterson, W Morgan Sheppard
ELVIS
2022
**
Elvis Presley's manager Colonel Tom Parker tells his version of Elvis's life.
The director delivers exactly the sort of showbiz biopic you'd expect him to: an assault on the senses, with tune after tune accompanying glorious visuals to create a hyperactive, kinetic fantasyland (that was entirely shot in Australia, somehow). We don't get under the skin of The King but we do learn much about Parker, given a truly bizarre voice by Hanks, and a modern Hollywood-style spectacle full of swagger which should be enjoyed by most audiences. Butler's performance is fine but inevitably he can never surpass Presley's singing voice and look (the real Elvis turns up at the end, looking extremely unwell near his death, but still sounding fantastic).
Dir: Baz Luhrmann
Stars: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge
ELVIS: THAT’S THE WAY IT IS
1971
*
Documentary about Elvis Presley's 1970 Las Vegas concerts.
A worthy item not just because it shows Elvis just before the rot set in, but because it showcases his humour, charisma, style and wonderful voice. The 2001 revamped version is superior to the original.
Dir: Denis Sanders
Stars: Elvis Presley
ELYSIA: VALLEY OF THE NUDE
1933
0
A reporter is sent to a nudist camp to investigate.
Nudist propaganda, 45 minutes long in its full-length version, and about 20 minutes shorter on the Internet Archive - if it had been that way originally it might have been less agonisingly suspenseful for the audience gasping to see the nudity that the second half of the film offers. A tangy historical curio that's impossible to dislike.
Dir: Carl Harbaugh
EMANUELLE AND THE EROTIC NIGHTS
1978
0
Sort of documentary concerning unusual sexual practices around the world.
Gemser provides narration for a series of nudity-filled vignettes which don't require an understanding of the original Italian; scenarios include Snow White and seven horny dwarves, a penis operation, nude roller skating, a stripper and a mule, lesbian wrestlers and more. What's not real, what's real, and, what's more, does it matter?
Dir: Bruno Mattei
Stars: Laura Gemser
EMANUELLE AND THE LAST CANNIBALS
1977
*
A female reporter checks out tales of cannibalism in the jungle.
Perversely enjoyable slice of extreme sex and violence. It includes a woman’s nipple being cut off and eaten.
Dir: Joe D'Amato
Stars: Laura Gemser, Gabriele Tinti, Nieves Navarro
EMANUELLE AND THE WHITE SLAVE TRADE
1978
0
Photo-journalist Emanuelle stumbles upon women being trafficked into slavery.
Wishy-washy softcore tat, not even that sleazy and frequently boring, a half-hearted reprise of what we'd seen before in this series. At least there's a kung fu expert in drag.
Dir: Joe D'Amato
Stars: Laura Gemser, Ely Galleani, Gabrielle Tinti
EMANUELLE IN BANGKOK
1976
0
The dark-skinned photo-journalist visits Bangkok and Casablanca.
The follow-up to Black Emanuelle is rubbish: lame sex scenes intersperse the strange, random story which looks like it was shot on the hoof. Capped by an egregious soundtrack, it’s one to steer many miles clear of (especially cut versions, which remove the sleaze).
Dir: Joe D'Amato
Stars: Laura Gemser, Gabriele Tinti, Ely Galleani
THE EMBEZZLER
1954
*
A bank clerk who is told he is dying by a doctor robs his workplace and escapes his nagging wife to head to an Eastbourne hotel.
Appealing little drama (a sort of crime drama), a bit like a small-fry Lavender Hill Mob or Separate Tables that makes up for in character etchings that it lacks in other areas; it's not unpredictable but it is quite winsome.
Dir: John Gilling
Stars: Charles Victor, Cyril Chamberlain, Zena Marshall, Peggy Mount
EMBRACE OF THE VAMPIRE
1995
0
A vampire searches down the centuries for his true love.
Straight-to-video Interview With The Vampire imitation. Kemp chews the scenery rather than the young lady's neck.
Dir: Anne Goursaud
Stars: Martin Kemp, Rebecca Ferratti, Alyssa Milano, Jordan Ladd
EMBRYO
1976
0
A scientist grows a woman from a foetus.
Resistible mixture of horror and sci-fi.
Dir: Ralph Nelson
Stars: Rock Hudson, Diane Ladd, Barbara Carrera, Roddy McDowall
THE EMERALD FOREST
1985
**
A young boy is taken from his parents by a tribe in the Amazonian jungle.
Environmentally friendly yarn with much to admire about it, including the luscious photography and principal performances.
Dir: John Boorman
Stars: Powers Boothe, Meg Foster, Charley Boorman
THE EMIGRANTS
1971
**
In the 19th century, many Swedish people decide to set off to America for a new life.
One of the bizarrely few foreign-language films to be nominated for the Best Film Oscar, this is a fine piece of work - impeccable shooting and lead performances aid a feeling of true realism and help the viewer appreciate the emotional wrench and sheer toughness of endeavouring to make a better life for yourself and your family in primitive conditions. Note how the camera often focuses in on hands performing toil, emphasising the film's humanity. There's an even better sequel, The New Land (qv).
Dir: Jan Troell
Stars: Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Eddie Axberg, Monica Zetterlund
EMIL AND THE DETECTIVES
1931
*
A boy who has had money stolen from him enlists the help of some street urchins to get it back.
The first adaptation of the popular novel is a fair success; this is a simple story but one not without charm, and the film has touches that have ensured it's retained some freshness after all these years. It's sobering to think that many of the children in the cast died in the Second World War.
Dir: Gerhard Lamprecht
Stars: Rolf Wenkhaus, Kathe Haack, Fritz Rasp
EMIL AND THE DETECTIVES
1935
*
Marginally preferable British remake which closely follows the original but here offers pleasing footage of contemporary London - the best sequences, though, are probably the early, nightmarish ones on the train, which arguably surpass its predecessor. Once thought lost, a what-appears-to-be-shorter cut has now been released on DVD (as an extra feature on the above film) that bears the name Emil And The Detective on the print.
Dir: Milton Rosmer
Stars: John Williams, George Hayes, Mary Glynne
EMBRACE OF THE VAMPIRE
1995
0
A vampire searches down the centuries for his true love.
Straight-to-video Interview With The Vampire imitation. Kemp chews the scenery rather than the young lady's neck.
Dir: Anne Goursaud
Stars: Martin Kemp, Rebecca Ferratti, Alyssa Milano, Jordan Ladd
EMBRYO
1976
0
A scientist grows a woman from a foetus.
Resistible mixture of horror and sci-fi.
Dir: Ralph Nelson
Stars: Rock Hudson, Diane Ladd, Barbara Carrera, Roddy McDowall
THE EMERALD FOREST
1985
**
A young boy is taken from his parents by a tribe in the Amazonian jungle.
Environmentally friendly yarn with much to admire about it, including the luscious photography and principal performances.
Dir: John Boorman
Stars: Powers Boothe, Meg Foster, Charley Boorman
THE EMIGRANTS
1971
**
In the 19th century, many Swedish people decide to set off to America for a new life.
One of the bizarrely few foreign-language films to be nominated for the Best Film Oscar, this is a fine piece of work - impeccable shooting and lead performances aid a feeling of true realism and help the viewer appreciate the emotional wrench and sheer toughness of endeavouring to make a better life for yourself and your family in primitive conditions. Note how the camera often focuses in on hands performing toil, emphasising the film's humanity. There's an even better sequel, The New Land (qv).
Dir: Jan Troell
Stars: Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Eddie Axberg, Monica Zetterlund
EMIL AND THE DETECTIVES
1931
*
A boy who has had money stolen from him enlists the help of some street urchins to get it back.
The first adaptation of the popular novel is a fair success; this is a simple story but one not without charm, and the film has touches that have ensured it's retained some freshness after all these years. It's sobering to think that many of the children in the cast died in the Second World War.
Dir: Gerhard Lamprecht
Stars: Rolf Wenkhaus, Kathe Haack, Fritz Rasp
EMIL AND THE DETECTIVES
1935
*
Marginally preferable British remake which closely follows the original but here offers pleasing footage of contemporary London - the best sequences, though, are probably the early, nightmarish ones on the train, which arguably surpass its predecessor. Once thought lost, a what-appears-to-be-shorter cut has now been released on DVD (as an extra feature on the above film) that bears the name Emil And The Detective on the print.
Dir: Milton Rosmer
Stars: John Williams, George Hayes, Mary Glynne
EMILIA PEREZ
2024
*
A Mexican gangster has a sex change to avoid the authorities.
One of the weakest films to be nominated for a Best Film Oscar, this only got so much awards attention because it is woke, or at least tries to be. It's a bad thing for culture when political box-ticking usurps merit. The story is silly, the characters unlikeable, and after a bracing beginning the dramatics become perfunctory, while the songs, which weren't remarkable anyway, become fewer in number. It at least gives the viewer quite a bit to chew on with its frenetic, throw-everything-at-the-wall approach.
Dir: Jacques Audiard
Stars: Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofia Gascon, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz
EMILY
1976
0
In 1928 England, a girl realises she is becoming a woman.
Eventless erotic drama which now looks hilariously prudish and non-sexual.
Dir: Henry Herbert
Stars: Koo Stark, Victor Spinetti, Jane Hayden
EMMA
1996
*
A young woman is so busy playing matchmaker she forgets to fall in love.
Cheery Austen adaptation that captures many of the characters unerringly, although there are rather a lot of them... Pleasant and sunny, but not the best of the slew of Austen films of this period.
Dir: Douglas McGrath
Stars: Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Northam, Alan Cumming, Greta Scacchi, Toni Collette, James Cosmo
EMMANUELLE
1974
*
A Count's wife undertakes various sexual adventures.
Soft focus eroticism which ran for years in Paris and spawned countless similarily-monikered features. This now seems a very mild brew indeed.
Dir: Just Jaeckin
Stars: Sylvia Kristel, Marika Green, Alan Cuny
EMMANUELLE 2
1975
0
Emmanuelle and her husband both enjoy several illicit encounters.
This sequel has nothing in the way of an interesting plot, there's no great meaning to anything and the carnal scenes aren't especially thrilling (although the trio's massage is somewhat erotic), so you're left wondering: what's the point? Nice photography of exotic locations isn't enough.
Dir: Francis Giacobetti
Stars: Sylvia Kristel, Umberto Orsini, Frederic Lagache
EMMANUELLE 3
1977
0
Emmanuelle begins to realise her and her husband's swinging lifestyle has its drawbacks.
Much like its predecessor, this is insipid stuff which drains the fun out of its potentially erotic tale; even Krystel, with a boyish hairdo, isn't as alluring as before. There's not much point approaching it from a serious drama angle, either, aside from perhaps noting that its plot reflects the end of the 'free love' era.
Dir: Francois Leterrier
Stars: Sylvia Kristel, Umberto Orsini, Jean-Pierre Bouvier, Alexandra Stewart
EMMANUELLE IV
1984
0
Emmanuelle is transformed by plastic surgery into a younger and more beautiful woman.
Floppy follow-up which marked the series' descent into ever deeper nonsense, as they went for a gimmick that'd reinvigorate it. Why is Sylvia Kristel's character called Sylvia instead of Emmanuelle, and why do we need to know the dates the action takes place on?
Dir: Francis Leroi, Iris Letans
Stars: Sylvia Kristel, Mia Nygren, Patrick Bauchau
EMMANUELLE IN SOHO
1981
0
A young photographer attempts to outfox his devious and seedy employer.
A very, very badly made sexploiter in which the hilarious, grunting dubbing comes as a relief after the grinding voices of the leads.
Dir: David Hughes, Ray Selfe
Stars: Angie Quick, Julie Lee, John M East
EMPIRE OF THE ANTS
1977
0
A radiation leak causes ants to grow to enormous sizes; they then menace Florida.
Stumbling sci-fi with little to do with H G Wells. One problem is the absolutely abysmal special effects because they are central to making the story believable; another is the directionless script; another is... everything else.
Dir: Bert I Gordon
Stars: Joan Collins, Robert Lansing, John David Carson
EMPIRE OF THE SUN
1987
*
A boy comes of age in a Japanese POW camp in World War 2.
Interminable and heavy handed war drama which markedly fails to involve the viewer, partly due to the child lead being so weird and unsympathetic and partly due to a vague and unsatisfactory script.
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Stars: Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
1980
****
The Rebel Alliance retreats to ice world Hoth to escape the talons of the Empire.
The sequel to Star Wars is in many respects a better film - the plot is tighter, the characters better drawn, the special effects superior and the actors more comfortable; it also boasts glorious cinematography. As a movie it has real sweep and panache, and manages to tread the fine line between total confidence and not seeming pompous. Yes the Yoda sequences go on a bit but so much else about it is irresistible: the battle with the AT-ATs, the gleam of Cloud City, the duel between Luke and Vader... Lucas's Special Edition tinkering was minor and couldn't spoil it.
Dir: Irvin Kershner
Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Frank Oz, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Alec Guinness, Kenny Baker, Billy Dee Williams
ENCORE
1951
**
Three stories by W Somerset Maugham: The Ant And The Grasshopper, Winter Cruise and Gigolo And Gigolette.
Enjoyable Englishness from one of the world's finest writers of short stories. The first tale is vastly expanded from Maugham's original very short story and none the worse for it; the second never less than gladdening; the third the least light-hearted of the three, even offering up some suspense.
Dir: Pat Jackson, Anthony Pelissier, Harold French
Stars: Nigel Patrick, Ronald Culver, Kay Walsh, Glynis Johns
ENCOUNTER WITH THE UNKNOWN
1973
0
Three supernatural tales linked by a graveyard.
Diabolical anthology partly narrated by Rod Serling, with each of the three stories worse than the worst episode of The Twilight Zone. Lamely scripted, unintentionally funny and giving every appearance of a TV movie, the viewer thinks the agony is over when the final tale comes to a close, but then there’s another 10 minutes of painful recapping of all the preceding events!
Dir: Harry Thomason
Narrator: Rod Serling. Stars: Robert Ginnaven, Fran Franklin, Gary Brockette
THE END OF THE ROAD
1954
*
An old man struggles after being retired from his job at a factory.
The anxiety and boredom of ceasing to have an active life after years of work is rarely portrayed in movies; here, Currie's somewhat cantankerous character is thrown on the scrap heap, and although the writing may not be quite sharp enough scene-for-scene, the film does manage to stir a little, particularly its well shot scenes of foggy working class neighbourhoods with their canals and community-hub pubs and close-by factories - much of which would disappear later in the century. Like lives, ways of life also end.
Dir: Wolf Rilla
Stars: Finlay Currie, Duncan Lamont, Naomi Chance, Edward Chapman
END OF THE WORLD
1977
0
An alien dressed as a vicar plans to destroy the world.
Woebegone sci-fi in need of some proper lighting, and much else besides.
Dir: John Hayes
Stars: Christopher Lee, Sue Lyons, Kirk Scott, Dean Jagger
ENDLESS LOVE
1981
0
Two teenagers have a passionate love affair.
Risible melodrama with little sympathy or credibility.
Dir: Franco Zeffirelli
Stars: Brooke Shields, Martin Hewitt, Shirley Knight
ENDLESS NIGHT
1972
*
A luckless chauffeur marries a rich heiress but sinister behaviour may be afoot.
Casually developed mystery with a few tricks up its sleeve; the pacing's rather too leisurely but it boasts a few nice stylistic quirks and good technical credits.
Dir: Sidney Gilliat
Stars: Hayley Mills, Hywel Bennett, George Sanders, Britt Ekland, Lois Maxwell
ENDURING LOVE
2004
*
An incident in a field with a balloon leads to terrible events.
The start of this movie could not be better or more ripe with potential, and you hope that intriguing avenues will be explored, but only a bit of that happens: it's more concerned with pretentiousness, swearing and vagueness to really grip - the naturalistic soundtrack, in which background noise is amplified, the jerky camerawork and unsympathetic characters only further dampen enthusiasm after that beginning that promised so much. The author, Ian McEwan, is probably trying to say a good deal, but can we bothered to work out what it is he's saying?
Dir: Roger Michell
Stars: Daniel Craig, Rhys Ifans, Samantha Morton, Bill Nighy
ENEMIES, A LOVE STORY
1990
0
In post war Brooklyn, a Jewish man finds himself with three wives.
Not the wild farce the synopsis might suggest, more a slightly heavy-going tragi-comedy; the performances keep it afloat.
Dir: Paul Mazursky
Stars: Anjelica Huston, Ron Silver, Lena Olin
ENEMY
2013
**
A history teacher watches a film and sees in the background someone who looks exactly like him - so he attempts to track the man down.
Intriguing puzzler which piles on the mystery and can only be understood (more or less) after resort to the internet post-viewing; in which case does that not devalue the viewing experience - it's good to get a mental workout, but should movies be quite so obscure in meaning to their audiences? Gyllenhaal is impressive and it has a distinct look and feel, sombre and desultory.
Dir: Denis Villeneuve
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Melanie Laurent, Sarah Gadon, Isabella Rossellini
ENEMY MINE
1985
*
In a future space war, a man and his alien enemy crash-land on the same planet.
Sci-fi with much of the emphasis on personal relations rather than crash-bang action, and partly successful with it; when it goes a bit more bombastic later subtlety is lost. Lofty intentions are evident but there's not quite the talent to completely pull it off.
Dir: Wolfgang Petersen
Stars: Dennis Quaid, Lou Gossett Jr, Brion James, Richard Marcus
LES ENFANTS DU PARADIS
1945
**
In 1840s Paris, a mime falls in love with a woman he can’t have.
Overlong but technically excellent melodrama shot under the noses of the Nazis but exhibiting the free spirit of France. Despite its exalted status, the following criticisms could reasonably be levelled: the story has little warmth, the characters are all dislikeable and Garance (Arletty), the woman that all the men call beautiful, looks like an old hag. Like Shakespeare, it’s the sort of drama you appreciate more when it’s coming to its conclusion, or over.
Dir: Marcel Carne
Stars: Arletty, Jean-Louis Barrault, Pierre Brasseur, Marcel Herrand, Maria Casares
THE ENFORCER
1976
*
Harry Calahan pursues a band of psychotic thugs.
The third Dirty Harry demonstrates the law of diminishing returns - this is much worse than the first film, and less dynamic and edgy than Magnum Force, too. The narrative splits between a gang of nasties doing nasty stuff for some reason, and the ups and downs of a female becoming a frontline cop: there are good moments but it doesn't hold together convincingly or do much that feels new.
Dir: James Fargo
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Tyne Daly, Harry Guardino, Bradford Dillman
ENGLAND IS MINE
2017
*
Steven Patrick Morrissey, later front man of The Smiths, suffers a bruising and unsatisfying early adulthood.
Not so much a rock biopic, more a slim study of youthful alienation and frustration, featuring a person who would go on to write some of the best lyrics in music history, although there are only fleeting glimpses of his talent (and charisma) here. Possibly too opaque and subtle for its own good, with some dialogue that feels anachronistic, it nevertheless provides pleasures for fans - non-acolytes may find slim pickings.
Dir: Mark Gill
Stars: Jack Lowden, Jessica Brown Findlay, Jodie Comer
THE ENGLISH PATIENT
1996
**
Towards the end of World War 2, a nurse tends a badly scarred patient with a mysterious past.
Slickly made puzzle with different facets, some of which drag, some of which are grand cinema. One of the main faults is Fiennes' weird and unsympathetic character.
Dir: Anthony Minghella
Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Kristin Scott Thomas, Willem Dafoe, Naveen Andrews, Colin Firth, Kevin Whately
THE ENIGMA OF KASPAR HAUSER
1974
***
Based on a true story, the tale of a man who had been in a cell for most of his life and was then forced to enter society.
An intriguing puzzle with no answers given; instead the director uses Hauser as a vessel to examine the perception of existence and man's absurdities and falsehoods. A slow but often beautiful picture in which the unique lead performance is crucial.
Dir: Werner Herzog
Stars: Bruno S, Walter Ladengast, Hans Musaeus
ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM
2005
***
Documentary detailing the fall from grace of the giant US energy corporation.
Engrossing, detailed fact-gathering that will make audiences react.
Dir: Alex Gibney
Narrator: Peter Coyote
ENTER THE DEVIL
1972
0
Satanists appear to be operating in a small desert town.
Boring and underdeveloped regional horror that's also too PG-ish to offer any thrill.
Dir: Frank Q Dobbs
Stars: Joshua Bryant, Irene Kelly, Dave Cass
ENTER THE DRAGON
1973
**
A martial arts master is enlisted by the police to curtail opium smuggling.
Hollywood's first true attempt at a kung fu epic, utilising its most dynamic exponent, may lack the raw power of Lee's previous three films but has become cherished in its own way. Lee, used quite sparingly, is at his most richly iconic, much of the imagery is vivid, characters are memorable, and the straightforward plot begets some fine action. What a tragedy that this was the last movie, which is so of its time, that this awesome star completed.
Dir: Robert Clouse
Stars: Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Jim Kelly, Bob Wall
ENTERTAINING MR SLOANE
1969
*
A blond young man is drooled over by a brother and sister.
Joe Orton’s wickedly amoral play brought to the screen, quite juicy and kinky, with at least one great performance.
Dir: Douglas Hickox
Stars: Beryl Reid, Harry Andrews, Peter McEnery
THE ENTITY
1981
*
A woman is sexually molested by an invisible demon.
Overlong horror with a nevertheless intriguing, if perverse, theme (maybe that's why it's intriguing). Hershey gives one of her best performances, while the director very much chooses to imply that supernatural elements were at play - one suspects the 'real' incidents, on which this film was based, were more psychological in nature. Critics were not kind - some perhaps misunderstood its anti-rape intentions - and while the movie eventually collapses under the weight of its own sombre convictions, there are some effective scares and a clammy atmosphere conjured up: the booming, repetitive soundtrack foreshadows future Christopher Nolan scores.
Dir: Sidney J Furie
Stars: Barbara Hershey, Ron Silver, David Labiosa, George Coe
EQUUS
1977
0
A doctor investigates the case of a boy who has blinded several horses.
Heavy-going load of old toss which will turn 99% of audiences off.
Dir: Sidney Lumet
Stars: Richard Burton, Peter Firth, Colin Blakely, Jenny Agutter
ERASERHEAD
1976
0
A man suffers increasingly nightmarish experiences.
Repellent fantasy which quickly becomes tedious thanks to its incoherence and deliberate vagueness.
Dir: David Lynch
Stars: John Nance, Charlotte Stewart
ERIK THE VIKING
1989
0
A Viking who dislikes raping and looting goes on a quest to find a rainbow bridge.
Similar in style to the director’s Baron Munchausen film (qv), this uncommercial fantasy tends to rely on faintly trite Pythonesque humour.
Dir: Terry Jones
Stars: Tim Robbins, Mickey Rooney, Eartha Kitt, Terry Jones, Imogen Stubbs, John Cleese
ERIN BROCKOVICH
2000
**
A single mother takes on a huge corporation that has been poisoning the water supply of hundreds of local residents.
This would strongly resemble a TV movie if it weren't for the fine acting, particularly Finney and Roberts in what's likely to be her best ever role - it hits familiar beats but does them with conviction and confidence.
Dir: Steven Soderbergh
Stars: Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart
EROTIC INFERNO
1975
0
Beneficiaries of an old man’s will spend a dirty weekend together.
A clothes line to hang lots of bed-hopping and nudity on - this and a spiteful tone ensure that there’s no room for any sort of light-hearted fun.
Dir: Trevor Wrenn
Stars: Michael Watkins, Jenny Westbrook, Heather Deeley, Mary Millington, Monika Ringwald
EROTIQUE
1993
0
Four saucy stories: Let’s Talk About Sex, Taboo Parlour, Final Call and Wonton Soup.
Initially titillating and intriguing drama which soon dissolves into tedium and haughtiness.
Dir: Lizzie Borden, Clara Law, Ana Maria Magalhaes, Monika Treut
Stars: Priscilla Barnes, Janet Haley
THE ERRAND
1980
0
In the near-future, a soldier is sent on an errand which becomes dangerous.
Obscure short of the kind that would often precede the main feature in British cinemas around this time (though not for much longer). It gave actors something to do and fans of very rare films something to track down in years to come, with it eventually appearing on the BFI's Short Sharp Shocks Blu-ray. Was it worth the wait? It's a tad dull, an abstract little piece.
Dir: Nigel Finch
Stars: Edward Kalinski, Peter Howell, Dorothy Alison
ESCAPE
1971 (TV)
0
An escapologist becomes a spy.
Cheapo James Bond copy, thankfully quite short.
Dir: John Llewellyn Moxey
Stars: Christopher George, John Vernon, Huntz Hall
ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ
1979
***
In 1960, three prisoners attempt to escape from the world's most famous prison.
Vivid, engrossing, fact-based drama, extremely well made.
Dir: Don Siegel
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Patrick McGoohan, Jack Thibeau
ESCAPE FROM HELL
1980
0
An alcoholic doctor is the only conscience of a brutal women's prison camp in the jungle.
Greasy sexploiter sometimes leaning to the more filthy side of the WIP genre, it offers up perverted pleasures for the converted, especially in the first hour. Roughly edited and written, naturally.
Dir: Edoardo Mulargia
Stars: Anthony Steffen, Ajta Wilson, Cristina Lay, Cintia Lodetti
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK
1981
**
In 1997, New York has been turned into a prison - and the President is trapped inside it.
Brash, inventive sci-fi with some great action in front of its impressively detailed sets.
Dir: John Carpenter
Stars: Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence
ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES
1971
*
Three apes travel from the future to warn Earth of its fate.
Third in the series is a big departure from the first two, set in present-day US and smaller in scope - in fact it sometimes looks like a TV movie. It's fairly lightweight, patchy fun with some nice scenes. Kim Hunter's face remains a bit annoying.
Dir: Don Taylor
Stars: Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Bradford Dillman, Natalie Trundy, Ricardo Montalban
ESCAPE ROOM
2019
*
Six people get stuck in a room that they have to puzzle their way out of.
Saw for a slightly younger audience: it can be enjoyed on that fairly basic level, ie the puzzles can intrigue but there's not much in the way of soul or expansive narrative. Too long, but tolerable.
Dir: Adam Robitel
Stars: Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Jay Ellis, Tyler Labine
ESCAPE TO VICTORY
1981
*
POWs plan to escape during a football match.
This may be a daft, cheesy war drama with thinly sketched characters and footballers who can’t act and actors who can’t play football, but it has a certain charm, a plucky spirit that's seen it become a seasonal TV favourite – the final football match is what does it. Stallone will always be truly terrible though.
Dir: John Huston
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, Max von Sydow, Pele
ESCAPE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN
1974
*
An evil businessman will stop at nothing to get his hands on two alien children.
Promising but eventually ineffective junior sci-fi.
Dir: John Hough
Stars: Ray Milland, Donald Pleasence, Eddie Albert
ESCAPEMENT
1957
0
A doctor offers to give unhappy people a sensory ‘escape’ but it seems to lead to their deaths.
Dreadful sci-fi drama in which the somnambulant director is content to ruin the germ of a good idea and have the torpid characters endlessly discuss the plot in a series of different rooms.
Dir: Montgomery Tully
Stars: Rod Cameron, Mary Murphy, Meredith Edwards
ESCAPES
1986 (TV)
0
Six supernatural tales watched on a video tape: Hobgoblin Bridge, A Little Fishy, Coffee Break, Who's There?, Jonah's Dream and Think Twice.
Dire compendium consisting of weak, dialogue-lite, alfresco stories.
Dir: David Steensland
Stars: Vincent Price, Michael Patton-Hall, John Mitchum
ESCORT GIRLS
1973
0
What happens when various people decide to use an escort agency.
Fascinating for all kinds of reasons, but none to do with skilled film-making. It comes across as terribly earnest and advisory.
Dir: Donovan Winter
Stars: David Dixon, Maria O'Brien, Marika Mann
ESKIMO NELL
1974
*
A young director trying to break into the film industry discovers that the only way in is to do a sex flick.
Possibly the best British 1970s sex comedy of them all, a keenly observant nose around the film industry that spawned it, and occasionally very funny.
Dir: Martin Campbell
Stars: Michael Armstrong, Christopher Timothy, Roy Kinnear, Rosalind Knight, Christopher Biggins
E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL
1982
***
A small alien left behind on Earth is befriended by a young boy.
Spielberg’s sci-fi fairy tale was box office gold of its time and has much to recommend it, but is essentially an exercise in sentimental manipulation, particularly ET’s ‘death’ and his subsequent resurrection (one of the Christ parallels). On the plus side, young Thomas is very natural, there are moments of magic and the director successfully evokes the world of children, partly through the absence of adults, with the exception of Wallace, from the majority of the film.
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Stars: Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote
THE ETERNAL JEW
1940
*
Nazi propaganda documentary purporting to show the pernicious influence of Jews in Europe and elsewhere.
This is an extraordinary historical piece which distills Nazi racial thinking into just one hour and makes you realise why we have the ‘anti-discriminatory’ policies we now have. While nowhere near as sleek or elegant as Leni Riefenstahl’s works, the sections on rats and kosher slaughter have a sort of horrible, grim power that must have gladdened the heart of every National Socialist. Tatty, dangerous and sometimes hypnotic.
Dir: Fritz Hippler
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
2004
****
After his ex-girlfriend has her memory of him erased, a forlorn man undergoes the same treatment.
Original, intriguing fantasy with a style all of its own: its narrative is chopped up and swapped around to such a degree that it comes close to derailing, but it doesn't quite, providing a mad melange of masterful moments that are underpinned by a story so many of us can relate to, that of disappointment in relationships. It's a huge pleasure to watch such an unconventional Hollywood product, one aimed at an adult audience that thinks.
Dir: Michel Gondry
Stars: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Wilkinson
ETHEL & ERNEST
2016
***
The lives of a pair of Londoners from their marriage in 1928 onwards.
A really lovely film, one about two unremarkable people living unremarkable lives, with the background of the events of the mid-20th century, some tumultuous; it demonstrates that whiz-bang action isn't always a necessity as long as you have heart and humanity - the decency of its everyday English folk brings a tear to the eye, and its eventual wrap-up is inevitably emotional. (It's about life, pure and simple.) It's also beautifully animated, with many delightfully evocative scenes.
Dir: Roger Mainwood
Voices: Brenda Blethyn, Jim Broadbent, Luke Treadaway, Pam Ferris
ETRE ET AVOIR
2002
***
Documentary that follows the pupils of a rural French school and their kindly teacher.
A gentle and affecting film that tweaks the emotions thanks to the undeniably cute children and the remembrances it stirs in the viewer.
Dir: Nicolas Philibert
EUGENIE DE SADE
1974
*
A young woman and her stepfather act out murderous sexual fantasies.
One of Jess Franco's very best films, which isn't saying all that much, but it has a definite perverse allure, a striking lead actress, nice shots of a wintry Berlin and just one use of the crash zoom. While the script is predictably tatty, the director manages to tell a twisted and titillating tale on his usual restricted budget.
Dir: Jess Franco
Stars: Soledad Miranda, Paul Muller, Andres Monales, Jess Franco
EUGENIE… THE STORY OF HER JOURNEY INTO PERVERSION
1969
0
A young woman is corrupted by followers of the Marquis de Sade.
Slow and senseless erotic drama which is at least well shot, unlike most Franco films.
Dir: Jess Franco
Stars: Maria Rohm, Marie Liljedahl, Christopher Lee
EUROTRIP
EVERYTHING OR NOTHING
2012
**
Documentary about the James Bond films, focusing on behind-the-scenes wrangles.
One for those fans more interested in hearing about scraps between producers rather than about the girls, gadgets and villains of the world's biggest movie franchise, this is nevertheless fairly engrossing and packed full of tasty anecdotes. Connery - the only Bond actor not appearing - comes out of it worst, and Lazenby is the most amusingly candid: it's certainly not the ultimate Bond documentary but is never less than watchable.
Dir: Stevan Riley
Stars: George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig
EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SEX BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK
1972
***
Seven sections of sex-based comedy based on the book by David Reuben.
A unique Allen opus, one in which the varied twisted highlights - the sheep in underwear, the giant breast, the concerned sperm, What's My Perversion? and so on - sit fondly in the mind for years afterwards. The players all get it right (Wilder is particularly brilliant), it has many amusing quirks, and the photography is excellent, which is often underestimated. While not everything hits the spot, it very much ends on a high with the tremendous What Happens During Ejaculation?.
Dir: Woody Allen
Stars: Woody Allen, Gene Wilder, John Carradine, Tony Randall, Lynn Redgrave, Anthony Quayle, Burt Reynolds, Louise Lasser
THE EVIL
1978
0
A doctor's new property has ghosts in it.
With the exception of the weird last ten minutes - set in a white void and featuring Victor Buono - this is a standard haunted house movie, with an incessant parade of supernatural incidents (some of which are quite well done).
Dir: Gus Trikonis
Stars: Richard Crenna, Joanna Pettet, Andrew Prine
EVIL ALIENS
2005
0
Aggressive aliens bother folk in rural Wales.
Appalling garbage that you deeply, deeply regret starting to watch three minutes in; it’s made by ghastly amateurs who think they’ve done some things that are really clever – but film viewers have much higher standards than they do. Foul-mouthed, relentless trash whose goofy sense of humour never begins to work.
Dir: Jake West
Stars: Emily Booth, Jamie Honeybourne, Sam Butler
THE EVIL DEAD
1983
**
Five teenagers staying in a cabin in a forest inadvertently summon violent demons.
Visceral, screamy shocker in which the director’s raw talent jumps out; the script must have looked absolutely terrible on page but Raimi’s enthusiasm to do the most disgusting things possible on his tiny budget hint at future goodies to come from him.
Dir: Sam Raimi
Stars: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Hal Delrich
EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN
1987
*
Ash once again accidentally summons up evil spirits.
A sequel which barely gives the audience time to catch its breath thanks to its rapid succession of gross, clever and funny gags. If anything, it's too much, and there's no way it can sustain interest for so long; and it's not exactly a film for intellectuals.
Dir: Sam Raimi
Stars: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks
Sequel: Army Of Darkness (qv)
THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN
1964
*
Baron Frankenstein, destitute and wanted by the law, thinks he is in luck when he re-discovers his monster in ice.
A bit of a Frankenstein's monster itself, with bits and pieces from other movies popping up randomly, this is nevertheless a pleasing romp let down by a nothing climax.
Dir: Freddie Francis
Stars: Peter Cushing, Sandor Eles, Duncan Lamont, Peter Woodthorpe
EVIL ROY SLADE
1971 (TV)
*
A gunman mends his ways after meeting the girl of his dreams.
Amiable spoof western with creaky old jokes.
Dir: Jerry Paris
Stars: John Asti, Mickey Rooney, Milton Berle
EVIL TOONS
1992
0
Four girls staying in a deserted house are haunted by a comic book spirit.
Wretched comic horror made for the price of a Big Mac. Full of tits and fits but devoid of wits.
Dir: Fred Olen Ray
Stars: David Carradine, Dick Miller, Don Dowe
EVIL UNDER THE SUN
1982
*
Hercule Poirot takes time out of his holiday to investigate another murder.
Glossy, sunny homicide fun for sleepy Sunday afternoons.
Dir: Guy Hamilton
Stars: Peter Ustinov, James Mason, Diana Rigg, Maggie Smith, Colin Blakely, Jane Birkin, Roddy McDowall
EVILSPEAK
1982
*
A tormented teenager makes use of his supernatural powers...
...and we really want his tormentors to get it, which they do in the fiery finale; lively but clumsy and overly drawn out shocker that's a sort of bizarre mix of Carrie and Tron, with gory moments that got it on the BBFC's video nasties list. Predictably it doesn't pack half the punch it did back then.
Dir: Eric Weston
Stars: Clint Howard, R G Armstrong, Joseph Cortese, Don Stark
EVITA
1996
*
The story of Eva Peron, an actress who became the most powerful woman in Argentina thanks to her marriage to the president.
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's stage musical finally reached the big screen in this extravagant production with nearly as many costume changes for Madonna as there are extras. It's polished and well performed but rarely gets the viewer fully involved - apart from those who are fans of the original show perhaps - and there don't appear to be that many great pieces of music aside from 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina', which pops up a few times.
Dir: Alan Parker
Stars: Madonna, Antonio Banderas, Jonathan Pryce, Jimmy Nail
EX MACHINA
2015
*
A computer programmer is invited to take part in an experiment involving an advanced female-like AI.
Polished sci-fi that develops its intriguing tale at an unhurried pace; there are good moments that might have been better still.
Dir: Alex Garland
Stars: Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander, Sonoya Mizuno
EXAM
2009
0
Eight candidates in a job interview turn over their exam paper and find that there is nothing written on it.
The question you ask yourself at the beginning of this one-room thriller is: great premise, but they can maintain the interest for 90 minutes? The answer is just about, but the unlikeable characters shouting at each other don’t really endear themselves to us and because we don’t know the culture/time/place they come from we can’t properly assess what’s going on. A better example of this sort of thing was the Doctor Who episode ‘Midnight’.
Dir: Stuart Hazeldine
Stars: Luke Mably, Colin Salmon, Nathalie Cox, Jimi Mistry
EXCALIBUR
1981
*
The story of King Arthur, Merlin and the Holy Grail.
Exhausting and sometimes confusing fantasy in which the visuals are more interesting than the characters, although those that speak with a funny voice are strangely entertaining.
Dir: John Boorman
Stars: Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicol Williamson, Cherie Lunghi
ESCAPE TO VICTORY
1981
*
POWs plan to escape during a football match.
This may be a daft, cheesy war drama with thinly sketched characters and footballers who can’t act and actors who can’t play football, but it has a certain charm, a plucky spirit that's seen it become a seasonal TV favourite – the final football match is what does it. Stallone will always be truly terrible though.
Dir: John Huston
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, Max von Sydow, Pele
ESCAPE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN
1974
*
An evil businessman will stop at nothing to get his hands on two alien children.
Promising but eventually ineffective junior sci-fi.
Dir: John Hough
Stars: Ray Milland, Donald Pleasence, Eddie Albert
ESCAPEMENT
1957
0
A doctor offers to give unhappy people a sensory ‘escape’ but it seems to lead to their deaths.
Dreadful sci-fi drama in which the somnambulant director is content to ruin the germ of a good idea and have the torpid characters endlessly discuss the plot in a series of different rooms.
Dir: Montgomery Tully
Stars: Rod Cameron, Mary Murphy, Meredith Edwards
ESCAPES
1986 (TV)
0
Six supernatural tales watched on a video tape: Hobgoblin Bridge, A Little Fishy, Coffee Break, Who's There?, Jonah's Dream and Think Twice.
Dire compendium consisting of weak, dialogue-lite, alfresco stories.
Dir: David Steensland
Stars: Vincent Price, Michael Patton-Hall, John Mitchum
ESCORT GIRLS
1973
0
What happens when various people decide to use an escort agency.
Fascinating for all kinds of reasons, but none to do with skilled film-making. It comes across as terribly earnest and advisory.
Dir: Donovan Winter
Stars: David Dixon, Maria O'Brien, Marika Mann
ESKIMO NELL
1974
*
A young director trying to break into the film industry discovers that the only way in is to do a sex flick.
Possibly the best British 1970s sex comedy of them all, a keenly observant nose around the film industry that spawned it, and occasionally very funny.
Dir: Martin Campbell
Stars: Michael Armstrong, Christopher Timothy, Roy Kinnear, Rosalind Knight, Christopher Biggins
E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL
1982
***
A small alien left behind on Earth is befriended by a young boy.
Spielberg’s sci-fi fairy tale was box office gold of its time and has much to recommend it, but is essentially an exercise in sentimental manipulation, particularly ET’s ‘death’ and his subsequent resurrection (one of the Christ parallels). On the plus side, young Thomas is very natural, there are moments of magic and the director successfully evokes the world of children, partly through the absence of adults, with the exception of Wallace, from the majority of the film.
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Stars: Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote
THE ETERNAL JEW
1940
*
Nazi propaganda documentary purporting to show the pernicious influence of Jews in Europe and elsewhere.
This is an extraordinary historical piece which distills Nazi racial thinking into just one hour and makes you realise why we have the ‘anti-discriminatory’ policies we now have. While nowhere near as sleek or elegant as Leni Riefenstahl’s works, the sections on rats and kosher slaughter have a sort of horrible, grim power that must have gladdened the heart of every National Socialist. Tatty, dangerous and sometimes hypnotic.
Dir: Fritz Hippler
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
2004
****
After his ex-girlfriend has her memory of him erased, a forlorn man undergoes the same treatment.
Original, intriguing fantasy with a style all of its own: its narrative is chopped up and swapped around to such a degree that it comes close to derailing, but it doesn't quite, providing a mad melange of masterful moments that are underpinned by a story so many of us can relate to, that of disappointment in relationships. It's a huge pleasure to watch such an unconventional Hollywood product, one aimed at an adult audience that thinks.
Dir: Michel Gondry
Stars: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Wilkinson
2016
***
The lives of a pair of Londoners from their marriage in 1928 onwards.
A really lovely film, one about two unremarkable people living unremarkable lives, with the background of the events of the mid-20th century, some tumultuous; it demonstrates that whiz-bang action isn't always a necessity as long as you have heart and humanity - the decency of its everyday English folk brings a tear to the eye, and its eventual wrap-up is inevitably emotional. (It's about life, pure and simple.) It's also beautifully animated, with many delightfully evocative scenes.
Dir: Roger Mainwood
Voices: Brenda Blethyn, Jim Broadbent, Luke Treadaway, Pam Ferris
ETRE ET AVOIR
2002
***
Documentary that follows the pupils of a rural French school and their kindly teacher.
A gentle and affecting film that tweaks the emotions thanks to the undeniably cute children and the remembrances it stirs in the viewer.
Dir: Nicolas Philibert
EUGENIE DE SADE
1974
*
A young woman and her stepfather act out murderous sexual fantasies.
One of Jess Franco's very best films, which isn't saying all that much, but it has a definite perverse allure, a striking lead actress, nice shots of a wintry Berlin and just one use of the crash zoom. While the script is predictably tatty, the director manages to tell a twisted and titillating tale on his usual restricted budget.
Dir: Jess Franco
Stars: Soledad Miranda, Paul Muller, Andres Monales, Jess Franco
EUGENIE… THE STORY OF HER JOURNEY INTO PERVERSION
1969
0
A young woman is corrupted by followers of the Marquis de Sade.
Slow and senseless erotic drama which is at least well shot, unlike most Franco films.
Dir: Jess Franco
Stars: Maria Rohm, Marie Liljedahl, Christopher Lee
EUROTRIP
2004
0
An American student embarks on a trip to Berlin to find his true love.
Middling teen comedy which is at least good-natured; but there are many more, much better gags in almost any episode of Family Guy.
Dir: Jeff Schaffer, Alec Berg
Stars: Scott Mechlowicz, Jacob Pitts, Michelle Trachtenberg
EVEL KNIEVEL
1971
0
The story so far of daredevil stuntman Evel Knievel, famed for his exploits on motorbikes.
Although shot in the actual locations this is a ropey biography of curious assemblage: the chronology jumps around like mad, real footage of Knievel's stunts are interspliced, and of course it finishes before the Seventies events that brought him real global fame. We also don't learn a lot about the guy. Not a write-off but definitely in need of an MOT.
Dir: Marvin Chomsky
Stars: George Hamilton, Sue Lyon, Bert Freed
EVEREST
1997
***
Documentary about climbing the mountain, presented in certain Imax cinemas, utilising the system's superb technical facilities.
The huge screen shows the emotion-searing action and adventure in incredible detail, being absolutely ideal for the medium.
Dir: David Breashears, Stephen Judson, Greg MacGillivray
Narrator: Liam Neeson
EVERY HOME SHOULD HAVE ONE
1970
0
An ad man uses sex to sell porridge.
Faltering comedy which simply doesn’t work; one of several filmic Feldman disappointments. His ugliness doesn't exactly make him a sympathetic leading man, and no more likeable is his prudish wife here - in fact it's the stuffy prudish attitudes on show that in part date this, plus the tiresome sub-Monty Python fantasy sequences. One not to purchase.
Dir: Jim Clark
Stars: Marty Feldman, Judy Cornwell, Julie Ege, Patrick Cargill
EVERY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE
1978
*
A cowboy and his orang-utan have brawling adventures across America.
Ramshackle star vehicle, probably not difficult to make but not difficult to sit in front of either.
Dir: James Fargo
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Ruth Gordon
EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!
2016
0
In 1980, male students party before the semester's classes start.
Presumably Linklater's attempt to give alpha males their moment in the sun and submerge the viewer in an aggressively masculine environment, this doesn't work as entertainment, not just because none of the characters are likeable (which was always going to be a problem) but because it's plotless, tedious and overlong. A strange misfire from the creator of the masterful Boyhood; watching many youth comedies made at that time would be preferable.
Dir: Richard Linklater
Stars: Blake Jenner, Tyler Hoechlin, Ryan Guzman, Wyatt Russell
EVEL KNIEVEL
1971
0
The story so far of daredevil stuntman Evel Knievel, famed for his exploits on motorbikes.
Although shot in the actual locations this is a ropey biography of curious assemblage: the chronology jumps around like mad, real footage of Knievel's stunts are interspliced, and of course it finishes before the Seventies events that brought him real global fame. We also don't learn a lot about the guy. Not a write-off but definitely in need of an MOT.
Dir: Marvin Chomsky
Stars: George Hamilton, Sue Lyon, Bert Freed
EVEREST
1997
***
Documentary about climbing the mountain, presented in certain Imax cinemas, utilising the system's superb technical facilities.
The huge screen shows the emotion-searing action and adventure in incredible detail, being absolutely ideal for the medium.
Dir: David Breashears, Stephen Judson, Greg MacGillivray
Narrator: Liam Neeson
EVERY HOME SHOULD HAVE ONE
1970
0
An ad man uses sex to sell porridge.
Faltering comedy which simply doesn’t work; one of several filmic Feldman disappointments. His ugliness doesn't exactly make him a sympathetic leading man, and no more likeable is his prudish wife here - in fact it's the stuffy prudish attitudes on show that in part date this, plus the tiresome sub-Monty Python fantasy sequences. One not to purchase.
Dir: Jim Clark
Stars: Marty Feldman, Judy Cornwell, Julie Ege, Patrick Cargill
EVERY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE
1978
*
A cowboy and his orang-utan have brawling adventures across America.
Ramshackle star vehicle, probably not difficult to make but not difficult to sit in front of either.
Dir: James Fargo
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Ruth Gordon
EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!
2016
0
In 1980, male students party before the semester's classes start.
Presumably Linklater's attempt to give alpha males their moment in the sun and submerge the viewer in an aggressively masculine environment, this doesn't work as entertainment, not just because none of the characters are likeable (which was always going to be a problem) but because it's plotless, tedious and overlong. A strange misfire from the creator of the masterful Boyhood; watching many youth comedies made at that time would be preferable.
Dir: Richard Linklater
Stars: Blake Jenner, Tyler Hoechlin, Ryan Guzman, Wyatt Russell
EVERYONE SAYS I LOVE YOU
1996
**
Romantic twists and turns in New York, Paris and Venice.
Another new thing for Mr Allen: a musical. Well, one with a few old songs sung mainly by non-singers, and some dance sequences too, some of which are supremely quirky, like the one with the ghosts and another with hospital staff. Aside from that it's the usual love complications of wealthy New Yorkers in a choppy plotline with plenty of humour, lovely cinematography and a terrific, starry cast; while not being one of his near-flawless pictures, it's still an enjoyable diversion that successfully balances many elements.
Dir: Woody Allen
Stars: Woody Allen, Goldie Hawn, Julia Roberts, Natasha Lyonne, Alan Alda, Drew Barrymore, Edward Norton, Natalie Portman, Tim Roth
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
2022
**
A woman tries to do her taxes...
That early IMDb synopsis of course does no justice to this bonkers movie that takes its characters through scores of different universes, a concept that Marvel has been more and more drawn to in recent times - in a way it absolves the makers from having to bother with proper plotting, all feeling very postmodern: this film's also-present themes of immigration and sexuality also put it very firmly in the court of 2022. It has inventive ideas that are either genius or terrible, possibly both. Some people loved its dementedly crackpot nature while those of us who like something more grounded and more relatable were less enthusiastic about the dizzying ride - which most definitely goes on for too long. But one does have to doff the cap at the makers who weren't crushed under the enormity of the task they gave themselves - doing the editing and the special effects must have been painstaking, verging on agonising.
Dir: Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
Stars: Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong, Jamie Lee Curtis
EVERYTHING OR NOTHING
2012
**
Documentary about the James Bond films, focusing on behind-the-scenes wrangles.
One for those fans more interested in hearing about scraps between producers rather than about the girls, gadgets and villains of the world's biggest movie franchise, this is nevertheless fairly engrossing and packed full of tasty anecdotes. Connery - the only Bond actor not appearing - comes out of it worst, and Lazenby is the most amusingly candid: it's certainly not the ultimate Bond documentary but is never less than watchable.
Dir: Stevan Riley
Stars: George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig
EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SEX BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK
1972
***
Seven sections of sex-based comedy based on the book by David Reuben.
A unique Allen opus, one in which the varied twisted highlights - the sheep in underwear, the giant breast, the concerned sperm, What's My Perversion? and so on - sit fondly in the mind for years afterwards. The players all get it right (Wilder is particularly brilliant), it has many amusing quirks, and the photography is excellent, which is often underestimated. While not everything hits the spot, it very much ends on a high with the tremendous What Happens During Ejaculation?.
Dir: Woody Allen
Stars: Woody Allen, Gene Wilder, John Carradine, Tony Randall, Lynn Redgrave, Anthony Quayle, Burt Reynolds, Louise Lasser
EVES ON SKIS
1963
0
Skiers in the Austrian Alps decide it would be better to holiday with no clothes on.
The man behind this quirky short, who also invented the lava lamp, was a keen nudist who had previously made two films on the subject, Travelling Light and Sunswept (both seemingly now lost). This was his third and final effort, transporting the unclothed action to snowscapes, and why not - it's a cute little thing, not unlike some of the skiers in it, that captures a culture where innocence was still around and screen taboos around nudity were increasingly being broken. Harmless fun, even if the makers' main skill is doggedly avoiding showing the participants' pubic areas.
Dir/Narrator: Edward Craven Walker (as Michael Keatering)
Stars: Rose Alba, Hugo de Vernier, Pat Roberts
THE EVICTORS
1979
0
A couple move into a new house with a dark past.
Routine stuff, a Southern-set crime/horror in the director's usual style, with at least one steal from Psycho, which is quite amusing. Moderately paced; not unpredictable, except for the very end.
Dir: Charles B Pierce
Stars: Vic Morrow, Jessica Harper, Michael Parks, Sue Ane Langdon
THE EVIL
1978
0
A doctor's new property has ghosts in it.
With the exception of the weird last ten minutes - set in a white void and featuring Victor Buono - this is a standard haunted house movie, with an incessant parade of supernatural incidents (some of which are quite well done).
Dir: Gus Trikonis
Stars: Richard Crenna, Joanna Pettet, Andrew Prine
EVIL ALIENS
2005
0
Aggressive aliens bother folk in rural Wales.
Appalling garbage that you deeply, deeply regret starting to watch three minutes in; it’s made by ghastly amateurs who think they’ve done some things that are really clever – but film viewers have much higher standards than they do. Foul-mouthed, relentless trash whose goofy sense of humour never begins to work.
Dir: Jake West
Stars: Emily Booth, Jamie Honeybourne, Sam Butler
THE EVIL DEAD
1983
**
Five teenagers staying in a cabin in a forest inadvertently summon violent demons.
Visceral, screamy shocker in which the director’s raw talent jumps out; the script must have looked absolutely terrible on page but Raimi’s enthusiasm to do the most disgusting things possible on his tiny budget hint at future goodies to come from him.
Dir: Sam Raimi
Stars: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Hal Delrich
EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN
1987
*
Ash once again accidentally summons up evil spirits.
A sequel which barely gives the audience time to catch its breath thanks to its rapid succession of gross, clever and funny gags. If anything, it's too much, and there's no way it can sustain interest for so long; and it's not exactly a film for intellectuals.
Dir: Sam Raimi
Stars: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks
Sequel: Army Of Darkness (qv)
THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN
1964
*
Baron Frankenstein, destitute and wanted by the law, thinks he is in luck when he re-discovers his monster in ice.
A bit of a Frankenstein's monster itself, with bits and pieces from other movies popping up randomly, this is nevertheless a pleasing romp let down by a nothing climax.
Dir: Freddie Francis
Stars: Peter Cushing, Sandor Eles, Duncan Lamont, Peter Woodthorpe
EVIL ROY SLADE
1971 (TV)
*
A gunman mends his ways after meeting the girl of his dreams.
Amiable spoof western with creaky old jokes.
Dir: Jerry Paris
Stars: John Asti, Mickey Rooney, Milton Berle
EVIL TOONS
1992
0
Four girls staying in a deserted house are haunted by a comic book spirit.
Wretched comic horror made for the price of a Big Mac. Full of tits and fits but devoid of wits.
Dir: Fred Olen Ray
Stars: David Carradine, Dick Miller, Don Dowe
EVIL UNDER THE SUN
1982
*
Hercule Poirot takes time out of his holiday to investigate another murder.
Glossy, sunny homicide fun for sleepy Sunday afternoons.
Dir: Guy Hamilton
Stars: Peter Ustinov, James Mason, Diana Rigg, Maggie Smith, Colin Blakely, Jane Birkin, Roddy McDowall
EVILSPEAK
1982
*
A tormented teenager makes use of his supernatural powers...
...and we really want his tormentors to get it, which they do in the fiery finale; lively but clumsy and overly drawn out shocker that's a sort of bizarre mix of Carrie and Tron, with gory moments that got it on the BBFC's video nasties list. Predictably it doesn't pack half the punch it did back then.
Dir: Eric Weston
Stars: Clint Howard, R G Armstrong, Joseph Cortese, Don Stark
EVITA
1996
*
The story of Eva Peron, an actress who became the most powerful woman in Argentina thanks to her marriage to the president.
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's stage musical finally reached the big screen in this extravagant production with nearly as many costume changes for Madonna as there are extras. It's polished and well performed but rarely gets the viewer fully involved - apart from those who are fans of the original show perhaps - and there don't appear to be that many great pieces of music aside from 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina', which pops up a few times.
Dir: Alan Parker
Stars: Madonna, Antonio Banderas, Jonathan Pryce, Jimmy Nail
EX MACHINA
2015
*
A computer programmer is invited to take part in an experiment involving an advanced female-like AI.
Polished sci-fi that develops its intriguing tale at an unhurried pace; there are good moments that might have been better still.
Dir: Alex Garland
Stars: Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander, Sonoya Mizuno
EXAM
2009
0
Eight candidates in a job interview turn over their exam paper and find that there is nothing written on it.
The question you ask yourself at the beginning of this one-room thriller is: great premise, but they can maintain the interest for 90 minutes? The answer is just about, but the unlikeable characters shouting at each other don’t really endear themselves to us and because we don’t know the culture/time/place they come from we can’t properly assess what’s going on. A better example of this sort of thing was the Doctor Who episode ‘Midnight’.
Dir: Stuart Hazeldine
Stars: Luke Mably, Colin Salmon, Nathalie Cox, Jimi Mistry
EXCALIBUR
1981
*
The story of King Arthur, Merlin and the Holy Grail.
Exhausting and sometimes confusing fantasy in which the visuals are more interesting than the characters, although those that speak with a funny voice are strangely entertaining.
Dir: John Boorman
Stars: Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicol Williamson, Cherie Lunghi
THE EXILES
1961
*
The lives of Native Americans (Indians) living in Los Angeles.
One of those films that gains all sorts of praise from high above - 1001 Movies You Must See, National Film Registry etc - because it is significant in some way (sometimes for ethnic reasons) but not actually very good or compelling. Surely it should be what your characters do, not just who they are? If a movie is a 'time capsule' does that necessarily endow merit upon it? This is as rough as filmmaking as it comes, but then if that was your criteria for quality - gritty, 'authentic', realistic - then you will indeed laud it. It's slightly interesting, slightly depressing.
Dir: Kent Mackenzie
Stars: Yvonne Williams, Homer Nish, Tom ReynoldsEXISTENZ
1999
0
A virtual reality game takes over the lives of those who play it.
Since we're unsure of the rules and parameters of the game, we don't get at all involved in this sci-fi fantasy, which just seems like another vehicle for the director to indulge his immature passion for the gruesome.
Dir: David Cronenberg
Stars: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jude Law, Willem Dafoe, Ian Holm, Christopher Eccleston
EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP
2010
***
How street artist Banksy inspired a French filmmaker to go into the business himself.
The genius of Banksy shines through in this arresting film, if only because it maintains the artist’s talent for obfuscation and mystery – in this age of the all-seeing internet that’s quite an achievement. It’s also a really good watch, and much of the art on display is inspiring.
Dir: Banksy
Stars: Banksy, Thierry Guetta, Shepard Fairey. Narrator: Rhys Ifans
EXIT TO EDEN
1995
0
Detectives seek out a smuggler on an island devoted to fetishes.
Weird mixture of romantic comedy, kinkiness and thriller that doesn't gel at all.
Dir: Garry Marshall
Stars: Dana Delany, Rosie O'Donnell, Dan Aykroyd, Iman
EXO MAN
1977 (TV)
0
A paralysed scientist creates an 'exo suit' to get revenge on his enemies.
Failed TV pilot which takes ages to introduce the suit which turns out to be laughable anyway.
Dir: Richard Irving
Stars: David Ackroyd, A Martinez, Kevin McCarthy
EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC
1977
0
Father Lamont realises that Regan still has evil inside of her.
Balderdash sequel - claustrophobic, irritating, boring, inexplicable and self-important. Audiences and critics agreed.
Dir: John Boorman
Stars: Richard Burton, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, James Earl Jones, Ned Beatty
THE EXORCIST III
1990
*
A cop investigates the decapitations of several priests.
A sequel more worthy of the Exorcist name, this is a literate, intelligent and mature horror film.
Dir: William Peter Blatty
Stars: George C Scott, Ed Flanders, Brad Dourif, Nicol Williamson
EXOTICA
1995
*
A man seeks revenge on the bouncer who threw him out of a strip joint.
Slow moving, deliberately plotted, but eventually rewarding curio.
Dir: Atom Egoyan
Stars: Bruce Greenwood, Elias Koteas
EXPLORERS
1985
*
Three schoolboys make a spaceship and meet some aliens.
A little gem ignored by the movie-going public - a flight of fancy through the soaring dreams of childhood, although it does eventually run out of steam when the kids meet the TV-obsessed aliens.
Dir: Joe Dante
Stars: Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix, Jason Presson
EXPOSÉ
1975
**
In a remote house in the countryside, mayhem and murder invade a writer's life.
The only ever British 'video nasty' is thin on plot and character development but the atmosphere and setting are skilfully evoked, excitingly punctuated by violence and eroticism.
Dir: James Kenelm Clarke
Stars: Udo Kier, Linda Hayden, Fiona Richmond
EXPRESS TO TERROR
1979 (TV)
0
A killer lurks on a new luxury train.
Cheesy pilot for the short-lived TV show, Supertrain.
Dir: Dan Curtis
Stars: Robert Alda, Broderick Crawford, George Hamilton
EXPRESSO BONGO
1959
0
A fast-talking manager makes a young singer famous.
Dated skit with some surprisingly sexy moments.
Dir: Val Guest
Stars: Laurence Harvey, Sylvia Sims, Yolande Donlan, Cliff Richard
THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL
1962
**
Guests at a high class dinner party find they are unable to leave, and eventually descend into violence.
Intriguing surrealistic drama which examines human behaviour close up and offers several different interpretations as to its meaning.
Dir: Luis Bunuel
Stars: Silvia Pinal, Enrique Rambal, Jacqueline Andere
THE EXTERMINATOR
1980
0
When his friend is paralysed by thugs, a man takes revenge.
Grimy thriller with horror overtones, a bit of a cause celebre of its day because of its bloody content.
Dir: James Glickenhaus
Stars: Robert Ginty, Christopher George, Samantha Eggar
EXTERMINATORS OF THE YEAR 3000
1983
0
In the far future, tribes battle over scarce water supplies.
Abysmal Mad Max Xerox which laughably takes itself seriously; hard to believe it was made for adults.
Dir: Giuliano Carnimeo
Stars: Robert Iannuci, Alicia Moro, Alan Collins
THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ADELE BLANC-SEC
2010
*
In early 20th century Paris, a female adventurer comes face to face with a newly born pterodactyl.
Whimsical yarn that always looks very pretty but isn’t always totally absorbing. More Amelie than Indiana Jones, its quirky humour will be appreciated by some more than others.
Dir: Luc Besson
Stars: Louise Bourgoin, Mathieu Amalric, Gilles Lellouche
EXTREME CLOSE-UP
1973
*
A TV reporter doing pieces on surveillance gradually becomes a voyeur himself.
A curious film – Michael Crichton’s script tantalises but never wholly satisfies, perhaps because we don’t really get under the skin of the lead character and what we’re expecting to happen doesn’t happen, ie Rear Window-type shenanigans. Those watching it under its other title, Sex Through A Window, may have been disappointed further but there are glimpses of skilful technique that make it a movie not to dismiss completely.
Dir: Jeannot Szwarc
Stars: Jim McMullan, Kate Woodville, James A Watson Jr
EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE
2011
0
An autistic boy struggles to cope after his father is killed on 9/11.
Audiences' liking for this film will depend on whether they can put up with the young lead's precocious performance and the director's penchant for the maudlin; the most reasonable verdict must be that this is misguided at best and pretentious, laboured and overlong at worst.
Dir: Stephen Daldry
Stars: Thomas Horn, Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, Max von Sydow, John Goodman
EYE OF THE CAT
1969
*
A young man who hates cats goes to stay with his aunt who has a house full of them.
Unlikely thriller with unbelievable characters and a weak ending - but almost enough to put you off cats.
Dir: David Lowell Rich
Stars: Eleanor Parker, Gayle Hunnicutt, Laurence Naismith
EYE OF THE DEVIL
1967
*
A nobleman becomes obsessed with an ancient diabolic superstition.
Dream-like chiller in which a starry cast wander around in exotic French settings; moderately compelling, but no Rosemary’s Baby, which it resembles.
Dir: J Lee Thompson
Stars: David Niven, Deborah Kerr, Donald Pleasence, David Hemmings, Sharon Tate, John Le Mesurier
EYES OF A STRANGER
1980
0
A TV anchorwoman suspects a man in the opposing tower block of being a murderer.
If only the heroine called the police at the start then we wouldn't have to endure the rest of this derivative shocker.
Dir: Ken Wiederhorn
Stars: Lauren Tewes, Jennifer Jason Leigh, John DiSanti
EYES WIDE SHUT
1999
***
A New York couple's relationship comes under great strain from different sides.
Kubrick's swan song is fascinating; the central plot is almost a throwaway, a hoary old paranoia thriller, but it's full of duplicitous signals to keep the viewer guessing as to what it's all about.
Dir: Stanley Kubrick
Stars: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Sydney Pollack, Leelee Sobieski
EYES WITHOUT A FACE
1959
***
A surgeon attempts to graft a new face onto his scarred daughter.
Haunting French horror classic, deliberately paced but highly effective.
Dir: Georges Franju
Stars: Pierre Brasseur, Alida Valli, Juliette Mayniel
1999
0
A virtual reality game takes over the lives of those who play it.
Since we're unsure of the rules and parameters of the game, we don't get at all involved in this sci-fi fantasy, which just seems like another vehicle for the director to indulge his immature passion for the gruesome.
Dir: David Cronenberg
Stars: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jude Law, Willem Dafoe, Ian Holm, Christopher Eccleston
EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP
2010
***
How street artist Banksy inspired a French filmmaker to go into the business himself.
The genius of Banksy shines through in this arresting film, if only because it maintains the artist’s talent for obfuscation and mystery – in this age of the all-seeing internet that’s quite an achievement. It’s also a really good watch, and much of the art on display is inspiring.
Dir: Banksy
Stars: Banksy, Thierry Guetta, Shepard Fairey. Narrator: Rhys Ifans
EXIT TO EDEN
1995
0
Detectives seek out a smuggler on an island devoted to fetishes.
Weird mixture of romantic comedy, kinkiness and thriller that doesn't gel at all.
Dir: Garry Marshall
Stars: Dana Delany, Rosie O'Donnell, Dan Aykroyd, Iman
EXO MAN
1977 (TV)
0
A paralysed scientist creates an 'exo suit' to get revenge on his enemies.
Failed TV pilot which takes ages to introduce the suit which turns out to be laughable anyway.
Dir: Richard Irving
Stars: David Ackroyd, A Martinez, Kevin McCarthy
THE EXORCIST
1973
***
A young girl possessed by the devil is responsible for violent deaths.
Did this famous horror film make the world a slightly worse place? Possibly, but that might have been its intention. Watched today, it retains its power - especially in the latter stages it is grimly horrifying, managing to conjure up an atmosphere that was by far the most unsettling in cinema seen at that point. It is nasty and bleak through and through. It's also humourless, starts very slowly, and doesn't actually have much of a plot that is developed, nor characters to identify with. The makers cared not: this was made to disturb. One worries how much they disturbed the young Blair by putting her through what they did...? An unlovely classic.
Dir: William Friedkin
Stars: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Lee J Cobb
1977
0
Father Lamont realises that Regan still has evil inside of her.
Balderdash sequel - claustrophobic, irritating, boring, inexplicable and self-important. Audiences and critics agreed.
Dir: John Boorman
Stars: Richard Burton, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, James Earl Jones, Ned Beatty
THE EXORCIST III
1990
*
A cop investigates the decapitations of several priests.
A sequel more worthy of the Exorcist name, this is a literate, intelligent and mature horror film.
Dir: William Peter Blatty
Stars: George C Scott, Ed Flanders, Brad Dourif, Nicol Williamson
EXOTICA
1995
*
A man seeks revenge on the bouncer who threw him out of a strip joint.
Slow moving, deliberately plotted, but eventually rewarding curio.
Dir: Atom Egoyan
Stars: Bruce Greenwood, Elias Koteas
EXPLORERS
1985
*
Three schoolboys make a spaceship and meet some aliens.
A little gem ignored by the movie-going public - a flight of fancy through the soaring dreams of childhood, although it does eventually run out of steam when the kids meet the TV-obsessed aliens.
Dir: Joe Dante
Stars: Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix, Jason Presson
EXPOSÉ
1975
**
In a remote house in the countryside, mayhem and murder invade a writer's life.
The only ever British 'video nasty' is thin on plot and character development but the atmosphere and setting are skilfully evoked, excitingly punctuated by violence and eroticism.
Dir: James Kenelm Clarke
Stars: Udo Kier, Linda Hayden, Fiona Richmond
EXPRESS TO TERROR
1979 (TV)
0
A killer lurks on a new luxury train.
Cheesy pilot for the short-lived TV show, Supertrain.
Dir: Dan Curtis
Stars: Robert Alda, Broderick Crawford, George Hamilton
EXPRESSO BONGO
1959
0
A fast-talking manager makes a young singer famous.
Dated skit with some surprisingly sexy moments.
Dir: Val Guest
Stars: Laurence Harvey, Sylvia Sims, Yolande Donlan, Cliff Richard
THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL
1962
**
Guests at a high class dinner party find they are unable to leave, and eventually descend into violence.
Intriguing surrealistic drama which examines human behaviour close up and offers several different interpretations as to its meaning.
Dir: Luis Bunuel
Stars: Silvia Pinal, Enrique Rambal, Jacqueline Andere
THE EXTERMINATOR
1980
0
When his friend is paralysed by thugs, a man takes revenge.
Grimy thriller with horror overtones, a bit of a cause celebre of its day because of its bloody content.
Dir: James Glickenhaus
Stars: Robert Ginty, Christopher George, Samantha Eggar
EXTERMINATORS OF THE YEAR 3000
1983
0
In the far future, tribes battle over scarce water supplies.
Abysmal Mad Max Xerox which laughably takes itself seriously; hard to believe it was made for adults.
Dir: Giuliano Carnimeo
Stars: Robert Iannuci, Alicia Moro, Alan Collins
THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ADELE BLANC-SEC
2010
*
In early 20th century Paris, a female adventurer comes face to face with a newly born pterodactyl.
Whimsical yarn that always looks very pretty but isn’t always totally absorbing. More Amelie than Indiana Jones, its quirky humour will be appreciated by some more than others.
Dir: Luc Besson
Stars: Louise Bourgoin, Mathieu Amalric, Gilles Lellouche
EXTREME CLOSE-UP
1973
*
A TV reporter doing pieces on surveillance gradually becomes a voyeur himself.
A curious film – Michael Crichton’s script tantalises but never wholly satisfies, perhaps because we don’t really get under the skin of the lead character and what we’re expecting to happen doesn’t happen, ie Rear Window-type shenanigans. Those watching it under its other title, Sex Through A Window, may have been disappointed further but there are glimpses of skilful technique that make it a movie not to dismiss completely.
Dir: Jeannot Szwarc
Stars: Jim McMullan, Kate Woodville, James A Watson Jr
EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE
2011
0
An autistic boy struggles to cope after his father is killed on 9/11.
Audiences' liking for this film will depend on whether they can put up with the young lead's precocious performance and the director's penchant for the maudlin; the most reasonable verdict must be that this is misguided at best and pretentious, laboured and overlong at worst.
Dir: Stephen Daldry
Stars: Thomas Horn, Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, Max von Sydow, John Goodman
EYE OF THE CAT
1969
*
A young man who hates cats goes to stay with his aunt who has a house full of them.
Unlikely thriller with unbelievable characters and a weak ending - but almost enough to put you off cats.
Dir: David Lowell Rich
Stars: Eleanor Parker, Gayle Hunnicutt, Laurence Naismith
EYE OF THE DEVIL
1967
*
A nobleman becomes obsessed with an ancient diabolic superstition.
Dream-like chiller in which a starry cast wander around in exotic French settings; moderately compelling, but no Rosemary’s Baby, which it resembles.
Dir: J Lee Thompson
Stars: David Niven, Deborah Kerr, Donald Pleasence, David Hemmings, Sharon Tate, John Le Mesurier
EYES OF A STRANGER
1980
0
A TV anchorwoman suspects a man in the opposing tower block of being a murderer.
If only the heroine called the police at the start then we wouldn't have to endure the rest of this derivative shocker.
Dir: Ken Wiederhorn
Stars: Lauren Tewes, Jennifer Jason Leigh, John DiSanti
THE EYES OF CHARLES SAND
1972 (TV)
*
A man with second sight tries to solve a bizarre murder mystery.
Borrowed ideas stuck together make for moderate thrills - but a series didn’t follow. Maybe it's because the plot isn't that clear-cut and there's too much female hysteria, although there are some impressively choreographed scares in which the director goes for it.
Dir: Reza Badiyi
Stars: Peter Haskell, Joan Bennett, Adam West, Shannon Farrell
EYES OF LAURA MARS
1978
*
A photographer keeps getting flashes where she can see through the eyes of a serial killer.
All sorts of problems with this horror thriller: the ending is ludicrous (and where's the explanation?) and before then we've had a stretched out story that isn't much of a story at all; the mix of psycho killings and romanticism is a curdled one, while its angry New York vibe and fashionista types aren't especially winsome. Perhaps the only pluses are Dunaway's committed performance - those eyes! - and Helmut Newton's dramatic, sexy photographs. It should have been much better.
Dir: Irvin Kershner
Stars: Faye Dunaway, Tommy Lee Jones, Brad Dourif, Raul Julia
THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE
2021
**
The rise and fall of televangelist Tammy Faye and her husband Jim Bakker.
Enjoyable biopic which probably couldn't go too wrong, as it tells a juicy tale of two of the main exponents of the crooked and exploitative preacher industry who used the relatively new medium of television to get millions of dollars from a gullible American public; it's quite curious - but perhaps not too surprising in this identity politics obsessed era - that the movie appears to forgive Faye for all her chicanery because she was a friend to the gay community. It's given big oomph by Chastain's Oscar-winning performance, while Garfield is also pitch-perfect as the slippery Bakker. Well worth watching.
Dir: Michael Showalter
Stars: Jessica Chastain, Andrew Garfield, Cherry Jones, Vincent D'Onofrio
EYES WIDE SHUT
1999
***
A New York couple's relationship comes under great strain from different sides.
Kubrick's swan song is fascinating; the central plot is almost a throwaway, a hoary old paranoia thriller, but it's full of duplicitous signals to keep the viewer guessing as to what it's all about.
Dir: Stanley Kubrick
Stars: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Sydney Pollack, Leelee Sobieski
EYES WITHOUT A FACE
1959
***
A surgeon attempts to graft a new face onto his scarred daughter.
Haunting French horror classic, deliberately paced but highly effective.
Dir: Georges Franju
Stars: Pierre Brasseur, Alida Valli, Juliette Mayniel
EYEWITNESS
1970
*
A young boy known for telling tales witnesses a murder.
Fairly simplistic thriller with familiar British actors swanning round Malta, which looks its attractive sun-kissed self. Most of the main characters aren't especially well developed and the mid-section slackens its grip, but this is painless enough, and features a bizarre joke about Hitler.
Dir: John Hough
Stars: Mark Lester, Lionel Jeffries, Susan George, Jeremy Kemp, Peter Vaughan, Peter Bowles
