1977
0
A medieval cooper’s apprentice takes on a peasant-slaying monster.
The period look is grittily captured, but this, and a script that could have done with a lighter touch, make it a not especially nice film to spend time with.
Dir: Terry Gilliam
Stars: Michael Palin, Max Wall, Warren Mitchell, John Le Mesurier, Harry H Corbett, Rodney Bewes, Bernard Bresslaw
J'ACCUSE
1938
*
A traumatised World War One veteran tries desperately to prevent another war.
Gance refashioned his 1919 film of the same name, bringing it up to date in an era where war was once again set to break out - in a sense it feels like it was made after World War Two began such is its doomy drama. Thankfully shorter than the aforementioned movie, it still has many melodramatic, chewy, talky scenes, with the most effective ones near the climax, where the soldiers 'rise up'; also, the lead character doesn't half go on. Still, a fairly interesting anti-war piece, if not a classic. (PS it's all very well saying war is awful and shouldn't happen, but when a monster like Hitler comes along, you have to fight him.)
Dir: Abel Gance
Stars: Victor Francen, Line Noro, Sylvie Gance
JACK & SARAH
1996
*
A man has to face up to his responsibilities after his wife dies in childbirth.
Not as bad as it sounds - good scripting and performances make its sentiment convincing.
Dir: Tim Sullivan
Stars: Richard E Grant, Samantha Mathis, Judi Dench, Ian McKellen
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK
1952
0
A babysitter dreams he is part of a fairy tale.
Juvenile comedy with poor songs.
Dir: Jean Yardbrough
Stars: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Buddy Baer
JACK THE GIANT KILLER
1962
*
A resourceful farm lad attempts to save a princess from a sorcerer.
In a way, the 8th Voyage Of Sinbad (director and star are the same, and the producer originally turned down that movie), and not a bad little Sunday matinee, a straightforward yarn with a good heart. The trick effects will attract most comment now, and they do look a little rough around the ages, to put it mildly, but one scene when witches attack a ship remains remarkably strange and scary.
Dir: Nathan Juran
Stars: Kerwin Mathews, Judi Meredith, Torin Thatcher
JACK THE RIPPER
1958
0
The killer of prostitutes in Victorian London's East End turns out to be an insane surgeon.
The endlessly fascinating real-life tale is here turned into a clichéd thriller short on shocks.
Dir: Robert S Baker, Monty Berman
Stars: Ewen Solon, Lee Patterson, John Le Mesurier
JACK THE RIPPER
1976
0
A surgeon murders women because they remind him of his prostitute mother.
Franco’s film, while being one of his more technically adept, could barely be more pedestrian, gory scenes aside.
Dir: Jess Franco
Stars: Klaus Kinski, Josephine Chaplin, Lina Romay
JACKASS
2002
**
A series of real-life ludicrous stunts and pranks.
Freewheeling, carefree, hilarious big screen incarnation of the MTV show; its existence demonstrates the freedom and good humour of citizens of the USA.
Dir: Jeff Tremaine
Stars: Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Bam Margera, Chris Pontius, Dave England
JACKASS NUMBER TWO
2006
**
More of the same, but with increased emphasis on bodily functions and fluids, which makes it nastier and less clever than the first film.
Dir: Jeff Tremaine
Stars: Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Bam Margera, Chris Pontius, Dave England
JACKASS 3
2010
**
Technically speaking this one is the best of the trio – the up-to-the-minute camera technology not only shoots in 3D but at a thousand frames a second, and it looks stunning. Also, while acknowledging that the film’s main audience will still be lager-supping young men, note that there are deeper things denoted by the making of this motion picture: that people in the West are rich enough and free enough to do this sort of thing; that these men are driven to seek out ever stronger experiences as they live their lives, as we all do, but here it’s taken to the extreme; and the wonderful inventiveness of many, if not all, of the stunts. There certainly isn’t a second of boredom.
Dir: Jeff Tremaine
Stars: Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Bam Margera, Chris Pontius, Preston Lacy, Ryan Dunn, Jason Acuna, Dave England
JACKASS FOREVER
2022
**
Just when you thought they'd gone forever, they're back, older but not wiser, and greyer in Knoxville's case, at least in some scenes. This is, if anything, even cruder than what's gone before, with a disturbing emphasis on testicular destruction - you have to wonder what the appeal is of doing some of these stunts (presumably all are caught up in the hedonism and freedom of the mad activities). In danger of being weakened by its new commitment to a little more diversity it's nevertheless another horribly watchable enterprise that, perhaps inadvertently, risibly features a few of the cast and crew in masks - what goes on in the stunts is a million times more dangerous than any virus (the masks dampen the what-the-hell spirit). On the whole, variable, and not the best of the four films.
Dir: Jeff Tremaine
Stars: Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Preston Lacy, Jason Acuna, Dave England
JACKASS PRESENTS BAD GRANDPA
2013
***
An irresponsible grandparent takes his young grandson across the country.
Similar in style to Borat or Bruno - a basic story played out involving unsuspecting members of the public shot on hidden camera - this is a hugely appealing comedy with many moments that are truly hilarious (the funeral parlour, the child's ride, the strip joint, the beauty pageant etc). It's no slouch in other ways either: both the lead performers are superb in their own way, Knoxville as the grandpa and Nicoll as the eight-year-old; the stunts are perfectly executed; and it even manages to be genuinely touching near the end, in the scene with the bikers. The DVD adds behind the scenes featurettes which are also very enjoyable.
Dir: Jeff Tremaine
Stars: Johnny Knoxville, Jackson Nicoll, Greg Harris
THE JACKET
2005
0
A man in a mental asylum has 'flashbacks' to the future where he is dead.
Dismal rubbish with no sympathetic characters. Why bother making a film which just disturbs, depresses and discombobulates the audience?
Dir: John Maybury
Stars: Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kris Kristofferson, Kelly Lynch
JACKIE BROWN
1997
*
A female flight attendant becomes the link between the police and an arms dealer.
Long, slow and talkative thriller peopled by unlikeable characters.
Dir: Quentin Tarantino
Stars: Pam Grier, Samuel L Jackson, Robert Forster, Robert DeNiro, Bridget Fonda, Michael Keaton
JACK’S THE BOY
1932
0
The son of a police thief rounds up some criminals.
Now hideously dated of course, but back then a popular comedy with a few new ideas and a star the audience took to.
Dir: Walter Forde
Stars: Jack Hulbert, Cicely Courtneidge, Francis Lister
JACK’S WIFE
1972
0
A suburban housewife makes her life more exciting by getting into witchcraft.
Talkative, archaic-feeling horror/drama, a feeble ancestor of both Rosemary's Baby and Repulsion (both qv).
Dir: George A Romero
Stars: Jan White, Ray Laine, Ann Muffly
JACKTOWN
1962
0
A young man is sent to jail for statutory rape.
Cheapjack (pun intended) melodrama with a stern message, it starts with the birth of the hoodlum and continues with sententious narration and some real-life prison violence, before naughty Frankie goes to prison himself. Then there's more moralising, and then things get even funnier. Miss-able.
Dir: William Martin
Stars: Patty McCormack, Richard Meade, Douglas Rutherford
1991
0
A Vietnam veteran experiences violent and demonic hallucinations.
The Twilight Zone might have done this story in half an hour; here it's drearily stretched out by its pretensions and big budget.
Dir: Adrian Lyne
Stars: Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Pena, Danny Aiello
JADE
1995
*
When a multi-millionaire is murdered, an exotic woman is the main suspect.
Brash, facile, somewhat claustrophobic thriller which turns on the interesting taps now and then.
Dir: William Friedkin
Stars: David Caruso, Linda Fiorentino, Michael Biehn, Richard Crenna
JAGGED EDGE
1985
*
A female lawyer defends a man who may or may not have murdered his wife.
Competent thriller which might have worked better with a little less romance and a little more courtroom.
Dir: Richard Marquand
Stars: Jeff Bridges, Glenn Close, Peter Coyote, Robert Loggia
JAGUAR LIVES
1979
0
A spy adept at martial arts attempts to crack an international drugs ring.
Not-too-bad Bond-like thriller which didn't find many fans.
Dir: Ernest Pintoff
Stars: Joe Lewis, Christopher Lee, Donald Pleasence, Barbara Bach, Joseph Wiseman, John Huston
JAIL BAIT
1955
0
After committing a robbery, a criminal undergoes surgery to change his face.
Inept thriller, quite fun to watch thanks to its bad acting, eccentric dialogue and plot irregularities in typical Wood style. Fans can pick out their favourite bits: Reeves gratuitously showing his torso; the incessant Spanish guitar on the soundtrack; the reveal after the bandages are taken off; the place where the dead body's kept; the strange blackface interlude. Bless Wood for trying his earnest best.
Dir: Edward D Wood Jr
Stars: Lyle Talbot, Dolores Fuller, Herbert Rawlinson, Steve Reeves
JAILHOUSE WARDRESS
1981
0
An SS officer and his girlfriend head to South America after the end of World War Two.
Drunk madness largely consisting of footage from other Nazisploitation/Women in Prison films like Hitler's Last Train, Elsa Fraulein SS and Barbed Wire Dolls (all qv, unfortunately). Even completists heavily slate this one, and it is admittedly a low in terms of coherence and money spent on a movie. 'What are we going to do?' 'Let's get undressed.'
Dir: Alain Deruelle, Jess Franco
Stars: Didier Aubriot, Eugenie Laborde, Michael Bates
JAKE SPEED
1986
0
A comic book hero sets out to rescue a kidnapped girl.
Sluggish Romancing The Stone-type adventure done on a more moderate budget.
Dir: Andrew Lane
Stars: Wayne Crawford, John Hurt, Dennis Christopher
JAMAICA INN
1939
**
In 19th century Cornwall, a girl discovers that an inn is a meeting place for smugglers, thieves and murderers.
Hitchcock's period thriller earns plaudits for its strong atmosphere - both in its internal and external scenes - and Laughton's (and his eyebrows') lip-smacking turn; despite being atypical of the master it's a solid tale, well told (and Du Maurier's novel would go on to be filmed again in the future). Not a classic, but much better than the vast majority of British movies being made at the time.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
Stars: Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara, Robert Newton, Leslie Banks
JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH
1996
*
A lonely boy escapes from his wicked aunts in a huge fruit.
Inventive Roald Dahl adaptation, possibly too weird for its own good; unlikely to become as loved as Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (qv).
Dir: Henry Selick
Stars: Paul Terry, Joanna Lumley, Miriam Margolyes, Pete Postlethwaite. Voices: Simon Callow, Richard Dreyfuss, Susan Sarandon, David Thewlis
JANE AND THE LOST CITY
1987
0
In World War Two, English soldiers, including a sexy siren, search for a lost city in Africa.
Similar to Bullshot (qv) and a cheapo Indiana Jones, this easy-to-call awful adventure gains most of its excitement from Jane's clothes frequently falling off.
Dir: Terry Marcel
Stars: Sam Jones, Maud Adams, Jasper Carott, Kirsten Hughes, Graham Stark
JANE EYRE
1943
**
A mistreated child grows up to become a governess to an enigmatic nobleman.
Sturdy Hollywood take on the novel, complete with tasty gothic trimmings, nicely shot and scored, with a couple of resolute lead performances.
Dir: Robert Stevenson
Stars: Joan Fontaine, Orson Welles, Margaret O'Brien, Henry Daniell, Agnes Moorehead
JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS
1961
***
Jason and crew go in search of the magical golden fleece.
Rambling, robust fantasy with a splendid array of monsters from Ray Harryhausen.
Dir: Don Chaffey
Stars: Todd Armstrong, Honor Blackman, Andrew Faulds
JASON GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY
1993
0
Different people are possessed by the spirit of Jason and become killers too.
Ninth in the Friday The 13th string which bothers to try something new, at least by this series' unimaginative standards. Fun at times, particularly at the start.
Dir: Adam Marcus
Stars: Jon D LeMay, Kari Keegan, Kane Hodder
JASON X
2001
*
Mass murderer Jason Voorhees is awoken from cryogenic freezing in the 25th century and, predictably, goes on the rampage.
Curious attempt to continue the series in space nine years after the last movie, with ideas that range from the quirky to the obvious to the cheesy; inventive kills aren’t as in evidence as they might be, and the film owes much to Alien/Aliens, but at least it doesn’t take itself seriously. And nor should it.
Dir: James Isaac
Stars: Kane Hodder, Lexa Doig, Lisa Ryder, David Cronenberg
JAWS
1975
***
A man-eating shark wreaks havoc among Californian bathers.
The movie that really launched Spielberg into the stratosphere, this summer blockbuster caused a sensation at the time and has taken its place in the movies hall of fame: there’s a lot more than just John Williams’ famous (but not over-used) score to admire, there’s the clever, economic dialogue, the strong humour, the classy camerawork and the three male leads, who play off each other beautifully during the final 45 minutes on the boat. By that point the shark has, magnificently, taken on the persona of an obsessive killer who wants nothing more than its tormentors dead.
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Stars: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton
JAWS 2
1978
*
A bigger shark returns to menace bathers.
Pretty much the same thing minus Spielberg's magic touch.
Dir: Jeannot Szwarc
Stars: Roy Scheider, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton
JAWS 3-D
1983
0
A shark is taken in by Sea World.
At least a fairly original third in the series, and the 3-D was a novelty.
Dir: Joe Alves
Stars: Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Simon MacCorkindale, Lea Thompson
JAWS: THE REVENGE
1987
0
Brody's family is tracked down by a vengeful shark.
We certainly didn't need a fourth in the canon, especially one as sentimental and uninteresting as this one.
Dir: Joseph Sargent
Stars: Michael Caine, Lorraine Gary, Lance Guest, Mario Van Peebles
THE JAYNE MANSFIELD STORY
1980 (TV)
0
The short life of the American pin-up and movie star.
Bargain basement biopic in which the cheapness shines through in every aspect of the production.
Dir: Dick Lowry
Stars: Loni Anderson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kathleen Lloyd
THE JAZZ SINGER
1927
****
A performer is torn between his family life and his career.
What they don’t tell you is that this famous feature is mostly silent with only a few songs and a snatch of dialogue audible, but it still holds the attention because we are uncertain whether Jack will choose to appear on the show’s opening night or sing for his father; in many ways it’s a tale of how religion blights modern day lives. An extra star is awarded for its massive contribution to the evolution of motion pictures.
Dir: Alan Crosland
Stars: Al Jolson, May McAvoy, Warner Oland, Eugenie Besserer
J C CHAVEZ
2007
*
Documentary looking at the life of Mexico’s greatest ever boxer, Julio Cesar Chavez.
A fairly rudimentary effort that manages to keep the interest because of the brute appeal of the eponymous sportsman but only scratches the surface of his lifestyle; it is redeemed by the tense build-up to Chavez’s final comeback fight, in which his demeanour is very different to his previous showy displays.
Dir: Diego Luna
Stars: Julio Cesar Chavez, Don King, Mike Tyson
JCVD
2008
*
Action movie star Jean-Claude Van Damme gets caught up in a post office robbery.
One of those films in which the actor plays a version of themselves in order to make a comment on the nature of celebrity and the film industry (see also I'm Still Here), this is actually something of a disappointment, as the story is rather boggy and the visuals' greeny grey look becomes tiresome. Still, it's not without value and proves that Van Damme can actually act and isn't averse to self-mockery.
Dir: Mabrouk El Mechri
Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Valerie Bodson, Herve Sogne
JE BRILLE DE PARTOUT
1979
0
A young woman is kidnapped and forced to take part in sex orgies.
Typical crackpot Franco stuff, another excuse for his perversions - indeed, there's no other reason that it exists. You're only 90 seconds into the film, with the lengthy disco dancing sequence, when you realise this is not a competent or prestigious project.
Dir: Jess Franco
Stars: Susan Hemingway, Brigitte Lahaie, Jean Ferrere
JEAN DE FLORETTE
1986
***
A farmer with fresh ideas is thwarted by old hands who want his land.
One of the best films to come out of France in the 1980s, an accessible, refreshing rural drama.
Dir: Claude Berri
Stars: Yves Montand, Gerard Depardieu, Daniel Auteuil
JEANNE DIELMAN, 23, QUAI DU COMMERCE, 1080 BRUXELLES
1975
*
A lonely widowed housewife lives with her grown-up son, does domestic chores and occasionally prostitutes herself.
The BFI and its mouthpiece Sight And Sound magazine chose to destroy their credibility for at least a decade by naming this film the greatest ever made in 2022; it's impossible to exaggerate the stupidity of this decision, made by political obsessives and their useful zombie friends, none of whom know anything about real life. This three-and-a-half-hour movie is not just an exercise in arthouse cinema taken to its zenith, it's actually trolling, it's actually quite aggressive in that it defies you to criticise it because it can then say you are ignorant: in that sense it was a perfect pawn to push into the culture wars raging in '22. No matter how you prepare for viewing it, you cannot prepare for its sheer stultifying blankness and tedium, with a deeply uninteresting woman making meals, sitting in a chair, polishing shoes, shopping.... this is not cinema. James Berardinelli's review has the measure of it. It's actually so 'nothing' you can't help but burst into laughter intermittently, and it's excruciating to imagine how awkward, embarrassing and weird this must have been to sit through in the cinema, watching with other people. Did they hate men, hate motion pictures and love pretentiousness as much as the director clearly did? On the plus side... it's different and bold in its intentions.
Dir: Chantal Akerman
Stars: Delphine Seyrig, Jan Decorte
JECKYL AND HYDE
1989 (TV)
0
A scientist inadvertently creates an evil persona for himself.
Gauche version of the over-told tale which proves that Michael Caine really shouldn't do the 19th century London gentleman sort of thing.
Dir: David Wickes
Stars: Michael Caine, Cheryl Ladd, Joss Ackland, Diane Keen, Lionel Jeffries, Lance Percival
JEDI JUNKIES
2010
*
Documentary about Star Wars obsessives.
Because it can't show a single second of official footage, this affectionate documentary shows rather too much fan film footage, which is much less enthralling; but there are plenty of mad fans to enjoy seeing, and getting psychologists in was a sagacious move.
Dir: Mark Edlitz
JEEPERS CREEPERS II
2003
*
A group of teenagers trapped in a bus are picked off by an evil giant bat-man.
Bizarre, lively horror, often funny when it isn't meant to be.
Dir: Victor Salva
Stars: Eric Nenninger, Jonathan Breck, Nicki Aycox
JENNIFER
1978
0
A taunted schoolgirl gets her revenge by using her special powers.
Daft Carrie copy with moments of style.
Dir: Brice Mack
Stars: Lisa Pelikan, Bert Convy, Nina Foch
THE JERK
1979
**
A poor boy aspires to become rich.
Very funny comedy that made Martin a star.
Dir: Carl Reiner
Stars: Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Catlin Adams
JERRY MAGUIRE
1996
0
A zealous sports agent gains a conscience.
Bizarrely uninteresting dramedy that almost feels like it's from the Eighties and is both mawkish and manipulative, with a slick, superficial lead character frequently immersed in emetic music or situations that only Americans or single women with cats could empathise with. Just when you think it can't get any worse, near the end they start playing American football.
Dir: Cameron Crowe
Stars: Tom Cruise, Renee Zellweger, Cuba Gooding Jr, Kelly Preston
JESSE JAMES MEETS FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER
1966
0
A descendant of Dr Frankenstein turns a friend of Jesse James into a monster.
Not as bad as you expect! And also a bit more 'Western-like' than feared too, especially in its first half: later we get Frankenstein's granddaughter carrying out her nefarious plans, usually with a nefarious expression on her face. Okay, it's loopy madness, but quite likeable and painless to sit through, and technically not bad at all.
Dir: William Beaudine
Stars: John Lupton, Narda Onyx, Cal Bolder
JESUS CAMP
2006
***
Documentary looking at a fundamentalist Christian holiday camp where children are indoctrinated into the ways of the Lord.
Fascinating portrait of people who obdurately refuse to accept science and reason and deliberately brainwash the young into thinking the same way; the directors pretty much just have to point the camera in their direction to illustrate the awfulness (which includes a skewed discussion on abortion, the worshipping of a cardboard cut-out of George Bush and criticisms of the warlocks in Harry Potter).
Dir: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR
1973
****
Jesus Christ, getting bigger than John did when he did his Baptism thing, is betrayed by Judas Iscariot.
Vibrant adaptation of the Lloyd Webber/Rice musical that spills over with melodious, sinewy songs and ebullient performances, and is visually glorious, shot on location and all. This is a production that rarely fails to excite, and this movie version, with its quirks and its youthful peppiness and its imagination and style, is as good as could be wished.
Dir: Norman Jewison
Stars: Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, Yvonne Elliman, Barry Dennen, Josh Mostel
JESUS OF MONTREAL
1989
*
An actor who portrays Jesus in a play finds his life beginning to emulate the Gospel.
Quirky drama for an artsy crowd.
Dir: Denys Arcand
Stars: Lothaire Bluteau, Catherine Wilkening
JET STORM
1959
*
A transatlantic flight is threatened by a mad bomber.
Artificial suspenser given a certain charm by the passing of time.
Dir: Cy Endfield
Stars: Richard Attenborough, Stanley Baker, Harry Secombe, Elizabeth Sellars
LA JETEE
1962
*
In the wake of World War 3, a man is sent time travelling to stop the apocalypse.
'Un photo-roman', a 25-minute avant-garde short consisting of still images, something for students of French cinema or those who want to see where Twelve Monkeys got its inspiration. Some of the imagery is striking even if the story takes a bit of fathoming and after a short while one misses conventional techniques; original, though.
Dir: Chris Marker
Stars: Davos Hanich, Helene Chatelain. Narrator: James Kirk
JEUNE & JOLIE
2013
***
A 17-year-old girl chooses to become a prostitute.
A fresh and crisp exploration of sexuality and rite-of-passage, concisely written and subtly directed, with a supreme lead performance from beautiful newcomer Vacth; because its tone isn't censorious or finger-wagging it's extremely refreshing, and thankfully finds time for humour too. It suggests that the girl's behaviour is little different from the sexual behaviour of any of the other characters, who all have secrets.
Dir: Francois Ozon
Stars: Marine Vacth, Geraldine Pailhas, Frederic Pierrot
THE JEWEL OF THE NILE
1986
*
Jack Cotton and Jean Wilder get involved with an evil Indian.
Sequel to Romancing The Stone has impressive action and locations but some longeurs.
Dir: Lewis Teague
Stars: Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito
JEZEBEL
1938
*
In 1850s Louisiana a tempestuous Southern belle causes all manner of difficulties.
Accomplished but unsympathetic period drama, a sort of monochrome Gone With The Wind with fewer full-blooded characters. The story may seem a little weird to the modern viewer.
Dir: William Wyler
Stars: Bette Davis, Henry Fonda, George Brent, Margaret Lindsay
JFK
1991
***
Lawyer Jim Garrison attempts to discover who really did shoot John F Kennedy.
The picture's righteousness can be slightly irritating, but this is undeniably riveting stuff which grabs the viewer and gives them a good shake. It's mostly scurrilously inaccurate though, as proved by the likes of the BBC's 2003 documentary Beyond Conspiracy.
Dir: Oliver Stone
Stars: Kevin Costner, Sissy Spacek, Joe Pesci, Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Oldman, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Donald Sutherland, Kevin Bacon
JFK REVISITED: THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
2021
**
Documentary investigating further the idea that John F Kennedy was assassinated by CIA operatives.
Stone's companion piece to his earlier film holds the attention in similar fashion, even if the amount of information poured out from minute to minute can be dizzying, and it occasionally gets too wrapped up in its own rants. Does it convince? In part: there were some clear inconsistencies - Oswald's weapon, the 'magic bullet', the autopsy photos - and a great deal of circumstantial evidence, such as the CIA's clear distrust of Kennedy. Perhaps it doesn't deliver the killer blow because it doesn't present a clear picture of exactly what did happen - where the real killers were, what Jack Ruby's true involvement was, and so on. Possibly a promised four-hour version will. We know of the expression the fog of war, but this is a dense fog of assassination, and in 2021 it seems more difficult than ever to ascertain what truth is and what things mean.
Dir: Oliver Stone
Narrators: Whoopi Goldberg, Donald Sutherland
JIGSAW
1962
**
Policemen track down a killer in Brighton.
The writer-director near his industrious best, conjuring up a talky, brisk, detailed police drama shot in airy Sussex locations. It ends suddenly but effectively.
Dir: Val Guest
Stars: Jack Warner, Ronald Lewis, Yolande Donlan, Michael Goodliffe
JIGSAW
2017
*
Dead bodies turn up that bear the marks of Jigsaw, who has been deceased for ten years.
More from the Saw universe (all films qv), and awfully similar to most of them ie with inventive torture devices, screaming people, puzzled detectives and some juicy twists. A not unenjoyable thriller for those who got something out of the previous movies.
Dir: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
Stars: Matt Passmore, Tobin Bell, Callum Keith Rennie
JIM & ANDY: THE GREAT BEYOND
2017
**
Documentary looking back at the filming of Man On The Moon (1999, qv), in which Jim Carrey played comedian Andy Kaufman and stayed in character for the whole shoot. It also features a deep in-depth contemporary interview with Carrey.
Fascinating stuff, it adds another layer to a film that already had many. The archive footage is remarkable - especially the visit to the Playboy mansion and the scenes with wrestler Jerry Lawler - and Carrey in the present-day provides plenty of thoughtful commentary.
Dir: Chris Smith
JITTERBUGS
1943
0
Stan and Ollie help expose a corrupt nightclub owner.
It's dispiriting to see the boys not being trusted to be the focal characters of this comedy, and it suffers accordingly.
Dir: Malcolm St Clair
Stars: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Vivian Blaine
JOANNA
1968
0
A girl comes to London and falls in love with a black man.
What passed for advanced philosophy in 1968, this really is garbage and irritating garbage at that, what with the lead actress’s squeaky voice and Sutherland’s bizarre accent, not to mention all the silly little quirks that date it horribly.
Dir: Michael Sarne
Stars: Genevieve Waite, Calvin Lockhart, Donald Sutherland
JOE
1970
*
A man who has accidentally killed his daughter’s junkie boyfriend meets another who shares his hatred of hippies.
Of-its-time musing on what happens when different worlds collide, this once popular drama is a bit of a curate’s egg: the best scenes – like the toe-curling dinner scene and the furious finale – stick in the mind, but others don’t gel so well, including many of the hippie ones. Boyle’s performance almost holds it together.
Dir: John G Avildsen
Stars: Peter Boyle, Dennis Patrick, Audrey Caire, Susan Sarandon
JOE KIDD
1972
*
A bounty hunter tracks down a gang of killers.
Unremarkable star western.
Dir: John Sturges
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Robert Duvall, John Saxon, Don Stroud
JOE STRUMMER: THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN
2007
*
Documentary about the life of Clash frontman Joe Strummer.
A film with great appeal - almost exclusively - to Strummer and punk fans (evidence of this is the silly idea of not identifying by caption who is talking), this heavily stylised documentary contains much valuable footage of a man who, while not the great philosopher it claims he was, was an engaging and talented personality.
Dir: Julien Temple
JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO
1990
*
A man given six months to live agrees to jump in a volcano to prevent an eruption.
Odd, unsure, warm fantasy/comedy/romance/adventure.
Dir: John Patrick Stanley
Stars: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack
JOHN AND JULIE
1955
*
Two children run away to London to see the Coronation.
Mild, not unpleasing little drama in lovely colour, it acts as a record of a major historical event and a time when England seemingly resembled heaven on Earth. Other observations: Dudley is cute as a button; James's bad mood gets irritating; the trumpet-based score is lovely, slightly melancholy; there all sorts of interesting edges for the watchful, including the bits in Soho.
Dir: William Fairchild
Stars: Colin Gibson, Leslie Dudley, Sid James, Moira Lister, Peter Sellers, Wilfrid Hyde-White
JOHN AND YOKO: A LOVE STORY
1985 (TV)
*
The lives of John Lennon and Yoko Ono from the time they met.
Made-for-TV biopic that tries hard, bless it.
Dir: Sandor Stern
Stars: Mark McGann, Kim Miyori, Kenneth Price, Peter Capaldi, Phillip Walsh
JOHNNY BELINDA
1948
**
A doctor takes a deaf girl under his wing, but problems arise.
A tad too keen on getting plaudits from the Oscars committee perhaps (and succeeding), this daring-for-the-time drama holds the attention and is given depth by its cinematography and acting. A good, solid, proper movie for intelligent adults of the time.
Dir: Jean Negulesco
Stars: Jane Wyman, Lew Ayres, Charles Bickford, Agnes Moorehead, Stephen McNally
JOHNNY ON THE RUN
1953
0
A young Polish boy in Scotland goes on the run from his uncaring guardians.
A sort of junior 39 Steps from the director of future James Bond flicks, this is a tolerable enough CFF production which begins well, including a sequence where the boy chases after a runaway pram that may topple down a huge flight of steps.
Dir: Lewis Gilbert
Stars: Eugeniusz Chylek, Sydney Tafler, Michael Balfour, Edna Wynn
JOJO RABBIT
2019
*
A member of the Hitler youth finds a Jewish girl hiding in his house.
The opening credits, featuring the Beatles singing their German version of I Want To Hold Your Hand alongside footage of 'Hitler-mania', are great, but that's pretty much where the fun stops: this tonally inconsistent comedy might skirt issues of taste and decency (there might be times in the future when it won't be shown anywhere), but it's actually quite risk-free, and not nearly as funny or as outrageous as it could be. It's like a Wes Anderson movie in a lot of ways. But many loved it - it's highly divisive if nothing else.
Dir: Taika Waititi
Stars: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson, Taika Waititi, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson
JOKER
2019
***
Disturbed loner Arthur Fleck struggles with life in the city.
The competition to win 'the most grown-up movie about a comic book character' may well have been won by this dark and controversial take on Batman's arch enemy: it's a nihilistic wet dream for angry teenage boys, heavily indebted to the likes of Scorsese's The King Of Comedy and Taxi Driver, distinctly (over?)acted by Phoenix and impressively designed and shot. While not quite having the risible child-like politics of, say, Fight Club and V For Vendetta it does sort of lack a soul, a point - and is essentially a two-hour version of what happens when someone tells a joke that is the opposite of funny either because the teller is seriously odd or the joke is (ie it's uncomfortable viewing). But at least it's not another cookie-cutter superhero movie, with many electrifying, indelible scenes.
Dir: Todd Phillips
Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy
THE JOKERS
1968
*
Two trickster brothers steal the Crown Jewels.
Likeable, time-passing caper without much meat on its bones.
Dir: Michael Winner
Stars: Oliver Reed, Michael Crawford, James Donald, Daniel Massey, Michael Hordern
JOKES MY FOLKS NEVER TOLD ME
1978
0
A series of comic sketches for adults.
Similar to the decade's other comedies like Can I Do It... 'Til I Need Glasses? and If You Don't Stop It... You'll Go Blind!!! (both qv) this is even less polished than that pair, but there are a couple of giggles and some comely maidens.
Dir: Gerry Woolery
Stars: Dave Adams, Patricia Alkaitis, James Arnold
THE JOLSON STORY
1946
***
The life of entertainer Al Jolson, who was addicted to performing.
Outstanding biopic which paints a very positive picture but makes its deeper, sadder themes evident too.
Dir: Alfred E Green, Joseph H Lewis
Stars: Larry Parks, William Demarest, Evelyn Keyes
LE JOUR SE LEVE
1939
**
A murderer holes himself up in his apartment and thinks back over recent events.
Interesting parable that appears to be about the struggle of the working class and also says things about man’s sexual instincts and contradictory nature. A little slow and talkative, it isn’t a triumph of drama – the behaviour of many characters is barely plausible - but can be appreciated for its thoughtful introspection.
Dir: Marcel Carne
Stars: Jean Gabin, Jules Berry, Arletty, Mady Berry
1972
*
A bounty hunter tracks down a gang of killers.
Unremarkable star western.
Dir: John Sturges
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Robert Duvall, John Saxon, Don Stroud
JOE MACBETH
1955
*
A mobster is pushed by his wife to slay his associates.
A quite fun updating of Shakespeare to Thirties America made by British filmmakers in the mid-Fifties; performances are committed and its evident, laudable effort masks deficiencies. It presumably created two different viewing experiences: one for those who knew the play well, and another for those who didn't.
Dir: Ken Hughes
Stars: Paul Douglas, Ruth Roman, Bonar Colleano, Sidney James
2007
*
Documentary about the life of Clash frontman Joe Strummer.
A film with great appeal - almost exclusively - to Strummer and punk fans (evidence of this is the silly idea of not identifying by caption who is talking), this heavily stylised documentary contains much valuable footage of a man who, while not the great philosopher it claims he was, was an engaging and talented personality.
Dir: Julien Temple
JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO
1990
*
A man given six months to live agrees to jump in a volcano to prevent an eruption.
Odd, unsure, warm fantasy/comedy/romance/adventure.
Dir: John Patrick Stanley
Stars: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack
JOHN AND JULIE
1955
*
Two children run away to London to see the Coronation.
Mild, not unpleasing little drama in lovely colour, it acts as a record of a major historical event and a time when England seemingly resembled heaven on Earth. Other observations: Dudley is cute as a button; James's bad mood gets irritating; the trumpet-based score is lovely, slightly melancholy; there all sorts of interesting edges for the watchful, including the bits in Soho.
Dir: William Fairchild
Stars: Colin Gibson, Leslie Dudley, Sid James, Moira Lister, Peter Sellers, Wilfrid Hyde-White
JOHN AND YOKO: A LOVE STORY
1985 (TV)
*
The lives of John Lennon and Yoko Ono from the time they met.
Made-for-TV biopic that tries hard, bless it.
Dir: Sandor Stern
Stars: Mark McGann, Kim Miyori, Kenneth Price, Peter Capaldi, Phillip Walsh
JOHNNY BELINDA
1948
**
A doctor takes a deaf girl under his wing, but problems arise.
A tad too keen on getting plaudits from the Oscars committee perhaps (and succeeding), this daring-for-the-time drama holds the attention and is given depth by its cinematography and acting. A good, solid, proper movie for intelligent adults of the time.
Dir: Jean Negulesco
Stars: Jane Wyman, Lew Ayres, Charles Bickford, Agnes Moorehead, Stephen McNally
JOHNNY GUITAR
1954
*
A female saloon owner is accused of a bank robbery she didn't do.
In recent years, this curious Western has surely been over-praised and over-analysed - is it really much more than a melodramatically acted slice of overheated pie? It's quite confined, talkative and too long, with the bright colour offering some relief. Crawford has personality of course, but remains as unattractive as ever, and none of the other actors strike sympathetic notes either. An overrated film from an overrated director.
Dir: Nicholas Ray
Stars: Joan Crawford, Sterling Hayden, Mercedes McCambridge, Scott Brady
JOHNNY ON THE RUN
1953
0
A young Polish boy in Scotland goes on the run from his uncaring guardians.
A sort of junior 39 Steps from the director of future James Bond flicks, this is a tolerable enough CFF production which begins well, including a sequence where the boy chases after a runaway pram that may topple down a huge flight of steps.
Dir: Lewis Gilbert
Stars: Eugeniusz Chylek, Sydney Tafler, Michael Balfour, Edna Wynn
JOJO RABBIT
2019
*
A member of the Hitler youth finds a Jewish girl hiding in his house.
The opening credits, featuring the Beatles singing their German version of I Want To Hold Your Hand alongside footage of 'Hitler-mania', are great, but that's pretty much where the fun stops: this tonally inconsistent comedy might skirt issues of taste and decency (there might be times in the future when it won't be shown anywhere), but it's actually quite risk-free, and not nearly as funny or as outrageous as it could be. It's like a Wes Anderson movie in a lot of ways. But many loved it - it's highly divisive if nothing else.
Dir: Taika Waititi
Stars: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson, Taika Waititi, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson
JOKER
2019
***
Disturbed loner Arthur Fleck struggles with life in the city.
The competition to win 'the most grown-up movie about a comic book character' may well have been won by this dark and controversial take on Batman's arch enemy: it's a nihilistic wet dream for angry teenage boys, heavily indebted to the likes of Scorsese's The King Of Comedy and Taxi Driver, distinctly (over?)acted by Phoenix and impressively designed and shot. While not quite having the risible child-like politics of, say, Fight Club and V For Vendetta it does sort of lack a soul, a point - and is essentially a two-hour version of what happens when someone tells a joke that is the opposite of funny either because the teller is seriously odd or the joke is (ie it's uncomfortable viewing). But at least it's not another cookie-cutter superhero movie, with many electrifying, indelible scenes.
Dir: Todd Phillips
Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy
THE JOKERS
1968
*
Two trickster brothers steal the Crown Jewels.
Likeable, time-passing caper without much meat on its bones.
Dir: Michael Winner
Stars: Oliver Reed, Michael Crawford, James Donald, Daniel Massey, Michael Hordern
JOKES MY FOLKS NEVER TOLD ME
1978
0
A series of comic sketches for adults.
Similar to the decade's other comedies like Can I Do It... 'Til I Need Glasses? and If You Don't Stop It... You'll Go Blind!!! (both qv) this is even less polished than that pair, but there are a couple of giggles and some comely maidens.
Dir: Gerry Woolery
Stars: Dave Adams, Patricia Alkaitis, James Arnold
THE JOLSON STORY
1946
***
The life of entertainer Al Jolson, who was addicted to performing.
Outstanding biopic which paints a very positive picture but makes its deeper, sadder themes evident too.
Dir: Alfred E Green, Joseph H Lewis
Stars: Larry Parks, William Demarest, Evelyn Keyes
JOUR DE FETE
1949
**
A postman attempts to speed up his delivery.
Tati's first feature (a kind of expansion of his short L'ecole Des Facteurs (qv)), has pleasures but isn't his best. Amusing gags punctuate a nicely shot and scored film - its main lasting value may be its portrayal of lovely rural France at this time.
Dir: Jacques Tati
Stars: Jacques Tati, Guy Decomble, Paul Frankeur
LE JOUR SE LEVE
1939
**
A murderer holes himself up in his apartment and thinks back over recent events.
Interesting parable that appears to be about the struggle of the working class and also says things about man’s sexual instincts and contradictory nature. A little slow and talkative, it isn’t a triumph of drama – the behaviour of many characters is barely plausible - but can be appreciated for its thoughtful introspection.
Dir: Marcel Carne
Stars: Jean Gabin, Jules Berry, Arletty, Mady Berry
JOURNEY INTO DARKNESS
1968 (TV)
0
Patrick McGoohan (in quite curious tones) introduces two stories from TV series Journey Into The Unknown: Paper Dolls and The New People.
The first story is a bit John Wyndham, the second more Ira Levin (it's Rosemary's Baby meets The Stepford Wives), both somewhat ploddy in development, reasonably typical of what was a mildly disappointing TV show - albeit one with some minor pleasures thanks to its English familiarity and occasional Hammer touches.
Dir: James Hill, Peter Sasdy
Stars: Robert Reed, Jennifer Hilary, Michael Tolan, Nanette Newman, Patrick Allen
JOURNEY INTO FEAR
1942
**
An American agent is put on a ship to save him from his would-be killers - but they are on board too.
Tricky to follow thriller which doesn't properly thrill till the end, but creates an air of confined menace.
Dir: Norman Foster, Orson Welles
Stars: Joseph Cotten, Dolores del Rio, Orson Welles, Agnes Moorehead
JOURNEY INTO MIDNIGHT
1968 (TV)
0
Two supernatural stories: Poor Butterfly and The Indian Spirit Guide.
A couple of episodes from Hammer's Journey Into The Unknown TV series, and TV limitations do make themselves felt in the brain-crunchingly obvious tales.
Dir: Roy Ward Baker, Alan Gibson
Stars: Bernard Lee, Edward Fox, Julie Harris
JOURNEY INTO THE BEYOND
1975
0
Mondo-style documentary about 'supernatural' occurrences around the world.
A paean to bad science, this load of old nonsense represents where many of us were in the 1970s, lost in a mental fog of superstition and duplicity; one little indication of its untrustworthiness is that 'director's of photography' (sic) are listed in the end credits. Among its amusing moments are the alerts that sound before particularly gruesome bits (followed by another to indicate it's now safe to watch).
Dir: Rolf Olsen
Narrator: John Carradine
JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH
1959
**
A professor and his colleagues undertake a dangerous voyage inside the Earth.
One of the best Jules Verne adaptations, full of spectacle and colour.
Dir: Henry Levin
Stars: James Mason, Arlene Dahl, Pat Boone
JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF TIME
1967
0
A group of scientists accidentally travel far into the future and then the distant past.
A lot of this low budget feature is groups of people standing around in rooms, one of which has a screen that shows masses of stock footage from old flicks purporting to be what's going on outside, but the plot - when you work out what it is going on beneath the mountain of talk - is quite cute and there's a canny, strange idea or two. Quality is not exactly high, though.
Dir: David L Hewitt
Stars: Scott Brady, Anthony Eisley, Gigi Perreau
JOURNEY TO THE FAR SIDE OF THE SUN
1969
*
Astronauts land on a newly discovered planet that is strangely familiar.
An intriguing but ultimately frustrating excursion into big-screen sci-fi by former puppet show master Gerry Anderson. Its concept of a mirror world - which is great, if absurd - is hardly explored in any detail, mainly being limited to reverse writing, and we take an age to get there: it’s more than an hour before the planet is arrived at. The actors are fine and the visuals quite appealing - similar to Anderson’s next TV series, UFO - but it has to be viewed as a sluggish, underdeveloped disappointment given its central premise.
Dir: Robert Parrish
Stars: Ian Hendry, Roy Thinnes, Patrick Wymark, Herbert Lom, George Sewell, Ed Bishop
JOURNEY TO THE SEVENTH PLANET
1962
*
While visiting Uranus, astronauts find that their thoughts can become real living objects.
Yes, this Danish/US sci-fi is badly written and acted, but the ideas are hard to completely resist, and the garish visuals give it some charm: it may be very cheap, shot in a space the size of someone's front room, but it is at least shorter and perkier than Solaris, which it shares some concepts with. Its story begins on September 10, 2001.
Dir: Sidney W Pink
Stars: John Agar, Carl Ottosen, Ove Sprogoe
JOURNEY'S END
2017
*
An unstable captain commands doomed British soldiers in the trenches in 1918.
Predictably grim and unsettling World War One drama, based on a play and often feeling like it, although to some modern viewers it may seem like a serious version of the last episode of Blackadder Goes Forth. Shot with the necessary grit and acted with intensity, it's another reminder that war is hell, and surprisingly only gained a 12A certificate from the BBFC.
Dir: Saul Dibb
Stars: Sam Claflin, Asa Butterfield, Paul Bettany, Toby Jones, Stephen Graham
JOY
1984
0
A girl works her way up from model to film star.
Soft porn tat which may disappoint some viewers - Joy doesn't take off her clothes nearly as much as might be expected.
Dir: Sergio Bergonzelli
Stars: Claudia Udy, Kenneth Le Galois, John Stocker
JOY OF FLYING
1977
0
The wife of a successful businessman tries experimenting a little.
Formless sexytime, little different from the scores of similar flicks around at the time.
Dir: FJ Gottleib
Stars: Corinne Brodbeck, Gianni Garko, Olivia Pascal
JOYSTICKS
1983
0
A businessman attempts to shut down a videogames arcade.
Dismal teen comedy which fails to make either the videogames themselves or the culture surrounding them cinematic in the least.
Dir: Greydon Clark
Stars: Joe Don Baker, Leif Green, Jim Greenleaf
JUBILEE
1978
0
Queen Elizabeth I is transported to the late 20th century, where she is disgusted by what she sees.
Cheap and nasty satire on modern life, too blunt to be effective, but with a certain raw power.
Dir: Derek Jarman
Stars: Jenny Runacre, Toyah Wilcox, Jordan, Richard O'Brien, Adam Ant
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
2021
**
The FBI recruits a black informer to keep an eye on Fred Hampton, an especially outspoken member of the Black Panthers.
In keeping with the agenda of the fraught times, this racial drama garnered many an award, and it does seem to be a pretty solid film, told with passion that could be construed as bias. Kaluuya gets the accent and charisma of Hampton right, although his character is not the main one: Stanfield's Bill commands more time but we know less about his motivations. Mostly impressive; how will it stand the test of time?
Dir: Shaka King
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, Jesse Piemons, Dominique Fishback
JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG
1961
***
In 1948, four Nazis are tried for their war crimes.
Strongly satisfying re-enactment of one of the Nuremberg trials, both thought-provoking and gripping; the cast alone make it worth seeing.
Dir: Stanley Kramer
Stars: Spencer Tracy, Maximilian Schell, Richard Widmark, Burt Lancaster, Marlene Dietrich, William Shatner, Montgomery Clift, Judy Garland, Ed Binns
JUGGERNAUT
1936
0
An unfaithful wife offers a scientist a large sum of money to poison her husband.
This mystery thriller could have been a lot better, but the acting's too theatrical - especially the wife - the photography is poor - too many restrictive close-ups, and the direction too muddy. Boris isn't in it lots, but when he is things brighten (or darken, if you like). Why's it called Juggernaut?
Dir: Henry Edwards
Stars: Boris Karloff, Joan Wyndham, Arthur Margetson, Mona Goya
JULES ET JIM
1962
*
Two men love the same woman; they form an unusual triangle.
A sombre, chilled film which is difficult to warm to because of unlikeable characters and their airy philosophising. Truffaut was certainly no Hitchcock.
Dir: Francois Truffaut
Stars: Oskar Werner, Jeanne Moreau, Henri Serre
JULIA
1977
**
In the 1930s a woman smuggles funds into Nazi Germany to help her old Jewish friend.
Slow to start but then absorbing drama that immerses the viewer in 1930s Germany thanks to the photography and excellent recreations, including the train, which is where the film subtly builds the tension by indicating that dark forces are always watching from the sidelines. What our conclusions are meant to be is unclear, but it's an elegant picture.
Dir: Fred Zinnemann
Stars: Jane Fonda, Vanessa Redgrave, Jason Robards, Maximilian Schell, Hal Holbrook
JULIET OF THE SPIRITS
1965
*
A woman suspects that her husband may be straying.
Fellini's film fails to engage for the same reasons as many of his others: there isn't a good story and there's no insight into the human condition. The only redeeming feature is that it usually looks fantastic.
Dir: Federico Fellini
Stars: Giulietta Masina, Sandra Milo, Mario Pusi, Valentina Cortese
JULIUS CAESAR
1950
*
Caesar is brought down by the man he trusted most.
Semi-professional adaptation that was lucky enough to get Heston just before the start of his Hollywood career, and he does indeed show why he became a star, while Glenn's Cassius does have that 'lean and hungry look'; director Bradley's Brutus fares less well (Bradley was an interesting character; he later went on to direct They Saved Hitler's Brain). It doesn't let its micro budget handicap it too much, and the black and white photography is pretty effective. Heston twice returned to the part of Marc Antony accompanied by healthier budgets.
Dir: David Bradley
Stars: Charlton Heston, David Bradley, Grosvenor Glenn, Harold Tasker
JULIUS CAESAR
1953
**
Brutus and Cassius plot to assassinate Caesar but don't count on his friend Mark Antony's intervention.
Solid Shakespeare adaptation full of excellent performances. For those of us who studied the text at school, there are smiles to be had on recognising dialogue learnt long ago, and this would be a good film for students of the play to watch as it's accessible and straightforward, with a few outdoor battle scenes to break the talk.
Dir: Joseph L Mankiewicz
Stars: James Mason, Marlon Brando, John Gielgud, Louis Calhern, Edmond O'Brien, Greer Garson, Deborah Kerr
JULIUS CAESAR
1970
*
An uncinematic, flawed interpretation – Robards is dreadful, Heston only a bit more suitable and it looks cheap (from the sets to the wigs). It’s watchable but the pan-and-scan video version makes it look even worse.
Dir: Stuart Burge
Stars: Charlton Heston, Jason Robards, John Gielgud, Richard Johnson, Robert Vaughn, Richard Chamberlain, Diana Rigg, Christopher Lee, Michael Gough
THE JUNGLE BOOK
1967
**
An Indian orphan is raised by animals.
A tuneful cartoon remake of the 1942 film, mainly a success. The last animated movie in which Walt Disney was personally involved.
Dir: Wolfgang Reitherman
Voices: Phil Harris, Sebastian Cabot, George Sanders
JUNGLE BURGER
1975
0
Tarzan, here a wimp, has his voluptuous wife kidnapped by an evil queen.
Adult cartoon spoof in the Fritz The Cat mode, rather tedious and unpleasant – it has something to offend everyone. There are odd moments of invention, usually of a grotesque bent, like the giant ejaculating penises, the woman with fourteen breasts and the necrophiliac insect.
Dir: Picha, Boris Szulzinger
Voices (American version): John Belushi, Christopher Guest, Bill Murray, Johnny Weissmuller Jr
THE JUNGLE CAPTIVE
1945
0
A mad scientist brings ape woman Paula Dupree back to life.
Third and final part of the highly esteemed (not actually highly esteemed) trilogy that included Captive Wild Woman and Jungle Woman. It's pretty weak, wacky stuff, with characters wandering around with not a great deal of purpose; the ape woman is an unappealing idea, and why do they always refer to the doctor as mister? Horrific enough at the time to be rated H in Britain.
Dir: Harold Young
Stars: Otto Kruger, Vicky Lane, Amelita Ward, Rondo Hatton
JUNGLE JIM
1948
0
A scientist seeks a cure for polio in the jungle.
After getting too fat to play Tarzan, Weissmuller started doing these scraggy B-movies; here, the plot is barely existent, it's just one trifling incident after another.
Dir: William A Berke
Stars: Johnny Weissmuller, Virginia Grey, George Reeves
JUNGLE JIM IN THE FORBIDDEN LAND
1952
0
Jungle Jim battles jungle invaders intent on stealing ivory.
One of 16 JJ movies made over an eight-year period, this is much like all the rest - a quest in the jungle, baddies disrupting nature, scraps with stuffed animals, stock footage... but there's more of a fantastical element with hairy, werewolf-like folk marauding around. 1952 kids enjoyed it, and that's probably all that matters. At least it's not 'woke'.
Dir: Lew Landers
Stars: Johnny Weissmuller, Angela Greene, Jean Willes, Lester Matthews
JUNGLE MANHUNT
1951
0
Jungle Jim looks for a football player lost in the jungle.
There's basically nothing to say about this Jungle Jim adventure; certainly nothing that this website hasn't said elsewhere about other entries.
Dir: Lew Landers
Stars: Johnny Weissmuller, Robert Waterfield, Sheila Ryan
JUNGLE WOMAN
1944
0
A woman who can turn into an ape causes trouble at a medical facility.
Ploddy second film in a cheap Universal horror trilogy (the other films were Captive Wild Woman and The Jungle Captive) that is like an economy Val Lewton and confusingly starts with flashbacks from the previous film and the end of this one - after that it comfortably settles into its lunacy; it's not terrible, it's not amazing. Its main fault is that we essentially know exactly who or what is committing the killings. Acquanetta looks good (at least as a woman) but struggles to act.
Dir: Reginald Le Borg
Stars: Evelyn Ankers, J Carrol Naish, Samuel S Hinds, Acquanetta
JUNO
2007
*
A 16-year-old girl has a dilemma when she falls pregnant.
Diverting but strangely over-hyped comic drama (its release was timely, shortly before the Oscar nominations) that relies on a lead performance that’s an acquired taste – also, the delicate subject matter is handled in a slightly curious manner, with everyone taking a pretty laissez-faire view of events. At least it largely avoids predictability and cliché.
Dir: Jason Reitman
Stars: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, J K Simmons
JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK
1930
0
Tragedy hits an Irish family in the 1920s.
Immobile, near-unwatchable stage play adaptation, one of Hitchcock’s very worst films.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
Stars: Barry Fitzgerald, Maire O’Neill, Edward Chapman
JURASSIC PARK
1993
***
A new theme park full of genetically recreated dinosaurs goes horribly wrong.
Highly commercial blockbuster whose stunning special effects make up for the sometimes scrappy script and often inaudible dialogue.
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Stars: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Bob Peck, Samuel L Jackson
Sequel: The Lost World: Jurassic Park (qv)
JURASSIC PARK 3
2001
*
A couple search for their lost son on the dinosaur island.
This really feels like the last in the series and should be - although it packs in the action, it's essentially an action adventure by numbers.
Dir: Joe Johnston
Stars: Sam Neill, William H Macy, Tea Leoni, Laura Dern
JURASSIC WORLD
2015
*
A new breed of dinosaur goes on the loose at a popular theme park.
A summer blockbuster which does pretty much all it should, offering a fair few thrills and special effects that are never less than stunning; a fun trip to the cinema for nearly all the family.
Dir: Colin Trevorrow
Stars: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D'Onofrio, Irrfan Khan
JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM
2018
*
When a volcano threatens the island the dinosaurs reside on, a campaign is mounted to have them removed.
Decent enough follow-up which at least takes the plot in a different direction (and location) or two, even if the dino action isn't dissimilar to its predecessors. Yes it's shallow in most respects but it's better than some blockbusters that came out this summer (like Solo) - one scene with the lead almost succumbing to lava flow is a stand out for sure.
Dir: JA Bayona
Stars: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Toby Jones
THE JUROR
1995
*
A female juror’s son’s life is threatened unless she influences the jury.
Standard Hollywood thriller mechanics in action.
Dir: Brian Gibson
Stars: Demi Moore, Alec Baldwin, Anne Heche, James Gandolfini
JUST FOR FUN!
1963
0
Teenagers get the vote and try to influence political parties, while pop stars perform.
Like its predecessor It's Trad, Dad! (qv), this is just a succession of short musical numbers, only one of which - the penultimate 'Night Has A Thousand Eyes' sung by Bobby Vee - is good; it's no wonder the starved youth went wild for the Beatles in this year, who made this sort of thing look like a staid museum piece. There are attempts at corny humour, some agreeably quirky, but it's no wonder it sank into obscurity - and the brief appearance of Jimmy Savile means it's unlikely to show up on British television any time soon.
Dir: Gordon Flemyng
Stars: Mark Wynter, Cherry Roland, Richard Vernon, Reginald Beckwith
JUST IMAGINE
1930
0
A man from 1930 wakes up fifty years later in a transformed New York.
Just terrible, more like it. This bizarre, inventive film used to be famous for being hideously outdated and full of bad comedy and unwanted songs - one wonders in which year precisely its reputation crashed. Long before 1980, surely? Anyway, a viewing now is a stranger experience than ever, with the plot more outlandish than expected, as our heroes actually go off to Mars halfway through the film! What a kooky brew.
Dir: David Butler
Stars: El Brendel, Maureen O'Sullivan, John Garrick, Marjorie White
1974
0
An artist has amorous encounters while trying to finish a painting.
Strange, trivial little sex comedy mostly shot on a housing estate in exciting Walton on Thames - much of the strangeness and kookiness can probably be explained by noting the year it was shot in. The sauciest bit is the opening titles, a naked woman dancing around, although it was also filmed in a hardcore version, in which one imagines the child would have been an even more incongruous presence.
Dir: Maurice Hamblin
Stars: John Hamill, Sue Longhurst, Claire Russell, Felicity Devonshire
JUSTICE LEAGUE
2017
*
Batman enlists the help of Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, Cyborg and even the recently deceased Superman to battle supervillain Steppenwolf.
DC's bringing together of its main superheroes predictably brought a sniffy response from many fans, and was unfavourably compared to Marvel's The Avengers, but it's an enjoyable enough fantasy extravaganza which doesn't do anything too far outside the template for such things: there are funny bits, there are big battles, there are knowing nods. Perhaps a little ragged because of its behind the scenes production troubles, it's nevertheless one of DC's more digestible efforts.
Dir: Zack Snyder
Stars: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Henry Cavill, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Ciaran Hinds
JUSTINE
1968
0
In the 18th century, a young wench has various bruising adventures.
By Franco's standards, glossy and presentable; by anyone else's, trashy and languorous.
Dir: Jess Franco
Stars: Klaus Kinski, Romina Power, Maria Rohm
