2005
*
In a future totalitarian England, a terrorist dressed as Guy Fawkes threatens the State.
Shallow and dull sci-fi satire that displays political naivety but conjures up some memorable images. Hurt’s performance is particularly silly.
Dir: James McTeigue
Stars: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry, John Hurt, Tim Pigott-Smith, Rupert Graves
VALENTINO
1977
*
Mourners at silent film idol Rudolph Valentino’s funeral remember his short existence.
A near fantasia on the actor’s life almost crippled by an unsuitable lead (you could never believe this man held millions of women entranced), but rescued by some cinematic flair and opulence in the sets and costumes – despite many gripes, it seems churlish not to concede that Russell was a good man for the job, despite what he himself thought. Was the final boxing sequence added in the wake of Rocky’s success?
Dir: Ken Russell
Stars: Rudolf Nureyev, Michelle Phillips, Leslie Caron, Carol Kane
THE VALLEY OF GWANGI
1968
*
Cowboys discover prehistoric monsters in a forbidden Mexican valley.
First class special effects enliven an elementary adventure yarn.
Dir: Jim O'Connolly
Stars: Richard Carlson, Laurence Naismith, James Franciscus
VAMP
1987
*
Two teenagers go in search of a stripper and find a nightclub run by vampires.
Superior horror comedy, imaginatively lit and bursting with energy.
Dir: Richard Wenk
Stars: Grace Jones, Chris Makepeace, Sandy Baron
VAMPIRA
1974
0
Count Dracula revives his dead wife with the aid of a Playboy bunny.
Horror comedy which never begins to work, which is a shame. Its Seventies-ness (the décor, the attitudes, the ladies) is quite endearing but the plot's a bit rubbish and there are no real laughs - indeed, some of it is kind of dark and nasty, as various women are hunted down. There are so many scenes in hotel rooms that one hotel gets a prominent credit at the end.
Dir: Clive Donner
Stars: David Niven, Teresa Graves, Peter Bayliss, Jennie Linden, Nicky Henson, Linda Hayden, Bernard Bresslaw, Veronica Carlson
THE VAMPIRE
1957
0
A doctor turns into a monster after taking certain pills which he becomes addicted to.
Flat low budget horror with a wee bit more in the way of underlying message than some others (addiction, single parenthood etc), but little else to suggest it was a new and exciting direction for the genre. The lead’s one-note, boy-I’m-feeling-ill performance doesn’t help matters.
Dir: Paul Landres
Stars: John Beal, Coleen Gray, Kenneth Tobey
VAMPIRE AT MIDNIGHT
1987
0
A hypnotist is really a vampire who preys on women.
Mainly routine shocker; and it could have lost the couple of sequences where the cast dance.
Dir: Gregory McClatchy
Stars: Jason Williams, Gustav Vintas
THE VAMPIRE BAT
1932
0
A man investigates mysterious deaths in a small town.
Cheap, dated horror that offers the modern viewer very, very little. Shame, because the cast isn’t bad.
Dir: Frank Strayer
Stars: Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Melvyn Douglas, Dwight Frye
VAMPIRE CIRCUS
1971
*
In 1825, a circus of vampires comes to a plague-ridden town.
Imaginative if slightly plodding Hammer horror that comes packaged with gore, a little sex and bad special effects. The main problem is that while the set-up is quite original, the plot development isn’t, and it’s not one of the studio’s most distinguished casts.
Dir: Robert Young
Stars: Adrienne Corri, Thorley Walters, Laurence Payne, Lynne Frederick, Dave Prowse
VAMPIRE ECSTASY
1973
0
A lesbian vampire in an old castle seeks new blood.
Essentially an amateurish skin flick, this ponderous, drawn out clinker features largely German actors speaking in English, making it extremely stilted. Who'd have thought naked lesbian vampires could be so little fun? (It exists in a few different versions, some of which have titles like The Devil's Plaything and Veil Of Blood.)
Dir: Joseph W Sarno
Stars: Nadia Henkowa, Anke Syring, Ulrike Butz
VAMPIRE IN VENICE
1988
0
An ancient vampire returns to terrorise Venice.
Ponderous piece of pretentious piffle.
Dir: Augusto Caminito
Stars: Klaus Kinski, Donald Pleasence, Christopher Plummer
THE VAMPIRE LOVERS
1970
*
A female vampire worms her way into houses of nobility.
The first of Hammer’s lesbian vampire movies is worth a watch thanks to being a fresh direction for the studio and its mild eroticism which is well served by a supremely attractive female cast. It manages to even be a little sensitive, puncturing that mood with fang attacks and beheadings, while the rest of the cast and the production values give it class.
Dir: Roy Ward Baker
Stars: Ingrid Pitt, Madeline Smith, Kate O’Mara, George Cole, Peter Cushing, Dawn Addams, Pippa Steele
1996 (V)
0
A female space vampire comes to Earth to battle her nemesis, now a rock star.
Terrible screen version of the long-running comic, it needed another £20 million on the budget to be anything approaching decent; script, special effects and acting are all of the very lowest quality, and they didn’t even get the casting of Vampirella right, choosing a non-curvy, albeit beautiful, actress to portray the sexy space lady.
Dir: Jim Wynorski
Stars: Talisa Soto, Roger Daltrey, Richard Joseph Paul, Brian Bloom
VAMPIRES
1997
0
A team of vampire hunters go after a master vampire who has slaughtered one of them.
The director well into his decline, this unscary action thriller is full of clichéd dialogue and noisy violence, all of which goes on for far too long.
Dir: John Carpenter
Stars: James Woods, Daniel Baldwin, Sheryl Lee, Maximilian Schell
THE VAMPIRE'S GHOST
1945
0
In a small African port, an elderly vampire is bored of his life and desires a young woman.
Low budget horror that has a different setting - Africa - and a different slant to many, which have made it an intriguing find for vampire-holics. Pity the budget means only a limited amount can be done with its quirks.
Dir: Lesley Selander
Stars: John Abbott, Charles Gordon, Peggy Stewart
THE VAMPIRES NIGHT ORGY
1973
0
Travellers have to spend time in a weird remote town.
Not nearly as lurid as the title suggests, this is a Brigadoon-type tale which takes in vampires and other horror elements, to little effect: it plods its way to its un-sensible conclusion. Workmanlike at best, with an often wildly inappropriate score.
Dir: Leon Klimovsky
Stars: Jack Taylor, Dyanik Zurakowska, Jose Guardiola
VAMPIRES ON BIKINI BEACH
1987 (V)
0
Sunbathing teenagers are menaced by a modern blood-sucker.
With a title like this you'd expect this to be utter drivel. And you'd be right.
Dir: Mark Headley
Stars: Nancy Rogers, Todd Kaufman
VAMPIRES SUCK
2010
0
A teenage girl moves to a new town where she falls in love with a pale vampire youth in a long coat.
The men behind the likes of Disaster Movie and Epic Movie spoof Twilight, and the results are as lame as expected. Not funny at any given moment, its main audience will be easily pleased teenagers.
Dir: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer
Stars: Jenn Proske, Matt Lanter, Diedrich Bader, Chris Riggi
VAMPYR
1931
**
A young man staying at a remote hotel suspects he is surrounded by vampires.
This much-cited horror film really is like a dream, with its strange story logic and surreal imagery; it's this imagery that haunts you later - the hero seeing himself in a coffin, the villain in the grain, and so on. The numerous pages from the book that are shown give a clue to the fact that this was conceived in the silent era. An unusual, spooky movie that displays early talent in cinematography.
Dir: Carl Dreyer
Stars: Julian West, Maurice Schutz, Rena Mandel, Sybille Schmitz
VAMPYRES
1974
*
Men are lured to an isolated castle by two beautiful women who are really vampires.
Unconventional horror in which languid day scenes are punctuated by erotic, violent night scenes; very well done until its rather unsatisfactory climax.
Dir: Joseph Larraz
Stars: Marianne Morris, Anulka, Murray Brown
VAMPYRES
2015
0
Remake of the above on what may have been an even lower budget. Robbed of the strange charge of the original it comes across as vacuous and pointless, its descent into torture porn seemingly the only way it can go; a few snippets of sex and gore may please a handful.
Dir: Victor Matellano
Stars: Marta Flich, Alina Nastase, Veronica Polo, Caroline Munro
VAMPYROS LESBOS
1971
0
A woman is seduced by a mysterious lesbian vampire.
Giddy, dreamy horror which makes as much sense as a stuttering Irishman. Occasionally erotic, it’s also hilariously pretentious and desperately languorous, with Franco’s camera, as usual, zooming all over the place.
Dir: Jess Franco
Stars: Soledad Miranda, Ewa Stromberg, Dennis Price, Paul Muller
VANESSA
1977
0
A convent girl has some steamy encounters in Hong Kong.
Barmy erotica that looks like it was made up as they went along (it was, as the director later admitted), throwing everything from psychic sex to monkeys’ brains into the brew. At least it looks nice, especially when one of the many beautiful actresses takes their clothes off – which happens very frequently.
Dir: Hubert Frank
Stars: Olivia Pascal, Anton Diffring, Uschi Zech, Eva Eden
VANILLA SKY
2001
*
A narcissistic man has his life radically changed.
One imagines that many audiences were bamboozled by this curious film that starts a bit like a romantic drama, a la Jerry Maguire, and has by the end morphed into something incredibly peculiar and puzzling. There are good sequences along the way, and a fair bit of intrigue, but Cruise's character is not one you can attach yourself to in any way; also, the tone is inconsistent and it's a bit too long before the car crash comes.
Dir: Cameron Crowe
Stars: Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Kurt Russell
THE VANISHING
1988
****
A man's girlfriend disappears at a service station - he searches for her for three years.
A very different and unusually structured thriller that rewards patience: it moves slowly while it carefully inspects the motives and lifestyle of the abductor, along with the desperation of the man searching for his partner. The banality of evil is chillingly portrayed (or is it just a wish to subvert the normal?), and the horror of the final sequence only echoes life's conclusion.
Dir: George Sluizer
Stars: Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, Gene Bervoets, Johanna Ter Steege
THE VANISHING
1993
0
Much less effective American remake which has fiddled with the plot too much and lost the clammy atmosphere; the result is a bloated and unconvincing muddle.
Dir: George Sluizer
Stars: Jeff Bridges, Kiefer Sutherland, Nancy Travis, Sandra Bullock
VANISHING POINT
1971
*
A man is pursued across the desert by police.
Cult road movie whose wilful vagueness and attitude earned it a following. Possibly of more appeal to American audiences, it fits in with the anti-Establishment West Coast vibe of the time and offers nicely shot landscapes and lots of cars driving, for those who enjoy such stuff - but its narrative is too loose to really grip.
Dir: Richard Sarafian
Stars: Barry Newman, Cleavon Little, Dean Jagger
THE VAST OF NIGHT
2019
*
In 1950s New Mexico, a DJ and a switchboard operator happen upon a strange radio frequency that may signify alien life.
Not really a proper film, in a sense, more a succession of long, mostly still, dialogue scenes - one is in a 10-minute take that has strangely been proclaimed as wonderful - and it's even quite a while before we get to dialogue that feels meaningful or intriguing. What it does have is a distinct aesthetic that recreates a time and a mood on a low budget; but it's no surprise this Amazon Original movie was of only limited appeal, in part because it doesn't foster a feeling of familiarity.
Dir: Andrew Patterson
Stars: Jake Horowitz, Sierra McCormick, Gail Cronauer
THE VAULT OF HORROR
1973
**
Five men trapped in a basement tell of their worst nightmares. The stories are: Midnight Mess, The Neat Job, Bargain In Death, This Trick'll Kill You and Drawn And Quartered.
Not unappealing anthology with four okay tales followed by a longer, superior one featuring the always reliable Baker; on the whole the scriptwriter takes it easy, not bothering with too much dialogue or sense, but it doesn’t matter too much as there’s a fine, starry cast and the original source material, EC Comics' stories, are beguilingly barmy. Compared to its predecessor Tales From The Crypt, though, it's just not as zingy or well written.
Dir: Roy Ward Baker
Stars: Daniel Massey, Anna Massey, Terry-Thomas, Glynis Johns, Curt Jurgens, Michael Craig, Edward Judd, Tom Baker, Denholm Elliott
VEGUCATED
2010
*
Documentary about a vegan who persuades three meat-eaters to change their dining habits.
This 76-minute advert for a vegan lifestyle, a sort of cousin of Super Size Me (qv), is perky enough and very dedicated; it features grim footage of slaughterhouses, monitors the health of the three volunteers, speaks to many who eschew animal products, and more. It's lo-fi but quite well done in its own partisan way.
Dir/Stars: Marisa Miller Wolfson
THE VEIL
1958 (TV)
0
Four weird tales introduced by and starring Boris Karloff.
Clumsily edited amalgamation of four episodes of an undistinguished TV series; flat direction and hammy acting deal the final, fatal blow to the moribund script.
Dir: Frank P Bibas, Paul Landres
Stars: Boris Karloff, Booth Colman, Leo Penn
VELVET GOLDMINE
1998
0
A journalist investigates the life of a bisexual 1970s rock star.
Vacuous and portentous glitz with no period feel, endless gaudy images and terrible acting. The director should watch some films besides Tommy and Pink Floyd The Wall.
Dir: Todd Haynes
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Johnathan Rhys Meyers, Christian Bale, Eddie Izzard
VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT
1969
*
Simon Templar gets involved with the Mafia in Sicily.
Following The Fiction Makers (qv) another two-episode story from TV's The Saint given a theatrical release in some countries. This one does actually have a bit of foreign shooting (Malta), as opposed to a recreation at Elstree, but its budget is still way below what big screen action adventures should be (like a certain James Bond series); that dummy that is thrown out of the window! It's from the final season of the show and thus a bit grittier than in earlier days, with the long chase sequence pleasingly taking up a chunk of the second half. Tolerable matinee time-filler.
Dir: Jim O'Connolly
Stars: Roger Moore, Ian Hendry, Rosemary DexterVENGEANCE
1962
*
A slain businessman's brain is kept alive, and tells tales on who killed him.
Decent remake of Donovan's Brain (qv) complete with juicy twists.
Dir: Freddie Francis
Stars: Anne Heywood, Cecil Parker, Bernard Lee
VENOM
1971
0
A young artist in Germany is enticed by a strange ‘spider woman’.
Hazy Anglo-Euro gobbledygook which just turns into a surreal chase after an arresting start. As is usually the case, its place in obscurity is deserved.
Dir: Peter Sykes
Stars: Simon Brent, Neda Arneric, Sheila Allen
VENOM
1981
0
A kidnap plan goes wrong when a snake is set loose in a house.
Thriller which never quite comes off despite its starry cast and reliable old plot.
Dir: Piers Haggard
Stars: Oliver Reed, Klaus Kinski, Sterling Hayden, Sarah Miles, Nicol Williamson, Susan George
VENOM
2018
**
When alien symbiotes comes to Earth, one attaches itself to investigative reporter Eddie Brock.
This is, in many ways, an old-fashioned superhero movie, much less cluttered and portentous than recent Marvel and DC efforts, which comes good despite some tonal inconsistencies: it's quite formulaic but that doesn't necessarily harm it. It also gets away with Hardy's eccentric performance and mixing kooky comedy with violent horror - while also fending off the antagonistic attacks of a thousand film critics. CGI was just waiting for a chance to have a movie that saw Venom battle Riot.
Dir: Ruben Fleischer
Stars: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Reid Scott
1962
*
A slain businessman's brain is kept alive, and tells tales on who killed him.
Decent remake of Donovan's Brain (qv) complete with juicy twists.
Dir: Freddie Francis
Stars: Anne Heywood, Cecil Parker, Bernard Lee
THE VENGEANCE OF FU MANCHU
1967
*
The yellow peril creates a duplicate of Nayland Smith.
Slightly weaker sequel to The Brides Of Fu Manchu, at least in part shot in Hong Kong, with a flavour of chopsocky, albeit featuring less than impressive fights - its kung fu antics anticipate the next decade's obsession with such things. The plot is ridiculous - and unintentionally hilarious at times, most notably the stuff regarding Neyland's double - and too multi-stranded to induce tension. Its silliness is perhaps part of its appeal. It has to be said that Nayland Smith is a pretty bland character, a long way from, for instance, Sherlock Holmes or James Bond.
Dir: Jeremy Summers
Stars: Christopher Lee, Douglas Wilmer, Howard Marion Crawford, Tony Ferrer
THE VENGEANCE OF SHE
1967
0
A girl is possessed by the spirit of the dead Queen Ayesha.
Insipid sequel to She (qv) which starts in fairly intriguing fashion but then turns into a bloated, weary-making retread of the first film's mystical mumbo-jumbo, with a female star whose looks are superior to her acting ability. Dull stuff from one of Hammer's weakest periods.
Dir: Cliff Owen
Stars: John Richardson, Olinka Berova, Edward Judd, Colin Blakely, Andre Morrell
VENGEANCE OF THE ZOMBIES
1973
0
An Indian mystic raises people from the dead to kill his enemies.
Downing a bottle of vodka before watching this would make little difference to your understanding of the story, such is the nutty weirdness of this Spanish horror which pretends to be set in England. Bizarrely scored and sleepily performed, it's a film for those who like bad films (and there are many who write about them at length).
Dir: Leon Klimovsky
Stars: Paul Naschy, Romy, Mirta Miller, Maria Kosty
VENOM
1971
0
A young artist in Germany is enticed by a strange ‘spider woman’.
Hazy Anglo-Euro gobbledygook which just turns into a surreal chase after an arresting start. As is usually the case, its place in obscurity is deserved.
Dir: Peter Sykes
Stars: Simon Brent, Neda Arneric, Sheila Allen
VENOM
1981
0
A kidnap plan goes wrong when a snake is set loose in a house.
Thriller which never quite comes off despite its starry cast and reliable old plot.
Dir: Piers Haggard
Stars: Oliver Reed, Klaus Kinski, Sterling Hayden, Sarah Miles, Nicol Williamson, Susan George
VENOM
2018
**
When alien symbiotes comes to Earth, one attaches itself to investigative reporter Eddie Brock.
This is, in many ways, an old-fashioned superhero movie, much less cluttered and portentous than recent Marvel and DC efforts, which comes good despite some tonal inconsistencies: it's quite formulaic but that doesn't necessarily harm it. It also gets away with Hardy's eccentric performance and mixing kooky comedy with violent horror - while also fending off the antagonistic attacks of a thousand film critics. CGI was just waiting for a chance to have a movie that saw Venom battle Riot.
Dir: Ruben Fleischer
Stars: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Reid Scott
VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE
2021
*
Eddie Brock and his symbiote accidentally help turn evil criminal Cletus Kasady into a similar creature, Carnage.
Demented fun: like the first movie but only more so, this is fast and wacky and not overlong, with plenty of goofy play-acting with Brock and his pal before some predictably amazing special effects-ridden battles between him and the new guy. It's nice to see a superhero movie that doesn't involve world destruction or any heavy social subtext, and one guesses that it was a laugh to work on.
Dir: Andy Serkis
Stars: Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris
VENOM: THE LAST DANCE
2024
0
Eddie Brock and Venom flee the military and alien monsters from Venom's world.
Easily the worst of the three films, this wretched product landed at a time when superhero and superhero-related films were in a ditch, with 2024 dire for such movies. What was okay in episodes one and two annoys in this one, whether it be Venom's voice or, more especially, the overload of CGI which turns it into a videogame in which the viewer feels absolutely nothing. With its glib attitude, hackneyed music choices, rough language and risible miscasting, it's Hollywood at its most soul-destroying.
Dir: Kelly Marcel
Stars: Tom Holland, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans
VENUS
1984
0
Models are flown to a Greek island to decide who should be the face and body of a suncream product.
Delightful trash so badly directed one wonders how Jabely (here under a pseudonym) found his way to the set every day; maybe the sun got to him and everyone else. But it's really all about the lovely ladies, and nothing else matters, including the hilarious fantasy angle.
Dir: Jean Jabely
Stars: Odile Michel, Nadege Clair, Philippe Klebert
VENUS
2006
*
A very old actor sort of falls in love with a teenage girl.
O'Toole, by his very presence, adds gravitas to this patchy comic drama which nevertheless possesses a good deal of honesty about human wants and desires - being old physically doesn't stop you thinking as you did when you were young. Griffiths and Phillips add ribaldry and sometimes bitter melancholy.
Dir: Roger Michell
Stars: Peter O'Toole, Jodie Whittaker, Leslie Phillips, Richard Griffiths, Vanessa Redgrave
VENUS IN FUR
2013
*
An actress attempts to persuade a theatre director that she's perfect for his next production.
The heart sinks a little on the realisation that this is a two-character drama of intense talkiness, and the action that follows sometimes meets your worst fears. There's no denying the conviction of the performances - although Polanski's wife Seigner is way too old for the part - but it's all a bit self-consciously clever and a little hysterically feminist.
Dir: Roman Polanski
Stars: Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner
VENUS IN FURS
1969
0
A jazz musician's problems start when he discovers a dead beautiful woman on a beach.
Unfathomable Franco nonsense most appealing to those in an 'altered state', although boredom may still kick in at times. It's far better shot than the Spaniard's films would become but its plot would struggle to fill a half-hour slot.
Dir: Jess Franco
Stars: James Darren, Maria Rohm, Barbara McNair, Klaus Kinski, Dennis Price
THE VERDICT
1964
*
A man returns to Britain after years away to find he faces a murder charge.
Unlikely but agreeable entry in the Edgar Wallace Mysteries, that decent, no-swearing, always-smoking, less-than-one-hour-long series of the early Sixties.
Dir: David Eady
Stars: Nigel Davenport, Cec Linder, Zena Marshall, Paul Stassino
THE VERDICT
1982
**
An ambulance-chasing lawyer develops a conscience.
Sombre but compelling legal drama, very well made and acted.
Dir: Sidney Lumet
Dir: Paul Newman, James Mason, Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden, Milo O'Shea
VERONIKA VOSS
1982
**
An ageing actress falls into desperation and drug addiction.
Fassbinder's best film is a gleamingly shot - in black and white - story that echoes Sunset Boulevard but offers a few Teutonic twists; it's stark and chilly and therefore not fully involving, but there's no denying the techniques on show.
Dir: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Stars: Rosel Zech, Hilmar Thate, Cornelia Froboess, Annemarie Duringer
VERTIGO
1958
****
A detective with a fear of heights becomes obsessed with the woman he is asked to shadow.
It's little wonder this was proclaimed the best film ever made by critics in 2012, as it's cinema at its zenith, made with almost preternatural precision by Hitchcock: every colour, every costume, every camera angle, every optical effect and every line of dialogue is subject to perfection, while the music score is magnificent and the performances superb. Full of symbolism, deeper meanings and layered subtexts, it delves into what it means to be human through its gripping - and, it has to be said, weird - plot, and is one of the supreme artistic achievements of the 20th century.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
Stars: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore
A VERY BRADY SEQUEL
1996
**
The wholesome family gets involved with a habitual thief.
On-par sequel, just as fresh and funny as the first one.
Dir: Arlene Sanford
Stars: Shelley Long, Gary Cole, Tim Matheson
THE VERY EDGE
1962
0
A young wife is menaced by an obsessive psychotic.
Minor suspenser which would have worked better as a full-blooded shocker, a la Hammer horror or Psycho.
Dir: Cyril Frankel
Stars: Anne Heywood, Richard Todd, Jeremy Brett, Maurice Denham, Patrick Magee
VERY IMPORTANT PERSON
1961
**
A haughty but high-up British officer must escape from a POW camp at all costs.
More of a drama than a comedy, this is packed with familiar faces and, like some other POW films, rather irritates for a good chunk of its running time but comes up trumps by the end, providing a fair measure of suspense.
Dir: Ken Annakin
Stars: James Robertson Justice, Stanley Baxter, Leslie Phillips, Eric Sykes, Richard Wattis
VESSEL OF WRATH
1938
*
A pious missionary woman falls for a drunken beach bum in a Dutch colony in the Indian Ocean.
Warm, humorous, dated romance notable for characterful performances from the leads, especially Laughton. On the whole, though, the 1932 adaption of Somerset Maugham's not dissimilar Rain (qv) remains the preferable watch thanks to its dark bitterness; no one wrote about colonialism better than him.
Dir: Erich Pommer
Stars: Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester, Robert Newton, Tyrone Guthrie
V/H/S
2012
*
Horror anthology, with five tales set up by the intro (Tape 56): Amateur Night, Second Honeymoon, Tuesday The 17th, The Sick Thing That Happened To Emily When She Was Younger and 10/31/98.
A dizzying 'celebration' of the unlovely found-footage genre, largely peopled by profane youths: but there is some talent here, as the chosen style does make for some scares and titillation, such is the verisimilitude of the 'video-shot' tales. It's certainly a film that captures a little of the horror zeitgeist but it's a pity most of the episodes go on too long, or perhaps a story could have been lost - possibly Tuesday The 17th, or the unsatisfactory wraparound Tape 56.
Dir: Radio Silence, David Bruckner, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, Ti West, Adam Wingard
Stars: Hannah Fierman, Joe Swanberg, Sophia Takal, Helen Rogers
V/H/S/2
2013
*
This sequel features the stories Phase 1 Clinical Trials, A Ride In The Park, Safe Haven, Slumber Party Alien Abduction, and the wraparound Tape 49.
Those who liked the first film will probably enjoy this too, although it's not as strong: the first tale is promising but inconsequential and the following three all present slightly different versions of people being chased and violently attacked by various beasties, which you only want so much of. Well-shot (or rather, deliberately and quite cleverly shot to look really bad), these yarns are interested chiefly in the visceral - plots and dialogue are minimal - and some of the gore and violence is so extreme it could almost be a snuff movie. So not a film for everyone then.
Dir: Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, Gregg Hale, Eduardo Sanchez, Timo Tjahjanto, Gareth Evans, Jason Eisener
Stars: Lawrence Michael Levine, Kelsy Abbott, Adam Wingard, Hannah Hughes
V/H/S
2012
*
Horror anthology, with five tales set up by the intro (Tape 56): Amateur Night, Second Honeymoon, Tuesday The 17th, The Sick Thing That Happened To Emily When She Was Younger and 10/31/98.
A dizzying 'celebration' of the unlovely found-footage genre, largely peopled by profane youths: but there is some talent here, as the chosen style does make for some scares and titillation, such is the verisimilitude of the 'video-shot' tales. It's certainly a film that captures a little of the horror zeitgeist but it's a pity most of the episodes go on too long, or perhaps a story could have been lost - possibly Tuesday The 17th, or the unsatisfactory wraparound Tape 56.
Dir: Radio Silence, David Bruckner, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, Ti West, Adam Wingard
Stars: Hannah Fierman, Joe Swanberg, Sophia Takal, Helen Rogers
V/H/S/2
2013
*
This sequel features the stories Phase 1 Clinical Trials, A Ride In The Park, Safe Haven, Slumber Party Alien Abduction, and the wraparound Tape 49.
Those who liked the first film will probably enjoy this too, although it's not as strong: the first tale is promising but inconsequential and the following three all present slightly different versions of people being chased and violently attacked by various beasties, which you only want so much of. Well-shot (or rather, deliberately and quite cleverly shot to look really bad), these yarns are interested chiefly in the visceral - plots and dialogue are minimal - and some of the gore and violence is so extreme it could almost be a snuff movie. So not a film for everyone then.
Dir: Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, Gregg Hale, Eduardo Sanchez, Timo Tjahjanto, Gareth Evans, Jason Eisener
Stars: Lawrence Michael Levine, Kelsy Abbott, Adam Wingard, Hannah Hughes
V/H/S/94
2021
0
Four nasty tales: Storm Drain, The Empty Wake, The Subject and Terror, with a wraparound called Holy Hell.
Some might argue that horror films should be unattractive and unpleasant, and this one sure is; nor is it redeemed by particularly clever or interesting stories, most of which go on for too long.
Dir: Simon Barrett, Steve Kostanski, Chloe Okuno, Ryan Prows, Jennifer Reeder, Timo Tjahjanto
Stars: Anna Hopkins, Kyal Legend, Shahabi Sakri, Christian Lloyd, Kimmy Choi
VIBES
1987
0
Two paranormal experts are enlisted to find strange, powerful crystals.
Flat comedy with a few bright moments mainly provided by Goldblum.
Dir: Ken Kwapis
Stars: Cyndi Lauper, Jeff Goldblum, Julian Sands, Peter Falk
VICE
2018
***
The story of Dick Cheney, who became one of the most powerful Vice Presidents in US history.
The Big Short director takes on politics in similar fashion, perhaps even more successfully, despite its obviously partisan standpoint - it could have been produced by the Democratic Party (and possibly was, or at least its supporters). But it's a vibrant, confident picture - doing a few things never before seen in the movies, at least in front of this critic's eyes - given solid weight by yet another ridiculously committed performance from Bale, one tailor-made for liberal awards juries. It can stand on its own, though, thanks to immaculate production credits; is its only failing that it doesn't properly show what motivated its central characters?
Dir: Adam McKay
Stars: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Sam Rockwell, Steve Carell
VICE VERSA
1947
0
A magic stone enables a boy to change bodies with his father.
An attractive idea is transformed into a seemingly never-ending comedy with serious plot gaffes.
Dir: Peter Ustinov
Stars: Roger Livesey, Kay Walsh, Anthony Newley, James Robertson Justice
VICE VERSA
1988
0
A father changes bodies with his son.
One of a rash of these sort of body-swap movies around at the time, this has all the scrapes and head-scratching confusion you'd expect.
Dir: Brian Gilbert
Stars: Judge Reinhold, Fred Savage, Corinne Bohrer
THE VICIOUS CIRCLE
1957
*
A doctor is in trouble when a woman is found dead in his flat.
Intriguing little thriller which gets a tad confusing the more it twists.
Dir: Gerald Thomas
Stars: John Mills, Derek Farr, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Lionel Jeffries
VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
2008
*
Two American friends spend the summer in Barcelona where they meet a charismatic artist they both fall for.
Woody goes to Spain, complemented by attractive scenery and attractive actors who perform a story that - it has to be said - could have made one heck of a porn movie! Allen is more demure than that, instead exploring his frequent themes of 'what is love?' and 'what makes long lasting happiness?' with many (affluent) characters and philosophic pontificating. A narrator somewhat adds to an expectancy of incident that isn't really fulfilled, but it’s a fairly well done drama (not a comedy - there's virtually nothing to laugh at), and better than his two previous films.
Dir: Woody Allen
Stars: Rebecca Hall, Javier Bardem, Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz
VICTIM
1961
**
A barrister with homosexual inclinations is drawn into a blackmailing plot.
As has been much said, a mystery thriller that was incredibly daring for the time and bravely made important points; it is even credited with helping change the law six years later. It's just as interesting to watch as ever, perhaps even more so than before, and the London locations are vivid.
Dir: Basil Dearden
Stars: Dirk Bogarde, Sylvia Sims, Dennis Price, Derren Nesbitt
VIDEODROME
1982
*
A TV channel gives its viewers disturbing hallucinations.
Idiotic, confusing and unpleasant horror that hardly has the right to take a swipe at video nasties.
Dir: David Cronenberg
Stars: James Woods, Deborah Harry, Sonja Smits
VIDEOMAN
2018
***
A VHS collector is offered a large sum for a tape he owns, which will alleviate his financial problems; then the tape goes missing.
A film properly about what it means to be human: the two main characters, the ex-video shop owner and the middle-aged alcoholic woman, are people who live in the past and struggle to adapt to changing times, particularly with regard to technology, which has ambushed our lives and made us less individual. It has shades of grey and offers no pat answers. It is a tale that resonates, and is helped by strong performances, especially from Nilsson, pitch-perfect as the just-about-managing dipsomaniac. It also offers humour, horror homage and a knowing dissection of nerd culture - in short, it's an all-round movie, something of a triumph, with heart and soul and perspicacity.
Dir: Kristian A Soderstrom
Stars: Stefan Sauk, Lena Nilsson, Morgan Alling
A VIEW TO A KILL
1985
*
James Bond uncovers a plot to flood Silicon Valley.
Moore's final Bond film is among his weakest, thanks to a somewhat pedestrian script and the star himself, when he isn't being replaced by stunt doubles, looking a bit old for this sort of thing. Gone is the exoticness of Octopussy, replaced by more earthy locales and a business-fixated plot, adorned by some lame quips, but partly redeemed by Walken's performance as Zorin - although he is a little too psychotic to believe. At least there aren't too many scenes as horrendous as the one in which 'California Girls' is heard.
Dir: John Glen
Stars: Roger Moore, Tanya Roberts, Christopher Walken, Grace Jones, Patrick Macnee, Fiona Fullerton, Desmond Llewelyn, Lois Maxwell
THE VIKING QUEEN
1967
*
The English revolt against Roman rule.
Not-bad-for-a-wet-Saturday-afternoon costumer; the kids would have enjoyed the wee dollops of mild nudity and violence, and not cared that the story was historical bunk or about the miscasting. Not a success for Hammer, it's cheesy stuff similar to the studio's other misfires of the period, like Prehistoric Women and The Vengeance Of She.
Dir: Don Chaffey
Stars: Don Murray, Carita, Donald Houston, Andrew Keir, Patrick Troughton, Adrienne Corri
THE VIKINGS
1958
**
Two half-brothers, one a Viking, fight for the love of a princess.
Exciting, violent and vivid Norseman drama crisply shot in some terrific locations. Some modern viewers might find its pace too moderate or even - hilariously - 'inappropriate' (well, they are Vikings).
Dir: Richard Fleischer
Stars: Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, Ernest Borgnine. Narrator: Orson Welles
VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED
1960
**
Twelve super-intelligent children with frightening powers are all born at the same time in a small English village.
Taut sci-fi featuring the most chilling children ever put on screen.
Dir: Wolf Rilla
Stars: George Sanders, Barbara Shelley, Michael Gwynn, Laurence Naismith
VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS
1965
0
Naughty teenagers steal a magic formula which makes things many times their normal size.
Hilariously awful mix of teen movie (and virtually every character is one) and sci-fi, a bastardisation of The Food Of The Gods, on which it claims to be based. One long sequence has giant ducks disco dancing.
Dir: Bert I Gordon
Stars: Tommy Kirk, Ron Howard, Beau Bridges
VILLAIN
1971
*
A sadistic crime boss plans a major heist in London.
One of the first of the more rugged British crime dramas, this is worth a watch but it's not as tight or as thrilling as some (Get Carter, for one). It does, however, have a terrific cast, some intriguing themes and plenty of raw location shooting.
Dir: Michael Tuchner
Stars: Richard Burton, Ian McShane, Nigel Davenport, Donald Sinden, Fiona Lewis, TP McKenna, Joss Ackland, Colin Welland
THE VINDICATOR
1986
*
A man is killed in a nuclear accident but brought back to life by scientists.
Slow to start then entertaining sci-fi, all very glossy and hi-tech.
Dir: Jean-Claude Lord
Stars: Pam Grier, Richard Cox, Teri Austin
VINYL
1965
0
A young criminal undergoes conversion therapy.
It's remarkable the amount of utter crud that Andy Warhol launched into the world while still maintaining a lofty reputation. This bizarre, barely watchable adaptation of A Clockwork Orange is shot in a take or two by an unmoving camera and is not shy of exhibiting abysmal 'acting' and sound quality - and if you didn't know the original story, you'd probably be even more befuddled by it. Hitchcock's Dial M For Murder isn't in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die; this one is.
Dir: Andy Warhol
Stars: Gerard Malanga, Tosh Carillo, Edie Sedgwick
VIOLATION OF THE BITCH
1978
*
When a girl goes to stay at a Spanish villa, rape and murder follow.
Paper thin sex thriller not dissimilar to much of the director’s previous work but set in sunny Spain rather than rainy rural England; well shot, titillating, watchable.
Dir: Joseph Larraz
Stars: Patricia Granada, Lidia Zuazo
VIOLENCIA NA CARNE
1981
0
Thugs hold a group of people prisoner in their own home.
Exploitation doesn't get much meaner than this (Violence And Flesh is the apt English title), and it'd likely make the BBFC fall off its chair if they ever tried for an official release here. Besides its squalid, graphic incidents there is lots of talk, much of it cod-philosophical and political; it's not a happy mix.
Dir: Alfredo Sternheim
Stars: Hércules Barbosa, Luiz Carlos Braga, Claudio D'Oliani
VIOLENT PLAYGROUND
1958
0
Police investigate the activities of young criminals, and one holds a class up with a gun.
Overlong and somewhat overwrought social drama which needed a much tighter focus on either the policeman or the lad. The extensive location photography is welcome, but you'd never guess it's Liverpool because there's not a single local accent, which is odd.
Dir: Basil Dearden
Stars: Stanley Baker, David McCallum, Anne Heywood, Peter Cushing
VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD
1973
0
A girl goes to the reading of her father's will, and regrets it.
You'll be bamboozled and bored by this appalling reverie which is made even worse by having all the sex [hysterically] cut out of some versions.
Dir: Jess Franco
Stars: Cristine von Blanc, Howard Vernon, Brit Nichols
THE VIRGIN AND THE GYPSY
1970
*
The daughter of a rector has eyes for a dusky local gypsy.
Good DH Lawrence adaptation, capturing the flavour of his work, it presents a feasible picture of northern England in 1922 and a woman doing what at the time was considered a rebellion against the strictures of her family life; with dashes of her fantasies, nature given prominence and a literate, calm approach, it's a fair film.
Dir: Christopher Miles
Stars: Joanna Shimkus, Franco Nero, Honor Blackman, Mark Burns, Maurice Denham
THE VIRGIN OF THE BEACHES
1976
0
A beautiful young model suffers abuse at the hands of men.
Dreadful rubbish with pretensions, really just a jumbled soft core opus that's part travelogue, part sexual abuse drama, with a few nasty scenes (perhaps it's a favourite of Harvey Weinstein's). Looking like it was edited with a meat cleaver, shot by a drunk and acted by actors in their only ever film, it's a truly bizarre, senseless mish-mash.
Dir: Zygmunt Sulistrowski
Stars: Adige Assis, Elizabeth Carvalho, Taise Costa
THE VIRGIN, THE BULL AND THE CAPRICORN
1977
0
A beautiful woman has a husband who strangely won’t sleep with her.
Senseless, shouty Italian garbage sure to give you a headache. Avoid.
Dir: Luciano Martino
Stars: Edwige Fenech, Alberto Lionello, Aldo Maccione
VIRIDIANA
1961
**
A novice nun is summoned to her uncle’s house and told she can never leave.
Bunuel’s savage satire on religion and capitalism could be in danger of coming across as a silly and confused mess in years to come thanks to its frenzied swipes at many targets, although his criticism of religion may ensure it retains some vitality.
Dir: Luis Bunuel
Stars: Silvia Pinal, Francisco Rabal, Fernando Rey, Jose Calvo
VIRTUAL GIRL
1998 (V)
0
A computer programmer has an affair with an electronically-generated girl.
Trash which should be deleted and sent straight to the Junk bin.
Dir: Richard Gabai
Stars: Charlie Curtis, Max Dixon, Miche Straube
VISA TO CANTON
1960
0
A former pilot enters China to rescue an American girl trapped there.
Super-dull spy adventure only in part alleviated by brief location sequences - it resembles an episode of Roger Moore's The Saint, but more flat and talkative. One of Hammer's most obscure films for many years, there was finally a 2020 Blu-ray release which did at least show off the production's bright colours to good effect.
Dir: Michael Carreras
Stars: Richard Basehart, Lisa Gastoni, Athene Seyler, Bernard Cribbins
THE VISION
1987 (TV)
*
In the near future, a strange satellite TV company starts operating in Europe.
Curious drama which almost works as a character study or as a warning. At least it's different.
Dir: Norman Stone
Stars: Lee Remick, Dirk Bogarde, Helena Bonham Carter, Eileen Atkins
VISIONS OF DEATH
1972 (TV)
*
A clairvoyant foretells a disaster and is then blamed for it.
Sprightly, with effective moments.
Dir: Lee H Katzin
Stars: Telly Savalas, Monte Markham, Barbara Anderson
VISIONS OF LIGHT
1992
***
Documentary looking at the art of movie cinematographers. The many films featured include Sunrise, Gone With The Wind, Rosemary’s Baby, Raging Bull, The Godfather, Hud, The Grapes Of Wrath, Sweet Smell Of Success, Chinatown and Citizen Kane.
Some have bemoaned the lack of European cinema here – and there is no room for the work of Hitchcock or Kubrick – but this is an insightful and succinct film which makes you appreciate movies more, thereby surely succeeding in its primary aim.
Dir: Arnold Glassman, Todd McCarthy, Stuart Samuels
VIVA VILLA!
1934
*
The wayward life of Mexican bandit Pancho Villa.
Highly fictionalised biography that quickly becomes a slightly tiresome succession of violent incident and macho bravado (no wonder there are so many wars with men in charge, you can't help but thinking). Beery nevertheless suits the boorish part and there are good scenes despite the general filmic messiness.
Dir: Jack Conway
Stars: Wallace Beery, Leo Carrillo, Fay Wray, Donald Cook
VIVA ZAPATERO!
2005
*
Documentary about a female satirist's attempt to challenge what she sees as political censorship in Italy.
While her satire doesn't look terribly funny, the garrulous lady on show here convincingly makes her point about her government and the implications for free speech.
Dir/Narrator: Sabina Guzzanti
VOICES
1973
0
A couple whose son has died go to an old house where they hear ghostly murmurs.
Stagey, verbose spooky story, too long and inactive.
Dir: Kevin Billington
Stars: David Hemmings, Gayle Hunnicutt
VON RYAN’S EXPRESS
1965
**
Allies attempt to escape from Italy by train.
Slowish to start, but ultimately exhilarating actioner, marred by its downbeat (but memorable) finale.
Dir: Mark Robson
Stars: Frank Sinatra, Trevor Howard, Brad Dexter, James Brolin
VOODOO ISLAND
1957
0
A reporter and his entourage investigate an island where bad things have happened.
Karloff is miscast in this pedestrian horror which reaches a low point in a scene where an operator repeats the phrase 'N-5621 Victor calling Wake Island' over, and over, and over, and over again...
Dir: Reginald Le Borg
Stars: Boris Karloff, Beverly Tyler, Murvyn Vye, Elisha Cook Jr
VOODOO MAN
1944
0
A strange doctor uses voodoo and hypnosis to try and resurrect his dead wife.
Typical example of just how bizarre Bela Lugosi Monogram horror films could get; fans might enjoy seeing the three stars go for it, and it has a certain knowing campy humour – witness the last line, which mentions Lugosi by name!
Dir: William Beaudine
Stars: Bela Lugosi, John Carradine, George Zucco, Wanda McKay
VOODOO PASSION
1977
0
A woman comes to Haiti to see her husband but is plagued by terrible nightmares.
Actually not one of the director's worst films, with a wee bit of plot and a twist ending, plus an eye-popping amount of nudity of course, from topless dancers in the opening frame to much, much more (you could knit a sweater, as they might say in Porky's). Not a burden to watch, and the Anchor Bay DVD has surprisingly excellent picture quality.
Dir: Jess Franco
Stars: Ada Tauler, Vicky Adams, Jack Taylor, Karine Gambier
VOODOO WOMAN
1957
0
A mad scientist turns a woman into a monster.
'Limited' is probably the kindest description possible of this low budget horror.
Dir: Edward L Kahn
Stars: Marla English, Tom Conway, Mike Connors
VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA
1961
*
As the Earth heats up, a submarine commander attempts to save it by firing a missile at a certain spot.
A lower budget 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea which follows a rather torturous plot route before it finally arrives at its [unscientific] conclusion.
Dir: Irwin Allen
Stars: Walter Pidgeon, Robert Sterling, Joan Fontaine, Peter Lorre
THE VIRGIN OF THE BEACHES
1976
0
A beautiful young model suffers abuse at the hands of men.
Dreadful rubbish with pretensions, really just a jumbled soft core opus that's part travelogue, part sexual abuse drama, with a few nasty scenes (perhaps it's a favourite of Harvey Weinstein's). Looking like it was edited with a meat cleaver, shot by a drunk and acted by actors in their only ever film, it's a truly bizarre, senseless mish-mash.
Dir: Zygmunt Sulistrowski
Stars: Adige Assis, Elizabeth Carvalho, Taise Costa
THE VIRGIN, THE BULL AND THE CAPRICORN
1977
0
A beautiful woman has a husband who strangely won’t sleep with her.
Senseless, shouty Italian garbage sure to give you a headache. Avoid.
Dir: Luciano Martino
Stars: Edwige Fenech, Alberto Lionello, Aldo Maccione
VIRGIN WITCH
1970
*
Two beautiful twins are initiated into the world of diabolism.
From literally the opening frame of this film there are bare breasts, and much of the running time after that is taken up with nudity; you've got to hand it to Austin - he knew how to titillate. Because of this and its other stylings, it's one of the most Seventies movies you'll ever see. Unfortunately its tale of sweaty diabolism doesn’t really go anywhere and you’re left wondering where a promising storyline disappeared to a while before it fizzles out. Still, it's slightly irresistible in its own way.
Dir: Ray Austin
Stars: Ann Michelle, Vicki Michelle, Patricia Haines, Neil Hallett
1961
**
A novice nun is summoned to her uncle’s house and told she can never leave.
Bunuel’s savage satire on religion and capitalism could be in danger of coming across as a silly and confused mess in years to come thanks to its frenzied swipes at many targets, although his criticism of religion may ensure it retains some vitality.
Dir: Luis Bunuel
Stars: Silvia Pinal, Francisco Rabal, Fernando Rey, Jose Calvo
VIRTUAL GIRL
1998 (V)
0
A computer programmer has an affair with an electronically-generated girl.
Trash which should be deleted and sent straight to the Junk bin.
Dir: Richard Gabai
Stars: Charlie Curtis, Max Dixon, Miche Straube
VISA TO CANTON
1960
0
A former pilot enters China to rescue an American girl trapped there.
Super-dull spy adventure only in part alleviated by brief location sequences - it resembles an episode of Roger Moore's The Saint, but more flat and talkative. One of Hammer's most obscure films for many years, there was finally a 2020 Blu-ray release which did at least show off the production's bright colours to good effect.
Dir: Michael Carreras
Stars: Richard Basehart, Lisa Gastoni, Athene Seyler, Bernard Cribbins
THE VISION
1987 (TV)
*
In the near future, a strange satellite TV company starts operating in Europe.
Curious drama which almost works as a character study or as a warning. At least it's different.
Dir: Norman Stone
Stars: Lee Remick, Dirk Bogarde, Helena Bonham Carter, Eileen Atkins
VISIONS OF DEATH
1972 (TV)
*
A clairvoyant foretells a disaster and is then blamed for it.
Sprightly, with effective moments.
Dir: Lee H Katzin
Stars: Telly Savalas, Monte Markham, Barbara Anderson
VISIONS OF LIGHT
1992
***
Documentary looking at the art of movie cinematographers. The many films featured include Sunrise, Gone With The Wind, Rosemary’s Baby, Raging Bull, The Godfather, Hud, The Grapes Of Wrath, Sweet Smell Of Success, Chinatown and Citizen Kane.
Some have bemoaned the lack of European cinema here – and there is no room for the work of Hitchcock or Kubrick – but this is an insightful and succinct film which makes you appreciate movies more, thereby surely succeeding in its primary aim.
Dir: Arnold Glassman, Todd McCarthy, Stuart Samuels
THE VISIT
2015
*
Two youngsters become increasingly disturbed by their grandparents' behaviour during a stay at their house.
Serviceable horror from a director who enjoys a twist - but if you're expecting a supernatural one you may be disappointed. It probably loses a chance to be more effective by being shot in 'found footage' style, which was popular at the time - well, 'popular' with filmmakers; it was always a struggle to find many punters who actually liked it. Mid Night.
Dir: M Night Shyamalan
Stars: Olivia DeJonge, Ed Oxenbould, Deanna Dunagan, Peter McRobbieVISITING HOURS
1982
0
A knife-wielding psycho goes after an outspoken female journalist.
Tediously drawn out shocker which almost could have been a TV movie if it wasn’t for some nasty moments (that got the film on the official video nasties list in Britain). What a rickety script it has, only partly sketching Ironside's character in while devoting most of its running time to women being stalked or having them think they're being stalked. Note: Canadian police and security officers are dire.
Dir: Jean-Claude Lord
Stars: Michael Ironside, Lee Grant, Linda Purl, William Shatner
VIVA VILLA!
1934
*
The wayward life of Mexican bandit Pancho Villa.
Highly fictionalised biography that quickly becomes a slightly tiresome succession of violent incident and macho bravado (no wonder there are so many wars with men in charge, you can't help but thinking). Beery nevertheless suits the boorish part and there are good scenes despite the general filmic messiness.
Dir: Jack Conway
Stars: Wallace Beery, Leo Carrillo, Fay Wray, Donald Cook
VIVA ZAPATERO!
2005
*
Documentary about a female satirist's attempt to challenge what she sees as political censorship in Italy.
While her satire doesn't look terribly funny, the garrulous lady on show here convincingly makes her point about her government and the implications for free speech.
Dir/Narrator: Sabina Guzzanti
VOICES
1973
0
A couple whose son has died go to an old house where they hear ghostly murmurs.
Stagey, verbose spooky story, too long and inactive.
Dir: Kevin Billington
Stars: David Hemmings, Gayle Hunnicutt
VON RYAN’S EXPRESS
1965
**
Allies attempt to escape from Italy by train.
Slowish to start, but ultimately exhilarating actioner, marred by its downbeat (but memorable) finale.
Dir: Mark Robson
Stars: Frank Sinatra, Trevor Howard, Brad Dexter, James Brolin
VOODOO ISLAND
1957
0
A reporter and his entourage investigate an island where bad things have happened.
Karloff is miscast in this pedestrian horror which reaches a low point in a scene where an operator repeats the phrase 'N-5621 Victor calling Wake Island' over, and over, and over, and over again...
Dir: Reginald Le Borg
Stars: Boris Karloff, Beverly Tyler, Murvyn Vye, Elisha Cook Jr
VOODOO MAN
1944
0
A strange doctor uses voodoo and hypnosis to try and resurrect his dead wife.
Typical example of just how bizarre Bela Lugosi Monogram horror films could get; fans might enjoy seeing the three stars go for it, and it has a certain knowing campy humour – witness the last line, which mentions Lugosi by name!
Dir: William Beaudine
Stars: Bela Lugosi, John Carradine, George Zucco, Wanda McKay
VOODOO PASSION
1977
0
A woman comes to Haiti to see her husband but is plagued by terrible nightmares.
Actually not one of the director's worst films, with a wee bit of plot and a twist ending, plus an eye-popping amount of nudity of course, from topless dancers in the opening frame to much, much more (you could knit a sweater, as they might say in Porky's). Not a burden to watch, and the Anchor Bay DVD has surprisingly excellent picture quality.
Dir: Jess Franco
Stars: Ada Tauler, Vicky Adams, Jack Taylor, Karine Gambier
VOODOO WOMAN
1957
0
A mad scientist turns a woman into a monster.
'Limited' is probably the kindest description possible of this low budget horror.
Dir: Edward L Kahn
Stars: Marla English, Tom Conway, Mike Connors
VOYAGE TO ITALY
1954
*
A couple whose marriage is in trouble takes a holiday in Naples.
Fawned over by critics in recent years, this strikes some of us as a not especially remarkable drama with a travelogue feel; the two fine lead actors give it import and the naturalistic shooting style is pleasant but the story is too light to enthral, while the finale smacks of not having the courage of its convictions. Always beware when the master of dreadfulness Jean-Luc Godard recommends a movie.
Dir: Roberto Rossellini
Stars: Ingrid Bergman, George Sanders
VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA
1961
*
As the Earth heats up, a submarine commander attempts to save it by firing a missile at a certain spot.
A lower budget 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea which follows a rather torturous plot route before it finally arrives at its [unscientific] conclusion.
Dir: Irwin Allen
Stars: Walter Pidgeon, Robert Sterling, Joan Fontaine, Peter Lorre
VOYAGE TO THE PLANET OF PREHISTORIC WOMEN
1968
0
Astronauts journey to Venus, which appears to be inhabited by women in shell-type bras.
In 1965, Roger Corman re-edited the 1962 Russian sci-fi film Planeta Bur into Voyage To The Prehistoric Planet; here he revived it again, with women added, in the form of mermaid-a-likes lying around rocks, directed by Peter Bogdanovich under an alias. Watching it is like having a dream - a bad one. Did any punter come out of this glad they'd went in?
Dir: Derek Thomas (Peter Bogdanovich), Pavel Klushtansev
Stars: Mamie Van Doren, Gennadi Vernov, Mary Marr
THE VOYEUR
1993
*
A man tries to get his gorgeous wife back and has problems with his father.
Supreme titillation from the cinema’s finest exhibitor of naked women, it could be viewed properly in Britain after the relaxation of film censorship laws in 2000.
Dir: Tinto Brass
Stars: Katarina Vasilissa, Francesco Casale, Cristina Garavaglia
VOYEUR
2017
***
Documentary about journalist Gay Talese reporting on Gerald Foos, the owner of a motel who apparently spied on his guests from air vents in the ceiling.
A fascinating film which goes in unexpected directions after its initial stunning revelations: it is in fact a shame that what the voyeur saw is not gone into in more detail, and the ethical and moral implications of it, but there are some jaw-dropping anecdotes. Viewers will find reasons to dislike both men, but eliciting a response and exploring the darker side of human nature is what this Netflix original does very well.
Dir: Myles Kane, Josh Koury
THE VULTURE
1966
0
Dabbling in things he shouldn't, a scientist turns into a homicidal vulture.
After an effective opening, this turns into an extremely daft old clinker with more talk than action. The terribly serious acting is fun to watch.
Dir: Lawrence Huntington
Stars: Robert Hutton, Akim Tamiroff, Broderick Crawford
THE VOYEUR
1993
*
A man tries to get his gorgeous wife back and has problems with his father.
Supreme titillation from the cinema’s finest exhibitor of naked women, it could be viewed properly in Britain after the relaxation of film censorship laws in 2000.
Dir: Tinto Brass
Stars: Katarina Vasilissa, Francesco Casale, Cristina Garavaglia
VOYEUR
2017
***
Documentary about journalist Gay Talese reporting on Gerald Foos, the owner of a motel who apparently spied on his guests from air vents in the ceiling.
A fascinating film which goes in unexpected directions after its initial stunning revelations: it is in fact a shame that what the voyeur saw is not gone into in more detail, and the ethical and moral implications of it, but there are some jaw-dropping anecdotes. Viewers will find reasons to dislike both men, but eliciting a response and exploring the darker side of human nature is what this Netflix original does very well.
Dir: Myles Kane, Josh Koury
THE VOYEURS
2021
0
A young couple moves into a new flat; across the way they appear to have an exhibitionist neighbour.
While this begins with great promise, it soon degenerates into unlikely nonsense, failing to make its promising theme work - this is probably because of a combination of neutered writing (it has a prudish Amazon sheen), some miscasting (especially Smith) and uninspired direction. It doesn't make the most of the pneumatic Sweeney, and hardly explores moral issues.
Dir: Michael Mohan
Stars: Sydney Sweeney, Justice Smith, Ben Hardy, Natasha Liu Bordizzo
THE VULTURE
1966
0
Dabbling in things he shouldn't, a scientist turns into a homicidal vulture.
After an effective opening, this turns into an extremely daft old clinker with more talk than action. The terribly serious acting is fun to watch.
Dir: Lawrence Huntington
Stars: Robert Hutton, Akim Tamiroff, Broderick Crawford
