Too Late for Tears (1949)

 

Through a fluke circumstance, a ruthless woman stumbles across a suitcase filled with $60,000, and is determined to hold onto it even if it means murder. 

Above-average low-budget Noir thriller gives Lizabeth Scott all the room to present her greedy, ruthless femme fatale character, and it helps that all the guys, especially Dan Duryea's smalltime crook, are weaklings and no match to her ambitions.

Halliwell (no star): "Silly melodrama, poorly cast." 

Maltin**1/2: "Atmospheric but muddled drama...Duryea is at his best as a heavy."

Ricco (1973)

After 2 years in prison Ricco is released and on a path of vengeance.

Fantastic Voyage (1966)

A scientist is nearly assassinated. In order to save him, a submarine is shrunken to microscopic size and injected into his blood stream with a small crew. Problems arise almost as soon as they enter the bloodstream.

At its time a spectacular special effects sci-fi event despite a trashy plot it  very quickly became outdated and is now merely of historic interest.

Halliwell*: "Engagingly absurd science fiction which keeps its momentum but is somwhat let down by its décor."

Maltin***1/2: "Tremendously entertaining science fiction story...Film's then-state-of-the-art visual effects look great in widescreen."

Michael Weldon/Psychotronic: "Lots of enlarged guts, a voyage through the ventricles, and a lung-induced tornado."

Bend of the River (1952)

When a town boss confiscates homesteader's supplies after gold is discovered nearby, a tough cowboy risks his life to try and get it to them.

A standard Western adventure in near perfection: despite the hopscotch plot you get a great cast, lots of conflict and action, wonderful settings and landscapes, and the hero is redeemed in the end. 

Halliwell*: "Good standard Western with pace and period feeling but not much plot sense."

Maltin***: "Compelling Western..."

L'anticristo (1974)

A paralyzed young woman with serious mental problems stemming from the death of her mother has a crisis of faith, and the intervention of a well-meaning psychologist leads her to remember her past life as a witch during the Inquisition.

No holds barred rip-off of The Exorcist is wildly exploitative, but offers some truly cinematic touches with great cinematography (by Joe D'Amato!) and some genuinely surreal sequences.

Maltin BOMB: "Frenzied but pointless rip-off of THE EXORCIST..."

Michael Weldon/Psychotronic: "It took a while to get here, but this was the first blatant Exorcist copy produced...the usual bile, floating bodies, and an orgy in hell."

City For Conquest (1940)

A young man is a content truck driver, but his girl shows potential as a dancer and hopes he too can show ambition, so acquiesces and pursues boxing to please her, but the two begin to spend more time working than time together.

The Desperate Hours (1955)

Three escaped convicts move in on and terrorize a suburban household.

Intense crime thriller with excellently clashing performances, but slightly too long.

Halliwell*: "Ponderous treatment of an over-familiar situation with only the acting and an 'A' picture look to save it."

Maltin***1/2: "Extremely well acted account..."