The Satan Bug (1965)

 

A germ that could destroy life on Earth is stolen from a biological warfare lab and the thief threatens to release it into the open, prompting a security officer to act. 

Well-staged and photographed sci-fi thriller has an interesting premise, but with stiff performances and due to too many plot twists is only mildly suspenseful.

Halliwell*: "Slow-moving, portentous, gadget-filled actioner which looks good but seldom stimulates." 

Maltin***1/2: "Overlooked little suspense gem...Taut script...and direction, stunning photography..."

Roseanna McCoy (1949)

In the late 1800s, the longtime feud between the Kentucky McCoy family and the West Virginia Hatfields has lain dormant -- until Johnse Hatfield meets charming young Rosemary McCoy and falls in love. 

From memory: Dramatic, but average Western melodrama with a Romeo and Juliet kind of plot. 

Halliwell (no star): "Hillbilly Romeo and Juliet saga, a shade too cornfed despite the credits."

Maltin**: "Witless drama..."   

Being There (1979)

A simpleminded, sheltered gardener becomes an unlikely trusted advisor to a powerful businessman and an insider in Washington politics.

From memory: Excellent oddball satire on American life and politics with lots of witty dialogie, and Sellers' and MacLaine's performances are spot on.

Halliwel**: "Overlong serio-comic parable hinging on a somewhat dubious star performance. Chance made it a popular urban success, but few who saw it were enthused."

Maltin**1/2: "Low-keyed black humor, full of savagely witty comments on American life in the telvision age, but fatally overlong."

Reign of Terror (1949)

Robespierrre, a powerful figure in the French revolution, is desperately looking for his black book, a death list of those marked for the guillotine.

Oddly mixing history drama with a (complicated) Noir crime plot the movie actually manages to create atmosphere and suspense.

Halliwell*: "Moderate period melodrama with an attractive though artificial look."

Maltin***: "Vivied costume drama...Moss is particularly good as the elegantly, eloquently evil Foucher. Stunningly photographed by John Alton; every shot is a painting!"

He Walked by Night (1948)

Police are on the hunt for a resourceful criminal who shoots and kills a cop.

Effective crime thriller in a semi-documentary style, a bit naive, but honest and straightforward and with an exciting finale that obviously inspired Carol Reed for The Third Man.

Halliwell*: "Interesting if rather flatly handled documentary melodrama in clear imitation of Naked City."

Maltin***: "Great climax in L.A storm drains; photographed by the great John Alton. This clearly inspired Webb's creation of Dragnet."