Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979)

An extension of the previous film, wherein a cache of adventurers return to the overturned ship to seek several fortunes.

From memory: The original was no masterpiece, but Irwin once again manages to take it step lower in another cheapskate production; it's amazing how you can gather such an ensemble of stars and completely ignore their talents.

Halliwell (no star): "Dreary alternative ending to The Poseidon Adventure, with cardboard character studies, cut-price action, and tenth-rate technicalities."

Maltin*1/2: "Following THE SWARM, Caine teamed up with Irwin Allen for another career killer - a needless sequel..."

Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)

A surly convicted murderer held in permanent isolation redeems himself when he becomes a renowned bird expert.

Affecting prison drama takes its time to tell its  story, but gives room for many touching moments; Burt Lancaster delivers a great performance.

Halliwell*: "Overlong and rather weary biopic of Robert Shroud, who spent nearly sixry years in prison and became a cause célèbre. One cannot deny many effective moments, notably of direction, but it's a long haul."

Maltin***: "Pensive study...Film becomes static despite imaginative sidelights to enlarge scope of action."

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

James Bond woos a mob boss's daughter and goes undercover to uncover the true reason for Blofeld's allergy research in the Swiss Alps that involves beautiful women from around the world.

Lisa e il diavolo (1973)

A hallucinating woman flees to a mansion full of corpses and sees the devil and other evil beings.

Wildly surreal (and sometimes just odd and confusing) horror movie that does manage to recreate the complex logic and atmosphere of  a nightmare.

Halliwell (no star): "Baroque thriller that constantly teeters on the edge of absurdity before finally falling."

Maltin**1/2: "Truly strange, surreal psychological horror tale filled with hallucinatory imagery."

Michael Weldon/Psychotronic: "A confusing horror movie...It's Savalas' best Italian film."

Cape Fear (1962)

A lawyer's family is stalked by a man he once helped put in jail.

Classic high tension thriller with Robert Mitchum delivering one of the best deranged villain performances in cinema history; however, the right-wing flavoring of the story stains the otherwise good impression of the movie as a whole.

Halliwell (no star): "Unpleasant and drawn out suspenser with characters of cardboard and situations from stock."

Maltin***: "Mitchum is memorably (and believably) creepy...Dated only on its lack of explicitness, but still daring for its time."