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This British drama directed by Jacques Tourneur threw me for a loop: for over an hour the story written by Philip MacDonald meandered, resembling the traditional shaggy-dog story, a type of movie I detest. Postponing getting to the point, with loads of tangents instead of an involving adventure.

It is initially structured just like my favorite British movie, Mike Hodges' "Get Carter", which I attended several times in 1971 when it came out, so enthralled with its style and detail. Here we have Ray Milland with a tough-guy accent/vocal delivery, travelling to UK in search of the real story behind his younger brother's death as a commando in World War II. He doggedly pursues the facts, but is repeatedly stonewalled as he approaches and interviews the fellow surviving members of his brother's squad.

Meanwhile, a romance develops between him and Patricia Roc, girlfriend of a Scottish officer he questions, replete with a "meet-cute" scene in which Roc literally accidentally bowls Ray over (physically) when they meet for the first time. The motif of him repeatedly late or standing her up for dates while he goes on his important search for answers about his bro underscores the shaggy-dog aspect of the storytelling.

Finally, in the last reel or so the movie comes to a head, with the revelation of who killed bro and why, and in a rather moving and unexpected fashion, British civility and honor creates a nonviolent and most satisfying ending.

Quite offbeat in its treatment of the thriller genre, it's another example of Tourneur's skill.

One of my sci-fi/horror/fantasy reviews written 50 years ago: Directed by Rouben Mamoulian; Produced by Mamoulian for MGM. Screenplay by Samuel Hoffenstein and Percy Heath; Photography by Karl Struss. Starring Fredric March, Miriam Hopkins, Rose Hobart, Holmes Herbert, Halliwell Hobbes and Tempe Piggott.

Brilliant, definitive version of the Stevenson horror classic keynoted by incomparable direction by Mamoulian and award-winning acting by March, plus Karl Struss's superb photography. Use of a Black-styled makeup job for Mr. Hyde and outre sexual/sadistic scenes is a bit much, but Mamoulian's solid symbolism and inventive use of sound, montage and magnificent transformation scenes are still effective.

One of my sci-fi/horror/fantasy reviews written 50 years ago: Directed and Screenplay by William Grefe; Produced by Joseph Fink and Juan Hidalgo-Gato for Thunderbird International Pictures. Photography and Edited by Julio Chavez; Songs by Al Green and Al Jacobs. Starring: Fred Pinero, Babette Sherrill, Doug Hobart, Mayra Gomez and Gary Holtz.

Dull horror film has realistically staged violence, purely amateurish acting and some of Grefe's snake fascination. Filmed in the Everglades with an American and Mexican cast, the film crudely essays youngsters versus witch doctor, posthumously protecting his sacred burial ground by briefly reincarnating as deadly animals, but Grefe's style is crude and sadistic.

One of my sci-fi/horror/fantasy reviews written 50 years ago: Directed by Alan Gibson; Produced by Josephine Douglas for Hammer Films; Released in America by Warner Brothers. Screenplay by Don Houghton; Photography by Dick Bush; Edited by James Needs; Music by Michael Vickers; Assistant Director: Robert Lynn Starring Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Stephanie Beacham, Christopher Neame, Michael Coles, Janet Key, William Ellis, Marsha Hunt, Michael Kitchen, Caroline Munro, Lally Bowers.

Visually excellent contemporary Dracula film which benefits from a strong cast, Dick Bush's particular camera genius and Stephanie Beacham's magnificence in a skintight white nightgown, plus a well-defined modern Swinging London atmosphere.

One of my sci-fi/horror/fantasy reviews written 50 years ago: Directed by Norman Taurog; Produced by Sam Arkoff and James Nicholson for American-International Pictures. Screenplay by Robert Kaufman and Elwood Ullman; Photography by Sam Leavitt; Edited by Fred Feitshans, Eve Newman and Ronald Sinclair; Music by Les Baxter. Starring Vincent Price, Frankie Avalon, Dwayne Hickman, Susan Hart, Jack Mullaney and Fred Clark.

First in an abortive series of sci-fi comedies, with mid-Sixties crypto-sexy overtones. Taurog' lightweight comedy direction is palatable, but the film's simple-minded mad scientist out to monetarily conquer the world with female robots romancing rich boys plot, plus mugging by the actors, make it a sideline sci-fi film.

Besides the usual shot-in-studio aspect of supposedly Hong Kong-set scenes, this episode of Danger Man is constantly stressing fakeness.

Burt Kwouk gets killed even before the opening credits, working at a radio station where we watch what appears to be a radio play being performed, though the actors' lines were so flatly, robotically delivered that I couldn't believe how poor the scene was. Explanation: it turns out that they're performing an "English Conversation Lesson" daily show for listeners to hear clearly enunciated English, not drama. Pat going undercover gets a job as one of the radio actors, infiltrating the station to help break up a Communist Chinese espionage operation.

Pat fakes a martial arts fight scene to get attention and set up his cover.

A lousy supporting cast includes a hammy Gary Cockrell as an American "hip" method actor (very poor performance by this journeyman US actor working in England) and a lovely Julia Allan whose career flopped.

Any episode of Rod Taylor's fine series "Hong Kong" around this time is superior to this nothing segment.

Taylor Sheridan shows his rough and sentimental sides in this transitional episode as the series approaches its climax. Rough is the very hard to take scene of Amelia Rico's sudden fate at the hands of "law enforcement". And utterly touching is the marriage at sea of Spencer and Alexandra after their hard-fought survival ordeal.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, Helen and Harrison's relationship is nicely developed, and the eventual showdown with the bad guys is saved for a future episode. Sheridan has a way of making his points in both traditional fashion and with unexpected grace notes -no wonder he is in such demand for more and more series.

This two-part feature from Ben Hecht and his distinguished cameraman Lee Garmes begins with a magnificently theatrical-styled performance by Edward G. Robinson, befitting an odd murder-mystery replete with thunder and theatrical effects at the end. He and daughter Marsha Hunt play thespians, and as we witness her rise and fall of a career on stage, Hecht injects his highly personal barbs concerning critics and the hangers-on of the Broadway milieu.

Less successful is the accompanying piece, "Woman of Sin", in which Hecht cast his 9-year-old offspring Jenny Hecht as the author of a sexy romantic screenplay, which causes a ruckus allowing him to ridicule prudishness and venality in Hollywood.

Eddie Albert has fun starring as an unscrupulous agent who unwittingly sells Jenny's dirty script. The vignette is filled with in-joke name dropping of real names, none of which have stood the test of time. The joke about kid as writer is spoiled by little Jenny's embarrassing attempt at acting -her subsequent career as actress is laughable.

In the 1950s, "family" television predominated on the airwaves, ranging from endless feel-good sitcoms to popular Westerns. For adults, a wide range of anthology programs including most prominently "Playhouse 90" but many hosted by/starring movie stars like Loretta Young and Dick Powell told more serious stories.

This "Climax!" episode adapted by DeWitt Bodeen (known for writing classic Val Lewton horror movies and even "I Remember Mama") from a short story in William Faulkner's "Knight's Gambit" collection provides diversion of a risque nature. Certainly G-rated by 21st Century standards, its story of infidelity and decadence among a group of frankly unsympathetic characters is hardly what audiences smothered with pablum were used to seeing on the tube.

Bona fide movie stars are in the lead roles: Mary Astor glamorous playing a southern grand dame late in her career; Paul Henried as a scoundrel cheating on his fiancee Kathleen Crowley with a "bad girl" whose father lost his estate leaving her poor and looked-down upon, nicely played by Evelyn Keyes, sporting a short gamine hair style popularized soon after by Jean Seberg. Add future TV star Richard Long as Keye's clueless boyfriend who is also Crowley's sister, and there's nobody to root for.

As tempers flare and jealousy develops among the protagonists, it isn't long before Henreid starts romancing Astor, as she controls the family fortune.

The local no-nonsense government attorney intervenes to try and avoid a violent end to this situation, and he turns out to be Astor's first love way back when. This hothouse of passion is well-acted and climaxes in the stables where the title beast does its thing. Ending is more populist than I expected and dramatically unsatisfactory.

Underplaying, yet still amazingly compelling, Jack Palance dominates this "Playhouse 90" production of the unfinished F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. It should be seen, especially considering the failure of a big-budget, ill-conceived Elia Kazan/Harold Pinter movie adaptation for Paramount that failed in 1976.

John Frankenheimer directed for TV from a teleplay by Don Mankiewicz, and their version is not a 1930s period piece but contemporary (1950s), with Fitzgerald's cynical view of the film industry's inner workings and machinations retained. Palance seems like a character from Ayn Rand's novel -willful, born to dominate and 100% rugged individualist. Contrasting with his studio interactions with underlings and antagonists, Frankenheimer includes sentimental interludes at his beach house, with romantic overtones (including platonic ones) of his dealing with Viveca Lindfors (excellent as the lookalike who reminds him of his long-gone wife) and young Lee Remick (as the willful daughter of his former studio head adversary). These scenes play like ones from a movie he might be making, contrasting with the harsh "real" scenes he has at work.

The concise TV version is forceful compared to Pinter's version, and avoids nostalgia or the clutter of big-name cameos. Uncredited is Tom Laughlin, very early in his career, as Gilligan, a method actor complaining to Palance about a script and "lack of motivation" -he is fun in the Method bit of satire, and is humorously sent packing by Jack when latter informs him they are considering making the film with only long shots -no closeups for the ham! Underplaying, yet still amazingly compelling, Jack Palance dominates this "Playhouse 90" production of the unfinished F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. It should be seen, especially considering the failure of a big-budget, ill-conceived Elia Kazan/Harold Pinter movie adaptation for Paramount that failed in 1976.

John Frankenheimer directed for TV from a teleplay by Don Mankiewicz, and their version is not a 1930s period piece but contemporary (1950s), with Fitzgerald's cynical view of the film industry's inner workings and machinations retained. Palance seems like a character from Ayn Rand's novel -willful, born to dominate and 100% rugged individualist. Contrasting with his studio interactions with underlings and antagonists, Frankenheimer includes sentimental interludes at his beach house, with romantic overtones (including platonic ones) of his dealing with Viveca Lindfors (excellent as the lookalike who reminds him of his long-gone wife) and young Lee Remick (as the willful daughter of his former studio head adversary). These scenes play like ones from a movie he might be making, contrasting with the harsh "real" scenes he has at work.

The concise TV version is forceful compared to Pinter's version, and avoids nostalgia or the clutter of big-name cameos. Uncredited is Tom Laughlin, very early in his career, as Gilligan, a method actor complaining to Palance about a script and "lack of motivation" -he is fun in the Method bit of satire, and is humorously sent packing by Jack when latter informs him they are considering making the film with only long shots -no closeups for the ham!

Dan Duryea stars, with a very poor supporting cast in this grade B British crime drama, the work of UK hack director Montgomery Tully. Fifties audiences deserved a lot better than this, and Hammer Films several years later found its niche in horror, delivering consistently far better entertainment.

The first reel is dull and uneventful, with Dan walking through his role as an American military officer on a 36-hour pass in London. He goes to find his estranged wife, and we're then treated to a syrupy flashback of how they met and fell in love, utterly saccharine and just as uninteresting as the opener. Elsy Albiin, about as obscure (and unappealing) a 1950s actress as one could find, plays the wife blandly.

At this point the story takes a sudden U-Turn into crime and murder, with the viewer supposed to root for Duryea, but his character is unappealing. It's a long slog to finally finish off the story by Steve Fisher, usually a capable film noir writer, whose better work includes "Dead Reckoning" and "Lady in the Lake".

A very poor script sinks this crime drama, devoid of interesting material. Complete with an unconving forced happy ending, it is a typical example of 1950s lukewarm entertainment.

Dan Duryea plays a butcher who witnesses a hit and run where a man is killed, but he's instantly intimidated by a stock gangster (Harold J. Stone, not hardly scary enough in the role) to not tell the police what he's seen. There's no suspense at all, just Duryea as a supreme wimp constantly bullied by Stone and the bad guys.

Barbara Billingsley as his wife and two sweet kids completes the fake 1950s family unit of so many shows like BB's "Leave It to Beaver". Eventually Duryea has had enough and moments later all is well -completely phony wrap-up to the story. Duryea's performance as a weakling is not up to his usual standard.

One of my sci-fi/horror/fantasy reviews written 50 years ago: Directed by Roy Ward Baker; Produced by Brian Clemens and Albert Fennell for Hammer Films; Released in America by American-International Pictures. Screenplay by Brian Clemens; Photography by Norman Warwick; Edited by James Needs; Music by David Whitaker. Starring Ralph Bates, Martine Beswick; Gerald Sim, Lewis Fiander, Dorothy Alison.

Extremely clever sexual twist on the traditional story, but with the science fictional aspects scuttled in favor of repetitious "ripper"-like horror. The fabulously punning script and interesting plot adds to Beswick's beauty and the close Bates/Beswick physical similarity to overcome Baker's tedious direction to produce an effective film.

Taylor Sheridan immediately puts both of his female leads (Zoe Saldana and Laysla De Oliveira) to the test in this pilot episode, quickly establishing that this series will be both dramatic and action-packed. Of course, quality production value is on display.

As we gradually learn a bit about the characters, it becomes clear that this is no-nonsense television, without the filler. The only light momernts occur when we see Zoe's team kidding around while drinking, recalling the camaraderie of Sheridan's bunkhoused scenes in "Yellowstone". Nicole Kidman briefly pops up in a leadership position, and the segment ends with Laysla's first mission for the CIA underway.

One thing I especially enjoyed is in the casting: both Zoe and Laysla are such similar types, with Zoe older (and wiser?).

One of my sci-fi/horror/fantasy reviews written 50 years ago: Directed by Richard Burton and Nevill Coghill; Screenplay by Coghill, from Christopher Marlowe's play; Produced by Richard Burton and Richard McWhorter for Columbia Pictures. Photography by Gabor Pogany; Edited by John Shirley; Music by Mario Nascimbene. Starring Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor and Andreas Teuber.

Pretentious big-budget repertory theatrical tries to use sumptuous sets and photography to create a fantasy classic, but it turns out to be a pithy Burton ego trip, eminently forgettable and one of the weakest cinema incarnations of the Faust legend.

An action-packed episode, we watch Captain Pike struggling to survive as his shuttle goes up against a Time Rift in space, the only drawback being use of a ripoff monster: a probe transformed into an unsubtle version of those metallic monsters used in "The Matrix".

Meanwhile Commander Burnham is doing her darnedest to protect her brother Spock, Ethan Peck sporting a beard and babbling quotes from Lewi Carroll - a nice touch. Michelle Yeoh figures prominently here, throwing a martial arts fight with Burnham and skilfully maintaining her ambiguous stance between being a hero and a villain.

It's enjoyable here to see the direct predecessor for "Strange New Worlds", as the actors playing Spock, his mom and Captain Pike are all on screen.

One of my sci-fi/horror/fantasy reviews written 50 years ago: Directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot; Screenplay by Clouzot and Jerome Geronimi, from Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac's novel; Produced by Clouzot for Filmsonor (France); released in America by United Motion Pictures Organization as "Diabolique". Photography by Armand Thirard; Camera Operator: Robert Juillard; Edited by Madeleine Gug; Music by Georges Van Parys. Starring: Simone Signoret, Vera Clouzot, Paul Meurisse, Charles Vanel, Michel Serrault and Georges Poujouly.

Clouzot's "Psycho" classic which has influenced innumerable films including Hitchcock's, with poetic attention to dark and macabre details. Clouzot combined excellent acting with superb visuals to create the definitive film in the terror/suspense genre.

One of my sci-fi/horror/fantasy reviews written 50 years ago: Directed and Screenplay by Michael Cacoyannis; Produced by Cacoyannis for 20th Century-Fox. Photography by Walter Lassally; Edited by Vasilis Syropoulos; Music by Mikis Theodorakis; Casting by George P. Cosmatos; Titles by Maurice Binder. Starring Tom Courtenay, Sam Wanamaker, Colin Blakely, Candice Bergen, Ian Ogilvy, William Berger.

Fascinating, funny sci-fi film which stresses extrapolative changes in sociology rather than the usual hardware in posing the cultural shock of tourists infesting a little Greek island when A-bombs and doomsday weapons are dropped there. Great combo of beefcake, homosexual jokes, wild costumes, music and photography plus solid offbeat cast.

Addyson James is a beautiful but unhappy housewife who finds sexual solace with her stepson Ricky Spanish in this clearly taboo vignette from MIssaX. The fact that Addyson is a relative newcomer to the MILF ranks, not seen in hundreds of porn videos, adds to the naturalism of the erotic scene.

We never get to see her husband. But hear his voice and that sense of danger concerning whether the illicit lovers will get caught in the act adds a tingle of anxiety to this new series, following the debut edition starring Penny Barber just three months before.

Ricky Spanish has made scores of these faux incest vignettes, and is convincingly shy once again, before demonstrating prowess in bed as only a seasoned sex worker can, But the show belongs to lovely Ms. James..

One of my sci-fi/horror/fantasy reviews written 50 years ago: Directed by Freddie Francis; Produced by Aida Young for Hammer Films, released in America by Warner Bros. Screenplay by Anthony Hinds; Photography by Arthur Grant; Edited by Spencer Reeve; Music by James Bernard. Starring: Christopher Lee, Rupert Davies, Veronica Carlson, Michael Ripper, Barbara Ewing, Barry Andrews, Ewan Hooper and George A. Cooper.

Undistinguished Hammer period entry in the Dracula series, with much emphasis on the cross and sleeping damsel type of action. Christopher Lee easily dominates throughout, with Veronica Carlson a new Hammer beauty.

The mother/daughter team of Laura Bentley and busty Rissa May return to Allherluv after their successful scene titled "Her First" with this erotic tale of transgression.

Rissa has gotten it into her head that she should live her life to the fullest, and deems transgressive sex the key to her fulfillment. That translates into seducing her stepmother (Bentley) who puts up a good fight but can hardly resist the lure of the quite buxom natural teen beauty.

It's not a complicated scene, but the two performers play very well together and the tinge of violating a cultural taboo adds a bit of spice to the Sapphic action.

A trio of Transfixed scenes pop up on this Devil's Film release -nothing special but a decent cast.

Title vignette welcomes prolific director Ricky Greenwood to the fold, his trademark ending (pan away from the doorway and go out of focus) present. Somehow Bree Mills' screenwriter Lapis Afterglow gets a writing credit for a half-hour that is all-sex, no-dialogue, no-story.

So we have newcomer TS actress Asia Belle arriving home, seeing Marica Hase asleep on a bed and humping her. It's Wham Bam, but without any thank yous, ma'am. The two brunettes enjoy having sex, a blow-job gets Asia's little cock hard, they go through a couple of time-honored sexual positions, and end up with a very fake creampie.

I suppose that's enough for subscribers of Bree's "Transfixed" website, but it couldn't get any more generic than this.

"While We Wait" hits a new low with this uneventful, utterly pointless episode. It plays as a half-hour self-plug, being set in the waiting room of, wait for it, "Bree Mills Modeling Agency", with a big sign on screen advertising Bree throughout. Instead of subliminal advertising, we have blaring self-promotion.

That's not the only stupid in-joke included here. TS star Gracie Jane chats with cis-female Haley Reed as they wait (in vain) to be seen by some rep of the agency. Jane executes a silly (and 30 years tardy) gag, versions of which we've seen many times before, spoofing Sharon Stone's classic "Basic Instinct" move, crossing/uncrossing her legs wearing no panties, only in Gracie's case it reveals her cock to Haley, Within seconds they're having sex in the waiting room, hence the vignette's title.

Nothing else happens, and 30 minutes later, after an invisible cum shot (another recent failing of "Transfixed" scenes where the trans-female star fails to launch), the actresses put their clothes back on and the scene ends. No twist, no "caught in the act" by some extra appearing on set, nothing.

Pornographers traditionally get no respect, to paraphrase Rodney Dangerfield's tagline. But I, as someone who has known talented filmmakers in Adult Entertainment and respect their talent, don't think their answer should be to insult their audience. That's a sure way to lose any lingering respect they may have earned.

In "Bird Watching", the attractive redheads are both bird watchers, with a silent opening scene depicting how they met in the forest, seeing each other through binoculars. Siri is leaving origami cranes (little paper figures) in birds' nests, a cryptic activity that arouses Ariel's interest. They head home and Siri explains her strange behavior: it's her way of remembering her bird-loving lover, who she lost last year.

Their pleasant conversation leads to sex. After Ariel's invisible cum shot (a failing to deliver that's creeping into this Transfixed series lately), Siri teaches her origami. And that's all there is.

It's a romantic approach, but not very involving.

At first glance, "Charades" seems like a gimmick-driven episode: what would happen if Spock were all human -how would he cope and how would all his comrades react? But with extremely strong and well-crafted writing, the cast surmounts a clever rom-cam format to deliver a terrific emotional punch to an unexpected love story.\

With wonderfully understated comic relief provided by Captain Pike, the ensemble cast shines while would-be lovers Spock and Nurse Chapel display an impressive range of emotions in the central roles.

But most thrilling is how Canadian guest stars Mia Kirshner and Ellora Patnaik nearly steal the show. Kirshner, such a sexy ingenue three decades earlier in Atom Egoyan's "Exotica", is now a most impressive MILF as Spock's very human mom, reprising the role from the "Discovery" series. And Ellora is unbeatable as the would-be mother-in-law from Hell (or a Vulcan parallel to Hell).

This hour of entertainment is enthralling, building plenty of tension until a wonderful moment of release in the brilliant smooch ending.

Leslie Stevens has a strange output of TV and movies, ranging from the classic "The Outer Limits" to his experimental esperanto movie "Incubus", and this is among his strangest works, for Chrysler Theatre.

Robert Stevens directed, a fine choice as he did most of the weird "Suspense" shows in the '50s and then Alfred Hitchcock's TV anthology series later on. A frightening musical score by Bernard Herrmann and photography by John Russell (who shot Hitch's TV shows plus "Psycho"!) complete the homage to Hitchcock, plus Farley Granger saluting both "Strangers on a Train" and "Rope"in his conniving performance.

Yet "NIghtmare" belongs to Julie Harris, spectacular playing twin sisters Isobel and Vicky, both unsympahetic, and Leslie's script toying with the viewer's reactions to them, guilt-ridden and neurotic. Poe seems to dominate both the horror and the crime/mystery elements of the story, as husband and sister plot to murder the wealthy twin for her money. Thomas Gomez as the police detective on the case is terrific, always one step ahead or maybe two steps behind the plotters. And supernatural horror elements proliferate, while in the last half of the show Leslie takes liberties in making everyone's actions irrational and even impossible, all in pursuit of fright. Joan Huntington as the busty blonde Swedish maid Helga completes the principal cast in a more realistic, contrasting mode that adds to the suspense and thrills.

There's nothing quite like the sustained morbid mood of this experimental episode, right down to its cryptic, unsettling ending.

Baby Yoda not surprisingly is the catalyst for this adventure, as The Mandalorian, however stoic and secretive he may appear, lets us see his valiant and heroic side when it comes to the kid's fate.

Carl Weathers gets a chance to shine in this episode as not really a villain but more of an antagonist overwhelmed by his self-interest. Mando's prowess in battle, even when hopelessly outnumbered, propels the action, and it's exhilarating at the segment's climax when someone(s) come to his aid just in the nick of time.

Favreau wisely keeps his cards close to his vest, leaving us to find out so much more about Baby Yoda and Mando in future installments.