vancleef1980

There is really only one reason to watch this and that's the presence of the great Boris Karloff as Dr Jekyll. Pity Universal never managed to cast him in a proper film bout Jekyll and Hyde. Instead we have yet another corny and lame Abbott and Costello comedy. I defy anyone who can actually sit through the pairs poor excuse for comedy and actually find them funny. Now I love the Marx Brothers, i adore Laurel and Hardy, they are still funny and fresh and were comedy geniuses never to be matched and pre-date A & C by over 10 years. I can even appreciate the Three stooges up to a point also. Indeed people may say Meet Dr Jekyll is one of their poorest efforts, actually there are worse believe it or not, check out the dire jack and the beanstalk for that dubious honour. I have watched Buck Privates, Who Done It?, pardon my sarong, meet the mummy and also the much heralded Meet Frankenstein all of which are suppose to be A & C at their best, all left me called cold apart from meet frankenstein and thats because of Lugosi, purely and simply. The lamest part about this particular film is the scene where Lou turns into a mouse, its so pathetically unfunny it defies belief at its sheer ineptitude.

Despite having a title that makes it sound like a soft core porno film Night of the Big heat is a major disappointment. Fisher not quite the director genius he is now made out to be shows that sci-fi was definitely not his sort of thing. Christopher Lee gives yet another shouty and stiff performance typical of this particular period. Just before The Devil Rides Out and just after Rasputin the Mad Monk he barely gave a decent performance, from the lamentable Fu Manchu films, through euro tripe such as Theatre of Death and Circus of Blood and finally this, it was probably his worst period in his long 60 going on for 70 year career. Many would say the part of Hanson is underwritten and Lee can do very little with it, but look at similar underwritten and poor roles Peter Cushing and Vincent Price were given during their career and they always gave it their best shot, so its no excuse really. Cushing's scenes are limited but he does the best with his small role, even refusing to remove his jacket so he looked different from Lee and Patrick Allen. The real star of this film comes in the shapely form of the sultry Jane Merrow, she simply sparkles with wanton sexuality in this film, pity she never became a bigger star she had what it took for sure.

One of my favourites and the last great Carry on film. All the gang is here for the last time Sid, Kenny, Charlie, Babs, Joan, Hattie and they all seem to be having a great time and go out with a bang. Its meant to be set in Spain but its pretty obvious the team haven't ventured further than Slough. Great lines, and set pieces through but for me its Peter Butterworth as hotel manager Pepe who steals the show never since Up the Khyber has Butterworth been given a more showy role and he plays it to the hilt, shame he wasn't more cherished as a regular and was and is still overlooked in favour of less funnier member's of the team such as Bresslaw, Douglas. Love the scenes between him and Williams' Farquar. A great pick me up if your feeling a bit fed up it never fails to make me laugh. Classic!