Dethcharm

Just rewatched this entire series, and it was just as good as the first time. David Jason's DI Frost is a character that draws us in right from the start. He's a man who was born to be a cop, at the expense of any sort of personal life. His dedication to solving crimes is total.

Mr. Jason plays Frost as a rather irritable, yet likeable man, who is driven to crack every case, far more than any of his peers, much to the chagrin of his boss, the clueless Supt. Mullett (Bruce Alexander).

Throughout the series (1-15), we watch as Frost is saddled with a cavalcade of new partners, each one getting under his skin in various ways. This often adds some humor to the proceedings.

Each episode contains two cases, going on more-or-less simultaneously. See-sawing between them keeps things moving. All 15 seasons are solid, and the two-part finale is the perfect ending.

If you enjoy mysteries, police procedurals, or just damned good dramas, you can't go wrong with A TOUCH OF FROST...

GHOSTS ON THE LOOSE is for the East Side Kids fan, who also loves Bela Lugosi. The Kids are at their goofy, ridiculous best, while Mr. Lugosi remains nearly expressionless throughout the film. He's in it for only a relatively few scenes.

The story consists of a nefarious plot by those pesky Nazis, augmented by the Kids falling victim to a big misunderstanding.

Hilarity ensues.

Warning: You might get a bad case of whiplash, as everyone spends much of the film's running time going back-and-forth between two houses, moving furniture, and being silly. Of course, Mugs and Gimpy (Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall) garner most of the laughs.

Worth a late-late night watch...

THE NIGHT THE WORLD EXPLODED is an apocalyptic, sci-fi / disaster film that manages to be entertaining in spite of its miniscule budget.

Dr. Conway (William Leslie) and his dedicated assistant / love interest, Laura Hutchinson (Kathryn Grant), have created a machine that can detect upcoming earthquakes. What seems like a godsend, soon becomes a doomsayer, when its prediction shows seismic activity that could wipe out the planet.

There are some similarities between this movie and THE MONOLITH MONSTERS. Both are stories about menacing minerals, but there are enough differences to make them enjoyable on their own merits.

Mr. Leslie and Ms. Grant play their roles with just the right amount of 1950s-style melodrama.

Add this lesser-known gem to your 50s sci-fi list...