shaun j

Being a fan of both If.... and Brittania Hospital, I had been wanting to catch this film for a while, until I got my chance yesterday. And it was not a disappointment. O Lucky Man! is simply one vast, weird, intelligent and funny movie. It provides some great food for thought on survival-of-the-fittest style capitalism, through Mick Travis's increasingly unexpected adventures. Not to mention his use and subsequent abuse by the ruling class.

If you know the other two films in the trilogy, it becomes much fun to see other faces from If.... and Brittania Hospital pop-up along the line....especially since many of them are playing multiple roles!!! (eg Graham Crowden, Peter Jeffery, Mona Washburn etc etc) - in this instance, spare a thought for the actor Brian Pettifer, who plays wimpy, dorky young men (known as 'Biles') over the three films. Poor guy. And while not in the the other two movies, Helen Mirren appears here and is excellent as usual.

Check it out. Despite it's running time, this is not a movie which has any dull moments. Ever.

Fantastic Russian 'coming of age' film. A young girl is teased by her classmates (giving her the nickname 'Chuchelo', or 'Scarecrow') and she deals with it on her intelligence and wit. While this may sound grim (it is set in '80's Russia, after all), it is at times funny, weird and massively enjoyable. Very superior to many more popular American teenage films, is much more realistic and the script and acting sharper. A highly underrated gem - just try and find it!

Fun fight flick containing some of the most hilariously inept Kung-Fu ever shot to celluloid. The plot is pretty feeble, too. Yet, the film never takes itself too seriously, and sends itself up on a regular basis. From the Kung-Fu bikini girls and Kung-Fu used car salesmen, to Cameron Mitchell's role as the misplaced baddie, to the over-the-top car stunts, not to mention the strange plot twists, Kill Squad is a winner. The Vietnam flashback sequence is a must-see for its sheer ineptitude. And did that electronic porn-flick style muzak!!

A winner. 9 out of 10. They don't make 'em like this anymore.