A movie about blood-sucking parasites... if you’re thinking I’m talking about lawyers, you’d be way off track today; Ticks have become creatures that haunt the backs of our minds as we enjoy our outdoor summer activities (fears of Lyme disease and meat allergies run rampant in articles found in newspapers and online), meaning the 1993 direct-to-video cult classic directed by Tony Randel is more pertinent than ever before. Following a group of lowly teens that are a part of a program run by Holly Lambert (Rosalind Allen) and Charles Danson (Peter Scolari), the shtupping pair bring kids from inner city Los Angeles out into nature as a form of therapy and group bonding (Holly is in charge of the former, while Charles studies the latter).

An honest housewife by day who transforms into a kinkier than Betty Page by night. . .this could only be the main character in an Italian giallo. A very late entry into the mystery/thrillers coming out of the boot, director Stelvio Massi brings some seediness to the big screen with Arabella, the Black Angel (1989). Poor Arabella (Tinì Cansino) is a loving housewife to a very unlovable author, Francesco (Francesco Cesale). Dealt a big blow on their honeymoon (double entendre meant), a punishing car accident has led to him being wheelchair bound for life.

It is hard to believe that the great Christopher Lee, who put his stamp on nearly all things British cinema over his seventy-one year career (featuring a whopping 286 screen credits), only donned the tweed suit, frock-coat, and deerstalker hat once (all whilst smoking a pipe) for the silver screen (though he did also play the titular Sherlock Holmes in two television movies). Released in 1962 under the title Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace, just to make it all a little more confounding, this film was a West German, French, and Italian co-production shot mostly in Berlin (though some location shooting was done in Ireland and England). . . how in the world was Lee never cast in a British made production? The other head scratcher here, and arguably the biggest flaw of the movie, is that the production team failed to use Christopher Lee’s voice in either the German or English tracks (instead dubbed by someone with a voice that pales in comparison), especially strange when you realize that the actor spoke flawless German as well. It is said that Lee was not pleased upon finding out that he had been dubbed. The only other issue is that Lee wore a fake nose for the character – and it stands out a bit too much.

Okay, let’s set the scene: it is the early 1990s, and conflict is afoot in Somalia. The Barre government continues to be in power, but a well armed rebel force is slowly encroaching on the capital city of Mogadishu. It is in this jarring upheaval that both the South and North Korean governments have turned to Somalia for assistance with entry into the United Nations. This is the harrowing subject of the 2021 historical action drama, Escape from Mogadishu. Directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, he expertly paints a vivid picture – stunning locales (mostly Morocco – a striking stand-in that feels wholly alive), politically savvy and inexperienced characters, as well as very real civil unrest litter this narrative. The South Korean embassy is led by ambassador Han Shin-sung (Kim Yoon-seok), while its Northern counterparts follow ambassador Rim Yong-su (Joon-ho Huh).

There is no denying that I went into 2022's Uncharted, directed by Ruben Fleischer, with rather low expectations... let’s face it, there isn’t a great track record for film adaptations of video games, but somehow this one felt surprisingly enjoyable. Clearly in the vein of many a classic adventure film – think the Indiana Jones franchise, The Mummy (but not the 1930s or Tom Cruise iterations), the original Pirates of the Caribbean, Treasure Island and National Treasure, there is no chance that this will ever reach those sky-high heights, but it does entertainingly fill the gap while we wait for next great adventure flick.

Like a big old slice of Americana, Top Gun: Maverick throttles us back onto the ‘highway to the danger zone’ a whopping thirty six years after the original was released in 1986. Helmed by Joseph Kosinski (Oblivion), it harkens to a time when men were men, box office success screamed for pro-American storylines (for example, Rocky IV – which was released just a year earlier in 1985), and Tom Cruise was a bankable movie star (I guess some things haven’t changed). Oozing a most unique brand of joyous buoyancy, this sequel will likely find you grinning from ear to ear through large portions of the action seen onscreen. Following the titular Maverick (Cruise), not much has changed for the talented pilot. Never having progressed past the ranking of Capt., his call sign is aptly given... as his maverick ways have always hindered him from moving up the ranks.