Best Of British (46-50)

The Day The Earth Caught Fire (1961)

Escape To Athena (1979)

The Devil Rides Out (1968)

Carve Her Name With Pride (1958)

Ice Cold In Alex (1958) ///

The Day The Earth Caught Fire (1961) Masterful sci-fi plays on topical nuclear bomb scares and prescient judgement on damaging nature, wrapped in cynical newspaper drama. Focusing on the intimate and the emotional gives vital impact to global disaster, ending provides bracing depth.

Escape To Athena (1979) Sometimes awkward blend of comedy, action and wartime resistance drama as a bizarre confluence of international stars attempt to steal treasure from under German noses. Solid production values and inventive motorbike chase through winding Rhodes streets.

The Devil Rides Out (1968) Driven by James Bernard's ferocious score, stoical Christopher Lee combats hypnotic cult leader Charles Gray. Period setting lends an ageless feel, while pacing of chase thriller is relentless, featuring series of agitated sequences permeated with ominous dread.

Carve Her Name With Pride (1958) Sober true-life telling of British agents' bravery in German-occupied France as Virginia McKenna refuses to buckle even when captured. Solid technique allied to literate structure leads to understated inspiration as light emotion turns to final sacrifice.

Ice Cold In Alex (1958) Tense and sweaty survival tale as edgy John Mills and stoic Harry Andrews, along with suspicious Anthony Quayle and tenacious nurse Sylvia Syms, struggle with dangers of Germans and the desert to get to British safety. Cleverly subverts conventions and delivers an iconic ending.

Films: October 27 - November 2

The Rocketeer (1991)

The End Of The Affair (1999)

Notre-Dame brûle (Notre-Dame On Fire) (2022)

The Fog (1981)

Truth (2015)

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956)

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978) ///

The Rocketeer (1991) Evocative design conjures enticing comic book visuals of 1930s Hollywood while agreeable charm permeates Bill Campbell's discovery of jet pack and battle with Timothy Dalton's Nazi sympathizer. Yet execution lacks energy and wit, despite alluring Jennifer Connelly and sparkling James Horner score.

The End Of The Affair (1999) Soaked in the dread of finality, visually and psychologically, fragmented memories of Julianne Moore and Ralph Fiennes' wartime affair is always intriguing rather than emotionally gripping. Driven performances allied to spiritual release provide an edge.

Notre-Dame brûle (Notre-Dame On Fire) (2022) Meticulous blend of recreation and documentary, an absorbing and finally moving look at efforts to rescue the cathedral from total destruction. Though the personal stories of firefighters tend to the banal, technical skill conjures potent imagery.

The Fog (1981) Sins of the past return to haunt anniversary of a small Californian town in an elegant, highly effective ghost story that crafts sustained suspense. Polished visuals heighten the chills as the dead seek violent retribution and a solid cast are maneuvered into suitably unnerving situations.

Truth (2015) Generally absorbing and thoughtful, if sometimes didactic treatment of politics shaping American news when Robert Redford's famed broadcaster and award-winning producer Cate Blanchett are undone by detail rather than honesty. Grounded leads even if perspective feels forced.

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956) Small town California faces hysteria of belief family and friends are being replaced until practical doctor Kevin McCarthy discovers alien invasion. Off-kilter atmosphere adds to unnerving paranoia, bleakly resonant ending undercut by wrapup.

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978) Finely crafted adaptation takes pod invasion to urban San Francisco, as health inspectors Donald Sutherland and Brooke Adams flee alien takeover. Visuals and editing keep characters on edge, creeping anxiety and horror maintained until final image.