Wednesday, October 30 - Newsfront

Newsfront (1978)

Phillip Noyce's historical and oddly prophetic first feature traces the story of two newsreel photographers in post-war Australia. Starting from the first waves of European post-war immigration, the storyruns through to the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. As colour narrative and genuine black-and-white newsreel footage merge together with brilliantly recreated events(the 1954 Maitland flood scenes slip from story to newsreel quite seamlessly) so the stories of the characters, the newsreel industry (eventually to fall to television's instant power) and indeed the political development of the nation itself are cleverly intertwined in a multi-layered tour de force by editor John Scott.

Tuesday, October 29 - Weird Woman

Weird Woman (1944)

Professor Norman Reed falls in love with and marries a woman named Paula while on vacation in the South Seas. When they return to his hometown, she is greeted coolly by much of the community, especially Ilona, who felt that Reed was hers. Strange things begin to happen, including the death of a colleague, which turns people against her even more, especially as she believes in voodoo and other supernatural phenomena. Reed must work hard to prove her innocence and find the real culprit behind the strange doings.

Monday, October 28 - The Streets of San Francisco: Rampage

The Streets of San Francisco: Rampage (Season 2 Episode 22 - aired Feb 28, 1974)

An old college friend of Steve's is now a father - and part of a vigilante group fed up with the rampant crime in their neighborhood. Their latest crackdown, however, leaves a police informer dead.

Sunday, October 27 - Calling Dr. Death

Calling Dr. Death (1943)

Losing his memories of the last few days, neurologist Dr. Steele is told that his wife has been brutally murdered. Steele, aware of his conniving wife's infidelity, believes he may have been the killer and enlists the aid of his pretty nurse Stella to hypnotize him into recovering his lost memories.

Saturday, October 26 - Horror of Dracula

Horror of Dracula - Original title: Dracula (1958)

Jonathan Harker unsuccessfully tries to stake and kill Count Dracula at the latter's remote castle in Transylvania but becomes one of the count's victims. The vampire later insinuates himself into the Harker family, seeking more blood and vengeance. The only person who may be able to protect them is Dr. van Helsing, Harker's friend and fellow vampirologist, who is determined to destroy Dracula, whatever the cost.

Friday, October 25 - The Cat and the Canary

The Cat and the Canary (1939)

Ten years have passed since the death of millionaire, Cyrus Norman. Cosby, Cyrus' attorney, has gathered Cyrus' 6 remaining relatives to his New Orleans' mansion for Cyrus' "reading of the will". To the others disappointment, Joyce is the sole heir, but, due to a streak of insanity running in the family, a second will has been made in case Joyce falls victim to it. This puts Joyce in danger. Suddenly, Miss Lu, Cyrus' maid, appears and warns them that the spirits have told her that one of them will die that night. Following this, Hendrick, a prison guard, warns them that, "The Cat", a homicidal maniac has escaped. This sets up Cyrus' relatives with a night filled with murders, mysteries and intrigue.

Thursday, October 24 - Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased): When Did You Start to Stop Seeing Things?

My Partner the Ghost: When Did You Start to Stop Seeing Things? (Season 1 Episode 10 - aired Nov 23, 1969)

Marty is confused when Jeff fails to acknowledge him and even more so when he sees Jeff kill Tully, an employee of the Towler Corporation, whose stock market leaks Jeff has been investigating. In fact it is not Jeff but an actor in a mask made to resemble him and in the pay of Laker, the Towler Corporation's general manager, out to make a killing in the market from the information supplied by the real Jeff, who will be disposed of when he has no further purpose. Laker ends up in a room with both Jeffs and about to shoot one. Fortunately Marty hypnotises Sir Oliver, a confused psychiatrist, into leaping into action and saving the real Jeff.

Wednesday, October 23 - The Birthday Present

The Birthday Present (1957)

Tony Britton is the top salesman of his toy manufacturer. On a selling trip to Germany, he finds some German goods and arranges for a contract for his company to manufacture them, if his boss agrees. He's also bought a nice diamond watch for wife Sylvia Sym's birthday. He tries to smuggle it past customs, but fails. When he goes before a magistrate, he's not assessed costs and penalties. He's thrown into prison for two months. When the directors of his company find out, they insist on his firing, despite his boss's protests. . .

Tuesday, October 22 - Crucible of Terror

Crucible of Terror (1971)

Struggling art dealer John Davies (James Bolam) needs to make money quickly to clear some business debts that he has run up. His boozy partner Michael (Ronald Lacey) shows him some pictures and sculptures produced by his father, which both men agree are good enough to revive their flagging fortunes. There is, however, one problem: Michael's father, Victor (Mike Raven), is a reclusive and violent madman who does not produce art for fame or profit but rather for personal gratification.

Undeterred, John persuades Michael to set up a meeting at his father's remote coastal house so that they can negotiate a purchase. Along for the trip are Michael's unhappy wife Jane (Beth Morris) and John's nervy girlfriend Millie (Mary Maude). The house is located near to an abandoned tin mine, closed since a fatal accident and rumoured to be haunted. The whole place seems cursed with an air of dread, and Millie especially is affected by being there - she feels constant unease and has a nagging sense of deja vu that she has been there before. A series of murders further heightens the terror, but who is the killer?

The evidence would suggest demented Victor is the one responsible, perhaps planning to restart his weird old hobby of casting dead bodies in bronze. But as the mystery unfolds it becomes apparent that perhaps more supernatural forces are at work.

Monday, October 21 - The Cat and the Canary

The Cat and the Canary (1978)

Cyrus West has a huge fortune to leave. Twenty years after his death he still holds the strings to his family, he arranges for his family, solicitor and faithful housekeeper to gather for the reading of his will. It's 1934 and Glyncliffe Manor plays host. Cyrus was considered an eccentric, ahead of his time, he presents his bequest via moving pictures, presenting his legacy from beyond the grave. His fortune is left to the beautiful Annabelle, just because she shared the same surname, West. Wanting to put a bittersweet twist on the affair Cyrus added a proviso, should the heir die or be judged insane in a twelve hour period the legacy would go to a second heir. Events that evening are made all the more complicated when Doctor Hendricks bursts in with a warning, an escaped psychopathic killer is on the loose, he believes he's a cat, killing his victims with his bare hands. Annabelle has a tough night ahead, a killer on the loose and a greedy grouping of dubious relatives.

Sunday, October 20 - Hawaiian Eye: Danger on Credit

Hawaiian Eye: Danger on Credit (Season 1 Episode 22 - aired Mar 2, 1960)

Cricket finds herself pursued by good-looking Somerset Jones, a clerk pretending to be his boss, a department store owner. Jones, in the bar, accidentally comes into possession of a credit card that belongs to Victor Brindisi, the intended victim of a professional hired assassin. Jones uses the card to wine and dine Cricket thus making himself and Cricket the targets of the hitman who overhears Jones being called "Mr. Brindisi" by a waiter. An initial attempt on Jones and Cricket in Kim's cab fails. Tom Lopaka and Tracy Steele then have to find the killer before it's too late and he's one big step ahead of them.

Saturday, October 19 - Echo of Diana

Echo of Diana (1963)

Dermott Walsh has disappeared. His wife, Betty McDowall, believes his private plane has gone down, and him with it. Then the radio announces that authorities believe they have found the crashed plane near the Turkish border, and her friend, Clare Owen, points out a notice in the personal ads of a paper: "In Memoriam, Philip Scott (Walsh), killed in an air crash June 4; Fondest love. No regrets. Diana."

Miss McDowall is called into Scotland Yard, where Geoffrey Toone tells her there are spy matters going on. At that point, things become confused.