Paddy Ryan Movies

While wandering the English moors on vacation, college yanks David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) happen upon a quaint pub with a mysterious patronage who warn them not to leave the road when walking after dark. Irreverent of such advice as characters in horror films always are, the two decide to find a short cut....David wakes up in the hospital with a nasty bite wound to his shoulder; the freshly deceased, and rapidly decomposing, Jack arrives soon after to deliver the grim news that, unless he commits suicide, David will become a werewolf when the moon is full. David dismisses the encounter as a hallucination, but all indicators point to lycanthrope; evenings of barking and bloodletting follow closely behind. While the story is thin and much of the tongue-in-cheek humor is overdone, there are plenty of genuine jolts thanks to makeup guru Rick Baker's eye-popping special effects. The werewolf, resembling a cross between a bear and a wolverine, appears frighteningly real, and, given the fantastic premise, the gore is most convincing (although surprisingly and refreshingly scant). The hospital dream sequences are creative, and the scenes in which the werewolf runs rampant through downtown London are particularly good. In all, An American Werewolf in London is an original, atmospheric film that manages both to scare and amuse. While dismissed by most American critics upon its release, the film managed to secure a place in the annals of American cinema when Baker won an Academy Award for his amazing effects and creature designs. ~ Jeremy Beday, Rovi

Based on the BBC television series, this sci-fi film follows the investigation of a scientist (George Sanders) when he is sent to discover the cause behind the deformities of the residents of a small island. When the scientist discovers that illegal radioactive pollutants are responsible, he must struggle to bring the company at fault to justice. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi

Hell Below Zero was one of several 1950s films made in Britain by Hollywood's Alan Ladd. The star plays Duncan Craig, who signs onto a whaling ship to get the facts behind the death of Judy Nordahl's (Joan Tetzel) father. While on a whaling expedition near Antarctica, Craig becomes suspicious of skipper Erik Bland (Stanley Baker). These suspicions are confirmed when Craig and Judy are targetted for an "accidental" demise in the frigid waters of the Antarctic. The plot never interferes with the action highlights, which under the direction of Mark Robson are well worth the price of admission. Based on a novel by Hammond Innes, Hell Below Zero was, like Ladd's British vehicles Paratrooper and The Black Knight, released in the US by Columbia. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The rousing adventure novel by Sir Walter Scott was adapted for this swashbuckler. Richard Todd stars as Robert Roy MacGregor, a clan leader in 18th century Scotland attempting to lead his fellow countrymen in a rebellion against the heavy-handed rule of England's King George I. When the king replaces a sympathetic politician with a lackey working against Rob Roy, it's up to the hardy Scotsman to defeat his enemies without the support of a powerful ally, while also romancing and marrying his true love (Glynis Johns). Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue (1953) was the last of 21 British films produced jointly by Disney and RKO. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi