Russell Hunter Movies

When a deal in Kiev goes bad for American mobsters Gino (Danny Nucci) and Settimo (Dan Hedaya), they make their way to Glasgow to seek shelter from the fallout in the home of cousin Bobby (Gerald Lepkowski). A kindly stamp collector who runs a small café, Bobby believes Gino and Settimo to be a pair of PR consultants, although when his grateful guests attempt to repay his hospitality by strong-arming a persistent bill collector, he begins to have his doubts regarding their profession. When the Russian mafia contracts a pair of Liverpool heavies to find the fleeing mobsters, Bobby finds his quiet life falling apart at the seams. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Peter Medak's The Changeling is among a handful of films, including The Haunting (1963), Ghost Story (1981), and Lady in White (1988), that have successfully recreated the intimate, drawing-room atmosphere of supernatural horror fiction. After his wife and daughter are killed in a snowbound car accident, classical composer John Russell (George C. Scott) relocates from New York to Seattle to teach at his alma mater. Looking for a quiet place to rest and continue writing music, he is referred Claire Norman (Trish Van Devere) at the Seattle Historical Preservation Society. Claire shows John a large, sparsely furnished estate in the outlying countryside. He takes the house, appreciating its remoteness and the solitude it might afford, and diverts himself by renovating and settling in. He even starts to compose, putting aside his older work in favor of a new, sentimental piece for the piano. It is not long, however, before he begins having nightmares about the accident that killed his wife and daughter. Possibly because of this trauma, he is open to communications from the house's ghostly occupants. Pursuing a loud, repetitive pounding noise in an upper room, he stumbles on the apparition of a young boy drowning in a tub. Working together with Claire, John discovers frightening parallels between this vision and buried events from the house's past. Horror writer M.R. James once said that his goal as a writer was to make the reader feel "pleasantly uncomfortable." Those looking for a similar experience in movies will appreciate The Changeling as a gem in the horror genre. ~ Anthony Reed, All Movie Guide

In the second episode of the four-part story "The Robots of Death," the robotic crew members of the Sandminer, a huge mining-refining vehicle, inexplicably begin killing their human supervisors. Unfortunately, the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Leela (Louise Jameson), reluctant passengers of the Sandminer, are held responsible for the murders. Written by Chris Boucher, "The Robots of Death, Episode 2" first aired on February 5, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the four-part story "The Robots of Death," the Doctor (Tom Baker) has discovered that the robot crew members of the mining-refining vehicle Sandminer have been reprogrammed to kill their human supervisors. He also exposes the person responsible for the murder spree, who manages to seal his own doom in the course of a desperate attempt to escape. But this doesn't mean that the Doctor and Leela (Louise Jameson) are completely out of danger yet. Written by Chris Boucher, "The Robots of Death, Episode 4" first aired on February 19, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

One of the more accomplished entries in Hammer's Dracula series (which would soon lapse into creative anemia during the 1970s), this fourth installment finds Christopher Lee in top form as the Count, who returns to menacing life after three middle-aged swingers decide to dabble in black magic to bolster their sagging sex lives. Dracula is reborn when the trio's blood-drinking rituals lead to the destruction of his devil-worshipping colleague Lord Courtley (Ralph Bates), whereupon the Count unleashes his deadly wrath on those responsible, even involving members of their families in his scheme of revenge, which culminates in a dramatic finale in a recently reconstructed cathedral. Fine direction from Hammer regular Peter Sasdy enlivens a middling script, and an early appearance from the lovely Linda Hayden (later to star in the eerie Blood on Satan's Claw) is a definite plus. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

"Angels One Five" is the cognomen bestowed upon a group of WW II British fighter pilots. The squadron leader is Tiger Small (Jack Hawkins), who is taken out of commission after an accident. Despite the protests from his fellow flyboys, Tiger insists upon taking to the air again, thereby setting the stage for the film's exciting and inspirational finale. Angels One Five differs from other combat films in that the battles generally take place offscreen; the progress of the principal characters is relayed to the audience via radio reports and control-room charts. If this sounds dull and static, it isn't: in fact, Angels One Five is among the best of the "Battle of Britain" war epics. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this drama, set within the slums of Glasgow, an artist reminisces about his youthful days in the impoverished, violent neighborhood. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide