James P. O'Connolly Movies

This gory low-budget British outing involves a team of archaeologists landing on fog-shrouded Snape Island -- recently the site of a hideous double murder -- in search of the tomb of a Phoenician chief and subsequently falling victim to an unseen maniac. Accompanying the shore party is a private detective (Bryant Halliday), hired by the family of the young woman suspected of the crimes (Candace Glendenning), who is determined to get to the bottom of the mysterious murders. Though it is eventually determined that the real killer is still at large, the archaeologists stubbornly refuse to abort their dig...and summarily suffer the consequences. Released originally in 1972, this crass, exploitative potboiler (based on a story by horror author George Baxt) found its way to American theaters in 1981 as Beyond the Fog in an attempt to cash in on John Carpenter's 1980 film. Released later to video and cable as Tower of Evil. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

When a traveling Wild West show comes to town, the natives are frightened by a one-foot-tall horse that is believed to be a bad omen. The superstitious natives try to return the horse to The Valley of Gwangi to avert disaster. Tuck (James Franciscus) and T.J. (Gila Golan) try to help archaeologist Bromley (James Naismith) find the tiny equine in the valley, but they unleash a prehistoric giant monster in the process in this implausible adventure feature. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

One of the lower points of Joan Crawford's latter-day career curve (though nothing to compare with the later embarrassment of Trog!), this lurid, low-rent thriller nevertheless gives Crawford the opportunity to chew acres of scenery in a campy Marlene Dietrich-style get-up. She portrays the ringmaster of a cheesy traveling circus troupe whose stars are being whacked in a variety of flamboyant ways (many of which are depicted in the garish trailer, particularly Michael Gough's spike-in-the-head scene). Despite the exploitation potential in this lurid Grand Guignol scenario, this film is fairly light on scares or gore -- and far too heavy on circus stock footage. A sequel of sorts to producer Herman Cohen's Horrors of the Black Museum, this one is a slight improvement, thanks to Crawford's outrageous, over-the-top performance. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

In this drama, two boys from London--one an abused child, and the other, the son of a neglectful hooker--attempt to board a Jamaica bound ship in order to escape their miserable lives. It is on the exotic island that one of the boys' father is said to live. They get passage by stealing a suitcase from a nearby Rolls belonging to a shipping magnate. They are unfortunately, caught, lectured and sent home. Their one hope is that the fellow informed them that there are many ships leaving from Jamaica. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this suspenseful espionage film a British agent and a man from NATO attempt to bust a communist spy ring. Following the discovery of a roll of top secret microfilm following a plane crash, the two finds themselves embroiled in a complex web of treachery and double agents. Fortunately, they survive all and bring the rogue spies to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this espionage thriller, an agent on his way back to London from Baghdad must deliver an important coded message to an operative. Though ordinarily a routine assignment, the agent finds his life jeopardized when word that he has a photographic memory leaks out. Suddenly he finds himself pursued by enemy agents from all over. Later his boss asks the agent and his lover to allow themselves to be captured so the British agents can move in and capture the enemy spies. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Runaway wife Ellis hitches a ride with trucker Booth until the truck is hijacked and Ellis works to catch the thieves. ~ All Movie Guide

A British botanist goes bananas after he discovers a serum that turns his cuddly chimpanzee subject into a ferocious gorilla-sized ape. To further his hideous experiment, the scientist mesmerizes the chimp and sends into London to kill all of his former enemies. One of those he has killed is the lover of the girl the doctor wants for himself. This doesn't set well with the botanist's assistant and current gal who gets even by giving Konga the giant chimp an enormous amount of the strange serum and turns him into a Godzilla-sized monster. Just before going on a deadly rampage, the super-sized ape grabs the bad doctor in one of his enormous hands. Fortunately, the British army and all of its weaponry are able to stop the chimp before he destroys the town. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide