Walt Disney movies are well documented for their heart warming and funny stories, but ‘Blackbeard’s Ghost’ really is a hilarious triumph for both the Disney name, and Peter Ustinov who delivered a cracking performance as Blackbeard the Pirate.

The ghost of Black Beard returns to modern day times having been cursed by his last wife, who happened to be a powerful witch. When he serves her up to the authorities, she is sentenced to hanging and leaves him with one final gift - a curse. Only will the ghost be able to rest once he has committed one act of human kindness - which may not be so easy for an infamous and riotous pirate to achieve.

Ok, so there are moments where the suspension wire is visible, and Captain Black Beard looks like a puppet on string - but the performance he delivers is far from wooden, and the gag reel moments are barely noticeable amongst the fun and excitement the film offers in abundance.

Blackbeard’s Ghost 1968 103 mins approx.

Blackbeard’s Ghost Disney film on DVD

When Marshall Tellers’ family move to Eerie, Indiana (population 16,661) he unwillingly discovers that  everything weird that happens on the planet seems centred around the small town. Elvis lives in his neighbourhood, Big Foot rifles through his trash and a pair of twins stay forever young by sleeping in Tupperware - Marshall (Omri Katz) really has a tough time of adjusting to his new, confusing lifestyle. The only person who believes him is his 10 year old friend Simon. Together it’s their job to uncover the mysteries and horrors that Eerie veils, and uncover them to the World.

The show had a quirky and fun plot that was drastically different from others of its kind - and enjoyed by kids and adults alike. Every episode has a unique premise and is funny, even exciting - and completely bizarre.

Considered way ahead of its time Eerie Indiana lasted 19 episodes and had a cult following of not only young teens, but an older target audience who deemed the show to have a black humour, and Marshalls narratives throughout the show were both insightful, funny and a huge asset to a TV show that unfortunately became a hit once it had ended.

Eerie Indiana (1991-1992) 456 mins approx.
Eerie Indiana Complete TV Series

‘Can’t Stop The Music‘ is a 1980’s hit musical comedy, directed by Nancy Walker. Only a pseudo autobiography the movie bears a vague resemblance to the actual story behind one of the leading groups of its day, the popular camp disco group ‘The Village People’.

The thinly disguised alias Jack Morell (based on the bands actual founder Jacques Morali) is a struggling composer, desperate to create success with the songs he has written. Turning to help from his roommate, and a lawyer friend, he finds 6 men in the Greenwich Village neighbourhood he lives in, and creates a classic blend of camp disco. The story charts their rise from nothingness to the peak of their success in New York.

The films producer Allan Carr made his success through the classic hit movie ‘Grease’ and therefore expectations for ‘Can’t Stop The Music‘ were incredibly high. Having cost a colossal $20,000,000 to create, the film received scathing reviews as disco music started receiving a backlash from US fans, and therefore made only a tenth of the initial cost back at box office. However the hit soundtrack was well received, and became a top 10 hit. The movie didn’t receive the recognition deserved until much later.

Can’t Stop The Music (1980) 118 mins approx.
Can’t Stop The Music DVD

Spoof of the classic murder mystery stories - including a spooky mansion, butler, group of guests and a ‘one of us is a murderer’ storyline. The ‘guests’ are also parodies with Peter Falk playing Sam Diamond a cross between Bogart’s Sam Spade and Columbo, David Niven playing The Thin Man, a very non-pc Peter Sellers playing Charlie Chan (Wang in the movie), and Miss Marbles and Milo Perrier being very influenced by Agatha Christies Marples and Poirot.

“The isolated mansion of eccentric millionaire Lionel Twain (Truman Capote) is the setting for the twisted puzzler. Twain informs his guests that one of them will be murdered at the stroke of midnight. The pay-off : $1 million to whoever lives through the night. MURDER BY DEATH neatly lampoons both the mystery genre and the characterisations of these instantly recognisable gumshoes. Match wits with the super sleuths, but remember, you can’t win if you end up dying from laughter!”

Murder By Death (1976) 91 mins approx.

Murder By Death DVD

In The Gnome-Mobile Walter Brennan plays D.J. Mulrooney, the head of a large timber corporation who is looking after his grandchildren (Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber who also starred together in Mary Poppins) for the summer. Whilst enjoying a picnic in the forest one of the children goes exploring and finds a young gnome named Jasper. He is keen to find a mate but fears that he and his grandfather are the last of their kind. The children and their grandfather set off in his Rolls Royce (’The Gnomemobile’) in search of a bride for Jasper. Their search soon develops into a wild chase and an escape from an asylum (well, wouldn’t you be a bit worried about someone claiming to be helping some gnomes?!) when an enterprising showman discovers the gnomes and quickly masterminds a kidnapping plot!

The Gnome Mobile (1967) 81 mins approx.

Disney’s Gnome-Mobile DVD

Fans of the original Marvel comic ‘Howard the Duck’ will probably know the character as a bit more adult and darker, but even in this family friendly science fiction adventure comedy Howard is still enjoyably offbeat as a cigar chewin’, beer swillin’, fast talkin’ duck from a parallel universe who is mysteriously sucked from his existence through space and winds up in Cleveland. Although it never really won the critics over this film has become a 80’s cult classic and is still fondly remembered by many who wore out their original vhs / betamax tapes watching it as kids.

Howard The Duck (1986) 109 mins approx.

Howard The Duck DVD

A fun gangster spoof set in the 1930’s, Johnny Dangerously is the story of Johnny Kelly (Michael Keaton), a devoted son who turns to a life of crime in order to help pay for his mother’s never-ending medical bills. It is full of memorable one-liners and visual gags (not to mention quite a few alternative fargin swear words!)

If you enjoy films like Blazing Saddles, Naked Gun, and Airplane then you will almost certainly love this.

Title song written and performed by Weird Al’Yankovic

Johnny Dangerously (1984) 86 mins approx.

Johnny Dangerously DVD

The Gods Must Be Crazy I (1980) 1 hr 44 mins approx.
The Gods Must Be Crazy II (1988) 1 hr 36 mins approx.

The Gods Must be Crazy I and II DVD

The Gods Must Be Crazy I - Original Trailer