Ida Lupino plays a busy homemaker in Beware, My Lovely, Harry Horner's 1952 suspense film (it's available at Boite Noire). Seems she's so busy, she invites a handyman (Robert Ryan) into her home to help her out with some odd jobs. This 77-minute oddity has some decent suspense, as the mentally-unstable Ryan gets paranoid about Lupino's intentions and won't let her leave the house. It's also a unique look back at cinematic repression; in today's cultural climate, a film with this plot would undoubtedly include a lengthy rape sequence, multiple knife and/or sword skewerings, at least one gun shot and maybe even a pet getting boiled (preferably a bunny, but a cat or dog would do). Beware, My Lovely keeps things far more economic, relying primarily on the simple threat of Ryan losing it completely. And Lupino, playing an utterly pure, good-natured, stock '50s female character.

Out this week: both Sleepy Hollow and The World Is Not Enough will lose something on the small screen, but I found them suitably entertaining as to warrant a recommendation for rental. Entertainment Weekly was right when it said the James Bond franchise needs shaking up, but World is still passable stupid fun. :

--Matthew Hays