The Hole in the Wall (1929, Alpha Home Entertainment, DVD, NR, 62 min.). This pre-Code mystery stars Edward G. Robinson (“Key Largo,” “Double Indemnity”) as The Fox, a New York City gangster leading a 5-person fake spiritualists scam that tricks the rich into thinking Madame Mystera can put them in touch with their dead loved ones. Early on, it is shown how The Fox and Goofy (Donald Meek of “You Can’t Take It with You,” “Stagecoach”) listen to Mystera’s conversations with clients and feed her responses via an electric code system felt in the arm of her chair.

Unfortunately, early in the film, the original Mystera is killed when an elevated street car crashes. Seeking a replacement, The Fox settles on Jean Oliver (Claudette Colbert of “It Happened One Night,” “Midnight”) as her replacement. Fresh out of prison after serving a 4-year sentence for a robbery she did not commit, Oliver already knows the prison code they use in the scam.

However, Oliver also makes The Fox agree to her plan to get back at Mrs. Ramsay (Louise Closser Hale of “Shanghai Express,” “Dinner at Eight”), the woman who framed her for stealing her jewelry in order to break up the romance between Oliver and her son. What Oliver wants to do is kidnap Mrs. Ramsay’s young granddaughter Marcia (Marcia Kagno), then raise her as her own child in the ways of criminality.

The kidnapping is successful and Marcia seems to enjoy being with Oliver and the gang as the months go by. However, a newspaperman starts investigating Madame Mystera, as he noted large thefts occurred after two wealthy patrons became her clients. The wrinkle that ruins everything is that the reporter, who is working with the police commissioner, is Gordon Grant (David Newell of “The Angry Red Planet,” “The Phantom Planet”), who used to date Oliver when both were in their teens.

The film is well directed by Robert Florey (TV’s “The Loretta Young Show,” “Four Star Playhouse”). The film was the first in which Robinson played his iconic style of gangster, which he would refine to perfection two years later as Rico Bandello in “Little Caesar.” Grade: film 3 stars

Rating guide: 5 stars = classic; 4 stars = excellent; 3 stars = good; 2 stars = fair; dog = skip it

The Cat (Hong Kong, 1991, 88 Films, Blu-ray, NR, 89 min.). This was the last film directed by Lam Nai-Choi (“Erotic Ghost Story”), who started as a cinematographer for Shaw Brothers studios and became a director in 1981, helming 13 films during a short 11-year directorial career.

“The Cat” indeed stars an alien cat, one that can re-attach its tail and who works with a young alien girl, Princess (Gloria Yip of Lam’s “Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky”), and her knight, Errol (Lau Siu-Ming of “A Chinese Ghost Story”), to fight against a murderous alien blob that kills and then possesses people. The trio is helped by adventure novelist Wisely (Waise Lee of “A Better Tomorrow,” “Bullet in the Head”).

The film starts with Lee Tung (Lawrence Lau of “Bullet in the Head”) unable to sleep because of banging in the apartment above him. He races upstairs and bangs on the door to the offending apartment, only to see a man with a bloody hand and a woman holding a cat. It is the alien trio. Lee sneaks into the apartment the next day and sees a bloody mess – apparently cat intestines – and calls the police.

Soon, the viewer sees a mushroom-shaped blob devour two museum guards. As the police investigate, Wisely, who has been narrating the film, joins the investigation, which is headed by Inspector Wang Chieh Mei (Phillip Kwok of “Hard Boiled,” “Brotherhood of the Wolf”), who eventually gets taken over by the blob.

At one point, the home in which Wisely and the three aliens have taken refuge is totally destroyed by a blob-taken-over human with a few multi-bullet weapons. The film also has a lengthy cat and dog fight, and an icky conclusion to the alien blob.

Extras include audio commentary by Frank Djeng; an interview with co-writer Gordan Chan (21:47); the Japanese cut of the film (97 min.); a stills gallery (1:58); an art card; and a colorful, 40-page booklet with a look at Lam’s film career by Paul Bramhall and a look at body horror in Lam’s films by Matthew Edwards. Grade: film 2 stars; extras 3 stars

Tormented (1960, Gemini Entertainment, Blu-ray, NR, 75 min.). Directed, co-written and with special visual effects by Bert I. Gordon (“The Food of the Gods,” “The Amazing Colossal Man,” “Empire of the Ants”), the film stars Richard Carlson (“Creature from the Black Lagoon,” “It Came from Outer Space,” “The Ghost Breakers”) as jazz pianist Tom Stewart, about to marry Meg Hubbard (Lugene Sanders of TV’s “The Life of Riley”) at her family’s island home.

A week before the wedding, Stewart’s old flame Vi (Juli Reding of “Mission in Morocco”) shows up and threatens to spoil his wedding to Meg by revealing his love letters to her. Their meeting at the partially-ruined island lighthouse turns testy and when the railing gives way, Stewart does not try to save Vi, who falls to her death in the ocean.

Stewart rescues her body the next day, but it disappears, leaving only seaweed. As he meets Meg, he notices an extra set of footprints in the sand. A bit later, as he is practices for his upcoming Carnegie Hall performance, the song “Tormented” starts playing on the phonograph in the room – twice, until he breaks the record. Soon, it is evident that the ghost of Vi is out to ruin the wedding and even almost kills blind Mrs. Ellis (Lillian Adams of “The Jerk,” “Private Benjamin,” “Bruce Almighty”) and threatens to kill chatty Sandy (Susan Gordon, director Gordon’s daughter), the 8-year-old sister of Meg who is very fond of Stewart.

There also is a subplot involving Nick (Joe Turkel of “Paths of Glory,” “Blade Runner”), the boat captain who secretly brought Vi to the island and now wants to blackmail Stewart for $5,000 as he knows Vi never left the island.

The ghost bits are rather well done, as all had to be practical, and include Vi’s head on a table.  Extras include the alternate “Famous Ghost Stories” version, with an introduction by Vincent Price (75 min.); a stills gallery (1:34); and a collection of 14 trailers for director Gordon’s films (22:40). Grade: film 2.75 stars; extras 2 stars

Attack of the Corn Zombies/Return of the Corn Zombies (2023, 2025, BayView Entertainment, Blu-ray, NR, 75 + 100 min.). This is your typical zombie doubleheader, with a bit of a “The Walking Dead” twist to the second film. The corn inspiration probably came from Stephen King’s short story “Children of the Corn” (1977), which has spawned a nine-film series.

Directed by Ashley Hefner and Steve Hermann -- Hermann also wrote both films and directed the second with Mia Katz -- the first film is set in Bakersville, Illinois in 1969. It starts two days after the annual Ness Corn Festival, when those who ate the corn started turning into zombies. The probable cause is the new fertilizer used on the corn crop. The rather fast-moving zombies have bits of corn growing in their bodies, which becomes ridiculous-looking in the second film.

In the first film, too many of the main characters are either stoned or clueless, which does add some humor to the film. There really are no characters to root for, however. Beware, there is one extreme blood spurt.

The film is a bit more interesting towards the end, when the zombies go on the rampage. One woman lets another be eaten so she can have her boyfriend. Not sure why “technical difficulties” interrupt the film late either. Also, a section of the film has white spots.

The second film has a better plot, but it is one we have seen before, including in “The Walking Dead.” The Homestead the six survivors reach actually is a dictatorship that has an unusual way of supplying food. The Homestead leader is Sean (David J. Paul of “Devil’s Knight”), who keeps his zombie first wife chained in the basement.

It always seems stupid when someone with a gun discards the gun to engage in a fistfight and that happens twice in this film. Grades: Attack of the Corn Zombies 2.5 stars; Return of the Corn Zombies 2 stars

The Strange Woman (1946, Film Masters Archive Collection, NR, 100 min.). The film is set in 1820s Bangor, Maine, although not much is shown of the growing community. The main character is Jenny Hager (Hedy Lamarr of “Samson and Delilah,” “Come Live with Me”), who decides to use her beauty to seduce the men who can give her the most benefit.

After six minutes of Jenny as a child, including when she almost drowns classmate Ephraim Poster, the young adult Jenny is onscreen and seducing the first mate of a docking ship. Owner of that ship and 53 more ships and barges is Isaiah Poster (Gene Lockhart of “His Girl Friday,” “Miracle on 34th Street,” “Algiers”), Ephraim’s father and the richest man in town.

After more abuse by her drunken father (Dennis Hoey of “The Spider Woman,” “David and Bathsheba” as Tim Hager), Jenny flees to Poster’s home and ends up marrying him. While her marriage on the surface seems to be working, and she begins a lot of charitable work, Jenny sends a letter to Ephraim in Boston, urging him to come home. When he does, they start an affair and Jenny eventually gets Ephraim to drown an obstacle in her life.

After which, Jenny dumps Ephraim as she now has her sights set on John Evered (George Sanders of “All About Eve,” “The Picture of Dorian Gray,”” Rebecca”), who is in charge of her husband’s lumber camps. Evered also was the boyfriend of Jenny’s friend Meg Saladine (Hillary Brooke of “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” “The Enchanted Cottage”). Earlier, Jenny had urged Meg to go after Evered, even telling her how she would do it.

The film comes with audio commentary by Prof. Barnard M. Prokop, who also writes an essay in the 12-page illustrated booklet. Grade: film 3.25 stars; extras 2 stars