First transmitted in 1984, Chocky is a six-part TV adaptation of John Wyndham's clever novel. Matthew, an apparently normal 12-year-old boy, starts talking to an invisible presence called Chocky, who quizzes him on a wide variety of subjects as if unfamiliar with life on Earth. Over the course of the serial it is suggested that Chocky is an alternate personality or, after Matthew has been helped by Chocky to rescue his sister from drowning, a guardian angel. But we realise early on that this non-imaginary friend is in fact an alien who has made exploratory contact with the boy. Though Chocky manifests as a swirl of blue light, this is a rare piece of TV science fiction that sticks to the domestic arena, exploring ideas rather than playing with special effects. Wyndham's very 1950s-styled novel is updated by making the kids less well-spoken, and throwing in Rubik's cubes and space invaders video games, but adaptor Anthony Read's script preserves the virtues of the novel. Young Andrew Ellams is fine in a demanding role, and there's good-quality puzzled concern from dad James Hazeldine and 80s TV's resident sexy mum Carol Drinkwater. Apart from a few eye-abusing 1984 fashions--Jeremy Bulloch's huge glasses and blinding white jeans in a cameo as a psychiatrist--and the general leisurely pace, which is no bad thing in such a careful piece of drama, this has dated little. Those who remember its first broadcast will find it lives up to the memory, and those who weren't born then should still find it an entertaining watch. On the DVD: Chocky on disc can be accessed as a marathon two-and-a-half-hour watch or as six individual episodes (the latter is recommended). Print quality is fine given the techniques of its production. A nice extra is a 20-minute, in-depth chat with writer Anthony Read. --Kim Newman
Less Than Zero is adapted from the dreary, pointless late-80s novel by literary poseur Bret Easton Ellis, which focused on listless, shiftless, drug-sniffing, sex-swapping, dead-end California teens with too much money and time on their hands--though the movie is not nearly as interesting as that. This is mostly due to the ridiculously cleaned-up script and lifeless direction, which whitewashes the baser depravity and replaces it with perversion-lite and fashion shows. It doesn't help that director Marek Kanievska is saddled with Brat Pack lesser (make that least) lights Andrew McCarthy and Jami Gertz. The only things that lift this film above the muck are the performances by James Spader as a particularly heinous drug dealer and Robert Downey Jr as a rich-kid addict with no self-control. --Marshall Fine
Sometimes revenge is the only option! Shannon Tweed stars as the loving but deranged wife who sets out to destroy the family she wrongly blames for the suicide of her failed businessman husband. Ingenious and deadly she innocently poses as a tutor to the family's teenage son to ease her wicked way into their unsuspecting home. Cunning and slippery she gradually becomes a voluptuous cuckoo in their cosy lovenest using her wild sexuality to torture them for her own terrible revenge. And as the fear and torment mount so her list of conquests grows longer. No evil is too great no sin beyond her imagination...
The Mikado is the comedy classic in which W.S Gilbert's 'topsy-turvy' words meet with a supreme musical response from Sir Arthur Sullivan. This is the most widely-loved and by general agreement hilarious of the Savoy Operas set in a wonderfully make-believe Japan.Filmed at Sydney Opera House Australia.
The final instalment in the trilogy of classic children's TV series from the 80's inspired by the original John Wyndham novel. Into the life of Matthew Gore has come an invisible being from another world who has much to teach him. Matthew has a friend Albertine and they are both eager to learn from their alien friend. However Chocky's powerful knowledge has aroused a great deal of interest from other quarters including the military and if they don't get what they want they are wil
Peter Davison stars as gentleman detective Albert Campion with Brian Glover as his trusty manservant Magersfontein Lugg in the 'Look to the Lady' and 'Police at the Funeral' stories adapted from the best selling Margery Allingham novels.
A year has passed since Matthew said goodbye to his alien friend Chocky. With the arrival of the summer holidays Matthew goes to visit his aunt in the countryside. While exploring he meets Albertine a young mathematical prodigy. They soon become friends and discover they can communicate telepathically. One day Chocky returns to warn Matthew that they are both in danger. Matthew realises where the danger must lay - a scientist who wants to test Albertine's exceptional abilities. W
The Case Of The Late Pig: Campion receives an anonymous invitation to an old school friend's funeral. Then rather strangely the same friend is murdered at another friend's house three months later. Campion investigates... Death Of A Ghost: While Campion is enjoying a private view of an artist's work with his friends one of the guests is murdered. Campion sets out to unravel the mystery and discovers more intrigue along the way...
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