Lancelot (Richard Gere) a nomadic rogue has no ties no enemies and no fear until that is he meets the beautiful Lady Guinevere of Leonesse (Julia Ormond). Guinevere has promised to marry King Arthur (Sean Connery) not only because his armies can protect her country but because she truly loves him. But her chance encounter with Lancelot as she prepares to enter Camelot stirs conflicting and powerful emotions within her. Arthur welcomes both into his city with open heart little foreseeing how his great capacity for love and trust opens the doors for his own betrayal...
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
One of Thames TV's most successful sitcoms about the ups and downs of mixed flat-sharing. Three's A Crowd: Chrissy and Jo throw a farewell party for their flatmate who's getting engaged and moving out. Next morining they find Robin asleep in their bath. They're looking for a new flatmate and Robin is looking for somewhere to live so the girls ask Robin to stay. All they have to do then is to talk the Ropers into agreeing to the new arrangement... And Mother Makes Four: Chrissy's mother is about to pay a visit. She doesn't know Robin is living in the flat so he's told to make himself scarce. Then Chrissy's mother decides to stay the night... Some Enchanted Evening: Jo's new boyfriend is coming to the flat for a meal. Robin is persuaded to cook it. Then he and Chrissy have to spend the evening playing monopoly with the Ropers. They learn that Chrissy's boyfriend is Jewish - and Robin has cooked roast pork for their meal! And Then There Were Two: Chrissy is very nervous when Jo goes away for the weekend and leaves her alone in the flat with Robin. Robin brings another woman back only for Chrissy to sabotage his plans for a night of passion. It's Only Money: The rent is due and the money put aside to pay it has disappeared from the flat. Robin Chrissy and Jo have to find a way of getting some more money quickly... Match Of The Day: Robin has been picked to play in a college football match. A few days before the game he goes down with a bad cold. Chrissy and Jo rally round in an attempt to help him to recover in time to play. No CHildren No Dogs: Robin accidentally acquires a puppy. The lease on the flat says 'no pets' so Roper mustn't find out...
Colin Farrell stars as Jesse James in this new western about a group of young ranchers who set out to take back land acquired by a corrupt railroad baron, and become the object of the biggest manhunt in the history of the Old West.
The Good Life has proved an enduring jewel in the BBC's mainstream comedy archive. More than 25 years after it first appeared in our living rooms, nostalgia must be a major reason for its appeal. A whole generation of young men--and their fathers--found the weekly sight of Felicity Kendal as Barbara Good, pert in denim dungarees, irresistible. But it's the quality of the playing that has really stood the test of time and triumphs over a premise--self-sufficiency in Surbiton--that now seems naïve. Even in 1975, a Tom Good (a masterpiece of comic eccentricity from Richard Briers) quitting the rat race would probably have sold up his semi and chanced his luck as a small holder somewhere more remote than suburban Surrey. Comic tensions arise not just from the Goods' daily struggle to beat the system on their own terms, but also from the relationship with their incredulous, often horrified, but usually supportive neighbours. Penelope Keith's Margo Leadbetter remains one of the great comic creations in British sitcom history--a simmering volcano of conservatism waging her own battle against creeping mediocrity in all aspects of life, whose human frailty somehow keeps her loveable. Paul Eddington as Jerry, her long-suffering husband, spars splendidly. These are happy memories indeed. --Piers Ford
1995 had already seen the box-office success of sword-wielding heroes in Rob Roy and Braveheart when along came this glossy revision of the Arthurian legend, in which Lady Guinevere (Julia Ormond) is torn between her love for the noble King Arthur (Sean Connery) and the passionate knight Sir Lancelot (Richard Gere). As the story opens, Guinevere's lands are under attack by the evil knight Malagant (Ben Cross), and she must choose between marriage to Arthur and the security of Camelot, or encouraging the affections of Lancelot, who has heroically rescued her from a potentially lethal attack. Anyone looking for meticulous medieval authenticity won't find it here, but director Jerry Zucker (Ghost) keeps the action moving with exuberant spirit and glorious production values. Even if you don't completely believe Richard Gere as a somewhat too-contemporary Lancelot, the performances of Ormond and especially Connery are effortlessly appealing. --Jeff Shannon
Legends Of The Fall: Colonel William Ludlow (Sir Anthony Hopkins) built a ranch in the remote foothills of the Montana Rockies where he brought up his three sons away from the carnage of the Indian wars. Alfred (Aidan Quinn) the eldest is dutiful and reserved Samuel (Henry Thomas) the beloved youngest is compassionate and idealistic while the middle brother Tristan (Brad Pitt) has a wild untameable spirit. Into this masculine world enters Susannah Finncannon (Julia Ormond) a beautiful intelligent woman who stirs a passion and rivalry in all three brothers that will change the course of their lives and shape their destinies forever. From the rugged prairie lands of 19th Century America to the trenches of World War I and the changing world beyond 'Legends of the Fall' is a sweeping star-studded epic - a passionate journey into the darkest secrets of love betrayal and the unbreakable bonds of blood. First Knight: Set in and around the city of Camelot First Knight is a sweeping epic about love honour betrayal and passion. Lancelot (Richard Gere) a nomadic rogue has no ties no enemies and no fear until that is he meets the beautiful Lady Guinevere of Leonesse (Julia Ormond). Guinevere has promised to marry King Arthur (Sean Connery) not only because his armies can protect her country but because she truly loves him. But her chance encounter with Lancelot as she prepares to enter Camelot stirs conflicting and powerful emotions within her. Arthur welcomes both into his city with open heart little foreseeing how his great capacity for love and trust opens the doors for his own betrayal... The Slipper And The Rose: In Euphrania live two unhappy people - a sad young girl called Cinderella (Gemma Craven) and a proud young prince (Richard Chamberlain) - trapped in two very different worlds. Following the death of her father poor Cinderella has been left in the care of her unfriendly step-mother (Margaret Lockwood) and her two spoilt step-sisters. Meanwhile the Prince of the land has come of age and the King (Michael Hordern) and the Queen want him to marry. His desperate parents hold a splendid ball and invite every noble girl in the land. Cinderella is shunned by her ugly sisters when they leave her behind and flounce off to the ball in their finery. Fortunately her Fairy Godmother (Annette Crosbie) intervenes transforming Cinderella and whisks her off to the ball - and so the love story blossoms in this exquistive movie with music by Richard and Robert Sherman.
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
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
Van der Valk - Series 1 (Part 3)
Chocky: The first series tells the story of young Matthew Gore an intelligent lad who is chosen by a mysterious extra-terrestrial visitor Chocky as a source of information about life on earth. As Matthew's schoolwork and artistic talent improve dramatically his parents become concerned about the strange changes in his behaviour and refer him to a child psychiatrist. But his dubious social connections lead to Matthew's subsequent kidnap as a ruthless businessman tries to ta
Van der Valk - Series 1 (Part 4)
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