In the 1970s the British film industry went through a craze for turning hit TV comedies into big screen features. From On the Buses (1971) to Porridge (1979), Dad's Army was one of the few which made the transition with style. Set in the small south coast town of Walmington-on-Sea in 1940, the film does have the structure of three TV episodes remade and sequenced together. Beginning with the formation of the local Home Guard, the company has a self-contained adventure on military manoeuvres, before a finale which allows for some heroism as three German officers take over the church hall. Dad's Army has all the gentle character comedy of the classic BBC TV series, benefiting enormously by retaining the entire television cast, headed by the incomparable Arthur Lowe as the blustering Captain Mainwaring and supported by the equally wonderful John Le Mesurier and Clive Dunn. The cinema budget allows far superior production values to the original series, with a loving re-creation of 1940's England and some surprisingly beautiful cinematography. Above all, the film is both funny and a nostalgic reminder of a time when ordinary middle-aged and old men could be both real and movie heroes. --Gary S. Dalkin
First time on Blu-Ray in the UK. The film spin-off from the much-loved TV comedy series starring Arthur Lowe as the commander of an incompetent Home Guard platoon in wartime Britain. With the trusted comedy genius from the TV series shining through, Mainwaring and company save the day when a crew of a German aircraft take the vicar and villagers hostage in the church.
Travelling Man: The Complete Series (4 Discs)
A genuine British comedy classic the popularity of 'Rising Damp' remains unparalleled some 25 years after the first transmission. 'Rising Damp' detailed the day-to-day events at Rigsby's dingy boarding-house in Eric Chappell's hilarious sitcom. The landlord from hell Rupert Rigsby prowled around his dilapidated eyrie poking his nose into his lodgers' affairs. In this feature length movie Rigsby (Leonard Rossiter) is still intending to make Miss Jones (Frances De La Tour) his wi
Featuring all the episodes from Series 1 to 4 including: 'Rooksby' 'Black Magic' 'Charisma' 'Night Out' 'All Our Yesterdays' 'The Prowler' 'Permissive Society' 'Food Glorious Food' 'A Body Like Mine' 'The Perfect Gentleman' 'The Last Of The Big Spenders' 'Things That Go Bump In The Night' and 'Moonlight And Roses'. Includes the unreleased episode 'Stand Up And Be Counted'.
First broadcast in 1974, the ITV bedsitland sitcom Rising Damp was an instant and enduring success. It starred Leonard Rossiter as the miserly and lovelorn landlord Rigsby who is constantly needling young lodger Alan (Richard Beckinsale), a science student whose long hair and earrings are symptomatic to Rigsby of the parlous effeminacy of the modern age. He's also in love with Frances De La Tour's dowdy spinster Miss Jones, though his tentative advances are forever rebuffed. She in turn carries a torch for Philip (Don Warrington), the elegant son of an African chief who also resides at Rigsby Towers. Some aspects of Rising Damp have not aged well, principally Rigsby's stream of racist jibes at Philip. Although these were doubtless well-meant and supposed to illustrate Rigsby's foolish bigotry, you suspect that that was a convenient cover for audiences in the 1970s to enjoy racist humour. However, Rossiter's Rigsby--stuttering, stammering, bent perpetually over backwards--remains a great comic creation, embodying all the festering prejudices, small-mindedness and self-delusion of the lower middle class Little Englander. --David Stubbs
Adapted by Desmond Lowden from his novel of the same name, Bellman & True is a tense heist thriller starring Bernard Hill (Boys from the Blackstuff, The Lord of the Rings) as a computer programmer blackmailed by gangsters into hacking a bank security system. Directed by Richard Loncraine (Full Circle, The Missionary) Bellman & True deftly balances dramatic realism with stark black comedy and nail-biting suspense. Produced by HandMade Films, Bellman & True is a fine companion piece to their successful thrillers The Long Good Friday and Mona Lisa. Product Features High Definition remaster Original mono audio Two presentations of the film: the pre-release version that premiered at the 1987 London Film Festival (122 mins), and the original UK theatrical cut (114 mins) Running in Traffic (2019, 24 mins): director Richard Loncraine recalls the production of the film Just an Adventure (2019, 20 mins): actor Kieran O'Brien talks fondly of his first film role Cracking the System (2019, 17 mins): screenwriter and author Desmond Lowden discusses adapting his own novel for the screen Trust Me (2019, 10 mins): composer Colin Towns looks back at the creation of the film's score Original theatrical trailer Image gallery: promotional and publicity material New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
The Blue Max is a raging war time thriller featuring spectacular aerial combat sequences. It is the story of Bruno Stachel a cold ambitious German combat pilot in World War I. As brave as he is ruthless he excels in combat wins the highest medals The Blue Max and becomes a national hero. The Blue Max is among the best aviation films with outstanding photography spectacular dogfights and a dramatic score.
The Offence
Further adventures of the oh so dapper John Steed and his sidekick Emma Peel. Features six episodes from the 1967 season: 'From Venus With Love' 'The Fear Merchants' 'Escape In Time' 'The See-Through Man' 'The Bird Who Knew Too Much' and 'The Winged Avenger'.
Steve Forrest stars as John Mannering in 'The Baron' an exciting cult television classic. Antiques dealer John Mannering (known as The Baron) along with his sexy assistant Cordelia works in an informal capacity for the head od the British Diplomatic Intelligence - an informal agreement which invariably puts the jet-setting playboy in dangerous life-or-death situations. Global espionage bank robberies murder - it's all in a day's work for The Baron! Based on the best selling n
First broadcast in 1974, the ITV bedsitland sitcom Rising Damp was an instant and enduring success. It starred Leonard Rossiter as the miserly and lovelorn landlord Rigsby who is constantly needling young lodger Alan (Richard Beckinsale), a science student whose long hair and earrings are symptomatic to Rigsby of the parlous effeminacy of the modern age. He's also in love with Frances De La Tour's dowdy spinster Miss Jones, though his tentative advances are forever rebuffed. She in turn carries a torch for Philip (Don Warrington), the elegant son of an African chief who also resides at Rigsby Towers. Some aspects of Rising Damp have not aged well, principally Rigsby's stream of racist jibes at Philip. Although these were doubtless well-meant and supposed to illustrate Rigsby's foolish bigotry, you suspect that that was a convenient cover for audiences in the 1970s to enjoy racist humour. However, Rossiter's Rigsby--stuttering, stammering, bent perpetually over backwards--remains a great comic creation, embodying all the festering prejudices, small-mindedness and self-delusion of the lower middle class Little Englander. --David Stubbs
Peter Sykes directs this classic horror starring Simon Brent. The film follows artist Paul Greville (Brent) as he arrives in a picturesque village and finds there is more to the locals than meets the eye when he becomes involved with the daughter of a man who conducts experiments on animals.
Detective Sergeant Johnson (CONNERY) has been with the British police force for 20 years. In that time the countless murders rapes and other serious crimes he has had to investigate has left a terrible mark on him. His anger and aggression that had been suppressed for years finally surfaces when interviewing a suspect Baxter whom Johnson is convinced is the man that has been carrying out a series of brutal attacks on young girls. An amazing look at the human psyche THE OFFENCE
Bellman And True
Computer expert Hiller (Bernard Hill) is an alcoholic a failed husband and a failed father-figure. In a short space of time he has lost his job his wife and has become financially in debt to a vicious gang of mobsters. So when the gangsters agree to write off the debt if Hiller will supply them with the security details of a newly-constructed bank it's an offer he can't refuse. Having handed over the information Hiller believes he has seen the last of the gang and is in the clear. But when his young stepson is kidnapped and taken hostage Hiller finds himself being blackmailed into taking part in the actual raid on the bank. A loser by nature as events spiral out of control around him he soon discovers in himself a hidden capacity for parental love ingenuity and above all courage. With his and his stepson's lives under threat Hiller decides it's time to fight back.
The plot of The Unpleasantness At The Bellona Club takes a new turn concentrating not on who did it? but moreover when was it done? A vast inheritance depends on the timing of the deaths of an elderly brother and sister - the sequence of deaths is the Big Question. Once this is established only then can Peter Wimsey's sleuthing turn to who the murderer is...
A computer expert is forced to take part in a daring bank robbery after his son is taken hostage.
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