Stranded after a tragic plane crash, two strangers must forge a connection to survive the extreme elements of a remote snow covered mountain.
Set in the breathtakingly beautiful and strictly traditional Ireland of the 1940's Falling For A Dancer is a passionate tale of the loves and challenges of the beautiful and sensitive Elizabeth Sullivan (Elisabeth Dermot-Walsh). The story begins when 19 year old Elizabeth falls pregnant after a brief affair with a dashing actor. Shamed she is forced to marry Neely Scollard (Dermot Crowley) a widower with a large family who lives in the remote Beara Peninsula. Elizabeth has to come to terms with motherhood her brutish husband her mysterious neighbour Mossie Sheehan (Liam Cunningham) her step children and the harsh realities of a rural existence. When a carefree moment at a village dance leads to a violent death a chain of events is unleashed that will change Elizabeth's life forever.
Considerations of national security permitting, there is a fascinating series to be made about the selection procedures and training of the Special Air Service, but SAS: Are You Tough Enough is not it. This is basically Big Brother joins the army, in which 29 civilians are subjected to a dramatically reduced version of the SAS induction process (10 days instead of six months). Although it's essentially just an outdoor game show, the series is presented with an air of gravitas which suggests that someone, somewhere in the commissioning process seriously believes that this proves something. But the few contestants who end up passing the course are no more qualified to join the regiment than the owner of a Playstation flight simulator is to land a 747. SAS: Are You Tough Enough is trying to have its rations and eat them. To the extent that there is a point to reality television programmes, it's that all the mystique of television is stripped away. Here, though, we're expected to believe that the mock interrogations are desperate, dramatic contests of will--which is difficult when we know full well that there's a camera crew in the room. Mildly diverting it might be, but Are You Tough Enough is neither informative nor entertaining.--Andrew Mueller
Taking its lead from Jonathan Demme's Oscar-winning pulse-raiser The Silence Of the Lambs, Copycat strives for intelligence over gristle and carnage. It's a terse, involving thriller that swings away from the usual cinematic notion of violence as a means to an end by forgoing brawn for brains. Young San Francisco police inspector Ruben Goetz (Dermot Mulroney) is teamed with brilliant force vet, M J Monahan (Holly Hunter), a diplomatic, no-nonsense cop who must buck the system in order to find a killer who is copying the crimes of history's most notorious serial killers. Ruben would rather shoot to kill than merely wound a suspect; Monahan labours to help him think more diplomatically. Everything changes when crank calls arrive at the station from serial-killer pin-up girl psychiatrist Helen Hudson (Sigourney Weaver). She's been housebound for 13 months, ever since murderer Daryll Lee Cullum (Harry Connick Jr.) nearly made her his next victim because she testified against him in court. Though he's in prison, he's still mentor and muse to every loose cannon walking the streets--one of whom is killing people with a vengeance and hoping to finish the job Cullum began. Cop and doc team up to solve the case in this stylish, plot-driven movie. Though Copycat loses steam in the end, it still makes a point. And it serves as a cautionary tale for people everywhere, tossing in street smart warnings against victimisation. The teaming of Hunter and Weaver works well, the short and the tall forging a terrific and friction-filled relationship that leads to grudging respect. Establishing an ominous atmosphere reminiscent of his classic British TV miniseries The Singing Detective, director Jon Amiel has an eye for the dark and the unusual and it gives this film an edge that eludes most other mainstream filmmakers. --Paula Nechak
Stoker is a masterful psychodrama that teems with unsettling vibrations that hark directly back to Alfred Hitchcock, but also to the wave of contemporary cinema that has been surging in South Korea for the past decade. It is the first American feature by the auteur Park Chan-wook, whose widely seen trilogy of "revenge" films, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, and Lady Vengeance, paved the way for the meticulous craftsmanship of Stoker. The inspiration for Wentworth Miller's haunting script was Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt, though Stoker makes for an altogether creepier tale of a mysterious uncle, his melancholy niece, and the deadly interplay of family secrets slowly revealed. Park's delicate weaving of style transforms the material into a narrative symphony, with thematic elements conveyed in the smallest details of composition, art direction, and graceful cinematography. Mia Wasikowska is India Stoker, the teenage niece who just lost her father to a violent auto accident. It's a complete surprise to India and her mother Evelyn (Nicole Kidman) when his handsome younger brother Charlie (Matthew Goode) shows up at the brooding family mansion (itself a character that is integral to the story). Charlie's enigmatic smirk signals both calm and danger, and his presence is a catalyst that ratchets up the emotional turmoil India and Evelyn are already experiencing. India senses the danger even as she is drawn to Charlie, and her mother's repressed sexuality turns into a bonfire under his mysterious charm. He tempts and teases them both in an expertly choreographed dance of menace that fuels the rage building in India and puts further pressure on her mother's cataclysmic despair. Charlie's psychopathic presence infests the brooding, yet deceptively airy surroundings of the Stoker estate with a sense of peril that is just out of reach. Several key scenes unfold at the family dinner table, where poison lurks in Freudian undercurrents and maybe in the food and wine, too. The most mesmerising sequence captures a visit from the sheriff, who's investigating the murder of one of India's schoolmates. The crime is just one of many acts of deadly violence that erupt with jarring force in the past, present, and future of Stoker's disturbing timeline. As the sheriff talks to India and Charlie, the camera swirls around to the rhythm of the scene, separating, uniting, then retreating from them in a virtuosic room-to-room sweep. The extended take says much more about the interplay of India and Charlie's dread connection than the oblique dialogue. It's also a breathtaking illustration of Park's obsessive attention to shot design. But Stoker is much more than an exercise in style; it is also an unnerving and understated thriller that gives big rewards for all that attention to detail. To say that there are plot twists is an understatement for a movie whose elegant creativity is the biggest twist of all. --Ted Fry
Berkeley graduate student Finn (Winona Ryder) is spending the summer at the home of her sparring grandmother and great aunt (Oscar-winners Ellen Burstyn & Anne Bancroft). Their house is a quiet haven where Finn intends to finish her latest thesis and think over a marriage proposal. But when she meets sexy smoldering Leon things begin to get complicated. As she wrestles with her decision the women in her grandmother's quilting bee confide to her the stories of the loves that shaped
Eat Pray Love: Based on the best selling book. Believing there's more to life than a husband, house and career, Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) finds herself with a new appetite for life in this inspiring true story, based on the best-selling book. She leaves New York and embarks on a yearlong journey - traveling to Italy, India and Bali - seeking self-discovery through good food, meditation and the prospect of finding true love. James Franco, Billy Crudup and Javier Bardem co-star in this sumptuous and uplifting adventure filled with humor and heart.Notting Hill: William Thacker (Hugh Grant), is the owner of a bookshop in the heart of Notting Hill in London. One day, by a one-in-a-million chance, the worlds most famous actress, Anna Scott (Julia Roberts), comes into his shop. He watches in amazement as she leaves and he thinks he'll never see her again. But fate intervenes - and minutes later William collides with Anna on Portobello Road. So begins a tale of romance and adventure in London W11. With a little help from his chaotic flatmate Spike (Rhys Ifans) and his friends, Max and Bella (Tim McInnerny and Gina McKee), William seeks the face he can't forget..My Best Friend's Wedding: Roberts dazzles as commitment-shy Julianne Potter, who suddenly realises she is in love with her best friend Michael (Mulroney). There's just one catch: he's about to marry someone else. Now she has to win him back, and with just four days, the help of her resourceful boss (Everett) and the benefits of an extremely devious mind, Jules will do anything to steal him back; except tell him the honest truth!
Reigning supreme for almost a decade as ITV's biggest comedian, Arthur Haynes was one of the most influential and popular comics that television has ever seen. His shows remained firmly in the top ten until his untimely death in 1966 robbed the world of a comedy genius. Lack of repeats ensured that subsequent generations were denied Haynes' comedic brilliance until the release of his surviving ATV shows on DVD. Featuring wickedly funny scripts from Alf Garnett creator Johnny Speight, this set contains all existing episodes of The Arthur Haynes Show. A lively mix of sketches and musical entertainment, Speight's scripts invariably drew on the familiar class antagonism which he would hone to perfection on Till Death Us Do Part. Haynes' robust working-class delivery was inspired never more so than in the character of Hobo Haynes, a belligerent, heavily decorated tramp fond of recounting tales of patriotic bravery whilst being 'up to me neck in muck and bullets'. This collection brings together all seven individual DVD volumes of The Arthur Haynes Show in a single set, returning him to his rightful place among the comedy greats. SPECIAL FEATURES: Val Parnell Spectacular (disc 17) Promotional spot (disc 7) Image galleries (discs 1, 3, 8, 12, 14, 17) Paperwork and promotional PDFs (disc 1)
Includes 11 Christmas Specials with chaos, mayhem, madness and of course the love of family at Christmas.
Rocky Horror Show icon Tim Curry stars as a loveable aspiring actor/singer who finds himself tangling with gangsters in this witty and hugely entertaining television film from award-winning playwright Stewart Parker. Featuring a memorably charismatic turn from Billy Connolly as a demented Scotsman, Blue Money also stars Frances Tomelty, Dermot Crowley and Widows star Debby Bishop. It is featured here in a brand-new restoration from the original film elements, in its as-transmitted aspect ratio. Vocal impressionist Larry Gormley barely makes ends meet as a mini-cab driver while waiting for his big break. When a dubious regular fare leaves a briefcase full of hot money in the back of his cab, Larry soon finds himself on the run from the Mob, the police, and Des a psychopathic Glaswegian hitch-hiker! SPECIAL FEATURES: Image gallery American VHS trailer
A taut crime melodrama, Chain of Events features noted actor and film-maker Kenneth Griffith as a bank clerk whose attempt to dodge a fare has devastating consequences; a powerful cast includes Rank Charm School starlet Susan Shaw and future Richard the Lionheart lead Dermot Walsh. Adapted from a radio play written by inimitable character actor Leo McKern and directed by Carry On legend Gerald Thomas, Chain of Events is featured here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio. John Clarke, an uninspiring sort of fellow, one day boards a bus on his way home from work and foolishly forgets to pay his fare. He is caught by an inspector, but instead of owning up to it, gives the name and address of one of the bank's clients, setting in motion a violent chain of events involving blackmail, robbery and death... SPECIAL FEATURES: Image Gallery Original Pressbook PDF
Julia Roberts Cameron Diaz Rupert Everett and Dermot Mulroney star in My Best Friend's Wedding a high-spirited romantic comedy that serves up something wild something new sometimes touching and sometimes truly hilarious! Roberts dazzles as commitment-shy Julianne Potter who suddenly realises she is in love with her best friend Michael (Mulroney). There's just one catch: he's about to marry someone else. Now she has to win him back and with just four days the help of her resourceful boss (Everett) and the benefits of an extremely devious mind Jules will do anything to steal him back; except tell him the honest truth!
Ashton Kutcher is Steve Jobs the iconic Apple innovator and ground-breaking entrepreneur. This inspiring and entertaining film chronicles Jobs' early days as a college dropout to his rise as the co-founder of Apple Computer Inc. and forced departure from the company. More than a decade later Jobs returns and single-handedly sets a course that will turn the once-tiny start up into one of the world's most valuable companies. His epic journey blazes a trail that changes technology - and the world - forever. Jobs is a riveting story of a true American visionary a man who let nothing stand in the way of greatness.
'Richard the Lionheart', is a medieval epic. Starring Dermot Walsh, the series follows Richard from Crusade to England as, frustrated by numerous enemies, he makes his claim for the English throne. Naturally, this results in a series of swashbuckling adventures as Richard battles for his life and crown against the likes of Duke Leopold, Philip of France, 'the Saracen' Saladin and of course the scheming Prince John.
When successful auctioneer Mackenzie receives word that she has inherited her beloved aunt's hotel, The Northern Lights Inn, she is thrilled. As a child, Mackenzie used to spend every Christmas at the inn and looks back on her time there with her aunt fondly. Unsure about what to do with the inn, Mackenzie enlists help from a realtor named Harris and his handyman brother Ben. On the other side of town in the Northpole, Santa sends ambitious elf Clementine on a special mission: the inn is actually a power source for Santa's sleigh, and Clementine needs to get Mackenzie to believe in holiday magic once again and revive the inn. With some unexpected help from Clementine and her team of elves, Mackenzie just might be able to rediscover the true meaning of Christmas and find love along the way.
The complicated life of J. Edgar Hoover is thoughtfully and quietly distilled into a feature film by director Clint Eastwood. J. Edgar is a movie, therefore, thats free of fuss. Told mainly through an older Hoover reciting back his life story, its a conventional structure that allows Eastwood to cherry-pick some of the most interesting moments from the contrversial life of the man who was the first director of the modern day FBI. J. Edgar, as a movie, is sometimes a little too cautious for its own good, sidestepping one or two areas of its subjects life. But in the title role, Leonardo DiCaprio is in excellent form. Sometimes weighed down by ageing make-up, but always able to hold the screen, its his central performance thats the compelling reason to watch the movie. Judi Dench has less to work with as his mother, although Armie Hammer fares better as Clyde Tolson, the man who may or may not have been Hoovers lover. The disc release does dig into Hoover a little bit more, with a feature exploring the complexity of the man. At the very least, it serves as a starting point to find out more about one of the most fascinating people in modern American history. The film and disc certainly scratch the surface on him, and theres plenty here to like and admire. They do leave you with a lot more to discover, though --Jon Foster
The Wedding Date (Dir. Clare Kilner 2005): In this sparkling romantic comedy Debra Messing plays Kat a never-married New Yorker who is invited to her parents' London home for her younger sister's wedding. What should be a joyous occasion bodes disaster for Kat however when she discovers that the best man will be none other than her ex-fianc who two years before inexplicably dumped her. In a desperate attempt to face the ordeal with dignity Kat hires Nick (Dermot Mulroney) a charming and handsome professional male escort to pose as her new boyfriend and escort her to the wedding. Even more valuable to Kat than Nick's good looks and charisma is his keen insight into human behavior--a well-learned trick of his trade. Over the course of the weekend Nick takes on the role of the bride's therapist the father's ideal son-in-law the groom's new best friend and the object of every woman's affection. For Kat what starts out as a pretend relationship with Nick begins to turn into something entirely unexpected: a second chance at love. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (Dir. Joel Zwick 2002): In this hit ethnic comedy Toula (Nia Vardalos) is a thirty-year-old ugly duckling whose life is going nowhere while she works long hours in her family's Greek diner (called Dancing Zorba's). She then decides to give herself a radical makeover lands a new job in her aunt's travel agency and falls for a hunky sensitive vegetarian teacher (John Corbett). They soon decide to get married but her family have a history of getting hitched exclusively to other Greeks. My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a warm funny comedy adapted by writer/star Vardalos from her own one-woman show. The Wedding Singer (Dir. Frank Coraci 1998): It's 1985 and Robbie Hart (Adam Sandler) is the ultimate master of ceremonies until he is left at the altar at his own wedding. Devastated he becomes a newlywed's worst nightmare - an entertainer who can do nothing but destroy other people's weddings. It's not until he meets a warm-hearted waitress named Julia (Drew Barrymore) that he starts to pick up the pieces of his heart. The only problem is Julia's about to have a wedding of her own and unless Robbie can pull off the performance of a lifetime the girl of his dreams will be gone forever...
Notable Irish actor Dermot Walsh gives a memorable performance as the heroic mediaeval swashbuckler King Richard I in this exciting television series from The Danziger Brothers. Featuring tales of adventure and derring-do both at home and abroad - including a run of tales set on Crusade in the Holy Land - Richard the Lionheart has been transferred from original film elements especially for this release. Featuring a rousing soundtrack by Bill LeSage and memorable theme tune from Buddy Kaye and Philip Springer, the series includes appearances from many notable character actors of the period - including Francis de Wolff, Glyn Owen, Anton Rodgers, Conrad Phillips, Nigel Green, Lisa Daniely, Margaretta Scott and Francis Matthews, among many others. This set contains all 39 episodes. Product Features Lionheart... Remembered and The Danziger Studios Story documentaries Archive interviews with Sheila Whittingham, Trader Faulkner and Iain Gregory Image gallery Colouring Book image gallery Limited edition booklet written by Derek Pykett
The Tell-Tale Heart A dark and dramatic adaption of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic story, Laurence Payne stars as Edgar Marsh, a shy and awkward librarianwho becomes obsessed with his new neighbour Betty Clare. Despite Marsh’s infatuation and determination to win her affections, Betty Clare falls for Marsh’s close friend Carl Loomis, a charismatic man of the world. Discovering their affair, Marsh’s obsession turns to murderous rage and he kills Loomis. Consumed with guilt Marsh’s mind begins to crumble as the sound of Loomis’s stillbeating heart haunts his every waking hour. Part-Time Wife Tom is an unsuccessful insurance salesman with only one ray of sunshine in his life, his beautiful new bride Jenny. When Tom looks up his old army buddy Drew in an attempt to sell him some car insurance for the company fleet, Drew hatches a plan to convince his uncle and owner of the company that far from being a playboy crook, he is a happily married man. The only problem is he’s chosen Jenny to be his pretend wife. Drew and Jenny must play the perfect husband and wife until Drew’s uncle returns to America, while Tom must do everything hecan to ensure the plan goes without a hitch in order to secure the biggest insurance deal of his life…and to guarantee the innocence of his wife! The Battleaxe Francis Matthews and Jill Ireland star as Tony Evers and Audrey Page, an engaged couple whose pre-marital bliss is shattered by thefuture bride's domineering mother. Unable to withstand this wicked witch of the Northlands, Matthews tries to weasel out of the marriage by suing for breach of promise: the broken promise being that mother would stop meddling. Joan Haythorne plays the domineering mother in-law Mrs Page who has made it her business to keep the two apart and ensure her daughter doesn’t marrysuch a crooked character. Fate Takes a Hand When a mail bag full of post that was taken in a robbery is discovered fifteen years later, a Post Office employee and local reporterdecide to deliver the letters to their original intended addressees. This solitary incident has profound ramifications on several of therecipients and this film tells the story of how just five of those letters changed peoples lives forever. Two Wives at One Wedding Tom Murray and his new bride’s wedding day takes a turn for the worse when a mysterious woman arrives uninvited with a startling revelation – she claims to be Tom’s wife. Annette is a French woman who Tom had a wartime romance with at the end ofthe Second World War after he was injured near Normandy and she nursed him back to health. It is then that Annette claims themarriage took place, something Tom has no memory of. She is willing to divorce Tom but only with a 10,000 settlement. Blackmailed and with his promising medical career in the balance should the story reach the papers, Tom must hunt down the facts to determine if Annette is really telling the truth.
Among the five episodes collected here are two of Father Ted's finest half-hours. "Rock-A-Hula Ted" was one of the few episodes in which the writers of the show abandoned any concern for their largely British audience and stacked the script with explicitly Irish references: Craggy Island's "Lovely Girls" festival is a burlesque of the all-too-genuine "Rose Of Tralee" pageant, and fire-breathing pop singer Niamh Connolly--played with aplomb by Clare Grogan--an obvious enough Sinead O'Connor manqué. "New Jack City", meanwhile is the classic episode in which the choleric Father Jack is finally despatched to an old folks' loony bin only to be replaced by the mesmerisingly appalling ragga-fixated chain-smoker Father Fintan Stack. As one of the high points of the Father Ted series this episode is also one of the high points of television comedy. There isn't much wrong with the other three episodes here, either. On the DVD: an interactive menu allows the selection of individual episodes, and segments within those episodes. The only extra feature is the option of watching the episodes with the dialogue replaced with a commentary by co-writer Graham Linehan and actor Ardal O'Hanlon, who plays Father Dougal Maguire. Occasionally interesting and revealing though this is, it gets rapidly wearing in this form, and would have worked much better if transcribed in an accompanying booklet. The disc is presented in 4:3 aspect ratio with English subtitles available.--Andrew Mueller
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