A stunning new print of Peter Greenaway's acclaimed first feature a satisfying complex Jacobean murder mysery set in an English country garden during the height of a late 17th century summer. A draughtsman hired to execute 12 drawings of an estate negotiates terms to include the sexual favours of his employer (Janet Suzman). But when a corpse is dragged from the moat the draughtsman's designs may reveal more than he realised. ""Exotic Erotic and Utterly Enigmatic"" - Time Out
Sumptuous in every way, visually magnificent, with grandiose sets, panoramic Spanish vistas and intricately detailed costumes, possessor of one of cinema's greatest music scores, boasting vast and astonishingly kinetic battles, and breathing heroic virtue in every scene, El Cid is the very epitome of epic. For this reworking of the medieval legend of the Cid (Arabic for "Lord") who united warring factions and saved 11th-century Spain from invasion, producer Samuel Bronston and director Anthony Mann insisted every set had to be created from scratch, every costume specially made for this movie alone; they also shot entirely on location in La Mancha and along the Mediterranean coast of Spain to enhance the film's authenticity. The cinematography is saturated with the burnished hues of the Spanish landscape, as are the palatial sets and rich costumes; Miklos Rozsa's resplendent score is also the result of painstaking research into medieval Spanish sources. The screenplay is imbued with knightly gravitas and more than a little salvation imagery, from the opening scene of the young Rodrigo rescuing a cross from a burning church, to the movie's indelible finale as The Cid rides "out of the gates of history into legend". Charlton Heston is at his most indomitable as Rodrigo, "The Cid", a natural leader of men and the embodiment of every manly virtue (note that he fathers twins--a sure token of his virility); Sophie Loren is ravishing as Chimene, the woman whose love for Rodrigo conflicts with her filial instincts after he kills her father, the king's champion, over a point of honour. Their scenes together create a humane warmth at the heart of this vast movie: the moment when Chimene finally declares her love (beneath a shrine of three crosses--more symbolism) to the exiled Rodrigo forms a pivotal and very intimate centrepiece. Shortly thereafter he must rise from their rural marriage bed to lead his followers into battle, and the tension between his public and private lives adds a piquancy to the film's stunning battle sequences. The international supporting cast sometimes look like makeweights, especially when chewing on the occasionally stilted dialogue, but any such faults are easily forgiven as the scale and spectacle of El Cid carries the viewer away on a tide of chivalry. --Mark Walker
The discovery of valuable archaeological remains beneath a holiday caravan site is the cause of the mayhem in Carry On Behind. That said, the sub-"plots", which involve Windsor Davies and Jack Douglas as a pair of randy fishermen, a couple sharing their caravan with an outsize dog (no, it's not like that...), the obligatory giggling dolly birds and so on are all typical grist to the Carry On mill. The location is of course as bleakly miserable as such a place could ever be and will bring a frisson of familiarity to many Brits. Widely held to be one of the best in the series, the film would in fact have been a rather lacklustre effort were it not for the superbly over-the-top presence of Elke Sommer, whose performance as the strapping assistant to archaeologist Roland Crump (Kenneth Williams) seems like a wonderful hybrid of Ute Lemper and Charlie Dimmock. --Roger Thomas
The Railway Children (1970) and Swallows and Amazons (1974) are perfect bedfellows: two classic children's novels, simply and faithfully adapted for the big screen. Together they evoke a poignant nostalgia for the periods in which they are set--Edwardian and 1920s England, respectively--and for the childhood of anyone who has grown up watching them. Sentimentality reigns, of course, but it's never cloying. The truthfulness of the juvenile performances, balanced with restrained sympathy from the adults, sees to that. Flourishing under Lionel Jeffries' delicate direction, Jenny Agutter dominates The Railway Children as the oldest daughter of a family thrown on hard times when their father is wrongly sent to prison. They avert a train disaster, save an imperilled steeple chaser and reunite an exiled Russian with his wife, all with equal enterprise. Happy endings prevail after every crisis. And no number of repeat viewings can ever diminish the impact of father's return. One of the most expert tear-duct work-outs in film history, it hits the spot every time. Perhaps the lack of such a pivotal scene has kept Swallows and Amazons in the relative shade. But its gentle appeal survives with equal charm, not least in the resourcefulness of the eponymous children and the period detail. Together this pairing makes a double bill to treasure, and a piquant reminder that Disney doesn't have a complete monopoly on the rich heritage of children's cinema. On the DVD: The Railway Children and Swallows and Amazons is presented in standard 4:3 picture format, from so-so prints, and with acceptable mono soundtracks. Both films envelope the viewer in a comforting Sunday-afternoon haze. There are no extras, apart from scene indexes. --Piers Ford
A brand new fully restored print of Philip Ridley's cult classic. As mysterious deaths plague a small prairie town, young Seth (Jeremy Cooper) comes to believe that the pale, reclusive widow living next door (Lindsay Duncan, Birdman) is a vampire. Seth's worst nightmare comes true when his older brother Cameron (Viggo Mortensen, The Lord Of The Rings) returns home from abroad and falls in love with the widow - will he be next? But the truth behind the murders is much more shocking than Seth could ever imagine.
George Of The Jungle (1997): Bigger than life outrageously funny and loaded with eye popping special effects. Deep in the heart of the African jungle a baby boy is raised by gorillas. He grows up to be the hunky heroic yet clumsy king of the jungle George ( Brendon Fraser) who swings from one tree right into the trunk of the next! But when a beautiful career woman named Ursula stumbles into George's unnatural habitat he's swept off his feet. Leaving behind his forest full of animal friends including Ape a talking gorilla and Shep an elephant who aspires to be a dog George plants roots in the big city of San Francisco where the comedy and adventure only grow bigger. Don't miss all the slam-bang action and good-natured fun that make George of the Jungle a must-see for adults and kids alike. George Of The Jungle 2: Scheming mother-in-law Beatrice Stanhope is not about to let her daughter and grandson hang around with the klutzy King of the Jungle forever. In an elaborate plot she teams with Ursula's obsessive ex-fiance Lyle to hypnotise Ursula into leaving George and turn his jungle to mulch! That's when all vines lead to Las Vegas. There George Ape Shep and Tookie must rescue Ursula and then swing back to save the jungle from Lyle's bulldozing bullies. You'll go ape when these jungle jesters come together for irresistible family entertainment!
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
Warner Bros' beloved assortment of irreverent animated entertainers break out of the studio lot to embark on an adventure that takes them from Hollywood to the jungles of Africa.
The Railway Children (1970) and Swallows and Amazons (1974) are perfect bedfellows: two classic children's novels, simply and faithfully adapted for the big screen. Together they evoke a poignant nostalgia for the periods in which they are set--Edwardian and 1920s England, respectively--and for the childhood of anyone who has grown up watching them. Sentimentality reigns, of course, but it's never cloying. The truthfulness of the juvenile performances, balanced with restrained sympathy from the adults, sees to that. Flourishing under Lionel Jeffries' delicate direction, Jenny Agutter dominates The Railway Children as the oldest daughter of a family thrown on hard times when their father is wrongly sent to prison. They avert a train disaster, save an imperilled steeple chaser and reunite an exiled Russian with his wife, all with equal enterprise. Happy endings prevail after every crisis. And no number of repeat viewings can ever diminish the impact of father's return. One of the most expert tear-duct work-outs in film history, it hits the spot every time. Perhaps the lack of such a pivotal scene has kept Swallows and Amazons in the relative shade. But its gentle appeal survives with equal charm, not least in the resourcefulness of the eponymous children and the period detail. Together this pairing makes a double bill to treasure, and a piquant reminder that Disney doesn't have a complete monopoly on the rich heritage of children's cinema. On the DVD: The Railway Children and Swallows and Amazons is presented in standard 4:3 picture format, from so-so prints, and with acceptable mono soundtracks. Both films envelope the viewer in a comforting Sunday-afternoon haze. There are no extras, apart from scene indexes. --Piers Ford
Set ten years after the original movie, adventurer Rick O'Connell's son is kidnapped by the followers of his old nemesis The Mummy, in the belief that the boy can lead them to the tomb of the ancient and evil warrior The Scorpion King.
Once dubbed the King of Sexploitation' by the tabloid press, Stanley Long was the godfather of the British sex film. Starting out with 8mm striptease reels in the 1950s before moving into nudist documentaries, Long went on to produce and direct a string of extremely popular X-rated movies which told tales of wife swapping, groupies and other saucy goings on. He reached the pinnacle of commercial success with this trio of incredibly successful on the job' sex comedies. Adventures of a Taxi Driver, starring sitcom actor Barry Evans, set the template with the antics of a cabbie who gets more than his fare share'. Securing international distribution as well as becoming the most successful comedy at the British box office in 1976 it prompted two sequels, each featuring more of the same but with a different lead actor (future hit-record producer Christopher Neil). Boasting supporting casts which burst with top-tier British acting talent including Harry H Corbett (Steptoe and Son), Diana Dors (Berserk), Judy Geeson (Inseminoid), Suzy Kendall (To Sir, with Love), future musical theatre sensation Elaine Paige, and former Doctor Who Jon Pertwee the Adventures series represents British popular filmmaking at its most unashamedly cheeky. Special Features High Definition presentations of Adventures of a Taxi Driver, Adventures of a Private Eye, and Adventures of a Plumber's Mate Original mono audio Audio commentaries on all three films with director Stanley Long (2008) The Best of the Adventures (1981): feature-length compilation of extracts from the Adventures series, made for the nascent videotape market and hosted by broadcaster Peter Noble The BEHP Interview with Stanley Long (1999): archival audio recording, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring the producer and director in conversation with Denis Gifford and Emmanuel Yospa Peter Sinclair's Camera (2022): the veteran cinematographer discusses his work for exploitation filmmakers Stanley Long and Pete Walker, and his move to Los Angeles in the 1980s to direct music videos Dear Prudence (2022): Prudence Drage, one of Long's favourite performers, tells colourful stories from her extensive career as an actor and singer Stanley by Simon (2022): Long's biographer Simon Sheridan recalls his close friendship with Britain's undisputed King of Sexploitation' Super 8 version of Adventures of a Private Eye: cut-down home cinema presentation Original theatrical trailers Image galleries: extensive promotional and publicity materials from Stanley Long's archives Can You Keep It Up with This, That and the Other for a Week? (2004): Jan Manthey's affectionate short film homage to the British sex comedies of the seventies The Adventures of a Plumber in Outer Space (2008): Manthey's follow-up to Can You Keep It Up , featuring a cameo appearance by Long New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Limited edition exclusive 80-page book with a new essay by Simon Sheridan, archival interviews with Stanley Long and actor-composer Christopher Neil, a letter from the producers complaining about the Adventures films' treatment in the British press, newspaper articles on the controversy surrounding the casting of Elaine Paige in Adventures of a Plumber's Mate while she was starring in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita, a look at the three films' novelisations, an overview of contemporary critical responses, Jan Manthey on his short films, and film credits World premiere on Blu-ray Limited edition of 6,000 copies for the UK and US All extras subject to change
A provocative, unflinching look at the complexities of racial conflict in America.
Disenchanted adrenaline junkies Billy (Law) and his girlfriend Jo (Frost) discover their latest thrill: steal expensive cars and ram-raid them into shop windows. However as time passes the rush fades with Jo wanting out of their hectic lifestyle. With newcomer Tommy (Pertwee) on the scene Billy is pushed into taking on ever riskier targets which could spell the end of all... Featuring a hot British cast and some of the best car chases ever filmed in the UK Paul W.S. Anderson
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.
A grim, gritty South London housing estate makes an unlikley setting for a romantic fairy-tale, but Hetti MacDonald's gay teenage love story all but brings it off. Adapted by screenwriter Jonathan Harvey from his own stage play, Beautiful Thing tells how teenage loner Jamie falls for next-door neighbour Ste, one of the tough kids who bullies him at school. Amazingly, he finds his feelings reciprocated, and the two progress to a tender, tentative affair. Sidestepping conventional notions of working-class homophobia, the film succeeds in presenting its central relationship not as anything startlingly different, but simply as a teenage romance--with all the joy and heartbreak it implies--that happens to be between two 15-year-old guys. Problems of brutality and deprivation are acknowledged but never allowed to dominate, and under the influence of love even the harsh walkways and terraces of the estate take on a sunlit glow. --Philip Kemp
This Disney 2-Pack collection will have you seeing spots as it includes Disney''s live-action 101 Dalmatians and 102 Dalmatians. 101 Dalmatians Cruella De Vil dognaps a litter of Dalmation puppies--as well as every other Dalmation pup in London--and the litter''s parents must rally all the animals to their rescue. 102 Dalmatians Cruella De Vil is released from prison and is soon plotting another fur-ocious scheme to get her ultimate dalmatian coat.
Brendan Fraser stars as Stu Milely,a mild-mannered cartoonist whose most famous creation is the anarchic Monkeybone. After an accident Stu wakes up in the fictional world he created, and soon realises Monkeybone has taken over his body in the real world,
On the beautiful, haunting shores of Scotland's iconic Loch Ness, amid a community sustained by myth and bordered by untamed nature, the search for the truth becomes a matter of life and death in this gripping murder mystery. Here the monster doesn't lurk in the depths it walks amongst men, a serial killer who must be stopped. When a body is found at the foot of Carn Mohr Mountain, local detective Annie Redford is thrown into her first murder case. But as grief, terror and suspicion envelops the town and the repercussions of the investigation expose the fault-lines in Annie's closest relationships, this tightly- plotted drama becomes about more than catching a killer; it's about the survival of a family and community.
The exciting tale of two children who with the help of an eccentric professor set out in search of their shipwrecked father...
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