The come-from-behind winner of the 1981 Oscar for Best Picture, Chariots of Fire either strikes you as either a cold exercise in mechanical manipulation or as a tale of true determination and inspiration. The heroes are an unlikely pair of young athletes who ran for Great Britain in the 1924 Paris Olympics: devout Protestant Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), a divinity student whose running makes him feel closer to God, and Jewish Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross), a highly competitive Cambridge student who has to surmount the institutional hurdles of class prejudice and anti-Semitism. There's delicious support from Ian Holm (as Abrahams's coach) and John Gielgud and Lindsay Anderson as a couple of Cambridge fogies. Vangelis's soaring synthesised score, which seemed to be everywhere in the early 1980s, also won an Oscar. Chariots of Fire was the debut film of British television commercial director Hugh Hudson (Greystoke) and was produced by David Puttnam. --Jim Emerson
In this U.S. smash hit, a 35-year-old San Franciscan writer (Best Actress Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee Diane Lane "Unfaithful") heads to Italy after a recent divorce and one thing becomes clear: in life, there are second chances.
It must be stressed that despite the fact that it was produced in 1973 and stars both Christopher Lee and Britt Ekland, The Wicker Man is not a Hammer Horror film. There is no blood, very little gore and the titular Wicker Man is not a monster made out of sticks that runs around killing people by weaving them into raffia work. Edward Woodward plays Sergeant Howie, a virginal, Christian policeman sent from the Scottish mainland to investigate the disappearance of young girl on the remote island of Summer Isle. The intelligent script by Anthony Schaffer, who also wrote the detective mystery Sleuth (a film with which The Wicker Man shares many traits), derives its horror from the increasing isolation, confusion and humiliation experienced by the naïve Howie as he encounters the island community's hostility and sexual pagan rituals, manifested most immediately in the enthusiastic advances of local landlord's daughter Willow (Britt Ekland). Howie's intriguing search, made all the more authentic by the film's atmospheric locations and folkish soundtrack, gradually takes us deeper and deeper into the bizarre pagan community living under the guidance of the charming Laird of Summer Isle (Lee, minus fangs) as the film builds to a terrifying climax with a twist to rival that of The Sixth Sense or Fight Club. --Paul Philpott
In 1950s Connecticut, a housewife faces a marital crisis and mounting racial tensions in the outside world.
From humble sitcom beginnings to the smash hit final series get all those hilarious adventures of Gary and Tony behaving badly!
Devoted womaniser and tireless party-goer Arthur Goring (Rupert Everett) is famed throughout London for his elegance, repartee and refusal to take anything seriously.
It must be stressed that, despite the fact that it was produced in 1973 and stars Christopher Lee, The Wicker Man is not a Hammer Horror film. There is no blood, very little gore and the titular Wicker Man is not a monster made out of sticks that runs around killing people by weaving them into raffia work. Edward Woodward plays Sergeant Howie, a virginal, Christian policeman sent from the Scottish mainland to investigate the disappearance of a young girl on the remote island of Summerisle. The intelligent script by Anthony Schaffer, who also wrote the detective mystery Sleuth (a film with which The Wicker Man shares many traits), derives its horror from the increasing isolation, confusion and humiliation experienced by the naïve Howie as he encounters the island community's hostility and sexual pagan rituals, manifested most immediately in the enthusiastic advances of local landlord's daughter Willow (Britt Ekland). Howie's intriguing search, made all the more authentic by the film's atmospheric locations and folkish soundtrack, gradually takes us deeper and deeper into the bizarre pagan community living under the guidance of the charming Laird (Lee, minus fangs) as the film builds to a terrifying climax with a twist to rival that of The Sixth Sense or Fight Club. --Paul Philpott On the DVD: The Wicker Man can finally be seen in its glorious entirety on DVD, thanks to the restoration of some 15 minutes of previously lost material. Since the original negative long ago disappeared (apparently dumped beneath the M3 motorway) the picture quality for the added scenes is dubious, but what's much more important is the regained richness in the depiction of Summerisle's society (including a wonderful deflowering ritual set to music) and the added depth to Howie's character. Almost redundantly this excellent two-disc package provides the butchered theatrical cut as well, which comes with a good new documentary explaining both the genesis of the film and its turbulent history. Christopher Lee and director Robin Hardy pop up in an archival interview from the 1970s and are also reunited with Edward Woodward in the brand-new and first-rate commentary track for the director's cut: Lee in particular remains passionate about the movie and still angry about its shabby treatment. Both versions of the film are widescreen 1.85:1; the theatrical cut is in remastered Dolby 5.1, but the director's cut remains in mono. --Mark Walker
Jeffrey Waging (Russel Crowe) was a central witness in the lawsuits filed by Mississippi and 49 other states against the tobacco industry which were eventually settled for $246 billion.
A collection of Alan Bleasdale's finest work. Includes: GBH: Penned by the mighty hand of Alan Bleasdale GBH tells the story of two men; Michael Murray an ambitious and charismatic politician; and Jim Nelson a respected headmaster at a school for disturbed children. Both are citizens of a northern city lifelong supporters of the Labour party and undergoing an intense period of stress. Both believe that they're being driven insane. Nelson accidentally defies a Murra
When a young girl mysteriously disappears Police Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) travels to a remote island to investigate. But this pastoral community led by the strange Lord Summerisle (a brilliant performance by the legendary Christopher Lee) is not what it seems as the devout Christian detective soon uncovers a secret society of wanton lust and pagan blasphemy. Can Howie now stop the cult's ultimate sacrifice before he himself comes face to face with the horror of the Wicker Man?
Disc jockey, flyboy, con-man, compulsive fibber... Kit Curran is all of these and worse! A perfect storm of self-obsession and general apathy, Kit reigns as the undisputed king of small-time Radio Newtown; but sparks start to fly when a new boss arrives and Kit finds that his days of egocentric scheming may soon be numbered! A creative force in comedy for four decades, BAFTA-winning writer/director/novelist/comedian Andy Hamilton has scored numerous successes in television, radio and film in shows such as Drop the Dead Donkey, Shelley, Old Harry's Game and What We Did On Our Holiday. Following his work on Shelley and Smith & Jones in the early 1980s, Hamilton crafted one of television all-time-great likeable rogue characters in Kit Curran an inventively delusional narcissist, played to perfection by BAFTA-nominee Denis Lawson. This set contains all twelve episodes from both series.
One of the best known Shakespeare comedies which blends romance fun confusion and fairies.
A story of love, lust, jealousy and betrayal, of one man's fight to rebuild his shattered life and a family's struggle to find the truth behind their loved one's murder. After seven years in a high security prison, David Collins' (Lee Ingleby) conviction for the murder of his wife, Tara, is overturned due to a technicality, or as his lawyer puts it an appalling miscarriage of justice . Able to start his life again and begin to repair relationships with his family and friends, David hopes to finally be allowed to mourn his wife's death. As a new investigation is launched, headed by DI Cathy Hudson (Angel Coulby), dark secrets of abuse, affairs and money troubles rise to the surface. From jealous sisters to disgruntled lovers, these secrets rip fragile relationships apart at the seams. But one question remains: is David Collins truly innocent?
The ultimate small-screen representation of Loaded-era lad culture--albeit a culture constantly being undermined by its usually sharper female counterpart--there seems little argument that Men Behaving Badly was one of 1990s' definitive sitcoms. Certainly the booze-oriented, birds-obsessed antics of Martin Clunes' Gary and Neil Morrissey's Tony have become every bit as connected to Britain's collective funny bone as Basil Fawlty's inept hostelry or Ernie Wise's short, hairy legs. Yet, the series could easily have been cancelled when ITV viewers failed to respond to the original version, which featured Clunes sharing his flat with someone named Dermot, played by Harry Enfield. Indeed, it was only when the third series moved to the BBC and was then broadcast in a post-watershed slot--allowing writer Simon Nye greater freedom to explore his characters' saucier ruminations--that the show began to gain a significant audience. By then, of course, Morrissey had become firmly ensconced on the collective pizza-stained sofa, while more screen time was allocated to the boys' respective foils, Caroline Quentin and Leslie Ash. Often glibly dismissed as a lame-brained succession of gags about sex and flatulence, the later series not only featured great performances and sharp-as-nails writing but also sported a contemporary attitude that dared to go where angels, and certainly most other sitcoms, feared to tread. Or, as Gary was once moved to comment about soft-porn lesbian epic Love in a Women's Prison: "It's a serious study of repressed sexuality in a pressure-cooker environment." Series 5 includes: "Hair" in which Tony returns from holiday to discover Dorothy has convinced Gary she should move in. And that Tony should move out; "The Good Pub Guide" in which our heroes are dismayed when The Crown gets a new look and new landlord (The Fast Show's John Thomson). Tony rescues the pub's old condom machine as a present for Deborah ("I thought it was something we could enjoy together."); "Cowardice" in which Tony becomes convinced Deborah is going through a lesbian phase; "Your Mate Vs Your Bird" in which increased tension in the household persuades Dorothy to reconsider her living arrangements; "Cardigan" in which Gary, concerned he's becoming middle-aged, suggests they go to a rave; "Rich and Fat" in which Tony goes on a diet after Gary accuses him of being "a bit of a podgemeister"; "Home Made Sauna" in which temptation comes Gary's way when Dorothy and Deborah go away for a sailing weekend. The DVD version also features aquiz.
Paul Reynolds is a Gatsby-like figure: owner of a magnificent house a host of great parties and a collector of interesting people. He persuades Lizzie Thomas a secretary in a local estate agent to come and work for him as his assistant to bring some order to his chaos. He inspires her with his enthusiasm and imagination and frustrates her with his apparent carelessness and destructiveness which culminates in her calling the police as a great party is turned over by local troubl
The Wicker Man has had an enduring fascination for audiences since its release in 1973, commanding a devotion that most films can only dream of. A unique and bone-fide horror masterpiece, brilliantly scripted by Anthony Shaffer (Sleuth, Frenzy) and featuring an astounding performance by the legendary Christopher Lee. Director Robin Hardy's atmospheric use of location, unsettling imagery and haunting soundtrack gradually builds to one of the most terrifying and iconic climaxes in modern cinema. When a young girl mysteriously disappears, Police Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) travels to a remote Scottish island to investigate. But this pastoral community, led by the strange Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee), is not what it seems as the devoutly religious detective soon uncovers a secret society of wanton lust and pagan blasphemy. Can Howie now stop the cult's ultimate sacrifice before he himself comes face to face with the horror of The Wicker Man? Extras: THE FINAL CUT (2013 version APPROVED BY ROBIN HARDY)BURNT OFFERING: THE CULT OF THE WICKER MAN DOCUMENTARY WRITTEN BY MARK KERMODE WORSHIPPING THE WICKER MAN FAMOUS FANS FEATURETTE THE MUSIC OF THE WICKER MAN FEATURETTE INTERVIEW WITH ROBIN HARDY INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTOPHER LEE & ROBIN HARDY (1979) RESTORATION COMPARISON TRAILER
Filmed on stage in London featuring extracts from Swan Lake Ondine and The Firebird.
The classic tale of Tom Jones a boy who is adopted in childhood by the kindly Squire Allworthy adapted from the novel written by Henry Fielding. As a result he becomes a privileged gentleman but one with a roving eye. Soon an amorous indiscretion results in him being exiled from his home...
An unexpected marriage of big-budget production values and low-budget instincts, The Ring offers chills to be savoured. Usually when Hollywood indulges its cash-hungry game of remaking foreign films the result sacrifices much of what made the original so special. Clearly, the supremely eerie supernatural vibe that permeated the legendary 1998 Japanese horror film must have done something to those Hollywood suits, because Gore Verbinski's remake is actually rather good. Certainly, it's not superior to the original, but it's undoubtedly a cut above most modern horror efforts, expertly wringing every drop of suspense. The impressive Naomi Watts (Mullholland Drive) plays a journalist investigating an urban myth of a videotape that kills the viewer a week after watching it. Succumbing to curiosity, she watches it herself--big mistake--and has a week to solve the mystery or fall victim to its sinister power. While transferring the action from Japan to modern-day Seattle may weaken the impact of the plot's mythological elements, and the film may be guilty of pointless padding (belying the original's lean format), Verbinski's effort is no less squirm-inducing, bolstered with a tremendous shocker of an ending. Exquisitely utilising the strong visual sense displayed in The Mexican, Verbinski creates a thick atmosphere of dread and suspense that never lets up, thankfully favouring old-fashioned scares, rather than retreating to blunt CG spectacle. In Watts, the film has a horror heroine who far exceeds the average wide-eyed scream queen, perfectly conveying the endless stream of bone-chilling moments. --Danny Graydon
The British Are Coming! Britain's finest athletes have begun their quest for glory in the 1924 Olympic Games. Success brings honour to their nation. For two runners the honour at stake is personal... and their challenge one from within. Winner of four 1981 Academy Awards including Best Picture 'Chariots Of Fire' is the inspiring true story of Harold Abrahams Eric Liddell and the team that brought Britain one of its greatest sports victories. Ben Cross Ian Charleson Nigel Havers Nicholas Farrell and Alice Krige enjoyed their first major movie roles in this debut theatrical feature for director Hugh Hudson. Producer David Puttnam blended those talents to shape a film of unique and lasting impact. From its awesome footage of competition to its Oscar-winning Vangelis score 'Chariots Of Fire' has blazed its way into the hearts of movie lovers everywhere.
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