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 6 includes: "Stag Night" in which Gary agrees with Dorothy's suggestion they get married ("We've tried everything else.") provoking potentially disastrous stag-night shenanigans; "Wedding" in which Gary and Dorothy's wedding day fails to run smoothly. ("I don't want to get married--I haven't slept with enough women," he complains. "Do you want to squeeze one in?"); "Jealousy" in which the quartet make the grave error of going away for a weekend in the country; "Watching TV" concerns a quiet night in with Captain Kirk & Co ("On the Starship Enterprise, when no one's looking, do you think they all swivel round in their chairs really fast?"); "Ten" in which the communal boat is rocked by the simultaneous arrival of Dorothy's nephew and Deborah's mother; and "Sofa" in which Tony buys a snake. --Clark Collis The DVD version also features a quiz.
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
The pageant of boorishness and slobbery known as Men Behaving Badly launched itself upon an unsuspecting audience in 1992. Over the course of six episodes, Gary (Martin Clunes), the disgruntled manager of a security alarm company, struggles to break up with his long-suffering girlfriend Dorothy (Caroline Quentin) while competing with his aimless flatmate Dermot (Harry Enfield) for the attentions of their fetching new upstairs neighbour Deborah (Leslie Ash). The plots are built on contrivances like a chess match over opera tickets or an attempt at seduction via a synthesized flamenco guitar, but the humor always springs from the petty, careless, and generally inane behavior of Dermot and Gary. Gary persuades Dorothy to accept an open relationship, then becomes consumed with jealousy when she sees another man; Dermot tries to persuade Deborah to relieve their basic needs while her boyfriend is in Singapore. It could be tiresome squalor--and according to reviews, the American remake of the show (featuring Rob Schneider and Ron Eldard) was just that--but Clunes and Enfield invest this pair of clods with enough humanity to make their mishaps both excruciating and funny. Enfield left after this first sextet of episodes; Clunes and Enfield's replacement Neil Morrissey took the show to five more series, but Enfield's charming dimness makes this first series worth a look. --Bret Fetzer
Prepare for the chill of a lifetime as the master of suspense Rod Serling hosts this classic series featuring every spine-tingling episode from the complete first season of Night Gallery. Thrill to stories adapted from short stories by such legendary writers as H.P. Lovecraft and Conrad Aiken starring Hollywood greats including Diane Keaton Joan Crawford and Roddy McDowall and directed by cinematic masters like Steven Spielberg in this unforgettable series - now available on DVD for the first time! Episodes Comprise: 1. The Cemetery 2. Eyes 3. The Escape Route 4. The Dead Man 5. The Housekeeper 6. Room with a View 7. The Little Black Bag 8. The Nature of the Enemy 9. The House 10. Certain Shadows on the Wall 11. Make Me Laugh 12. Clean Kills and Other Trophies 13. Pamela's Voice 14. Lone Survivor 15. The Doll 16. The Last Laurel 17. They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar
On the 12th September 1942 the Laconia - a cruise ship turned troop ship - was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-156 commanded by Werner Hartenstein. She carried a motley crew of women children wounded soldiers and Italian Prisoners of War. Having sunk the ship Hartenstein should have left them to their uncertain fate in the water but instead he made the incredible decision to save as many lives as he could. A true story of unexpected gallantry and humanity in the fog of war.
'Dirty Tricks' follows the hapless exploits of an unscrupulous English tutor at a seedy language school in Oxford. On the surface he is an eternal student: charming witty and accomplished. Beneath the facade however he displays a brilliant and ruthless talent for lying and manipulating everyone around him. Our 'hero' becomes friendly with wealthy couple Dennis and Karen Parsons but his initial feelings of bitterness regarding their success become complicated by a frenzied affair wit
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' 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 2 includes: "Gary and Tony", in which Tony moves into the Gary's flat and makes his first disastrous attempt to woo upstairs-neighbour Deborah; "Rent Boy" in which Gary thinks Tony is gay; "How to Bump Your Girlfriend" in which no sooner has Tony got back together with his old girlfriend and filled her in about Gary ("nice bloke, ears like the FA Cup") than he decides to give her the shove; "Troublesome Twelve Inch" in which Gary tries to sell a rare record belonging to Dorothy without her knowing; "Going Nowhere" in which Tony buys a van to impress Deborah who in turn gets stuck in a lift with Gary; and "People Behaving Irritatingly" in which Tony's brother and missus visit the flat much to Gary's annoyance ("It's not enough that they were at it all last night, now they're trying to set up a national sperm bank in my bath.) --Clark Collis
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 3 includes: "Lovers" in which Gary becomes worried that he hasn't slept with enough women; "Bed" in which Dorothy and Gary experience problems in the boudoir ("What's the matter? We always have sex after I've cooked for us. That's why I do it."); "Casual Ties" in which a depressed Deborah decides to sell her flat and go travelling, while Tony fails to cheer her up by impersonating different types of Cheese; "Weekend" in which Tony gets a job at The Crown; "Cleaning Lady" in which Tony reconsiders his professional options ("I could be an escort." "What, a car?" asks Gary); "Marriage" in which Gary joins Dorothy for a candlelit dinner ("Why she couldn't find a restaurant with proper lighting I don't know"). --Clark Collis
OK, brace yourself--this could get messy. Craig Burton (Arnold Vosloo, the eponymous vengeful goon in The Mummy) stars here as a dedicated, overworked hospital doctor whose sterling abilities in the emergency room are sadly unparalleled in the bedroom given that he still can't father a child with his spouse Sherry (Jillian McWhirter). Until, that is, he finds himself undergoing a dizzying--and inordinately lengthy--out-of-body experience in the middle of the night. Subsequently troubled by grotesque paranormal visions, Craig is distressed to discover Sherry is pregnant. Convinced his unborn child is, in fact, the product of his wife's abduction by aliens, he's not a happy man. In his fevered state, he first dispatches Sherry to alarming gynaecologist David Weatherly (Wilford Brimley), before visiting both shrink Susan Lamarche (Lindsay Crouse) and alien abduction expert Bert Clavell (Brad Dourif). And from here on in, it gets really dumb. Adorned with the kind of icky, low-rent effects and weird fixation with medical procedure that anyone acquainted with the work of director Brian Yuzna (Society) and scriptwriter Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator) will no doubt already be familiar with, Progeny is a boon for the connoisseur of straight-to-tape nonsense. Just check out that cast-can't you hear the deep, gravelly voice on the trailer now ("Together at last--Crouse. Brimley. Dourif. Vosloo!")? Obviously, anyone after plausible moments of human drama is in entirely the wrong place and, yes, both the direction and performances are erratic to put it politely (Vosloo appears in a state of near-catatonia throughout), but, in its own, stomach-turning, sub-Rosemary's Baby kind of way, Progeny is a prime example of sci-fi/horror nonsense at its best (and most nonsensical). --Danny Leigh
The mob's best hitman Tony Lazorka becomes the mob's most wanted when he decides to double-cross his bosses. Using the FBI and the witness protection programme his new identity is made known when a disc changes hands. Now his family is at the mercy of both the Mob and the CIA....
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?
This version of the classic story picks up from where the 1976 version left off. The mighty ape is resurrected through a miracle of modern medicine and brings him together with what will be the equally terrifying love of his life: Lady Kong...
Get ready for seconds... they're back! It's been two years since the fiendish Critters first terrorized the town of Grovers Bend and sent the Brown family packing. But the ""boy who called Critter "" Brad Brown (Scott Grimes) is back... and just in time! Critter eggs have been hatching lethal litters and the bloodthirsty hairballs are eager to partake in their favourite pastime - eating. In no time the eggs are popping open everywhere - a field full of livestock becomes a gigantic fe
A talented and wealthy young married couple's close-knit life together becomes unstitched when the husband becomes addicted to cocaine...
This 1960 Film features a variety of dances from different ballets including Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake Stravinsky's The Firebird and Neze's Ondine. It is an excellent showpiece for the talents of the Royal Ballet.
'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...
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
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