It's not the 1935 Hitchcock classic, but this sturdy 1978 adaptation of John Buchan's The Thirty Nine Steps is still a rollicking good adventure. In keeping with the Boys' Own derring-do of the story (set in Edwardian London and the Scottish Highlands), the movie maintains a brisk pace that's interrupted only for tea or cocktails. Robert Powell is Richard Hannay, the man who unwittingly becomes embroiled in a dastardly Prussian plot to assassinate the Greek Prime Minister. Framed for murder, Hannay must flee to Scotland and attempt to clear his name whilst outwitting the prune-faced Prussian agents. Among all the deftly choreographed action sequences and careful period settings there's a strong vein of humour in the film, and if it wasn't for the numerous murders there would be little reason for PG certification. The grand dénouement comes with the realisation that the predicted time for the assassination is linked to Big Ben; unlike the earlier movie this version climaxes memorably with Powell hanging from the clock's minute hand. It might not be Hitchcock behind the lens, but it's still jolly good fun. --Joan Byrne
Featuring all three series of Operation Good Guys. Series 1: A new fly-on-the-wall documentary series about an elite police unit's bid to snare one of Britain's most powerful crime lords. But things are not quite what they seem... Operation Good Guys is in fact an innovative and irreverent comedy. Blurring the line between fact and fiction it witnesses on camera the total breakdown professionally and personally of the Operation Good Guys team. Throughout the operation Th
Boasting a virtuoso comic performance from Leonard Rossiter The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976-79) remains one of the greatest of all television sitcoms. Writer David Nobbs combined the surrealist absurdity of Monty Python with an on-going story line that unfolded through each of the three seasons with a clear beginning, middle and end; a ground-breaking development in 70s TV comedy. The first and best season charts middle-aged, middle-management executive Reginald Perrin as he breaks-down under the stress of middle-class life until he informs the world that half the parking meters in London have Dutch Parking Meter Disease. He fakes suicide and returns to court his wife Elizabeth (Pauline Yates) in disguise, a plot development that formed the entire basis of Mrs Doubtfire (1993). Series Two is broader, the rapid-fire dialogue still razor sharp and loaded with caustic wit and ingenious silliness, as a now sane Reggie takes on the madness of the business world by opening a chain of shops selling rubbish. The third season, set in a health farm, is routine, the edge blunted by routine sitcom conventions. At its best The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin is hilarious and moving, its depiction of English middle-class life spot on, its satire prophetic. Reggie's visual fantasies hark back to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947) and Billy Liar (1963), and look forward to Ally McBeal (1997-2002) and are the icing on the cake of a fine, original and highly imaginative show. On the DVD: Reginald Perrin's discs contain one complete seven episode season. There are no extras. The sound is good mono and the 4:3 picture is generally fine, though some of the exterior shot-on-film scenes have deteriorated and there are occasional signs of minor damage to the original video masters. Even so, for a 1970s sitcom shot on video the picture is excellent and far superior to the original broadcasts. --Gary S Dalkin
A feature length documentary telling the story of Los Angeles band Love and their singer Arthur Lee. The film premiered at the 50th London Film Festival and features interviews with band members Arthur Lee (sadly his last ever interviews) Johnny Echols Bryan Maclean Alban Snoopy Pfisterer Michael Stuart John Fleckenstein and Robert Rozelle as well as Elektra Records head Jac Holzman producer Bruce Botnick The Doors' John Densmore and arranger David Angel. Other interviews include Bobby Gillespie (Primal Scream) Mani (The Stone Roses/Primal Scream) John Head (Shack) Ken Livingstone and MPs Stephen Pound & Peter Bradley who passed an Early Day Motion in Parliament to proclaim the band's 1968 masterpiece Forever Changes The greatest album of all time. The film also includes rarely seen television performances from the band from 1966 & 1970 and rare & unseen archive photographs.
Tom Dowd And The Language Of Music profiles the extraordinary life and legendary work of music producer/recording engineer Tom Dowd. Historical footage vintage photographs and interviews with a who's who list of musical giants from the worlds of jazz soul and classic rock shine a spotlight on the brilliance of Tom Dowd whose creative spirit and passion for innovative technology helped shape the course of modern music.Tom Dowd's credits include recording sessions with Aretha Franklin Ray Charles Eric Clapton Otis Redding John Coltrane The Allman Brothers Band Tito Puente Dizzy Gillespie Thelonious Monk Cream Rod Stewart Lynyrd Skynyrd Booker T & the MG's and countless other musical luminaries.
Teaches: Winning Techniques Basic Fundamentals Skill Analysis and How To Improve Performance the Track and Field 6 volume series is designed for coaches and athletes teaching skill development technique and training programs to improve performance. This Series Features: Bill Dellinger John Gillespie George Walcott Stewart Togher and Dan West former members of the University of Oregon Men's Track and Field coaching staff each program provides a solid fundamental base from which an athlete can build. Strong emphasis is given to the analysis and development of the athlete's potential through a variety of proven drills. Meet the Coach: John Gillespie is truly one of the best coaches of all time and one of the best jump coaches in the nation. His athletes have won 13 Pacific-10 Conference titles in recent years and broken numerous school records in the high jump long jump and triple jump.
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