Annie Hall (1977): Starring Allen as New York comedian Alvy Singer and Diane Keaton (in a Best Actress Oscar-winning role) as Annie the film weaves flashbacks flash forwards monologues a parade of classic Allen one-liners and even animation into an alternately uproarious and wistful comedy about a witty and wacky on-again off-again romance. Manhattan (1979): 42-year-old Manhattan native Isaac Davis (Allen) has a job he hates a seventeen-year-old girlfriend (Mariel Hemingway) he doesn't love and a lesbian ex-wife Jill (Meryl Streep) who's writing a tell-all book about their marriage... and whom he'd like to strangle. But when he meets his best friend's sexy intellectual mistress Mary (Diane Keaton) Isaac falls head over heels in lust! Leaving Tracy bedding Mary and quitting his job are just the beginning of Isaac's quest for romance and fulfillment in a city where sex is as intimate as a handshake - and the gate to true love... is a revolving door. Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex (But Were Afraid To Ask) (1972): Woody Allen pushes the frontiers of comedy by consolidating his madcap sensibility and wickedly funny irreverence with his developing penchant for visually arresting humor. Giving complete indulgence to the zany eccentricity of his medium Allen revels himself as a filmmaker of wit sophistication and comic insight rising to the occasion with several hysterical vignettes that probe sexuality's stickiest issues! Aphrodisiacs prove effective for a court jester (Allen) who finds the key to the Queen's (Lynn Redgrave) heart but learns that the key to her chastity belt might be more useful... Sleeper (1973): When cryogenically preserved Miles Monroe (Allen) is awakened 200 years after a hospital mishap he discovers the future's not so bright: all women are frigid all men are impotent and the world is ruled by an evil dictator: a disembodied nose! Pursued by the secret police and recruited by anti-government rebels with a plan to kidnap the dictator's snout before it can be cloned Miles falls for the beautiful - but untalented - poet Luna (Diane Keaton). But when Miles is captured and reprogrammed by the government to believe he's Miss America it's up to Luna to save Miles lead the rebels and cut off the nose just to spite its face. Love And Death (1975): Woody Allen reinvents himself again with the epic historical satire Love and Death. A wonderfully funny and eclectic distillation of the Russian literary soul the film represents a bridge between Allen's early slapstick farces and his darker autobiographical comedies. One of his most visual philosophical and elaborately conceived films 'Love And Death' demonstrates again that Allen is an authentic comic genius. Bananas (1971): When bumbling product-tester Fielding Mellish (Allen) is jilted by his girlfriend Nancy (Louise Lasser) he heads to the tiny republic of San Marcos for a vacation only to become kidnapped by rebels!
In the opening scene of Hamlet, Laurence Olivier describes the play in a voice-over as "the tragedy of a man who couldn't make up his mind". But Olivier's screen adaptation is considerably more thoughtful and complex than this thesis would suggest. The contradictions and ambiguities of the title character, who prowls cavernous sets filled with vast, ancient corridors and winding staircases, emerge as if from a dream. The plethora of tracking shots--precise enough to impress Stanley Kubrick--encircle Olivier and his tightly constructed geometry of demise. Drawing on his experience playing the Prince on stage at Elsinore in 1937, the legendary thesp provides the film with the patina of greatness and shows how the constitution of the formerly cheerful Prince weakens increasingly under the burden of his own thoughts and inability to accept his mother's o'er-hasty marriage to uncle Claudius (Basil Sydney). Indeed, if emotions could possess ghosts, Olivier's Hamlet shows how they would manifest themselves. There is even a dollop of Freud, suggesting that Queen Gertrude (Eileen Herlie) has perhaps loved her offspring too closely--thus providing the fuel for Hamlet's actions. As Ophelia, Jeans Simmons captures the character's early spirit better than her gradual disintegration (Helena Bonham Carter fares better in Franco Zeffirelli's fine 1990 remake). Purists may bemoan the loss of Fortinbras, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, but these choices allow Olivier to focus more squarely on Hamlet's plight. His monologues, many held in secret enclaves, glow with the dramatic markedness of a Dostoevski novel, with all of the master's irony, allusions and witticisms in place. The winner of four Oscars (Best Picture, Actor, Art Direction, and Costumes), this is a Hamlet for the ages. The rest is silence. --Kevin Mulhall
The complete collection of terrifying tales from Brian Clemens' classic series. Famed scriptwriter Brian Clemens is probably best known for his work on 'The Avengers' and 'The Professionals' but arguably the his best work is 'Thriller' a series he made for Lew Grade in the mid 1970s. 'Thriller' is an antholoy series of single plays - some horrific some terrifying - but always with a singular twist in the tale. Highly popular and critically acclaimed in its time 'Thriller' attra
A high school basketball prodigy is overshadowed by his father's violent past... Denzel Washington stars as convict Jake Shuttlesworth who is given temporary release from prison so that he can persuade the top college basketball player his son Jesus to play for the Governor's Alma Mater. Under pressure and temptation Jesus tries to make his decision Jake does some soul searching too.
As Kylo Ren and the sinister First Order rise from the ashes of the Empire, Luke Skywalker is missing when the galaxy needs him most. It's up to Rey, a desert scavenger, and Finn, a defecting stormtrooper, to join forces with Han Solo and Chewbacca in a desperate search for the one hope of restoring peace to the galaxy. Special Features: Audio Commentary By Director J.J. Abrams Episode VII: The Force Awakens Bonus Disc Secrets Of The Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey Dressing The Galaxy The Story Awakens: The Table Read Crafting Creatures Building BB-8 Blueprint Of A Battle: The Snow Fight ILM: The Visual Magic Of The Force John Williams: The Seventh Symphony Force For Change Foley: A Sonic Tale Sounds Of The Resistance Inside The Armory The Scavenger & The Stormtrooper: A Conversation With Daisy Ridley & John Boyega Leia & The Resistance Unkar Plutt at Maz's Castle Finn And The Villager Jakku Message X-Wings Prepare For Lightspeed Kylo Searches The Falcon Snow Speeder Chase Finn Will Be Fine Tunnel Standoff
There's hilarity at Grace Brothers the High Street department store with a difference. Join in the fun as limp-wristed Mr Humphries and that blue-rinsed battle axe Mrs Slocombe lead the outrageous department store staff through a second series of outrageously funny episodes! Episodes comprise: 1. The Clock 2. Cold Comfort 3. The Think Tank 4. Big Brother 5. Hoorah For The Holidays
A Hong Kong detective suffers a fatal accident involving a mysterious medallion and is transformed into an immortal warrior with superhuman powers.
This 2000 television adaptation confirms Nicholas Nickleby's place among television dramatists' favourite Dickens novels. It has all the vital ingredients: a sensitive, intelligent young hero cast by circumstances in the role of everyman whose fortitude is tested at every turn; romance; danger; one of Dickens' richest braces of characters; and a sense of humanity that is, at times, overwhelming. Condensing all this into three hours is no mean achievement. Martyn Edward Hesford's screenplay maintains an impressive balance between dramatic tension and allowing the characters the space they need to reveal their essential qualities. Only in the last 30 minutes does it become something of a gallop to the finishing post. True, the horrors of the boarding school could be more horrific; the grime of Victorian London and its toothless inhabitants could be grimier and less cosmetic. But as always with a superior production of a Dickens novel, the richness and depth of the drama outweigh such minor quibbles. As for the cast, James D'Arcy's Nicholas is pitch-perfect: part cipher for the injustices and despair he encounters, part emblem for the triumph of goodness, an innocent whose eyes are quickly forced open to the darker realities of life. These darker realities are congealed in Charles Dance's relentlessly chilling, heartless Ralph Nickleby. This is a deceptively complex performance; even as we cheer the gathering forces which finally extinguish his increasingly desperate power, the awful tragedy of his end still elicits a discomforting ounce of sympathy. Gregor Fisher as the one-eyed Squeers and Pam Ferris as his fearsomely lascivious wife are outstanding in an ensemble of fine character actors. And Lee Ingleby's Smike gives our tear ducts a good workout while steering just the right side of sentimentality. On the DVD: Nicholas Nickleby is presented in widescreen format with Dolby Digital soundtrack, and has all the technical qualities you might expect from the DVD release of a modern television production. Extras include cast filmographies, a Dickens biography and a list of his work, all of which add to the disc's merits as a literary educational tool. --Piers Ford
A tough action drama in the classic film noir vein. Released from jail for a crime he did not commit John Payne portrays a disgruntled ex-con who scours the underworld for the real theives behind a sophisticated armored car heist.
Three astronauts return to Earth two months after a nuclear holocaust and confront a new and terrifying reality. Civilisation has given way to barbarism. One of their number is eaten alive by the disease crazy mutants. The battle for freedom and the world's future has begun...
Includes the feature-length episodes 'Care & Protection' 'Not With Kindness' and 'Conclusions'. David Jason is the gritty and dogged Detective Inspector Jack Frost a man who has little time for paperwork or the orthodox approach. This release features all the episodes from Series One of A Touch of Frost.
They came they saw they changed their minds! A group of disillusioned townsfolk living in the West renounce their settlemen and decide to return to their homes in the East. Hiring a grizzled and eccentric wagonmaster (Candy) they set off on the trail...
When Blitzen announces his retirement on December 21st, a miniature horse has 3 days to fulfill his lifelong dream of earning a spot on Santa's team at the North Pole try-outs.
Released for the first time on DVD to coincide with Duran Duran's 25th anniversary tour, Arena (An Absurd Notion) was the band's first live album and foray into film. Pop idols ranging from Elvis to the Spice Girls have all attempted to make the crossover to the big screen; often such celluloid adventures turn into disasters, with the performers' acting talents rarely matching their vocal proficiencies. Filming is squeezed into a few days between the recording of a new studio album and other duties such as touring, ensuring that the end result is typically dire. Arena manages to avoid many of those pitfalls by giving the band no opportunity to act, instead focusing exclusively on their live concert performance. An additional SF sub plot is included centred on Doctor Duran--the evil dictator from cult film Barbarella, from whom the band got their name. The doctor, played by original actor Milo O'Shea, returns to earth from exile confused by the fans' call for Duran Duran. Crash-landing his ship underneath the stage, he and his three Brummie henchmen are determined to disrupt the show. Despite their attempts to abduct fans, and create anarchy the band continue to perform. Very much a product of its time, the film combines nomadic futuristic imagery with a big budget. Following the critical acclaim of the "Wild Boys" video, Arena seeks to capitalise on its style but also take the promotional video to a new extreme using expensive sets and special effects. The Barbarella sub-plot serves little purpose apart from illustrating the story behind the band's name. The live performance footage is excellent though, not just because of the music but also the guys' authentic mullet hairstyles. On the DVD:The original "Making of Arena" documentary is included on the DVD, along with a vintage interview with Simon Le Bon. The dubbed TV ad for the video and album is also featured along with a trailer, and video mix. Considering the age of the film, the sound and visuals have both transferred well to DVD, with the extended mix of "The Reflex" sounding particularly good. --John Galilee
Jim and Hilda Bloggs are the typical retired couple in rural England. They drink endless cups of tea and have an unwavering faith in the wisdom of their government. They understand that a Third World War is imminent between the US and the Soviets. However they fail to grasp the concept that war will be fought by nuclear means and what consequences this will have. With the help of government issued pamphlets Jim builds a shelter to protect the couple and although they survive a n
This harrowing but rewarding 1984 drama concerns the real-life relationship between New York Times reporter Sidney Schanberg and his Cambodian assistant Dith Pran (Haing S. Ngor), the latter left at the mercy of the Khmer Rouge after Schanberg--who chose to stay after American evacuation but was booted out--failed to get him safe passage. Filmmaker Roland Joffé, previously a documentarist, made his feature debut with this account of Dith's rocky survival in the ensuing madness of the Khmer Rouge's genocidal campaign. The script of The Killing Fields spends some time with Schanberg's feelings of guilt after the fact, but most of the movie is a shattering re-creation of hell on Earth. The late Haing S. Ngor--a real-life doctor who had never acted before and who lived through the events depicted by Joffé--is outstanding, and he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Oscars also went to cinematographer Chris Menges and editor Jim Clark. --Tom Keogh
This thrilling box set contains a further ten investigations for the two detectives DCI Barnaby and Sergeant Troy in a special gift box.
A film adaptation of the play by Peter Shaffer, Equus stars Richard Burton as Martin Dysart, a psychiatrist who takes on an unusual case: a young stable boy (Peter Firth) who, in frenzy, has blinded six horses. Their sessions reveal that the boy has a quasi-religious fetish for horses and he rides them in the dead of night, experiencing an ecstasy unlike anything Dysart has ever known. Dysart begins to question: Is the pursuit of normalcy worth the loss of individual passions? Equus features a lot of hokum--its therapy scenes are absurd crescendos of revelation and insights--but its central question has substance, the direction is energetic, and the performances are powerful; Burton, handsome and haggard, brings a complex self-loathing to his role. It also features Jenny Agutter and Joan Plowright. --Bret Fetzer
God Save The Queen ; Big Country - In The Big Country ; Suzanne Vega - Marlene On The Wall ; Level 42 - Hot Water ; Elton John - Your Song ; Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight ; Tina Turner - Better Be Good To Me ; Eric Clapton And Tina Turner - Tearing Us Apart ; Midge Ure - Call Of The Wild ; Mark Knopfler and Sting - Money For Nothing ; Paul Young - Every Time You Go Away ; Joan Armatrading - Reach Out ; Howard Jones - No One Is To Blame ; Rod Stewart - Sailing ; Elton John - I'm Still Standing ; Paul Young And George Michael - Every Time You Go Away ; Paul McCartney And Ensemble - Long Tall Sally ; Paul McCartney And Ensemble - Get Back.
Please wait. Loading...
This site uses cookies.
More details in our privacy policy