Most critics couldn't get behind Bill Murray's modern retelling of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, finding it too unfocused at times and not nearly wicked enough. Still, if you are a Murray fan, you have to enjoy his deliciously nasty portrayal of the world's meanest TV executive, who has his cathartic moment one cold Christmas night in New York City. The various ghosts lead him on a ghost-town tour of Manhattan, with stops at holidays past, present and future and a Kumbaya moment when Al Green and Annie Lennox sing "Put a Little Love in Your Heart". The effects are otherworldly, but one wishes the writing were as sharp as Murray's edgy portrayal. --Marshall Fine
Based on Tom Sharpes satirical novel and set in a fictional, all-male Cambridge College, 1987s Porterhouse Blue is a crusty delight. Ian Richardson stars as the austere moderniser who takes over as master of Porterhouse with a view to bringing in radical changes; David Jason is Skullion, head porter for 45 years and a bulldog-style traditionalist.Porterhouse Blue is a wonderfully grotesque and not inaccurate depiction of an Oxbridge college that has set itself resolutely and decadently against the modern world. Crammed with hoggish, port-swilling dons who are more concerned that the college stay "head of the river" than with academic achievement, the highlight of Porterhouses year is the Founders Feast, in which students and tutors gorge debauchedly on roast swan stuffed with widgeon, to the horror of the new vegetarian master. Jasons Skullion looks on approvingly: hes a stickler for Porterhouses inverted values, disapproving, for instance, of student Zipser (John Sessions), the only fellow at the college actually there to work. When the master eventually fires Skullion, the forces of traditionalism gather in sympathy and attempt their revenge.Unfolding over 190 leisurely minutes, Porterhouse Blue is an elegantly turned comedy in which practically every morsel of dialogue is to be savoured for its delicious tang. Jason and Richardson are reliably excellent in what is an overall exhibition of British TV thespianism at its finest. --David Stubbs
Behind the doors of Study No. 5 in Mr. Prout's house, you will find a typical group of private schoolboys. You'll also find revenge, hatred, violence and passion. A stunning adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's book of the same name, this series follows a group of boys in an unnamed school known as the Coll'. Meet Stalky, the charming but ruthless leader of the pack, M'Turk, a comic John Ruskin devotee, and Beetle, the literary brains of the group, widely known to be based on Kipling himself. The boys are determined to make their mark on the world, defend the honour of their house and leave the school as men of valour and achievement.
When British jocky Bob Champion is struck down with cancer in the prime of his career his desire to live is determined by a single promise; on successful recovery he will ride jump prospect Aldaniti in the 1981 Grand National... John Hurt gives a truly stunning performance as Bob Champion in this true story of courage dedication and the strength of the human spirit.
Hailed as "genre-breaking stuff" on its release in 1992, this is the tale of a London estate agent who find he's the son of a Yorkshire pig farmer.
Romance, action, betrayal, suspensethis timeless BBC adaptation of The Three Musketeers has it all. In 1620s France, the young, poor and unfailingly ambitious d'Artagnan (BAFTA-nominee Joss Ackland) leaves his humble village and treks to Paris on a quest to join the Musketeers of the Guard. At first, he's ridiculed, abused, and scornedbut after he impresses the three high-estesteemed musketeers in the land, they take him under their wing. With Porthos (Brian Blessed, Z Cars), Athos (Jeremy Young), and Aramis (John Woodvine) at his side, d'Artagnan sharpens his skills as a swordsman and, more often than not, is forced to put them to the test. The gang becomes entangled in a web of lies, love, violence and deceit among the French royalty, treacherous territory where even one wrong move could land them in prisonor worse. Over the course of ten thrilling, masterfully-crafted episodes, this series from the heyday of the BBC's classic Sunday serial (Telegraph) traces through Alexander Dumas' masterwork with stylebringing 17th century France to life in all its swashbuckling, chivalric, captivating glory.
John Thaw, Anthony Valentine and Edward Woodward take leading roles in this chilling, original and brilliantly compelling trio of thrillers based around the themes of retribution, jealousy, lust and sexual obsession. KILLER WAITING A voice on the telephone announces the start of a deadly game that will engulf an ex-Army man in a nightmare of appalling memories and horrifying reality Starring John Thaw and Diane Keen KILLER EXPOSED A charming, wealthy dentist becomes fascinated by one of his patients an attractive female detective whose appearance re-ignites a deadly fixation Starring Anthony Valentine and John Foregham KILLER CONTRACT An ambitious, self-made tycoon is forced to make a choice between launching an important new business, and risking the life of the daughter he adores Starring Edward Woodward and Wanda Ventham
Inspector Morse provides all the period cosiness of an Agatha Christie costume drama but in an apparently modern setting. Morse is a contemporary detective with all the nostalgic appeal of Poirot or Sherlock Holmes, an anachronistic throwback who drives a classic car, listens to Wagner on LP, quaffs real ale in country pubs or single malt at home and quotes poetry whenever occasion arises (at least once or twice an episode). His much put-upon sidekick Segeant Lewis (Kevin Whateley) is the bemused ordinary copper who acts as a foil for his artistic and academic passions, and not incidentally allows the writers to explain any possibly obscure or learned references to the TV audience. With plots of crossword puzzle-like intricacy, top-drawer thespian guest stars, loving views of quintessentially English Tourist Board Oxfordshire countryside and literate screenplays from such luminaries as Malcom Bradbury, the show was a sure-fire hit across middle England.In 1994, after four successful series, John Thaw moved on to other projects (initially, the disastrous A Year In Provence) but always left the door open for more Morse. "The Remorseful Day" is, however, positively his final appearance. The story opens dramatically with a montage of kinky sex and murder, before settling down into a leisurely exploration of leads that might or might not be red herrings. More murders follow, naturally, as the story adds yet more twists. But this time things are different: Morse, on the very eve of retirement, is gravely ill. Convalescing at home he consoles himself with bird watching and a newly acquired CD player, but he is more than usually irritable and relations with Lewis, who is impatiently awaiting his own promotion to Inspector, are strained. Could Morse himself be the murderer? Certainly Chief Superintendent Strange (James Grout) is worried. The ultimate resolution of the case takes second place to the show's finale, which will be no surprise to anyone who has read Colin Dexter's novel. A poignant and dignified end to the casebook of a much-loved detective.On the DVD: This disc also includes a 96-minute appreciation of the Morse phenomenon, "Rest in Peace", presented by James Grout who plays Chief Superintendent Strange in the series, plus a music video of the Morse theme tune, "Yesterday is Here". --Mark Walker
Prince Alexei heir to the last Tsar is a hemophiliac. The Tsarina is persuaded to allow a mysterious monk Rasputin to use his powers of healing on the Prince. Against the wishes of the Tsar Rasputin tends to the young Prince - with frighteningly successful results. So begins a relationship which ended in Rasputin's murder and the eventual downfall of Imperial Russia...
This box set features the entire fifth series of the classic British Television drama Inspector Morse. Episodes comprise: 1. Second Time Around: Morse becomes concerned when an ex-Deputy Police Commissioner is murdered. He also discovers that there exists a connection between a missing chapter from the murdered man's memoirs and himself... 2. Fat Chance: A woman deacon dies in suspicious circumstances and Morse is called in... 3. Who Killed Harry Field?:
Adapted by celebrated screenwriter Jack Rosenthal (Coronation Street) from C. F. Taylor's acclaimed play of the same name, And a Nightingale Sang struck a chord with audiences when it first aired for its bittersweet, sharply observant and humorous portrait of working-class family life on the British Home Front during World War Two. Despite air raid sirens, gas masks, ration books and whistling bombs punctuating their everyday lives, the Stott family remain stoic as they focus on keeping life as normal as possible. Helen Stott is the family's sensible 30-year-old daughter: a kindly yet self-deprecating girl who walks with a limp, whose life so far has not been very kind to her. Surprised to find love during the chaos of war, she falls for gentle soldier Norman. However, the course of true love runs less than smoothly Starring Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey) as the pitiful Helen Stott, and Tom Watt (Eastenders) as the soldier who steals her heart. Helen's flirty younger sister Joyce is played by Pippa Hinchley (Coronation Street), who is attracted to every solider apart from her own husband (Stephen Tompkinson DCI Banks). John Woodvine (The Crown) also features as the Stott family's father, preferring to escape awkward family situations by banging out popular tunes on the piano than face conflict, and Oscar-nominee Joan Plowright (Enchanted April) as the devoutly Catholic family matriarch, who finds herself drawn to her priest. The DVD will also feature fascinating extras in the form of three real wartime public information films, giving insight into the unrivalled efforts on the British Home Front, from the Imperial War Museum: They Keep the Wheels Turning (1942), Britannia is a Woman (1940) and The New Britain (1940).
When Inspector Morse first appeared on television in 1987, nobody could have predicted that it would run into the next century, maintaining throughout a quality of scripts and story lines that raised the genre of the detective series to a new level. Much of its success can be attributed to John Thaw's total immersion in the role. Morse is a prickly character and not obviously easy to like. As a detective in Oxford with unfulfilled academic propensities, he is permanently excluded from a world of which he would dearly love to be a part. He is at odds with that world--and with his colleagues in the police force--most of the time. Passionate about opera and "proper beer", he is a cultural snob for whom vulgarity causes almost physical pain. As a result, he lives from one disillusionment to another. And he is scarred--more deeply than he would ever admit--by past relationships. But he also has a naïve streak and, deep-down sensitivity, which makes him a fascinating challenge for women. At the heart of Morse's professional life is his awkward partnership with Detective Sergeant Lewis, the resolutely ordinary, worldly sidekick who manages to keep his boss in an almost permanent state of exasperation while retaining his grudging respect. It's a testament to Kevin Whateley's consistently excellent performance that from such unpromising material, Lewis becomes as indispensable to the series as Barrington Pheloung's hypnotic, classic theme music. Morse's investigations do occasionally take him abroad to more exotic locations, but throughout 14 successful years of often gruesome murders, the city of Oxford itself became a central character in these brooding two-hour dramas: creator Colin Dexter stating he finally had to kill Morse off because he was giving Oxford a bad reputation as a dangerous place! --Piers Ford
Hell's Angels on Wheels takes you back to an era of drug and gasoline fuelled rebellion. Photographed by Lazlo Kovacs (Paper Moon Close Encounters of the Third Kind) and starring Jack Nicholson in one of his finest roles this movie goes hog wild! The director Richard Rush worked alongside the notorious Sonny Barger and the Oakland Hells Angels as a major background source. Adam Rourke plays Buddy the head of the Angels and Nicholson plays Poet a gas jockey who joins the brotherhood. Nicholson soon comes to realise that there are a lot of slaves in Buddy's hell and he doesn't want to be one of them. Until that realisation however he delights in the violence and the orgies - which allows Nicholson to give his baby-faced killer grin a thorough work-out.
Based on Ludovic Kennedy's investigative book '10 Rillington Place' is the true and horrifying story of English mass murderer John Christie (chillingly played by Richard Attenborough). When Timothy Evans (John Hurt) his wife Beryl (Judy Geeson) and their young daughter move into Christie's house they unknowingly sign their death warrants. Christie offers to help Beryl have an abortion and uses this opportunity as he has already done with previous victims to strangle and rape her. Believing himself to be an accomplice to a fatal abortion Evans panics and flees with the hope that his child will be looked after; in fact Christie kills her too. Evans is arrested charged with double murder found guilty and hanged. But Christie continues to kill... Attenborough and Hurt give unforgettable performances in this thought-provoking frightening and atmospheric true crime classic directed by Richard Fleischer.
When Inspector Morse first appeared on television in 1987, nobody could have predicted that it would run into the next century, maintaining throughout a quality of scripts and story lines that raised the genre of the detective series to a new level. Much of its success can be attributed to John Thaw's total immersion in the role. Morse is a prickly character and not obviously easy to like. As a detective in Oxford with unfulfilled academic propensities, he is permanently excluded from a world of which he would dearly love to be a part. He is at odds with that world--and with his colleagues in the police force--most of the time. Passionate about opera and "proper beer", he is a cultural snob for whom vulgarity causes almost physical pain. As a result, he lives from one disillusionment to another. And he is scarred--more deeply than he would ever admit--by past relationships. But he also has a naïve streak and, deep-down sensitivity, which makes him a fascinating challenge for women. At the heart of Morse's professional life is his awkward partnership with Detective Sergeant Lewis, the resolutely ordinary, worldly sidekick who manages to keep his boss in an almost permanent state of exasperation while retaining his grudging respect. It's a testament to Kevin Whateley's consistently excellent performance that from such unpromising material, Lewis becomes as indispensable to the series as Barrington Pheloung's hypnotic, classic theme music. Morse's investigations do occasionally take him abroad to more exotic locations, but throughout 14 successful years of often gruesome murders, the city of Oxford itself became a central character in these brooding two-hour dramas: creator Colin Dexter stating he finally had to kill Morse off because he was giving Oxford a bad reputation as a dangerous place! --Piers Ford
To Find The Truth He Will Risk His Life And Challenge His Faith. Dawn of a new millennium. In the cradle of faith that is Jerusalem two seemingly mismatched people from different worlds and cultures -- a Vatican-appointed Jesuit priest (Antonio Banderas) and an Israeli archaeologist (Olivia Williams) -- make a tenuous alliance to investigate a find that threatens the very foundations of Western religion. It also threatens to blow apart the region's fragile peace.
Set Comprises: Miracle On 34th Street (1947): Discover that miracles really do happen with one of the most spellbinding Christmas classic tales of all time. When Kris Kringle is hired to be Santa Claus in a department store's 34th Street branch his success is overwhelming much to the disdain of a rival store. When their attempts to discredit Santa take hold threatening all that is sacred and magical about Christmas prepare to find out that miracles really do happen... Miracle On 34th Street (1994):
Cripes Jeeves it looks like we're back for another. We've got all six episodes of our splendid fourth series in one marvellous double DVD box set. Bertie has returned with Jeeves of course to that glittering metropolis New York hoping for a peaceful existance. The peace doesn't last long though as he is soon beseiged by his wayward cousins along with the dreaded Aunt Agatha. When former fiancees also start appearing Bertie realises only too well that his bachelorhood is in jeopardy. One thing's for sure it will take the not inconsiderable skill of Jeeves to save the day but as he struggles to save his hapless employer from more trouble it seems the only way out is to set sail for England. Return To New York: While in New York Bertie commissions a portrait of Aunt Agatha from a young artist whom he hopes to marry. Tuppy Glossop sells a recipe for Cock-a-Leekie soup to an American soup mogul. Lady Florence Craye Arrives in New York: Bertie must arrange a secret meeting between two millionaire business tycoons. Meanwhile fiery-tempered Stilton Cheesewright suspects Bertie has designs on his betrothed Lady Florence. Honoria Glossop Turns Up: Perpetually love-sick Bingo Little has bestowed his affections on a mild-mannered waitress and once again he implores Bertie to assume the identity of a popular romance novelist to appeal in the name of love to Bingo's disapproving uncle. Arrested In A Nigh Club: Bertie's new mustache comes between Lady Florence and fiance Stilton Cheesewright. Aunt Dahlia requires assistance from Jeeves to retrieve a pearl necklace she has pawned. Totleigh Towers: An African tribal totem is believed to hold a curse over the Bassett household at Totleigh Towers. The Ex's Are Nearly Married Off: The Ganymede Club book-- containing potentially scandalous information about certain members of the ruling class as recorded by their personal valets-- has been stolen. The impending wedding between Madeline Bassett and Spode at Totleigh Towers is fraught with complications.
When Inspector Morse first appeared on television in 1987, nobody could have predicted that it would run into the next century, maintaining throughout a quality of scripts and storylines that raised the genre of the detective series to a new level. Much of its success can be attributed to John Thaw's total immersion in the role. Morse is a prickly character and not obviously easy to like. As a detective in Oxford with unfulfilled academic propensities, he is permanently excluded from a world of which he would dearly love to be a part. He is at odds with that world--and with his colleagues in the police force--most of the time. Passionate about opera and "proper beer", he is a cultural snob for whom vulgarity causes almost physical pain. As a result, he lives from one disillusionment to another. And he is scarred--more deeply than he would ever admit--by past relationships. But he also has a naïve streak and, deep down, sensitivity, which makes him a fascinating challenge for women. At the heart of Morse's professional life is his awkward partnership with Detective Sergeant Lewis, the resolutely ordinary, worldly sidekick who manages to keep his boss in an almost permanent state of exasperation while retaining his grudging respect. It's a testament to Kevin Whately's consistently excellent performance that from such unpromising material, Lewis becomes as indispensable to the series as Barrington Pheloung's hypnotic, classic theme music. Morse's investigations do occasionally take him abroad to more exotic locations, but throughout 14 successful years of often gruesome murders, the city of Oxford itself became a central character in these brooding two-hour dramas: creator Colin Dexter said he finally had to kill Morse off because he was giving Oxford a bad reputation as a dangerous place! --Piers Ford
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