A Painted Smile / Rag Doll
Two years after 20th Century Fox released its melodramatic disaster film Titanic in 1953, Walter Lord's meticulously researched book A Night to Remember surprised its publishers by becoming a phenomenal bestseller. Lord had an intuition that readers craved the reality of the Titanic disaster and not the romantically mythologised translations (like Fox's film, starring Barbara Stanwyck), which relied on fictional characters to "enhance" the world's worst maritime disaster. Lord's book proved that the truth was far more compelling than fiction, outlining the many "if onlys" (if only the iceberg had been spotted a few minutes earlier, etc.) that lent sombre irony to the loss of 1,500 Titanic passengers. Three years after Lord's book appeared, it was brought to the screen with the kind of riveting authenticity that Lord had insisted upon in his own research. The 1958 British production of A Night to Remember remains a definitive dramatization of the disaster, adhering to the known facts of the time and achieving a documentary-like immediacy that matches (and in some ways surpasses) the James Cameron epic released 39 years later. The film erroneously perpetuates the once-common belief that the Titanic sunk in one piece (instead of breaking in half as its bow began to plunge), but many other misconceptions are accurately corrected, and the intelligent screenplay by thriller master Eric Ambler is a model of factual suspense. By making Titanic the star of the film, director Roy Baker emphasises the excessive confidence of the booming industrial age and creates an intense you-are-there realism that pays tribute to Walter Lord's tenacious quest for truth. --Jeff Shannon
Episodes include: The Man From Nowhere: A stranger enters Jean's flat and claims to be her husband... When The Spirit Moves You: Marty demonstrates how a ghost detective can sometimes do better than his mortal counterparts... Somebody Just Walked Over My Grave: Marty finds himself accusing his partner of seeing things! Could You Recognise the Man Again? Jeff and Jean are non-plussed to find a dead body in the back seat of their car...
When one man goes against the mob he starts a war that blows the city apart... London 1961. It's a city where gangs control the streets and extortion thugs call the shots until a ruthless accountant organizes the major racketeers into one ruling syndicate. But when the crime ring double-crosses mob enforcer Paddy Damion (Sean Connery) the fuse is lit on a brutal war that explodes in every pub club and street corner of the West End. Now Paddy is trapped between the strong-arm of the mob and the long arm of the law a hunted man alone in The Frightened City.
Their home is their battlefield. Their calling is war. Their only loyalty is to each other. They are the Wild Geese. While they fight their mission in Africa sinister forces in the corridors of power are working to seal their fate.
Joan Collins, James Booth and Sinéad Cusack star in this sensational, X-rated thriller in which an ordinary family turn to vigilante justice in the wake of their daughter's murder. With taut direction from Sidney Hayers and a tense script from The Saint screenwriter John Kruse, Revenge was a notable success in both Britain and the USA; it is featured here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio. Publicans Carol and Jim Radford learn that a reclusive local man suspected of raping and murdering their ten-year-old daughter has been released due to insufficient evidence. Heartbroken and hungry for vengeance, Jim hatches a chilling plan to force a confession from the suspect: abducting and imprisoning him in the pub's cellar, he will become judge, jury and if necessary executioner! Special Features Original theatrical trailer Image Gallery Promotional Material PDF
It Came from Beneath the Sea appeared two years after Ray Harryhausen unleashed The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms upon New York City. This time the master special-effects creator turned loose a giant (albeit six-armed) octopus on San Francisco, and the result is another enjoyable atom-age adventure that should please fans of vintage science fiction. Kenneth Tobey, who battled The Thing (From Another World) in 1951, stars as a Navy captain pursuing a monstrous octopoid (sextapoid?) after it attacks his atomic sub. After it wreaks havoc with shipping lanes, he tracks the creature to San Francisco for a final showdown. Scripting by George Worthing Yates (Them) and Hal Smith and direction by Robert Gordon are perfunctory at best, which gives the always-reliable Tobey and costar Faith Domergue little to do, but this is Harryhausen's show, and his monster, though the budget was restrained, is still impressive. Younger audiences weaned on digital FX may find this creaky, but nostalgic viewers will enjoy its simple thrills. --Paul Gaita
A riotously funny crime caper in the classic tradition of Two-Way Stretch and The Lavender Hill Mob Rotten to the Core boasts a top-notch cast with early roles for Anton Rodgers and Charlotte Rampling; produced directed and co-scripted by the legendary Boulting brothers this rare comedy gem earned a BAFTA Award nomination in 1966 for art director Alex Vetchinsky. Rotten to the Core is presented here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio. Lenny Jelly and Scapa are the three loyal henchmen of The Duke. After 18 months in jail they are eager to rejoin their leader... and even more eager to receive a share of the stash that sent them there. Having been told that the Duke has died and all the money was spent on hospital bills the they eventually meet up with their boss again; however they find that his methods have become far more sophisticated and before long they're involved in an elaborate plan to carry out a daringly audacious heist. Special Features: Image Gallery Original Pressbook PDF
A French Mistress
Woody Allen's Celebrity--a portrait of the celebrity life as seen through the eyes of a newly divorced couple--is a black-and-white, New York-style La Dolce Vita that's a chillier flip side to Allen's earlier New York valentine, Manhattan. Despite a few missteps, though, it's an admirable (if dark) and worthy addition to the Allen pantheon. Kenneth Branagh and Judy Davis (both boasting American accents) star as the ex-couple, each struggling to build new, separate lives in a media-saturated, celebrity-driven world. Branagh tries his hand at celebrity profiles (while peddling a screenplay to any star that will listen) and falls into the lap of a bosomy starlet (Melanie Griffith), the first in a long line of briefly attainable women. Davis runs into a producer (Joe Mantegna) who offers her a job as a TV personality as well as a loving relationship. This seemingly simple double plot is punctuated with twists and turns in the form of flashbacks and innumerable side trips, all ravishingly photographed in black and white by the legendary Sven Nykvist, and populated by one of Allen's largest casts ever; if you blink you'll miss countless cameos by Isaac Mizrahi, Donald Trump, Hank Azaria, Leonardo DiCaprio and a host of others. While Davis is splendid as usual (aside from the requisite nervous breakdown scene she's done one too many times), somebody should have told Branagh to put a kibosh on his Woody Allen imitation. His failure in the role, however, isn't entirely his fault, as it's another in a long line of unlikable male protagonists which Allen has created, as if daring audiences to hate his main characters after loving them in such movies as Manhattan and Annie Hall. Far more enjoyable misadventures with Branagh include Charlise Theron in the film's best performance as a libidinous supermodel with a penchant for Echinacea; a stunning Famke Janssen as a successful book editor; and Winona Ryder, acting like an adult for the first time, as an aspiring actress. But they all manage to slip through Branagh's fingers by the end of the film. --Mark Englehart, Amazon.com
Before Austin Powers before Johnny English there were S*P*Y*S! Capitalising on the huge success of their onscreen pairing in M*A*S*H in 1974 this highly enjoyable espionage spoof reunited Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould as a couple of bungling Paris-based American agents walking a tightrope in a paranoiac world of peepholes and booby-traps. Filmed largely in Paris and London co-starring Joss Ackland and featuring the Englishlanguage debut of French icon Zouzou S*P*Y*S is presented here in a brand-new digital transfer from original film elements. CIA misfits Douglas Griffin and Eric Brulard are unaware of each other's existence until both turn up at the same pissoir in search of a mysterious hidden package. When the urinal immediately explodes each is convinced that the other is a KGB assassin! SPECIAL FEATURES [] Original Theatrical Trailer [] Image Gallery [] Promotional material PDF
Two old pros light up the screen... British theatrical director Peter Glenville made his film directorial debut with 1955's The Prisoner (Glenville had previous helmed the London stage production of this Bridget Boland play). The film is based on the real-life travails of Hungarian Cardinal Mindszenty who after suffering under Nazi persecution was imprisoned by the new Communist regime for remaining loyal to his religious convictions. Alec Guinness plays an unnamed Cardinal in an un
In an uncanny piece of art imitating life, Who Dares Wins came out in 1982 just after the infamous storming of the Iranian Embassy by the legendary British Special Air Services (SAS) unit. The plot builds up to that unshakeable image of black-clad troops abseiling the front of a stately home and smashing through the windows, and pays off expectations with a thrilling finale. Anyone expecting two hours of military instruction will be disappointed however. After the opening 10 minutes with the troops, the almost James-Bond-like story follows Lewis Collins (riding high in those days after TV's The Professionals) as he infiltrates a radical anti-Nuclear society. Operation: Destroy requires him to go undercover with their potentially insane leader Frankie (Judy Davis), ignoring his wife and child. The period detail is often the film's most entertaining feature as Collins tours across 1980s London constantly eluding spies on his tail. Apart from the endless permed hairdos and the fact that the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament hasn't got much to demonstrate about these days, there's the fashions and low-tech gadgetry to enjoy. In the US the film was called The Final Option. The DVD includes a photo gallery, and a history of the SAS. --Paul Tonks
The twist of this private-eye show is that in the first episode, gumshoe Marty Hopkirk (Kenneth Cope) is killed off by the villains, subsequently popping up in an immaculate white suit as a ghost visible only to his hardboiled partner Jeff Randall (Mike Pratt). In theory, the supernatural streak--which meant a complex set of rules about Marty's appearances and effects on the physical world--should lead the show into wilder territory, but most episodes squander the team's unique abilities on ordinary cases about blackmail and murder-for-profit. A persistent subplot has the living Jeff getting cosy with the dead Marty's widow Jean (Annette Andre) to the discomfort of her late husband. The elementary effects and the nice underplaying of the leads have a certain period charm, and the show could afford a high calibre of special guest villains and dolly birds. A recent remake with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer hasn't obliterated memories of the original. This disc contains episodes one and two: "My Late Lamented Friend and Partner" and "A Disturbing Case". --Kim Newman
Crime melodrama about a frustrated young scientist's involvement with subversive elements.
Unsuccessful singing bullfighter Juan arrives in Barcelona to try his luck in a big town. He finally persuades a devious local impresario to book him but only on the condition that Juan first manages to spend an evening with Olimpia a 'shrewd merciless beauty' who seems effortlessly to collect apartments and Maserati sports cars while leaving a trail of broken hearts behind her. Juan approaches the challenge by pretending to her he is an emissary for a rich count.
Classic documentary drama based on Walter Lord's book about the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Told from the perspective of Second Officer Charles Lightoller (Kenneth More), the story follows the supposedly unsinkable' ship as she embarks on her maiden voyage and ultimately founders in the North Atlantic Ocean.From Veteran British director Roy Ward Baker.Product Features1080p High definition presentationNEW Video Interview by critic Matthew SweetNEW Interview with film historian Jo BottingThe Making of A Night to Remember documentaryTheatrical TrailerLimited Edition slipcase on the first 1500 copies with unique artwork.More features to be announced .
It's good to have a ghost on your side in the private eye business especially in cases when an invisible ally can really turn the tide in your favour. Mike Pratt plays Jeff Randall and Kenneth Cope is his ghostly partner Marty Hopkirk cursed to wander the earth for 100 years. Episode 3 - All Work and No Pay: Poor Jean is plagued by a poltergeist. She is convinced that it is Marty's ghost trying to get in touch with her and suspicious spiritualists the Foster Brothers to try to establish contact. Episode 4 - Never Trust a Ghost: Wandering the streets of London one night Marty witnesses a man Howarth being shot dead in his home. Jeff summons the police but Howarth appears alive and well... Marty however is unconvinced. Episode 5 - That's How Murder Snowballs: A Russian roulette act at a music hall goes horribly wrong when the mind reader is shot dead in front of the audience including Jeff and Marty! Special Guest Star: David Jason. Episode 6 - Just For The Record: Jeff and Jean act as escorts at an international beauty contest. During a sightseeing tour Marty's suspicions are aroused by Miss London's odd behaviour.
It's good to have a ghost on your side in the private eye business especially in cases when an invisable ally can really turn the tide in your favour. Mike Pratt plays Jeff Randall and Kenneth Cope is his ghostly partner Marty Hopkirk cursed to wander the earth for 100 years. Episodes include: Episode 11 - The Ghost Who Saved The Bank At Monte Carlo Episode 12 - For The Girl Who Has Everything Episode 13 - But What A Sweet Little Room Episode 14 - Who Killed Cock Robin?
It's good to have a ghost on your side in the private eye business especially in cases when an invisable ally can really turn the tide in your favour. Mike Pratt plays Jeff Randall and Kenneth Cope is his ghostly partner Marty Hopkirk cursed to wander the earth for 100 years. Episode 7 - Murder Aint What It Used To Be?: Marty has a ghostly rival Bugsy a gangster who met his demise in the Roaring Twenties. Not only does he have a repertoire of better tricks he is also out to kill one of Jeff's clients. Episode 8 - Whoever Heard of a Ghost Dying?: A criminal mastermind and his clairvoyant co-conspirator discover the reason for Randall's recent success at detection - the late Marty Hopkirk. They plot to make the duo fall guys for robberies and even try to exoricse poor Marty! Episode 9 - The House On Haunted Hill: It's a case for Marty when Jeff is asked to investigate the mystery of a 'haunted house'. It's just as well as Jeff is preoccupied with solving a diamond robbery. Episode 10 - When Did You Start to Stop Seeing Things?: The day Randall and Hopkirk have been dreading has arrived. Jeff can no longer see or hear his ghostly partner. To Marty's consternation Jeff doesn't even appeared to be bothered by this!
Please wait. Loading...
This site uses cookies.
More details in our privacy policy