Spanning the three series of this superb sitcom, The Very Best of The Royle Family is a prime taster for those not familiar with the series. Co-created by Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash, who star as Denise and Dave respectively, The Royle Family deserves its own comedic category. They had a hard fight persuading the BBC to leave a laughter track off the show, which would have disrupted its unique ambience and chemistry. Never departing from the house of lazy, good-for-nothing but defiantly sardonic Jim Royle (Ricky Tomlinson) and wife Barbara (Sue Johnston), The Royle Family chronicles the everyday chat and banal comings and goings of this Northern household, which barely qualifies as "working" class, since mostly they are slumped on the sofa in front of the telly in a cathode-induced stupor. Confused viewers waiting for something to "happen" in the conventional sitcom manner will be disappointed. What they'll get instead is an irresistible stream of dialogue that captures unerringly the humdrum cadences of "ordinary" people. These episodes capture the Royles in customary, festive mood--Denise's marriage, Christmas, baby David's birthday party and so forth--which is good, as we get to see more of Liz Smith's magnificent Nana. As each seemingly inconsequential scene vividly illustrates, this is hardly a romanticised family. Denise is an appallingly negligent mother, there's probably never been a green vegetable in the house, most of their friends, including Darren, are well dodgy, and mum Barbara is unfairly put-upon ("Eh, I've been so busy this morning I haven't had time to smoke", she laments at one point). Yet undoubtedly, unlike their regal counterparts, this Royle Family are close-knit, somehow getting by. The family that watches telly together stays together. On the DVD: The Very Best of the Royle Family, disappointingly, has no extra features. --David Stubbs
The Award Winning film autobiography of the English eccentric Quentin Crisp. The film traces Crisp's life from the early 1930's telling of his blatent exhibitionism as an outrageously effeminate homosexual. John Hurt's unforgettable performance won him a BAFTA for Best Actor while director Jack Gold won the Academy's highest commendation The Desmond Davies Award for outstanding creative contribution to television.
Jaws 2 (Dir. Jeannot Szwarc 1978): Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water... Police Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) is walking his beach beat a few years on from the horrible shark attacks on Amity Island. A missing diver's camera shows what looks like a shark fin but Amity''s cowardly Mayor (Murray Hamilton) plays down the incident. Brody raises a panicky false alarm from his observation tower and is fired for it. Suddenly the new killer shark attacks a group of small boats manned by teenagers which include his own sons... Jaws 3 (Dir. Joe Alves 1982): A deadly new attraction. The brand new ''Sea World'' complex in Florida offers visitors the chance to view the undersea kingdom from the safety of glass tunnels on the sea-bed. All seems well until a thirty-five foot Great White shark appears on the scene..... Jaws 4 - The Revenge (Dir. Joseph Sargent 1987): This time... It's personal. Lorraine Gary repeats her role of Ellen Brody widow of Chief Martin Brody in this suspenseful sequel starring Oscar-winner Michael Caine. After Deputy Sean Brody is killed by a shark off Amity Island she joins her other son Michael a marine biologist his wife Carla and their daughter Thea in the Bahamas. There she falls for Hoagie a carefree pilot and starts putting her life back together - until a Great White threatens Thea and Ellen knows she has no choice but to face her fear in a final fatal showdown...
Seinfeld is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of American sitcoms, and this long-delayed box set goes a long way in demonstrating why. From the first episode of the first season, it hit the ground running with its collection of oddball New Yorkers: Theres stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who plays himself; Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), his pushy ex-girlfriend; his neurotic loser of a best friend George (Jason Alexander); and Jerrys wacky neighbour Kramer (Michael Richards). Co-written and co-created by Seinfeld and Larry David (who later went on to plumb greater depths of misanthropy with Curb Your Enthusiasm), it revolutionised American sitcoms with its cynical and mature comedy, and its ability to find comic gems in the most mundane situations (one classic episode is set entirely in a mall car-park). Seinfeld was, as all involved frequently admitted, a show about nothing. But this extras-laden collection--which features extensive cast and creator commentaries, deleted scenes, trivia tracks, outtakes, interviews and more--is most definitely something. --Ted Kord
Soon after qualifying as doctors from St. Swithins young Burke and Hare set up in practice and get involved in a number of amorous exploits...
The BAFTA-winning adaptation of Quentin Crisp's best-selling autobiography, The Naked Civil Servant features an arguably career-best performance by John Hurt as Crisp a flamboyant homosexual trying to live an openly gay lifestyle in the intolerant pre-war years.
An enchanting adaptation of the classic children's book by Philippa Pearce about Tom Long who has to spend the summer at his aunt's house.
The entire 5-disc set! From the writer of Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral Richard Curtis. The sleepy village of Dibley has a new vicar but it's not your standard order bloke with beard bible and bad breath - it's Dawn French of the hilarious comedy duo French and Saunders. Armed with a sharp wit a double dose of double entendre and healthy supply of chocolate she brings the town's lovable - through rather eccentric - inhabitants a hyst
On paper, The Royle Family doesn't sound that promising: a working-class family from Manchester sit in their cluttered living room, watch the telly and argue over domestic details (the arrival of a telephone bill, for instance, provides the big dramatic event of the first episode, which aired in September 1998). But from such small everyday incidents, Royle Family creators Caroline Aherne and Dave Best (who play young couple Denise and Dave) have crafted one of the most successful shows on British television--a comedy about the joys and frustrations of family life that's warm, honest and very, very funny. It's Britain's answer to The Simpsons, whose success the show rivalled when it started broadcasting on BBC2 (the programme jumped channels to BBC1 for its second series). Now in its third series, The Royle Family has seen its characters develop like real folk. Denise and Dave got married and now have a little sprog; Barbara starts menopause (how many sit-coms are brave enough to use that for laughs?) and Denise's kid brother Anthony shakes off his surly adolescence when he turned 18 in series two. Unlike Oasis--who provide the shows theme song "Halfway Round the World"--this programme just keeps getting better. But no soap--not even Brookside in its dafter moments--has one-liners as brilliantly crafted as The Royle Family's. Slouched in his armchair, Jim's dour running commentary on the TV shows that are on at the time are particularly priceless. Changing Rooms, for instance, boils down to "a cockney knocking nails into plywood... Is this what it's come to?" Not quite; as long as the Royle Family are around, there is something worthwhile to watch. --Edward Lawrenson
John Simm stars as Sam Tyler a driven and ambitious young detective determined to keep the streets of 21st Century Manchester safe. But after a near fatal car accident he wakes up dazed and confused in 1973. Has he gone back in time? Is he in a coma? Or has he simply gone insane? What follows is Sam's 21st century account of 1970s life where he feels like a fish out of water. He must come to terms with an unfamiliar environment and an archaic CID unit. There using his modern know-how he becomes integral to the unit. But he must adapt to their old-fashioned technologies and etiquettes. Sam works on some of the hardest cases he's ever been involved with. It's a world where witnesses are regularly intimidated it takes two weeks to process forensics and his colleagues will nail their suspect whether they have the evidence or not... Features the complete first and second series.
Punch & Judy Man: Tony Hancock is a melancholy Punch and Judy man trying to establish himself as an important citizen in the seaside town where he works. When his snobbish wife is taught a lesson at an important social event it looks like the British comic genius may just get the new lease of life of which he's always dreamed... (Dir. Jeremy Summers 1963) The Rebel: Tony Hancock portrays a bored city clerk who has ambitions of becoming an artist in France. (Dir. Robert Day 1961)
The Sex Pistols star in Julien Temple's at times surreal at times hilarious factional documentary that charts the rise and fall of punk's most notorious band through the eyes of its calculating and grandiose manager Malcolm McLaren played here with full Machiavellian swagger. Written and directed by Temple whilst he was still a film student it mixes animation and midgets with footage of some of the Sex Pistols' most electrifying live performances. Originally released in UK theatres in 1980 the film presents the band's success as an elaborate scam perpetrated by McLaren to make ""a million pounds"" at the expense of record companies outraged moralists the British Royal Family - and even the fans and band members themselves. As the film's original tagline stated The Great Rock Rock 'n' Roll Swindle is the film that incriminated its audience. As the brief but beautiful period of punk rock is now as far away from 2007 as 1976/77 was from the end of World War 2 it will be hard for anyone under 35 to comprehend just how shocking this film was and the incredible controversy it caused as depressed Britain blighted by inner city riots and waking to the birth of Thatcherism lurched into the Eighties. However watching it again it is still immensely powerful just as riveting still retains the capability to shock and is as valid now as it was then. More than 25 years after their break-up the Sex Pistols' music continues to influence punk and post-punk bands the world over - and The Great Rock Rock 'n' Roll Swindle shows why. It helped add to the band's already riotous reputation with scenes of Sid Vicious attacking a Parisienne prostitute (with a French tart) the subversive Queen's Silver Jubilee Day concert on the Thames in 1977 their infamous appearance on the ""Bill Grundy Show"" and underage female nudity. It even had to contend with the death of Sid Vicious who died between the ending of filming and its theatrical release. But it is the Sex Pistols music that emerges as the films biggest star: performances of ""Anarchy In The UK"" ""God Save The Queen"" and ""Holidays In The Sun"" are mesmeric while Vicious' ""My Way"" maintains an air of tragedy and exquisiteness at once. Tenpole Tudor (ingeniously called ""Tadpole"" by Irene Handl in the film) weighs in with vocals on ""Who Killed Bambi"" and ""Rock Around The Clock"" and even on-the-run Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs turns up to sing on ""No One Is Innocent"" and ""Belsen Vos A Gasser"". Having spawned the phrase ""making cash from chaos"" it's worth remembering that the Sex Pistols were voted the ""1977 Young Businessmen of the Year"" by their antitheses in the City of London..
Set in London's East End, The 14 (aka The Wild Little Bunch aka Existence) is based on the true story of fourteen children who struggle against overwhelming pressures to stay together after the death of their single mother. Heading the cast is Oliver! star Jack Wild, who plays Reg - at 17 the eldest of the children, and committed to keeping his young family together after a promise he made to his mum; his mischievous siblings are portrayed by largely untrained juvenile actors. The 14 was the...
According to Daniel Cotton (Philip Glenister) there are three battles that shape our lives: nature versus nurture; free will versus destiny; and City versus United. Saturday 15th June 1996 an ordinary day in Manchester. England is preparing to play Scotland in the Euros. Daniel has brought together his adoptive brother Robbo (Steven Mackintosh) and father Samuel (Bernard Hill) in the hope of healing a family rift when they are caught up in a massive terrorist attack and from this moment Daniel's life changes forever. In helping Joanne (Liz White) escape the debris Daniel realises he wants to be someone else someone more exciting... The trigger for major changes in Daniel's life and the reinvention of Manchester City Centre the bomb does much more than cause devastation. Spanning four years From There to Here brings to life a family a city and an era in a way that no one who watches it will ever forget.
7 years on from the original Fortress movie, Brennick and his family are still on the run from the Mental corporation.
A Painted Smile / Rag Doll
Written by BAFTA award winning writer Kay Mellor comes this witty emotional story centred around a unique selection of people whose lives are inextricably intertwined on a journey of discovery as they come face to face with their sexual problems....
From the books of Peter Tinniswood comes one of television's greatest comedy families The Brandons. There's miserable pessimist Uncle Mort his sharp-tongued sister Annie who is constantly arguing with husband Les their laid-back son Carter and his not so laid-back fianc Pat and finally old Uncle Stavely who carries his friend's ashes around his neck in a box and only enters the constant bickering with a cry of ""I 'eard that! Pardon?"" Series 1: 1. Cause For Celebration 2. A Knitter In The Family 3. The Old Tin Trunk 4. After The Ball Was Over 5. Aye ... Well ... Mm ... 6. Large Or Small Big Or Tall 7. The Axe And Cleaver Series 2: 1. The Way My Wife Looks At Me 2. Chez Us 3. A Woman's Work 4. A Signal Disaster 5. You Should See Me Now 6. Good Wood God! Series 3: 1. Men At Work 2. A Grave Decision 3. Party Games 4. A Bleak Day 5. Stout Deeds 6. Paradise Lost 7. The Last Tram Series 4: 1. The Love Match 2. Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing 3. A Tip Top Day 4. Don't Answer That 5. The Great Escape 6. What's In A Name? 7. The Great Day
Benjamin Britten's haunting and sinister opera composed in 1954 is based on the famous novella written by Henry James in 1898. Katie Mitchell's atmospheric and innovative film of the opera returns to the late 19th century setting of the original tale to a world where it is hard to tell ghosts from mere reflections in the glass. There have been many discussions about what happened to the children in both the novella and Britten's opera. This production with an inspired cast led by excellent performances from Lisa Milne and Mark Padmore remains true to both sources. The rich dark imagery entices the viewer exposing the deepest layers of the tantalising unnamed and hidden past relationships between the two servants and the children in one of the greatest operas of the 20th century.
The third series of the self-reliance sitcom. Episodes comprise: 1. The Early Birds 2. The Happy Event 3. A Tug Of The Forelock 4. I Talk To The Trees 5. Whos Fleas Are These? 6. The Last Posh Frock
Please wait. Loading...
This site uses cookies.
More details in our privacy policy