Dear Mother Love Albert (3 Discs)
London's Tubes: cylindrical objects underground crammed full of blank faces with blank pasts and blank futures. However, Tube Tales endeavours to expel this theory, even if it's just for the length of time it takes nine short stories to flicker past your eyes. Created via a competition in Time Out magazine, which asked their readers to send in stories relating to experiences on the London Underground, a group of directors were then charged with the task of bringing the public' s images of the tube to life for 12 minutes each. Showcased at the London Film Festival 1999 and then moving on to be shown on Sky Premier a few days later (this being the first film Sky has produced) it is possibly one of the most intriguing and underrated dramas to come out of Britain at the turn of the new century. These films offer a great showcase for British talent, combining established stars like Ray Winston in "My Father the Liar" with new up-and-coming actors like Hans Matheson in "Steal Away", the film also offers a great chance to play spot-the-star. Along with this Tube Tales offers many actors their first chance to try out their talents behind the lens with directorial debuts from Ewan McGregor-"Bone", a beautiful story of a man's fleeting obsession with a photograph--and Jude Law--"A Bird in the Hand", which brings a little bit of nature back to the Cement City. Both these directors choose to offer very calm and ambling visuals with little dialogue (how many people actually talk to strangers on the Tube?), allowing the power of images and body language to take hold. In another way Bob Hoskins "My Father the Liar" and Gaby Dellal's "Rosebud" offers us a version of the tube through the eyes of a child, a place populated by innocents and full of terror. In diverse contrast are the offerings from Armando Iannucci ("Mouth") and Stephen Hopkins ("Horny"), who both offer a grotesque humoristic interpretation of their stories. However, the true showpiece of these films is the last, Charles McDougall's "Steal Away", an energetic and exuberant piece which turns into a spiritual journey. Many of these films wash over your emotions, evoking laughter, innocence and desire, but "Steal Away" leaves you with strong opinions on the nature of humanity. Nikki Disney On the DVD: The special features are predictably laid out like a tube map. Given the wealth of talent on display in Tube Tales the disc is happily littered with interviews, trailers and on-location features, offering opinions and theories on the Tube from the huge cast and crew that went into the making of these films. Picture and sound quality are impeccable.
Che Guevara
Norman Tripper (Leonard Rossiter) a Northern manager assigned to a London supermarket with a problematic staff.
Available for the first time on DVD! Timmy and Sid are entertainment officers at a holiday camp. They must organise a beauty contest successfully or find themselves out of work!
After a decade on radio in The Goons, 1959's I'm All Right Jack set Peter Sellers on the road to international stardom. Sellers played both Sir John Kennaway, and unforgettably, the Bolshy trade union leader Fred Kite (he would go on to take three roles in Dr Strangelove and featured endless disguises in The Pink Panther in 1963) series. The result is laugh-out-loud comedy with a satiric edge, lampooning the then burning issue of industrial relations. Bertram Tracepurcel's (Dennis Price) plans to make a fortune from a missile contract, a scheme which involves manipulating his innocent nephew Stanley Windrush (Ian Carmichael) into acting as the catalyst in an escalating labour dispute, from which the socialist Mr Kite is only too keen to make capital. Management and labour both have their self-serving hypocrisy dissected in this ingenious comedy, actually a sequel to the military comedy Private's Progress (1956), but which stands independent of the earlier film. Both films were made by the brothers John and Roy Boulting, director and producer of such British classics as Brighton Rock (1947), Seven Days to Noon (1950), Carlton-Browne of the F.O. (1959) and Heaven's Above (1963). The superb cast of I'm All Right Jack also features Richard Attenborough, John Le Mesurier, Margaret Rutherford and Terry Thomas. --Gary S. Dalkin
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
The Pyramids, the Sphinx and the tombs of the Pharaohs are all fabulous monuments to Egypt’s past. But according to one scientist, the astonishing antiquities already discovered are just a tiny percentage of what was left behind by the ancient Egyptians. From her Nasa-sponsored laboratory, Dr Sarah Parcak is using cutting-edge satellite technology to identify thousands of iconic sites that include lost tombs, temples and cities buried beneath the shifting sands. Using the latest visually-stunning CGI technology, the programme recreates landscapes and lost sites last seen of thousands of years ago.
The discovery of valuable archaeological remains beneath a holiday caravan site is the cause of the mayhem in Carry On Behind. That said, the sub-"plots", which involve Windsor Davies and Jack Douglas as a pair of randy fishermen, a couple sharing their caravan with an outsize dog (no, it's not like that...), the obligatory giggling dolly birds and so on are all typical grist to the Carry On mill. The location is of course as bleakly miserable as such a place could ever be and will bring a frisson of familiarity to many Brits. Widely held to be one of the best in the series, the film would in fact have been a rather lacklustre effort were it not for the superbly over-the-top presence of Elke Sommer, whose performance as the strapping assistant to archaeologist Roland Crump (Kenneth Williams) seems like a wonderful hybrid of Ute Lemper and Charlie Dimmock. --Roger Thomas
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
Cheryl Ladd and Michael Nouri star in this highly-charged romantic drama about two successful single parents who fall in love and have to confront many new and traumatic changes in their lives. Melanie is a top TV news reporter living in New York with her two teenage daughters. Peter is a handsome divorced heart surgeon working at an LA hospital with three children of his own. A chance meeting leads to instant romance and eventual marriage bringing out the drastic changes in their lives... Not all of them good ones. The clash of their careers is nothing compared to the storm of emotions that is unleashed when all five children have to share the same home and a whole new set of ground rules. The family disharmony is more than Melanie can cope with and she finally quits the home pregnant and feeling desperately hurt and alone. Can the children come to their senses and bury their differences? And can Peter finally let go of his past and make the necessary compromises or risk losing Melanie forever?
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
Vibrant witty and undeniably charming The Four-Faced Liar shines a sexy spotlight on the tangled lives of four 20-something New Yorkers. Bridget is a hip womanizing lesbian who lives with her best friend Trip. One alcohol-fuelled night they meet straight-laced childhood sweethearts Greg and Molly at their favourite bar the Four-Faced Liar. While Greg and Trip bond over sports Bridget and Molly discover a mutual appreciation for Emily Bront and Wuthering Heights and sparks fly. As sexual tensions build the notoriously promiscuous Bridget realises she's falling in love for the first time with the soon-to-be married Molly and a risky and sexually-charged affair ensues. This award-winning and delightfully sexy take on love and life is crisply shot tightly scripted and bursting with charm.
A fantastic cast star in this World War II comedy farce featuring the antics of an eclectic mix of entertainers of an organisation that called itself Entertainment National Service Association. Known as ENSA for short or rather cruelly Every Night Something Awful! Fresh from the music halls they certainly give the camp the run around in more ways than one and bumble their way to triumph!
In 1960, Norman Wisdom was left all at sea in The Bulldog Breed. He had already made a farce of the army in The Square Peg (1958), so what better than to join the navy? Back in the real world, the Russians had kick-started the space race putting Sputnik into orbit, so Norman rapidly finds himself selected to be the first Brit in space. Playing to type, the result is excellent physical comedy and copious tomfoolery at the expense of the upper ranks. With support from John Le Mesurier and Edward Chapman (the legendary "Mr Grimsdale") and uncredited appearances from Oliver Reed and Michael Caine, this is a notable British comedy, with an unusually direct reference to the risqué Carry On movies. For his second starring role Norman Wisdom played the oldest orphan of Greenwood Children's Home in 1954's One Good Turn. Not only does he have to find the money to buy one of the orphans a model car, but after a visit to Brighton he discovers Greenwood is due to be closed down by the home's own unscrupulous chairman, a property developer with plans to build a factory on the site. Also starring Thora Hird, One Good Turn was surely a film with a personal resonance for Wisdom who was himself brought-up in an orphanage after his mother died and his father was unable to raise him. As would become a tradition, he contributes a song, "Please Opportunity", and the movie, though produced by Rank, now sits easily in that classic Ealing era where the ordinary man took on the big guys and won. The innocent knockabout humour remains appealing. --Gary S Dalkin
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
Las Vegas, Nevada - History will be made on Saturday, Feb. 23 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., as the Ultimate Fighting Championship will present its first women's bout featuring UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey defending her title against top contender Liz Carmouche. Rousey, a former Olympian and native of Southern California, is unbeaten in her pro career at 6-0, with all of her wins coming by way of submission. In her first UFC title defense she'll meet Carmouche, a 28-ye...
Anti-Clock, Jane Arden and Jack Bond's last collaborative work, mixes pioneering video techniques with pin-sharp colour footage in order to create a densely woven, dream-like narrative which explores issues of personal identity and social conformity. Based on Jane Arden's extraordinary writings on the limitations of rational thought, this groundbreaking films has remained unseen since its last public screening in 1983 and is presented here in a new transfer from the original 16mm negative, along with a selection of never-before-seen special features.
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--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).The Royle Family marked an on-screen reunion for Brookside-actors Ricky Tomlinson (who plays bearded, big-hearted, banjo-playing Jim Royle) and Sue Johnston as his wife Barbara, the driving force behind the Royle household. It is smart casting because The Royle Family is as much a soap opera as a situation comedy. 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 sitcoms 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. (The scripts from the series are available to buy.) 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 its come to?" Not quite: because as long as the Royle Family are around, there is something worthwhile to watch. --Edward Lawrenson
A group of friends use an ancient coffin to experience the world as ghosts. Inspired by true events.
Please wait. Loading...
This site uses cookies.
More details in our privacy policy