Noel Coward's favourite play, Blithe Spirit, was certainly a departure for David Lean, best known at the time for adapting Dickens. While it's the director's only comedy, the result is a delightful gem. Rex Harrison is an acerbic author haunted by the ghost of first wife Elvira (Kay Hammond), who tries to seduce him all over again. This throws his second wife (Constance Cummings) into a panic, second-guessing her lack of passion. It's a celestial sex romp that hasn't lost its bite. Margaret Rutherford, as always, steals the show as the sardonic medium. --Bill Desowitz
Legendary comic filmmakers Sandy Bates (Allen) is tired of being funny. Teetering on the brink of a nervous breakdown Bates attends a weekend retrospective of his films only to confront the meaning of his work the memories of his great love Dorrie (Charlotte Rampling) and the merits of settling down with new girlfriends Isobel (Marie-Christine Barrault). Plagued by hallucinations alien visitations and the bloodless studio executives trying to re-cut his bleak new film Bates struggles to find a reason to go on living. But when he falls prey to a gun-wielding fanatic his zany brush with death reveals that there is value to his own existence and that often the best reason to go on living is life itself.
One of the film-making industry's greatest auteurs, Alfred Hitchcock undoubtedly earned his title as The Master of Suspense, with his thrilling films loved by the viewing public over a career spanning many decades. Widely regarded as the first true Hitchcock film, The Lodger is a masterclass in tension, displaying all the trademarks of what was to become known as the typical Hitchcock thriller. Newly restored in High Definition, this release features a brand new orchestral soundtrack by acclaimed musician and composer Nitin Sawhney, performed by the world famous London Symphony Orchestra. On hearing reports of the seventh murder by The Avenger, Daisy decides to stay with her parents. She is being courted by Joe, a detective, who gets suspicious when her mother rents a room out to a lodger - to whom Daisy is attracted. While the lodger is out Joe takes the opportunity to search his room - there he finds a gun, press clippings of the killings and a map of the murders... Special Features: 2 Disc Soundtrack CD by Nitin Sawhney and the LSO Image Gallery Commemorative Booklet by Hitchcock Scholar Professor Neil Sinyard
Richard Burton stars as successful novelist John Morlar who believes he has 'a gift for disaster' - the power to cause death and destruction through unconscious telekinesis. When Morlar is viciously assaulted and left for dead the night of the Moon Mission disaster and a jet crash police investigating the attack quickly turn to Morlar's mysterious therapist Zonfeld (Lee Remick) in the belief that there is a link between the assault and Morlar's disturbing complex...
A stylish British drama which studies love and life in a depressed industrial town in Northern England. Deborah Kerr stars in this vividly characterised story of a penniless family struggling through the depression years. Kerr is a mill girl in love with Evans who loses his job and refuses to marry her on ""dole money"". He is killed in a demonstration against conditions and unemployment so Kerr marries an old bookie she doesn't love in order to get jobs for her father and brother. Thi
Jean-Pierre Mocky was a prolific icon in French cinema. Actor, director, novelist, and in-demand raconteur, Mocky made mainstream films with an independent spirit, even owning a cinema to help the distribution of his films. Yet those films had a specific style, unmistakably his, often with controversial and outlandish themes, and he came to be known as a wild and untameable force, acting as an uncompromising agitator within the French film industry for over six decades. Three of his wild cinematic adventures from the 1980s are collected in this new boxset. Cult horror sensation Litan, hooligan horror Kill the Referee and Hitchcockian mystery Agent Trouble are presented from new 4K restorations on Blu-ray for the first time outside of France. Worried by a disturbing dream, Nora wakes to find her husband missing during a trip to Litan. She goes out to find him but encounters one bizarre event after another taking place at the village festival, including uncanny acts and a masked marching band. As Nora and Jock attempt to escape the village, a series of strange murders take place against the backdrop of a mad doctor performing experiments on the recently deceased. Jean-Pierre Mocky's Litan is a classic cult Euro-horror and a Kafkaesque fever dream of surrealist imagery, arrestingly shot by Edmond Richard (The Trial, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie). When a referee calls a penalty that causes a French football team to crash out of the championship, their ultra-dedicated hooligan fans vow to track him down and murder him by the end of the evening, as Inspector Granowski (played by director Jean-Pierre Mocky) attempts to stem the carnage. With an unrelenting one-night narrative recalling After Hours and Green Room, Kill the Referee mixes black humour with horror as its escalating sense of dread builds toward a shattering climax. A bus of fifty French tourists lay dead. While the driver makes a call, a wanderer, Victorien (Tom Novembre, Denti), boards the bus and robs all the passengers. Returning home he visits his aunt Amanda (Catherine Deneuve, The Hunger), and lets her in on his secret, unwittingly bringing her to the attention of icy hitman Alex (Richard Bohringer, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover). A conspiracy thriller reminiscent of Hitchcock, Jean-Pierre Mocky's wonderfully eccentric mystery has a light comic touch that carefully balances its grotesque flourishes. Featuring a wonderful cast including Cesar-nominated Dominique Lavant, Pierre Arditi and Kristin Scott Thomas in only her second screen appearance.LIMITED EDITION BOX SET SPECIAL FEATURES: New 4K restorations of each film presented on three discs, made available on Blu-ray (1080p) for the first time outside of France Uncompressed mono PCM audio Archival interview with Jean-Pierre Mocky about his relationship to the fantastic (1982, 12 mins) Archival Making of Litan' documentary from French television (1982, 26 mins) Newly filmed interview with journalist and broadcaster Philippe Auclair on Kill the Referee (2024) Interview with Mocky's assistant Eric Leroy on Kill the Referee (2022, 13 mins) Television reportage from the set of Kill the Referee (1983, 5 mins) Archival French TV interview with Jean-Pierre Mocky (1987, 18 mins) Archival interview with Catherine Deneuve on Agent Trouble (1987, 5 mins) Archival interview with Richard Bohringer on Agent Trouble (1987, 5 mins) Interview with Eric Leroy on Agent Trouble (2022, 13 mins) Interview with Olivia Mokiejewski on Agent Trouble (2022, 4 mins) New and improved optional English subtitles Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow Limited edition 80-page book featuring new writing by Roberto Curti, Nathaniel Thompson and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, and newly translated archival interviews including Serge Toubiana on Jean-Pierre Mocky, and Oliver Assayas on Michel Serrault, as well as an on-set report of Kill the Referee Limited Edition of 3000 copies, presented in a rigid box with full-height Scanavo cases and removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
Jesus of Montreal is a surprising and dazzling tragi-comic satire on modern life based around a group of actors who gather together to perform a new interpretation of the Passion Play. Awarded the Grand Prix at Cannes in 1989 Denys Arcand's film has been a major success throughout the world combining wild comedy with the absurd dramas of life around us.
One of the film-making industry's greatest auteurs, Alfred Hitchcock undoubtedly earned his title as The Master of Suspense, with his thrilling films loved by the viewing public over a career spanning many decades. Widely regarded as the first true Hitchcock film, The Lodger is a masterclass in tension, displaying all the trademarks of what was to become known as the typical Hitchcock thriller. Newly restored, this release features a brand new orchestral soundtrack by acclaimed musician and composer Nitin Sawhney, performed by the world famous London Symphony Orchestra. On hearing reports of the seventh murder by The Avenger, Daisy decides to stay with her parents. She is being courted by Joe, a detective, who gets suspicious when her mother rents a room out to a lodger - to whom Daisy is attracted. While the lodger is out Joe takes the opportunity to search his room - there he finds a gun, some press clippings of the killings and a map of the murders... Special Features: 2 Disc Soundtrack CD by Nitin Sawhney and the LSO Image Gallery Commemorative Booklet by Hitchcock Scholar Professor Neil Sinyard In-depth Interview with Nitin Sawhney
Ewan McGregor stars as the eye an isolated British intelligence officer assigned the case of the enigmatic and mysterious Joanna Eris (Judd). Joanna is accused of blackmailing a senior British official - but she is more than just a blackmailer. As the Eye begins his task of shadowing her he discovers that she is capable of more than just extortion. A master of disguise she is also a lone killer who anticipates his every move and stays one step ahead. As he follows Joanna from murder to murder he feels compelled to watch her becoming more and more obsessed with what he sees. The closer the Eye gets to Joanna's life the more dangerous his fantasy becomes. Who is more dangerous the hunter or the hunted?
Two examples of British Second World War films, We Dive at Dawn (1943) and Reach for the Sky (1956), are here stylishly packaged as a World War II Classics pack. We Dive at Dawn tells of the encounter between a British submarine and a German warship in the Baltic Sea. John Mills gives a dependable performance as the submarine commander, with Eric Portman the pick of a strong supporting cast. Director Anthony Asquith finds the balance between action sequences and "in situ" dialogue, and there's an evocative score from Louis Levy. The movie was an underrated film that deserves reappraisal, whereas Reach for the Sky (1956) was a box-office hit and remains a fondly regarded classic. Kenneth More is ideally cast as Douglas Bader, the gifted pilot who loses both legs in a pre-war air crash, only to play a major role in the Battle of Britain, rise to the rank of Group Captain and become a war hero. Based on Paul Brickhill's biography, this is an "official" history maybe, but Lewis Gilbert's screenplay and direction are historically accurate and informed by that very British humour of which More was a natural. The film is graced by a decent supporting cast, and a typically "widescreen" score from John Addison. On the DVD: The black and white prints look and sound excellent. Whereas We Dive at Dawn has 4:3 video aspect ratio, 15 chapter points and no subtitles, the later Reach for the Sky has vivid 16:9 anamorphic reproduction, 20 chapter points, subtitles and detailed biographies of More, Gilbert and Barder. The original theatrical trailer is included, but it would also have made sense to include an interview or documentary footage of Bader himself. Even so, this is an excellent starting-point for investigating a key area of British cinema.--Richard Whitehouse
Richard Burton stars as successful novelist John Morlar who believes he has 'a gift for disaster' - the power to cause death and destruction through unconscious telekinesis.When Morlar is viciously assaulted and left for dead the night of the Moon Mission disaster and a jet crash police investigating the attack quickly turn to Morlar's mysterious therapist Zonfeld (Lee Remick) in the belief that there is a link between the assault and Morlar's disturbing complex.
Jacques Offenbach's 19th century parody of life under the yoke of Napoleon III, La Belle Hélène, has always seemed as tongue-in-cheek as the material could go. This new staging from the Théâtre Musical de Paris' 2000 season proves you can always go further. As if the social comment and knowing musical allusions (eg: Wagner's Tannhäuser) weren't enough, now via director Lauren Pelly's imagination Helen (Dame Felicity Lott) becomes a modern sexually frustrated woman dreaming the entire scenario. In her dream she is singled out as the most beautiful woman on Earth (prompting vain delusions to rival Snow White's wicked stepmother) as reward for Pâris (Yann Beuron) choosing Venus as most beautiful Goddess off Earth. Act 1 takes place in the bedroom and bed of Helen and ineffectual husband/king Ménélas (Michel Sénéchal). Here the fusion of costumes worn by High Priest Calchas (François Le Roux) seems incongruous until the archaeological dig setting of Act 2 turns everything into a dream. From then on, the analogy of bed as throne, the sheep costumes and male and female swimsuit parade followed by synchronised stage "swimming" of Act 3 all take on greater significance. Les Musicians du Louvre give a tremendous performance under Marc Minkowski's baton (which you often see popping into frame), particularly in the centrepiece duet between Lott and Beuron for their "Dream of Love". Contemporary makeovers of opera often lose sight of the original's intentions, but this update certainly preserves the spirit of Offenbach's vision. On the DVD: A choice of Stereo, Dolby 5.1 or DTS is a testament to the careful staging of this production, as is the video's multi-camera edit. In fact, the 25-minute behind-the-scenes documentary reveals the DVD was conceived as part of the staging. Four interviews make this a most welcome supplement, with Dame Lott having the most to say. --Paul Tonks
When Marthe and Ludovic discover that their respective partners are having an affair they plan a series of 'accidental' meetings.
The Medusa Touch: Richard Burton stars as successful novelist John Morlar who believes he has 'a gift for disaster' - the power to cause death and destruction through unconscious telekinesis. When Morlar is viciously assaulted and left for dead the night of the Moon Mission disaster and a jet crash police investigating the attack quickly turn to Morlar's mysterious therapist Zonfeld (Lee Remick) in the belief that there is a link between the assault and Morlar's disturbing co
Richard Burton stars as successful novelist John Morlar who believes he has 'a gift for disaster' - the power to cause death and destruction through unconscious telekinesis. When Morlar is viciously assaulted and left for dead on the night of the Moon Mission disaster and a jet crash police investigating the attack quickly turn to Morlar's mysterious therapist Zonfeld (Lee Remick) in the belief that there is a link between the assault and Morlar's disturbing complex...
Deep in the Woods is an average horror film, unusual only because it was made in France. A troupe of young actors who specialise in school performances are hired by sinister aristocrat Francois Berleand to perform their "Little Red Riding Hood" act at his remote mansion as a birthday treat for his strangely silent grandson. As is often the case, the film works better in the early stages as it piles on the omens and disturbing touches, with unsettling byplay between host and guests, than it does in the extended finale, which features the familiar demises of most of the cast as someone dressed in the Big Bad Wolf costume stalks with a spear-gun and unorthodox use is made of a handy nail gun. The young, attractive victims bicker and get naked just like in a rubbish American movie and leading lady/likely survivor Clotilde Courau (best known as the young Anne Parillaud in Map of the Human Heart) is wasted in a nothing role, but mad people Berleand and Lavant provide some entertainment value.--Kim Newman
Running away 12-years-old Céline hides in a red truck. She meets Peter a Scottish truck driver in his forties. Along the roads the stops and the encounters Céline experiences her first true moments of childhood with lightness and trust. She wants to see it all to discover it all. Peter becomes the friend of her dreams. He offers this wounded child a chance to finally have a normal life.
3 Classic Sherlock Holmes movies of the silver screen starring Basil Rathbone and 8 classic TV episodes starring Ronald Howard.
A serial killer known as 'The Avenger' is attacking blonde women in the city of London. When a new lodger rents a room at the home of Mr and Mrs Bunting their daughter's boyfriend begins to suspect that he may be the killer....
Helen Stoner becomes concerned when she hears a mysterious whistle - a sound her sister complained about right before her death. Sounds like a case of Holmes (Raymond Massey) and Watson (Athole Stewart).
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