Perhaps no movie could capture F Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby in its entirety, but this adaptation, scripted by Francis Ford Coppola, is certainly a handsome try, putting costume design and art direction above the intricacies of character. Robert Redford is an interesting casting choice as Gatsby, the millionaire isolated in his mansion, still dreaming of the woman he lost. And Sam Waterston is perfect as the narrator, Nick, who brings the dream girl Daisy Buchanan back to Gatsby. The problem seems to be that director Jack Clayton fell in love with the flapper dresses and the party scenes and the jazz age tunes, ending up with a Classics Illustrated version of a great book rather than a fresh, organic take on the text. While Redford grows more quietly intriguing in the film, Mia Farrow's pallid performance as Daisy leaves you wondering why Gatsby, or anyone else, should care so much about his grand passion. The effective supporting cast includes Bruce Dern as Daisy's husband, and Scott Wilson and Karen Black as the low-rent couple whose destinies cross the sun-drenched protagonists. (That's future star Patsy Kensit as Daisy's little daughter.) The film won two Oscars--not surprisingly, for costumes and musical score. --Robert Horton
With his ability to blend into any bizarre situation Leonard Zelig played an important part in every major historical event of the twentieth century. But only now can the amazing truth be told in Woody Allen's unique mockumentary about the hilarious exploits of a celebrity non-entity...
Broadway Danny Rose is vintage Woody Allen. Danny (Allen) is a down-at-heel theatrical agent whose regular clients include talking bird acts and a man who twists balloons into animal shapes. His faith in these eccentrics never fails, despite the fact that everyone leaves him for another agent in the end. Complications ensue when one of his clients, an overweight crooner, starts a romance with a mafia widow (excellently played by Allen's partner of the time, Mia Farrow). The mob think Danny is her boyfriend, forcing the two of them to take evasive action, at one point dodging bullets among giant floats for a forthcoming Fourth of July parade. The script is witty, the acting superb, the situations inventive. The film is shot in black and white and looks superb for it. On the DVD: The DVD is widescreen, with extremely clear sound so you won't miss a single wisecrack. Dialogue is available in French, German, Italian and Spanish as well as English. It's a pity, however--since the film is so short (84 minutes)--that there are no extras apart from the theatrical trailer. --Ed Buscombe
Ten-year-old Arthur in a bid to save his grandfather's house from being demolished goes looking for some much-fabled hidden treasure in the land of the Minimoys a tiny people living in harmony with nature.
Peter Ustinov makes his debut as Agatha Christie's brilliant Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in this lavish and star-studded follow-up to Murder On The Orient Express. As Poirot enjoys a luxurious cruise down the Nile a newlywed heiress is found murdered on board and every elegant passenger becomes a prime suspect. Can Poirot identify the killer and motive before the ship of clues reaches the end of its murderous journey? Bette Davis David Niven Angela Lansbury Maggie Smith Mia Farrow George Kennedy Olivia Hussey Simon MacCorkindale Jane Birkin Jack Warden and Lois Chiles co-star in this sumptuous Oscar-winning classic adapted by Anthony Shaffer (Sleuth) and filmed on location throughout exotic Egypt.
Edwina has moved into the neighbourhood known as 'Widows' Peak' so called due to the prevalent maritial status of the residents. The residents are all curious about their new neighbour Edwina including Mrs Counihan the residents leader whose son is busy wooing Edwina. Miss O'Hare and Edwina have an immediate dislike for each other and some accidential encounters look like Edwina is trying to ruin her new rival.
One of Woody Allen's best-loved films, this won three richly deserved Oscars* (for Michael Caine, Dianne West and the screenplay) and is a joy from start to perfectly-judged finish. Hannah (Mia Farrow) is a devoted wife, loving mother and successful actress. She's also the emotional backbone of the family, and her sisters Lee (Barbara Hershey) and Holly (Dianne West) depend on this stability while also resenting it because they can't help but compare Hannah's seemingly perfect life with theirs. But with her husband Elliott (Michael Caine) becoming increasingly interested in Lee, it's clear that Hannah might have problems of her own. An unusually strong supporting cast includes Allen himself as Hannah's existentially-conflicted ex-husband and Max von Sydow as a perfectionist artist, but it's Caine who practically steals the film as a middle-aged man behaving like a lovesick teenager. It also has some of Allen's greatest one- liners, with a philosophical discussion about the nature of good and evil getting shot down with How should I know why there were Nazi's, I don't even know how the can opener works *Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Caine) *Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Wiest) *Best Writing, Screenplay, Written Directly for the Screen Product Features Theatrical Trailer
In this stylish spy thriller a Londoner working in British Intelligence Alexander Eberlin (Laurence Harvey) actually is a Russian counter-espionage agent named Krasnevin. Fraser (Harry Andrews) head of British Intelligence gives his men a special assignment--find and destroy Krasnevin! He discovers there is no one to whom he can turn and even doubts a swinging Londoner with whom he is having an affair.
Weary of being alone in the vast forest unicorn Amalthea (Mia Farrow) begins to wonder if she's the last of her kind. Following a rumor she joins forces with feeblish wizard Schmendrick (Alan Arkin) and wayward barmaid Molly (Tammy Grimes) to look for the mystical Red Bull a creature known to hunt and imprison unicorns. In order to walk unnoticed among men Schmendrick magically transforms Amalthea into a beautiful woman. Together the three embark on a adventurous journey into the dark land of King Haggard the man rumored to control the Red Bull.
The chilling classic that birthed a new direction in horror, based on the bestseller by Ira Levin (THE STEPFORD WIVES) and produced by William Castle (THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL). Newlywed Rosemary (Mia Farrow) has no idea that her wedded bliss is about to come to a horrific end. After she becomes pregnant, her husband becomes odd, her neighbours (Sidney Blackmer and Oscar® winner* Ruth Gordon) border on obsessive, and her normal life turns into a surreal nightmare. Slowly, she begins to realise that a seed of evil has been plantedand she is its host.This collector's edition includes the following:¢ Rigid Slipcase ¢ Digipack ¢ Original Theatrical Poster¢ 6 Art Cards ¢ Reproduction Production Notes from 1968 ¢ All Of Them Witches Collectible Board¢ Button Badge StickerSpecial Features:-Rosemary's Baby A Retrospective-Mia and Roman-50th Anniversary Redband Trailer-Theatrical Trailer
Under ROMAN POLANSKI's chilling direction, a classic thriller is born. Rosemary (MIA FARROW) and Guy Woodhouse (JOHN CASSAVETES) are newlyweds, but Rosemary has no idea that her wedded bliss is about to come to a horrific end. Her husband's ambition as a struggling actor is about to plunge her into an abyss of terror like she has never known. In exchange for a taste of fame, Guy makes a deal with the devil that puts his wife and soul in jeopardy. When Rosemary becomes pregnant, her husband becomes odd, her neighbors (SIDNEY BLACKMER and Oscar® winner* RUTH GORDON) border on obsessive and her normal life turns into a surreal nightmare. Slowly, she begins to realize that a seed of evil has been planted and she is its host.
Critics greeted Woody Allen's 1990 opus Alice with sighs of resignation. Here was yet another of Allen's bemused heroines-at-a-crossroads/crisis, falling prey to all kinds of temptation and fantasy and emerging at the other end a more complete, fulfilled or at least self-aware human being. But, though it's a minor work by his highest standards, it has weathered rather well. This is a softer exploration of territory Allen had previously covered rather more intensely and seriously in Another Woman (1988). It's often very funny and ultimately affirms one of Allen's most persistent themes: however confused you think you are, the answer probably lies somewhere inside you rather than in anybody else. As Alice, Mia Farrow gives one of her most versatile and unmannered performances, revealing a real gift for comedy. However bitter the breakdown of her long personal relationship with Allen, there is no doubt that he took her to new professional heights in their cinematic collaborations. At the start, Alice is little more than a well-heeled housewife and mother, a lady who lunches with bitchy friends. Her dissatisfaction with her marriage (to patronising rich guy William Hurt) leads her into the path of Chinese herbalist Dr Yang, whose potions set her off on a series of experiences which include the affair she has been considering, becoming invisible (cue some great gags, especially one involving a New York cab) and a brief flirtation with opium (here Allen's trademark soundtrack of old standards includes the evocative "Limehouse Blues"). There's also some great dialogue. "He's very deep," says Farrow of her putative lover (Joe Mantegna). "Yeah, and very deep is where he wants to put it", cracks back her visiting muse (a glittering cameo from Bernadette Peters). On the DVD: Presented in widescreen (1.85:1) format with a Dolby Digital stereo soundtrack, Alice on DVD replicates the hallmark intimacy of Allen's films in the cinema with good picture and lush sound quality (the importance of his romantic, referential musical choices should never be underestimated). There are no extras, apart from the original theatrical trailer. --Piers Ford
""Fine and brave! Allen's touch for drama has gotten warmer and surer."" -Los Angeles Times. Woody Allen delivers a haunting ""superbly constructed"" (The Hollywood Reporter) film that examines the intricate world of human emotions and the delicate threads that hold them together. Beautifully acted by an all-star cast including Mia Farrow Sam Waterson Dianne West Denholm Elliott Elaine Stritch and Jack Warden September illustrates ""some of Allen's most powerfully ironic dialogue
A delightful return to the romantic-comedy territory that Woody Allen last explored in such classics as Annie Hall and Manhattan, Alice was also Oscar-nominated for Best Original Screenplay, but departs from the earlier films in its embrace of out-and-out fantasy to the point where it becomes a contemporary fairytale. Alice Tate (Mia Farrow) is trapped in a loveless marriage to Doug (William Hurt), to the point where a chance encounter with handsome jazz musician Joe (Joe Mantegna) leaves her hopelessly conflicted. Seeking treatment for backache from a Chinese acupuncturist (Keye Luke), she confesses her feelings under hypnosis and comes away with some ancient herbs that possess mysterious and even supernatural powers. But will they solve Alice's dilemmas, or merely make them even more complicated? And can she really throw away all Doug's material wealth purely for love? Gliding effortlessly from reality to daydream and from memory to magic, while exploring the intricate and unfathomable unity of human bonds, Alice was described by the New York Times as hilarious and romantic, serious and exuberantly satiric.
Based on the novel Julia by Peter Straub, Full Circle is a highly regarded, long-vanished, evocatively eerie cult chiller, newly restored in 4K resolution. Bereaved mother Julia (Mia Farrow, Rosemary's Baby) flees controlling husband Magnus (Keir Dullea, Black Christmas), re-establishing herself in an old house in leafy West London. Yet she finds herself haunted by apparitions of a ghostly blonde-haired child, sending her on a strange journey of self-discovery - with dreadful consequences. Long requested by fans, the BFI is delighted to bring Full Circle to UK audiences as a limited edition 4K UHD and Blu-ray dual format release. Product Features Limited edition (includes booklet and slipcase) 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation Newly recorded introduction by director Richard Loncraine (2023) Newly recorded audio commentary with director Richard Loncraine and film historian Simon Fitzjohn Newly recorded interview with Richard Loncraine (2023) Newly recorded Interview with composer Colin Towns (2023) Interview with Tom Conti (2023) Interview with Samantha Gates (2023) Video essay by author and critic Kim Newman Location Tour with Simon Fitzjohn (2023) Galleries Newly created English subtitles for the Deaf and partial hearing Reversible sleeve featuring alternative design Illustrated booklet with new writing on the film by Simon Fitzjohn and on Richard Loncraine by the BFI's Dr Josephine Botting All extras are TBC and subject to change *Please note that the UHD disc included is region ABC, the Blu-ray disc is region B
I've just met a wonderful new man. He's fictional but you can't have everything." So says Cecilia (Mia Farrow), the central figure in Woody Allen's lyrically humorous Purple Rose of Cairo. The era is the Great Depression, and she is the bullied wife who finds escape in romantic movies, falling in love with the explorer hero, Tom Baxter (Jeff Daniels), of the eponymous film. So far, nothing remarkable. But Allen has Baxter spot her in the audience, fall in love with her, and desert the picture, much to the irritation of the other characters. The surreal quality of the situation develops further when Gil Shepherd--the actor who played Baxter (Daniels again)--seeks out his fictional alter ego to persuade him back into the film and thus save both their reputations. Naturally Shepherd, too, falls in love with Cecilia, and she's left to choose between fiction and reality, chooses the latter and is then cruelly jilted. The message seems clear: fairytales are just that, make-believe. There's no such thing as a happy ending. Dating from 1985 (after Broadway Danny Rose and immediately before Hannah and her Sisters), this is one of the few movies in which Allen doesn't actually appear, though he's recognisable in every line of Farrow's character. It's also a nostalgic tribute to the era that defined movie glamour, the close-up of Cecilia's face at the end a moment of pure Hollywood. At 81 minutes, this is a small but brilliant gem. On the DVD: Aside from the technological improvement of DVD over video, the new format adds little by way of features: you can view the original trailer, scan the film scene by scene, and there's a choice of subtitles in eight languages.--Harriet Smith
In Husbands and Wives, another typical Woody Allen exploration of relationships between screwed-up New Yorkers, the drama centres on two married couples who have been close friends for years. When Jack and Sally (Sydney Pollack and Judy Davis) announce they're breaking up, it exposes the cracks in the relationship between Gabe and Judy (Allen and Mia Farrow). The shenanigans that result are touching, funny and horribly true to life. Jack finds himself a cliché trophy blonde, Sam--an aerobics instructor--and thinks he's got it made until she expounds the eternal truths of astrology to his friends, humiliating him in the process; Gabe, meanwhile, finds himself increasingly drawn to his precocious student, Rain--beautifully portrayed by Juliette Lewis--while Judy and Sally get involved with the same guy (though not simultaneously), the shy but alluring Michael (Liam Neeson). The touch of genius is to have an off-screen narrator, with whom the main characters share their innermost thoughts, thus drawing the viewer right into the emotional heart of the movie. This is vintage Woody, with gentle but witty observations of human failings. On the DVD: Husbands and Wives is delivered in widescreen with a Dolby Digital soundtrack. The only extra features are trailers for both this and Allen's previous movie, Manhattan Murder Mystery. In addition the audio set-up option is in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and subtitles in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Finnish. --Harriet Smith
Joseph Losey's lurid and often misunderstood drama stars the great Elizabeth Taylor (Suddenly, Last Summer) as an ageing London prostitute who befriends a young woman (Mia Farrow, See No Evil) that reminds her of her long-dead daughter. As the bizarre relationship between the two evolves, the appearance of Robert Mitchum (Cape Fear), as Farrow's abusive stepfather, ignites deep emotions and dark passions. With its exquisite production design, stylish cinematography and elegant score, Joseph Losey's lost masterpiece finally makes its long-overdue premiere on Blu-ray. Product Features High Definition remaster Original mono audio Audio commentary with authors and critics Dean Brandum and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (2019) Archival Interview with Joseph Losey (1969, 15 mins): extract from the French television programme Cinéma critique, featuring the celebrated director promoting the release of Secret Ceremony and an appreciation by critic Michel Mourlet The Beholder's Share (2019, 25 mins): interview with Gavrik Losey, son of Joseph Losey TV version: additional scenes (1971, 18 mins): unique epilogue and prologue produced for US television screenings, with Robert Douglas and Michael Strong Original theatrical trailer Larry Karaszewski trailer commentary (2015, 3 mins): short critical appreciation Image gallery: promotional and publicity material New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Woody Allen's gentlest and most unassuming movie, Radio Days isn't so much a story as a series of anecdotes loosely linked together by a voice-over spoken by the director. The film is strongly autobiographical in tone, presenting the memories of a young lad Joe (clearly a stand-in for Allen himself) growing up in a working-class Jewish family in the seafront Brooklyn suburb of Rockaway during the late 1930s and early 40s. In this pre-TV era the radio is ubiquitous, a constant accompaniment churning out quiz shows, soap operas, dance music, news flashes and Joe's favourite, the exploits of the Masked Avenger. Given Allen's well-publicised gallery of neuroses, you might expect childhood traumas. But no, everything here is rose-tinted and even the outbreak of war makes little impact on the easygoing, protective tenor of family life. Now and then Allen counterpoints his family album with the doings of the radio folk themselves (blink, and you'll miss a young William H Macy in the studio scene when the news of Pearl Harbour comes through). The rise to fame of Sally (Mia Farrow), a former night-club cigarette girl turned crooner, is the nearest the film comes to a coherent storyline. But most of the time Allen is content to coast on a flow of easy nostalgia, poking affectionate fun at the broadcasting conventions of the period and basking in the mildly rueful Jewish humour and small domestic crises of Joe's extended family. There aren't even any of his snappy one-liners, and the humour is kept low-key, raising at most an indulgent smile. A touch of Allen's usual acerbity wouldn't have come amiss. But for anyone who shares these memories, Radio Days will surely be a delight. On the DVD: Not much besides the theatrical trailer, scene menu and a choice of languages. The screen's the full original ratio, but nothing seems to have been done to enhance the soundtrack, and the dialogue's not always clear. A boost in volume may help.--Philip Kemp
A talented musician struggles to survive the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto and the concentration camps of World War II.
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