The biggest hit of 1990, Ghost is part comedy, part romance, part supernatural thriller. Patrick Swayze, previously best known for Dirty Dancing, stars as Sam, the banker who is killed following a mugging. Caught in a limbo between here and the afterlife, he uses Whoopi Goldberg's fake psychic as an intermediary to warn wife Molly (Demi Moore) that his death was no accident but a murder and that she is in danger too. Ghost's original popularity and notoriety originally arose not from its dealings with the supernatural but the scene involving Moore fondly astride her potter's wheel fashioning a somewhat phallic-shaped vase, with Swayze fondly astride her. So infamous did this scene become that it's now more likely to raise a chuckle than a sultry sigh. As for the rest of the movie, it still somehow manages to engage despite the awkward juxtaposition of lachrymose melodrama and zaniness. Demi Moore, whose massive Hollywood success was always a mystery to some, is a little flat as the tomboy-coiffed Molly, her tears occasionally seeming onion-induced. Swayze, however, delivers as Sam while Whoopi Goldberg turns in the best performance of her career, delivering the requisite zip and sass to what otherwise might have been a morose movie. On the DVD: Though well restored, DVD enhancement has only served to emphasise the slightly quaint feel of the special effects here--Ghost was made just prior to the digital era. Otherwise, this is a good package and an essential purchase for fans. There's a 22-minute featurette, "Remembering the Magic", in which scriptwriter Bruce Joel Rubin explains that the film was inspired by the scene in Hamlet in which the Prince meets his Father, and how initially appalled he was that his masterpiece of the supernatural was to be directed by Jerry Zucker, previously responsible for Airplane!. They also reveal that Tina Turner was originally cast for the Goldberg role. Zucker and Rubin team up for a funny commentary track. --David Stubbs
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. Funny, tragic and, at times, heart-warming, this unflinching story of an unconventional man is strongly directed by the multi-award-winning Jack Gold. It is featured here in a brand-new restoration from original film elements, in its original full-screen aspect ratio. SPECIAL FEATURES: Commentary with John Hurt, director Jack Gold and executive producer Verity Lambert Seven Men: Quentin Crisp a Granada profile from 1971 Mavis Catches Up with Quentin Crisp an interview from 1989 Image gallery Philip Mackie's original script [PDF]
Eureka Entertainment to release MONKEY SHINES, George A. Romero's terrifyingly twisted thriller, on Blu-ray in the UK as part of the Eureka Classics range, in a Dual Format (Blu-ray & DVD) edition from 8 October 2018. Presented with a Limited Edition O Card slipcase [First print run only]. From writer / director George A. Romero, the man who unleashed Night of the Living Dead, comes a terrific psychological thriller that delivers a disturbing message about messing with Mother Nature. Starring Jason Beghe and Janine Turner, this riveting tale is a white-knuckle triumph that doesn't let up! Allan Mann (Jason Beghe) is a bitter, angry and vengeful man ever since an accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. He's fed up with himself and everyone around him. All that changes when he's given Ella, a monkey trained to meet his every need. But when Ella begins anticipating Allan's thoughts, strange and deadly things start happening. And as she stalks and wreaks havoc on Allan's fair-weather girlfriend (Janine Turner), incompetent doctor and meddling mother, Allan realizes he must stop the cunning maniacal creature... before she fully takes over his mind! Kate McNeil, Joyce Van Patten, Stephen Root, John Pankow and Stanley Tucci also star in this riveting thriller from the godfather of modern horror George A. Romero, presented on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK in a Dual Format (Blu-ray & DVD) edition with an array of special features. Features: Limited Edition O Card slipcase [First Print Run Only] 1080p presentation of the film on Blu-ray DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 audio options Optional English SDH subtitles New and exclusive feature length audio commentary by Travis Crawford Audio Commentary with director George A. Romero An Experiment in Fear The Making of Monkey Shines - a lengthy retrospective with George A. Romero, stars Jason Beghe and Kate McNeil, executive producer Peter Grunwald, and special effects legends Tom Savini, Greg Nicotero and Everett Burrell. Alternate Ending and Deleted Scenes Behind-the-scenes footage, original EPK featurette, vintage interviews and news reports Trailers and TV spots PLUS: A limited edition collector's booklet featuring a new essay by Craig Ian Mann; highlights from the film's production notes: and rare archival material [First Print Run Only]
ALL 4 ACTION-PACKED MOVIES FROM THE TRANSFORMERS SAGA TRANSFORMERS From director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg comes a thrilling battle between the AUTOBOTS⢠and the DECEPTICONSâ¢. When their epic struggle comes to Earth, all that stands between the evil DECEPTICONS⢠and ultimate power is a clue held by Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf). Join the fight for mankind in the extraordinary adventure that is this summer's coolest film FHM. TRANSFORMERS 2- REVENGE OF THE FALLEN The battle for Earth continues in this action-packed blockbuster from director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg. When college-bound Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) learns the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers, he must accept his destiny and join Optimus Prime and Bumblebee in their epic battle against the Decepticons, who have returned stronger than ever with a plan to destroy our world. TRANSFORMERS 3- DARK OF THE MOON A mysterious event from Earth's past threatens to ignite a war so big that the TRANSFORMERS alone will not be able to save the planet. Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and the AUTOBOTS⢠must fight against the darkness to defend our world from the DECEPTICONS'⢠all-consuming evil in the smash hit from director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg. TRANSFORMERS 4- AGE OF EXTINCTION From director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg comes the hugely entertaining* Transformers: Age of Extinction. With humanity facing extinction from a terrifying new threat, it's up to Optimus Prime and the Autobots to save the world. But now that the government has turned against them, they'll need a new team of allies, including inventor Cade Yeager ( Mark Wahlberg ) and the fearsome Dinobots!
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. Funny, tragic and, at times, heart-warming, this unflinching story of an unconventional man is strongly directed by the multi-award winning Jack Gold. It is featured here in a brand-new High Definition restoration from original film elements, in its original fullscreen aspect ratio. SPECIAL FEATURES: Feature version [HD - Blu-ray exclusive]: in full widescreen with the ad-breaks removed Commentary with John Hurt, director Jack Gold and executive producer Verity Lambert Seven Men: Quentin Crisp a Granada profile from 1971 Mavis Catches Up with Quentin Crisp: an interview from 1989 Image gallery Philip Mackie's original script (PDF)
Based on a novel by Susan Isaacs, Shining Through is uncomfortably close to Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious. This World War II drama concerns a love affair between a spy (Michael Douglas) and a secretary (Melanie Griffith) that goes south when duty turns him cold and pushes her into dangerous, behind-the-lines intelligence work. Liam Neeson plays the gentleman Nazi unwittingly providing Griffith with cover as domestic help. The best parts of the film are the twists and turns in the romance (Douglas is very good at playing a character who can turn off all feeling at will) at the beginning; the German scenes are less compelling despite such high stakes for the heroine. The climax--taking us back to Notorious whether it wants to or not--is quite gripping, largely due to Douglas's performance.--Tom Keogh
Transformers Dueling alien races, the Autobots and the Decepticons, bring their battle to Earth, leaving the future of humankind hanging in the balance. Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen When college-bound Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) learns the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers, he must join Optimus Prime and Bumblebee in their epic battle against the Decepticons, who have returned with a plan to destroy our world. Transformers: Dark of The Moon The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and learn its secrets, which could turn the tide in the Transformers' final battle. Transformers: Age of Extinction With humanity facing extinction from a terrifying new threat, it's up to the Autobots to save Earth. They'll need new allies, including inventor Cade (Mark Wahlberg) and the Dinobots! Transformers: The Last Knight The Last Knight shatters the core myths of the Transformers franchise, and redefines what it means to be a hero. Humans and Transformers are at war, Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving our future lies buried in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Saving our world falls upon the shoulders of an unlikely alliance: Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg); Bumblebee; an English Lord (Sir Anthony Hopkins); and an Oxford Professor (Laura Haddock). There comes a moment in everyone's life when we are called upon to make a difference. In Transformers: The Last Knight, the hunted will become heroes. Heroes will become villains. Only one world will survive: theirs, or ours. Includes Bonus Disc with over 90 minutes of Special Features!
Breakfast At Tiffany's: The names Audrey Hepburn and Holly Golightly have become synonymous since this dazzling romantic comedy was translated to the screen from Truman Capote's best-selling novella. Holly is a deliciously eccentric New York City playgirl determined to marry a Brazilian millionaire. George Peppard plays her nextdoor neighbour a writer who is 'sponsored' by wealthy Patricia Neal. Guessing who's the right man for Holly is easy. Seeing just how that romance blossoms is one of the enduring delights of this classic set to Henry Mancini's Oscar-winning score and the Oscar-winning Mancini/Johnny Mercer song 'Moon River'. Roman Holiday: Audrey Hepburn won an Oscar for her portrayal of a modern-day princess rebelling against her royal obligations who explores Rome on her own. She meets Gregory Peck an American newspaperman who seeking an exclusive story pretends ignorance of her true identity. But his plan falters as they rapidly fall in love...
A St. Bernard puppy 'adopts' a new home after escaping from dog thieves. The Newton family just haven't realised the trouble that 185 pounds of dog can get into...
Kim Stanley and Richard Attenborough give outstanding performances in this classy British thriller, with Attenborough winning a BAFTA for Best British Actor and Stanley scoring an Oscar nomination. Written and directed by Bryan Forbes - who also won a Writers Guild award, an Edgar and a BAFTA nomination - Seance on a Wet Afternoon is presented here as a brand-new transfer from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio. Myra Savage, a highly-strung spiritual medium, convinces her weak-willed husband to fake a child kidnapping so she can offer her services to the parents when all seems lost. Though horrified at the prospect, he reluctantly goes along with the plan - but becomes more convinced than ever that Myra is losing her grip on reality
Something of a cult item among British war movies (and brilliantly spoofed a few years back by a lager ad), The Dam Busters turns a minor World War II incident into a saga of heroic stiff-upper-lippery in the classic British style. A bombing raid is proposed on a strategically vital Ruhr dam, but its position is inaccessible. Enter eccentric inventor Dr Barnes Wallis (Michael Redgrave in best daffy professor mode) who comes up with a genius idea--a bomb that will bounce on water like a skimmed pebble. Naturally the top brass pooh-pooh it, but gallant Wing Commander Guy Gibson (Richard Todd) is persuaded, and between them flyer and boffin forge ahead. The touches of carefully understated emotion now verge on self-parody, but it's hard not to get caught up in the narrative sweep, especially when the bombers take off on their mission and Eric Coates' stirring march hits the soundtrack. The modelwork, state-of-the-art for its early 1950s period, still looks impressive, and the death of Gibson's beloved black Labrador (embarrassingly called Nigger) is a three-hanky moment to rival the shooting of Bambi's mum. --Philip Kemp
Donna Deitch's tender, ground-breaking debut, a landmark in queer cinema and a triumph of independent filmmaking The swooning and sensual first narrative feature by DONNA DEITCH, Desert Hearts was ground breaking upon its 1985 release: a love story about two women, made entirely independently, on a self-financed shoestring budget, by a woman. In the 1959-set film, an adaptation of a beloved novel by Jane Rule, straitlaced East Coast professor Vivian Bell (The Colour of Money's HELEN SHAVER) arrives in Reno to file for divorce but winds up catching the eye of someone new, the younger free spirit Cay (Manhunter's PATRICIA CHARBONNEAU), touching off a slow seduction that unfolds against a breath-taking desert landscape. With undeniable chemistry between its two leads, an evocative jukebox soundtrack, and vivid cinematography by ROBERT ELSWIT (Punch-Drunk Love), Desert Hearts beautifully exudes a sense of tender yearning and emotional candour. BONUS FEATURES DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES New, restored 4K digital transfer, supervised by cinematographer Robert Elswit, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack Audio commentary from 2007 featuring director Donna Deitch New conversation between Deitch and actor Jane Lynch New conversation between Deitch, Elswit, and production designer Jeannine Oppewall about the film's visual style New interviews with actors Helen Shaver and Patricia Charbonneau Excerpt from Fiction and Other Truths: A Film About Jane Rule, a 1995 documentary about the author of Desert of the Heart, the 1964 novel on which the film is based PLUS: An essay by critic B. Ruby Rich
No film better utilises Audrey Hepburn's flighty charm and svelte beauty than this romantic adaptation of Truman Capote's novella. Hepburn's urban sophisticate Holly Golightly, an enchanting neurotic living off the gifts of gentlemen, is a bewitching figure in designer dresses and costume jewellery. George Peppard is her upstairs neighbour, a struggling writer and "kept" man financed by a steely older woman (Patricia Neal). His growing friendship with the lonely Holly soon turns to love and threatens the delicate balance of both of their compromised lives. Taking liberties with Capote's bittersweet story, director Blake Edwards and screenwriter George Axelrod turn New York into a city of lovers and create a poignant portrait of Holly, a frustrated romantic with a secret past and a hidden vulnerability. Composer Henry Mancini earned Oscars for the hit song "Moon River" and his tastefully romantic score. The only sour note in the whole film is Mickey Rooney's demeaning performance as the apartment's Japanese manager, an offensively overdone stereotype even in 1961. The rest of the film has weathered the decades well. Edwards's elegant yet light touch, Axelrod's generous screenplay and Hepburn's mix of knowing experience and naivety combine to create one of the great screen romances and a refined slice of high-society bohemian chic. --Sean Axmaker
When Lila (Arquette) starts puberty something goes wrong and begins to grow a covering of thick hair all over her body. Unable to cope with this she moves to a secluded forest and becomes a best selling author. However at the age of thirty lila craves for male company and sets out to get back into society where she finds Puff (Ifans) a man raised by animals in the jungle...
Pioneering, enormously influential and often challenging, Armchair Theatre was ITV's flagship drama anthology series. Bringing high-quality contemporary drama to a wider viewing public, the series easily demonstrated the network's potential to rival the BBC's drama output with diverse and powerful plays by some of Britain's most gifted writers. This set comprises twelve plays taken from the series' first incarnation, produced by ABC and broadcast in the 1950s and '60s. An astonishing roll-call of writers includes J.B. Priestley, James Mitchell, Fay Weldon and Alun Owen; Patrick McGoohan, Stanley Baker, Billie Whitelaw, Colin Blakely, Judy Cornwell and Hugh Griffith are among the celebrated and accomplished actors appearing in groundbreaking dramas ranging from the playful to the poignant.
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.
Doomwatch star Simon Oates takes the lead role in this cult '60s sci-fi gem, adapted from visionary author Murray Leinster's novel The Wailing Asteroid by fellow Hugo-award winner John Brunner. Also starring Bond girl Zena Marshall and featuring typically charismatic turns from Patricia Hayes and Charles Hawtrey, The Terrornauts is presented here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements. Joe Burke heads a radio telescope project at a British observatory, h...
Newlyweds Peter (Alec Baldwin) and Rita (Meg Ryan) find their promise to love each other forever is tested in a way they could never have imagined! Just moments after they exchange wedding vows an elderly man appears and asks if he may kiss the bride. Rita says yes and it is not long before Peter notices that his bride is no longer the girl he knew. When he realizes that Rita and the old man have somehow exchanged souls Peter knows he must find him to get back the woman he loves!
A collection of David Lean's finest films. Include: 1. The Sound Barrier (1952) 2. Hobsons Choice (1954) 3. Blithe Spirit (1945) 4. Brief Encounter (1945) 5. Great Expectations (1946) 6. Oliver Twist (1948) 7. Madeleine (1950) 8. The Passionate Friends (1949) 9. This Happy Breed (1944)
Please wait. Loading...
This site uses cookies.
More details in our privacy policy