Curb Your Enthusiasm is the brainchild of star-creator Larry David, who cocreated Seinfeld and was the basis for the easily rattled George Costanza. Like George, David has a tendency to speak too much, blow things out of proportion, and, most often, fail in the end (and often liking it that way). David's new show is also like its predecessor; it's about "nothing" except following the day-to-day ramblings of a sometime writer and comic (this time in LA). Eternal questions stemming from universal daily dilemmas are honed to perfect comedic absurdity. A notable exception is that the show is only scripted by plot; much of the action is improvised. The first season starts with a one-hour mockumentary following David's return to stand-up for the first time in years. The other 10 episodes follow a more traditional sit-com setup. David plays "himself" (as does his friend, Richard Lewis) although his manager and wife are played by comedians Jeff Garlin and Cheryl Hines. Although this first season is a comedic gem, one can't take more than an episode or two at a time--it's caustic, biting comedy. The episodes are often built like a house of cards, which the irritable David will surely collapse by the end. --Doug Thomas
In 1943 the Germans opened Stalag Luft III a maximum-security prisoner-of-war camp designed to hold even the craftiest escape artists. In doing so however the Nazis unwittingly assembled the finest escape team in military history - brilliantly portrayed here by Steve McQueen James Garner Charles Bronson and James Coburn - who worked on what became the largest prison breakout ever attempted. One of the most ingenious and suspenseful adventure films of all time The Great Escape is a masterful collaboration between director John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven) screenwriters James Clavell (Shogun) and W.R. Burnett (Little Caesar) and composer Elmer Bernstein. Based on a true story The Great Escape is epic entertainment that captivates thrills and stirs (Variety).
The West Indies cricket team in the 1970s and 80s rightly continues to be regarded as one of the finest of all time. Names such as Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, Malcolm Marshall and Gordon Greenidge played the kind of cricket that remains talked about to this day. But what the film Fire In Babylon does is dig a little deeper, examining the ramifications of what that team achieved off the pitch as well as on it. Fire In Babylon examines the oppression and prejudice that the West Indies team was batting against, and how it came to gradually overcome them. It looks, too, at just what can be achieved by sporting success, with many of the key names of the time all contributing. Running to a little shy of 90 minutes, Fire In Babylon blends match footage when it can, and breezes through its running time. Perhaps it doesnt quite fully match its ambitions, but it does provide a thoughtful, engaging documentary, one whose appeal should extend far beyond followers of cricket. Its an uplifting piece of work, and one that really deserves to be seen. --Jon Foster
The all time classic tale of a massive escape from a World War Two German Prisoner of War camp released as a two disc DVD set with a host of extra features.
In Victor Meldrew, One Foot in the Grave brought us one of the greatest characters in the history of British situation comedy. David Renwick's multi-award winning creation spawned a catch phrase--"I don't believe it"--that vocalised the sentiments of the perennially disgruntled, the irritated or the plain bewildered. Victor is a superannuated security guard struggling to fill his premature retirement usefully, but he is frustrated at every turn. Coincidences, external forces and events and other people conspire against him. Somehow or other, he always gets the blame, leaving a trail of walking wounded in his wake, usually led by his long-suffering wife Margaret. This first series, originally transmitted in 1990, contains countless comic moments, many of them truly surreal. But Victor is never a one-dimensional target for our laughter. Indeed, as with the best comedy, we mock him at our peril. None of us get through life without our share of Meldrew moments. Thanks to Richard Wilson's performance--which rightly made him a major television star--he is a rounded human being who genuinely can't understand why he is constantly at odds with the world around him, despite his best efforts. And in Annette Crosbie as the increasingly enraged Margaret, he has the perfect screen partner. --Piers Ford
From Richard Adams' best seller comes a beautifully realized animated adventure about a nomadic band of rabbits. Nestled among the rolling hills and peaceful meadows of England lives a community of rabbits. When their warren is threatened a small group of brave rabbits escapes into the unknown countryside in search of a new home. Led by the visionary Fiver the courageous Bigwig the clever Blackberry and the honerable Hazel they face daunting challenges and use their strength and
A stirring example of courage and the indomitable human spirit, for many John Sturges' The Great Escape is both the definitive World War II drama and the nonpareil prison escape movie. Featuring an unequalled ensemble cast in a rivetingly authentic true-life scenario set to Elmer Bernstein's admirable music (who writes contrapuntal march themes these days?), this picture is both a template for subsequent action-adventure movies and one of the last glories of Golden Age Hollywood. Reunited with the director who made him a star in The Magnificent Seven Steve McQueen presents a career-defining performance as the laconic Hilts, the baseball-loving, motorbike-riding "Cooler King". The rest of the all-male Anglo-American cast--Dickie Attenborough, Donald Pleasance, James Garner, Charles Bronson, David McCallum, James Coburn and Gordon Jackson--make the most of their meaty roles (though you have to forgive Coburn his Australian accent). Closely based on Paul Brickhill's book, the various escape attempts, scrounging, forging and ferreting activities are authentically realised thanks also to the presence of technical advisor Wally Flood on set, one of the original tunnel-digging POWs. Sturges orchestrates the climactic mass break-out with total conviction, giving us both high action and very poignant human drama. Without trivialising the grim reality, The Great Escape thrillingly celebrates the heroism of men who never gave up the fight. On the DVD: The Great Escape World Cup Special Edition includes all the features of the two-disc special edition, plus a full-size St George's Cross England flag, a feature on England footballers' World Cup memories and World Cup-themed packaging. --Mark Walker
The all time classic tale of a massive escape from a World War Two German Prisoner of War camp released as a two disc DVD set with a host of extra features.
Giant (1956): George Stevens' sweeping Oscar-winning epic about the cataclysmic effect the discovery of oil in Texas has on the lifestyle of the former cattle barons. Dean is Jett Rink a sullen-farm hand who becomes a millionaire overnight. Tough always angry restless bewildered and reckless Rink's animal charm and tycoon's magnetism means he always gets his way. But when he fails in love with Leslie he loses his way with an equal violence... East Of Eden (1955): J
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...
Richard Conte – best known for his role in The Godfather – stars with Russell Napier (Scotland Yard's Superintendent Duggan) and noted Scottish actress Rona Anderson in this stylish Cold War thriller. Little Red Monkey was a global box-office success for Anglo-Amalgamated made at the company's famous Merton Park Studios and provided an early showcase for future Primetime Emmy-winning director Ken Hughes; it is presented here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements. A mysterious assassin is targeting eminent British atomic scientists leading to fears for the safety of Leon Dushenko – a Russian defector and guided-missile expert who is passing through London en route to the United States. Can Special Branch and the US State Department stop Dushenko from becoming the assassin's next victim? Bonus Features: Alternative Beginning Rough edit UK and Overseas Trailers Image Gallery Original Script PDF
Dambusters legend Richard Todd turned his talents to comedy to play a philandering travel agent with too many girlfriends for his own safety in this delightful romantic romp of 1961. Executive-produced by Todd and co-written by Oscar winner Frederic Raphael Don't Bother to Knock also features Golden Globe winner and Playboy sensation Elke Sommer June Thorburn John Le Mesurier and Nicole Maurey among a high-calibre international cast. The film is presented here in a brand-new transfer from the original elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio. Bill Ferguson's troubles begin when he mislays the key to his flat and a friend helpfully presents him with several more with his name and address attached. Sentimentally he gives one to each of the glamorous girls he meets on a continental holiday - all of whom turn up at his flat just as he is about to marry his British fiancée! Special Features: Original Theatrical Trailer Image Gallery Original Promotional PDF
Collection of three classic James Dean films. In 'East of Eden' (1955) two brothers compete for the love of their stern, overbearing, widowed father. However, when Cal (Dean), the rejected 'rebel' son, discovers that his mother is not dead but running a nearby brothel he tells his brother Aron (Richard Davalos). This leads to the destruction of not only his relationship with Aron but also his father. 'Giant' (1956) is an epic saga which begins when Texas cattle baron Bick Benedict (Rock Hudson) takes a non-Texan wife, Leslie (Elizabeth Taylor). The story then traces two generations of his family, alongside the life of disreputable ranch-hand Jett Rink (Dean), who strikes it rich on an oil well and falls in love with Leslie. Director George Stevens won an Oscar for his work and the film garnered nine more nominations, including one for Dean, who was killed soon after filming. Finally, 'Rebel Without a Cause' (1955) takes place over a 24-hour period and follows Jim Stark (Dean), a restless teenager who is always in trouble with the law. When Jim is picked up for being drunk and disorderly he notices Judy (Natalie Wood) at the police station and determines to ask her on a date at high school the next day, which leads him into conflict with her boyfriend Buzz (Corey Allen).
Viking brothers Rolfe (Widmark) and Orm (Russ Tamblyn) steal the Norse king's funeral ship, as well as his beautiful daughter Gerda (Beba Loncar), and head off in search of the fabled 'Mother of Voices,' a huge solid-gold bell and battle a maelstrom, a mutinous crew and vengeful Moorish troops...
Journalist, screenwriter, novelist, soldier, filmmaker Samuel Fuller was one of American cinema's most prolific and multi-faceted talents. However, the films based on Fuller's early work as a screenwriter remain under appreciated. It Happened in Hollywood: Regarded by Fuller as his first real Hollywood credit', the film has a now-familiar premise: the silent film star who finds they are unable to make the transition to talkies. Blending comedy, romance, action, and a playful self-reflexive streak, the film established Fuller in Hollywood. Adventure in Sahara: Fuller takes full story credit on this rip-roaring adventure yarn inspired he claimed by Victor Hugo, Beau Geste, and Mutiny on the Bounty. Power of the Press: Drawing on Fuller's own experiences as young newspaperman and journalist, this crime drama is a passionate cry for freedom of speech and expression. The film also features Fuller's first fully formed and vital female heroine in the shape of the impassioned Edwina (Gloria Dickson). Special Features: High Definition remasters of all three films Original mono audio It Happened in Hollywood (1937, 68 mins): Richard Dix and Fay Wray star as big-screen actors adapting to the coming of sound in this witty exposé of Tinseltown, directed by Harry Lachman from a screenplay co-written by Samuel Fuller Adventure in Sahara (1938, 57 mins): action-packed drama of revenge and honour, starring Paul Kelly and Lorna Gray, directed by D Ross Lederman from a story by Fuller Power of the Press (1943, 64 mins): Lew Landers directs this hard-edged drama about corruption within the newspaper industry, based on a story by Fuller and starring Guy Kibbee, Lee Tracy and Gloria Dickson All-Star Party (2018, 6 mins): who's who of the stars' and their impersonators in the climactic party scene from It Happened in Hollywood Sam Fuller's Search for Truth with Tim Robbins (2009, 7 mins): the celebrated actor explores Fuller's time as a reporter Image gallery: publicity photography and promotional material for all three films New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Channel 4's critically-acclaimed drama Skins enters its fifth series following the angst-ridden lives of its teenage characters as they grapple with adolescence. This series introduces the third generation of sixth formers; a once again eclectic mix of characters. Dakota Blue Richards (The Golden Compass) stars as Franky who automatically sets herself up as an outsider when she joins the school three weeks late. As Mini Liv and Grace do their best to both help and hinder her settling in period we also meet the new boys Alo Rich Nick and Matty. Expect plenty more bitching backstabbing and general angst-ridden behaviour in this the complete fifth series.
The acclaimed 1967 BBC adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic, Great Expectations is now available to own on DVD for the first time. Starring BAFTA-winner Francesca Annis (Home Fires), Gary Bond (Zulu), Hannah Gordon (The Elephant Man) and BAFTA-nominee Peter Vaughan (Game of Thrones) Young Philip Pirrip (Christopher Guard) universally known as Pip encounters escaped convict Magwitch (John Tate) in a deserted graveyard, and helps him find food and escape his shackles. When his kindness is later rewarded by an unexpected inheritance, the adult Pip (Gary Bond), surrounded by home comforts, grows mean and arrogant and smitten with the aloof Estella (Francesca Annis).Maxine Audley plays vindictive recluse Miss Havisham, who has raised Estella to distrust all men. Written by acclaimed playwright Hugh Leonard, who adapted many of Dickens books for TV and the stage, this is a delightful cautionary tale of the power of wealth to corrupt and betray.
Jim Gordon commands a unit of the famed Flying Tigers the American Volunteer Group which fought the Japanese in China before America's entry into World War II. Gordon must send his outnumbered band of fighter pilots out against overwhelming odds while juggling the disparate personalities and problems of his fellow flyers. In particular he must handle the difficulties created by a reckless hot-shot pilot named Woody Jason who not only wants to fight a one-man war but to waltz off with Gordon's girlfriend too.
This duo of sparkling Thames comedies provided an early hit for BAFTA-winning comedienne Wendy Craig showcasing her talents as a harassed well-meaning but scatterbrained young widow doing her best to bring up two rambunctious sons.
All 16 episodes from Eric Sykes' first colour series from the BBC from 1972. This 3 disc set features completely uncut versons of the rarely seen episodes and includes a black and white episode from the end of the run which has not been seen since originally broadcast. The first colour series of Eric Sykes' show features an episodes with special guest star Peter Sellers.
Please wait. Loading...
This site uses cookies.
More details in our privacy policy