The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover is both adored and detested for its combination of sumptuous beauty and revolting decadence. Few directors polarise audiences in the same way as Peter Greenaway, a filmmaker as influenced by Jacobean revenge tragedy and 17th-century painting as by the French New Wave. A vile, gluttonous thief (Michael Gambon) spews hate and abuse at a restaurant run by a stoic French cook (Richard Bohringer), but under the thief's nose his wife (the ever-sensuous Helen Mirren) conducts an affair with a bookish lover (Alan Howard). Clothing (by avant-garde designer Jean-Paul Gaultier) changes colour as the characters move from room to room. Nudity, torture, rotting meat, and Tim Roth at his sleaziest all contribute the atmosphere of decay and excess. Not for everyone, but for some, essential. --Bret Fetzer
The story's setting is 1947 England where hard-hit Brits won't let mandatory food rationing keep them from celebrating the wedding of the future queen to Lt. Phillip Mountbatten. But there may be no public banquet for citizens in a Yorkshire town. The contraband guest of honour they've pampered and fattened has been pignapped!
Harry returns for his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry along with his best friends Hermione and Ron. He ignores warning s not to go back to Hogwarts by a mysterious house elf named Dobby. Soon into the school year strange things start happening...
To try and please all the fans of JK Rowling's novel was a challenge that the makers of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone met head on. The result of their efforts is one of the most lavish, beautiful and magical cinematic treats to hit our screens in years. Director Chris Columbus and screenwriter Steven Kloves (thankfully with the help of Rowling herself) prove that although you can't translate everybody's reading of this much-loved book onto the cinema screen--maybe Fluffy was a bit more Fluffy in your imagination or Hagrid (superbly played by Robbie Coltrane) a little more giant-like--it is nevertheless possible to transfer Harry's adventures with fidelity as well as superb energy and excitement. If there is a downside it's that the performances of the child leads tends to verge on the Sylvia Young-tastic in places. Nonetheless, the three young stars are both likable and watchable, showing great potential to grow into the parts as the adventures continue. The main disappointment is the substantial cutting of the ghost scenes and what promised to be a fine comic turn by John Cleese as Headless Nick, though with more Potter films on the way the ghosts will surely assume their rightful prominence later. There are, of course, some areas of the story that may frighten smaller children--such as the entrance of the evil Voldemort--and undoubtedly for any true Potter fan that cinematic entrance cannot live up to the images created in their imagination. All in all, though, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is what it should be: an unmissable treat for the whole family. On the DVD: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone really is a magical experience in this lavish two-disc set. Disc one offers the film in all its surround-sound glory along with trailers and links to the Harry Potter Web site, but, disappointingly, there's no commentary. Disc two is where the real wizardry can be found, with a vast and beautifully designed selection of special features. Entering the Great Hall a mysterious voice invites you to explore and find the secret hidden within (though it's frustrating that in some cases you have to re-enter the Hall after viewing a feature). Various options let you tour around Harry's world: from Diagon Alley to a virtual 360-degree tour of Hogwarts. The interactive component is excellent, with real thought having been put into ensuring that, instead of just the standard behind-the-scenes stuff, there is material aplenty to keep children and adults alike entertained for hours. Throughout the emphasis is on the disc's educational value: yes there are insights to be had from the film crew, but it's in the Classroom where you will find the real precious stones! --Nikki Disney "Widescreen" vs. "Full Screen" Widescreen preserves the original theatrical picture ratio of the film (Panavision 2.35:1), which will appear in "letterboxed" format on a normal TV screen. Full Screen (or "pan and scan") crops the theatrical picture to 4:3 ratio (i.e., 4 units wide by 3 units tall), which is the shape of a standard (non-widescreen) TV screen. There is no letterboxing, but up to a third of the original picture is lost.
Dr Flynn is a naive young surgeon starting out at the South Middlesex NHS hospital where he is about to find out that healthcare is not the cosy world of doctors and nurses he had hoped for. Under the wing of the laid back and cocksure Dr Noble Flynn has to brave the never ending shifts in a hospital populated by bizarre patients idiotic staff and the plain mad and laughably reckless medical team. Featuring Reece Shearsmith (The League Of Gentlemen) Alexander Armstrong (Armstrong And Miller) Tim Brooke Taylor (The Goodies) and Richard Griffiths (Harry Potter Withnail And I) 'TLC' is the hilariously surreal BBC comedy from the makers of 'Little Britain' and 'Coogan's Run'.
This classic comedy set in post-war Britain stars a host of familiar faces and is based on a screenplay by Alan Bennett.
The Naked Gun (Dir. David Zucker 1988): Those screw-loose Airplane! creators have done it again! Leslie Nielsen stars as Police Squad's own granite-jawed rock-brained cop Frank Drebin who bumbles across a mind-control scheme to assassinate Queen Elizabeth. Priscilla Presley O.J. Simpson a stuffed beaver two baseball teams and an odd assortment of others join the wacko goings-on and blow the laugh-o-meter to smithereens. The Naked Gun 2 1/2 - The Smell O
A biting comedy thriller that parodies every pillar of the British establishment from politics and the police to the Bank of England and the dear old BBC. In the Red is set in Spring 1998, a year into a New Labour Government, with the country feeling that nothing has, in fact, got better at all. When a serial killer targets a number of bank managers and financiers, the nation responds with a curious mixture of mild outrage and quiet admiration. George Cragge, a raddled BBC Radio crime reporter with a fondness for drink and a healthy contempt for BBC management, joins the murder hunt after he begins to receive mysterious telephone calls from the killer. Leading the murder hunt is his old ally, DCI Jefferson. An immaculately constructed whodunnit, and an irreverent, yet affectionate romp through the corridors of British power. Malcolm Bradbury (The History Man) adapted Mark Tavener's bestselling novel for the BBC. The acclaimed features an all-star cast including Warren Clarke, Alun Armstrong, Siobhan Redmond, Rik Mayall, Keith Barron, John Bird, Stephen Fry and Richard Griffiths. Wonderfully funny and highly topical' Telegraph A laugh-aloud satire' Sunday
Volume 1 includes: 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit & Benjamin Bunny' 'The Tale of Flopsy Bunnies & Mrs. Tittlemouse' and 'The Tale of Tom Kitten and Jemima Puddleduck'.
To try and please all the fans of JK Rowling's novel was a challenge that the makers of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone met head on. The result of their efforts is one of the most lavish, beautiful and magical cinematic treats to hit our screens in years. Director Chris Columbus and screenwriter Steven Kloves (thankfully with the help of Rowling herself) prove that although you can't translate everybody's reading of this much-loved book onto the cinema screen--maybe Fluffy was a bit more Fluffy in your imagination or Hagrid (superbly played by Robbie Coltrane) a little more giant-like--it is nevertheless possible to transfer Harry's adventures with fidelity as well as superb energy and excitement. If there is a downside it's that the performances of the child leads tends to verge on the Sylvia Young-tastic in places. Nonetheless, the three young stars are both likable and watchable, showing great potential to grow into the parts as the adventures continue. The main disappointment is the substantial cutting of the ghost scenes and what promised to be a fine comic turn by John Cleese as Headless Nick, though with more Potter films on the way the ghosts will surely assume their rightful prominence later. There are, of course, some areas of the story that may frighten smaller children--such as the entrance of the evil Voldemort--and undoubtedly for any true Potter fan that cinematic entrance cannot live up to the images created in their imagination. All in all, though, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is what it should be: an unmissable treat for the whole family. On the DVD: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone really is a magical experience in this lavish two-disc set. Disc one offers the film in all its surround-sound glory along with trailers and links to the Harry Potter Web site, but, disappointingly, there's no commentary. Disc two is where the real wizardry can be found, with a vast and beautifully designed selection of special features. Entering the Great Hall a mysterious voice invites you to explore and find the secret hidden within (though it's frustrating that in some cases you have to re-enter the Hall after viewing a feature). Various options let you tour around Harry's world: from Diagon Alley to a virtual 360-degree tour of Hogwarts. The interactive component is excellent, with real thought having been put into ensuring that, instead of just the standard behind-the-scenes stuff, there is material aplenty to keep children and adults alike entertained for hours. Throughout the emphasis is on the disc's educational value: yes there are insights to be had from the film crew, but it's in the Classroom where you will find the real precious stones! --Nikki Disney "Widescreen" vs. "Full Screen" Widescreen preserves the original theatrical picture ratio of the film (Panavision 2.35:1), which will appear in "letterboxed" format on a normal TV screen. Full Screen (or "pan and scan") crops the theatrical picture to 4:3 ratio (i.e., 4 units wide by 3 units tall), which is the shape of a standard (non-widescreen) TV screen. There is no letterboxing, but up to a third of the original picture is lost.
Henry Crabbe (Richard Griffiths) is a mild-mannered police officer who has more of a passion for cooking than he does police work. His dream is to retire from the police force and open his own restaurant but he is not yet eligible for retirement. When Henry is shot in the line of duty his dream now becomes much more possible as he can now take an early retirement. The only thing standing in his way is his boss who is scared to let Henry go as he worries that he will be investigated as a result of the shooting. In a bid to keep Henry on he refuses to give him his full retirement pension unless Henry carries out his dirty work for him, so Henry must now balance his new life as a chef at his dream restaurant and dealing with his boss’ dodgy dealings.
Funny Bones, directed by Peter Chelsom (Hear My Song), is a weird but intriguing comedy with a particularly dark edge. Oliver Platt plays a would-be comedian, the son of a major comedy star (Jerry Lewis); dad's reputation even overshadows his son's Las Vegas debut. After that flop the son tries to go back to his roots and heads across the Atlantic for his father's launch pad in Blackpool. There, he meets his previously unknown half-brother (Lee Evans), a bizarre comedy savant who teaches him a thing or two about taking risks to get laughs, and discovers a secret about how his father got started. Platt is likably lost and Lewis is perfectly overbearing, but the real find here is Evans, making his cinematic debut as the rubber-faced, protean comic with always surprising material. --Marshall Fine
This box set features the entire seventh series of the classic British Television drama Inspector Morse. Episodes comprise: 1. Deadly Slumber: Avril Steppings was left with permanent brain damage after an operation went wrong. Morse is called in when the doctor who runs the clinic where the operation was performed is found murdered... 2. Day Of The Devil: Morse is involved in a man hunt when a dangerous mental patient escapes from a high security hospital...
In some ways, HBO's Six Feet Under plays kid brother to the Sopranos: it's spunkier, less refined, chancier and a bit of a punk. Nevertheless, the show, set in the southern California mortuary Fisher and Sons, deserves its place in the pantheon of great television series. The initial series was a showcase for the most original characters, including tight-lipped brother David (Michael C Hall) coming out of the closet, emotionally trippy mom Ruth (Frances Conroy) and the most complex girlfriend on the face of the planet, Brenda (Rachel Griffiths). Slowly, the major force in series two 2 is the unassuming lead, Peter Krause. Part of the long line of good-looking actors who never get respect because they make it look too easy, Krause finds the perfect blend of optimism and wonderful, bittersweet anguish as Nate, the prodigal son. The opening series' happy ending is forgotten as relationships change, the business is still under fire from the evil conglomerate Kroehner, and a lively dream sequence is just around the corner. As with the first series, creator Alan Ball lets many others direct and write the show, but his stamp is all over it. The eccentricities of the characters are shaped, and not always suddenly. Take daughter Claire (Lauren Ambrose), who sheds her bad boyfriend only to find more complex relationships on her road to discovering her own groove. One person in the mix is Ruth's beatnik sister (Patricia Clarkson, in an Emmy-winning role). She's a joyous embodiment of thriving--if ageing--counter-culture. Another new character is Nate's old girlfriend, the granola-loving Lisa (Lili Taylor). With Brenda heading down another destructive course, Nate is at more than one crossroads by series' end. For fans who groove with the wild, serio-comedic world of the Fishers (and let's face it, many didn't), the second series goes down like a fine meal of fusion cuisine. --Doug Thomas
20th Anniversary Limited Collector's Edition On Blu-Ray INCLUDES 40-PAGE BOOK OF THE WASHINGTON IRVING CLASSIC STORY, THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW. Master storyteller Tim Burton (Batman, Edward Scissorhands) weaves an eerie, enchanting version of this classic tale of horror. Johnny Depp is Ichabod Crane, an eccentric investigator determined to stop the murderous Headless Horseman. Christina Ricci is Katrina Van Tassel, the beautiful and mysterious girl with secret ties to the supernatural terror. This release includes Special Features never before available on Blu-ray in the UK: Commentary by Director Tim Burton Sleepy Hollow - Behind the Legend Reflections on Sleepy Hollow
When his report on computer fraud is tampered with unassuming civil servant Henry Jay finds himself drawn into a complex pan-European conspiracy involving a prominent Euro MP and a shadowy force known as 'le Pouvoir' - the Power. With a hired assassin hot on his heels our rotund and unhappy hero races against time to expose robbery fraud and political corruption on a multi-national scale.
Four children are orphaned and forced into hiding with an old forester who lives deep in the woods. They have to fight and help save Charles Stuart King of England from his enemies. Contains all six episodes from the TV series.
Two veteran English actors have their lives disrupted when one's grand-niece enters their lives.
Episodes include: The Man From Nowhere: A stranger enters Jean's flat and claims to be her husband... When The Spirit Moves You: Marty demonstrates how a ghost detective can sometimes do better than his mortal counterparts... Somebody Just Walked Over My Grave: Marty finds himself accusing his partner of seeing things! Could You Recognise the Man Again? Jeff and Jean are non-plussed to find a dead body in the back seat of their car...
Starring Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann in career defining roles, Withnail And I is one of the most hilarious and iconic comedies of British cinema. Written and directed by Bruce Robinson, this twisted, timeless and acerbic masterpiece is a genuine cult classic.It's 1969 and London isn't exactly swinging for struggling, unemployed actors Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and I (Paul McGann). Living amongst the crumbling squalor of a Camden flat their uneventful existence is fuelled by cheap drugs, bad booze and lighter fluid. When Withnail's eccentric Uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths) offers them his cottage retreat, both Withnail and I decide to escape to the glorious English countryside for a carefree weekend. But what they find is less than idyllic as they're forced to contend with disastrous weather conditions, hostile locals and the amorous motives of a certain Uncle Monty. It's the end of the greatest decade in the history of mankind and there's going to be a lot of refugees.
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