This first sequel to Dirty Harry was written by a couple of strong voices, writer-directors Michael Cimino (The Deer Hunter) and John Milius (Farewell to the King). But that doesn't mean the film is particularly good. After Don Siegel's ferociously dark style in the first movie, Ted Post's blocky, television-ish direction in Magnum Force is a huge letdown. The story doesn't win any prizes, either. Eastwood's San Francisco detective Harry Callahan (apparently having retrieved his badge after throwing it away at the end of Dirty Harry) takes on a vigilante squad within the city's police force. David Soul is pretty convincing as the major spokesman for these right-wing avengers. Eastwood, on the other hand, had already turned Callahan from fascinating outsider in Siegel's film to purveyor of tough-guy shtick in this one. --Tom Keogh
Written by David Leland and directed by Alan Clarke, Made in Britain is a slice of horrible but not inaccurate life from 1982. It holds a terrific early performance from Tim Roth as a skinhead with a swastika caste-mark tattoo, who constantly bares shark-like teeth as he spits embittered, articulate defiance at caring social workers and truncheon-wielding policemen alike. Sixteen-year-old Trevor (Roth) is remanded to an assessment centre before sentencing, but remains determined to disobey the rules imposed on him by any authority figures and spends the whole 73-minute play challenging the system to smack him back down, by vandalising the Job Centre, using his case-file as a toilet, stealing cars, victimising members of the "immigrant community" and shouting bile at people. The cycle that will lead him to an adult life in prison is explained to him with blackboard diagrams, but he believes he's better off keeping his hatred burning than toeing the line to end up as a no-hoper in a society that prizes obedience over conscience. It was originally televised as one of four Leland-filmed dramas about different aspects of the British education system, which made it seem less monomaniacal in its focus on an extreme case. There's no denying that it's an honest portrait of a monster calculated to terrify even the most concerned liberals which still manages to celebrate his self-destructive defiance. A film for television rather than a TV play, it has very strong language but the violence is all in Roth's face.On the DVD: No extra features here, but it does come with optional English sub-titles, and the theme song by the Exploited over the menu. --Kim Newman
Contains By The Sword Divided - parts one and two. This classic BBC period drama series follows the fortunes of the aristocratic Lacey family living peacefully in their Arnescote castle until the onset of the English Civil War in 1640. The head of the family Sir Martin Lacey is unswervingly loyal to the King. However the family is torn apart when his eldest daughter Anne weds John Fletcher son of a merchant family who support the forces of Cromwell. Episodes comprise: Gathe
The Winner Takes It All--The ABBA Story reflects the peaks and troughs of the Swedish supergroup's popularity over the decades, as well as the quartet's turbulent years together. Initially labelled as just another trashy Eurovision act following their win with "Waterloo" in 1974, the group confounded their critics by emerging as a credible musical team with superior songwriting abilities. Following a few years of mass adoration the punters got tired, and for most of the 1980s the group, along with their fans, were forced into years of hibernation and denial. Luckily a new dawn rose in the early 1990s with the emergence of ABBA tribute bands such as Bjorn Again, the appropriation of the group's music in the movies Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Muriel's Wedding, and the global success of the ABBA Gold greatest hits collection. This documentary successfully manages to piece together both the public and private side of the group, through the use of interview excerpts and video footage. The DVD also contains exclusive interviews with all four members of the band for the first time since their split. Reflecting on the intricate nature of their music, as well as the elevation of their compositions to the heady heights of pop classics, the documentary concludes with behind-the-scenes footage of preparations for the ABBA-inspired West End stage show Mamma Mia!. This is a must for all ABBA fans, as well as those wishing to discover the heritage of one of the world's greatest pop groups. On The DVD: although boasting 30 minutes of extra footage, interviews and music, this release is basically an extended version of the television documentary (of the same name) broadcast in 1999. The DVD version of the programme has been segmented into 20 chapters, labelled with names of classic ABBA tunes, which reflect the themes of particular parts of the narrative. Unfortunately all of the additional DVD footage has been subsumed into the documentary and cannot be accessed individually. There are no other extra DVD features (not even subtitles), and the main menu only allows access to the individual chapters. --John Galilee
A live concert from the O2 Centre! Tracklisting: 1. The Iron Sea 2. Everybody's Changing 3. Put it Behind You 4. Nothing In My Way 5. We Might as Well Be Strangers 6. Bend and Break 7. Can't Stop Now 8. Try Again 9. Your Eyes Open 10. Frog Prince 11. Hamburg Song 12. Fly To Me 13. Leaving So Soon? 14. This Is The Last Time 15. A Bad Dream 16. Somewhere Only We Know 17. Is It Any Wonder? 18. Broken Toy 19. Atlantic 20. Crystal Ball 21. Bedshaped
A slasher-horror film with enough campy humor to entertain most genre fans. Four friends go on a camping trip in the woods at a site the locals have dubbed Camp Blood. It isn't long before a maniac shows up donning a clown mask and ready for a killing spree.
Meantime: 'Meantime' centres on East End family the Pollacks - Mavis Frank and their sons Mark and Colin - and their experience of unemployment poverty and life in early 1980s Britain. When Colin comes under the influence of skinhead Coxy and when Mavis's better off sister Barbara offers Colin work family tensions erupt into conflict. Mike Leigh's first independent film for five years has a superb cast of rising stars including Gary Oldman Alfred Molina Tim Roth and Phil Daniels. First shown on television it is a memorable and closely observed account of life in Thatcher's Britain. Made In Britain: Trevor is a teenage skinhead. Caught smashing the windows of a Pakistani owned shop he is sent to an assessment centre by social worker Harry where it is discovered he is highly articulate and intelligent. But he escapes steals cars and goes berserk; can Harry still save him?
Keane live at the O2 Arena in London. Features 21 tracks. Tracklist: 1. The Iron Sea 2. Everybody's Changing 3. Put it Behind You 4. Nothing In My Way 5. We Might as Well Be Strangers 6. Bend and Break 7. Can't Stop Now 8. Try Again 9. Your Eyes Open 10. The Frog Prince 11. Hamburg Song 12. Fly To Me 13. Leaving So Soon? 14. This Is The Last Time 15. A Bad Dream 16. Somewhere Only We Know 17. Is It Any Wonder? 18. Broken Toy 19. Atlantic 20. Crystal Ball 21. Bedshaped
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