The disappearance of a vulnerable young man draws Perez into the troubled history of a family recently arrived from Glasgow. The missing man embraced life in Shetland and the community took him to its heart. Have the vengeful ghosts of the past caught up with him, or did an intense, new relationship turn sinister? Something about this elusive figure is not as it seems. When a breakthrough in the case reveals a danger greater than anyone could have feared, it falls on Jimmy Perez to save Shetland from an unimaginable threat.
London, 1928. Nine years have passed and Harry Selfridge is at the pinnacle of his wealth and celebrity and enjoying the frenzy of the roaring 20s.
Nice concept, shaky execution--that about sums up the mixed blessings of British actor Peter Howitt's intelligent but forgivably flawed debut as a writer-director. It's got more emotional depth than most frothy romantic comedies and its central idea--the parallel tracking of two possible destinies for a young London professional played by Gwyneth Paltrow--is full of involving possibilities. It's essentially a what-if scenario with Helen (Paltrow) at the centre of two slightly but significantly different romantic trajectories, one involving her two-timing boyfriend (John Lynch)and the other with an amiable chap (John Hannah) who represents a happier outcome. That's the film's basic problem, however: the two scenarios are so romantically unbalanced (one guy's a total cad, the other charmingly sincere) that Helen inadvertently comes off looking foolish and needlessly confused. Still, this remains a pleasant experiment and Howitt's dialogue is witty enough to keep things entertaining. It's also a treat for Paltrow fans; not only does the svelte actress handle a British accent without embarrassing herself but she gets to play two subtle variations of the same character, sporting different wardrobes and hairstyles in a role that plays into her glamorous off-screen persona. --Jeff Shannon
The original BBC radio adventures of Arthur Dent (an ape-descendant whose anger at the apparently inexplicable destruction of his home planet Earth, situated in an obscure corner of the outer spiral arm of the galaxy, is expressed in frequent irritation at friendly automatic doors and vending machines) and his travelling companions, Ford Prefect (an itinerant towel-carrying hitch-hiker originally from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse), Zaphod Beeblebrox (the notorious ex-Galactic President and patron of Eccentrica Galumbits, the triple-breasted whore of Eroticon Six) and Marvin the Paranoid Android (who's still suffering from that terrible pain in all the diodes down his left side) proved to be such a success for the BBC that its transition to TV was (almost) inevitable. In 1981 several key members of the radio cast made the move to the small screen. Simon Jones' bewildered Arthur Dent remains the central character, shambling around in his dressing gown (a fact easy to forget on radio); Mark Wing-Davey's Zaphod Beeblebrox is the same as his boastful radio persona, even if the second head utterly fails to convince. Unfortunately, newcomers David Dixon (as Ford Prefect) and the irritating Sandra Dickinson (as Trillian) are no match for their radio predecessors.The problem here is not so much the low-budget look as the script itself, which is lovingly faithful to the radio series in a way that Douglas Adams' novels aren't. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was a lucid, satirical, occasionally profound, utterly unique comic invention on radio. As such, it has nothing to gain from TV. The script needs no visual elaboration--that's best left to the listener's own imagination. Only the animated renditions of the Guide itself enhance Peter Jones' wonderfully dry narration; otherwise--paradoxically, perhaps--by supplying images the concept is oddly diminished here.On the DVD: A suitably eclectic not to say eccentric collection of extra features makes this a wholly satisfying two-disc set, neatly packaged in a fold-out slipcase. On the second disc there's an hour-long "making of" documentary from 1992 featuring contributions from the cast and crew, including Douglas Adams; and then there's even more in a 20-minute section entitled "Don't Panic!". A fascinating behind-the-scenes peek at filming as the clock runs out on studio time and a look at the recording of the original radio series complete the first part. Then navigate to the "Outer Planets" to find outtakes, a deleted scene, Zaphod's animatronic second head on Tomorrow's World and Peter Jones's witty and shambolic introduction to the first episode, plus more besides. The series itself is presented in standard 4:3 ratio and Dolby stereo. --Mark Walker
Three young children live on a remote farm in the North of England; their mother is dead and their father is too busy to look after them. Kathy (Hayley Mills) is the eldest Nan (Diane Holgate) is the quiet child of the family while six year old Charles (Alan Barnes) is the most outspoken. The children wage constant guerrilla warfare against farmhand Eddie and the traps he sets for wild animals. They rescue three kittens that Eddie believes he has drowned. Charles tries to give
In Cairo at the height of the Arab Spring, hotel night manager Jonathan Pine receives a plea for help from the beautiful Sophie Alekan. As the mistress of the powerful but dangerous hotel owner, Sophie has evidence of an arms deal that could help crush the popular uprising. Compelled to do what he thinks is right, Pine makes contact with his friend at the British Embassy. But his actions unwittingly draw him into the terrifying world of ruthless arms dealer, Richard Roper. When Sophie's information makes its way to Angela Burr, a government anti-corruption agent intent on bringing down Roper's empire, a leak in her network triggers a chain of events that end in tragedy. Click Images to Enlarge
Ghosts is a multi-character sitcom created by the lead cast of writer-performers from the award winning Horrible Histories, Yonderland and the feature film Bill. The crumbling country pile of Button House is home to numerous restless spirits who have died there over the centuries each ghost very much a product of their time, resigned to squabble with each other for eternity over the most inane of daily gripes. But their lives or, rather, afterlives are thrown into turmoil when a young urban couple Alison and Mike surprisingly inherit the peaceful derelict house and make plans to turn it into a bustling family hotel. As the ghosts attempt to oust the newcomers from their home, and Mike and Alison discover the true scale of the project they've taken on, fate conspires to trap both sides in an impossible house share, where every day is, literally, a matter of life and death.
All the episodes from the first four series of the ITV detective drama starring Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar. In the first series, when a skeleton belonging to a young man is discovered below a demolished building, DCI Cassie Stuart and DI Sunil Khan (Walker and Bhaskar) are brought in to lead the investigation. After identifying the body as a homeless male named Jimmy Sullivan (Harley Sylvester), the detectives unearth the names and addresses of four possible suspects, Beth, Father Rob, Frankie C and Mr. Slater, as named in Jimmy's diary. Will any of them hold the key to solving Jimmy's death? In the second series, the duo's next big case begins when a suitcase is washed up from the River Lea in London, containing the remains of a dead body. After discovering the person was buried more than 25 years ago and learning his identity, the pair quickly identifies a list of four potential suspects who all have interlinked connections to the deceased. As they try to discover what life was like for the victim, David Walker, all those years ago, Cassie and Sunil find themselves investigating historical allegations of abuse, rape and cover-ups in their search for his killer. In the third series, the detectives investigate the death of missing schoolgirl Hayley Reid, who disappeared on New Year's Day, 2000, after construction workers unearth human remains while carrying out repairs on the M1 motorway. Returning to the initial investigation of her disappearance, the detectives identify four possible suspects, but which one of them is responsible for Hayley's death? Finally, in the fourth series the discovery of a body in a metal scrapyard leads to Stuart and Khan investigating a drink driving incident from 30 years ago that may prove pivotal in solving this latest mystery.
To do good small work for Middlemarch and great work for the world. This is the intention of the ambitious young Doctor Lydgate as he takes up his position at Middlemarch's new hospital. Elsewhere in town, Dorothea Brooke, seeking a purpose to her young life, finds herself drawn to the elderly, but scholarly, Edward Casaubon. Soon both find their cherished idealism tested by the demands of marriage and society... Set during the political upheavals of 19th Century England, Middlemarch is an epic story of love, politics and frustrated passion. Special Features: The Making of Middlemarch An additional 30 minutes (in 5.1 Surround Sound) of the original music composed by Stanley Myers and Chris Gunning. Compiled and digitally edited by David Maurice.
The pity of war has been a much-favoured film topic; the treachery of war much less so, though never more persuasively than in Paths of Glory, Stanley Kubrick's breakthrough feature from 1957. Kirk Douglas gives one of his finest screen performances as Colonel Dax, the idealistic First World War soldier appalled by the arbitrary court-marshal meted out to three of his men after an impossible attempt to storm German lines goes disastrously wrong. George Macready is an utterly believable Gerneral Mireau, obsessed with his own honour and standing, whom Adolphe Majou complements tellingly as the urbane and cynical General Bruler. Those who know Kubrick from his later sprawling epics will be surprised at the tautness and concision shown here, even though the screenplay--which he co-wrote--has a certain theatrical stiffness. On the DVD: Paths of Glory on disc reproduces well in full-screen format, and Gerald Fried's bitingly ironic score comes through powerfully. There are five dubbed and six subtitled languages. The original trailer is a masterpiece of gritty reportage, well worth reviving. Along with Dr Strangelove and 2001, this is Kubrick's most focussed and durable film. --Richard Whitehouse
Award-winning crime writer Ann Cleeves' bestselling detective series returns for a fifth season as DI Jimmy Perez faces a compelling new single mystery. A human hand washes up on a Shetland beach. A few hours later, more body parts are discovered in a hold-all that has been dumped at sea. The victim is identified as a young Nigerian man, spotted in Lerwick a few days before. What was he doing on the islands? In investigating his murder, DI Perez becomes involved in the search for a vulnerable young woman, leading him to uncover a complex network of human trafficking across Scotland's remote rural communities.
Helen Mirren stars as Queen Elizabeth II in this drama set in the days following the death of Princess Diana.
Collision tells the story of a major road accident and a group of people who have never met but who all share one single defining moment that will change their lives. Amid the tangle of twisted metal and emotional turmoil wrought by the tragedy of a crash of this scale are the stories of the victims and the impact of the accident on their families friends and colleagues. As the terrible task of investigating the cause of the carnage begins a series of revelations emerge: from Government cover-ups and smuggling to disturbing secrets and murder. Douglas Henshall (Primeval French Film) and Kate Ashfield (The Children The Diary of Anne Frank) play the senior police officers in charge of the investigations whose complicated personal lives threaten to collide with the grim job they face. Paul McGann (True Dare Kiss Withnail and I) stars as millionaire property dealer Richard Reeves. Dean Lennox Kelly (Shameless The Invisibles) and his brother Craig Kelly (Hotel Babylon Queer as Folk) team up for the first time to play brothers Danny and Jeffrey Rampton whose business dealings are about to be exposed as a result of the crash. Zoe Telford (The Palace Marple: The Sittaford Mystery) is Jeffrey's wife Sandra. Claire Rushbrook (Mutual Friends Whitechapel) plays Karen Donnelly who survives the crash but has a secret which puts her life in jeopardy again. Phil Davis (Bleak House Whitechapel) plays Brian Edwards who escapes the carnage which kills his mother in law. His wife Christine played by Jan Francis (U Be Dead New Tricks) is devastated by the death of her mother and confused by her husband's reaction to the police questions. David Bamber (Rome Daniel Deronda) plays Sidney Norris a piano teacher whose guilty secrets are uncovered in the investigations.
A stunning new 4K restoration of Paul Verhoeven's classic 1992 erotic thriller BASIC INSTINCT. Starring Michael Douglas as Nick Curran, a hardboiled detective with a weakness for beautiful women and dangerous relationships and Sharon Stone as Catherine Tramell, a stunning, enigmatic novelist with a talent for seduction and a history of relationships that end in death. As the only suspect in a controversial murder case that the detective is investigating, Catherine ignites Nick's suspicion and his passion, and he soon becomes involved in his most dangerous liaison yet. Featuring one of the most talked about scenes in film history, Basic Instinct is blistering portrayal of sexual obsession, murder and betrayal. Extras: Blu-ray DISC 1 Feature Audio commentary with Camille Paglia Audio commentary with Paul Verhoeven and Jan de BontBasic Instinct: Sex, Death and Stone Blu-ray - DISC 2 An unending story - Scoring Basic Instinct Blonde Poison - The making of Cast & Crew interviews featurette Storyboard comparisons (Love scene - Car Chase - Elevator murder)Screen tests (Sharon Stone x 4 - Jeanne Tripplehorn x 1 ) UHD DISC: Feature Audio commentary with Camille Paglia Audio commentary with Paul Verhoeven and Jan de BontBasic Instinct: Sex, Death and Stone An unending story - Scoring Basic Instinct Blonde Poison - The making of Cast & Crew interviews featurette Storyboard comparisons (Love scene - Car Chase - Elevator murder)Screen tests (Sharon Stone x 4 - Jeanne Tripplehorn x 1 )
The African Queen meets Swept Away in this sometimes laboured romantic comedy by director Ivan Reitman. Fortunately, he cast an old pro in Harrison Ford, as Quinn Harris, a South Seas charter pilot who must ferry New York fashion editor Robin Monroe (Anne Heche) from one island to another--a hop that falls flat when they fly into a mammoth storm that causes them to crash on a deserted island. The pair resent and resist each other, until they are forced to team up to escape from the island--and some modern pirates who want their heads. If that part of the story is unconvincing, you can always focus on the smouldering comic chemistry between Heche, who displays strong comic instincts, and the ever-reliable Ford. The script is just an excuse for these two flinty characters to strike increasingly romantic sparks off each other, which is always enjoyable to watch. --Marshall Fine, Amazon.com
The Rescuers Down Under isn't a quickie, direct-to-video sequel, cashing in on the success of the original 1977 animated hit about adventurous mice, but a full-blown theatrical effort. This time around, Bernard (voice of Bob Newhart) is trying to pop the question to Bianca (Eva Gabor) when they're summoned to Australia, where a young boy has been kidnapped by a pallid, grey-faced poacher (who looks like and is voiced by George C. Scott). Wilbur, a chatterbox of an albatross (John Candy, replacing the late Jim Jordan's character Orville), and Jake (Tristan Rogers), a kangaroo mouse--Bernard is jealous of the dashing rodent--assist the Rescuers in saving the day and imparting a mild environmental message. The film opens with an absolutely breathtaking aerial sequence--this was made near the beginning of Disney's animation renaissance--so impressive it would seem the story, literally, has nowhere else to go but down. However, some smart gags, excellent animation and rollicking adventures ensue. So why isn't it better known? It had the bad luck to open, in 1990, opposite another kids' film--Home Alone. --David Kronke
Two brothers are sent on an interstellar adventure while playing a mysterious board game.
Joker is an original, standalone story. Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a man disregarded by society, is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale. Please Welcome...Joker! - Through various takes of Joker's entrance on The Murray Franklin Show, learn why Todd Phillips describes Joaquin Phoenix as the most nimble actor' he has ever worked with.
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