Boom!
The year is 1953. The small English village of St. Mary Mead home to Miss Jane Marple is delighted when a big American movie company arrives to make a movie telling of the relationship between Jane Grey and Elisabeth I starring the famous actresses Marina Rudd and Lola Brewster. Marina arrives with her husband Jason and when she discovers that Lola is going to be in the movie with her she hits the roof as Lola and Marina loathe each other on sight. Marina has been getting death threats and at a party at the manor house Heather Babcock after boring Marina with a long story drinks a cocktail made for Marina and dies from poisoning. Everybody believes that Marina is the target but the police officer investigating the case Inspector Craddock isn't sure so he asks Miss Marple his aunt to investigate...
Faustus (Richard Burton) is a scholar at the University of Wittenberg when he earns his doctorate degree. His insatiable appetite for knowledge and power leads him to employ necromancy to conjure Mephistopheles (Elizabeth Taylor) out of hell. He bargains away his soul to Lucifer in exchange for living 24 years during which Mephistopheles will be his slave. Faustus signs the pact in his own blood and Mephistopheles reveals the works of the devil to Faustus.
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).
The 1967 Franco Zeffirelli film of The Taming of the Shrew had all the ingredients to make it a high point in Shakespearian cinema. In Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor it starred the most bankable couple in Hollywood history as the sparring leads in the Bard's quick-firing comic battle of the sexes; and in Zeffirelli, it had a director with a Shakespearian pedigree second to none. But the reality is that this is Burton's picture all the way. His Petruchio is a weighty performance of such intelligence that the whole film is thrown off-kilter whenever he is on screen and the other performers just can't keep up. Apart from Michael Hordern's wonderfully distracted Baptista, Burton is the only actor in total, effortless command of the language. Taylor's bosomy glamour and fiery spirit are ample compensations for her occasionally murderous treatment of Katharina's verse. Whether or not she is really tamed by the end is another matter: those legendary violet eyes suggest otherwise. Ultimately it's a rich, bawdy and colourful romp, with Burton at the peak of his powers. The DVD includes the theatrical trailer, a "making-of" featurette and filmographies. --Piers Ford
George Stevens' stunning adaptation of Theodore Dreiser's 'An American Tragedy' garnered six Academy Awards (including Best Director and Best Screenplay) and guaranteed immortality for screen lovers Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor. Clift stars as George Eastman a poor young man determined to win a place in respectable society and the heart of a beautiful socialite (Elizabeth Taylor). Shelley Winters plays the factory girl whose dark secret threatens Eastman's professional a
The scene is set in the Coronation year of 1953 and the archetypal English village of St. Mary Mead. All is as it should be until Hollywood arrives in the form of an internationally famous film cast leading to much local excitement and an epidemic of sudden death to which local sleuth Miss Marple sets her mind...
The American domestic epic endured long into the post-war era, with Giant (1956) one of its last real manifestations. Director George Stevens gets real panoramic sweep in his adaptation of Edna Ferber's novel of social and economic change in rural Texas from the 1920s to the 1950s. Rock Hudson is imposing if uninvolving as rancher Vernon Reata II, constantly torn between his image and his humanity. As his wife Lesley, Elizabeth Taylor gives one of her most rounded performances as the Maryland girl whose liberal outlook causes friction within the social (and racial) mindset of the insular community as it lurches from rigid conservatism to mindless materialism over three decades. The film is best remembered for James Dean in what was his third and last screen appearance. He cuts a distinctive figure as Jet Rink, social outcast turned oil tycoon. The bravura of his inebriated speech before an empty banqueting hall would be no less memorable had his career not been curtailed days after shooting ended. The secondary roles are decently taken: look out for a teenage Denis Hopper, sallow but likeable as the gauche Vernon Reata III. On the DVD: Giant is evenly divided over two discs. Widescreen picture quality is excellent and the remastered soundtrack gives Dimitri Tiomkin's score a new lease of life. A laudable 56 chapter points are provided, with dubbing in English, French and Italian and subtitles in eight languages. A running commentary, though informative, is really for aficionados only, but the 45 minutes (on the second disc) of George Stevens recollections from heavyweights such as Herman J. Mankiewicz, Alan J Pakula and Fred Zinnemann ideally complements this sprawling but often compulsive old-school American movie. --Richard Whitehouse
Elizabeth Taylor stars as a troubled woman who, upon arriving in Rome, finds a city fragmented by autocratic law, leftist violence and her own increasingly unhinged mission to find the most dangerous liaison of all.Never before released in the UK, The Driver's Seat (aka Identikit) remains the most obscure, bizarre and wildly misunderstood film of Taylor's illustrious career. Adapted from an unnerving novella by Muriel Spark (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie), the film marked a wild step into the unknown for the screen icon, as she cast off the shackles of the US studio system in the shadow of her tumultuous personal life. Co-starring Ian Bannen, Mona Washbourne and Andy Warhol, The Driver's Seat stunned critics and audiences alike upon its premiere in 1974 but failed to secure a UK release - until now.Directed by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi ('Tis Pity She's a Whore) and featuring cinematography by three-time Oscar® winner Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now), this much-sought after cult classic is presented in a new 4K restoration by Cineteca di Bologna and Severin Films.Product FeaturesRestored in 4K by Cineteca di Bologna and Severin Films and presented in High DefinitionIntroduction By Kier-La Janisse, author of House of Psychotic Women (2022, 6 mins)Audio Commentary with TCM Underground curator Millie De Chirico (2022)A Lack of Absence (2022, 22 mins): writer and literary historian Chandra Mayor on Muriel Spark and The Driver's SeatThe Driver's Seat (credit sequences) (1974, 4 mins)**FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Illustrated booklet featuring new writing on the film by the BFI's Simon McCallum and Canadian artist, writer and filmmaker Bruce LaBruce. Also includes Kier-La Janisse's piece on The Driver's Seat, previously published in her acclaimed book, House of Psychotic WomenOther extras TBC
Still the most expensive movie ever made, Cleopatra nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox. It also scandalised the world with the very public affair of its two major stars, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. But Joseph L Mankiewicz's 1963 epic deserves to be remembered for more than its off-screen troubles. An extravagantly elaborate production, the sets and costumes alone are awe-inspiring; Mankiewicz's own literate screenplay draws heavily on the classics and Shakespeare; while the supporting cast, led by Rex Harrison as Caesar and Roddy McDowall as his nephew (and future emperor) Octavian, are all first-rate thespians and generally put in more convincing performances than either of the two leads. Mankiewicz's original intention was to make two three-hour films: the first being Caesar and Cleopatra, the second Antony and Cleopatra. But before the films completion, and following a boardroom coup worthy of Ancient Rome itself, legendary mogul Darryl F Zanuck took back control of Fox and insisted that Cleopatra be cut to a more economical length. A heartbroken Mankiewicz was forced to trim his six-hour vision down to four. This was the "roadshow" version shown at the films premiere and now restored here for the first time. Then following adverse criticism and pressure from cinema chains Zanuck demanded more cuts, and the final released version ran a mere three hours--half the original length. Capitalising on the feverish publicity surrounding Burton and Taylor, the shortened version played up both their on- and off-screen romance. This longer four-hour roadshow version allows for a broader view of the film, adding some depth to the politics and manipulation of the characters. But the directors original six-hour edit has been lost. Perhaps one day it will be rediscovered in the vaults and Mankiewiczs much-maligned movie will finally be seen the way it was meant to be. Until then, Cleopatra remains an epic curiosity rather than the complete spectacle it should be. On the DVD: this handsome three-disc set spreads the restored four-hour print of the movie across two discs. The anamorphic widescreen print looks quite magnificent and Alex Norths wondrous score comes up like new in Dolby 5.1 sound. Theres a patchy and only intermittently revealing commentary from Chris Mankiewicz, Tom Mankiewicz, Martin Landau and Jack Brodsky. Much better is the comprehensive two-hour documentary that occupies disc three, which tells in hair-raising detail the extraordinary story of a film production that became totally out of control. This is accompanied by some short archival material, but the documentary alone is a compelling reason to acquire this set. --Mark Walker
Featuring a star-studded cast boasting three Oscars and a Golden Globe between them, Melvin and Howard tells the delightful, laugh-out-loud and, most importantly, true story of one lucky man's brush with a billionaire. The meeting changed his life forever. Truckdriver, milkman and aspiring musician Melvin Dummar (Golden Globe-winner Paul Le Mat, American History X) has been down on his luck for what feels like his entire life. He can't keep a job. His wife is threatening to divorce him. And, try as he may, he can't write a hit song. Driving along the highway late one night, he spots an injured stranger on the side of the road. He offers the man a ride anywhere he'd like and the stranger asks to go to Las Vegas. Melvin obliges the man, and they wind up becoming fast friends. Just before he gets out of the car, the man reveals his identity: Howard Hughes (Oscar-winner Jason Robards, All the President's Men). While Melvin has reasons to doubt the man, big news comes on the day of Hughes' deathnews that, if true, will give Melvin the life he's always dreamed of Directed by Oscar-winner Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs) and written by two-time Oscar and Golden Globe-winner Bo Goldman (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), Melvin and Howard is one of the sharpest, funniest films you'll ever see.
The Flintstones: After an aptitude test mix-up Fred Flintstone (John Goodman) trades his job as Slate & Company Bronto-crane operator for a vice presidency. But there's trouble brewing in Bedrock: An evil executive (Kyle MacLachlan) and his sinister secretary (Halle Berry) are now plotting to use Fred as the fall guy in an embezzlement scheme! (Dir. Brian Levant 1994) The Flintstones Viva Rock Vegas: Best pals Fred (Mark Addy) and Barney (Stephen Baldwin) down tools at Bedrock Mining Company to woo Wilma (Kristen Johnston) and Betty (Jane Krakowski) during a long vacation in Rock Vegas. All goes well until Fred's gambling addiction gets the better of him and he is framed for stealing Wilma's prized pearl necklace by love rival Chip Rockerfeller (Thomas Gibson) who oozes malice out of every prehistoric pore. Meanwhile Wilma's high fallutin mother Pearl (Joan Collins taking over from Elizabeth Taylor) thinks that Fred is too downmarket for her daughter and does everything within her power to push Wilma and Chip together... (Dir. Brian Levant 2000)
Like all the best celebrity tributes, Dame Elizabeth Taylor: A Musical Celebration (2001) combines the essence of its subject--in this case, charity work for HIV and AIDS research and a legendary career in movies, both meriting every ounce of recognition--with the fascination of a spectacular car smash. The highlights are the screenings of trailers for some of her best films, including Giant and Butterfield 8 (she won an Oscar but derided the picture) and an archive interview in which she memorably describes a tiresome gossip columnist as "a frustrated old biddy". The live entertainment is far shakier than the event's inspiration, though. Presented by David Frost and Stephen Fry--an uneasy, fawning partnership-- there is some real quality: Andrea Bocelli (sending the guest of honour into transports of delight), John Barry conducting a couple of his most symphonic Bond themes and Reba McEntire, the powerhouse country and western diva-turned-Broadway actress. On the down side, Marti Pellow's self-congratulatory posing would make Robbie Williams seem a model of modesty, Jay Kay's attempts to jazz up a standard are woeful and Ute Lemper is at her most pretentious for a cacophonic "Mack the Knife". Michael Jackson's mute presence at Taylor's side emphasises the hypnotic strangeness of the whole affair, though the Dame herself takes the entire marvellously lurid spectacle in her stride. On the DVD: Dame Elizabeth Taylor: A Musical Celebration comes to DVD with no extra features. A Taylor filmography would have been useful. Otherwise, the 4:3 video aspect ratio reproduces the television gala feel and for sound quality, you can choose between LPCM stereo, Dolby Digital 5.2 and DTS surround sound (best for that authentic, muddy Royal Albert Hall acoustic).--Piers Ford
Joseph Losey's lurid and often misunderstood drama stars the great Elizabeth Taylor (Suddenly, Last Summer) as an ageing London prostitute who befriends a young woman (Mia Farrow, See No Evil) that reminds her of her long-dead daughter. As the bizarre relationship between the two evolves, the appearance of Robert Mitchum (Cape Fear), as Farrow's abusive stepfather, ignites deep emotions and dark passions. With its exquisite production design, stylish cinematography and elegant score, Joseph Losey's lost masterpiece finally makes its long-overdue premiere on Blu-ray. Product Features High Definition remaster Original mono audio Audio commentary with authors and critics Dean Brandum and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (2019) Archival Interview with Joseph Losey (1969, 15 mins): extract from the French television programme Cinéma critique, featuring the celebrated director promoting the release of Secret Ceremony and an appreciation by critic Michel Mourlet The Beholder's Share (2019, 25 mins): interview with Gavrik Losey, son of Joseph Losey TV version: additional scenes (1971, 18 mins): unique epilogue and prologue produced for US television screenings, with Robert Douglas and Michael Strong Original theatrical trailer Larry Karaszewski trailer commentary (2015, 3 mins): short critical appreciation Image gallery: promotional and publicity material New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
A Place In The Sun (Dir. George Stevens 1951): George Stevens' stunning adaptation of Theodore Dreiser's 'An American Tragedy' garnered six Academy Awards (including Best Director and Best Screenplay) and guaranteed immortality for screen lovers Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor. Clift stars as George Eastman a poor young man determined to win a place in respectable society and the heart of a beautiful socialite (Elizabeth Taylor). Shelley Winters plays the factory gir
Detective Inspector Mike Shepherd arrives in Brokenwood on assignment to investigate a murder. In a town where animosities run deep and memories are long, he soon learns that gossip is the local currency. An experienced officer with a 1971 classic car, a collection of country music cassettes and an indeterminate number of ex-wives, the new woman in Shepherd's life is his assistant, Detective Kristin Sims, a by-the-book investigator, who quickly has to get used to his unique and quirky ways. These seven series are filmed amid the beautiful landscape of New Zealand's North Island, a place where beauty is everywhere to be seen, but there lurks beneath a dark undercurrent and an alarming death rate.
Elizabeth Taylor and Katharine Hepburn each received Oscar nominations for best actress in this gripping adaptation of the Tennessee Williams play filmed at Shepperton Studios by director Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Beautiful Catherine Holly (Taylor) is committed to a mental institution after witnessing the strange and horrible death of her cousin. Catherine's aunt Violet Venable (Hepburn) tries to influence Dr Cukrowicz (Montgomery Clift) a young neurosurgeon to surgically end Cather
Woman Of The Year: A female politician and a sports journalist marry for the wrong reasons in this battle of the sexes comedy classic. Oscar winner for Best Original Screenplay. Giant - Special Edition: The James Dean legend lives on in 'Giant' 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. To
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