Putney Swope (Arnold Johnson, Shaft) is the only Black executive at a stuffy Madison Avenue advertising agency. When the chairman dies unexpectedly, Putney is unexpectedly elected the new boss because those voting never thought anyone else would to do the same. Putney proceeds to kick out the white majority, replacing them with young, revolutionary types, and renames the agency Truth and Soul. A bracing satire, taking well-aimed pot-shots at capitalism, power and racism in America, Robert Downey's Putney Swope is a key entry in counterculture cinema, and a landmark of independent filmmaking, and after more than a half a century is still very, very funny.
Now joined by a hit fourth instalment, the Die Hard Quadrilogy is, bluntly, an essential set for any self-respecting fan of action cinema. The gold, of course, is the original Die Hard, a flat-out five star classic pretty much without equal. Introducing Bruce Willis' John McClane as an ordinary guy in an extraordinary situation, it's littered with great lines, great characters, and genre-defining moments. Plus, in Alan Rickman, it has one of the finest cinematic villains of the past few decades. Die Hard 2: Die Harder inevitably dilutes matters, this time switching the action to Washington's Dulles International Airport. But with Willis and a good number of characters returning from the original, it's a fun--if at times brutal--ride, that scores highly in the entertainment stakes. Die Hard: With A Vengeance, the third film in the series, pretty much strips away the bulk of the supporting cast, and replaces them with the not-significant figure of Samuel L Jackson. It changes the dynamic of the film into a buddy-buddy movie, albeit a good one. And again, it's a ride that's hard not to enjoy, with Jeremy Irons giving good measure as McClane's chief foe. Finally, Die Hard 4.0 is a real surprise. Given the fact that it arrived over a decade after the third film, it finds Willis and relative newcomer Justin Long shouldering an entertaining, old fashioned action film, that papers over its occasional cracks by asking its lead actor to ramp things up a gear when necessary. And watching John McClane do what he does--even when any hint of reality is thrown out of the window near the end--is endlessly entertaining. So while none of the sequels have matched the peerless original, the Die Hard Quadrilogy nonetheless delivers one classic, and three very enjoyable action movies. And you can't argue with that kind of hit rate. Always, always bet on McClane... --Simon Brew
Rewarded for his heroism in the Civil War Lt. John Dunbar (Costner) wants to see the American Frontier before it is gone. He is assigned to an abandoned fort where a Sioux tribe is his only neighbour. Overcoming the language barrier and their mutual fear and distrust Dunbar and the proud Indians gradually become friends. Eventually he falls in love with the beautiful Stands With A Fist (McDonnell) a white woman raised by the tribe. He learns the culture of the Sioux lives with them and even experiences the breathtaking excitement of a buffalo hunt but his knowledge of the fate that will ultimately befall the tribe torments him. Finally he is faced with a crucial decision that will cause him to examine his heart and soul before making a heroic choice that determines his destiny.
Montana Badlands rancher David Braxton is a self-made man. Through years of tireless effort and determination he has transformed his vast and rugged land into a thriving prosperous empire. So when his livestock his fortune are threatened by a ruthless horse thief Braxton takes matters into his own hands. Hiring a sadistic 'regulator' to track down the outlaw Braxton intends to liberate the territory from crime but what he initiates instead is a complex series of events that re
First transmitted in 1984, Chocky is a six-part TV adaptation of John Wyndham's clever novel. Matthew, an apparently normal 12-year-old boy, starts talking to an invisible presence called Chocky, who quizzes him on a wide variety of subjects as if unfamiliar with life on Earth. Over the course of the serial it is suggested that Chocky is an alternate personality or, after Matthew has been helped by Chocky to rescue his sister from drowning, a guardian angel. But we realise early on that this non-imaginary friend is in fact an alien who has made exploratory contact with the boy. Though Chocky manifests as a swirl of blue light, this is a rare piece of TV science fiction that sticks to the domestic arena, exploring ideas rather than playing with special effects. Wyndham's very 1950s-styled novel is updated by making the kids less well-spoken, and throwing in Rubik's cubes and space invaders video games, but adaptor Anthony Read's script preserves the virtues of the novel. Young Andrew Ellams is fine in a demanding role, and there's good-quality puzzled concern from dad James Hazeldine and 80s TV's resident sexy mum Carol Drinkwater. Apart from a few eye-abusing 1984 fashions--Jeremy Bulloch's huge glasses and blinding white jeans in a cameo as a psychiatrist--and the general leisurely pace, which is no bad thing in such a careful piece of drama, this has dated little. Those who remember its first broadcast will find it lives up to the memory, and those who weren't born then should still find it an entertaining watch. On the DVD: Chocky on disc can be accessed as a marathon two-and-a-half-hour watch or as six individual episodes (the latter is recommended). Print quality is fine given the techniques of its production. A nice extra is a 20-minute, in-depth chat with writer Anthony Read. --Kim Newman
War drama where a bunch of British prisoners of war attempt to escape from a Nazi prison camp by tunnelling under a vaulting horse.
Carry On Don't Lose Your Head parodies the adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel, with crinkly cackling Sid James as master of disguise the Black Fingernail and Jim Dale as his assistant Lord Darcy. He must rescue preposterously effete aristocrat Charles Hawtrey from the clutches of Kenneth Williams' fiendish Citizen Camembert and his sidekick Citizen Bidet (Peter Butterworth). The Black Fingernail is assisted in his efforts to thwart the birth of the burgeoning republic by the almost supernatural stupidity of his opponents, who fail to recognise the frankly undisguisable Sid James even when dressed as a flirty young woman. What with an executioner who is tricked into beheading himself in order to prove the efficacy of his own guillotine, it's all a little too easy. As usual, no groan-worthy pun is left unturned, or unheralded by the soundtrack strains of a long whistle or wah-wah trumpet. This is pretty silly stuff even by Carry On standards, with most of the cast barely required to come out of first gear and an overlong climactic swordfight sequence hardly raising the dramatic stakes. Most of the humour here resides neither in the script nor the characterisation but in the endlessly watchable Williams' whooping, nasal delivery (occasionally lapsing into broad Cockney) and the jowl movements of the always-underrated Butterworth. --David Stubbs
The joined-at-the-hip team of director Richard Donner and star Mel Gibson (all the Lethal Weapon movies and Conspiracy Theory) had obvious fun resurrecting the Wild Western comedy television series about a roguish rambler-gambler. In Maverick, Gibson assumes the role of cardsharp Bret Maverick, equally quick with a pair of aces and a pair of guns. Good sport James Garner (who played Maverick on TV) takes another role, as a lawman who travels alongside the hero to a big-money poker game on a riverboat. The real peach in this fruit salad of satire and broad jokes, however, is Jodie Foster, who plays a crafty Southern belle quite adept at poker herself. Sexy, funny, and (from the onscreen evidence) a great kisser, Foster has never been more of a delight. Written by William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid). --Tom Keogh
Oscar night. Who will win? Who will lose? And will someone please kick that numbskull offstage? Wait! That's no ordinary numbskull. That's Lt Frank Drebin crashing the ceremonies to stop a terrorist plot that could mean curtains for him - or will a simple window shade be enough? Yes back with a hilarious three-peat and a state-of-the art advance in sequel numbering are the filmmakers you love the returning stars you adore plus others getting Naked for the first time: Fred Ward
Charlton Heston leads an all-star cast in an epic film about ordinary citizends who must come together in the face of an unstoppable disaster! When the most catastrophic earthquake of all time rips through Southern California it levels Los Angeles and send shockwaves through the lives of all who live there. Now strangers must become heroes as the city striggles to get to its feet before the next terrifying aftershock hits! Also starring Ava Gardner George Kennedy Lorne Green Geneviève Bujold Richard Roundtree and Victoria Principal. Earthquake combines outstanding performances with Academy Award-winning sound and groundbreaking special effects.
When Max discovers that his girlfriend, Evelyn, is controlling and manipulative he is afraid to end the relationship. However, when fate takes over and she is killed in a freak accident Max cant believe his luck and soon has met a new girl who seems perfect. His new romance gets tricky, however, when Evelyn comes back from the dead intent on getting her boyfriend back and she wont take no for an answer. Burying The Ex is a hilarious horror movie from the legendary director of Gremlins.
The second sequel to the mould-making action film Die Hard brings Detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) to New York City to face a better villain than in Die Hard 2. Played by Jeremy Irons, he's the brother of the Germanic terrorist-thief Alan Rickman played in the original film. But this bad guy has his sights set higher: on the Federal Reserve's cache of gold. As a distraction, he sets McClane running fool's errands all over New York--and eventually, McClane attracts an unintentional partner, a Harlem dry cleaner (Samuel L Jackson) with a chip on his shoulder. Some great action sequences, though they can't obscure the rather large plot holes in the film's final 45 minutes. --Marshall Fine
Battlestar Galactica (1978) 'There are those who believe that life here began out there.' Stylish and lavishly produced, the original Battlestar Galactica series is still a cult-favourite and remains a stellar example of science fiction at its most entertaining. This Emmy-winning series depicts the epic futuristic battle between the last remaining population of humans and their evil, robotic nemeses - the Cylons. Spiralling through space on their titular fleet, the human forces, led by Comman.
If Eddie Murphy's comic tone turns on a dime, Martin Lawrence can perhaps be described as sauntering around the dime, looking around to see if anyone else has seen it, then picking the dime up, pocketing it, and casually walking off. He lazily indicates his humour, as if it's too much trouble to actually make the joke--and that distance is what makes him funny. At his best, Lawrence describes a kind of comic space and wanders around in it, claiming it for himself the way a dog might mark his territory, suggesting that what you think is funny doesn't matter to him; he just happens to be where the jokes are, and if you aren't laughing, that's your problem. In Blue Streak, Lawrence plays a jewel thief who plants a stolen diamond in the ventilation duct of a building under construction. When he's released from prison a few years later, he discovers that the building is now a Los Angeles police station. His solution: he impersonates a detective. Of course, everyone believes his disguise. Not only that, using his inside knowledge, he solves several crimes and earns the general admiration of the force. It's a standard fish-out-of-water setup and the plot doesn't take any chances with the formula, but Lawrence wears his role like a loose suit and does a little low-key boogie whenever he can, drawing you into the absurdity with a cock of his head and a roll of his eyes. --Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com
Britain's best-loved outlaw gets the Hammer treatment in Robin Hood at Hammer: Two Tales from Sherwood Forest. For 1960's Sword of Sherwood Forest, Richard Greene (The Blood of Fu Manchu, The Castle of Fu Manchu) reprises the role he made famous in the classic television series The Adventures of Robin Hood. Directed by Terence Fisher (The Gorgon, The Revenge of Frankenstein), and starring Peter Cushing (The Devil's Men, Corruption) as the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham, the film sees Robin Hood thwart a plot to assassinate the Archbishop of Canterbury (Jack Gwillm, Jason and the Argonauts, The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb). The film also boasts an uncredited early role for Oliver Reed (The System, The Damned). In 1967's A Challenge for Robin Hood, Barry Ingham (The Day of the Jackal) dons the Lincoln green as he and his merrie men hide out in Sherwood Forest after his cousin (Peter Blythe, Frankenstein Created Woman) frames him for murder. This action-packed adventure features acting support from Gay Hamilton (Barry Lyndon, The Duellists) and Leon Greene (Adventures of a Private Eye, Adventures of a Plumber's Mate). This 2-disc Limited Edition set contains a double-sided poster, an 80-page book, and extensive new and archival extra features, including the much-loved Children's Film Foundation film Robin Hood Junior (1975), starring Keith Chegwin (Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Cheggers Plays Pop) as the diminutive hero. Product Features High Definition remasters of Sword of Sherwood Forest and A Challenge for Robin Hood Original mono audio Audio commentary on Sword of Sherwood Forest with author and critic Kim Newman (2022) Audio commentary on A Challenge for Robin Hood with film historians Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby (2022) The BEHP Interview with Sidney Cole (1987): archival audio recording, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring the Sword of Sherwood Forest producer in conversation with Alan Lawson, Arthur Graham and Rodney Giesler The BEHP Interview with C M Pennington-Richards (1990): archival audio recording, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring the director of A Challenge for Robin Hood in conversation with Alan Lawson and Colin Moffat Jonathan Rigby on ˜Sword of Sherwood Forest' (2022): appreciation by the author and film historian Kim Newman on Robin Hood (2022): the author and critic surveys the many cinematic portrayals of the world-famous English outlaw Hammer's Women: Vanda Godsell (2022): profile of the British stage and screen performer Hammer's Women: Irene Lamb (2022): profile of the casting director whose career encompassed many Hammer productions, Star Wars, and the films of Sally Potter Appreciations of the Alun Hoddinott and Gary Hughes scores by David Huckvale, author of Hammer Film Scores and the Musical Avant-Garde Robin Hood Junior (1975): Children's Film Foundation spin on the folk hero starring actor and television presenter Keith Chegwin as the young outlaw Original theatrical trailers Image galleries: on-set and promotional photography New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing Limited edition exclusive 80-page book with a new essay by Frank Collins, archival interviews and articles, Jeff Billington on Robin Hood Junior, an overview of contemporary reviews, and film credits Limited edition exclusive poster UK and world premiere on Blu-ray Limited edition of 5,000 copies for the UK Extras subject to change
In THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge.
The Assassination Was Only The Beginning... A secret Service agent and a hardbitten news reporter investigate the conspiracy behind the assassination of the President and find the truth is not only closer but also deadlier than they ever imagined...
"Twilight" is an action-packed, modern day love story between a teenage girl who falls in love with a 'good' vampire who must protect her from the 'bad' vampires while resisting his natural instincts.
In the highly anticipated finale, THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2, Bella (Kristen Stewart) awakens transformed - she is now a mother and finally a vampire.
Nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award 1995, this boldly inventive and expertly orchestrated crime saga is now available as a two disc DVD set that includes such extras as deleted scenes, interviews and a documentary.
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