By any rational measure, Alan Parker's cinematic interpretation of Pink Floyd's The Wall is a glorious failure. Glorious because its imagery is hypnotically striking, frequently resonant and superbly photographed by the gifted cinematographer Peter Biziou. And a failure because the entire exercise is hopelessly dour, loyal to the bleak themes and psychological torment of Roger Waters' great musical opus, and yet utterly devoid of the humour that Waters certainly found in his own material. Any attempt to visualise The Wall would be fraught with artistic danger, and Parker succumbs to his own self-importance, creating a film that's as fascinating as it is flawed. The film is, for better and worse, the fruit of three artists in conflict--Parker indulging himself, and Waters in league with designer Gerald Scarfe, whose brilliant animated sequences suggest that he should have directed and animated this film in its entirety. Fortunately, this clash of talent and ego does not prevent The Wall from being a mesmerising film. Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof (in his screen debut) is a fine choice to play Waters's alter ego--an alienated, "comfortably numb" rock star whose psychosis manifests itself as an emotional (and symbolically physical) wall between himself and the cold, cruel world. Weaving Waters's autobiographical details into his own jumbled vision, Parker ultimately fails to combine a narrative thread with experimental structure. It's a rich, bizarre, and often astonishing film that will continue to draw a following, but the real source of genius remains the music of Roger Waters. --Jeff Shannon
A tense conspiracy thriller that twists deeper and deeper into the hostile twilight world where politics meets the press, from Emmy-winning writer Paul Abbot (Cracker) and director David Yates (Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts). Featuring an all-star cast including David Morrissey, John Simm, Bill Nighy, James McAvoy and Kelly Macdonald. Stephen Collins is an ambitious politician. Cal McAffrey is a well-respected investigative journalist and Stephen's ex-campaign manager. En route to work one morning, Stephen's research assistant mysteriously falls to her death on the London Underground. It's not long before rumours of an affair between Stephen and the assistant hit the headlines. Meanwhile a suspected teenage drug dealer is shot dead. Revelation upon revelation pile up in the aftermath of these two seemingly unconnected events, ultimately bringing to light shady dealings between the government and major corporate powers. Friendships are tested and lives are put on the line as an intricate web of lies unfolds.
Based on the novels by Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe (1993-7) ran to 14 full-length television films that follow the adventures of the titular soldier through the later years of the Napoleonic Wars. The programmes are an outstanding achievement for the small screen, dominated by Sean Bean's central performance as the heroic, troubled outsider who turns out to be a resourceful and loyal leader. Bolstered by a strong supporting cast, particularly Daragh O'Malley as Harper and (in later episodes) Abigail Cruttenden as Jane, Sharpe is often visually striking, the action tense and gripping. Consistency is maintained by all 14 episodes being directed by Tom Clegg. --Gary S Dalkin
40 years after a British Sub goes missing at the end of the war it reappears and the British government send the remaining crew member with a new crew to trace the sub's last happenings. But the new crew start showing characteristics of the old crew...
By any rational measure, Alan Parker's cinematic interpretation of Pink Floyd's The Wall is a glorious failure. Glorious because its imagery is hypnotically striking, frequently resonant and superbly photographed by the gifted cinematographer Peter Biziou. And a failure because the entire exercise is hopelessly dour, loyal to the bleak themes and psychological torment of Roger Waters' great musical opus, and yet utterly devoid of the humour that Waters certainly found in his own material. Any attempt to visualise The Wall would be fraught with artistic danger, and Parker succumbs to his own self-importance, creating a film that's as fascinating as it is flawed. The film is, for better and worse, the fruit of three artists in conflict--Parker indulging himself, and Waters in league with designer Gerald Scarfe, whose brilliant animated sequences suggest that he should have directed and animated this film in its entirety. Fortunately, this clash of talent and ego does not prevent The Wall from being a mesmerising film. Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof (in his screen debut) is a fine choice to play Waters's alter ego--an alienated, "comfortably numb" rock star whose psychosis manifests itself as an emotional (and symbolically physical) wall between himself and the cold, cruel world. Weaving Waters's autobiographical details into his own jumbled vision, Parker ultimately fails to combine a narrative thread with experimental structure. It's a rich, bizarre, and often astonishing film that will continue to draw a following, but the real source of genius remains the music of Roger Waters. --Jeff Shannon
If you go down to the woods today... After one schoolgirl is raped while taking a short cut through the local woods and another is murdered in the same woods a few days later the local police are baffled. With the help of a reporter from one of the local papers and against the wishes of a psychologist at the local hospital a young teacher at the school the girls attended uses herself as bait to lure the perpetrator out. Could it be the creepy husband of the head mistress at the school the psychologist who seems to be taking an unusual interest in the case or something altogether more sinister?
Long-awaited, long-overdue: The Professionals as you have never seen them before. Bodie and Doyle need little by way of introduction, but if the series had at all escaped you since its debut in 1977 their boss George Cowley, head of CI5, couldn't put it more succinctly than his opening gambit: anarchy, acts of terror, crimes against the public. To combat it I've got special men experts from the army, the police, from every service. These are The Professionals . Featuring the perfect ensemble cast of Martin Shaw, Gordon Jackson (completely against type here) and the much-missed Lewis Collins, the series ran for 57 action-packed episodes and made an immediate impact on British and then international audiences which has sustained 40 years. But the series has never looked this good. Painstakingly restored from the camera-original negatives, the series could have been made yesterday. No matter how many times you have seen The Professionals, this is a new experience, like seeing it for the first time. Features: Brand-new, High Definition restorations of all 13 episodes in series three from the camera-original negatives Brand-new 5.1 tracks from original sound elements Remastered original as-broadcast mono tracks Remastered music-only tracks featuring Laurie Johnson's original scores HD photo galleries featuring hundreds of rare and previously unseen images All episodes are presented in their original production order PDF material featuring scripts and memorabilia English HOH subtitles
A hard-hitting psychological thriller, Assault stars Frank Finlay as a career policeman willing to employ unorthodox methods to catch a sleazy murderer and Suzy Kendall as a plucky teacher willing to put her life in jeopardy to help him do so. Tautly directed by Sidney Hayers, this controversial drama is remastered from original film elements and presented here as a brand-new High Definition transfer in its original theatrical aspect ratio. When a schoolgirl rapist escalates to murder, Det. Chief Supt. Velyan faces an agonising choice when the girl's teacher - who saw the maniac in pursuit of his second victim - offers to put herself in harm's way in an effort to catch the killer! Special Features: Theatrical Trailer Image Gallery
Based on the novels by Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe (1993-7) ran to 14 full-length television films that follow the adventures of the titular soldier through the later years of the Napoleonic Wars. The programmes are an outstanding achievement for the small screen, dominated by Sean Bean's central performance as the heroic, troubled outsider who turns out to be a resourceful and loyal leader. Bolstered by a strong supporting cast, particularly Daragh O'Malley as Harper and (in later episodes) Abigail Cruttenden as Jane, Sharpe is often visually striking, the action tense and gripping. Consistency is maintained by all 14 episodes being directed by Tom Clegg. On the DVD: Sharpe's sound is full-bodied stereo while the very "sharp" picture has been transferred slightly letterboxed at 14:9. Though looking much better than the original TV transmissions the occasionally cropped framing makes it apparent the films were shot in 16:9 widescreen, so it is regrettable they have not been transferred to DVD in that format. Otherwise these are first-rate releases. --Gary S Dalkin
This box set features the entire first series of the classic British Television drama Inspector Morse. Episodes comprise: 1. The Dead of Jericho: Morse who never quite finds romance thinks that at last things will turn out differently when he meets beautiful Anne Stavely (Gemma Jones). But it is a love destined not to be when Anne is found hanging from a beam in mysterious circumstances. Morse suspects murder and sets out to discover the truth. Joining him is Serg
Prime Suspect 1 (1991): When DCI Jane Tennison (Mirren) takes over the running of what appears to be an open and shut murder case her investigations lead her into a male dominated world and the hunt for a serial killer. Prime Suspect 2 (1992): DCI Tennison begins an investigation into the death of a young girl whose body is found in the back garden of a house in London. Prime Suspect 3 (1993): Chief Inspector Jane Tennison investigates the discovery of a male prostitute's charred body in the burnt-out flat of a transsexual... Prime Suspect 4 - Inner Circles (1995): Detective Superintendent Tennison investigates the mysterious death of a local country club manager and is led to a hidden political scandal... Prime Suspect 4 - Scent Of Darkness (1995) A series of brutal sex murders disturbingly similar to the pattern of Tennison's first major case leads to the awful suggestion that she may have caught the wrong man... Prime Suspect 4 - The Lost Child (1995): Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison's return to London's Southampton Row is complicated by personal upheaval and an investigation into the disappearance of a child... Prime Suspect 5 - Errors Of Judgement (1996): Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison has been transferred to Manchester and finds herself in a world she does not know surrounded by people she cannot trust and invloved with a man she cannot have. Her latest case is destined only to make things worse... Prime Suspect 6 - Last Witness (2003): Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison (Helen Mirren) returns for a sixth investigation and another battle with the male establishment. Tennison is back in London heading a large murder squad dealing with numerous cases. She's facing the prospect of early retirement and has ambitious underlings snapping at her heels. When the body of a young Bosnian woman is found with evidence of torture Tennison takes personal charge of the case. Her investigation leads her to one possibly two Serbian war criminals eager to silence the last witness to a massacre a decade before. Prime Suspect 7 (2006): This tense uncompromising drama by distinguished dramatist and novelist Lynda La Plante has received critically acclaimed on both sides of the Atlantic; winning 14 international awards including a BAFTA for Best Drama Serial and Best TV Actress (Helen Mirren). Retirement loom large for Detective Inspector Tennison but as her exemplary career draws towards its inevitable conclusion Jane is paying dearly for 35 years of repressed rage and loneliness. When the body of a missing schoolgirl is discovered the hunt for her killer begins. However as Jane and her team struggle to track down the brutal child murderer the world-weary Detective Tennison begins to unravel.
Sean Bean is swashbuckling British officer Richard Sharpe in the visually stunning film Sharpe's Revenge.After the last battle has been fought the Peninsula war is finally over for Britain and its allies but the action does not end here for Sharpe. He is set up once again by his long-time enemy the French spy Ducos and finds himself accused of stealing Napoleon's treasures.Having been abandoned by his beautiful wife Jane who returns to England and persecuted by both the British and French Sharpe boldly goes in search of both truth and revenge embarking on a perilous journey across post-war France with the help of his loyal friends Frederickson and Harper.
John Nettles stars as Chief Inspector Barnaby in this feature-length episode of the acclaimed crime series. When a portrait of Jonathan Lowrie a wealthy royalist who was killed by a Roundhead musketeer is slashed at the Aspern Tallow museum Barnaby and Sergeant Troy are called in to investigate. A series of strange events follows and soon the detectives are investigating much more than an act of vandalism.
With memorable and unsettling opening credits and exceptional performances and direction Armchair Thriller became a massive hit for Thames Television in the late 1970s and early 1980s. With its trademark ghoulish razor-sharp cliff hangers and iconic theme tune (by Roxy Music's Andy Mackay) this haunting anthology series was an immediate success its eerie disturbing and downright scary tales regularly attracting over 15 million viewers. Each of its ten stories is a gripping exercise in compelling television showing ordinary people plunged into extraordinary situations. For many this series remains a high-watermark of dramatic television and its many frightening and spooky moments are remembered by viewers nearly thirty years after its original transmission. Quiet As A Nun: A nun dies of starvation after locking herself in a convent tower. Jemima Shore a former pupil at the convent school and now a television interviewer is asked to investigate. Jemima is surprised to discover that the death of the nun is connected with her own television programme.
This box set contains the first five Prime Suspect crime dramas, which star Helen Mirren as detective chief inspector Jane Tennison. The original story, first aired in 1991, was written by Lynda La Plante and established a compelling template--grisly murders, fascinating operational details, well-written characters and believable domestic drama. The feature-length titles in this box set are also available individually:Prime Suspect (1991)Prime Suspect 2 (1992)Prime Suspect 3 (1993)Prime Suspect 4: The Lost Child (1995)Prime Suspect 4: Inner Circles (1995)Prime Suspect 4: Scent of Darkness (1995)Prime Suspect 5: Errors of Judgment (1996) In 2003, Mirren reprised her role for Prime Suspect 6 (not included in this box set).
'Taggart' is the longest running police drama on TV. Thanks to its explosive storylines and tough-talking Glasgow detective Jim Taggart (Mark McManus) it has become a national institution with these next six feature length editions averaging over eleven million viewers. Set Comprises: 1. Cold Blood 2. Dead Giveaway 3. Root Of Evil 4. Double Jeopardy 5. Love Knot 6. Hostile Witness
On the verge of the breakthrough of his career an ambitious young journalist learns that his mother is dying. The discovery forces him to re-evaluate his life and responsibilities; particularly when he inherits he care of his younger sister Roberta who has Down's Syndrome and has always lived at home. At first he protests but gradually these mismatched siblings achieve a hard-won kind of rapprochement one which transforms all of their lives in unexpected ways...
Det. Superintendent Jane Tennison (Helen Mirren) finds herself investigating a bizarre death in a very different part of London an affluent commuter suburb. When the manager of the local country club is found dead in his home neighbours are quick to blame youngsters from the rundown housing estate nearby and the local police are happy to go along with that view. With her personnel resources at full stretch D.S. Tennison is forced to engage in political games with the community while pulling together a difficult team and leading a problematic investigation.
After saving the life of Sir Arthur Wellesley Sgt Richard Sharpe is rewarded with the field commission of Lieutenant. His first mission is to go behind enemy lines to Casa Antiga to locate a missing agent James Rothschild who carries a banker's draft for badly needed funds for the British army. Sharpe is given command of the 95th Rifles under Capt Murray but soon finds that they are an undisciplined bunch and neither Murray nor the men of the Rifles are prepared to accept Sharpe's command as 'proper' officers are not raised from the ranks. After Captain Murray is killed in a surprise French attack Sharpe is left in sole command. Two Spanish allies Major Blas Vivar and Comandante Teresa offer to lead Sharpe to Casa Antiga and he reluctantly agrees. At Casa Antiga there is no sign of Rothschild and Sharpe becomes increasingly suspicious of his Spanish companions...only to discover that the real mission is to transport a holy relic of Spain to Torrecastro to inspire an uprising against the French.
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