A doomed Macaulay Culkin becomes the object of affection for a little girl (Anna Chlumsky), estranged from her widowed father (Dan Aykroyd). This somewhat daring premise has various emotional buffers to keep young viewers from going into shock from Culkin's demise, but My Girl is also not shut off from real feelings. And while the story remains safely predictable, at the end of the day it is still a bittersweet experience. Culkin's performance is okay in that somewhat mannered way of his post-Home Alone career, but Anna Chlumsky is unusually sophisticated in her understanding of her character and situation. Aykroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis are perfectly stable as the kids' single parents. This is directed by Howard Zieff (Private Benjamin). --Tom Keogh
While scoring high-profile credits as a screenwriter (including The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and Raiders of the Lost Ark), Lawrence Kasdan made his directorial debut with this steamy, contemporary film noir in the tradition of Double Indemnity and other classics from the 1940s. In one of his most memorable roles, William Hurt plays a Florida lawyer unwittingly drawn into a web of deceit spun by Kathleen Turner (in her screen debut) as a married socialite who plots to kill off her husband with Hurt's assistance. Kasdan's dialogue is a hoot (sometimes it borders on satire) and the sultry atmosphere is a perfect complement to the perspiration-soaked chemistry between Hurt and Turner, whose love scenes caused quite a stir when the film was released in 1981. John Barry's score sets the provocative mood and both Ted Danson and Mickey Rourke are splendid in memorable supporting roles. --Jeff Shannon
Kate Longton (Anna Carteret) continues her stewardship of the Lancashire police force plotting a tricky course through the pitfalls of force politics and rising crime on the streets... Episodes Comprise: 1. Hostage To Fortune 2. Scab 3. Chasing The dragon 4. Talk To me 5. Friends And Neighbours 6. The Cut 7. Keys 8. Flesh And Blood 9. Unlawful Arrest 10. Inspection 11. We Are The People 12. Turbulence 13. Girl Talk 14. Jobs For The boys 15. In A Man's World 16. Reason For Leaving.
Ronald Colman and Jane Wyatt star in this lavishly produced classic about the enchanted paradise of Shangri-La where time stands still. Frank Capra's enduring masterpiece Lost Horizon (based on the best-selling novel by James Hilton) had a running time of 132 minutes upon its initial release in 1937. For a World War II re-issue 24 minutes were cut to tone down the film's pacifist message. Film preservationist Robert Gitt working over a period of 25 years has utilized footage fo
Join the whimsical Ally McBeal both in and out of the courtroom to watch her defend and prosecute the most flamboyant and comical cases whilst at the same time falling in and out of relationships. The introduction of icy Nelle Porter (Portia de Rossi) often known as 'sub-zero Nelle' and the tempestuous Ling Woo (Lucy Liu) into the firm creates an ever intriguing element of love and hate in Season 2. Amusing to some but a cause of great anguish to others both of them capture the h
In this rousing celebration of love and laughter in America's heartland each member of the Frake family is up for a different prize when they attend their state fair: Father wants a blue ribbon for his favorite pig first prize (and only first prize) will do for Mom's entry in the pie-baking contest and for their son and daughter the hunt is on for true love...
The fifth season was the last series of Ally McBeal, and probably the least satisfying. While always at least slightly entertaining, it was troubled by two conflicting imperatives: first, to steer its neurotic characters and multiplicity of sub-plots towards a coherent and credible resolution; second, to sustain another series of a programme which had, by now, exhausted all the plot possibilities that were remotely believable. The result is a bemusing onslaught of new characters (Ally's Mini-Me Jenny and a barely distinguishable phalanx of lantern-jawed male leads), celebrity cameos (Edna Everage, Christina Ricci, Barry White, Matthew Perry, Jon Bon Jovi), several storylines that would test the credulity of any of the curiously indulgent judges before whom Ally's firm practises (notably the arrival of a 10-year-old daughter that Ally didn't know she had) and one misbegotten attempt to anchor the programme to the real world (the "Nine One One" episode, an unwatchably mawkish allegory about the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States). Granted that Ally McBeal was never intended to be realistic drama, but when the programme spirals entirely off into the realms of the surreal, any possibility of the sort of identification with the characters on which the programme once relied is lost. Though not without its moments, the sudden redemption of Fish, always the best-written character, is deftly handled. Series Five will be of chief interest to adherents who stuck with it through the first four and so wanted to see how it all ends; in keeping with the central character's defining motifs of solipsism and self-pity, it does so with a whimper. On the DVD: Ally McBeal has episode selector on each disc, and a scene selector within each of those. The final disc contains two short and desultory documentaries on the series billed, somewhat hopefully, as "Special Features". A French audio soundtrack is available, as are subtitles in English, French and Dutch. -Andrew Mueller
Titles Comprise: Razzle Dazzle: A journey into dance lifts the curtain on the eager members of Mr Jonathon's Dance Academy (The Jazzketeers) as they prepare for Australia's most prestigious dance competition. Amidst parental politics, dance school rivalry, creative controversy and the hysterics of pushy stage mothers Mr Jonathan stands true to his vision - not only does he want to entertain, he wants to educate. With his unique routines, like the Kyoto Protocol Shuffle, Mr Jonathan aspires to reflect the oppression and injustices in the world.The Producers: New York, 1959. Max Bialystock was once the king of Broadway, but now all his shows close on opening night. Things turn around when he's visited by the neurotic accountant Leo Bloom, who proposes a scheme tailor-made for producers who can only make flops: raise far more money than you need, then make sure the show is despised. No one will be interested in it, so you can pocket the surplus.To this end, they produce a musical called Springtime for Hitler written by escaped Nazi Franz Liebken. Then they get the insanely flamboyant Roger De Bris to direct. Finally, they hire as a lead actress the loopy Swedish bombshell Ulla (whose last name has over 15 syllables). As opening night draws near, what can go wrong? Well, there's no accounting for taste...Centre Stage: A group of 12 teenagers from various backgrounds enroll at the American Ballet Academy in New York to make it as ballet dancers and each one deals with the problems and stress of training and getting ahead in the world of dance.
A magical animated world based on the story by Rae Lambert which follows the antics of Abigail the Woodmouse Edgar the Mole and Russell the Hedgehog.
Much lighter in tone than creator, producer and writer David E Kelley's other forays into legal drama LA Law, and The Practice, the slick thirtysomething series Ally McBeal has never been out-and-out comedy but it spikes its exploration of emotional territory with sharp funny lines. Ally (Calista Flockhart) is a kookie cutie, a ditzy, skinny, single lawyer and we are privy to scenes from her overactive imagination (courtesy of CGI), surrounded by larger-than-life peripheral characters--almost grotesques--like outspoken boss Richard Fish (Greg Germann), nervy courtroom wizz John "The Biscuit" Cage (Peter MacNicol) and nosy secretary Elaine Vassal (Jane Krakowski). In later series these characters (including popular newcomers Lucy Lui and Portia de Rossi as frosty law babes Ling and Nelle) would edge towards one-dimensional caricatures as the same ground was retrodden relentlessly, but in this first series there is something compelling about the intrusive dynamics of this group of oddballs. The point is you don't have to like them to find them entertaining. Ally herself can be extremely irritating in a love-to-hate-her kind of a way. She is a curious dichotomy, a 1990s woman with a go-getting career and a penchant for her own way and yet with the romantic ideals of someone from another generation. Basically still hung up on ex-boyfriend Billy (Gil Bellows) who works for same Boston practice, alongside wife Georgia (Courtney Thorne-Smith), Ally is on the look out for her Prince Charming. The first series and its lead both garnered Golden Globes, a lot of gossip and a healthy audience for the Fox television network in America. Channel 4 snapped it up for British audiences who were intrigued, not least by the unisex toilets and sophisticated afterwork bar soirées where chanteuse Vonda Shepherd was always to be found crooning away in the corner. All in all, Ally McBeal leaves you with the conundrum of wanting more but not being able to say why. --Emma Perry
The eccentric Hollywood Billionaire Howard Hughes produced and directed Hell's Angels the most expensive film made at the time. Hughes spared no expense in capturing an exciting dogfight between R.A.F. and German fighter planes using 137 pilots in all. Hell's Angels is perhaps more notable for introducing Jean Harlow to the screen in her first major film role. Set during World War I Hell's Angels is the story of three Oxford buddies: two brothers (Ben Lyon and Jam
Emmerdale Soap Bubble
A breathless explosive story! When a convict (Robert Redford) escapes from the state penitentiary heads for home and becomes involved in a murder the peace of a small Texas town is shattered. Most of the citizens led by a banker/oil tycoon (E.G. Marshall) see him as a criminal to be hounded and brought to justice. Only the town sheriff (Brando) believes him to be innocent and prepares to stand by him; but when the mob decide to take the law into their own hands even he is power
Featuring all the episodes from the final season of Ally McBeal spread over 6 discs! Episodes comprise: 1. Friends and Lovers 2. Judge Ling 3. Neutral Corners 4. Fear of Flirting 5. I Want Love 6. Lost and Found 7. Playing With Matches 8. Blowin' in the Wind 9. One Hundred Tears 10. A Kick in the Head'. 11. The New Day 12. Woman 13. Home Coming 14. Heart and Soul 15. Love is all Around 16. Tom Dooley 17. Another One Bites the Dust 18. Reality Bites 19. All of Me 20. Bygones
Ally McBeal is back...and this time she has company in the shape of Robert Downey Jr. ! Heralded as the best season yet Ally McBeal Season 4 is packed with hilarious and touching antics and with the arrival of the gorgeous Larry Paul (Robert Downey Jr.) could Ally have FINALLY found her true love? Episodes Featured: 1. Sex Lies and Second Thoughts 2. Two's a Crowd 3. Girls Night Out 4. Without a Net 5. The Last Virgin 6. 'Tis the Season 7. Love on Holiday 8. The Man with the Bag 9. Reasons to Believe 10. The Ex-Files 11. Mr.Bo 12. Hats Off to Larry 13. Reach Out and Touch 14. Boys Town 15. Falling Up 16. The Getaway 17. The Pursuit Of Unhappiness 18. The Obstacle Course 19. In Search Of Barry White 20. Cloudy Skies 21. Queen Bee 22. Home Again 23. The Wedding 24. Chance Of Parade
What it lacks in grandeur, this 1978 TV version of The Four Feathers makes up for in fidelity to AEW Mason's classic novel. By cannibalising the superior 1939 production for epic shots and sequences, this modest adaptation draws attention to its meagre production values, relying heavily on casting and chemistry to compensate. That it succeeds, more or less, in capturing the essence of Mason's grand adventure is largely due to the appeal of Beau Bridges and Jane Seymour in the prime of their early careers. (Bridges' film career was gaining momentum; Seymour would rise from here to the similarly romantic Somewhere in Time.) Bridges is the shamed soldier Harry Faversham, transcending cowardice by rescuing his closest friends during Britain's bloody campaign in 1870s Sudan; Seymour is his beloved back home, torn between Harry and the seemingly braver Jack (Robert Powell). TV veteran Don Sharp provides tepid direction, while screenwriter Gerald DiPego would continue his prolific career for decades to come. --Jeff Shannon
The fifth season was the last series of Ally McBeal, and probably the least satisfying. While always at least slightly entertaining, it was troubled by two conflicting imperatives: first, to steer its neurotic characters and multiplicity of sub-plots towards a coherent and credible resolution; second, to sustain another series of a programme that had, by now, exhausted all the plot possibilities that were remotely believable. The result is a bemusing onslaught of new characters (Ally's Mini-Me Jenny and a barely distinguishable phalanx of lantern-jawed male leads), celebrity cameos (Edna Everage, Christina Ricci, Barry White, Matthew Perry, Jon Bon Jovi), several storylines that would test the credulity of any of the curiously indulgent judges before whom Ally's firm practises (notably the arrival of a 10-year-old daughter that Ally didn't know she had) and one misbegotten attempt to anchor the programme to the real world (the "Nine One One" episode, an unwatchably mawkish allegory about the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States). Granted that Ally McBeal was never intended to be realistic drama, but when the programme spirals entirely off into the realms of the surreal, any possibility of the sort of identification with the characters on which the programme once relied is lost. Though not without its moments, the sudden redemption of Fish, always the best-written character, is deftly handled. Season Five will be of chief interest to adherents who stuck with it through the first four and so wanted to see how it all ends; in keeping with the central character's defining motifs of solipsism and self-pity, it does so with a whimper. On the DVD: Ally McBeal has episode selector on each disc, and a scene selector within each of those. The final disc contains two short and desultory documentaries on the series billed, somewhat hopefully, as "Special Features". A French audio soundtrack is available, as are subtitles in English, French and Dutch. -Andrew Mueller
Based on the true story of the last woman ever executed in Britain Ruth Ellis starts down the road of romantic self-destruction when she meets and starts a love affair with wealthy gentlemen David Blakely who felt it was impossible to uphold the relationship with the single mother due to the pressure of his upper-class peers.
Performances of La Traviata stand or fall to an unusual extent on their principal soprano; the first thing that needs saying about this Glyndebourne performance is that Marie McLaughlin has all of the attributes needed for a role that is fundamentally a virtuoso one, no matter how emotionally involving it is as well. The point about Violetta is that she is, with absolute authenticity, all of the things she becomes in the course of the opera--the febrile socialite and yearning love of Act One, the quiet domesticated woman of Act Two who sacrifices her love for Alfredo to precisely the family values he has talked her into espousing, the dying penitent of Act Three. Walter McNeil is an impressive poetic Alfredo in whose successful courtship we can believe. He is also unusually good in Act Two, Scene Two where for once his public humiliation of Violetta is actually painful, which makes his repentance at her deathbed far more moving. Brent Ellis is solidly powerful as his father Germont--the duet in which he talks Violetta into renouncing his son and comes to value what he is destroying is one of the high points here, as it should be. Bernard Haitink conducts impressively. On the DVD: As (unfortunately) usual with Arthaus Musik, the DVD contains no extra features worth mentioning past the usual subtitles in German, English and French, relegating discussion of the opera's stormy history to the booklet. --Roz Kaveney
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